Emo clothing

Is Emo dead?

Emo was massive about 2 years ago, where young goths loitering about public places were replaced with young Emos loitering about public places.
About a week ago, I heard some students on the train saying that Emo has dies, and changed its name to "Scene" (no idea?)
Despite all this, two days later I saw an Emo couple, also on the train, looking suitable dressed.

http://www.emoboyfriend.com/img/catpics/emo-boys.jpg


Following the success of bands like My Chemical Romance, AFI, Fall out boy and many other eyeliner wearing types, the EMO clothing and subculture was spawned and adopted by thousands of young things in the UK, US and Australia.

At a cursory glance, Emo subcultural fashion looks a bit like Goth. A lot of black, long straightened hair, eyeline. Its also quite androgynis, which Goth has become over the years. In my opinion, Emo guys look most like Goth guys - there has been signicant influence on each other, in hair styles at least.

Emo initially got its fashion inspiration from the Emo bands and what they were wearing.
Long skinny jeans and T shirts, often black. T shirts may have Emo band names on them.

Studded belts and black wristbands are common.
Converse sneakers, skate shoes are worn, and white or coloured, in contrast to black clothes.

As mentioned, hair is often straighted, and the guys have the "Little Nicky" straight hear, with bangs, often over one eye.

Anyways, I think Emo subculture has hit its peak and may be on its way out. It certainly has some cool fashion associated with it, and I know at least one person who will be sad to see cute Emo boys disapear from the subcultural landscape! :-)

New Rocks.

New Rocks.

I first saw New Rocks in (I think) about 2000. I was in England, in Camden, with the then girlfriend. We saw some cyber gothy people off in the distance. They were wearing these big boots. I was in awe of them...they were tall!!!!! They didn't have anything like new rocks in Australia, and the whole Cybergothy thing was pretty new to the UK, and completely an unfamiliar concept to us.

Anyways, these Cybergoth gals and their big boots wandered off, and we kept shopping in Camden, and came across a shop that sold them. We could look at them close up....they were amazing. We thought they were like a peice of weird art, and I remember saying that they could equally belong on display or on your feet.

We were back in Australia, and the same girlfriend bought me a pair, to make up for a rather major faux pau on her part. Presumably I can keep wearing them forever..the heels are four inches high, so they will never wear off. The boots are solid construction, like armour (and I'm an armourer, so I'm qualified to say that!). I loved them, they were amazing. And they still are.
Only thing is they aren't as unusual as they were when I first bought them.
Then again, what is?

New Rocks, Muy Sympatico.

Eventually New Rock started making girls boots, and corsets and various other things, but as far as I'm concerned, the original big chunky boot is the true New Rock boot. They very much remind me of when the Doctor Martin boot appeared, made a similiar sort of impact, big, weird footwear, except the New Rock Boot was a hellish weird looking thing, and not associated with violence like Docs were. In fact, unusually, for a big chunky, aggressive looking boot, they were very often worn by females.

They are a subcultural fashion icon. In 20 years time, I think we'll probably look back on them and remember of the early 2000's. May be we will laugh..... who knows.

Pics from a very stylish Russian gothic wedding

Well....not strictly fashion, as the fashion or designer isn't identified, and photographically, these are really wedding pics rather than fashion pics per se, but anyways.... they are some pretty damn stylish images.

Photography of a Russian goth wedding featuring some exorbitant hair, makeup and fashion in these shots.
I noticed this on a tacky wedding site http://tackyweddings.com . The site features pics from people's "tacky" weddings. Not sure I agree with a site devoted to this, I'm sure the people getting hitched didn't think there wedding was tacky... but anyways.

Someone posted these pics to the tacky wedding site. Instead of people's usual mundane derogatory comments, most people's comments were about how good the pics were... very complimentary. On a site that's main purpose is ripping into people's tacky wedding shots, to turn the maddening crowd into enthusiastic appreciative onlookers, is a pretty big compliment for the couple featured.

Anyways, the pics. Unfortunately can't credit the photographer, its all Russian to me.

Blue Suede shoes - Rockabilly Creepers

Pointy toed leopard Skin Rockabilly Creepers, with crepe soles.

I like Brothel Creepers. Brothel Creepers got their name because the soles were quiet and allowed people to "creep" and not be heard. Well, that was the story I remember from years ago. Apparently they were invented just after WW2, the crepe soles were an innovation used in military footware in North Africa.

They are big shoes, with big Crepe soles. People like big shoes. 20 years ago, they were expensive imports only available at specialist shops in Sydney. They normally used odd(exotic) material on the top of the instep, which apart from the big crepe soles, was the other feature. The instep would have patterns, or be made of fur, or a bright red or purple colour.

They were not subtle..and correspondingly very popular.

I love creepers. I'm not a fan of Rockabilly clothing generally . When I first got into subcultural fashion, ...2o years ago(eeep)... I was more on the mod side of things. And mods and Rockabillies didn't get on back then. Mod was very English, and Rockabilly was very American.

However, now, I love the deathrock/psychobilly gothabilly sort of spin on Rockabilly.
This aside...I always loved Creepers. The infamous "Blue Suede Shoes" made famous by Elvis.

I used to hang with Rude boys, and they even started wearing rockabilly shoes. Creepers became an accepted part of the Rude boy subcultural fashion, even though the original Rude boys (or mods, or skinheads, the other subcultures that related to rude boys) of course never wore Rockabilly footwear). From memory, Madness, the Two Tone ska band wore crepe shoes, so I think the Rude boys picked up on it from there.

In a subcultural sense, Creepers are interesting in that they cross subcultural boundaries. Many subcultures wear them... rude boys, Rockabilly, new wavers, psychobilly, greasers and goth, and apparently Japanese Visual Kei.

Just talking about them wants me to go and buy some.


Red Suede, extra high crepe soles and leopard skin instep.. now we are getting somewhere.


These ones are a bit Gothanista (Fashionista + Goth), high crepe soles, leather (?) uppers and flames.

Is it wrong to covet another subcultures fashion items?. Post subculture philosophy says to use it all!

Science Fiction Fashion #2 Star Wars

Princess Leia's costume - by John Mollo (not bad for a guy who normally writes books on 19th century Napoleonic uniforms).

Science fiction fashion #2.

Well its not exactly Alternative fashion, but Science Fiction influences my work, so Alternative fashion often walks the romantic/fantasy side of the more mundane.

Fashion of Star Wars. I saw the first Star Wars when it came out in 1678 (yep that makes me oooold), and being a bit of a lover of historical fashion (and history) I was aware of John Mollo's work in history fashion uniforms.
Mollo was an expert in uniforms and military clothing, so George Lucas got him to design the uniforms. The uniform designs are heavily influenced by German WW2 uniforms, and helmets.
Star Wars was his first, Mollo went on to work in film costume design, including movies like Tarzan the legend of Greystoke, Air America and White Hunter, Black Heart.

More on mah man Mollo here at Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mollo

Even more impressive, he didn't work on the recent Star Wars movies, so he is, in no way, not even remotely responsible for Jar Jar Binks.

Stormtrooper dressed for a bit more than snowball fights

Mollo's designs for Jabba the Hutt (originally he was cast as a humanoid type character, before they ended up with the 3 ton Jabba we know and love today)

Oh, by the way, if anyone out there reading this has only seen star wars 4, 5 and 6, whatever you do, don't see 1 2 and 3.

Phantom Orchid

Just stumbled upon this photographer - does some nice fashion (and other) oriented wrok.

Phantom Orchid - have a look at the burlesque pics.

And fukking brilliant web design too. Problem with being a good artist methinks, is that you need to have a good site otherwise it just doesn't do your work justice.

Circa Nocturna

Circa Nocturna once again rolls on. The longest running Alt fashion show in Australia, is on once again...and accepting designer applications.

Go to www.circanocturna.com for applications.

I usually get involved in running it but am stepping back this year - after 5 years I am weary, need to focus on my own work, and need to hand over to others to give it new blood. I think this was good thinking, after seeing what the new organisers have planned...its looking good!

CN runs in March 2010. Huzzah!