Grown-up alt kids, what is your style now?

[LongLiveGoblingKing]

As a yoof my style was alternative. Gothy greb.

I'm now a mother of two in my 30s and feeling a bit lost when it comes to my personal style. I want to create a Pinterest board of inspiration so I can begin curating ideas, but I actually don't know what I want my style to be.

Looking for 'outfits for women in their 30s' throws up mainly preppy looks, which I don't think is me. Then again, I don't want to be really gothic or punk or anything. I think I want smart and sophisticated with a nod to my alternative past, but what is that even called?

So please tell me what your style is and what it might be called, I need inspiration!

I wish I'd successfully managed this lol 😂

Very nearly wore "that" sisters of mercy t shirt to collect my child from pre school the other day. Realised before I left luckily but I don't think I'd have been too popular

I have a weird collection of clothes depending on if I'm in the middle of one of my always short lived "I must wear more colour phases" or not.

I wasn't full goth but wore so much black. I had my colours done and turns out black has never been my colour, threw out everything black even shoes and bags.
I'm not stylish but I tend to wear fairly classic, natural styles.

I’ve enjoyed reading this! I was more 90s indie/hippy than goth though, I think. I had dyed black hair but wore a lot more tie dye than all black.

I still wear DMs but the zip wedge ones, not the lace ups. I wear skinny jeans and jumpers, little A-line skirts and tops and tea dresses with leggings. I quite like some of the Joe Brown stuff, though not all! I still have a few discreet piercings tucked away and I also still like a bit of tie dye!

It took me a long time to realise that you can be a style chameleon if you wish.
I would class myself as hippy- bohemian/ classic- wannabe-chic. Quite opposite really so I don't really mix elements of the two all the time and I'm sometimes one or the other.

I am 40's and was a diligent supporter of the 90's alt music thing. Wasn't so much a fad as my actual identity. Never quite grew out of it, but got sidetracked with designer shit for a while then toned that the fuck down later on.

Im now very outdoorsy and into fell walking. Moat of my stuff is aligned with hiking, with the occasional summer tea dress paired with docs (weather permitting).

I am still the same person, but have adapted a little. I like chunky knits from poetry now, and very delicate jewellery. I still team my frocks with docs in summer, and mostly do the hiking thing (fjallraven, Patagonia and arcteryx) in winter.
It's like I 'came home'.
I wanted so much to like Toast and whatnot but their stuff drowns me and feels a bit too austere.

@BobbinThreadbare123 it's still there in Central station. I don't think anything will make that shop close!

The leather shop is indeed still there but the loss of quiggins was a blow.

And despite a few of the shops moving into grand Central it was never the same.

We never really ever had anything like it before or since

I was never full goth, more late 90s/00s ‘alternative’, I work in an investment bank so to me I don’t look that way anymore and I despair at how dull I looks now, but a couple of my good work friends nicknamed me the preppy goth, as they say it is still subtly apparent in my style… can’t pin it down but think it’s the colour pallet, materials I chose and the eyeliner

I was a 80s/90s goth. Nowadays am more faded rock chick cross indie kid. I wear a lot of black, band t-shirts and obv my DMs. They will have to prise my eyeliner out of my dead, cold hands. If I'm forced to dress like an adult, I tend towards the dark academia or something 1950s ish. I do have a penchant for Forgotten Tribes type clothes, comfort is starting to feature in my vocabulary.

Well, I've just read a thread which describes one of my most-worn brands as "Beckham wannabe cross with pungent, desperate Camembert" so I'm not sure I'm much use here 😂😂
I think I have a very different style now, but I will always love boots, especially over the knee (although see earlier quotation - might not quite be what you're after...!). Swapped the skirts and fishnets for black, grey or indigo skinnies though. I would love to be able to pull off the kind of glamour that people like Dita Von Teese have, but a lot of it just doesn't suit me so I pick and mix bits carefully.

There was an article about Quiggins in the Echo the other day here
Wish it was still there. Dd is just coming up to teen years and would have absolutely loved it.

Quiggins looks interesting - was it a bit like Affleck's in Manchester?
What a shame those places end up having to close and be replaced by the same old high street brands.

I'd never heard of the term Dark Academia but I love it! I thought I just liked tweed skirts and woolly jumpers with lots of brown and other autumn shades but now I know it's actually a thing.

I've become so lazy during this pandemic, wearing leggings tucked into slipper boots and old jumpers. I need to shake myself up and get some style back! I already knit and I'm starting a sewing class in the autumn so that'll be an excellent opportunity to start thinking more about how I want to look.

Quiggins is now a Bravissimo. My angsty teen heart wept!
@highlandcoo I'd say it was a bit more goth and a bit less dance than Afflecks in my day

Yes it was so much better than Afflecks but along those lines. It was like wandering into Aladdins cave and had something for everyone. Not many places now that you could wander in, get a couple of piercings, have a tarot card reading, buy a piece of antique furniture, buy some really cool alternative or vintage clothing and some handmade jewellery and that's before you even made it to the cafe 😀

I would have loved that when I was younger! So different from the sort of stuff your mum wanted you to buy.

I was more of a hippy type though. Cockburn Street in Edinburgh was my idea of heaven back in the 70s. I remember saving up all the money from my summer job and buying so many clothes, including a long trailing-on-the-ground patchwork skirt and a tiered maxi dress that faded from pale to dark green. Also ridiculously flared and frayed jeans with inserts in the legs. Wish I still had them all!

Susie Cave, Helena Bonham Carter and Eva Green are my grown up style heroes.

Mine too but now I realise I am a 'spring' so suit colour! Quite different to my 'yoof!'

I love this thread! I was more of an indie style but liked some of the goth stuff. I'm in a transition style stage but heading towards harem trousers, cashmere hoodie under my biker jacket, socks and high top metallic ash style trainers. My indie goth comes out in my jangly bangles and statement collar necklaces, star or skull jewellery. I think of my style inspo as Jack sparrow in his cosy clothes. I love claudia winklemans style and am considering going dark haired (currently very blonde)

@highlandcoo ahhh I love Cockburn St - or I did in the 90s it’s a long time since I was in Edinburgh. (Also great username)