Of all the fashion styles out there, one of the hardest to define is indie style. It seems to change year by year and its difficult to keep up with all the latest trends. However, we’re here to help all of those out there that are confused about the ever changing indie style with this must read guide on how to dress indie style!
First of all, we should probably define what indie means. Indie is short for the word independent and refers to most media that’s made by small independent publishers, rather than major corporations. The indie fashion style is mostly defined by independent music though, which is typically associated with softer rock bands like The Smiths and The Strokes. Indie fashion can cover a whole range of styles, with some crossover between punk, grunge and rockabilly styles.
So let’s take a look at how you can capture that exclusive indie look!
Casual Shirts & Blouses
A large part of the indie style, for both men and women, is in wearing smart casual clothing. This means informal long sleeve shirts for men and casual shirts and blouses for ladies. Plaid shirts work very well as part of this style, and can be found in almost any clothing store, but if you really want to increase the indie factor, get them from either an independent seller or thrift/charity store. You can wear your shirts with a t shirt or top underneath, and if it feels more comfortable, roll up those sleeves for extra style. The beauty of wearing these casual shirts mean they’re also ideal for wearing almost anywhere and anytime, making them highly flexible with your outfits.
Knitwear
Knitted jumpers and cardigans might seem like something your nan might wear, but if you find the right ones they can actually be highly stylish. Knitwear also happens to be a key part of indie style, especially during the winter months. So search high and low for cardigans and baggy knitted sweaters. Again, most of these can be found in every clothing store, but just like with most indie style clothing, getting it second hand or even making it DIY style is the most authentic way to get that indie look. Beanie hats also make a great knitted accessory for casual style.
Skinny Jeans & Chinos
Like with most alternative fashion styles, skinny jeans are the must have legwear for indie style. Chinos have become well embedded within the indie look too, and you can mix up your style by choosing all kinds of different colours to match your outfits. You can add some extra cool flair to your jeans by either letting them fray and tear or ripping them yourself to get that battered, gig veteran appearance. If you want to go indie, replace all those flared jeans for skinny ones – particularly those from our own selection.
Alternative Footwear
There’s no definitive indie style shoe, as those that identify with the fashion wear all kinds of designs and brands. For the more casual, sneakers such as Converse and canvas shoes from brands like Etnies do just fine, but slip on pumps and espadrilles also get a lot of attention from the indie crowd. In terms of more smarter designs, desert boots, boat shoes and even the classic Dr Martens boot are all favourable. One of the great things about the indie fashion style is the freedom to choose what kind of footwear you prefer (so long as they aren’t sports trainers).
Band T Shirts
One of the things a lot of indie fans like to do is show off their t shirts of obscure and interesting indie bands. Classic band shirts also work too though – so long as you’re wearing the right band’s clothing! Go to gigs or shop online for unique band shirts and try and find those that are either exclusive, vintage in style or represent little known artists. Unique band shirts not only make you stand out, but will spark up conversations with fellow fans and those curious to hear about the strange band they haven’t heard of before.
When it comes to dressing indie, there’s a whole lot of choice out there when it comes to styling yourself. It’s not difficult to find clothes that are conventionally indie in style (particularly because the mainstream has adopted many of its styles), but the best advice is to just dress how you wish and make sure your clothes follow the hipster cliche of being stuff “you’ve probably never heard of”. Or you could check out some of the clothes from our indie style brands such as Criminal Damage.