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I have a terrible habit of scrolling through TikTok every night before bed, and this past month, my entire For You page has been taken over by the so-called teenage-dirtbag trend. Celebrities share photos of their younger dirtbag selves set to the Wheatus 2000 single of the same name, showing off the spunky outfits they wore back then in the process. Julia Fox posted a slideshow of her getting a tattoo in denim cutoff shorts; Gwen Stefani shared images of singing while wearing her now signature tank tops and cargo pants. It’s proven to be a fascinating (and nostalgic) look back at some of the biggest styles and fads from the ’90s and beyond.
Seeing my feed inundated with these grungy throwback outfits, I began wondering what my very own teenage-dirtbag outfits looked like. I immediately thought of my punk-rock phase during freshman year of high school, when I listened to bands like Good Charlotte and Evanescence. One of my staple pieces at the time? A cool chunky knit that was striped, studded, or covered in animal prints. I almost always paired one with black skinny jeans and checkered Vans. It was the era of Tumblr and indie sleaze, after all.
While I don’t have enough photos of myself from that time to participate in the TikTok trend (this was only the beginning of Facebook, y’all!), there’s something about the grungy sweater that feels right again. On the red carpet, stars like Lil Nas X and Machine Gun Kelly have been embracing them in a modern way, while style icons like the late Kurt Cobain made it their forever signature. It’s also been having a moment on the runways: Brands like Amiri, Saint Laurent, Dior, and more have all shown statement knits for fall. Saint Laurent applied the Playboy Bunny logo onto mohair, while Amiri had big blown-up skulls on them.
Suddenly, my current fall closet—full of simple cashmere crewnecks and turtlenecks—seems dull! If my unhealthy TikTok habit has taught me anything, it’s that I need to live a little and return to my fun-fashion years. Luckily, the current market has a wide assortment of graphic sweaters to choose from—whether it’s a swirly pullover from The Elder Statesmen or an affordable color-block style from Scotch & Soda. While I’ll pair them with a tailored, looser dress pant today, I’m ready to channel my inner dirtbag again this season. Or at the very least, I’m prepared to ask myself each morning while getting dressed: Would Machine Gun Kelly wear this?
