Be Emo on a Budget
For those wanting to be "in with the emo scene" but are limited on cash, this is the guide for you. Note that this is how to look emo, not be emo.
Steps
- Go thrift shopping! Thrift shopping (charity shops) is cool for an emo; your look is completely unique, nobody else will have the same stuff, and you avoid that poserish mall-bought look. One of the last things you want is to be called a "POSER". Some things to look out for:
- Vintage t-shirts
- Lots of plain tops (long or short sleeves) for layering
- Skinny jeans - these are harder to come by on a budget as unfortunately jeans are one of those things where you get what you pay for, but if you hunt around you might find a decent pair that someone's thrown out. They'll be slightly worn too, which is always good.
- Alternatively, you can buy skinny jeans cheap at chain stores. Actually, never be afraid to go into chain stores for anything. Just because they cater to the mainstream doesn't mean you can't find some great stuff there, and it tends to be cheaper than specialist stores. Go to Goodwill or a secondhand store, since lots of vintage shirts are in there. You could also take jeans that are you tight, cut the bottom and sew it together, to look broken into, and it will make them look like skinnies. As long as you don't deck out in all the latest fashions, it should be fine.
- Scarves, cute stripy socks, cute hairclips, safety pins, wristbands, fingerless gloves - these are all things that can be found very cheaply and are definitely emo.
- Get some shoes - they aren't so cheap. There are some staples that just can't be bought cheap, so save up for a pair of converse sneakers, a cool band hoodie and perhaps a pair of good-quality jeans. If you get the bulk of your wardrobe cheap then you can afford to invest in a couple of dearer items. Maybe, if you look hard enough, you might be able to get good deals on chucks, and some awesome hoodies.
- Slowly build up your music collection. Being on a budget means that you won't be able to build up your CD collection as much as you might like to. Stealing from probably already broke bands isn't cool, so if you want music then go on YouTube. Second-hand CD stores are fantastic; whenever possible buy music from there. You can also find CDs cheap at department stores and music chains in your area - JB Hi-Fi, HMV, etc.
- Go to shows by local bands and buy their CDs there. They're cheap, you're supporting the band and you get to see an awesome show; it's a win-win situation.
- Look out for the free demo downloads on sites like Myspace, Last.fm etc. They have good stuff there.
- If you absolutely can't afford something and you really want it, you can swap CDs with friends, get them to burn stuff or (sigh) download.
- You don't need to follow the fashion. Here are some emo fashion tips:
- Tight Fitting Tees. You can find these cheaply at thrift stores.
- Skinny jeans. You can get these at a thrift store and modify them your own way with things like fabric paint and safety pins.
- A studded belt. : Pick these up for cheap at a thrift store.
- Converse shoes. : You have got to splurge on these or you may be able to pick up a good original pair in a used clothing store, these are usually slightly worn.
- Buy striped socks and fingerless gloves : Pick these up cheaply or knit your own. Create the gloves with a pair of scissors.
- Horn-rimmed glasses : If you don't need them glasses don't wear them, you'll look and feel really stupid and be blind.<P>
- Choose the right colors. Color is important to emo culture as it helps define the kind of emo kid you are. Think about color with these tips:<P>
- Black is always the main color, but not always the most important. Just plain black and white outfits are really hot, but you could always have a band tee on to make your look more your style and NOT poserish.
- Consider bright greens, reds to black and skeleton bone shirts like My Chemical Romance wears.
- Black and Pastel colors are extremely hot together. Make sure you wear TONS of black with it though.
- Do the make-up. Make-up doesn't have to be expensive. There are plenty of ways to look awesome without spending heaps on cosmetics.
- All you really need to achieve an emo look is a black eyeliner pencil. You can buy these cheap, though you might have to experiment a bit to find one that doesn't smudge too badly.
- Rather than wasting money on fancy foundations and whatnot, a dusting of translucent powder is usually enough to even out your skin tone without actually looking as if you're wearing make-up.
- Black nail polish can be found at any dollar store or drugstore. You might have to try a couple of 'brands' (since you'll be going with no-name brands) to find one that isn't too big and blob-like or too runny, but if you spend more than a couple of dollars on your nail polish you're being ripped off. Just make sure you use undercoat so that your nail condition isn't destroyed by cheap polish. [A really good and cheap way to get any color you want is to get clear nail polish and different colored sharpies. You can paint stripes, rainbows, skulls, anything! Just make sure to put the sharpies on first!]
- Cut your own hair!, but be careful or get someone close to you to do it. It's actually easier to get the popular choppy emo look at home - most salons won't understand what you want and you'll walk out with trendy, immaculate layers and a fringe too short to cover your eyes. Never go to cheap salons unless you know and trust them, because you risk a very bad cut. If you can't afford a proper stylist, it's better to just save the money and do it yourself. A good technique to achieve this look would be to twist a section of hair, and cut into it. In halfway snips work your way down the hair, towards the end spacing it out more and more. If you want the bottom of your hair thinner use a razor [A leg shaver works.] and slowly drag it along where you want to thin it out.
Tips
- DIY anything. Cut holes in jeans, sew patches and band names/lyrics/quotes on t-shirts, make your own clothes. Go nuts.😊
- Go to local thrift stores for some band tees.
- Instead of buying clothes and accessories, you could always make your own!
- Check eBay and other online sites for great deals on unique items.
- Try searching YouTube for music videos if you can't afford the album itself. Although not the best quality it can help you choose between albums if you can only buy one or two.
- You can by some cheap nail polishes at a drug store and create your own design on your nails.
If you can't think of a design, there should be tutorials on the internet that you can copy.
Warnings
- We aren't always liked by people so you might be prejudiced against.
- You most likely won't be able to get all the things you want at once; just keep saving up till you get new clothes
- Expect people to judge you about your clothes, although this isn't always true.
- Do not start cutting yourself. Intentionally hurting yourself should not be attempted, even if your friends do it and want you to also. It is something people do to relieve themselves and should not be done to begin a trend.
(Believe me, i have this friend, shes a girl and she pretends to be emo just to get on my nerves [it doesnt bother me at all but shes a poser] so she goes up to me and she goes "look what i did again!!!" and she shows me her cuts. all the kids in school think shes a poser because its evident she has no real reasons to cut herself.) so besides the fact that self-harm is dangerous, people will make fun of you for doing it just to be cool.
Things You'll Need
- Good store that fits your budget
- Sum of money, (you don't need to get all the clothes at once just try to save up)
