Here at SCAD, and just the art world in general, people tend to have an obsession with being edgy. Many people like to generalize “edgy” as being a single type of aesthetic- but trust me, it’s not. Firstly, there’s your classic Hot Topic edgy. They attend Warped Tour annually, only wear black, and love anything thats related to death. Don’t be intimidated though, many of the Hot Topic edgies are actually super nice! Secondly, there’s your wannabe-grunge but secretly rich art-kid edgies, who only shop at Goodwill and smoke cigs because it enhances their urban-grunge aesthetic (until they get addicted to the nicotine, and then it’s less about aesthetic and more because they’re addicted). Smh. Now, there are indeed the genuine art-kid edgies, you can more than likely find them hiding out in coffee shops or somewhat ratchet garage concerts. Oftentimes, it can be easy to mix up these two types of edgies- most of them have septum piercings, artsy tattoos, and bleached hair. Lastly, there are the fashion-loving edgies. Oftentimes found in NYC (if they don’t live there yet. they probably will try to eventually), fashion edgies have a wardrobe that consists mainly of black, but you can sometimes find them sporting a colorful bag or vivid lipstick. I can’t lie, I am indeed a fashion edgy.

If you’re looking at going to an art school, or just want to jazz up your life by increasing your edginess, then I’ve got some quality tips for you! Also, please take these tips with a grain of salt, I don’t want to upset anyone’s parents or doctors.

A Not-so-Formal Guide to Being Edgy:

Going to a wedding? Wear black. Summer barbecue? Black. Meeting the preppy boyfriend’s family? Literally just deck yourself out in head-to-toe black. Black is now the color for every occasion.

Don’t do this, it’s stupid. Your insides will turn black and you’ll constantly smell like smoke, and when you’re 30, you’ll regret jumping on the cigarette-filled, grunge-kid bandwagon. If someone tries to bum you a cig, just kindly hand them a brochure on the harms of cigarette smoking. Your mom will be proud.

I can’t make much of a satire out of this tip, because I actually did this a month into my freshman year of college. You mom might not love me for this tip, but hey, your body is your canvas! Just be tentative, piercings do leave scars and tattoos are permanent, but other than that, I say go for it!

Maybe you can get away with a soft smile, but you don’t want to look like you’re having too much fun.

Edgy people are never conservative. You might as well just petition Trump while you’re at it. #freethenipple #gobernie

This can consist of metal, punk, punk-rock, rock, alternative, alternative-rock, or indie. The world is your oyster, my friends.

Wear lots of this. Maybe some dark lipstick, too.

Edgy people embrace who they are, no matter what others think. So love yourself, and be as weird as you want to be- normal people are utterly boring.

Embrace Your (Edgy) & Misfit Soul,

xoxo Julia B.