⋆˚࿔🎧 a guide to achieving the grunge tumblr aesthetic 🖤˚࿔
Lifestyle:
- Decorate your room with nostalgic details! Tape band posters and polaroids to your walls, put up fairy lights, display vinyl sleeves, and always keep film cameras close by.
- Spend your time in urban areas (places like vintage vinyl shops, underground music venues, and empty neighborhoods) with your friends.
- Keep memories!! Start a scrapbook journal, blog on tumblr, take photos and print them out, keep handwritten letters and put them all into a memory box.
- Romanticise the dark and gloomy days by drinking black iced coffee, staying up past midnight listening to your favourite albums and write poetry in notebooks.
- Spend your time online productively. Make moodboards, burn CDs, reblog posts that mean something to you, and listen to full albums of nostalgic music.
- Style yourself with signature 2014 tumblr grunge details (crystal necklaces, tank tops, dark nail polish, ripped denim, chokers, and beanies).
- Experiment with more creative hobbies. Some inspo: Learning to play the guitar, scrapbooking, making digital mood boards, story writing and painting.
“tumblr is life, life is tumblr“
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Routines
- Start your day:
- Wake up and reblog monochromatic moodboards on tumblr before getting up out of bed, applying dark nail polish while listening to your favourite albums and checking your iphone lockscreen for text notifications.
- Prep your hair and makeup with signature details:
- Start by throwing your hair into space buns, a french braid, or any other messy style before changing into a 2014 grunge inspired outfit. Then do your makeup to match what you’re wearing!
- Run errands around your town:
- Visit thrift stores and look for vintage denim jackets, buy some snacks at corner shops, browse for second hand poetry books, walk around with a fun drink or even go for a long walk to your local woods.
- Have tumblr photoshoot days:
- Set up a bedroom photoshoot (or anywhere that matches the aesthetic) and use your flash camera, edit your photos with cool toned faded filters and upload them all to tumblr!!
- Spend time in random places with your friends:
- On your trampoline in the garden, sitting on curbs outside, local parks and nearby shops.
- Create a dark but comforting and nostalgic evening:
- Switch off your main light, put on your fairy lights, edit low contrast photos, have a quick tumblr scroll, write handwritten lyrics and poetry, play the xx albums, change into an oversized top and slowly drift off to sleep.
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Diet:
iced coffee !!
- Enjoy food that tastes like pure gas station runs:
- So cold pizza straight from the takeout box, luxewarm takeout noodles while watching youtube videos, sour gummy candy, and french fries eaten at 2am.
- Eat according to convenience:
- Grocery store slushies, microwave meals, buttered toast, chips and dip, or, if you’re feeling healthy, carrot sticks and hummus works perfectly too.
- Choose drinks that match a moody & caffeinated night:
- Iced black coffee in mason jars, cans of fizzy drinks left on your bedside table, cheap energy drinks, and hot chocolate.
- Make foods that require minimal effort:
- Instant mac & cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, basic boxed brownie mix, and any leftovers that have been in the fridge.
- Let local convenience shops shape your daily snacks:
- Packets of bubble gum to match the mood, instant ramen cups, packets of crisps, and sugary cereals eaten straight from a mug.
ideal foods & drinks: iced black coffee, bubblegum, buttered toast, iced caramel lattes/frappes, takeout pizza, chips & dip, gummy candy, instant ramen, chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal.
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Wardrobe & Styling (the fun part):
Tops:
basic t shirt
graphic vest
flannel shirt
Basic t shirts, flannel shirts, graphic vests with the moon phases all over it and dark oversized sweaters are perfect for the grunge tumblr look. Aim for colours and patterns such as: black, ash grey, bleached white, washed beige, plaid and flannel. Find similar looks at the brands: Hot Topic, Forever 21, Hollister, Brandy Melville, Blue Banana, Dollskill and Urban Outfitters.
Bottoms:
black skinny jeans
ripped denim shorts
dark pleated skirt
Ridiculously skinny jeans, dark pleated skirts and ripped denim shorts paired with tights were the go to choices. Find them in dark wash, light wash, muted greys, and blacks and some perfect brands for these are: Levi’s, American Eagle, Brandy Melville, Abercrombie & Fitch, Damaged Society, Minga London and thrift stores.
Hair:
space buns
french braids
messy ponytail
Space buns and french braids were on the rage during the grunge tumblr era, especially with hair dyed in light pastels or bleached blonde colours (with roots still showing). Watch some youtube tutorials for how to french braid and similar styles and you’ll have this look down in no time. Little tip: tease the hair beforehand for an even messier appearance.
Accessories:
choker necklace
beanie
fishnet/lace tights
I feel like this time period was practically known for it’s excessive accessorising. With the iconic chokers, beanie hats, fishnet or lace detail tights, and crystal necklaces they really weren’t missing anything. Find similar chokers/necklaces, beanies and tights at Etsy, Amazon, Hot Topic, American Apparel, and Damaged Society!!
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Extras (the little things that make it magic):
- Blog and make moodboards as often as you can. Repost images that fit the grungey tumblr vibe and create similar images using dark, faded filters.
- Use perfumes with notes like: cigarette smoke, leather jackets, vanilla, patchouli, sandalwood incense, black coffee, and rainfall.
- Go on roadtrips while taking photos and scrapbooking in the back seat.
- Remodel your wardrobe and fill it with brands like American Apparel, Hot Topic, Levi and Forever 21. Make pinterest boards for outfit inspiration if you’re struggling!
- Start artistic hobbies and try out painting moody black watercolours, burning custom mixtapes on CDs, writing your own poetry and visit more places that spark inspiration.
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One response
Love this!!🖤🪽