There are some things that are always characteristically considered part of the emo genre and culture - skinny girl jeans and pants, crazy hair, weird shoes and band-tshirts. But there are some trends that are emerging among the emo scene that are more of an accessory to the style.
Among women, hair accessories are really a hot item, from funky headbands to little-kid clips and bows. If you can add a skull and crossbones somewhere on the accessory, all the better. Any hair item in bright red, black and white or pink is almost a sure bet, because they go with so many of the emo culture colors. Rubber bracelets are also hot right now, in black, silver, purple or red. The more the better, since they’re meant to be worn in multiples to begin with.
Messenger bags or backpacks are also becoming increasingly popular, and the more pins and patches you can fit on, the better off you’ll be. Since emo culture tends towards darker colors, bags in black, red, pink or olive green are an in item, and are usually decorated with items from emo bands or things that reflect the culture, like tattoos. Band shirts are a really essential part of the emo wardrobe, and you can never have too many. Pair a band t-shirt with skinny jeans and Chucks or any brands of skate shoes, and youve got the everyday emo outfit. Complete with hair bows, lots of makeup (if you’re a woman), emo hairstyle and jewelry, and you’re off to face the day as an emo kid.
This counterculture of music that derives its roots from emo music is often a tight-knit musical community, due to the nature of the lyrics and connotation that comes with a label like screamo. An aggressive offshoot of emo, screamo still keeps to the emotional tone of emo music but uses more screaming and distortion, leaning more towards hardcore than punk or indie. First developed in 1991, many of the first musical leaders of the genre saw themselves as political, and the lyrics reflectived that. Some bands saw themselves with theoretical inspiration, like Nietschze, backing their lyrics and emotions. The lyrics from screamo bands are often screamed or spoken over metal or progressive riffs, the lyrics being pure emotion. To that degree, some might argue that the typically-labeled hardcore band Hatebreed might qualify as screamo, with their hardcore riffs and screamed emotion.
Some of the early bands, like Circle Takes The Square, Orchid and The Blood Brothers, ultimately paved the way for modern screamo bands such as Thursday and Alexisonfire, which take a slower type of style that seems to be primarily borrowed from alternative rock. Ballads are not uncommon in screamo bands, and there is more focus on harmony and resonance and less on dissonant chords and electronic sounds.
While many people will be tempted to criticize screamo as being anything but emotional, they need to ultimately remember that emo originally evolved from hardcore rock and punk, and that screamo is basically playing the “old school” style of emo rock, or emocore. While some say that screamo can be considered a more pretentious style of music, that’s a point that inevitably arguable.
Going one step further, some emo and scene kids have taken to labeling bands as screamocore, which would be a blend of emo, screamo and hardcore. Bands like Evergreen Terrace, Underoath and Escaping Memory have been especially prone to garnering this label, which seems to have started somewhere in the Midwest part of the United States.
Emo can be defined as rebellious, anti-social, cult-like or self-absorbed. There are many stereotypes associated with the culture, but not every emo is depressed and wishes to die; they don’t all self-mutilate for the express purpose of releasing their pain. Emo kids don’t all have tattoos and piercings, and they don’t all wear black. While there are many similarities all across the board for what makes someone look emo, emo is more than fashion - it’s also a lifestyle and primarily a music choice. Emo is defined by the bands that choose to write thoughtful, emotional lyrics and the thoughtful, emotional people that choose to listen to it. It’s an expression of how an individual feels and the acceptance that they want to garner by finding other people that share the same interests and taste in music. No one person can be pigeonholed into a label just by how they dress or the music they listen to, and emo culture is no different from the people that are trying to be defined as metal, punk or hardcore.
We’ve gone over hairstyles, music, scene and emo definitions, people that help promote the culture and how the emo genre is relating to real-life issues. In short, this should help start defining a culture that is based on non-descriptiveness.
