So… there are a lot of fashion bloggers out there. And while they all have their own following and style niche, as a Still Weird Gen Xer, I’ve personally found it hard to track down bloggers whose style speaks to me. I can’t recall the number of times I’ve hit someone’s site and had my eyes burned with an excess amount of beige or acid wash denim. This gets even more difficult when the goal is to find fashion bloggers with a truly alternative style who are over 40, as most people tend to creep towards conservative styles in mid-life.
Thus, I present to you a collection of style bloggers who are rocking a truly alternative sense of style that would appeal to old punks, goths, rivetheads etc. They may or may not be part of the alternative scene themselves but they have a sense of style that is unique, sometimes challenging, and totally inspiring.
Trystan Bass has been working a CorpGoth look since back in the alt.gothic days of the mid-90s. Her style blog This Is Corp Goth offers tips, tricks and style suggestions for Goths who work in a corporate environment but don’t want to assimilate. Great for office appropriate style suggestions and ideas.
Stylish Murmurs is a blog run by Deborah in Melbourne (Victoria) Australia. She’s got a penchant for black and white and most of her outfits are based on this colour combination, offering inspiration for old Goths and ska fans keeping the 2 tone vibe alive.
Shelley, from London, Ontario, posts as Forest City Fashionista and has a truly cool style, and her site is a combination of personal outfits and coverage of style-related events. I really dig her look and her writing style.
Vix of Vintage Vixon rocks some amazing retro styles. She and her partner run the vintage business Kinky Melon, and travel around England taking part in vintage sales and shows. Even if the 60s psychedelic look isn’t for you, Vix’s blog is worth checking out for the great styling and totally unique finds she comes across.
Nicola Moeser is another vintage blogger. Just Another Wardrobe Experience features mostly mid-20th century styles, and is based in Berlin. She’s got a fantastic eye for accessories and sells a lot of the stuff she finds on Etsy.
The Style Crone is Judith, 72, from Denver, and she’s got a personal style that is both edgy and elegant. Posts include both personal outfits and coverage of fashion-oriented events. Judith is also a hat lover and encourages other bloggers to wear and post about their own headgear with her monthly Hat Attack round-ups.
These two… if you only follow one over 40, alternative fashion blog, make it Idiosyncratic Fashionistas. Jean and Valerie are fixtures on the New York fashion scene, and cover all the great events, shows, sales and parties, all while dressed impeccably and uniquely.
In case you’re thinking that Melanie from Bag and a Beret is just too cool (and doesn’t she look like she could totally kick some ass?), drop by her site where she not only mixes and matches the best wardrobe combinations with a grand punk sensibility, but she also has a blog of Vancouver street fashion photos, links to her art site and a fun project with a billowing yellow dress.
The most difficult part of putting this post together might have been scrolling through Coffin Kitsch and choosing which of Meagan Kyla’s outfits to feature because they’re all so fucking cool. This tiki-loving Goth gal (who is not over 40, but who cares?) puts together some of the best combos of clothes, all with a fun sense of humour.
My final recommendation is not a personal blog, but a Tumblr dedicated to dark fashion. Dark Mori and Strega Fashion includes shopping recommendations and, as is the wont with Tumblr, pulls posts from other sites, some of which are personal fashion blogs. Some of it can be a bit young and witchy-Goth, but almost every day I find something that would work in a more mature or even corporate wardrobe.
This post originally appeared on Still Weird Zine.