GRUNGE FASHION READIES A 2023 COMEBACK

Smells Like Teen Spirit: Grunge Fashion Readies for a 2023 Comeback

Grunge is gearing up for a comeback. The musical genre that made flannel shirts, grandpa cardigans, dirty and destroyed denim, baby doll dresses and skate-inspired footwear the uniform of ’90s teenage angst is back in the zeitgeist. 

Sparked by the Indie Sleaze aesthetic that launched basic tank tops and miniskirts onto the must-have lists of Gen Z shoppers, Aoife Byrne, Edited senior fashion and retail analyst, said designers are “turning back the clock” to the ’90s and powering a grunge rival. 

Edited found a 28 percent year-over-year increase in apparel using the descriptor “grunge” in a sign of mounting interest. 

Designers across all pricing tiers are finding their groove in grunge. 

Shein dropped an extensive grunge collection in November. Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta revived the flannel shirt by dressing Kate Moss in a leather version for its Spring/summer 2023 runway show. Blumarine and Givenchy are betting on worn-in, yellow-tinted denim. R13’s recent collections have been dense with oversized, imperfect knits and destroyed denim. 

Pop punk bands from the ’90s and early 2000s are getting a boost from a nostalgia-fueled revival as well. My Chemical Romance, Paramore and Blink-182 all kick off world tours this year, Edited said. The latter’s tour will likely be amplified on social media and reality TV if drummer Travis Barker’s other half, Kourtney Kardashian, hits the road with the band. 

op punk bands from the ’90s and early 2000s are getting a boost from a nostalgia-fueled revival as well. My Chemical Romance, Paramore and Blink-182 all kick off world tours this year, Edited said. The latter’s tour will likely be amplified on social media and reality TV if drummer Travis Barker’s other half, Kourtney Kardashian, hits the road with the band.

Online fast-fashion retailer Boohoo is already capitalizing on the trend, Edited noted, having paired up with the Kardashian-Barkers on several clothing collaborations and Blink-182 merch.

“These events serve as strong trend accelerators to springboard your collection off,” Byrne stated, adding that brands and retailers should be sure their “concert night and festival edits” are ready to go live in line with these tour dates.