Is the emo style revival sticking around for 2022?

How will emo fashion and trends look in 2022 and what can we learn from the emo revival?

Last year I wrote a pitch for 00’s emo trends that deserve a comeback in 2021. It quickly turned into the most popular blog post I've ever written, proving once again the strength and determination of emo culture and fashion to be eternally relevant. 

Now, as we’re firmly in 2022, and the elder-emo community are currently dealing with the announcement of When We Were Young Festival - the almost too good to be true revival of our favourite early 2000s emo and pop punk bands - let’s revisit our favourite emo trends and fashion and this time bring them up to speed with 2022, because we can’t totally stay in the past forever.

Music

Obviously at the heart of emo, we have the music. The overly-dramatic, emotional, guitar fuelled music that gave us the soundtrack to our teen years. The Holy Trinity may have lost its hold over the alternative scene, but it’s made way for new genre-crossing artists taking inspiration from emo-sounds, pop icons and hip-hop all at the same time. For a new fresh approach to alternative music with an emo inspiration, check out WILLOW, Meet Me At The Altar, Dana Dentata, Poppy, nothing,nowhere and KennyHoopla.

Barrier breaking 

It’s not just the music that is evolving, becoming more diverse and blurring the lines of genre, labels and identity. When I was growing up the bands and people I looked up to were primarily white men, so it’s really exciting to see the scene being shaken up to become more inclusive and diverse. The emo and alternative scene has always been about outsiders having a place to belong, and we all need to work to drive out racism, sexism and homophobia from the scene and build up under-represented voices in music, shows and creators to make it truly inclusive.

Fashion Trends

Emo and alternative fashion is rooted in being anti-trend, anti-mainstream and has a history of DIY fashion and underground brands because you couldn’t find that type of fashion on the high street. Now however you can find nostalgic emo fashion circa 2004 from fast-fashion sites at dirt cheap prices. In Instagram’s 2022 trend report, they even predict that 2022 will see ‘Alt fashion (think Goth, Dark Academia, Goblincore etc.) reach its peak as people spend more time together IRL.’ Obviously all fashion has its time and trends come and go, so if you’re drawn to the emo-vibe wear whatever feels good to you. Emo fashion is about self-expression at the core so forget what’s in-style or whatever everyone else is wearing and find things that make you feel most like yourself and show off your personality.

TIKTOK 

Tiktok is arguably leading the way for emo music and fashion within Gen-Z right now. With massive emo-centred creators such as Yasmine Summan, Gutterbrazt and Clawed Beauty, it really is taking on a new life and meaning for a new generation. Now, after the war on skinny jeans and side partings, a few millennials and ‘elder-emos’ felt a certain way about it being suggested that we were old, out of fashion and not relevant. However these alternative subcultures need to evolve and shift with the people that are driving it. Ryan Broderick writes ‘In many ways, the stereotypical image of a “scene kid” that anyone can conjure in their head…was an internet subculture first and musical movement second. So it makes sense that this would all come back around as a new generation starts using technology to express themselves musically’ in this Polygon article. Early 00s emo will always have a massive spot in my heart because it’s what i grew up with, it made me who I am, but I’m also so excited to see it change and see how a new generation take inspiration from that time and do something totally different, even if it does make me feel old and out of the loop. I’ve never been in fashion or up to date with trends so I’m comfortable with that.

So it looks like we’re fully in the midst of the emo revival, and seeing alternative fashion and emo-inspiration gaining popularity once more. I’m here for embracing new emo-inspired music and tearing up the scene to make something even better but I’ll be holding on tightly to my skinny jeans and side fringe. What do you want to see from emo style and music in 2022? 

Want to get a little bit more emo style in 2022? Head to the Sugar Storm Shop for some emo-inspired sustainable fashion and accessories.