how to dress emo without looking retarded?

[Future Angel]

I finally realized that my life is over - i am on disability for my mental health, and i been trying to go back to college for last 2 years but i keep breaking down and it doesn't look like ill ever get better and ill be 24 in April and i still have no degree and no girlfriend.

i normally dress preppy, and i tried dressing emo in high school once but i looked retarded and everyone made fun of me - i painted my nails black - wore jeans, black Adidas shoes, a black guitar shirt and a silver chain - and it looked bad...

i cant grow my hair long because it becomes like a jew fro so i keep it pretty short...

what do you guys recommend? i am indian btw.

where do you guys shop?

i have a emo friend and he shops at urban outfitters - but browsing their clothes they look ugly as fuark!

i want this kind of look:

http://i49.servimg.com/u/f49/12/49/54/41/luke_i10.jpg

i think thats a guy, but with short hair and brown skin.

where do you guys shop?

i actually think i made a thread like this a while back - but it was more geared towards pac sun stuff or something, but now i just know i am emo and i just want to give up all hope in life and stop wearing these damn conformist clothing where society just looks at me and thinks 'oh i bet thats just a nice smart young man with good things going for him'

i want them to see the real me.

[Heartless Angel]

Giving up on life and being concerned with your image seem rather contradictory to me. People dress and display themselves as 'emo' because they're attention whores. People who really don't give a ****, don't give a ****, why waste time dressing up when you don't give a ****? If you care at all about your image, it's because some part of you has yet to 'give up all hope'.

[Rowan]

Dont worry about materialistic shit like clothing and accessories. Go to a gym. Life = gym.

[loaf]

I don't remember the last time I went to buy clothes. I actually get new clothes on my Birthday and Christmas....gifts.

[Rocky]

keep yer head up m8

sometimes bad things happen and we get down, we've all been there before. And it really takes a toll on someone's self-esteem when they are in NEET status; it can be hard to see the good things in life.

If you wanna look fly, first work on the inside of yourself. Find your passions, your interests, and actively make goals to fulfill or enable them. Write these goals down, and put them next to your computer or your bed or somewhere youll see them everyday.

Then, start working on yourself. Get to the gym, do some pushups, go running, invite a person to be active with you (most people wont say no, lets you socialize and become better friends, and it keeps you accountable).

Once you improve and unlock your own potential, it won't matter what you wear, because you'll be resonating some good ass vibes and people will be inclined to (at the very least) get to know you and see what you're all about.

Life is what you make of it, so get out there and take it.

[Clint]

Emo isn't a good look. You should be classy, and buy a suit. Suits are cool, and the ladies love them.

Oh, and you should get a bowler derby to match your suit, because apparently I was born when bowler hats were relevant, and remember when people actually wore them.

[Rocky]

word up, suits are hella cool and ever since I've been using them for work purposes, afterhours I pull more bitches then petco

[Alpha]

Dressing like that repels people. And giving up on life like that is daft. You can't get a college degree or a girlfriend, so you're sad? My brother has severe autism, can't and won't ever talk, can't dress himself, will always be on a disability benefit... And yet he's the happiest person I know. Dress you care about life, and you'll start internalising that feeling. Only dress like an emo if you're in a band. And even then it's iffy.

[Odin1199]

Try emo punk and see if that works.

Better yet:

Dont worry about materialistic shit like clothing and accessories. Go to a gym. Life = gym.

[Kurt Zisa]

A lot of what everyone else has said here (and in your previous thread) is true. Clothes are clothes, they shouldn't define who you are, but if dressing in black (lol what do I know about emos) makes you feel comfortable then go for it. Just don't expect the world to be like "omg his life must suck, he's all dressed in black" because I think the general response would be to just cheer up. As Alpha said, people are more likely to be turned away from you if you act gloomy, it brings them down too.

Seriously, it's not that hard to be happy about life. Depression runs through my family and there are times when I feel like absolute crap but it's normal to feel that way from time to time. The only way to get yourself out of that loop is to change your perspective on life and to do things that make you happy. Besides I thought Hipster was the new Emo/Goth.

[Future Angel]

yeah clint u recommended suits last time, i think i will try it - but i hate them cuz they make me feel really warm. but then i can pretend i am in the Turks from ff7!

anyways i was really depressed when i wrote this thread so sorry guys - but yeah ive given up on my image - im gonna just wear whatever and stop wearing contacts cuz i dont care anymore.

[Pete]

Don't worry about clothes and your bullshit image. The clothes dont make the man, the man makes the clothes. Be yourself and stop trying to impress people with your looks. People want to see authenticity and the real you. Stop sweating the small shit and the rest will follow. Plus a girl won't make you happy, it'll just temporarily patch whatever is wrong. You have to find your own happiness with yourself

[loaf]

Don't wear a suit Future because you might think you are a Turk.

[RagnaToad]

[...] but now i just know i am emo and i just want to give up all hope in life and stop wearing these damn conformist clothing [...]

I can't figure out if you are serious or not. This sounds a lot like a troll using emo kid cliches.

If you are actually serious, I'm not an expert on what 'being an emo kid' means. But the kid in the picture you linked is wearing pretty regular clothing, it's just his haircut and makeup that give him a little goth/emo/whatever touch.

Like with a lot of things, if you have a really specific image in your mind of what you want, you're gonna have to look around a lot before you find exactly what you want. Like I said in a previous thread (it might have been your thread), experimenting with 'looks' is good and especially normal when you're young. But you should realise that choosing for something as 'out there' and specific as what you're thinking of will look ridiculous to some people and/or might alienate them and make them label you a certain thing that you might regret later. Although it seems like that's kind of what you want, being part of that 'emo' community.

I know at some points in life you feel like you don't really belong anywhere, so you want to present yourself in a way that makes you part of a subculture or community. That's fine I suppose, but you should present yourself in a way that makes you feel comfortable about how you look. Don't try to force a 'style' upon yourself so you can fit in with a certain group.

Cause I'm sorry to piss on your bonfire, but looking for a certain type of clothing to belong to a group is just as 'conformist' as the so-called 'regular' outfits you seem to hate.

[Pete]

Now that I think about it, there's no way NOT to look retarded while dressing emo.

Why did I not think of this sooner.

But once again, really, just be yourself and don't try to fit any one type of mold. It's one thing to try to find yourself and your own style, but don't become the kid who tries too hard to dress a certain way. That kid always gets made fun of. Look at me for example, tshirt and jeans all day every day, but if I have to, I can look damn good in a suit and tie, or khakis and a polo if I'm on the golf course. The trick is not to wear things because other people will like you; wear things because you like it. You like a band, wear their shirt? Don't go to school wearing black nail polish and start wearing makeup because the dude in some band does it. He's getting paid good money to look like that, you'd be wasting money just to imitate someone elses look.

[Dranzer]

I wasn't aware that having a college degree and a girlfriend were the two most important things in life. How can you expect to find a girlfriend and be happy in a relationship if you're not even happy being single? I mean really, if you're not content with yourself how can you expect someone else to be? Changing your clothes and wearing make up won't change a damn thing about that either.

PS - I thought people stopped imitating a certain style after high school. That's generally when people stop giving a **** what people think and start to form their own identity (if not during their junior or senior years).

[RagnaToad]

Holy shit I just noticed you are 23. I had not expected that from someone who wants to be emo and is asking other people for advice about what he should wear, and then changes his mind days later. Although insecurity and doubts about yourself are obviously not exclusive to teenagers. You just came across as way younger. Find out what you want to do and be good at it. Explore life.

[noxious.sunshine]

Ok.. I'm at one of those points where it's a struggle for me to -not- slide on over to my bitchy side.

So.. Exactly -what- mental handicap has rendered you unable to go back to school / work? I can almost guarantee that if you decide it's not going to affect you, it won't.
Not comparing apples to oranges, but my dad's had 3 major strokes, 3 heart attacks (he had his 1st heart attack @ 30-ish, before I was born) - that're documented - and probably many more "mini strokes" and at least 1 more heart attack in the last few months. I nearly lost him last Summer when he had his last major heart attack in Sacramento - they had to put a stint in his heart and he and my mom were forced into retirement because of it. With what they were hauling and the security clearances they had, strokes & things like that are major no-nos. Believe me, retiring was the last thing my dad wanted to do. He'd planned on dying behind the wheel of his big truck. He absolutely loved travelling with my mom. Retirement hasn't been good to him. He lays on the couch stewing about the past and being in pain and miserable because he can't get around well. And he wants to be able to work again. Trust me, I'm sure there's a way you can get around whatever it is some doctor is telling you is wrong with you.

Now, as far as clothes. Who cares? Like everyone else says. Find your own style! I personally prefer the preppy, pulled-together look. As long as dude doesn't look like a complete douche bag. Most emos look dirty and gross. Potential employers will see you that way also, since you're slightly worried about what others think.

When I have the dough, I shop at Buckle. It's expensive, but their jeans are worth the money. I also like Old Navy a lot - they have -great- sales.
and my #1 place to shop is Target.

[Black_Cloud]

Aaaawww, Nox Sun. Sorry to hear about your dad! He's obviously a fighter though. I know how serious strokes and things can be.
My mom died from one a few years back. That took forever to get over, and I'll be the first to admit that clothes didn't help me get over it one bit.
After 3 years of hating life, I found an awesome friend who made me forget how miserable I'd been. And no, she wasn't sleeping with me more's the pity.
I did go about buying a crap load of stuff, including clothes, but for some reason, I get far more attention when I take my shirt off than when I have one on.
So who cares about clothes? If a guy wants a girl friend, maybe don't wear any? Okay, maybe that's a bad idea... *shutting up now*