In our post-COVID-19 haze, there is a resurrected longing for being crammed and sweaty and glittery. Indie Sleaze is that beautiful grimy space that occupies the gaps between ‘clubbing,’ ‘hipster,’ ‘grunge,’ ‘twee,’ and sometimes even ‘business casual.’ Alexa Chung in tights, Chelsea boots, a military jacket and statement necklace while her bangs stuck to her forehead due to sweat and spilled alcohol. The goal was always, always, Effy Stonem from “Skins.”  The look of Indie Sleaze represents an out-of-body experience, one where you enter the night looking disheveled and leave disheveled. It cannot be curated; it must be earned.

The Manic Pixie Dream Girl archetype presents a one-sided view of a woman who only exists for the men of her story. She is around solely to provide character development for a male character. The worst part is that the expectation of this archetype doesn’t exist solely on the page: she bleeds out into the real world.