What Is Indie Style? Here Are Staple Pieces, Outfit Ideas & More

Picture this: You’ve just arrived at a house party, dressed to impress in your best indie style —a thrifted T-shirt and colorful miniskirt with tights. Guests are mingling and bopping to the band. Everyone is wearing skinny jeans and no one is staring at their phone. In fact, there really aren’t any phones present at all, only the flash of digital cameras snapping group pics. Sounds amazing, right? It’s not a dream—it’s the indie era.

What is indie?

The “indie” period (aesthetically speaking) began in the mid-2000s and lasted nearly a decade, ending around 2014. It was also referred to as “hipster” style. The look evolved throughout the years with a variety of subcultures (more on those below!), but true indie style has close ties to the music world. Indie bands and musicians like Rilo Kiley, Bright Eyes, Phoenix, and Vampire Weekend were influential not just with their sound, but with their style too.

The indie era also collided with the birth of social media; in its early days, Myspace and Facebook were the big names in the industry, but by the end of the era, Instagram and Snapchat had taken over. At the dawn of the era, cell phones were super simple and bare bones and digital cameras were used to snap outfit and party pics. (Imagine that!)

Fashion icons of the era included Mary-Kate Olsen, Alexa Chung, British model Agyness Deyn, musician Sky Ferriera, and indie “It Girl” Cory Kennedy, but nearly every major star of the time put their own stamp on indie style; you’d often see famous faces pop up in the party photos by the Cobrasnake. American Apparel found major success during this time period and sold millions of V-neck T-shirts, hoodies in all colors of the rainbow, and stretchy, skintight Disco Pants.

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What defines indie style?

Indie style was so much fun and long-lasting because a variety of subcultures grew within it. On the surface, it was defined by an interest in indie music and expressing your own personality and interests via your clothing. As the name suggests, it was all about independence and individuality, scouring the thrift and vintage stores for a special piece no one else would have and referencing your favorite musicians and movies in your outfits. It was about wearing what you wanted to wear and not caring what everyone else thought.

Indie style subcultures

Indie sleaze: Indie sleaze has made something of a comeback; you’ve probably read all sorts of headlines about the aesthetic. Kesha is a great example of the look: messy, wavy hair, lots of smudgy eye makeup, and party-ready minidresses, fur coats, and tights.