How to Dress Emo on a Budget

Lucky for you, trying to dress emo doesn't have to break the bank. With just a few trips to the thrift store, you can create the look on a budget. Besides, the less you spend on your wardrobe, the more emo you'll look.

Things You'll Need

• Slim jeans
• Band pins
• Slim t-shirts
• Canvas sneakers

Instructions

Get Emo Without Going Broke

1. Hit up the thrift store for used tees, Western-style shirts, jeans and shoes. You might also be able to find a number of other accessories--pins, glasses, belts--while you're hunting for clothes. Check thrift stores in less populated areas if the ones near you have already been picked over.

2. Skip the expensive jeans and get slim fitting, dark colored, straight-leg jeans from the Gap or Levis instead. Most of the inexpensive brands are now producing emo-looking jeans.

3. Visit the sporting good stores to find canvas sneakers. While department stores and hip boutiques are charging high prices for shoes, you can find similar styles at a regular sneaker store.

4. Dress yourself in kids' clothes. Since most emo looks require tight-fitting shirts and sweaters, buy kids' versions, which are cheaper. Also, the childish graphics are often ironic enough to be cool.

5. Buy band tees after the tour ends. While prices at the concert might exceed your t-shirt budget, you may find the same shirt later for half the price, and no one will be the wiser.

6. Scour online tee stores for full-bleed shirts, which feature graphics in unusual places. Many online stores now let you customize your emo tees without killing your budget.

7. Make your own clothes and accessories. If you want to dress emo on a budget, the do-it-yourself look is your friend. Pick up a screen-printing kit from the art store to make your own shirts.

8. Adapt your current clothes for the emo look. Since overdoing any style will make you look like you are wearing a costume, be sure to mix in your own style with your new emo look. Your old clothes can be modified for less than buying new clothes.

Tips & Warnings

• For you men out there, get a truly slim fit by wearing girl's jeans.

• Save even more money by dyeing your own hair. The asymmetrical haircut needs to be done by a professional, but you can save a few bucks if you do the color yourself.

• While thrift stores offer great prices, be sure to check the clothes thoroughly for loose seams, fraying hems, pocket holes and stains.