Why I Love Alt Subcultures

From a young age, I was always told by my parents: "Don't look at them, you don't want to end up like that person, all ugly and weird. They probably do drugs." Man, were they wrong. I was just a kid, and I understood straightaway that people can do whatever they want, as long as it makes them happy. And so I looked up to people with more out-of-the-ordinary styles, and my parents did not like that. But I liked the rebellion, so I leaned into it.

My Journey

Since middle school, and COVID years, and the TikTok E-girl boom, I wanted to look like that. That's where my story begins. A wannabe "grunge" girl, who was really just into eyeliner, chains, and skirts with baggy sweatshirts. As I became more chronically online, I started to distinguish what I really wanted. I tried a more masculine neutral look; definitely more real grunge, and started listening to indie rock artists. Cool, but not there yet.

Starting high school, I stayed with that style until I found the goth subculture. I love the music still, but the style just didn't look quite right on me. "Too feminine", I thought. I looked into punk style, but I didn't want to seem like a poser because I didn't really live that punk lifestyle or listen to the music that much. 

Then I found emos. I love the music and the style, and I would say it's a bit of everything. Hardcore vibes with lots of black, and really good music! It reminded me of all the pop punk stuff my father used to play for me as a kid (and I still listen to). However, that was still never enough. I used to be a big fan of the "kidcore aesthetic" and I still wanted a part of that. And there comes scene. 

Now, I'm a full time scenemo kid, and I love it. I would say it's fairly androgynous, too. Plus, I really like the amount of layering you can do with it. And making Kandi, of course!

And to end...

All alternatives subcultures deserve their moment in the spotlight, this is just a short story about how I've come to love mine. If you're alternative in any of these ways, and others, please hit me up! I'd love to listen to your story sometime. :)

Peace and love, 

M