2020 tiktok alt is a style i look back on very fondly, granted i didn't have tiktok at the time, i was only able to experience it from an outsiders view with many many tiktok compilations i enjoyed. There's alot i could probably spend time talking about from around this time to reminescing on trends (its upd and downs) the behavior, the jokes, but one thing in particular i wanted to talk about was one of the most interesting fashion styles from that time.
For those of you who don't know (or those who want a refresher) the style was coined by young teenagers at the time on tiktok and became massively popular. The style had many different aspects that could be mixed and matched to suit the person but heres a list of the most common:
For clothing: Band or graphic t shirts (sometimes oversized), pleaded or fluffy skirts, thigh or knee high socks, demonias boots (or some other clunky style of boot), fingerless gloves, striped socks or gloves, striped shirts or undershirts.
Accessories: cutesy bunny hats with long hanging pieces on the sides of the head, monster energy drink cans, kandii bracelets or necklaces, the black face masks (from the covid masks becoming more needed), corsets, chokers
Hair/makeup: hair covering the eyes, black lipstick that only covered the upper lip, deep black makeup on the lips and around the eyes, eyeliner, x's, dots or lines drawn with eyeliner
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The style was inspired by scene, emo, and likley some other fashions as well. Something i like very much about this style is just how much there is to work with, theres no one style or makeup, or outfit that makes it exactly 2020 alt, you can mix and match so much! Don't want to wear a skirt? Pants can work, don't want makeup? Thats fine, you could even wear a mask, don't have a bunny hat? Plenty don't have them. Despite having such an iconic look theres no one single combination that will only work
I truly do love this style, and it makes me sad that so many have completely rejected it as some stupid, i feel like no one sees the style like I do, even people who say they still like the style, i just feel like i haven't seen anyone truly adore the fashion and see its potential, which is why I'm bothering to make a blog post about my thoughts on it.
From what I've learned back in the day the people who dressed in this alternative style were very queer friendly, encouraging people to be themselves and were very adamant about using peoples correct pronouns. Obviously im sure that with the time and also ages of the people who were most often in these styles things weren't always perfect but overall i think this is a really genuine and good concept for an alternative fashion style and I'd love for this style to gain traction again and become as much as a recognized alternative fashion as much as punk or goth
However i do think there would need to be certain changes first. I have learned thanks to a creator i listened to on the topic of tiktok alt, that alot of the items of clothing were fast fashion, which of course, is not a very good thing, especially for an alternative style. If this style were to come back i think those who really want to embrace what the values of the style could be should make an emphasis on diy and thrifting their clothes and accessories, its just better for the environment
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Next thought on this topic is what i think the core values of this style would be?
Alternate styles like punk and goth aren't just for looks but will tend to have something to say about something in their society.
With punk their values involve helping your fellow person, individualism, and fighting oppression in many ways, weither its kicking a nazi in the teeth or putting together a community food garden.
Goth rejects conformity and embraces creativity and individuallity. They put on clothing that is intentionally dark or intense to reject the parts of society that would look at them and treat them like they're something to fear (although it seems alot of their style is mainly based in the music they make than political views like punk).
So what could the 2020 alt style's values be?
For one the queerness would absolutely need to stay, it was made my queers and was its most known attribute to them. I imagine this style would embrace queer identities and strive to be incredible allies much like punk
Next, the rejection of cringe, i believe this was already an aspect to their values considering they embraced being who they wanted to be but i think it should be emphasized even further. Nowadays people treat this style like its cringe despite everyone loving it only a few years ago, and once again this is an example of something harmless and overall, not that strange being labeled as this.
Cringe is such a nothing word, everyone constantly uses it, its a thing everyone fears being called and a thing with no true definition, something that changes person to person, a thing that is rarely ever used in a postive way, only used to bring someone down or bully a concept or thing. I want the people in this styles values to not only embrace "cringe" but to challenge anything called cringe, take it as something positive, intentionally do cringe things as a statement, use it as a compliment "omg you look so cringe!(≧▽≦)" , and look down on people who use it to bully. If someone's calling someone cringe and they aren't hurting anyone, it goes against their values. I also think the idea of being very anti-bullying would be a beautiful way to stop the behavior that were apprently common from the styles that inspired them. I heard that in the past scene and emo styles were often worn my mean and exclusionary people (I don't know how true this is as i obviously wasn't around at that time, though im sure not everyone was like this)
Anti-overconsumption, like i mentioned earlier teenagers who coined this style were users of fast fashion. I can't really blame them at the time, being young and not really understanding those things, but like I said I'd want this style to get rid of this aspect of the fast fashion and embrace environmentally friendly options. But even more I'd want the style to take that previous slip up and turn it on its head by making the opposite a core value. Encouraging people to not buy things that they'll just end up throwing out that'll pile up in the environment, helping with efforts to remove trash from oceans and other places if possible, recycling, and aforementioned thrifting and diy stuff. You know those videos where influencers do a car restocking, or a bathroom restocking, or an ice cube restocking, and they have ridiculous amounts of supplies that they most definitely do not need and are just done for show? Thats exactly what i imagine they'd strive to get people to stop
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Aside from the values I'm also thinking about the name, while 2020 alt is very memorable i don't think it lends well to the name of an entire fashion style. Or maybe I'm wrong and overthinking it┐( ∵ )┌
I dont have any actual name ideas but i do have ideas for what could be the inspiration behind it
I like the idea of keeping 2020 in the name because thats when it was first made and it was just such a historical point in our society i think it makes since it would stay.
I also kinda like the idea of using some sort of word similar to tiktok or something adjacent to it like clocks or time, because it wouldn't exist without tiktok
Though if i were to find a name based on its values itself and how society would view them (kinda like how punks are often viewed as well, punks, a derogatory term taken and reclaimed) then I'd try to find a word similar to or adjecaent to 'cringe' i feel like it'd fit perfectly and might be my favorite idea for a different name
Maybe they just straight up use the word cringe for their style, and completely overtake any internet videos making fun of someone whos cringe with their own fashion and values, i think that'd be one hell of a statement.
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Much like how other alternative styles have their own styles of music i was thinking about what kinda music this style would typically associate with them, the answer came to me incredibly easily.
Songs from the exact time this style was born and became so very popular, Penelope scott, soddiken, 100 gecs, the extremely loud, weird, autotuned, hyperpop, and overly computery style music that sounds like what tv static would taste like. Thats the exact style of music this style would be attributed to
What's even better is that it fits perfectly into the values of challenging cringe culture. Penelope scott, and soddiken were artists that were loved years ago, but then suddenly one day decided the music wasn't good anymore, it became cringe out of nowhere and everyone clowned on it horrendously. This style taking that music and loving/encouraging it unapologetically would fit so well into them as a whole.
I could also imagine a music artist like jack stauber fitting in with this style, even if he's not the hyperpop style of the other artists i mentioned before.
*。*゚☆*´°•*゚✧◝◜✧*︶*.。*♡
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>_johnnie⭑!!
+2!! The Shego lip was such a vibe! I still have all my graphic tees. Though I gained some weight, so they’re no longer oversized, haha! ^^’ I bought a lot of stuff during this era, and looking back, I could have found most of it at the thrift store. Fast fashion sucks! Everything is made with polyester and it’s suuuuper itchy omg….
Anything can be considered “cringe.” People may say it’s “cringe” that I collect plushies, but they’re cute and I enjoy it! It doesn’t bother me, but I can see how this is harmful to someone else.
Yeah seriouslyyy it's especially hard to take cringe cultures seriously when literally anything thats just not immediately trending can be considered cringe, like dude literally everyone liked this shit five minutes ago be forreal
Collecting plushies is fun keep those lil babies around <3
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