Gas Station Core: The Ugly Chic Fashion Trend

Are you out of gas and need to fill up urgently? Well, what outfit do you put on before you get into the car for a quick run? If you’re a little deranged, you might wear an uncomfortable pair of jeans to do the most covert task of all time. However, if you know crazed TikTok fashion trends and their ability to materialize out of nowhere, then you will know there is a type of outfit that is specifically for the simple act of driving to the gas station and refilling your gas tank, and it’s called gas-station core. 

Gas station core is a fashion trend that involves wearing affordable, oversized, and often practical clothing that can be found at gas stations. The trend is inspired by the grunge and alternative fashion movements of the 1990s and is often characterized by its eclectic and mismatched aesthetic.

A critical piece of any gas-station core fit is a neck gaiter. Neck gaiters are a fabric that can be used as a scarf, headpiece, top, skirt, or anything you can think of. It’s a versatile and affordable piece of clothing that can be styled in many ways. One way to style a gas station neck gaiter is as a tube top. To style a gas station neck gaiter as a tube top, fold it in half lengthwise and then tie the two ends together behind your back. You can adjust the fabric around your bust to create a desired fit.

However, even with all the positive attention the style is getting, there is still some backlash against what the type of outfit represents. ‘Poverty chic’ is a trend that evolved in 2022 to various responses. Some praised the idea of matching mismatched outfits together as creative expression. In contrast, others considered it unfair that brands were releasing expensive outfits that looked like they could be found in a $2 store rack. It also received criticism as thrift stores, meant for less fortunate shoppers, now had to fight for clothing with young women in a higher income bracket looking to appear ‘poverty chic.’ While the gas station core is undoubtedly different, it harkens back to many similar ideas we saw in Poverty Chic. Either way, we need to wear something on the way to the gas station.