CLUNGE! Volume #1

A History of Riot Grrrl

THE RIOT GRRRL PRESS

WHAT TO WEAR AND HOW TO WEAR IT

As with any subculture, part of it includes what clothes you’re putting on your body. It’s a statement and a way of self expression. You can’t just slap anything on and hope that people will recognise what movement you’re a part of! Riot Grrrl had a few different distinct styles that did also appear in other genre scenes around the time, like Grunge. This handy dandy guide is here to help you make sense of why the grrrls wore what they did.

Kinderwhore

Kinderwhore was seen on the likes of Babes In Toyland Singer Kat Bjelland and lead singer of Hole, Courtney Love. Key components of this style were babydoll dresses, the smaller the better, thick and smeared on makeup, mary jane shoes and bright blond hair and bangs. This style of lolita fashion took a childlike appearance and paired it with an aggressive display of sexuality. Accessories of this style tend to be girly, lockets, bows and chipped off nail polish all add to the finished product.

Balaclavas

Balaclavas have become an essential of the modern day Riot Grrrl. Modelled above by Pussy Riot they have a more militaristic approach. Usually knitted and coming in a wide range of colours they are a perfect accessory to any outfit, whether it be with jeans and a t-shirt or a thrifted pastel pink dress. They make a statement and more importantly, they have a function! Famously worn in Pussy Riot’s Punk Prayer protest, balaclavas helped to conceal the members identity. Now that’s what you call functional fashion!

Wear what you want to wear!

’’Stop always worrying about what you look like and what clothes you wear, ’cause in the end it’s not important. What’s important is friendship and being creative’’

-Kathleen Hanna

Known for usually sporting a bra and the word slut scrawled across her abdomen, Kathleen Hanna encourages grrrls to care less about what they are wearing and to just be creative with it. While yes there were some distinct fashion statements in the Riot Grrrl subculture, self-expression is far more important. To wear what everyone else is takes away your individuality.

GRRRLS AROUND THE WRRRLD

DREAM WIFE FEA

From Brighton, UK Dream Wife are a punk band that formed in 2016. At live shows they have a “Bitches to the front” policy which encourages the crowd to part to allow women to the front of the crowd. Their music deals with issues such as feminism, gender roles, body image and sexual objectification.

Girls in punk are no longer novelties! Fea are a Riot Grrrl Chicana-punk band out of San Antonio, Texas. Combining the eclectic sounds from their homeland and the listening habits of their youth Fea carved out their own sound with the creation of their own “dream Riot Grrrl band.”

Pussy Riot

Pussy Riot formed as a collective against the Russian government. Perhaps the most prolific Riot Grrrl act of the modern Day, Pussy Riot continue to spread their revolution through their performance art gigs.

Otoboke Beaver

Otoboke Beaver are a Japanese Riot Grrrl band out of Kyoto. Reflecting on themes of female oppression in modern society, the band have created their own immense and confrontational style of music. Heavily influenced by movements such as Riot Grrrl while also taking inspiration from J-pop and a specific type of Japanese comedy called Manzai, Otoboke Beaver have created a worldwide fanbase.

24/7 Diva Heaven are a Berlin based punk band. Mixing influences from 90s genres such as noise, grunge and punk they create their own Riot Grrrl for the modern day. They are also the founders of the GRRRL-Noisy movement, a constantly growing network of female and transgender musicians in the Berlin area.

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