Tuesday, May 20, 2008

EmO: definition/style/how to look emo/pics

So what exactly is EMO? This is actually a very good question because the meaning of Emo is often misunderstood (as they say they are =\)

SO HERE IT IS: In the early 90s there was a movement in the hardcore genre that came to be known as "Emotive Hardcore," spearheaded by Rites Of Spring. Harder-core-than-thou kids, who swore by Dischord Records a la Minor Threat, actually coined the term "Emo" as something of a put-down for the kids who really liked Rites Of Spring, Indian Summer and this new wave of "Emotive" Hardcore bands. That's right, "Emo" was once not something kids called themselves. The field exploded outwards from there - Level-Plane Records has always been the most famous Emo label. Acts like Yaphet Kotto, I Hate Myself, Saetia, Hot Cross, A Day In Black And White, Funeral Diner, I Would Set Myself On Fire For You, You And I, and hosts of others came in the next decade. Most emo bands have since broken up, but there's still the occasional hold-out (again, the majority of Level-Plane Records' roster has been a procession of emo acts). Like most DIY hardcore/punk of the time, a majority found its way onto vinyl and not much else. Some people consider bands like Fugazi, and later Sunny Day Real Estate, which some people may question.

Often, more recently, this gets intertwined with post-hardcore, and understandably so - that's nothing to make an issue of, since well shit, at least it's close.

Since the late 90s, though, bands have been emerging in the vein of Taking Back Sunday, Dashboard Confessional, and the thousands of their clones. As far as I can tell, some lazy journalist somewhere, writing an article about them, decided "Well, fuck, no one knows what emo is anyways, so I'll call these bands "emo" - sounds more appealing than bubblegum pop rock..." and the spiral continued downwards into the current amalgomation of bands MTV has told everyone is "emo."

Somehow, people decided that "emo" meant "emotional," which is obviously bullshit, as 99% of bands make music to illicit emotion, which would make "emotional" a completely all-encompassing genre from classical to opera to pop to rap.


WHY EMO DOESN'T MEAN "EMOTIONAL": I'm going to make this as easy to understand as possible because so many people mistake the word EMO for meaning "emotional" I'm about to tell you why it doesn't. The term emo is very different from what many "emo's" nowadays claim it is. If you claim "emo" were to mean "emotional" it then becomes an all encompassing word, it becomes extremely vague and it has no limit as to what it can and will describe. This is an issue because the term is suppose to (and believed to by the people who use it) to describe one specific thing, when it fact it does the complete opposite. Emo when wrongfully used as "emotional" describes every living thing, every song, every word, every breath, every statement. Why you ask? Because what as no emotion is dead.


OK SO NOW THAT WE'VE PASSSED ALL THAT ARE YOU STILL SURE YOU WANT TO BE EMO? IF SO READ ON AND FIND OUT HOW TO DRESS LIKE AN EMO =D (BTW I DONT BLAME YOU IF U PASSED THROUGH ALL THAT STUFF BECAUSE I'M GUESSING UR ONLY IN IT FOR THE LOOK WHICH WOULD ACTUALLY MEAN UR JUST A POSER BUT LIKE I SAID I DONT BLAME YOU, SO READ ON!)

FIRST OFF THE THINGS YOU'LL NEED:
Eyeliner
Black fingernail polish. Pink may work also, but only if you're an Emo in a really good mood.
Converse shoes, Vans, or Airwalks
Studded belt and bracelet
Emo friends (or at least Emo sympathizer friends)
Overly tight t-shirts (Especially band t-shirts, cereal t-shirts, gaming t-shirts, carebear t-shirts, cartoon t-shirts, and any other t-shirts sold at Hot Topic.)
An undying love for Emo bands (Although I guess you could fake this, after all you have to be a really good actor to be Emo)
Tight jeans (This is a must, the absolute staple of all Emos
Black rimmed glasses (Even if your eyesight is perfect)
Arm bands
A MySpace account with a super Emo MySpace Layout

TIPS FOR EMO CLOTHING: As stated before, the eyeliner and fingernail polish applies to you whether you are a boy or a girl. In the Emo culture, both genders share many similarities. Usually, liquid eyeliner is used on both the top and the bottom. Sometimes Emos may only paint a single fingernail per hand, because it makes them different and edgy. Feel free to accessorize with band pins or any other pins that relate to cartoons, have funny sayings, cute pictures, etc. Stripes and checkers are big in the Emo culture, as are second hand clothes and worn tattered clothes (try thrift store shopping for the real emo look). The biggest part of dressing Emo is not to copy others' styles. Emos are very opinionated, and may feel offended if you bite their style. It will most likely make them pretty upset, and they will cry, so just don't do it.

EMO CLOTHING: By almost all current definitions, emo clothing is characterized by tight jeans on males and females alike, long fringe (bangs) often brushed to one side of the face, dyed black, blond or just a bunch of different colors, straightened hair, tight t-shirts which often bear the names of rock bands, studded belts, belt buckles, Chuck Taylor All-Stars, skate shoes, or other black shoes (often old and beaten up) and thick, black horn-rimmed glasses.

here are some different emo clothing types (yes there are different types):

The indie emo look - (best for girls and guys 16-20)


Dyed-black short hair with bangs short and cut straight across the forehead. Spikey in the back, slightly greasy. Really light blonde hair on girls often works too.
Piercings. The more the better.
Jewelry. The more the better. Beads, etc.
Horn-rim/thick black frames/cat eye glasses (this works for all three types).
Tight, fadded shirts with random slogans. It should look like it could have been bought at a thrift store but you didn't (but you really did). It takes a while to master that one.
Dark denim jean jackets.
Messenger bag covered in patches and pins (that you actually bought at shows).
Tight pants, sometimes cuffed once or twice but never more!
Black or blue converse shoes.

The nerdy emo look - (best for girls under 17 and guys over 21)


Short hair. Style it messy, but not spikey.
Horn-rim/thick black frames/cat eye glasses (this works for all three types).
Thin, tight, solid dark color v-neck sweaters. I call them Grandpa sweaters.
Band shirts.
Messenger bag covered in patches and pins (that you bought at Hot Topic but you tell everyone you got them at shows).
Dickies work pants. Blue, black or grey only!
Argyle socks.
Black converse shoes.

The dressy emo look - (best for girls and guys over 20)


Black or brown hair. Flipped out on girls, mop top on guys.
Horn-rim/thick black frames/cat eye glasses (this works for all three types).
A silver necklace with a star charm.
Scarves.
A black or navy blue pea coat.
Black messenger bag. No patches, 1 or 2 pins at the most (and only at the bottom of the strap).
Heavy dress slacks.
Doc Martens or clunky black shoes.

SO THERE YOU GO, THERES YOUR GUIDE TO DRESSING EMO! HAVE FUN BEING MISERABLE =D

BOYS:
 



GIRLS:










NOW HERE'S A COUPLE TIPS =D USE THEM WELL: Talk constantly to your non-emo friends about being emo. Each time they ask you what it is, say something different. Make it sound all mysterious and secretive.
Try and share your emo music with as many people as you can. Get really angry when they don't like it. Get really mad when they do like it and try to share it with other people.
Like meat? Well stop. Being a vegitarian or a vegan is one of the most important requirements of being emo.
When eating M&M's, only eat the red ones.
Start a livejournal, deadjournal or a diaryland diary. Write in it about all the shows you have gone to and how they have changed your life. Lie if necessary. Be sure and put the song you were listening to at the end of each entry and occasionally post some poems.
Remember: the fad of anti-fad.
Buy a digital camera and take lots of pictures of yourself. Turn your head as you take them so only your ear or eye or part of your hair shows. Then open them up in photo shop and blur them even more. It makes them look artistic. Taking photos of random objects in black and white also looks artistic. Once you've done that, you can consider yourself an art student.
Expect hardcore and straight edge kids to make fun of you. Tell them "your scene is dead!" and run away like the little wuss you are.
Join a band or make a new one. You'll suck, but at least you can tell people about it and it might help you get that cute emo girl's e-mail address.

EMO HAIR TIPS: One of the staples of the Emo style is your hair. It has to be long and partially hide your face. If not, it is not Emo... Period. If you are a guy, many times, you can achieve this look by just simply letting your hair grow wildly without any real styling. However, you may want to employ the use of hair gel to keep your bangs right where you want them, which is over your eyes. If you are a girl, you have to work a little more towards this, but you women are used to keeping your hair fixed up anyway, so this shouldn't be a big deal. Dye your hair black, which is a definite requirement, and if you'd like, you can incorporate a slight bit of blonde or pink into the bangs also. If you are a girl, you may possibly want to cut your hair to a very short bob-like hairstyle but keep your bangs long, swept drastically to one side and covering your eye. Or, for those who like Long hair, get many choppy layers and highlights. For a guy, you may want to spike up the back side, and pat down on the front side. You could also get your bangs/fringe dyed a lighter color than the rest of your hair.

2 comments:

Uya said...

hm nice post although one of the problems I'm experiencing and so are a lot of my friends is being called an emo whilst not being one (to be honest we have no idea what we are we just wear what we want and do waht we want) the meaning of emo has been gotten entirely wrong by a lot non emo typish people. anyway nice to see such a post XD

gogreen164 said...

This Really INspired me. I am Emo... but im afraid to be. I get beaten by ppl. What should i do?