This week’s episode is all about fandom. It seems that by the time the mid to late 80’s arrived, being a fan of something - let’s say a genre of music - also lent itself to fashion choices & even the friends we made.

If someone was wearing the shirt of your favorite band, there was a pretty good chance you could end up friends. But there is also the kind of fandom that leads to changes (temporary or permanent) in actual lifestyle. 

Ever know an actual Goth? This wasn’t just some dude wearing stage makeup - these kids were living their everyday lives decked out in all black, with dark eye makeup, and black lipstick - to high school. That’s not just being a Cure fan - this was a lifestyle choice. 

And I can’t shy away from the fact that I also made some horrendous fashion choices - particularly during the early 90’s - because if there is one thing grunge accomplished beyond shifting the musical landscape, it also “allowed” for an anything goes mentality when it came to personal aesthetics. That likely explains the dog collar I once sported - which was fully allowed to be worn where I worked. It was a different time…