The grunge fashion movement, emerging from the Seattle music scene in the early 1990s, popularized ripped and faded denim, flannel shirts, and combat boots. Bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, led by figures like Kurt Cobain, made thrift-store denim a symbol of disillusioned youth and anti-fashion sentiment. The grunge look, which celebrated wear and tear, represented a rejection of the polished, consumerist fashion of the 1980s.

The grunge aesthetic, with its emphasis on decay and authenticity, paralleled the sensibilities of the 'Generation X' poets and writers who emerged in the 1990s, including the slacker-poets and performance artists of the era. The ripped and faded jeans of grunge became a symbol of the ennui and alienation that poets like David Wojahn and Mark Doty explored in their work. Grunge also reinforced the connection between denim, music, and poetry, as many grunge musicians were also poets and lyricists.