Kinderwhore was a clothing style used by a handful of mostly female

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of ...

bands in the US during the early to mid-1990s. The kinderwhore look consisted of torn, ripped tight or low-cut

babydoll A babydoll is a short, sleeveless, loose-fitting nightgown or negligee, intended as nightwear for women. It sometimes has formed cups called a bralette for cleavage with an attached, loose-fitting skirt falling in length usually between the ...

and Peter-Pan-collared dresses, slips, knee-socks, heavy makeup with dark eyeliner,

barrette A barrette (American English), also known as a hair slide (British English), or a hair clip, is a clasp for holding hair in place. They are often made from metal or plastic and sometimes feature decorative fabric. In one type of barrette, a cla ...

s, and leather boots or Mary Jane shoes. Mish Way described it as "intentionally taking the most constraining parts of the feminine, good-girl aesthetic, inflating them to a cartoon level, and subverting them to kill any ingrained insecurities." She further noted that although the look was very feminine, when its exponents performed onstage they "stood tall and confident, they threw their guitars around like weapons, and screamed out whip-smart feminist lyrics. These women were questioning the cultural importance of typical beauty through costume and the stage."

History

The origin of kinderwhore is uncertain. It is believed that

Kat Bjelland Katherine Lynne Bjelland (born December 9, 1963) is an American musician. She rose to prominence as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the alternative rock band Babes in Toyland, which she formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1987. ...

of Babes in Toyland was the first to wear the look, and to define it, while her former roommate

Courtney Love Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, her career has spanned four decades. She rose to prominence as ...

of Hole was the first to popularize it. The term was coined by ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

'' journalist

Everett True Everett True (born Jeremy Andrew Thackray on 21 April 1961) is an English music journalist and musician. He became interested in rock music after hearing The Residents, and formed a band with school friends. He has written and recorded as The ...

. Interviewed in 1994, Love commented; Love has claimed that she took the style from

Divinyls Divinyls () were an Australian rock band that were formed in Sydney in 1980. The band primarily consisted of vocalist Chrissy Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee. Amphlett garnered widespread attention for performing on stage in a school uni ...

frontwoman Christine Amphlett, and was also inspired by KatieJane Garside of

Daisy Chainsaw Daisy Chainsaw were an English rock group who were active between 1989 and 1994 started by guitarist and songwriter Crispin Gray. The group's original lead vocalist KatieJane Garside appeared on the band's early EPs and 1992 debut album, '' ...

who toured with Hole during 1991. The look became very popular in 1994.

Impact

In 2019 designer Batsheva Hay cited Courtney Love's "kinderwhore aesthetic" as inspiration. Hay said Love's look "was so of that time but she was also so ahead of her time". A 2020 novel by the English author Guy Mankowski, entitled "Dead Rock Stars", apparently depicts a fictional Kinderwhore band called 'Cherub', whose lead singer Emma draws from the Kinderwhore aesthetic of 'Hollywood glamour of tiaras and satin dresses... with a twisted, girlish sensibility.' Mankowski added, 'I was influenced by the urge that such artists had to use their body to offer a message, with them making the very most of the textual space that comes with being in a band.'

References

1990s fashion Punk fashion Grunge Women in punk {{fashion-stub

History

Impact

See also

References