(Trigger Warning: this article talks about eating disorders and self-harm )
Imagine, you’ve just got home from school, you’re listening to Midnight Memories by One Direction, you make yourself your favorite snack, and you sit on the couch to watch the newest episode of Pretty Little Liars, or maybe you’re binge-watching Skins and as you watch, you scroll through the endless timeline of Tumblr. Am I resurrecting some memories? I hope so!
As Tik Tok continues to gain popularity, it’s arguable that the social media platform is also approaching its downfall. Tik Tok has already decided to add a 3-minute long video feature which directly goes against the original concept of the app. The new stricter parental guidelines have limited mature content and profanity, and in general, many of the teens on the app are yearning for an era pre-Tik Tok and pre-influencers. Popular TV shows like Euphoria and The Outer Banks have left teens fantasizing about a world full of real experiences that aren’t dominated by social media, influencers, advertisements, or Covid-19.
In its simplest form, Tumblr allows users to have their own blog, it requires minimal personal information allowing the user to remain anonymous. Your timeline is made up of posts and “republishes” from accounts you follow, or what the Tumblr algorithm has established you’re interested in. At the time, Tumblr allowed teens to build their own aesthetic, image, and brand before any of those concepts were relevant or profitable. Additionally, Tumblr was known for its leniency in parental controls/ censorship, and its lack of advertising, which attracted many young users looking to escape the restraints of being tweens and teens.
Although Tumblr often felt like a utopia, it also had a dark side. For example, you could go from looking at the general “fashion” hashtag, which would lead to looking at blogs of supermodels, and then the algorithm would slowly turn into “body check” posts and eating disorder blogs, called “thinspo blogs”. No one was monitoring this darker and “pro-ana” side of Tumblr. The app was able to bring people together from all different niche interests and groups, but that also meant corralling teens struggling with eating disorders, mental health and self-harm issues. Tumblr became an echo-chamber feeding struggling teens dangerous content the more they “liked” and scrolled. Tumblr was unfortunately successful in popularizing self-harm, depression, and eating disorders because it fit them into “aesthetics” and blogs. The majority of this came to an end when Tumblr was purchased by Verizon and they introduced a no-nudity/ PG-13 ban, in result, Tumblr lost 30% of user traffic over time, as they increased advertisements and monitored content more.
Even though many of us have long forgotten about the world of Tumblr, a rise in the “Indie-sleaze” trend has many people resurrecting their Tumblr blogs and pulling out their oxford shoes, peter pan collars, and American Apparel disco pants. The era of Indie-sleaze coordinated with the rise of Tumblr, which cemented the correlation of the two trends together.
The 2013 Indie Sleaze was centered around the big stars of Tumblr at the time, Alexa Chung, Kylie Jenner, Lana Del Rey, and Sky Ferreira– to name a few. At the time of the Indie Sleaze movement, you couldn’t open Tumblr without seeing an aesthetic photo of then-couple Alexa Chung and Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner, a moody post from Kylie’s blog Kalifornia-Klasss, or some kind of “aesthetic” post of a Fiji water bottle (those who get it, get it, and those who don’t, don’t).
Everyone wanted to be the Tumblr Girl, so much so that G-Eazy even wrote a song about it, called “Tumblr Girls”. Indie Sleaze influenced the music of the 2010s as well, bands and musicians such as Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, Cage the Elephant, The xx, The Neighborhood, and Lana Del Rey leaned into the Indie Sleaze trend, acting, playing, and dressing the part. The music was reminiscent of The Smiths, Nirvana, Frank Zappa, and the Jane Birkin / Serge Gainsbourg era, demonstrating that trend cycles always come back, in music and style. Most recently, star couples Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox, as well as Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian, have been dotting the grunge looks and lifestyle of the Tumblr-Girl era. From their combat boots and eyeliner to their flashy PDA photos, both of these couples would have ended up being “repubed” on Kalifornia-Klasss without a doubt.
Many of the “grungy” styles came from the 80s/90s, and the rock and roll infused swinging 60s. Leather jackets, ripped tights, flannels and combat boots became the unofficial uniform for the Indie Sleaze/ Tumblr girls. Stores like American Apparel, Urban Outfitters, and Brandy Melville came the go-to for many. The resurrection of the Indie Sleaze has been most recently spotted in the release of Miu Miu’s SS22 collection, complete with micro miniskirts and nerdy ties/glasses, Gucci’s Fall 22 runway show exhibited wild fur coats, oversized leather moto jackets, and rockstar infused grunge looks– all very reminiscent of the Indie Sleaze phase.
As we inch closer to an Indie Sleaze revival, it is no surprise that these trends are coming back so rapidly. Due to a rapid trend cycle courtesy of Tik Tok, influencers, and fast fashion, trends are reemerging and leaving as quickly as ever. This leaves many millennials and older “gen-zers” scratching their heads because it truly felt like it was just yesterday that we were so desperately trying to squeeze into Brandy Melville’s “one-size” (a fatphobic trend that should have NEVER seen the light of day) and American Apparel disco pants.
One positive aspect of the Indie Sleaze era is that it did help us feel more in the moment and present. Cobra Snake repopularized the use of digital flash and film cameras, encapsulating the sweaty and imperfect atmosphere of house parties and basement band concerts. Post-pandemic, it makes sense for us to resurrect one of the most influential trends and lifestyles of our generation, the Indie-sleaze-Tumblr-girl 2.0. The Indie-sleaze-Tumblr-girl 2.0 is in the moment, they’re fun and quirky and go against the status quo, and is that a bad thing in a post-pandemic society? For many of us, it’s exactly what’s been missing from our lives for the past two years. As fellow Tumblr users near and far begin to brush the cobwebs off of their profiles, let’s all keep in mind the importance of sharing, promoting and engaging with content that promotes ALL body shapes, sizes, colors, and lifestyles, as every experience and walk of life is worthy of being deemed “aesthetic.” Tumblr should also be used to spread resources and words of encouragement for those struggling with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self harm, etc. instead of being used to glorify self-destructive behaviors and a single version of a “worthy” appearance.
With all that in mind, dust off those oxford flats, distressed jeans, leather jackets, and alien-themed graphic tees because Indie Sleaze is coming full force. Oh, and while you’re at it, go follow my Tumblr.
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