I’m happy that grunge is back on the runways. It never belonged there in the first place, but at least it inspired many of the fashion conscious to go vintage. There’s nothing wrong with recycling. Especially when it comes to the clothing industry, notorious for violating human and animal rights. I also love plaid. And mohair. And I love pissing off the posh type who seem to take visceral offense to grunge.

Grunge, like punk of course, takes its cues from music. I wonder if we will see a resurgence of Breeders or Gits gracing publicized playlists (what used to be radio when grunge had its first run). It would be strange to see fashion conjure the music, instead of the reverse. Nirvana will always be around, no matter what Marc Jacobs is doing.

Although grunge round 2 is cleaned up a bit (see Stella McCartney’s clean lines+mohair+plaid), and those stupid beenies are everywhere (they rarely strayed far from Jacobs/Ellis the first time), it’s still possible to create runway looks from a thrift store. Brands like free people have picked up on this and are selling some well-worn pieces for around $200-$500, prices that would more than astound any musician associated with grunge round 1. But you can still find most of this stuff by searching through your local vintage/thrift store. That’s what free people buyers do.

I have to admit that some of the most coveted pieces from grunge round 2 are really tempting.

See below, bag, sweater, and coat by Stella McCartney and mohair cardigan by YSL. You won’t find the Falabella bag at any thrift store, but the rest can be approximated. Plus, DIY has always been an important part of grunge.

Note: if you are like me, too busy to do your thrift shopping in person, sites like Rusty Zipper and Etsy have some decent finds.