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 [emo] 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

Alternative Fashion's Influence on Mainstream Fashion

Mainstream culture, particularly retailers and the media, have often looked to alternative fashion for up and coming trends and, increasingly, as an easy way to market products to a niche group that may not be having its tastes supplied elsewhere. Some in the alternative community view this as flattering and as a positive expansion of what is socially acceptable, and easily available, fashion. Others consider the involvement of mainstream institutions in alternative fashion as a desecration of what the concept stands for and feel the mass marketing of previously underground styles, particularly to impressionable youth markets who are more concerned with a look than the meaning behind it, amounts to a non-violent form of cultural genocide. When a previously non-mainstream style becomes popular the core group of a certain alternative niche may be watered down with dozens or even hundreds of individuals who are not genuinely invested in the advancement of alternative culture or its precepts of individuality and present an image of the subculture not at all related to its traditional members' behaviors. For instance, rave culture was heavily associated with ideas of racial, gender and sexual orientation equality and encouraged unity, creativity and individuality amongst its members. The commodification of rave fashions in chain outlets and internet botiques coincided with a media frenzy focusing on drug use in the rave community. These factors led to an insurgence of young people interested in emulating rave style, and obtaining the substances associated with it, rather than in promoting the utopian precepts originally associated with raves.

Alternative fashion is expressed, discussed, viewed and proliferated through many of the same channels as mainstream fashion, such as fashion shows, websites, blogs and magazines. The use of these avenues in the alt community traditionally tend to follow similar principles to traditional alt fashion itself - existing outside of mainstream outlets, fueled by personal creativity. It is common for projects related to alternative fashion to be independently run by individuals or small groups and to be offered to the public cheaply or free of charge. However, just as alternative fashion has been commodified by chain stores some level of commercialization may exist within outlets of alternative fashion seeking to exploit certain styles as 'the next big thing' or taking financial advantage of customers with limited options. The sheer volume of literature about alternative and subculture fashion,ranging from serious sociological studies to 'guide books' for the casual reader, display how involved, or at least interested, in alternative fashion a large portion of society is.

Common Influences

Modern individual alternative fashion genres, and their wearers, may have homogenized or diverse influences that vary from group to group and person to person but some basic similarities do exist across the scope of alt fashion. Some prominent examples of influences, regardless of genre or label, are:

- vintage and retro fashion trends that have fallen out of favor with the general population (e.g.: Pin-up girl, Rockabilly, New Romanticism, Victorian fashion, etc.)which are revived or incorporated by a new generation

- dress styles, traditional and modern, from other cultures (such as Japanese street fashion)

- various forms of visual and performance art, including painting, sculpture, film and television

- notable personalities - authors, models, musicians, actors, etc.

- personal tastes and aesthetics

- personal attitudes towards concepts such as individuality, consumerism, social constructs on behavior, self-expression, and/or disenfanchisement with what is viewed as "normal" society 

- considerations of availability and utilitarianism

Like many other aspects of alternative culture, alt fashion is often heavily influenced by music and the dress style of individual bands or musicians While the qualities of individuality and open-mindedness are associated with alternative fashion, levels of conformity within subcultures, judgemental behaviors and expressions of feelings of superiority exist within certain alternative fashion communities just as they exist in aspects of mainstream fashion and culture. Pressure to 'fit in,' even just within a small niche community, may influence personal style.

Historical and Sociological Perspectives

        Alternative fashion is often considered a modern concept but it, and the concept of subculture it is often related to, have existed for centuries. As covered in Ken Gelder's exploration of the history of alternative culture patterns in Western society, "Subcultures: Cultural Histories and Social Practice," alternative fashions have often been used to identify, and even stereotype, members of groups with value systems that diverged from common culture. Gelder states that alternative fashions have traditionally been related to subcultures that have been identified by mass society as:

- disinterested in common moral order: idle, parasitical, hedonistic, criminal

- disinterested in or against adhering to structure of social class

- identification with an area (street, 'hood, club) rather than self-owned property.

- preferring to develop "family" and community outside of traditional paradigms

- attitudes against or wary of Mass production, homogeny, socially imposed behavior constrictions 

          Those who utilize alternative fashion may very greatly in beliefs and not identify with any of these concepts. Often it is the mass social perceptions of the meaning of certain fashions and their relation to a particular niche group that is important in understanding the interaction of alternative fashion with mass culture - a fashion is often more remembered for what it is related to in the popular consciousness than what its wearer's intended it to stand for. Particularly in a sociopolitical sense alternative fashion has often been intentionally adopted by an individual or group to display a break from the beliefs or mores of popular culture and as a form of self-expression that challenged the boundaries of what was considered appropriate, fashionable or practical. The meaning behind a certain style, or said style even having a meaning, is up for debate between individual wearers and those outside the style.

The use of subculture terminology in the 21st century to categorize or interpret dress style is often inaccurate, or at the least does not provide a complete picture of the indivudal being assessed by their 'look,' due to the constant evolution in the meaning, relevance and cohesion of certain subcultures and even the term 'subculture' itself. Alternative fashion is often looked at through the lense of social politics - it is considered a visual expression of opposition to societal norms, thus heavily associated with the idealism, energy and rebellion of youth culture. However, sociological studies into exploring alternative fashion have found individuals who retained statistically uncommon modes of dress on a permanent post-adolescent basis. Alternative fashion generally lays down a challenge to accepted norms, though the reactions received by wearers of alternative fashion from those who adhere to more conventional stylings can be as diverse as the wearers themselves. It can be a visual language that people employ to communicate with each other indicating common interests or involvement with similar activities, a challenge to modern conceptions of aesthetic beauty and/or a basic form of self-expression, like painting or writing. It may be none of these things - the wearer may have no conscious intent in the choosing of their style and may find themselves outside the mainstream purely by accident.

Alternative fashion

           
            Alternative fashion is an umbrella term encompassing a plethora of styles that have one major thing in common - they, at least at one time, stood apart from mainstream cmmercial fashion. The term has long been associated with the fashions of specific subculturoes (e.g.: emo, scene, Goth subculture, Hip hop, industrial, Cyberpunk, etc.), however it is not limited to this application. In general alternative, or 'alt,' fashion does not conform to style trends of the times that have widespread popularity. It may exhibit itself as a fringe style - extremely attention grabbing and more artistic than practical - but it can also develop from anti-fashion sentiments that focus on simplistic utilitarian drives (e.g.: grunge fashion, which was largely based around comfort and availability).