How to Be Emo at a School with Uniforms

School uniforms may feel totally restrictive of your personality and emo style. Remember that one day your school years will seem far away, and you will be able to dress however you want, all the time! That’s great to keep in mind, but there are definitely things you can do now to show off your personality. First, check the dress code at your school to see what you can get away with, like a hairstyle, makeup, and accessories. Then, adopt the emo attitude. No one can take that away from you.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Choosing a Hairstyle

1
Straighten your hair. This is a simple thing you can do that most likely won’t be against your school’s rules. Emo people typically have super straight hair. Pull up the top half of your hair and put it in a bun. Then, start on the bottom half of your hair. Simply clamp the flat iron over sections of hair, moving from the bottom to top half, until all of your hair has been straightened.^{[1]XResearch source}
- The hair can be completely flat and straight all the way around, or you could tease the top of your hair. Go with whichever style makes you feel the most confident.
- Use a heat protectant spray so that you don’t end up with damaged hair.
2
Get a haircut with jagged ends. A lot of emo people like to cut their own hair, but it doesn’t make you any less emo if you decide going to a stylist is best for you. If you decide to cut your own hair, use a razor cutter. Make the ends of your hair appear jagged. Start with the tips of your hair so you haven’t made too much of a mistake if you mess up.^{[2]XResearch source}
- Start by cutting your ends jaggedly, then move to your bangs (if you have them) and sides of your hair.
- Be really careful when using a razor cutter. Either put one mirror in front of you one behind you while you cut, or have someone cut the back of your hair for you.
3
Dye your hair black. It isn’t in the emo rulebook that you have to have black hair. Of course, there isn’t a rule book at all. You can have any color that you like. Black hair is just a popular emo color. You can dye your hair at home, or have it done by a stylist.^{[3]XResearch source}
- Keep in mind that it’s pretty difficult to come back from black hair. For example, it would be a very long process to get to blonde from black.
- It might be a good idea to ask for your parents’ permission first before dying your hair—especially if they’re pretty strict.
4
Get side bangs. Bangs are part of the typical emo style. The bangs aren’t the typical blunt bangs though. Instead, they should be side bangs that pretty much cover half of your face. If you can’t see out of one eye, you’re doing it right.
- Having trouble seeing through your bangs may be a problem during class. Pin them back with cute, colorful hairclips.
Get creative with your hair by putting a few streaks through it. Streaks around your bangs are the best place for emo-style hair. Choose to have a few platinum blonde streaks. Or, go with hot pink, blue, or fiery red highlights. Just be sure your school doesn’t have a rule against unnaturally colored hair, or all that work on a cool style could go to waste. ^{[4]XResearch source}
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Doing Your Makeup

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Apply dark eyeliner. Usually, when people think emo, they think a lot of black eyeliner. Yeah, you can go against the stereotype, but you could also choose to rock it. Take an eye pencil or liquid eyeliner and go all the way around your eyes. You could also go for a cat-eye if you’re feeling it that day.^{[5]XResearch source}
- It’s common for emo men to apply eyeliner—just make sure it’s not against school rules.
- It’s also an option to line your top lid with black eyeliner and your bottom lid with neon eyeliner.
Just because your hair and eyeliner are dark, doesn’t mean that your eye shadow has to be! First, apply a layer of pearl, silver, or light beige eye shadow to all over your eyelids. Then, go with a pink, green, orange, or blue eye shadow. You can also stay on the dark side if you want. If so, use a shade of plum, black, or navy.^{[6]XResearch source}
You can wear black mascara no matter what your gender is. One part of the beauty of being emo is that makeup is encouraged for all. Apply a couple of layers of mascara. Make it as thick as you want. You can finish with an eyelash curler if you want to.^{[7]XResearch source}
All of the attention should be on your beautiful and heavily lined eyes. Apply a pale or nude lipstick. Or, to make it easy, leave your lips bare.^{[8]XResearch source}
A matte look is really popular in emo style. Use a sponge to apply a powder or liquid foundation to your face. If you feel like you’re looking a little too pale, you can use apply a little bit of a light blush to your cheeks.^{[9]XResearch source}
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Wearing Accessories

Yeah, you have a uniform, but unless your school is really, really strict, that doesn’t mean you can’t slightly alter it to your liking. If you wear a polo, wear a feminine cut or tight polo. Wear skinny pants instead of regular or loose fit pants. Put on Converse, Vans, or skate shoes if the type of shoes you’re supposed to wear isn’t specified in the dress code.^{[10]XResearch source}
Studded belts are a pretty easy way to declare your style. They can be found at stores like Hot Topic. If you can’t wear a studded belt, look for a belt with a big buckle. Wear two belts if you want to take it to the next level.^{[11]XResearch source}
Wear a few bracelets, or enough to cover almost half of your arm. Just be sure you don’t wear so many that your arm feels five pounds heavier! Bangle or multi-colored rubber bracelets are great. You can also wear wristbands with your favorite brand, band, or movie logos.^{[12]XResearch source}
Whether you carry a traditional backpack or messenger bag, don’t be afraid to decorate it so that it reflects your interests. Pierce it with safety pins. Find patches that show off your favorite bands, movies, and books. This is also a good way to attract like-minded people.^{[13]XResearch source}
If you wear glasses, consider updating your frames to show off your style. Black, thick-rimmed glasses would be a good way to go. You could also choose horn-rimmed glasses. Even if you don’t need to wear glasses, you could find a pair of frames that don’t have a prescription.^{[14]XResearch source}
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Adopting the Emo Attitude

1
Listen to emo music. Unfortunately, you can’t blare your music for everyone to hear during class, but it doesn’t hurt to listen to emo music during breaks between classes. Rites of Spring, Moss Icon, Sunny Day Real Estate, The Promise Ring and The Get Up Kids are some examples of emo music. Find other students that like the same music. You can show off your musical taste through your accessories without saying a word.^{[15]XResearch source}
- More bands include Dag Nasty, Fugazi, Jimmy Eat World and Pg.99.
2
Be upfront about your emotions. You don’t have to be depressed or sad to be emo. Being emo means that you’re not afraid to show your emotions. It means that you are open to vulnerability. This can be kind of difficult when you’re a kid or teenager, but don’t listen to the bullies. Being upfront with your emotions actually shows that you’re mature, and of course, emo.^{[16]XResearch source}
- It’s great to show your emotions, but that doesn’t mean you have to display them dramatically. Just show and tell people how you’re feeling.
No one (hopefully) can read your thoughts, but deep thinkers are noticeable to other people. To be able to show your emotions, it’s important to think about them first. Thinking deeply will often make you seem like a quiet person (which is a very emo trait), but it will also make you seem even more interesting when you speak.^{[17]XResearch source}
Emo people are often really creative. It’s completely fine if you aren’t the creative type, but don’t be afraid to indulge in your art form if you are. Write poetry, create music, paint, or draw anime characters. Get as deep and dark as you want.^{[18]XResearch source}
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Tips

Join an online community of people that are into the emo attitude and style. It’s likely that other people are in the same situation as you, and they can give you advice.^{[19]XResearch source}
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Watch anime shows like Death Note, Naruto, and Full Metal Alchemist. This will give you something to talk about with other emo people.^{[20]XResearch source}
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Check with your school and parents to see if piercings are allowed. If so, snakebites and Monroe piercings are typical of the emo style.^{[21]XResearch source}
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Warnings

Being emo doesn’t mean that you have to be depressed or take part in self-harm. Seek help if you are feeling depressed or suicidal.
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Your school may have a very strict dress code. If that’s the case, you may get in trouble if you wear certain hairstyles, makeup, and accessories.
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