Recently, there has been a lot of talk on the internet about the return of indie sleaze, alt-girl fashion, and the early 2010s Tumblr aesthetic—an era marked by alternative pop, amateur film photography, smudged mascara, and grungy ’90s fashion worn by the likes of Kate Moss and Alexa Chung that defined the party scene circa 2012. With goth glam emerging as a micro-trend at the 2022 Met Gala, the angsty-fashion trend has been percolating for some time, but fall 2022 is the moment where we’ve seen it reenter fashion in a major way.
Moody fashion was core to many of the fall collections in looks that tap into a dark, mostly black palette and pieces that embody an inherent edginess. Khaite’s F/W 22 collection felt grittier and edgier than its earlier collections, with Nirvana’s “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” playing alongside biker skirts, slashed fringe dresses, and draped maxi skirts. Blumarine pivoted away from last season’s Y2K pastels into darker territory with sheer mesh tops, choker necklaces, and heavy eyeliner, and Christopher Kane, Versace, and Givenchy also leaned into a darker punk aesthetic. Many cool insiders have been entering their angsty-fashion era by adding cult pieces into their closets. Ahead, see the key buys.
Studs are easily one of the coolest ways to embrace the angsty-fashion trend—and one of the easiest. Accessories like studded belts and heels can do all of the heavy lifting here.
Chokers are one of the most dominant jewelry trends in 2022 but will also be continuing into 2023. Brands such as Chanel made a strong case for them in their spring/summer 2023 collections, so you can feel confident that they are a sound investment.
Tap into your inner rebellious teenager by adding some skate sneakers to your closet. Loewe debuted a distressed version on its F/W 22 runway, but if you don’t want to go the designer route, snap up a pair of Converse Chuck Taylors, which have been everywhere on the fashion scene.
If you want to test-drive the angsty-fashion trend without completely transforming your personal style, I would recommend wearing a draped black dress like the one from Khaite. The piece feels moody and cool when styled with boots but can later be styled with sleek heels for a more elegant look.
Chopova Lowena’s skirts have quickly risen to cult status among fashion’s coolest insiders. The kaleidoscopic pleated skirts are constructed with argyle-print panels connected to thick leather waistbands secured by hiking carabiner clips that have an element of punk and rebellion.
Brands such as Miu Miu have designer underwear so cool it is intended to be exposed. Take a style note from Bella Hadid’s book and pull the waistband of your underwear above the top of your skirt.
Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons are the arbiters of cool and always pave the direction for where fashion is headed. In the recent collections for Prada, they made a case for distressed leather, which has quickly permeated the closets of fashion people.
For many years, we’ve seen a decline in biker items like leather jackets, but the pieces are officially back in a major way. Endorsed by brands such as Khaite, you can expect to see biker jackets and skirts on the fashion scene again.
Balenciaga’s Cagole pieces finished with silver buckles and studs have become the It accessories of the year. They also point to a larger trend of the hardware embellishments we’re seeing on the market right now.
Goth glam has been a rising trend on the red carpet, where celebrities such as Taylor Russell and Hadid have been wearing edgy, sexy looks in head-to-toe black that have an angsty undercurrent.
