Indie Sleaze is Back, Bitches

graphic by Cayla Isreal

For many, the mere whisper of the term ‘indie sleaze’ calls to mind images of brightly colored tights, slouchy tops, and glitter and grime covering every surface in sight. Even those who haven’t heard the term would find themselves nodding in recognition upon seeing flash-photographs of mid-late aughts legends like Lady Gaga, the Olsen twins, and Sky Ferreira in which the subjects, mid-party, appear to be more esoteric and interesting than everyone else.

The term defines this era so aptly that it’s hard to believe it was only coined in January of 2021, when the @indiesleaze Instagram account began posting odes to this time in the form of throwbacks featuring the fashion, media, and icons of the era. The account itself, which boasts over 100 thousand followers, claims that its mission is to immortalize “the decadence of the mid-late aughts and the indie sleaze party scene that died in 2012.” But, upon glancing at these bright, unposed digital camera shots, we’re forced to ask... did indie sleaze really die? And can, and should, we bring it back to life?

A reinvigorated interest in an aesthetic and lifestyle that delicately balanced youthful angst and exuberance shouldn’t come as a surprise. After over a year spent largely inside due to the pandemic and nearly a decade spent scrolling through curated Instagram posts, it’s no shock that many who have grown tired of these constant strides for perfection and are instead opting for a more “carefree”, “undone” aesthetic.

For those who grew up aspiring to achieve Kesha’s unmatched hair volume circa 2009 or have Alex Turner’s love letter to Alexa Chung saved to their camera roll, the indie sleaze revival offers a promising alternative to the “clean girl” aesthetic– gone are the days of worrying about wearing a matching workout set or not having a perfectly slicked back bun.

“Don’t worry,” you can say as you climb out of bed, throw on some body glitter, and head to your 8 A.M. “I’m just being indie sleaze.”

However freeing this era may have seemed at the time, the second coming of the indie sleaze movement brings back memories of the toxicity of the first. The rampant drug use that became synonymous with the movement helped popularize the “heroin chic” aesthetic, perpetuated by #thinspo Tumblr posts that encouraged eating disorders to impressionable young people online. It is impossible to discuss many of the aesthetics and icons of the time without acknowledging the reality that thinness, often to an unhealthy degree, was a coveted accessory.

We at Jerk are all for swapping out airpods for wired headphones and ditching no-makeup makeup for smudged black eyeliner. But if the general public is really ready to bring the indie sleaze aestheic back, we hope that this time, we’ll all have learned our lesson and can leave the eating disorder culture out of it.