FashBlog.com

By: Melissa Martinez

I've recently noticed a very disturbing trend in fashion. The "emo" style seems to have made a comeback. Emo refers to the style associated with hard-core punk rock bands of the 80's. Specifically, the one's that were based in the Washington, DC area. This style is usually associated with dark clothing and skinny pants; a lot like what rockers would wear. It has evolved slightly since the early 90's and now can be seen in some form or fashion in every mall in America. The recent skinny jean craze and the re-emergence of the legging are all offshoots of this trend. Also, the color scheme for this fall is most certainly inspired from the emo style. All of the colors are muted and are variations of black, plum and grey. It's quite depressing really, and I don't understand the allure. One thing is to incorporate a current underground trend into mainstream fashion, but it's a whole other ballgame when the trend completely invades the fashion scene. I walk around the department stores and I can't seem to escape the sea of emo inspired clothing. The heavy constructed military jackets, the suspender pants, and the jumper dress are all examples of the current deluge of styles that are emo-esque.

As I try to piece together the evolution of this development in fashion, I am taken back to my high school days. The kids that used to dress in this manner were usually the ones that could be found writing poetry and carting their guitars around to every single class. They didn't talk much and usually kept to themselves. It was like a secret club that us "non-enlightened" regular Abercrombie and Fitch wearing teenagers were not invited to be a part of. So how did this odd little faction of high school society manage to imprint their style onto the fashion runways? Was it really much more widespread than we thought? My answer to this has to be no. The vast majority of people, obviously, do not subscribe to this manner of dressing. So how did it happen? Why has it become "the look of the moment"?

The answer once again lies with the high school crowd. Once again they have influenced fashion, and may I add, not for the better. I blame the fashion industries' obsession with youth. I guess they think everyone has to dress like they are fifteen forever. I know you've seen them, the ladies that are obviously "of a certain age" still trotting around in the revealing tops and animal print shoes. It just isn't right. Fashion should be available for everyone, not just teenagers.

I often long for the days of high fashion. Why can't we emulate the fashion icons of our time instead of our fashion challenged youth? How nice it would be to be able to walk into a mall and see well-dressed people for a change.

This brings me to my next point. This recent emo influx is doing nothing to improve the way people dress. The last thing we need is to give people an excuse to dress even worse than they dress now.

There needs to be a return to class. We need to think Audrey Hepburn not Avril Lavigne. There is no point to fashion unless it makes us look good.

For now, however, we are going to have to deal with the emos. The look will be with us at least through fall. I for one refuse to invest in any of it. I just can't see myself in suspenders. I can only pray that a whole lot of other people feel the same way. If they don't, emo chic could become, dare I say it, a mainstay. I know, not a pretty thought, but nonetheless a very real possibility.

So my best advice to my fellow fashion rebels is to try to make the best of it. Keep your classic style alive and ignore the trends. Invoke Hollywood glam and you can't go wrong, because I believe that even the most hard-core grunge rocker chick secretly wants to be Cinderella at the ball. It goes back to our most basic girly desire to look pretty, no matter how tough an image we want to portray.