Scott Bilby

Emo (pronounced /i m o/) is a style of rock music
which describes several independent variations of
music with common stylistic roots. As such, use of
the term has been the subject of much debate.
In the mid-1980s, the term emo described a subgenre
of hardcore punk which originated in the Washington,
D.C. music scene. In later years, the term emocore,
short for "emotive hardcore", was also used to
describe the emotional performances of bands in
the Washington, D.C. scene and some of the offshoot
regional scenes such as Rites of Spring, Embrace,
One Last Wish, Beefeater, Gray Matter, Fire Party,
and later, Moss Icon. (In more recent years, the term
"emotive hardcore" entered the lexicon to describe
the period.)

Fashion and stereotype
 
Emo is also often associated with a certain fashion.
The term "emo" is sometimes stereotyped with tight
jeans on males and females alike, long fringe (bangs)
brushed to one side of the face or over one or both
eyes, dyed black, straight hair, tight t-shirts
(sometimes with short-sleves) which often bear the
names of rock bands (or other designed shirts),
studded belts, belt buckles, canvas sneakers or
skate shoes or other black shoes
(often old and beaten up) and thick, black
horn-rimmed glasses. Emo fashion
has changed with time. Early trends included
straight, unparted hair (similar to that of
Romulans and Vulcans in Star Trek), tightly
fitting sweaters, button-down shirts, and work jackets.
[citation needed] This fashion has at times been
characterized as a fad.

 
In recent years the popular media has associated
emo with a stereotype that includes being emotional,
sensitive, shy, introverted, or angsty.
It is also associated with depression,
self-injury, and suicide.

Starting in the mid-1990s, the term emo
began to refer to the indie scene
that followed the influences of Fugazi,
which itself was an offshoot of the first
wave of emo. Bands including
Sunny Day Real Estate and Texas Is the
Reason had a more indie rock style of emo,
more melodic and less chaotic.
The so-called "indie emo"
scene survived until the late 1990s,
as many of the bands either disbanded
or shifted to mainstream styles.
As the remaining indie emo bands
entered the mainstream,
newer bands began to
emulate the mainstream style.
As a result, the term "emo" 

became a vaguely defined identifier
rather than a specific genre of music.

History of Emo  Emo Fashion Fashion Tips