I complimented a woman (30s, so my age, I think, if that's relevant at all) about an ear piercing she had - it was the area of skin above her lobe - the earring was lovely, transparent but not a diamond. I think she said it was a conch.
Anyway, she said she loves the alternative look and goes the whole hog as she likes to be different. To explain she had tattoo, sleeves possibly, on arms and legs, several piercings and hair bleached whitish grey with streaks of green or blue, and pieces of bright clothing.
While I thought she looked great, there were other people dotted around the room in exactly the same style and it's a look I see frequently late 20s/30s and above and so would no longer say it's particularly 'alternative' or different. It's almost even a uniform with the same elements.
Just idly pondering and wondered what people thought. And I wondered what does count for alternative now.