The only reason I stopped dressing alt is because I’ve been dressing alt practically my entire life, and the person(s) who abused me started making fake (or rather ill-intended) posts looking for me, describing me, and they used it as a descriptor. I am still trying to figure out how to balance no-all-black with my taste. Good thing is, my long-time friends told me I’m very unrecognisable now.

would need something interesting “to grow into” – mainstream recording industry hasn’t been offering us anything more than regurgitated formulaic slush for years (decades?) now …

I still love heavy music though my tastes have expanded over the years. Really I listen to most music that isn’t commercial pop. Lemmy is the only social media I use but do follow alt communities on here.

I’m less focused on my appearance in general these days. I’ve still got a few piercings. I wear mostly band t-shirts but normally with tracksuit pants and trainers. I (a dude) used to wear a lot of make up and always have my nails painted. Still paint my nails sometimes and wear eyeliner to shows but I can rarely be bothered. (Considering permanent eyeliner but not sure if it’s worth it. Anybody else here had experience with that?) Brick and mortar alternative shops where I used to buy cool clothes are dying out, there’s none left near where I live. Even if there were tbh I don’t think I’d bother going, can’t remember the last time I bought clothes in person other than t-shirts at shows. There’s online shops too but I’ve got other things to spend my money on.

I’m almost 40 and still have the skate punk sensibilities from my youth. The only real difference is I have to wear sketchers because my feet are 4E width and my wife makes me take better care of my clothes.