“I grew up on a particular corner of the internet now often referred to as ‘2014 Tumblr’. … In these spaces, a distinct group of pop artists dictated the visuals.”
I’ve been looking into getting Doc Martens for a while now (now that I will have lectures in the arts block for the first time in my student career), and researching the shoes brought back memories I could only describe as defining when it came to the development of my personal fashion sense. I grew up on a particular corner of the internet now often referred to as ‘2014 Tumblr’. One may call it an aesthetic phenomenon, as even looking up the term will bring up a distinct look particular to its place and time – sad, dark, edgy, grungy, filled with Doc Martens and ripped fishnets, plaid short skirts, sad emaciated girls with long dark hair and runny mascara with bruised, pale skin chain-smoking cigarettes, quoting Sad Girl and I Wanna Be Yours in bold white capital letters with dim, purplish-bluish hued faux-polaroid/Kodak backgrounds of the night sky, grainy pictures of vinyl collections, etc. In these spaces, a distinct group of pop artists dictated the visuals. These artists mostly blew up on Tumblr, and later became as close to mainstream as they could get. These artists were known for creating personas – often starkly different from their real-life selves – which became escapist fantasies for many young Tumblr users who would eagerly spread and copy their styles, running away from their mundane, boring or otherwise dissatisfying lives outside the internet platform. Any random person on Tumblr could be who they wanted – and curate the closet and aesthetic of their dreams – even if in real life, they were unremarkable nothings.
“One of the most iconic fashionistas on the site, Lana Del Rey, likely comes to mind when one thinks of the ‘Tumblr sad girl’.”
One of the most iconic fashionistas on the site, Lana Del Rey, likely comes to mind when one thinks of the ‘Tumblr sad girl’. The artist behind Lana (real name Elizabeth Grant) has undoubtedly built a career creating a nostalgic, ‘Old Americana’-esque persona with looks inspired by mid-century icons such as Marylin Monroe, Nancy Sinatra or Jackie Kennedy, as well as later icons Julee Cruise and Amy Winehouse (also talked-about on Tumblr for her distinct fashion sense, particularly her bold eyeliner, preppy-grunge clothes and dramatic hairdo). Lana Del Rey incorporates styles from all decades, playing on the feeling of nostalgia for an ‘America of the Past’. Throughout her more than a decade-long presence in the public eye, Lana has often emulated the lifestyle of a drug addict, a sex worker or a blue-collar, gas-station, striving-for-the-Hollywood-screen-but-stuck-in-a-trailer-park American Whore. If one could describe her persona’s style, the range would be wide – from Monroe-esque ball gowns and top-of-the-crop glam to kitsch sequins and sparkles (or that one yellow neon jacket seen on her 2019 cover of Norman F*cking Rockwell) – but all serve to curate a particular look that one could call ‘lanacore’ (forgive me for using this terrible expression), a look reminiscent of the modern ‘coquette’ fashion subculture (one could call Lana’s 2014 looks ‘coquette’’s grungier, heavier-feeling older sister), which has taken the internet by storm. The artist has been seen wearing Gucci, Vivienne Westwood, Miu Miu and the much-talked-about Aidan Mattox Grammy dress which, according to Jessica Heron-Langton’s Dazed Magazine article, she bought at the ‘American department store Dillard’s’. The glam queen also has her own Mulberry bag design, which she is often spotted wearing.
Another Tumblr queen – also storytelling through fashion, crafting of the self as a fictional character living in a world of heartbreak and glamour and tragedy – is
Marina’s ‘Electra Heart’, narrator/heroine of the eponymous 2012 album, a bleach-blonde, messy, homewrecking suburban beauty destined for tragedy. Granted, Electra Heart died as Marina’s following album was released, but the persona stayed alive and well in the collective memory. Distinctive fashion elements include platinum blonde hair with dark roots, hair rollers, a heart-shaped beauty spot on the upper cheek, silk house robes, bubblegum pink puffy dresses, pastel-coloured clothes evoking high-femininity, gloves, hairbows and open-toed high heels. If Lana is a formidable Old Hollywood icon, Electra is a feisty school-girl turned suburban housewife looking to throw a wrench into her neighbour’s relationship.
One of the most unique artists from the era is Melanie Martinez, who also leaned into world-building through visuals, although her style could not be more different from Lana and Marina’s. Melanie explores personal and societal trauma through the aesthetic of childhood, mixing grim and cute in her fashion. Although her style has gone through a transformation these last few years, she is best known for her character ‘Cry Baby’, a ‘toddler’ dressed in cute yet grim overalls and fluffy dresses, emulating a 1950s-esque look of a spoiled little girl. In the pop landscape, Melanie is one of the most recognisable artists, her eccentric and unusual looks inspiring a trend within the Tumblr community of music listeners (and beyond). Style-wise, Melanie’s persona sports half-coloured half-black hair, pastel, and pink dresses that remind one of a birthday cake, their baby cousin or seminary-for-girls uniforms (more in her K-12 album visuals than in Cry Baby’s, however, the debut album also has these style elements). She mixes these toddler-esque outfits with sensual makeup and hair, creating a mix of childhood innocence and adult sexuality to a grim, artfully visualising both her childhood trauma as well as that of many others, often resonating with her audience, vocal about their non-conformity. The artist’s visual is often identified as ‘Pastel Goth’. When it comes to brands, Martinez chooses staple alternatives: Dollskill, Boohoo, Little Sunny Bite, Stella, Topshop and American Apparel.
In her own category, A grungey-flavoured pop royal, Lorde (Ella Yelich-O’Connor), may not have seen a diamond in the flesh, but she certainly saw her days of adoration on the blog site. The artist, a now-rehab’ed past-sad-girl, ruled the world of desolate girlbloggers of the mid-2010s. From her features in the Hunger Games series’ soundtrack to Pure Heroine and Melodrama, Lorde established herself as a sad/angry girl fav. Style-wise, the artist differentiated herself through her black lipstick/fishnet/Doc Martens looks (watching the Tennis Court music video was, is – and will always be – a fashion experience). The artists’ pre-2020 persona encapsulated the perfect boho grunge ideal mere mortals could only strive to achieve. Lorde was a simple girl (often perceived as ‘ugly’ by the media) for simple girls. I must emphasise that Lorde is gorgeous, and a true fashionista. Her clothes could have found a place in any ‘alt’ teenager’s closet. Although her Tumblr fashion catalogue seemed simple and re-creatable, Lorde has not shied away from more luxurious looks: throughout her career, the artist wore eclectic pieces by Givenchy, Valentino, Dior, Réalisation Par and other big-name brands.
While this article focuses mostly on female singers, one should not forget the men setting male alt-pop fashion trends. The classic Tumblr male look was defined by Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, as well as Matty Healy and the 1975, the latter known for sporting tight leather and jean jackets, white tees and shades of grey suits — tagged JW ANDERSON, Zegna, Dries Van Noten, Vetements, and other designers teetering the casual-formal line – come to mind. The list of Tumblr male fashionista pop artists included (but was not limited to) men from Brendon Urie from Panic! At The Disco or members of the band Arctic Monkeys to Hozier, all inspiring hipsters who dictated the course of masculine Tumblr fashion one outfit at a time.
“Nearly a decade has passed since the high point of the 2014 Tumblr scene, yet the fashion lingers on – and likely will for a long time to come. New stars (among them the megastars Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo) are constantly taking inspiration from the mid-10s grunge, shaping how their fans (and others) dress and perceive fashion. “
Nearly a decade has passed since the high point of the 2014 Tumblr scene, yet the fashion lingers on – and likely will for a long time to come. New stars (among them the megastars Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo) are constantly taking inspiration from the mid-10s grunge, shaping how their fans (and others) dress and perceive fashion. How many art block students wear Doc Martens daily? Should the current ‘coquette’ style and resurgence of Lana-esque looks be seen as a Tumblr-mode spinoff? Fashion is cyclical and never-dying, as it repeatedly proves itself to be. My fellow (ex-)Tumblr users, dust off those distressed jean jackets and fishnet stockings, your cord earphones and put on Ribs. Started by pop stars and spread by listeners, Tumblr’s iconic looks are still alive in fashion’s memory and will remain so for a long time to come.
