Girl Love: Grunge Edition

Rayanne Graf, My So-Called Life, circa 1994
Many of you know her as the drinkin and druggin on again off again friend of Angela Chase (and if you don’t know her I strongly suggest renting the complete series on dvd), but to me she was one of the first inspirations that I saw on TV who looked how I wanted to look. She had crazy hair, never ending friendship bracelets, and was never without her combat boots and flannel. Yet she always retained some sort of femininity buried underneath all that teen angst. It’s more suprising to me now that the way she was in high school relates so much to my own personal style at 25 .

Babes in Toyland, i.e. Kat Bjelland (middle)

I first heard Babes in Toyland when I was getting a ride to lunch from some older senior guy in high school ( I was 15 at the time). I remember being in his car when he played the opening track from their album, Fontanelle. I was blown away that so much raw power and anger could be heard from girls. Up until then the only girl “grunge/alternative” band that I heard was Hole. Lead singer Kat Bjelland, just exudes everything you could want to be if you were a teenager/ early 20s woman in the early 90s. Her fashion sense had more of a girlish quality. She paired babydoll dresses with vintage heels and boots topped off with 60s inspired glasses, however her demeanor still kept her just as dirty as the boys with her guitar.

Kim Gordon, Sonic Youth

What can you really say about Kim Gordon and Sonic Youth that hasn’t been said? She is the queen of grunge cool. My love affair with her and her band started when I heard the first 4 tracks of the “Daydream Nation” album. I had heard the “Washing Machine” and “Goo” album before but, Daydream is what put me over the mark with them. Now, I own most of the catalog. Getting to the Kim Gordon look ( who recently has been the star and muse of designer Marc Jacobs) is more about self-confidence than anything you wear. She can be seen in flowy dresses or stark black sunglasses. I guess you gotta be tough when you’re the only girl in the band.

Courtney Love, Hole, widow of Kurt Cobain

Well…Well…Well.. We all know who this is and despite tabloid rumors and scandals Courtney Love will always be known as the wife of Kurt Cobain and one of the first visual grunge and punk front women of the era (although she wasn’t). I have always thought that she was more popular for who she was married to as opposed to her bands music but that is just my personal opinion. Courtney’s style was so much more of an in your face vulgar edition. She decided to go more with the self destructive look. Often wearing lingerie and see thru clothes on stage. She was credited in some magazines as starting the “underwear as outerwear” trend (which is still very much alive today i.e. VPL, Marc Jacobs S/S 2008). It’s clear that Courtney’s style isn’t going anywhere.

Mary-Kate Olsen, fashion icon

God, I love this girl. I still can’t believe that she went from “Full House” kid to full blown icon. It’s almost like an addiction checking to see if there are new photos up of what she is wearing. Last season, (as seen here) she started wearing tights as pants which I always thought looked cool but wasn’t practical for the actual streets. I love her laid back but so put together style. From her messy and almost dreaded hair, flannel shirt, and infinite accessories, I will crave her personal style for years to come. If she wore a basket on her head people would follow and trust me she’d do it it well.

Erin Wasson, Model

She is what I like to call my “luxe” grunge girl (which I know goes completely against the philosophy of grunge. Let’s face it, designers are making grunge the current trend so of course its going to be expensive. She is one of my latest people to watch. Not only does she do grunge themed shoots but her daily life also seems to reflect the same aesthetic. She has a collaboration line coming up in Spring 2009 with streetwear label RVCA so, we’ll see what happens.

Stay tuned for the Male editon on Friday! Happy Thanksgiving!