5 Common Vaporwave Style Mistakes And How to Avoid Them

5 Common Vaporwave Style Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Source: Freepik

Vaporwave is a unique and visually captivating style inspired by the electronic music and internet culture of the 1980s and 1990s. It incorporates early internet imagery, late 1990s web design, glitch art, anime, stylized Greek sculptures, 3D-rendered objects and cyberpunk tropes aesthetics. 

This fashion trend gained popularity around the early 2010s, owing to its ability to evoke feelings of nostalgia, escapism, and a longing for a simpler, more analog past.

To achieve an authentic Vaporwave Style look, you need to approach it with thoughtfulness, creativity and attention to detail to flawlessly incorporate its unique blend of retro aesthetics, digital nostalgia, and a touch of irony.

For you to truly capture the essence of Vaporwave Style, here are 5 common mistakes and tips on how to avoid them:

1. Inconsistent Aesthetic


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Vaporwave Style calls for a lot of creativity and self-expression. However, it is important to focus on aesthetic elements of Vaporwave which draw inspiration from the 1980s and 1990, as well as retro-futurism, consumer culture, and the digital realm.

Unfortunately, mixing unrelated aesthetics or deviating from the Vaporwave style can lead to an outfit that looks cluttered and confusing. These inconsistencies can manifest in various forms, such as contrasting color schemes, divergent design motifs, or a mix of different artistic styles within the same piece.

Perfectly blending your aesthetics creates a unique and visually striking style that distinctly captures Vaporwave's themes of nostalgia, irony, and critique of consumer culture, making it a distinctive and thought-provoking fashion statement.

2. Clichés


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Clichés tend to slip in when you stop being authentic to yourself, experimenting with new ideas and lack creativity or inspiration in your style. You end up copying and pasting Vaporwave Style looks from others without any thought or adding your own personal touch to the style.

True, certain aesthetic are critical to Vaporwave Style such as fonts, typography, and digital-inspired patterns, but repeating the same visuals or concepts in your look without variation can become monotonous and boring.

It is possible for you to incorporate visually captivating and compelling works in your style that stay true to the subculture's aesthetics while standing out as original and engaging. 

Additionally, you can also experiment with less common Vaporwave Style’s aesthetics and combine them creatively to give your look a fresh perspective.

3. Less is always better


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Layering is a common technique in Vaporwave fashion, thus making it challenging to create a simple outfit. Majority of the time, Vaporwave enthusiasts find themselves going overboard and try to incorporate too many Vaporwave elements into one outfit.

It's possible to create relatively simple and streamlined Vaporwave style fashion by combining a few different clothing items to create depth and visual interest. The key is to focus on incorporating Vaporwave-inspired elements and maintaining a cohesive color palette, while avoiding excessive layering or complexity.

Also accessorize surprisingly and thoughtfully to enhance the Vaporwave aesthetic vibe. When looking for accessories, select vintage or vintage-inspired pieces.

4. The small details always matter 

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Always pay close attention to the small details as they make or destroy an outfit. Vaporwave is all about capturing the nostalgic, retro-futuristic, and digitally inspired aesthetics of the '80s and '90s.

Consider hairstyles that were trendy during the era, like crimped hair or a side ponytail. Decorate your nails with Vaporwave-inspired nail art, incorporating geometric shapes, pastel colors, or even tiny digital glitches. Drawing inspiration from cyberpunk elements, such as futuristic sunglasses, cybernetic accessories, or metallic finishes.

When you incorporate these small details you create a Vaporwave style that is not only authentic but also visually engaging and true to the nostalgic, digital, and retro-futuristic essence of the genre.

5. Fashion Rules Apply 


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Vaporwave Style like any other fashion style has to adhere to timeless fashion rules that serve as a foundation for building a versatile and well-coordinated wardrobe.

For example, Vaporwave style is characterized by oversized fits, but it's important to select pieces that still complement your body shape. The style also calls for mixing and matching different elements, but combine statement pieces with simpler ones to create visually interesting but not overwhelming looks.

To summarize all the timeless fashions rules; Always remember fashion is about creativity, self-expression, and feeling confident in what you wear, so adapt these rules to your personal Vaporwave Style.

As we come to the end of these article, what other Vaporwave mistakes do you think people make, and how can they avoid them?