Picture this: it is 2009. Barack Obama has simply develop into president, Topshop’s Oxford Circus flagship is unequivocally the very best purchasing vacation spot on the excessive avenue, Alexa Chung is your model icon, your favorite TV present is Skins and also you simply purchased the brand new iPod Touch, able to fill with 10,000 songs by MGMT, The Klaxons and Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs.
Life right now is thrilling, and style is a grungy, mismatched array of ripped skinny denims, neon and questionable hair. Whilst this period’s model maybe wasn’t probably the most complimentaryit was a time of hedonistic enjoyable, which is why I’m not too mad in regards to the obvious return of indie sleaze.
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An period many style editors romanticise from afar, indie sleaze encapsulates the interval between 2006 and 2012. It was a time when indie rock music by British bands dominated the roost. Glastonbury may’ve been round as a pageant already for many years, however as a spot to identify the largest celeb model developments, it felt comparatively new on the scene. The “rockstar girlfriend” was probably the most coveted title going, with paparazzi photos of London’s It women like Kate Moss and Alexa Chung as in-demand as these on the pink carpet. As Who What Wear UK’s editorial assistant, Brittany Davy so aptly places it, “The period was outlined by a carefree vibe. Whilst the style blended classic hipster with the ‘70s, ‘80s and grungy items, the hedonistic life-style is what made the style really feel far sleazier
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Like many re-emerging cultural developments, the indie sleaze renaissance began on TikTook. Trend forecaster Mandy Lee (@oldloserinbrooklyn) precisely predicted the resurgence again in 2021, stating, “Wait a year before it starts actually happening”. Having churned by the developments widespread throughout the Y2K “babetastic” millennium (suppose denim capris and butterfly-motif graphics), it was solely a matter of time earlier than Gen Z grew to become fascinated with the late-‘00s hipster look. With a watchful eye on the ever-changing TikTok landscape, my inclination that a departure from the clean-girl era was afoot arose when the song Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus became one of the leading trending sounds in 2022 (22 years after its initial release).
As Lee explains, TikTok sounds are increasingly becoming the first indication of shifts in the zeitgeist. Like clockwork, the creation of Instagram account @indiesleaze occurred. Posting party photos by the time photographer Cobrasnake, it has amassed a following of 300,000 eagle-eyed followers as of today. The next sign came from Taylor Swift’s album cowl for the Midnights in 2022, the place the singer—who all of us knew for her squeaky-clean model—appeared to embrace a brand new dishevelled “good girl gone bad” look that evoked Jenny Humphrey within the later collection of Gossip Girl. From then on, indie sleaze 2.0 has felt very a lot alive.
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What’s attention-grabbing is that this comeback feels prefer it’s rooted in additional than simply style. From digitally detoxing smartphones for flip telephones to the (re)rise of the digital digicam, Gen Z has a rising want for bodily media and IRL experiences, which appears like a shift away from ever-changing on-line “aesthetics”, significantly those who really feel inauthentically clear girl-coded
Whilst this motion might have been spurred by the web world, the runways mirror an identical message. From skinny denims at Victoria Beckham to Napoleon jackets at Alexander McQueen, the spring/summer season 2026 reveals have been awash with the carefree undoneness the indie sleaze pattern brings. So, whether or not it’s with an indie boy band-style Napoleon jacket or boho-coded ripped denims, the indie sleaze period is again and is ready to be larger than ever this summer season. Here, I’ve discovered seven objects that make it wearable at present.
How to Wear the Indie Sleaze Trend in 2026
1. Skinny Jeans
Style Notes: To me, there’s one thing inherently ‘00s-Olsen about the best way style individuals are carrying their skinny denims in 2026. A staple of Mary-Kate and Ashley’s wardrobes on the time, they have been hardly ever noticed exterior with out a pair of skinnies and flat sneakers. For a 2026 really feel, take model cues from Anouk Yve (pictured above) and pair yours with a tank and plush fur trim coat. In protecting with the carefree polish of The Row designers, this can be a fail-safe option to make you look extra present.
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2. Studs
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3. Hobo Bags
Style Notes: Sticking with indie sleaze poster lady Kate Moss, we have now to speak about her signature slouchy hobo baggage, just like the Balenciaga Le City, which she famously carried continuous all through the ‘00s. There has always been a messy chaos tied to the hobo bag. A 24-hour silhouette, its functional shape means it travels with you as you go and moulds to all occasions, and it has basically become Gen Z’s, Birkin (distressed and battered, identical to Jane’s). Pair yours as Sofia Mcoelho (pictured above) has, with a pair of on-trend camo-print trousers and a striped polo.
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M&S
Slouchy Top Handle Shoulder Bag
If you want this M&S hobo bag, I’d be fast because it’s promoting out quick.
Balenciaga
Le City First Bag
From Bella Hadid to Kaia Gerber, most of my favorite style individuals personal the Balenciaga Le City.
4. Leather Biker Jackets
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6. Graphic Tees
Style Notes: We all keep in mind when Carrie Bradshaw wore her gray “J’adore Dior” graphic tee and lilac puffed skirt in 2008, making graphic tees an integral a part of the dialog. Where the ‘00s graphics (particularly within the UK) lent extra groupie, the slogan tees of at present preserve the identical grunge edge however laced into an entirely extra wearable silhouette. From tank-tops to racers, the “sex, drugs and rock and roll” messaging has stayed the identical, simply in a basically extra palatable model.
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6. Military-Style Jackets
Style Notes: If you’re an avid Who What Wear UK reader, you’ll know I’ve spoken in regards to the rise of the Napoleon jacket pattern one or two instances. Re-emerging on the S/S 26 runways, I’d be remiss to not point out them as soon as once more. With Gen Z selecting this structured epaulette-adorned silhouette for its IYKYK edge, styling inspo is a dime a dozen proper now. Whether layered over a easy white tee with straight-leg denims, or finished Lara Bußmann’s manner (pictured above), with layered lace and free denims, these jackets stability a Kate-Moss-at-Glasto-2005 vitality with a classy practicality.
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7. Printed Tights
Style Notes: Having shed the Doc Martens and high-waisted shorts they have been at all times paired with beforehand, printed tights have quick develop into one in all this winter’s hottest microtrends. Whether you channel Alexa Chung and go for low-denier polka-dot tights like she typically styled at festivals with leather-based mini shorts, or go for a extra assertion animal print like Chloë Sevigny’s 1997 tiger-striped pair, that is a straightforward (and inexpensive) option to inject a celebration undertone into your look. Personally, I’d go for a bolder pair like Salome Mory’s when offsetting neutrals and a pared-back colourway when taking part in with distinctive shades.