I put this up as a chance to laugh at some of the sillier stuff emokids do in order to not look like all the Green Day/Rancid and Strife/Hatebreed clones out there.

Some pointers about emo fashions (above simple, universal hardcore attire)

• the Emo Romulan look - short, thick, greasy, dyed-black hair with bangs cut straight across the forehead, and cut high over the ears. Someone from Time In Malta recently described to me the San Diego Crimson Curse scene as "Spock Rock."
• actually, any greasy dyed black hair. Bangs in front and spikes in back is very emo too.
• horn-rim glasses, or at least thick black frames.
• bald head, furry face (boys only). Goes especially well with horn-rims.
• heavy slacks, often too tight and short.
• thin, too-small polyester button-ups in dark colors, or threadbare children's size t-shirts with random slogans. Button the collar if you got one.
• clunky black shoes
• scarves
• gas station jackets. This has diffused a lot over the years though, it's no longer exclusive to emo kids. Nowadays, you may want to select a nice corduroy denim jacket.
• also classic outerwear but quickly diffusing to normality: the famous Blue Peacoat
• barrettes on boys
• make-up (male or female)
• too-small cardigans and v-neck sweaters
• argyle
• anorexic thinness. Veganism helps here.

Another essential bit of emo-formation, by Blake Butler: how to name your emo band.

some submissions I've received:

This is the kind of letter I like getting: "hi. like the fashion page, just one question. what is the correct emo tennis shoe? i must ask this question. for most kids its low top chuck taylors, or converse jack purcells...but some kids get away with some running shoes. thats an odd twist to things if you consider that running shoes are pretty tuff guy like. also common is the low top "old school" vans....but for the vegan kids....its just not possible. i would like to hear some insight in this. also...though i reside in PA now i'm especially an expert in OH fashion......as such i must report on the obvious trend of dark colored sweaters with strips across the chest, not to be mistaken with similar styles available at old navy....the sweaters come in darker colors and are thrift store finds exclusively, like the sports t-shirts with numbers on the back. gotta have those. sometimes you can keep your keys in a big ol' key ring (janitor style) like the spanakorzo guy, as opposed to the more obvious choice of a wallet with a chain. dark denim (remember to roll up those pants at least once, but not more than twice). hooded sweatshirt? try to make it a black zip up one, with a metal zipper please. though stars were big, very big...along with kid like graphics (like the kids playing with slot cars in the cap n' jazz record) in '96 or so...you still gotta' represent!"

XjenX wrote: "my emo fashions are pretty damn self-explanatory... so, here's a picture of me... try not to laugh too hard. heh"

Keith wrote: "fashion: you forgot one thing about a lot of emo kids: they usually have their former sxe identity draped at their feet (i wax poetic), a cigarette in hand, and a new-found fascination with domestic beer (bottle often in hand lacking cigarette)...there's also a high amount of metal-related t-shirts (iron-on metallica and iron maiden designs), sheerly for the kitsch in it..."

Cynthesia wrote: "check out your grandparents closets. seriously. lots of terrible sweaters and leather peacoats from the 40s... also, hand lotion is good at taming hair into a cowlick type position."

"Hi there...im from ohio....northern ohio. "Emo style" is a buzz haircut. Sideburns. Thriftshop t shirts and button ups. Tight jeans or those old man polyester pants. And you gotta own a pair of converse all star low tops. Thats "emo" here....oh....and hooded sweatshirts in the winter."

"emo fashion from el paso: started by At The Drive In and i'm sure soon to be a trend: AFROS"

True, although I think KARP got there first...

Brad found this gem (originally here) by brice about the emo jacket phenomenon: "As any discerning punk knows, it's important to choose your fashion wisely. Whether it's kicking in heads on Huntington Beach or slicing tofu to take to the UOA show, people are watching. In the Northeast and East Bay the emo jacket is king. Nerdy punks with glasses and wallet chains. Striped shirts, two sizes too tight, and workpants, or maybe, just maybe corduroy. Which side of the tracks are you from?

The emo jacket is a sort of work jacket that you can only find in army-navy or thrift stores. Usually in earth tones, gray, brown, maybe a navy blue with stripes. All style. The emo jacket is a product of the nineties. Popularized by the kings of cool, Nation of Ulysses and others, Antioch Arrow, Hoover, Rocket From the Crypt. Never overdone. Maybe a patch or two, but placed strategically with the utmost intention. A patch on an emo jacket is not to be ignored.

The emo jacket radiates an underlying assertion, "I'm cooler than you." It's a sublime statement of intuitive knowledge, internal hipness. It whispers, it doesn't scream. It doesn't have to."

Brian wrote with this picture of his footwear and the following comment: "it's interesting that emo kids are all about wearing pants so short that they show off their socks, and also this "knee-length girl jeans" phenomena, but almost NEVER shorts. wow."

That's right - baggy shorts are straight-edge fashion, not emo.

"grays187" wrote simply: "you can't disclude old school Converse shoes."

William raised a great point about cars: "As far as transportation...crappy early 60's four door Ford Falcons and Ford Futuras are the going rate. The more delapitaded the better."

I'd add to the list of approved emo vehicles: old sedans with suicide doors, ala the Portraits of Past tour vehicle.