E-boys and e-girls: The moody new trend spawned by Gen Z

VSCO girls and Instagram husbands, meet e-girls and e-boys.

The “e” stands for electronic — and members of this style tribe are the latest alternative subculture. They’re obsessed with the style of the early-aughts, but instead of hanging out in malls, these emo-kids spend their time online. And they’re as meticulous about their makeup and hair as they are their carefully curated T-shirt collections.

“E-boy style” and “e-girl style’ were the second and third most Googled fashion searches of 2019, according to year-end data released this week.

“I know a lot of people consider me an e-girl, because my style includes 2000s fashion and really grunge fashion,” says Lois Appiah-Agyeman, 19, a native Brooklynite who attends Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Appiah-Agyeman, who was born in 2000, runs an Instagram account dedicated to Y2K style and shops on Depop, an app where users can buy and sell used and vintage clothes.

The patron musical saint of e-land is undoubtedly the late Lil Peep (real name Gustav Åhr), who got his start on SoundCloud with his genre-bending emo hip-hop sound and amassed a fervent fan base before his death in 2017, at the age of 21. E-teens regularly recreate Lil Peep’s collection of face tattoos with makeup on their own faces.

Another arbiter of the style? The sad and punkish 17-year-old singer-songwriter Billie Eilish.

The e-crowd tends to congregate on the short-form video platform TikTok. That’s where e-boys such as Noen Eubanks — an avatar with black nail polish, bleached hair, thick chain necklaces and ironic Harley Davidson button-downs — got his start lip-syncing and pouting for his young audience.

Eubanks, 18, has a clothing line, 7.5 million followers on TikTok and is the new face of French fashion label Celine. She doesn’t shy away from makeup: the e-look is anime-inspired, with loads of pink blush applied to the cheeks and nose, plus tiny hearts drawn with eyeliner under the eyes.

Cute fake freckles, barrettes and pigtails feature heavily, too, contrasted with heavy silver jewelry and cross earrings.

Below the neck, striped shirts, wallet chains, baggy pants or plaid skirts are outfit essentials. As for shoes, chunky ones such as the Buffalo London platforms made famous by the Spice Girls, Fila “Disruptors” or Vans sneakers, are par for the course.

Appiah-Agyeman’s most recent wardrobe scores? An era-appropriate Sean Jean denim jacket, a Guess denim corset and a Dior tank.

“My dress code in high school was policed heavily, so I felt like I had to fight back,” says the teen. “I want to wear what makes me feel like myself.”

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