Fashionista NOW: How To Ooze Pastel Grunge Fashion Inspiration

Credit | Margarita Ko

What is a pastel grunge look? For outfit ideas that showcase this soft grunge trend, click on.

Pastel grunge describes a form of 90s style appropriation that is a branch of soft grunge which is the contemporary take of the 90s grunge culture. If that got your brain in a twist, let me detangle the knot and give you an idea or two on what a pastel grunge look is sort of about.

The so-called grunge lifestyle of the 90s are far removed from the glossy idealizations of today’s style perception. Let’s face it, people’s fashions are an amalgamation of various style influences that travel through filters of subjective interpretations. Catapulted from the street and up to the creative spaces of high fashion designers and to be brought down again, modified by global young street-stylers with a penchant for well, too many things and, you’ve got the pastel grunge looking at you.

Anyway, the soft grunge — born in 2010 on Tumblr — is a watered down version of the total mess of the could-not-afford-to-be-pissed lifestyle of the often starving artist at her wit’s end. Nothing glamorous about the struggle that but some hipster somewhere decides that it’s time to emulate the raw-around-the-edge kind of look of the 90s grunge icons like Drew Barrymore, Courtney Love, Johnny Depp, Kate Moss and Kurt Cobain just to name a few.

With the return to the basic building blocks of minimal dressing fueled by the normcore anti-trend movement, barely-there hues of the pastel color scheme are easily eased into a wardrobe that is made up of black, white and beige. And since grunge is mellowed out and pastelized, expect to see the use of dark floral, slouchy clothing and chunky footwear like platform boots/sandals and creepers. Jewelry is kept to a minimal/optional but a septum ring is a cool nose adornment for the daring.

If the wearer opts for an all-over pastel look, the makeup is rendered dark with smudged up kohl-lined eye and plummy (or purple) stained lips — a look that is pretty Autumn-friendly. Otherwise, accenting with pastel is good enough. The footwear is androgynous, bulky and utilitarian. But then again, hologram-accented sandals/shoes can be thrown into the mix too.

The key is to hit the sweet spot between the airy floatiness of pastel and the muted ambiance through black and neutral-toned separates and accessories. Pastel hair is optional but if you’re gung-ho about it, dusty hues like dreamy pink, muted mauve and smokey amethyst are some of the colors to consider. Go ombre or let your roots grow for the gradient pastel look. Dark haired peeps be warned, bleaching is involved. Too much trouble? Stick with greasy natural frizzy hair.

I’ve curated modern variations of the pastel grunge look I am most keen about, seen in the looks and outfits below and hope you’ll find them reflective of what pastel grunge looks and means to you:

♥ pastel basketball top – Maui | Sophia Woods

♥ turtleneck top – Forever 21 | mint coat – Sammydress | Chantelle Marino

♥ pastel mint backpack – Storenvy | Sophie Traverse

♥ pastel pink top – Somalyng | Somaly Nguyen

♥ coat – Romwe | shorts – Oh My Love | Amy Liddell

♥ pastel leather jacket – Unif | Anna Bell

More pastel grunge outfit ideas:

♥ | creative set designed by Yasmin Louise

♥ | creative set designed by Anna

♥ | creative set designed by deadolphin

♥ | creative set designed by lidiabarranco

♥ | creative set designed by ellieu17

♥ | creative set designed by Fingers

What are your views on the pastel grunge trend? Like any of the outfits shared here? If so, which one? Are you a grunge fashion fanatic? How do you style your favorite soft grunge look? Share below and let us know!

“I’m the mold that grunge was grown in.” — Townes Van Zandt

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Here on Fashionista NOW, our one and very own Miss Reverie showcases the latest in fashion trends and its various social implications in our everyday lives. You may read more of her at REVERIE SANCTUARY.