It seems that everything from the early 2000s is making a comeback.
From the fashion atelier to the recording studio, the looks and sounds of two decades ago are returning in a major way.
Something else is having a comeback too: The aesthetic of the moody, angsty young man.
This was exemplified in the early 2000s by members of emo rock bands like Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.
But just as the Y2K style trend is a new and improved version of the low-cut jeans and baby tees we once knew, today’s alt boy is not the same his predecessor.
The “scene kids” or emo boys who ruled the internet and radio airwaves during the Myspace era have been transformed for the TikTok age, and the outcome is the modern alt boy.
What is an “alt boy”?
An “alt boy” is a rebellious male teenager or young man who dresses in a non-traditional way. Alt boys do not conform to typical masculine expectations and usually have colorful dyed hair, piercings, and wear eye makeup. The term is primarily used on the social network TikTok.
What is the history of “alt boys”?
The predecessors of today’s alt boys were the grunge, scene, punk, and emo kids who dominated internet culture at the turn of the millennium.
In the early 2000s, the internet increasingly became a place for social interactions and personal expression. Its aesthetic became increasingly influenced by alternative punk and emo rock musicians.
As Myspace gained in popularity, the followers of subculture bands like Dashboard Confessional and Panic! At the Disco grew to occupy a substantial corner of the site.
The emo style of the 1990s was characterized by artificially straight, dyed hair, slanted bangs, and heavy eye makeup.
This in turn eventually transformed into what became known as 2000s “scene culture.”
“Scene kids” were teenagers with brightly colored layered hair, neon-colored clothing, and wrists full of jelly bracelets.
Scene kids were typically fans of bands like Breathe Carolina, Cobra Starship, and 3OH!3.
Their aesthetic featured heavily on the blogging site Tumblr for much of the late 2000s and early 2010s. It began to appear on TikTok in the late 2010s.
The appetite for the alternative or edgy boy was also fed during the 90s and early 2000s by romantic comedies featuring an “unpopular” male lead.
The film 10 Things I Hate About You, for example, features Heath Ledger as a heartthrob who was not the typical sports star of earlier Hollywood high school movies.
This movie and others, like Bright It On, have viewers rooting for the outsider to win the popular girl’s love.
They contributed to the rise of alternative online culture and the glorification of the “weird kid” in the late 90s and early 2000s.
Alt boys on TikTok
Alt is shorthand for “alternative” and is antithesis of the mainstream.
The modern alt boy aesthetic developed on TikTok. Alt boys are characterized by their dyed hair, piercings, all-black clothing, and heavy eye makeup.
Their clothing usually recalls punk or goth style. They also frequently wear sweatshirts and flannel shirts. Old rock or metal band concert T-shirts are a popular look among alt boys.
Alt boys also tend to wear jewelry, including rings and neck chains.
While the emo alt rock musicians of the first decade of the millennium were usually artistically creative, modern alt boys are more likely to have a niche sense of humor than by a particular artistic talent.
Alt boys feature on what is called “Alt TikTok,” which stands in contrast to mainstream or “Straight Tiktok.”
Straight TikTok is characterized by the kind of creators who live in the so-called Hype House, and dress in typical clothing, such as might be found in the popular stores Brandy Melville and Urban Outfitters.
Alt boys frequently post videos which are either comedic in nature or in which they are lip syncing to alternative rock or heavy metal music.
Many famous alt boys are also so-called e-boys. E-boys are part of the internet subculture that developed in the late 2010s and which features short flirtatious video performances by online stars.
The term e-boy is a shortening of “electronic boy”, which comes from their presence on the internet.
It is the male alternative of “e-girl”, which was coined in the early 2010s to refer to women who were perceived as seeking attention over the internet.
E-girls are described as being “very online,” and their look is heavily influenced by K-pop and Asian style.
Off of TikTok, an alt boy is anyone who adopts the aesthetic of dyed, unkempt hair, eye makeup, and piercings. Alt boys do not strive to conform to a typical lifestyle.
Alt boys have a reputation for being rebellious and having an “I don’t care” attitude.
They are supposedly unconcerned with mainstream opinion.
Part of the alt boy identity is going against social norms and not being ashamed of being anti-social.
Alt boys may have long-ish or long hair, and may sometimes have e-boy hair, which tends to be cut above the ears and parted in the middle.
E-boy hair is inspired by the hairstyles of 90s heartthrobs, such as Heath Ledger and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Alt boys frequently wear baggy, thrift-store clothes. Wearing second-hand clothes is an important part of the alt boy aesthetic.
Alt boys and e-boys also frequently listen to what is known as “sad boy music,” which features lyrics about the experience of mental illness.
Popular artists among alt boys and e-boys include Lil Peep, Jaden Smith, and Juice WRLD.
What is an “alt girl”?
Alt boys share their aesthetic with alt girls. Alt girls also frequently have dyed hair and piercings. Their clothes are usually somewhat brighter than those worn by alt boys.
Alt girls are an alternative to the VSCO girl, which is a look commonly found on the more-filtered platform Instagram.
VSCO girls are hippy-like, frequently wearing shorts, Birkenstocks and sunglasses.
Alt girls, on the other hand, are grungier and have more of an e-girl aesthetic, which features bleach-striped hair and re-vamped pop punk looks.
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FAQs
Alternative, also known as Alt is an umbrella term that can describe anything that sits outside of the mainstream. This could include Punk, Grunge, Emo, etc.
What is an alt boyfriend? ›
Author has 730 answers and 3.3M answer views Nov 16. An alt boy girl is someone who is alternative and doesn't conform to societal norms. They're usually creative, expressive, and unique.
What does it mean if someone says they are an alt? ›
They are typically characterised as teenage girls who have dyed hair, wear thrifted clothes and listen to alternative music as defined in Urban Dictionary.
What does Alt mean gender? ›
An alt person is someone who identifies as an alternative to the traditional gender binary. They may identify as transgender, genderqueer, nonbinary, or any other term that falls outside of the male/female dichotomy.
How to look like an alt boy? ›
You'll need a long sleeve shirt with horizontal black and white stripes to wear by itself or layered under an oversized t-shirt. For vertical stripes, you'll need a short sleeve collared shirt to wear over a white or black t-shirt or even by itself (keep a few top buttons undone). Got it? You're almost ready!
Is there an age limit to be an alt? ›
No, as long as applicants meet all other eligibility criteria, there is no age requirement limit. However, applicants will be judged on maturity, professionalism, and ability to adjust to other cultures. 3.1. What are the work duties of an ALT?
What does alt black mean? ›
Re-entering society this year has brought about an assertive identity in young Black people who consider themselves “alternative,” abbreviated as “alt” for the modern digital era, as the subculture gains visual prominence across social media.
What is an IG boyfriend? ›
“Instagram boyfriend, or husband, is a loose term for whoever is the invisible person behind the camera of all of your Instagram photos,” Kaitlyn Tiffany recently explained on Why'd You Push That Button?, a podcast about technology.
What do alt girls look for? ›
She might dress in vintage or punk styles, and she definitely has an edgy look. Alt girls are often into music genres like punk, metal and progressive rock which shows in the darker tones of their clothes, darker makeup and hair dyes that don't go for that natural beauty look.
What is ALT mean in TikTok? ›
What is Alt TikTok? Alt (short for alternative) TikTok basically means the 'good' side of the app - including 'punks, people who love music, fashion and all that other artsy stuff', according to Urban Dictionary.
Working as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) is a highly rewarding experience where you are directly involved in the development of children while simultaneously enriching both your students' lives and yours.
What does ALT mean in school? ›
The main duties of an assistant language teacher is to help students communicate better, through fun and engaging lessons. Utilising your ALT training programme with level-appropriate teaching techniques combined with language that motivates and guides your students.
How a boy can look like a girl? ›
Jewelry like necklaces, bracelets, rings, and clip-on earrings will add a feminine touch to the outfit. Wearing colorful clothes and a lot of jewelry can make a person look more feminine. If the boy is wearing a dress or skirt, you can have him wear tights to add color or design to his look.
How to dress like an alt person? ›
Know what to look for.
Arguably an alternative style includes long-sleeved, plaid flannel shirts, T-shirts of classic bands, black tights, dark or acid wash jeans or shorts, vintage button-down shirts and cardigans. For shoes, you can opt for Converse, classic boots, combat boots or any other footwear you like.
What is ALT in high school? ›
An Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) is a foreign national serving as an assistant teacher (paraprofessional educator) in a Japanese classroom, particularly for English.
What job is ALT? ›
Job Description
The position you are considering applying for is a full-time Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) position in public junior high schools, elementary schools and even kindergartens in certain areas.
Are ALT accounts legal? ›
Normally, yes. However, you are not allowed to make alternate accounts to go around a ban on your original account. For example, if you make an alternate account, but then 2 days later you get banned on your main account, you should not be using your alternate account in the meantime.
Is ALT different from emo? ›
Although certain things have been given more attention and became mainstream, they are still alternative. Alternative is indie, emo, egirl/eboy, goth, grunge, punk, vintage, all forms of J-fashion, plus some. So technically, alt isn't more of anything, it's everything.
What is goth ALT? ›
They add a playful element to any ensemble without steering too far into other trends. One key feature from modern alt/goth outfits is the use of texture; lace, chains, straps, buckles. This has been seen before, but for modern goth accessories such as body braces are a cornerstone piece.
What does ALT look like? ›
The standardized keyboard symbol for the Alt key, ⎇ (which may be used when the usual Latin lettering "Alt" is not preferred for labeling the key) is given in ISO/IEC 9995-7 as symbol 25, and in ISO 7000 "Graphical symbols for use on equipment" as symbol ISO-7000-2105.
In fashion design, "boyfriend" is a style of women's clothing that draws heavily from corresponding men's garments. Boyfriend-style clothes are designed to be looser or boxier and tend to be oversized — giving the appearance that one is wearing their boyfriend's clothing.
What type of girl looking for? ›
She Is Kindhearted
Men love women who are thoughtful, caring, loving and kind. A woman who does little things for her man for no other reason other than that she loves him. A woman who makes him smile back whenever she smiles at him.
What style are girls attracted to? ›
According to the majority of women, they get attracted more towards men in formal clothing then casually dressed men. This doesn't mean that you need to wear a three-piece suit or a tuxedo every time you go out with a woman, but a collared shirt will definitely work wonders than a casual t-shirt.
What features turn a girls on? ›
These physical traits will do a lot to help women find you more physically attractive.
- Good posture and gait. ...
- Good grooming. ...
- Smelling good. ...
- A healthy physique. ...
- Forearms (show them off!) ...
- Nice smile and good teeth. ...
- A great voice turns women on.
In role-playing games, an alternate character, often referred to in slang as alt, alt char, or less commonly multi, is a character in addition to one's "primary" or "main" player character.
What does ALT mean Snapchat? ›
A common definition of ALT is "Alternative" on social media like Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter,WhatsApp, Facebook and TikTok. Latest Words.
What is ALT English? ›
Meaning of alt- in English
abbreviation for alternative: used to form nouns or adjectives to refer to things that are not usual or typical examples of their kind, and that often have an enthusiastic group of people who support them: He listens to a hip mix of alt-rock.
How much does an ALT make in Japan? ›
What's the Salary for Teaching English in Japan? As an Interac ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) in Japan, you will most likely receive a gross annual salary of approximately ¥2.4 ~ ¥3.0 million per year. Interac pays their English teacher salaries in equal monthly payments.
What does alt mean gamer? ›
In role-playing games, an alternate character, often referred to in slang as alt, alt char, or less commonly multi, is a character in addition to one's "primary" or "main" player character.
Why do people want to be an alt? ›
Working as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) is a highly rewarding experience where you are directly involved in the development of children while simultaneously enriching both your students' lives and yours.
The term “Alternative” is the umbrella term for any subculture that exists outside of our mainstream society and popular culture. This includes, but is not limited to Goth and Punk. Since the birth of punk in the 1960s, Alternative lifestyle has been associated with ideology, fashion, politics, and music.
What does ALT mean TikTok? ›
What is Alt TikTok? Alt (short for alternative) TikTok basically means the 'good' side of the app - including 'punks, people who love music, fashion and all that other artsy stuff', according to Urban Dictionary.
What are the qualities of a good ALT? ›
With that being said, here are five tips from an experienced ALT on how to go about the job and become the best teacher you can be!
- Be Professional. This may seem like a no-brainer, but be wary. ...
- Be Flexible. This tip applies to your life inside AND outside of the classroom. ...
- Be Approachable. ...
- Be Studious. ...
- Be Adventurous.
Arguably an alternative style includes long-sleeved, plaid flannel shirts, T-shirts of classic bands, black tights, dark or acid wash jeans or shorts, vintage button-down shirts and cardigans. For shoes, you can opt for Converse, classic boots, combat boots or any other footwear you like.
What is goth alt? ›
They add a playful element to any ensemble without steering too far into other trends. One key feature from modern alt/goth outfits is the use of texture; lace, chains, straps, buckles. This has been seen before, but for modern goth accessories such as body braces are a cornerstone piece.
Is alt fashion emo? ›
Alternative fashion includes the fashions of specific subcultures such as emo, scene, goth subculture, hip hop, cyberpunk, kawaii, cottagecore, goblincore, 70's core, and Lolita fashion; however, it is not limited to these.
When did alt fashion start? ›
The new trend in fashion emerged in the period of the revolutionary gap in the time when Soviet fashion ingloriously died, trampled down by imported products and new tastes of ordinary citizens. During 1985-1995 alternative fashion was the symbol of changing time and a brand of the perestroika .
