Reality Bites

MANILA, Philippines - Idon’t know why, I’d rather be dead than cool,” growls grunge poster boy Kurt Cobain in Nirvana’s Stay Away. Akin to Mr. Cobain’s sentiments, the grunge era of the ‘90s spawned an anti-cool youth movement where — surprise, surprise — it’s cool to be uncool. And because our generation thrives on irony (or is it just me?), recent times have us seeing a sartorial revival in the past decade’s affinity for disaffected, even deliberately dirty-looking, dressing. Cases in point: Cropped tops and short leather minis get a taste for the androgynous when paired with the rock genre’s favored staples — denim overalls, lumberjack shirts, and scuffed-up sneakers. This simultaneous conceal and reveal aesthetic can get pretty confusing (i.e. navel-baring tops with baggy trousers) but then, young ‘uns being young ‘uns, it’s more likely a spot-on interpretation of the average youth’s befuddled state of mind. Well, that or we just miss our OshKosh B’Gosh jumper-wearing days. I know I do. Oh well, whatever, never mind.