smells like grunge

I remember sometime in the mid - nineties, my eldest sister took to wearing ripped jeans. Since I was an ickle one back then, it was a statement I greeted with laughter, deeming it as unnecessary sloppiness or probably because of my age just silliness. It's interesting to see then the return of the ripped jean/ tights look which is just on the cusp of its mainstream welcome. From Erin Wasson in Topshop tattered trousers to off duty models to fashion bloggers galore, the look is the new knee - high sock, the first port of call in achieving streetwise, cutting - edge (quite literally) fashion credibility.

Erin Wasson, seen here in Topshop ripped jeans, is one of the spearheaders of this neo - gunge movement. Her style epitomises the return of grunge - layers, rips, hardwear shoes, messiness but with a certain modern sleekness. Alexander Wang. of course, is the main man behind much of the revival. His grungy, down town style has become a by word for cool. His a/w collection rebelliously featured ripped tights, no wonder Cobrasnake is littered with the look.

The ripped leg - wear look is not an isolated event, though, is it? Indeed, far from it. Slowly yet surely the decade that appears on the outset to be determined by either anti - fashion versus high - end luxury or simplistic fashion is becoming the new 60s, a fashion era revival that just refuses to go away. Of course, it's the 1990s to which I refer and there is no end to the 90's trend digging up that the fashion world is currently indulging in. It started perhaps some while ago, whenever Mary Kate Olsen began her obsession with flannel shirts. All of a sudden flannel plaid shirts are ev - ery - where so much so you would be forgiven if you thought you stepped right back into early 90's Seattle. The latest 'it' item, which is perhaps somewhat at odds with their anti - fashion association, are Doc Martens. You're no one if you're not stomping about in heavy laced and/or buckled footwear. Then there are the beanie hats and the sloppy layering, messy hair and hole - infested knits. There have been crop tops too but in my opinion that's best left to Carrie Bradshaw.

You may say "but the 90s, so soon? It has only been eight years!" Perhaps but it seems the fashion world can't get enough of the decade. I for one certainly find it difficult in theory to understand but somehow the 90s as inspiration seems to work extraordinary well as demonstrated by Harpers Bazaar's November editorial (above, plaid/beanie collages) or Alexander Wang's a/w collection or indeed his s/s 09 collection. I know I'm over thinking things here but for the hell of it consider if this grunginess is more then just a brief trend, which it is increasingly looking like, one has to take into account the social commentary that a pair of ripped tights may provide in years to come. Global economy in shreds, perhaps?!

Perhaps somewhat worryingly, I don't think I'm going to be working the look for one, the crop top has been sneaking its little self back into the mainsteam. Seen here in the September issue of Elle UK in the superb Feel the Noise editorial, which incidentally had a punky - grunge theme. Diane Kruger and Peaches Geldof have both beared the dubious item and it featured too in Alexander Wang's s/s show. Marc Jacob's 1992 Grunge collection (right) was a legendary fashion moment as it captured the zeitgeist.
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