This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s fall editorial intern Alayna Thomas. Find her on Instagram at @ratatoolie. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
The other day, while I was scrolling on Tiktok, I saw a creator describe that while they were playing the smash-hit Roblox game Dress to Impress, they saw that the younger players had a completely different concept of what the Indie aesthetic is.
I was taken aback. First, the Preppy aesthetic changed, and now this? I’m only in my early 20’s but I already feel like an auntie. I had no idea that younger Gen Z and Gen Alpha had a different concept of Indie. Also, us Zillennials are going through an Indie Sleaze resurgence now, so I thought we were all on the same page. I guess not!
When I went searching for this ‘new’ Indie, I realized that it went by different names. However, the most common one that I saw was the Indie Kid Aesthetic. Another one that was used a lot was the Kidcore Aesthetic, which isn’t exactly the same but is closely related.
I will go into detail about the Indie Kid style, as well as its differences with Kidcore and Indie Sleaze. This also raises the question of what it really means to be Indie—can there ever be a concrete way to be Indie?
The (Quick) History of Indie
The original Indie style came out of the British Punk Rock scene in the 70’s and 80’s, so the early style is somewhat similar to the original Punk Rock aesthetic. Boots like Doc Martens were popular, and so was distressed denim. There was also an emphasis on second-hand clothing and letting clothes be ripped or patching the holes together yourself. Today, you can get even more creative and show off your personality by adding custom iron on patches to your denim, jackets, or bags—making your thrifted finds truly one of a kind.
This style was furthered in the 90’s with Seattle’s grunge scene taking over the United States and the world. Again, there was a similar emphasis on dressing low-key and thrifting, but a more concrete identity started to form. Band t-shirts, flannels, ripped jeans, and combat boots was the standard way of dress for the Grunge movement. This directly affected the Indie style because this helped usher it into the mainstream. Stores like American Apparel and Urban Outfitters capitalized on this style and made it a part of the Zillennial collective consciousness.
That then leads us to Indie Sleaze, which was born in the early 00’s. This is when Indie started to go mainstream. Not only was the aesthetic in stores, Indie music was charting and getting radio play and Indie movies were getting major releases. When I think of Indie, this is what I think of. Dark colors, skinny jeans, plaid, leather, smudged make-up. But, as I said earlier, as we get settled into the 2020’s a new kind of Indie has been born.
What is the Indie Kid Aesthetic?
When searching various social media sites such as Tiktok and Instagram, the first Indie Kid posts popped up in early-mid 2020.
This style of Indie is more inspired by Y2K (which is actually McBling, but that’s for another day), Skater culture, and Kidcore. Think bright and saturated photos, Vans, Monster Energy, bold patterns, and DIY jewelry.
Kidcore is a distinct but close cousin of Indie Kid. The Kidcore aesthetic is inspired by 90’s pop culture and is also noted for its bright colors and patterns, as well as the sense of nostalgia it invokes. It takes the ‘more is more’ approach. This aesthetic was very popular on Depop a little while back. I remember going on the app and seeing countless baby tees adorned with characters from the 80’s–00’s, such as Strawberry Shortcake, The Care Bears, and Disney Princesses.
Compare these two styles to Indie Sleaze, which takes more inspiration from Indie’s early roots. Indie Sleaze is more inspired by the 70’s as well as Grunge aesthetics from the 90’s. It also has a more ‘mature’ look. This is very different from what the kids these days think of when they hear the word ‘Indie’.
So, Which One is the True Indie?
The answer may surprise you, but it’s both! In my opinion, Indie Sleaze and Indie Kid both embody core tenets of Indie. Indie is about being independent and not abiding to mainstream standards. It’s all about embracing yourself. Indie Sleaze may be more aesthetically in tune with the origins of the aesthetic, as it is more directly inspired by Grunge and vintage pieces. However, I would argue that Indie Kid is more aligned with the ethos of Indie.
As mentioned earlier, thrifting, second-hand shops, and hand me downs were a very big part of the Indie aesthetic. When more mainstream retailers started to adopt the Indie aesthetic and turned it into Indie Sleaze, we lost that aspect. Indie became a victim of capitalism. A movement that was meant to give a big middle finger to overconsumption and capitalism became a victim to it. It also became a defining part of pop culture for the better part of a decade.
Indie Kid, on the other hand, is more rooted online. Earlier on, I mentioned Depop. This has been where Indie Kid and Kidcore thrives. The emphasis on thrifting and clothing swaps for the Indie Kid aesthetic makes it fall in line with the original movement, even though it does not look very close to it.
Additionally, we must also take into mind that definitions and meanings of movements and words change over time. Hell, even Indie Sleaze isn’t the original Indie! I wonder if Gen X Grunge and Punk kids looked at us Millennials and older Gen Z’s crazy because we came up with an entirely different style.
Each Indie movement arose in reaction to what was going on in society at the time. The original Indie aesthetic was born out of Punk Rock and in response to consumerism rising after the Baby Boomer generation. The Indie style that arose out of Grunge was due to Seattle not being connected to other major music hubs in the U.S. and therefore set themselves apart with cheap, simplistic fashion. Indie Sleaze came from the end of the Bush presidency into the Obama presidency—a time that was initially hopeful but led to a recession and wars in the Global South. Finally, Indie Kid came out of the 2020 pandemic. People were optimistic about a new year and a new decade; but we then experienced an unexpected and deadly pandemic which put a halt on our lives.
When looking at all of this, it’s easier for me to see a connection between the different Indie aesthetics. Even though Indie Kid is a new kind of Indie, it still has a rich history because it is rooted in the original movement. I wonder what the next Indie aesthetic will be and when it will appear.
Do you like the Indie Kid and Kidcore aesthetic? Or, are you more of an Indie Sleaze fan? Or, do you ascribe to a different Indie aesthetic? Let us know in the comments below!
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