These Are Easy DIYs, why buy them?

Just don't... by goth-proxy featuring a herb scissors

 Okay, so (one of) my biggest pet peeves with fashion (it's in the mainstream and the alternative brands) is "pre-shredded" clothing. There are two kinds: 

1. The kind that looks ripped and torn and weathered, common in jeans/ denim items, as well as the spider web effect found in shredded jersey material and nylon stockings.
2. The kind that is pristine cut holes or slits, most of what is shown in the image above.

Both bother me immensely. (1) If your clothing is already falling apart when you buy it, there's an issue. (2) If you are being charged full price / more for a tshirt with holes cut in it there's a problem.

Rant after the break!

Don't get me wrong, I love shredded clothing, but it just feels so wrong to buy it pre-shredded to me. Now if the item is dirt cheap / used then sure why not, buy a pre-shredded item as if it costs less than the item with out holes. ( I like deals). But most of the time that's not the case. Companies are charging you way too much money for an article of clothing you could make your self. Black leggings are easy to find in walmart, giant tigers, zellers and so forth, usually for less than $15. (Most of my black leggings were $7 or less). Get a pair of those, and cut a few well placed slits and you are good to go. Same goes for simple jersey sweaters / t-shirts.

Jeans/ Denim items are usually more expensive and shredding them is less predicatable, so I almost understand the desire to buy those perfectly ripped and shredded jeans from that brand that sells them...  but when ever I see these jeans they are way over my budget for pants. So it never happens for me.

Nylons. They rip SO easily on their own why on earth would I buy them with holes/ rips already. I don't get it.

And if you want to be really authentic, wear it until it rips and just keep wearing it. Unless it rips in the crotch... that's your call though.

HISTORY:
If you want to be true to the punk attitude, then DIY or die is the way to go. But the thing is, DIY or die was just that, DIY out of necessity. Punk was not high fashion, nor was it trendy.  Punk clothing evolved from the fact that the people wearing it were not in any sort of shape to be buying new clothing. They held their clothing together with safety pins and duct-tape because they couldn't afford to buy new pants. Holes in clothing weren't a fashion statement, they were just a result of being worn too much. Unlikely items wear turned into clothing: plastic sheets held together with safety pins as a mini skirt and so forth.

As the punk movement became more of a lifestyle, punk fashion became far more purposeful. Studds and patches were stuck onto clothing as a statement, but clothing had to be modified like that, not bought. Shock value was key, and rubber, latex and leather items borrowed from BDSM styles, that would be considered taboo among the general public became popular. Still though, Punk clothing was hard to come by, so DIY was usually the only way to achieve the look. As well as the occasional trip to the sex shop.

And even then: there is the argument that punk and alternative subcultures in general should be more anti-fashion. Many say the scene is too focused on fashion, where as it should be about music and political movements and lifestyle choices. In the 1980's the US punk movements began dressing down and opting for outfits of the "working class" in opposition to the more colorful movement across the pond.

And then there's the thing wear safety pins were associated heavily with drugs, but I'm not gonna get into that here.

"It's a concert, not a fashion show." - I have no idea who said it first but I've heard it many times.

And then there's also this:
"Wouldn't it be more of an act of rebellion if you didn't spend so much time buying blue hair dye and going out to get punky clothes? It seems so petty. Stop me if I'm being offensive. you wanna be an individual, right? You look like you're wearing a uniform. You look like a punk. That's not rebellion. That's fashion." - slc punk

So really you can't win.

Nowadays though, the punk, goth, death rock and so forth movements are all over the map. And new genres like pastel goth are popping up too. And each have their own styles, lifestyles, mannerisms, music etc.... and they overlap a lot.
You should really just wear what you want and have fun and enjoy what you like. And ignore any one who gets in your fashion tastes' ways. Including me. If you like pre-shredded clothing, go for it, I'm not gonna stop you.

Wow that turned into a rant and a half.

tldr; I'm just kind of advocating for you to save your self some money and be creative with scissors. Because scissors are fun.

-Twiggy Pop