Fashion has long been a way for people to express themselves; the clothing that someone wears can tell you a lot about their personality! Whether you dress preppy, classic, casual, punk or chic, you are expressing yourself and your personality through your clothing! Although fashion trends come and go, the Gen Y crowd has a clear do-it-yourself attitude when it comes to fashion.

Today I wanted to share with you an outfit that really expresses who I am as a person! I call this style “Romantic Grunge”. To me, romantic grunge is a combination of the soft and feminine side of romance mixed with the I-don’t-care attitude side of grunge. Although romantic grunge sounds like an oxymoron, I feel it blends sweet & unconventional into one harmonious style. This pretty much describes me as a person because not only am I a helpless romantic but I also like to express a determined “my way” attitude.

 

So here it is from top to bottom….

HAT

While a typical romantic/Victorian-age hat is light colored, wide-brimmed and adorned with bows and flowers, a typical grunge hat might be a tight-fitting black beanie. This black floppy, wide brimmed hat combines the styling of romance but includes the dark grungy color of black resulting in what I call a romantic grunge style. The hat was only $1.99 from Thrift Town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DRESS

This tiered, loose-fitting, babydoll dress has a distinct feminine vibe going but it also has the loose, dark, casual, above-the-knee styling of grunge. You could increase the grunge-look by adding black leggings or black knee high socks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SWEATER

I found a maroon sweater which combines a ruffled feminine romantic look with a layered, oversized, dark grunge look. I think the sweater and the dress are a great combo! If you wanted a more grunge look, you could tie a flannel shirt around your waist instead of wearing the cardigan. If you wanted a more romantic look, you could add a thin, waist length, fitted sweater.

 

 

 

 

 

BOOTS

Okay, the boots are my favorite! These knee high boots have a Victorian vibe going with the lace-up styling but also has the “Doc Marten” look of a combat boot. The leather has a distressed look that adds to the casual look of the outfit. I also love the fact that these were only $9.99 at Thrift Town!

 

 

 

 

 

 

JEWELRY, MAKE-UP & HAIR

Don’t forget that jewelry, makeup and hair can also be a BIG factor in getting the look you’re after! Jewelry can be heavy or dainty, long or short. Wear pink lipstick for a more romantic look and black lipstick for more of a grunge look. Hair can be free flowing, messy or styled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share your personal and unique style by tagging @Thrifttown on Instagram and Twitter! Happy Thrifting!

Camilla Ahlquist is a third year Business Marketing college student who lives in San Luis Obispo, California. Camilla is enthusiastic about thrifting which allows her to affordably combine her unique sense of style and creativity with the latest fashion trends! Camilla also enjoys DIY projects, drawing, tennis and soccer.