The “Resurgence” of Indie Sleaze
Grimy dance floors, smudged eyeliner, skinny jeans, iPod shuffles, and oversized sunglasses. These are the hallmarks of the so-called “indie sleaze” aesthetic, a period in the mid to late-2000s characterized by a hedonistic party scene, indie rock, and carefree fashion. Prominent figures included models like Cory Kennedy and Alexa Chung, as well as musical acts such as Amy Winehouse, The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, and Daft Punk. For the past few years, we’ve seen a popularity surge of indie sleaze aesthetics. Messy, energetic, and unrefined fashion and music are on the rise. Figures like Charli xcx, Julia Fox, The Dare, Addison Rae, and Snow Strippers embody these aesthetics through their sound, fashion, attitudes, and lifestyles. Perhaps most notably, the 2024 release of Charli xcx’s newest electro-pop album, Brat, and the subsequent Sweat Tour made waves around the globe. “Brat Summer,” a term popularized on TikTok shortly after the album’s release, called for all things indie sleaze, embracing the authentically carefree, messy, and chaotic side of life. But in an era fueled by an observant and hyper-competitive environment on the internet, can we ever achieve true authenticity?
Even before the release of Brat, this resurgence had been present in our generation through the rising popularity of digital cameras, thrifty and eclectic fashion, boiler rooms, a “carefree” look, and everybody wanting to be a DJ. Why the resurgence? I’d argue that maybe we’re making up for time lost to the COVID era—a time when everyone was confined to their houses without concerts, parties, or any type of going out. For many of us, these were our formative years as young adults. Alternatively, the resurgence may have arose in contrast to popular minimalistic trends. The “clean girl” aesthetic may ring a bell. With emphasis on neutral color palettes, “no makeup makeup” looks, slicked back ponytails, and dainty gold accessories, this type of fashion is a stark contrast to the shabby maximalistic aesthetics of indie sleaze.
Whatever the reason may be, this second wave of indie sleaze simply doesn’t compare to the real thing. A culture fueled by monthly trend cycles and influencers poses an ironic opposition to the effortless, low-maintenance energy of indie sleaze. In part, this stems from a normalized sense of absurdity surrounding social media. We literally live in a time where people on the internet tell us how to curate the perfect photo dump. Though this may be an eye-rolling thought, I would be lying if I said I haven’t tried it myself. The problem doesn’t necessarily lie with the individual, but rather in how our collective behavior is controlled by the heavy presence of social media in our day-to-day lives. How can we possibly go out and be messy and authentically carefree when in the back of our heads we’re wondering how this outfit will look on our Instagram story? We’ve become really good at giving ourselves a “carefree” image on the internet, when in reality, the maintenance of that image itself requires a lot of thought and effort. Of course, being performative has always existed; social media just takes it to another level.
Sources: