Alternative Fashion - Appropriation and Evolution

Appropriation and Evolution

Appropriation of certain subcultures' dress styles, without deep knowledge of, interest in or agreement with the ideologies behind it, has gained much attention by culture critics in the same way the assimilation of traditions from ethnic and racial minorities into dominant culture is looked down on. The long-used term 'hipster' (now often synonymous with 'scenester') has taken on a negative connotation when applied to individuals who favor alternative styles (and related superficial cultural trappings) with limited in-depth social, political or emotional investment accept for the sake of seeming 'more hip' than others. It is often used to specifically refer to an amalgamation of other subculture types into one, cliched and ominpresent new type. In this way forms of alternative fashion, originally evolved around certain belief structures, are denograted into meer trappings of 'coolness' and spread throughout popular culture as a form of visual puffery.

A label given to one subculture and/or its fashions can also be subverted into an entirely different meaning once the style associated with the group evolves in the hand of mainstream stores and consumers. For example, in a 2003 review of the book "Nothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, and Emo," Mike Tribby of Booklist writes "the major commercial music purveyors pay scant attention to the youngsters buying hundreds of thousands of copies of albums by bands... even though the rest of the music industry is in the doldrums. Those bands create a sort of personal music...they aren't boy bands and Britney Spears knockoffs...their music... combines the thoughtfulness of folk with the sensibilities and DIY ethos of punk. Emo bands appeal with introspective lyrics rather than the "see my clothes, see my butt" treacle major labels promote. Sailing under the hype radar, emo is the current manifestation of music that is perfect for the young; that is, unknown and inaccessible to adults." He goes on to call the book "A valuable resource for young listeners and adults" and to "get it before emo goes the corporate way of "alternative" rock." A few short years later the term emo was being applied to a very different type of cultural group with a style that is highly visible on Mtv and other youth-centered media and widely marketed in chain stores of all ilks, hardly the ignored, underground, genre it was known as in '03. Tibby himself, in another Booklist review of the book "Everybody Hurts: An Essential Guide to Emo Culture" states "Self-centered, whiny songs and introspective posing have been part of rock from the beginning...but with emo they are the center of a packaged subculture." This is an instance of the cycle of subculture that is common to almost any niche group, and thus to any form of alternative fashion. From punk and goth to raver and grunge styles, the same pattern is seen again and again - a tiny group forms and is recognized for their uniqueness, the style grows in popularity to the point of being noticed by mainstream media and fashion, said style is then mass marketed and eventually joins the ranks of cliche.