Indie Sleaze Packing List

The Return of Indie Sleaze

Are you desperately trying to impress your 20-year-old niece who just “discovered” The Arctic Monkeys and thrifted a leopard print fur jacket? Me too. 

The hipster era of the 2000s has been reborn—now rebranded with a fun new label: Indie Sleaze. And yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like—gritty glamour, Tumblr-core angst, bodycon skirts, and enough eyeliner to make it through 6 sweaty hours at a warehouse rave.

“The term ‘indie sleaze’ was coined in 2021 to encapsulate the grimy, energetic, carefree sound and aesthetic of a scene which emerged in the early noughties.”
— Rough Trade 

As someone who was in college between 2010–2014, I witnessed the tail end of peak Indie Sleaze and the rise of Twee. I was a recovering emo kid, toggling between Peter Pan collars and faux leather jackets, trying (and failing) to land on a personal brand. Pinterest boards, Tumblr reblogs, and a heavy-handed use of filters on VSCO were part of my daily practice.

And now? The cycle continues. Gen Z has resurrected Indie Sleaze, and honestly—it tracks. 

The aesthetic’s DIY energy, thrifiness, and rejection of polish feels like a direct reaction to the last decade of of Pinterest-perfect minimalism and the “Clean Girl Aesthetic.” 

Just like how the original hipster and Indie Sleaze era of grungey glamour was meant to contrast the polished “preppy” styles of that same time period. People didn’t want highly curated and overly polished. They wanted something grittier and more “real.” 

“Today everything is so polished, so fake. That is not rock ‘n’ roll. It doesn’t really appeal to me or my idea of what’s sexy – certainly not what is cool.”
— Isabel Marant, The BBC

And in a post-2008 financial crisis world, grungey was a way to reclaim power and fashion.

Think: Olsen twins in draped shawls and Birkins, American Spirits in hand. The Strokes. Flash photography. Anything that looks a little bit sticky and a fun. 

It makes sense Gen Z identifies with indie sleaze given their affinity for thrifting and secondhand clothing. 

“Gen Z-ers are big on sustainability and challenging the morals of fast fashion, so, likely, their wardrobes are also pieced together at thrift shops.”
— Instyle

And so I’ve put together a college packing list and gift guide that 19-year-old me would have killed for while she tried to fully adopt this style. 

So if you, like me, want to impress your cool, grungey college-aged teenage niece or cousin, OR want to embrace the 2010s indie hipster vibe yourself- follow along.

Prianna Pathak