With the world put on pause, people were forced to make their own fun and find new sources of entertainment. For some, it was listening to music, watching videos, or picking up a new hobby. For others, it was going back into their past. In the Quarantine era, we’ve seen a surge in social media and entertainment content focused on nostalgia. One of the many that have been resurrected is emocore. By definition, emocore is a sub-genre of rock music with elements of punk. The style within this subculture was heavily influenced by the music’s heavy emotional lyrics and arrangements built off the rock sound. The name emo comes from the shortening of the title “emotional hardcore”.
The Essentials of Emocore Style
The emocore style has evolved with time and has been adapted in many different ways in recent years. What we initially recognized as essential basic fashion items included black clothing, but more specifically, tight t-shirts, hoodies, sneakers, punk accessories, and skinny jeans. The T-shirts most sought after were of emo bands and were mostly short-sleeved, paired with hoodies (also sometimes imprinted with an emo band). The sneakers worn the most were black Converse or skating sneakers, such as those from the brand Vans. Accessories included but were not limited to studded bracelets, studded leather belts, fingerless gloves, and lots of piercings. The focus of the look fell mostly on the skinny jeans. They could range from black to indigo to neon, but they were never to be the color of regular denim. Another important aspect is that the jeans were to look as tightly fitted as possible, and it was not uncommon for men to wear women’s jeans to achieve this look.
Androgyny was also another element embedded into the emocore style. Androgyny indicates that the style of clothing worn by the individual and the individual’s appearance is coded as part masculine and part feminine or a blend of both. The addition of this aspect into the emo style allows us to assume that the emo subculture is for everyone and that the community is very open to the transference of style beyond even the traditionally rigid boundaries of gender. It perpetuates further the running stereotype of emo kids being the nicest people you’ll ever know, once you get past their dark and gloomy exterior.
Then and Now
From 2011-2015, the more mainstream names in the emo scene included Mayday Parade, 21 Pilots, All Time Low, Bring Me The Horizon, My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Black Veil Brides, and Panic! At the Disco. Some of my personal favorites of the time were Evanescence, Paramore, and Sleeping with Sirens. Fast forward to 2021, and some of the latest music releases have been influenced by the emo scene. From Machine Gun Kelly to Olivia Rodrigo. One great example I would like to introduce is the 2-year-old boy group TOMORROW X TOGETHER, otherwise known as TXT. This group of five is based in South Korea under the Big Hit Label, most famously known for their senior artist, BTS. Their members include leader Choi Soobin (20), Choi Yeonjun (22), Choi Beomgyu (19), Kang Taehyun (19), and Huening Kai (19).
TXT and Their Take on Emocore
In their latest comeback, titled The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE and the repackaged version of the album, The Chaos Chapter: Fight or Escape, the group distinguished themselves as artists who could pull off multiple genres and concepts within one album. The album consisted of songs ranging from pop-punk influence to the upbeat classic pop sound. What stood out the most to many of their fans, affectionately named MOAs, is the composition of their stage outfits for their performances.
In one notable stage performance of their song Lo$er = L0ver, the group wore all black with white accessory accents. The majority of the group dons long black sleeveless tops with an asymmetrical hem. The variations in their looks incorporate tailored suit jackets, arm warmers, leg warmers, shorts with buckled details, and lug sole loafers [click here to watch]. In one of their performances from their comeback show [click here to watch], the stage outfits here are heavily influenced by the street style surrounding the emocore aesthetic.
The plaid pattern tailors to an essence of punk, and the long skirts over their black pants blur the lines between conventional feminine and masculine styles of dress. With the incorporation of both androgynous style and rebellious flair, TXT leads us down a winding road back into that emo kid phase some of us went through in our middle to high school years.
Emo Forever?
As we’ve seen in recent social media content and fashion brands during the pandemic, the emo-core influence is a re-emerging trend. As 2021 carries on, I think it is safe to say that the emo influence will have a lingering impact on the music and fashion scene, just as it did not so long ago.
Thank you for reading! For more fashion content from BluNotes, don’t forget to like the post and subscribe to the blog!
