How to Be Grunge in Middle School

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 8, 2021 References

Grunge started in the 1990s when bands like Nirvana and Alice in Chains were becoming big. Young adults who took part in the grunge movement began to dress in casual, Seattle-inspired clothing, and embrace a new attitude of non-conformity. If you're interested in grunge culture, there are many ways you can adopt the grunge style in middle school.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Adopting a Grunge Attitude

1
Listen to grunge music. If you want to be grunge, spend some time familiarizing yourself with various grunge bands. You should listen to well-known grunge bands that started the grunge movement in the early '90s. You can listen to grunge music on accounts like Spotify, or buy grunge albums off iTunes.^{[1]
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- Nirvana, The Raincoats, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Sound Garden, Stone Temple Pilots, and others are all iconic grunge bands. Try listening to them in your spare time to get a sense of grunge music.
- Pay attention to the lyrics. Many grunge artists sing about nonconformity and social issues. These things are major aspects of the grunge attitude and lifestyle. In addition to listening to the bands, you can read the lyrics online to try and get a sense of what different songs mean.
- You should also learn a bit about the artists behind the song. Reading interviews or watching them online can give you a sense of the opinions and philosophy associated with grunge culture. You can also get a sense of grunge style by observing how people act and behave.
2
Be yourself. An important aspect of grunge culture is the idea of nonconformity. People associated with the grunge culture do not care about what others think. They have messy hair, mismatched clothes, and most importantly, THEY BE THEMSELVES! If you want to be grunge, you should strive to be yourself.^{[2]
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Research source} However, it can be difficult to be non-conforming in middle school. Cliques are a major component of your average middle school, so you'll have to take efforts to be an individual.^{[3]
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- Find friends who are genuine. Choose people who you genuinely like, and you feel are kind and supportive of you. These kinds of people are more likely to allow you to be yourself, and will not expect you to follow certain styles or trends to be cool.
- Speak up. If you feel like your friends are beginning to become a clique, point this out to them in a calm and respectful manner. You do not have to be rude, but it can be helpful to point out you feel excluding people due to difference is hurtful.
- Sometimes, you may feel like you want to change. That's OK. You may want to work on bringing your grades up or having a better outlook. It's normal to change your style, opinions, and beliefs when you're young. Don't feel like a desire to change is against the grunge/non-conformist attitude. As long as you're changing for yourself, and not to appease a group, you're still thinking for yourself and therefore adopting a grunge culture.
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3
Care about political issues. A lot of grunge culture is about challenging the status quo. Social movements like feminism, environmentalism, and other political ideas are often of concern in grunge culture. Spend some time educating yourself about social issues and forming your own opinions if you want to be grunge.^{[4]
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- Start watching the news. Watching the news with your parents can help expose you to a lot of issues going on in the world right now. Try to formulate opinions on things like gender issues, LGBT rights, the environment, and other issues that dominate political discourse.
- Read opinion pieces online. Opinion pieces and polemics are often written with the goal of educating another person, while trying to influence their thoughts. Reading a lot of opinion pieces, from opposing sides, can help you see multiple sides of an issue, allowing you to have an informed opinion of your own.
4
Avoid negative aspects of grunge culture. While grunge culture can be fun to emulate in middle school, keep in mind that there are some negative aspects of grunge culture. Social alienation, sadness, and depression are often aspects of grunge songs and the grunge mindset.^{[5]
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Research source} While it's normal to feel a certain amount of angst and alienation as an adolescent, if you're feeling depressed or alienated for a long period of time, you should talk to someone. It's important to seek help if you're feeling sad. You can be grunge without having to feel alienated or alone.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Adopting the Grunge Style

1
Do not style your hair too much. Grunge hair is usually somewhat messy and un-styled. Other than basic washing and conditioning, your hair does not need a lot of extra care if you want to have a grunge look. A lot of the time, grunge hair looks as if you just got out of bed. Avoid brushing or styling your hair too much. Simply let it fall where it falls and do not worry.
- Do not worry about getting your hair cut too often. It's okay if your hair looks a little shaggy from time to time. In fact, this may make your hair look a bit more grunge.
2
Choose the right makeup. Like hair, grunge makeup does not require a lot of work. You should avoid sparkly, colorful shades of eyeshadow and eyeliner. Instead, go for darker shades like blacks, grays, and browns. You do not need a lot of foundation or blush either. You want a more natural look. Some women do like a bolder shade of lipstick, such as a bright red, so this is something you can add to your grunge wardrobe.
- Some people in grunge culture may paint their nails. As with eyeshadow, nails should be painted darker colors like black.
3
Choose flannel outfits. Flannel outfits are a staple of a grunge wardrobe. Stock up on flannel button up shirts, which you can wear over a t-shirt. If you're a girl, seek out flannel skirts. If you want to be grunge, you should have quite a bit of flannel in your wardrobe.
- Grunge shirts do not need to be new, fancy, or expensive. In fact, older clothing emulates the grunge style more. Consider buying shirts at a secondhand shop.
- Flannel shirts are a popular, somewhat timeless wardrobe option. You can see if your parents or grandparents have any old flannel clothing. You can also borrow from older siblings.
4
Select the right footwear. When assembling your grunge wardrobe, make sure you choose the right shoes. Generally, bigger and clunkier shoes are preferred. Go for large boots, like combat boots, Chuck Taylors, and Doc Martens. As the grunge style is often non-glamorous, simple sneakers or tennis shoes may be a good option as well.
- As with clothing, grunge shoes do not need to be shiny or new. You can keep wearing the same pair of shoes until you've almost worn them out.
- However, be careful. It can be dangerous to wear shoes with big holes in them, as your feet won't be protected when walking outside or through your school parking lot. Feel free to wear older shoes, but make sure to get a replacement if you end up with holes.
5
Go for leggings, jeans, and shorts. There are a variety of types of pants you can wear if you want to be grunge. Leggings are a popular choice, particularly for girls. You can wear ripped, pattern tights under your leggings or with a skirt. Baggy jeans or pants are also popular in the grunge scene. Denim or leather shorts are another good choice.
6
Dress in dark colors. Grunge tends to be toned down. When selecting your wardrobe, go for dark colors. Grays, browns, blacks, and dark greens are appropriate choices to give off the grunge persona.
- As with flannel shirts, it's a good idea to seek out dark clothing at a thrift store. Older clothing is particularly fitting for grunge style.
7
Layer your clothing. Layering is a major aspect of grunge style. You can wear a t-shirt under a flannel button up. You can wear a skirt with leggings underneath. Don't be afraid to use contrasting patterns or colors. A little mismatching when it comes to layering also gives off the grunge style.
- Many more fashionable brands of clothing are worn in layers. If you want to be grunge, layers are great but avoid trendier, brighter layered outfits.
8
Try band t-shirts. Band t-shirts are another classic aspect of the grunge style. Try wearing a t-shirt advertising a band you like. You can usually find band t-shirts at the mall, but you can also buy them online. If you go to a concert, bands will often be selling t-shirts after the concert lets out.
- Remember, older clothes are better. Some band shirts, sold at stores in the mall, cost as much as $20. These are not very fitting with the grunge culture.
- Vintage may be somewhat fitting with grunge. If your parents are into music, ask them if they have any old band t-shirts. An old Nirvana shirt from the '90s can really help you look grunge.
- Consider shopping at thrift stores such as Goodwill and Plato's Closet for cheap, vintage shirts.
9
Choose the right accessories. If you want to be grunge, you'll need certain accessories. The following are some accessories often associated with the grunge style:
- Pocket chains
- Spikes
- Studs
- Metallic zippers
- Large handbags
- Round sunglasses
- Headscarves

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Being Grunge in School

1
Review your school's dress code. Before you try to be grunge in school, make sure to review your school's dress code. Dressing grunge can be fun, but you do not want to end up in trouble over your new style.
- Oftentimes, things like wallet chains are banned by schools. They can be considered weapons in some schools. If your school has a zero tolerance policy for weapons, a chain could land you in trouble.
- Make sure any t-shirts you have do not have foul language on them. Sometimes, band names can be sexually suggestive, and could land you in trouble if you wear them in school.
- Certain types of jewelry or accessories may also not be allowed in your school. Read over the dress code policy in your school's handbook carefully before adding any jewelry to your outfit.
2
Look up policies on carrying handbags. As many grunge kids carry large handbags, make sure these are permitted in your school. Many schools have policies that forbid you from carrying a handbag to class. You also may be required to keep purses or handbags in your locker during school hours. Teachers and school officials worry about students carrying items like weapons or alcohol in handbags, so make sure to review policy first before adding a grunge handbag to your wardrobe.
3
Check headphone policies. Many schools do not allow students to listen to headphones during class. Make sure to review the headphone policy in your school. As so much of grunge culture revolves around music, you may be tempted to listen to music between classes and carry a headphone and iPod or MP3 player with you in school. You want to make sure this is permitted first.