The rebirth of “Indie Sleaze” fashion in spring/summer 2025 appears as a rebellious return to the DIY aesthetic, stripped of the striving for perfection of recent years. After a year burdened by protocols and isolation measures, consumers are looking for a visual freedom that matches comfort, spontaneity and a subversive dose of “anti-glam”. Collections from major houses and influencer accounts on Instagram and TikTok have integrated this style into what we can call “post-pandemic comfort couture”.
Recent photoshoots at London’s New Wave and Paris’ Défilé feature high-cut ripped trousers, uneven soft leather vests, white shirts ripped at the seams, and jackets that look like they just came out of your grandmother’s closet. Textiles are light-stricken – pale paint or patched neon prints – and clothes are worn “intentionally” messy: trousers are worn with a loose belt, hair waves fall “nonchalantly” and accessories – metal chains, large plastic bracelets, Dr. Martens with heels – contrast the occasion with everyday glamour.
The atmosphere is created by light makeup, with pale smoky shadows on the eyes, softly contoured lips and fluffy skin – as a challenge to the “airbrushed” look. A jewel thrown into the hair, a strange pair of glasses or an outfit mixed between sports chic and retro grunge makes each look personal. This “careless” variety is not disorder, but a style consciousness that rejects uniformity.
Social media plays a catalytic role: TikTok with “#IndieSleazeRevival” counts millions of views where teenagers mention VHS video clips, MySpace playlists and Polaroid photos followed by the text “sorry for the mess”. The way these images are filtered – the altered pastel colors, the slight vibrations of the video – reflects a nostalgia for what we didn’t fully experience: a free time before “Instagram?perfect”.
On the fashion house side, Balenciaga presented neon-striped cargo pants and ripped metallic shirts, while Gucci paired postmodern clown prints with forgotten silk jackets. Only Vogue Fragrance announced a queercore video collage with models wearing military boots and jogging pants, emphasizing “perseverance and refusal of conformity.”
In practice, anyone can adopt it by combining a pair of mismatched jeans with a vintage T-shirt – whether second-hand or street-market – and completing it with sturdy boots and a chain bag. Instead of perfect clarity, it calls for a combination of mismatched colors, mixed materials and “trash to treasure” accessories.
If 1920s fashion demanded sterile elegance, 2025's "Indie Sleaze" emphasizes the triumph of spontaneous freedom and characterful comfort. This style, born of a desire for authenticity and post-pandemic angst, reminds us that the best taste can be the one that looks like you've just let it go.
Photo Credits (RDNE Stock project):
https://www.pexels.com/photo/fashion-sunglasses-woman-art-7035238/
