This article was published in the Southerner’s 2011 winter newsmagazine.

Walking down the halls of South high, you can see the students who wear ‘grunge’ clothing. You can hear their boots clunk on the floor, or their music after school. Normally they’re dressed in combat boots, flannel shirts, baggy pants, shorts, and plenty of layers.

According to Wikipedia, grunge fashion has been around since the mid 1980’s when it first appeared in Seattle, Washington.It didn’t seem to hit Minneapolis until the 1990’s. Grunge fashion started as a group of bands that didn’t want to conform to the norms of society which largely included fashion choices, music and lifestyle in general.

There have been many rock and punk bands that contributed to the trend of grunge music but according to www.90srockers.com, Nirvana tops the chart followed by Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, and Sound Garden. Some other bands that have contributed are The Pixies, 1986, Sonic Youth, 1981, Bush, 1992, Silverchair, 1992, and Dinosaur Jr, 1984. Wikepedia also states that this music seemed to provide a certain escape from reality for many teens that identified with the grunge movement

Some students at South discovered grunge fashion from their families or friends. Senior Sydney Foster said that her father was the one to introduce her to grunge and specifically the band Nirvana. Foster stated that she dresses grunge for “both the look and comfort.”

Senior James Lunning says his grunge dress was influenced by his sister. Lunning’s sister listened to the “rock or punk music” and Lunning was drawn to it. Instead of wearing the many layers, Lunning likes to wear his wool coat. He has always been a fan of combat boots and has nostalgia for the music. However, grunge music would be on the top of his list to listen to.

The fashion of grunge wasn’t the only thing people followed when it started; Wikepedia states that the pioneers of grunge were also known for their bad attitudes, drug addictions and rude behavior. Lunning’s attitude toward people is based on respect. But Foster says “sometimes there are truths [about assumptions.]” People have made assumptions about me based on the way I dress.” Lunning says he “looked up to the seniors” who dressed in a grunge fashion.

There are different variations of ‘grunge’ at South. Foster says there’s a “blurred line” between grunge fashion and just wearing plaid. Some students have joined the trend of stretching their ears when in the 1990’s, only punks really did. Some students have worn certain clothes, such as the plaid or mix match clothing, and are confused with grunge because of how many different variations there are.