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The Poverty Aesthetic;

Why do people want to look poor?

N.hoolywood Fall/Winter 2017 men’s collection

Not wanting to look polished and elegant isn’t something new. Messier aesthetics have been popular styles since the 1950s. The hippies of the 60s wore a beat up, vintage carnival look. Punk rock trended in the 80s where people wore shredded, torn, or bleached jeans. The 90s had grunge where tattered and even dirty clothes were worn, with distressed denims and flannels. But while these trends were primarily influenced by music and political movements, the current phenomenon of wanting to look homeless or poor is not.

The poverty trend really started with shoes. Taking inspiration from grunge fashion trends which included well worn Doc Martens and Converse. Many people took to manufacturing this look by purposefully making their shoes look dirty, and old. So while these may look similar, the 90s grunge style was created through thrifting and repurposing clothes. This new trend is a mockery to 90s grunge, faking a used look is pathetic, many people who are forced to wear tattered shoes would love your brand new ones. If you really want the distressed shoe aesthetic then buy them second hand, or just wear your shoes until they look worn. This has escalated severely, to the point where luxury brands such as Gucci and Balenciaga, are now selling new used looking shoes.

N.hoolywood and Magnolia Pearl have both been criticised for glamorising the poverty aesthetic. Even John Galliano, who’s 2000s homeless inspired collection later influenced the parody Zoolander film. Celebrities such as Johnny Depp have been seen wearing ‘distressed chic’ outfits which could have been seen on a homeless person, except that he’s actually wearing Magnolia Pearl.

It is no surprise that people have taken issue with the poverty aesthetic, because this is only an aesthetic for those who have the choice. It is the ultimate luxury to be able to choose to dress poor. What a poor person will be judged for wearing is now a trend for richer people. Rich people view poor people through their lens of privilege. This style is not just controversial, it is ignorant, out of touch, and overall just privileged.

Choosing to wear second hand clothing, oversized and layered outfits, is not the issue. I understand that many people choose to dress in a more alternative and grungy style which may look similar to what is worn by poor or homeless people. It is not problematic to wear distressed or tattered clothing when you can afford otherwise. Dressing in worn and second hand clothing is one of the best ways to tackle fast fashion and over consumption. The issue lies where rich people want to masquerade as poor, when luxury brands sell and promote ‘homeless chic’ fashion.

Alexa Demie at the Balenciaga Fall 2022 Couture show in Paris

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