On The Edge-y

When I think edgy, I think of a punky, rocker,grungy, carefree vibe that I love but just cannot seem to pull off. Being edgy is pushing limits, riding the line between what is considered acceptable and what is considered controversial. It is being ahead of the trends and doing what you want with your look. Edgy is being the leader of the pack- even if it is a one man wolf pack.

The Edgy Essentials:

Some clothing items are a must for all types of styles, but these are the essentials for the grungy rocker edgy look.

1. Destroyed Denim just looks tougher than regular denim. Also, skinny jeans have a very rocker vibe.

2. A Band Tee is a classic piece for nailing the grunge look.

3. A Leather Jacket is great for looking cool while the weather is cool.

4. A Tunic Tank is a pretty basic piece that can be used for pretty much anything. Cool designs are what really makes the look edgy.

5. Denim Shorts are something I consider a must for every style, but ones that are frayed around the bottoms and have zippers and studs are the ones with the edgy attitude.

6. Leggings are another basic, the ones above are just plain but you could buy ripped ones or ones with cool details- you could even DIY them yourself!

7. Combat Boots are the shoes of a tough girl. The zippers add more attitude.

I like to think of jeans as a blank canvas, so the key to either dressing them up or down is with the top and the accessories. Jeans tend to look more casual, so throwing on a sweater and some sneakers are an easy way to look casual and cute. Dressing them up can be a little harder, but a top with rhinestones and heels with some glam accessories can do the trick.

The band tee is the most rocker type tee, mostly because it usually has a rocker on it. You can dress the shirt up with a skirt (a leather one is packed with toughness), heels and some hoops. You can dress it even more down with some jeans and a vest, and add some high-tops and bangles.

A leather jacket goes with almost anything, so it is pretty simple to wear with a fancy outfit or a casual one. A jacket tones down the sweetness of a floral dress, and creates a mixture of a girly-edgy look, which I personally love. You can also let the jacket take the center stage by wearing plain jeans and a white tank-top or tee.

A tank top pretty much goes with everything, but I thought I should throw this in here because they can be used to make some really edgy looks-especially a tunic like one. To make it look a little more put-together, just add a cardigan and an unexpected pop of color. I like to match a few of the accessories to the color as well. For a casual, hangin-around day just grab some denim cutoffs, a quirky necklace and some sandals and you are good to go.

Like denim pants, denim shorts are a kind of dress-down piece that you can pretty much pair with anything. A fancy blouse (this one is sheer and high-low) and some boots/heels/things with laces/do they have a name? make it less casual. A great day time look to go with denim shorts is the crop top. When paired with high-waisted shorts like these, your Dad might actually let you out of the house.

There is an ever on-going debate about whether leggings should be worn as pants, but I think that as long as they are thick enough so that I can't tell what color of underwear you are wearing, go for it. You can dress them up with a blazer and a blouse, but still keep it cool and edgy by wearing shorts over top of them. A simple tank top with some cute boots and funky accessories are really adorable.

Edgy accessories can take a plain outfit to a rocker level.  For shoes, I suggest investing in a pair of boots that go with anything. They can be ankle booties or thigh high ones, have heels or no heels, be motorcycle style or combat- it is up to you. You can bring them up another notch on the cool scale by getting ones with cool details like the zippers on the combat ones above. Zippers are also on the bag above-along with studs. It's those little details that make bags edgy. If you are looking for an edgy bracelet you could try a cuff with some studs, and for a necklace I would suggest something like the one with spikes above. For earrings, the ear cuff is a really cool look that not a lot of people dare to try out.

Stars That Live On The Fashion Edge:

Some of Taylor Momsen's looks can be a little provocative and highly criticized, but this girl is willing to push the envelope and that's what being edgy is about. But even though some of her outfits make her look like she is ready to work the corner, the looks above are super cute. I especially love the one in the middle. They all have a little bit of edge to them, i.e. the heels, the jacket, the boots. 

Another star that has gone down the edgy road is Demi Lovato. She tries outfits that no one else will, and I think she is a great style icon (not to mention life icon). Her dress in the first picture is cute at first, but when you look at it it gets really edgy with everything that is going on. The middle outfit has studs, leather, see through material, and a choker. The last outfit is just a mix of a bunch of things that seem odd at first but end up working together.

For more inspiration, you could look towards the grunge-era known as the 90's. I might only been around for the last year, and don't remember any of it, but it seems like a pretty cool decade. Little known fact about me: I wish I was a teenager in any other decade then this one. I mean come on, have you not seen That 70`s Show? Have you not seen-slash-heard-slash-wore anything from the best decade ever, the 80`s? The 90`s were a rebellious fun decade- have you not seen Friends? Anyways I`m getting off-topic....

Stores:
If you look hard enough you can find something edgy anywhere, but some suggestions are: Hot Topic, Urban Outfitters, Topshop, and H&M. Claire`s also has a bunch of cheap, edgy accessories.

Hair:

If you are not quite ready to go for a drastic, edgy haircut, you can cheat a little with the braided undercut. All you have to do to pull of the shaved- undercut look is tightly braid of twist little pieces of hair from one side of your head (kind of like cornrows or the braids people get when vacationing in tropical areas).

Makeup:

An edgy make-up look is one that is very heavy around the eye. Black eyeliner, eye shadows, and mascara create a rocker look. One make-up `rule` (although I personally do not believe that there are any) is that if you do a heavy eye, you should do a plain lip. You could follow that rule or break it...it`s up to you, you rebellious one.

Okay, so that is it for the edgy portion of the What`s Your Style series. There are four more to come, but might not be consecutive, because I am thinking about doing a Back-To-School Blitz kind of series where there is a lot of Back-To-School hair, nails, outfits, DIYS, make-up, complaints, tears, screaming, etc. so let me know if you want this. Next up is Boho, but if there is a certain one you want after that (Glam, Classic, Indie) just let me know because right now I am just picking randomly.

Do you have pieces in your closet that you can dress up or down? Also where do you stand on the whole legging-debate?

XOXO,

Taylor