3 Ways to Make Any Outfit Look Emo (2024)

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Last Updated: January 21, 2022

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   Layer your jewelry. Piling on the necklaces, bands and bracelets is a great way to inject some emo style into a plain outfit. You should aim to wear at least three different necklaces and pile as many bands and bracelets on your wrists as possible. Experiment with different styles and colors for a really eclectic feel.

   • Look for jewelry featuring chains, spikes, bats, beads and broken or bleeding hearts.
   • Wristbands featuring the name of your favorite band are cool, and you can introduce a little color to your mainly black look with some bright neon accessories.
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   Wear studded belts. Studded belts are a staple of any emo wardrobe, as they make every outfit look instantly edgier. Go for black, white or neon belts with metallic studs. The belts should be extra skinny - that way you can fit two or three of them through the loops in your pants for an interesting layered look.

   • Note that these belts shouldn't really be used to hold up your pants, they're more of a fashion statement.
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   Clip pins onto your jacket and backpack. Pins are a cheap and easy way to add interest to an outfit, while also expressing your personality. You can get any type of pin imaginable - ones featuring the names of your favorite bands, ones with brand logos, ones with funny (and offensive) slogans and ones displaying cartons and artwork. The great thing about these pins is that you can easily transfer them from one item of clothing to another, instantly adding emo cred to your outfit.

   • The best places for pins are on the lapels of a jacket, the pockets on shirts, on thin, striped ties, on beanie hats and fedoras and on the pockets and straps of backpacks.
   • Another cool thing about pins is that you can trade them with friends, so your collection is always changing and growing.
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   Paint your nails black or neon colors. If you want, you can add designs to the nail. You should consider painting them on a Friday night so they're nice and chipped by the time school rolls around on Monday morning, just the way you want them. If you like, you can add a pop of color by going for bright neon shades like green or pink. This will do nothing to harm your emo cred - promise! Black is recommended. But some emos might also paint it red or pink, otherwise they don't have it painted. Some emo-pop bands like Panic! at the Disco have done black nail paint before.

   • Nails are usually clipped (or bitten!) short. Long nails are more Goth than Emo.
   • Don't worry about painting your toenails... emos never really wear sandals or expose their feet.
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   Wear your headphones at all times. No self-respecting, music-loving Emo would be caught dead without their headphones in. It should become a part of your morning routine of dressing yourself - putting your iPod or music device of your choice into the pocket of your jeans and snaking your headphones up the inside of your t-shirt or hoodie and out the neck. That way your headphones will stay nice and secure throughout the day, without fear of getting lost or broken. Try emo music like Silverstein, Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, Senses Fail, Bright Eyes, Hawthorne Heights and My Chemical Romance.

   • Obviously you'll want to have both headphones in at all times, but if this isn't possible - like at school or at the dinner table - consider keeping just one headphone in. That way you can still listen to your jams while keeping the other ear available for responding to questions.
   • Even when the music is turned off, you can dangle both earphones over your shoulders, almost like a necklace. That way you'll always have them close by when you need to drown out the world.
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   Consider a facial piercing. Facial piercings are very emo, and no one can doubt your commitment to the look when you have a hunk of metal in your face to prove it. Lip piercings are popular - you can get them centered on your lip, have one on either side, or one on both sides. Eyebrow piercings and nose rings are also cool. If you're looking for something a little less noticeable, think about getting your tongue pierced, or else load up your ears with multiple piercings.

   • If you decide to get a piercing, make sure that your go to a reputable piercing shop or tattoo parlor to get it done. Also make sure that your are committed to the cleaning routine necessary to maintain a piercing. You really don't want any piercing - especially those on your face - to get infected. Ouch!
   • If you're under 18, it might also be a good idea to seek your parents' permission first. Most reputable and safe piercing places require the consent of a guardian before they will pierce a minor, especially if it is a face piercing instead of just your ears, so it probably will be necessary to have the 'rents on your side.
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   Wear black, thick-rimmed glasses. You can use glasses to express your Emo-ness too. Simply go for over-large, geek-style, thick-framed, black-rimmed glasses that pretty much take over your face. Anybody can take on this look, not just those with poor eyesight. Just pop out the prescription lenses and add in plain glass ones instead.

   • Be aware that you run the risk of being labeled a poser if you wear glasses despite your perfect 20/20 vision.
   • Another option is to wear cat-eyed glasses (particularly for girls) and large round or heart-shaped sunglasses. Even indoors. Hey, you're an artist, right?!
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   Carry an instrument case or a book of poetry. Being emo is all about being in touch with your feelings and having a passion for creative outlets which allow you to express those feelings. Chances are you already play an instrument (Guitar is a common choice while bass or cello are also good options because they have deep sounds. Electric guitar is also good along with other types of metal band instruments - drum sets, electric guitars, etc.) or keep a notebook filled with scrawled song lyrics, snatches of poetry and dark, intricate artwork.

   • If this is the case, then why not own it and carry these things around for the world to see? You'll get to show your emo credentials to the world, plus you'll have the necessary materials and equipment easily at hand whenever creative inspiration strikes!
   • You can also cover any instrument cases or notebooks with band stickers or graffiti, making them look extra worn-in. Give your friend some permanent markers and let them go to town... who knows what they'll come up with?
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   See Also

   Billie Eilish responds to a reporter who called her an 'an emo kind of sad-looking teenager': 'It's just growth'

   Get emo band shirts and make some of emo bands like Hawthorne Heights and Jaw box.

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   Get choppy bangs. Getting the hairstyle right is probably the most important part of perfecting the emo look. In fact, if you have the right hairstyle, you can basically wear anything you like and it will still look Emo. The number one priority when it comes to emo hair is to get choppy bangs, which sweep across your face, basically covering one eye. For both guys and girls, the bangs should be long, coming down as far as your ear.

   • Although it's possible to cut your bangs yourself, or get a friend to do it, for best results you should really go to a hairdresser who can get the cut right. Try finding some pictures online which you can bring to the hairdresser's for inspiration.
   • Once you get your bangs, you should practice your head toss, so you can get the hair out out your eyes for a minute or two before it falls back into place. Very emo.

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   Dye your hair black or platinum blonde. Another essential feature of the emo hairstyle is the color. Obviously dyeing your hair is a little more extreme than just getting it cut, but if you're truly committed to achieving the emo look, it is a step you should be willing to take. Darkest black is probably the most popular option, for both guys and girls, but platinum blonde is also cool.

   • You can switch up the look a little bit by adding different colored streaks to your choppy bangs. For instance, a lot of emos will dye their hair black, but have streaks of white blond going through the hair at the front. Alternatively, you can reverse the look and wear your hair blonde with streaks of black.
   • You can also add streak of bright colors for a particularly funky take on this look. Red, pink, green, blue and purple will all work well with either black or platinum hair. If you don't want to go as far as actually dyeing your hair neon shades, you can buy clip-in extensions which will help you to achieve the same effect.
   • As with the choppy bangs, these kinds of dyeing jobs can be difficult to achieve and maintain at home, so you are probably better off going to a hair salon to have it done professionally.
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   Wear your hair straight. Straight hair is best when it comes to pulling off the emo look, so make sure you have a decent hair straightener easily at hand if your hair is naturally frizzy or curly. Straightening can be a pain, and you'll probably need to get up a half hour earlier in the morning to do it, but the results will be worth it!

   • Make sure to use a heat protection spray before straightening your hair, as the high temperatures can cause your hair to dry out, especially if it's already been dyed or bleached.
   • Another thing you can do is use a crimper to crimp the front part of your fringe for a cool, alternative effect.
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   Spike or backcomb your hair. Once the color, cut and straightness of your hair have been taken care of, the next thing to do it style. Of course, the choppy bangs should always be left alone, swept to the side and covering one half of your face. The back of your hair, on the other hand, you are free to style.

   • If your hair is cut short at the back, use hair gel or wax to spike it out from your head or mold it into a sort of mohawk.
   • If your hair is long, try backcombing it to produce a messy, voluminous look which makes it seem like you never brush your hair.
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   Wear a foundation a shade or two lighter than your natural skin tone. Although emos don't aim to be as white-faced as their Gothic counterparts, being pale is still a requirement. You should basically look like you spend all your time indoors, at least during the day. If you naturally look like this, great! If not, try to get your hands on some liquid or powder foundation that's a shade or two lighter than your natural skin tone. However, keeping your natural skin color is fine if that expresses who you are.

   • Apply the foundation every day using a sponge or powder brush. There's no need to cake it on. A light, even layer will do.
   • You can buy special white face powders at stores like Hot Topic, which are made specifically for achieving a gothic, punk or emo look. However, any foundation brand which produces lighter shades will do the trick.
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   Go heavy on the eye liner. No self-respecting emo would be caught dead without lashings of black eye liner, so learning how to apply it properly is essential. Liquid eyeliner can be very tricky to master (though it does produce very precise lines) so it's probably best to start out with a pencil. You should apply the eyeliner all around the eyes: across the eyelid, on the inner rims and underneath your bottom lashes. Don't worry about it being very exact, as smudged eyeliner is also a good look.

   • The staple eye liner in your make-up bag should be jet black, however, every now and again you can mix it up with a colored one, such as purple, blue or green.
   • Applying a pink or red colored pencil to the inner rims of your eyes can make it look like you've been crying, if that's a look you'd like to experiment with.
   • Although eye liner is the essential feature, you can go a step further by adding some smoky black or grey eye shadow and a layer or two of black mascara.

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   Always wear band t-shirts. Band t-shirts should be the number one item in your wardrobe. You should have more of these than anything else. After all, being emo is all about the music and showing support for the bands you care about. Tour t-shirts that you actually bought at the band's gig are best, but t-shirts bought in stores or online will do as well. They should be as tight as possible (while still actually fitting), and girls can knot up the ends or cut out the backs to expose a little skin, if desired.

   • Some classic emo bands whose t-shirts would make cool additions to your wardrobe and lend you some emo cred (provided you actually listen to the music) are: The Promise Ring, The Get Up Kids, Sunny Day Real Estate, Texas is the Reason, Rites of Spring, Braid, Thursday and Cursive.
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   Invest in a few pairs of tight jeans. Tight jeans are essential to completing the emo look. If you're skinny, wearing skinny jeans is recommended. However, skinny jeans have been what some emos (especially guys) get made fun of for. Who cares, they look good, right? So stand up to the haters and wear your skinny jeans with pride! Opt for black or blue, and if it's got a few rips and holes in it, all the better. Although skinny jeans (which are tight all the way to the ankles) are probably the most common, tight jeans can also look good.

   • Even though you want your jeans to be tight, they should still fit you properly. Jeans that are too tight will be uncomfortable and hot and you won't enjoy wearing them. Plus, jeans that fit you properly will look better too.
   • Girls can substitute skinny jeans for skirts and tights, if they like. They skirts will usually be short and black, though sometimes a tutu style is worn, and tights can either be plain black, colored or patterned. Feel free to experiment!
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   Get your hands on the appropriate footwear. What you put on your feet is just as important as what you wear, so take some time to consider your shoes. The classic choice is Converse high-tops, which should be as dirty and worn in as possible. If Converse aren't your thing, skate shoes like Vans, Etnies and Circa are popular alternatives.

   • Even if your shoes are brand new, you should take some time to go jump in the mud and use a permanent marker or white-out to draw or write graffiti all over them.
   • Adding patterned or brightly colored laces is another way to funk up your shoes, allowing them to reflect your personality.
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   Wear army jackets or black band hoodies. Even emos get cold, so when you need to layer up, opt for worn-out army jackets and black band hoodies. These look great layered over shirts and band tees, but can really be worn over any outfit you like, which makes them a great investment.

   • Authentic combat-green army jackets can be found in thrift stores or online and look great loaded with pins and iron-on patches.
   • Black band hoodies are easy to get your hands on and provide another opportunity to profess your love of a particular band. They should also be worn tight and with the hood up, if you want to look brooding.

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