Alternative Fashion for People Who Like Their Clothes a Little Bit Different

Fashion can be a funny thing. We are often told that we should follow trends, buy certain colours each season and keep an eye on what everyone else is wearing, but what if you have never really been interested in dressing like everyone else? Maybe you prefer clothes with unusual designs, dark humour, horror references, gaming-inspired graphics or a slightly gothic edge. Perhaps you have a wardrobe that is a little bit nerdy, a little bit spooky and completely your own.

Thankfully, alternative fashion has become much easier to find, and you don’t have to completely change your wardrobe to embrace it. A graphic shirt, unusual cardigan or statement dress can be enough to give a fairly ordinary outfit a completely different feel. For people who enjoy showing their interests through what they wear, clothing can be another way of expressing the things they love.

That is part of the appeal of Nerdywave, where the designs cover everything from gaming and mythology to horror, dark humour and other pop culture-inspired themes. The current range includes plenty of mesh jerseys, graphic shirts, dresses and cardigans, with designs that are definitely a little different from the usual high-street offering.

What is alternative fashion?

Alternative fashion is a pretty broad term, which is probably why it is so difficult to define with one particular look. It can include gothic clothing, punk-inspired outfits, nerd culture, horror fashion, vintage styles, streetwear, rock-inspired pieces and plenty of combinations in between.

You don’t have to fit neatly into one particular category either. You might love horror films but prefer wearing jeans and a graphic T-shirt rather than dressing in full gothic clothing. You might be obsessed with gaming but only want a subtle reference in your outfit. Or perhaps you simply like clothes that make people stop and ask where you found them.

The nice thing about alternative fashion is that there really aren’t many rules. You can take the elements you like and mix them with the clothes you already own, creating something that feels personal rather than following a strict fashion formula.

Nerdy mesh jerseys are a great place to start

If you like graphic clothing but don’t necessarily want a fitted T-shirt, a nerdy mesh jersey can be an interesting alternative. Mesh jerseys have a relaxed, sporty feel, but the designs can take them in a completely different direction.

Nerdywave currently has mesh jerseys inspired by horror, mythology, fantasy, gaming and other unusual themes. Some of the current designs include horror references, Cthulhu, vampires, cryptids and even Alice in Wonderland-inspired artwork.

The looser style also makes them relatively easy to incorporate into everyday outfits. You could wear one with jeans and trainers for a casual look, pair it with cargo trousers for something a little more alternative or layer it over another top when you want a different effect.

And because the graphic is doing most of the talking, you don’t necessarily need to add loads of accessories. Sometimes one interesting piece is enough.

Dark humour belongs in the wardrobe too

There is something particularly satisfying about finding clothing that makes you laugh. We all have different senses of humour, and while some people prefer cute slogans or inspirational messages, others would much rather wear something sarcastic, ridiculous or slightly darker.

That is where dark humor shirts can come into their own. Nerdywave’s designs include plenty of darker and more unusual themes, with horror, gaming, mythology and internet culture appearing across the range.

A good graphic shirt can be a conversation starter without you having to say anything yourself. Someone spots the design, recognises the reference and suddenly you have something to talk about.

Of course, dark humour is very much a matter of personal taste. What one person finds hilarious, another might find completely baffling, which is probably part of the fun. The important thing is choosing designs that suit your own sense of humour rather than worrying about whether everyone else will understand them.

You don’t have to wait for Halloween

If you love darker fashion, Halloween is obviously a fantastic excuse to embrace it, but there is no reason to pack everything away on 1 November.

This Halloween dark style clothing collection brings together spooky designs that can work particularly well throughout autumn. Current Nerdywave products include Halloween-inspired mesh jerseys and other darker graphic clothing, with themes such as vampires, horror and spooky characters appearing across the range.

Personally, I think this is one of the best things about Halloween fashion. You don’t necessarily need a costume that will only be worn once. A spooky T-shirt, jersey, cardigan or dress can become part of your normal autumn wardrobe instead.

Think darker colours, boots, layers and statement accessories, and suddenly your Halloween-inspired clothing can look like an intentional alternative outfit rather than something you bought for one evening.

Dark style maxi dresses can make a real statement

If you prefer dresses to jeans and T-shirts, alternative fashion doesn’t mean you have to give them up. In fact, a maxi dress can be one of the easiest ways to create a dramatic look without having to put too much thought into the rest of your outfit.

Dark style maxi dresses can work particularly well for anyone who likes gothic, mysterious or fantasy-inspired designs. The longer shape creates an instantly different silhouette, while a statement print can make the dress interesting without needing lots of additional styling.

The great thing about a maxi dress is that you can also change the overall feel depending on what you wear with it. Add boots and a chunky jacket for a darker autumn outfit, or keep the accessories simple if the dress itself has a particularly bold design.

For cooler weather, layering is your friend. A cardigan or oversized jacket can completely change the look while making it much more practical for everyday life in the UK.

Cardigans don’t have to be boring

I think cardigans sometimes get a bad reputation for being the sensible, slightly boring item of clothing that you reach for because you are cold rather than because you actually like it.

They don’t have to be like that.

A patterned or character-inspired cardigan can become one of the most interesting pieces in your wardrobe, particularly if you like nerdy or alternative fashion. The nerdy cardigan sweaters collection includes quirky designs that can be used to add a bit of personality to a much simpler outfit.

This is also a really easy way to experiment with alternative fashion if you don’t want to completely change your usual style. You could wear your normal jeans and T-shirt, then throw a statement cardigan over the top. Suddenly the outfit looks completely different without requiring you to start again from scratch.

And let’s be honest, cardigans are extremely useful in Britain. You can never really be certain what the weather is going to do, so having something you can throw over an outfit is always handy.

Mixing nerdy fashion with your everyday wardrobe

You don’t need to create a completely separate wardrobe just because you have discovered alternative clothing. In fact, mixing statement pieces with your existing clothes can make the whole trend much easier to wear.

A graphic mesh jersey could be paired with simple jeans. A dark maxi dress could be worn with boots and a plain jacket. A nerdy cardigan could be thrown over a basic top and trousers. Even a particularly bold dark humour shirt can work with a relatively simple outfit because the design becomes the focal point.

This is particularly useful if you are someone who enjoys alternative styles but still needs to dress for ordinary life. Most of us aren’t heading to a gothic festival every weekend. We have shopping to do, family commitments, work, school runs and cups of coffee to drink.

There is no reason your clothes can’t reflect your personality while still being practical.

Alternative fashion isn’t just for one age group

There is sometimes a perception that certain styles belong to teenagers or younger adults, but I think fashion is much more interesting when we stop worrying about those imaginary rules.

If you have always loved horror, why should you stop wearing horror-inspired clothing because you reached a particular age? If you love gaming, mythology, fantasy or dark humour, those interests don’t suddenly disappear because you are no longer twenty.

In fact, knowing what you like can make getting dressed much easier. You don’t have to follow every new trend because you already know which colours, themes and styles make you feel comfortable.

That doesn’t mean you have to dress exactly as you did ten or twenty years ago either. You can take the parts of alternative fashion that appeal to you and combine them with cuts and styles that suit your life now.

Your clothes can say something about you

One of the things I like most about graphic and alternative clothing is that it gives people a chance to show a little bit of themselves without having to explain anything.

A shirt featuring your favourite film might start a conversation with someone who loves the same film. A gaming-inspired jersey might immediately identify you as someone who understands the reference. A dark humour design might get a laugh from someone with exactly the same sense of humour.

Sometimes those little connections are the best thing about wearing something unusual.

Clothing doesn’t have to be about looking exactly like everybody else. It can be about finding something that makes you feel like yourself, even if your idea of fashion is slightly different from the person standing next to you.

Final thoughts

Alternative fashion doesn’t have to mean completely changing your appearance or committing yourself to one particular style. It can be as simple as choosing clothes that reflect the things you enjoy, whether that is horror, gaming, fantasy, mythology, dark humour or just a general love of anything a little bit unusual.

Ultimately, fashion is supposed to be fun. You don’t need to wear whatever happens to be considered fashionable this month, and you certainly don’t need to dress like everyone else. If you would rather wear a Cthulhu jersey, a sarcastic T-shirt, a spooky cardigan or a dramatic maxi dress, then why not? Life is far too short for a wardrobe full of clothes that don’t make you smile.

*This is a collaborative post