Return to Grunge

Fashion in the late ‘80s to the mid-‘90s was in a grunge revolution and it was considered as one of the most important events of style in the ‘90s. When music played Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and the likes, style geniuses Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein set the "grunge" look as a transition from the ‘80s preppy/yuppiedom, elitism and power dressing into an era of anti-style turned fashion revolution. It was the time of fusion between music and fashion when people dressed up like grunge artists/musicians in torn dressing and the famous Doc Martens to create the "just-being-themselves" look which later on was labeled "grunge fashion." The granny-style, hooded and flannel shirts, stonewashed denim pants, overalls and shorts, crocheted vests and skull caps, bell bottoms and the variety of dark colors and white were elements that defined this unisex phenomenon. Fashion magazines such as Vogue, Bazaar, Elle and i.d. along with modeling’s freshest faces like Kate Moss, Amber Valetta, Shalom Harlow and Stella Tenant picked up the new movement and made the unkempt look a historical landmark in global fashion.

Today, history repeats itself as grunge re-emerges with a new edge. As the new season unfolds, grunge is streamlined with a variety of modern day mix-match layering of timeless separates. As seen in the recent Fall-Winter collections of Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, Chloe, Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Thakoon, Peter Som, Andrew Gn and Vivienne Westwood, the look is re-invented in a variety of styles combined with punk to goth or romantic to glam. The chic piled on moodiness is a style identity characterized by layering that’s not so lady-like. The rebel-without-a-cause movement in fashion’s past is now all about inventive self-stylizing perspectives that define personal dressing. Grunge in the 21st century is a crisp interpretation of the diversity of smart, unconventional layering with an attitude that reflects the innovation of fashion.

Multiple Choice’s must-have:

The Belt: Waist Matters

Volumes and proportions receive so much attention from designers in creating the latest fashion. The evolving shapes of the chic global mod look are all about the mini-maxis of silhouettes that come in a variety of wonderful measures. While new trends rise to the forefront of style this season, the belt, after its long hiatus, has become the most wanted must-have accessory in every fashionista’s wardrobe. The waist list is long, due to the variety of ingenious textiles and sky high design every fashion house or label comes up with. Embrace the waist as it accentuates an ensemble or adds glam to create the look. From beads to sequins, studs to rivets, embroidery or simply patent, the belt is a chameleon that suits every individual style. Cosmopolitan feel and confident feminine presence of cinch style are worthy of haute attention. Belted chic in dramatic detailing and exaggerated proportions creates the luxe edge that complements the aesthetics of minimalism.

(E-mail the author at mymultiplechoice@yahoo.com)