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Revision as of 12:38, 1 September 2006 by 216.146.50.3 (talk) (→History)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) For other uses, see Emo.Emo is a slang term used to describe a range of fashion styles and attitudes somewhat affiliated with emo music and its related scenes. As an adjective, emo can describe a style of fashion or music; or a general state of unhappiness or melancholy (as in "to feel emo"). Emo is also used as a noun, often pejoratively, to identify a member of the "emo scene" or someone viewed as fitting the "emo" stereotype.
Corey Cochran
Fashion and culture
There are two popular forms of dress that are considered emo. The first is essentially derived from the 1990s "indie emo" scene, and has connections to indie rock and punk rock. It includes more vintage and thrift store clothing, typically for a well-worn look. Some of the clothing leans toward khaki colors. T-shirts are typically of smaller sizes, and with various prints, often images from the 1980s. Bags and backpacks often have pins and patches of various bands.
The other popular style of dress focuses on darker colors. Commonly seen styles include straight, dark colored hair, either black, red, multi-colored (brown and black, red and purple, etc.) which covers one eye, males wearing pants tailored for females, lip, eyebrow, and labret piercings, and dark make-up on males and females (most notably black eyeliner, although red eyeshadow is becoming increasingly popular). A common accessory for both males and females is glasses with a dark coloured (usually black), thick rim, a style sometimes even worn by persons who do not require corrective eye-wear.
Converse All-Star style shoes are common amongst both styles of dress, as are Vans and other skate shoe brands.
While "emo" is often used to describe the dress and attitudes of fans of emo music, "emo" as a musical genre and "emo" as a slang term are largely separate. "Emo" as a musical genre long pre-dated the use of "emo" as a slang term. At the same time, most current bands are labeled "emo" unwillingly, largely because they share some of the fashion trends and attitude associated with "emo" as a slang term.
There is also a common stereotype that associates "emo" with self-harm, most notably cutting wrists, partly due to song lyrics associated with "emo" bands, which often speak of acts of self-destruction. However, apart from the anecdotal, there is no significant evidence of any correlation between emo and self-harm.
Alternative uses
The term "emo" has also been used in recent years on the Internet as a form of insult, especially toward those who appear emotionally unstable, or those who talk about issues in their lives to people in public forums or chat rooms. Similar to popular curses, it tends to be used as a general insult even when it is not directly applicable. Phrases such as "cheer up, emo kid" are used frequently as a quick brush-off in this context. Some use the term "emo" to describe a feeling of depression, alluding to the association of depression with the "emo" subculture.