That's not to say everyone can pull off studded leather and chains, but there are measured ways to add a hint of rebel chic into your wardrobe.
Maybe it's through some tough leather boots or a spiky piece of jewelry. For the more hardcore, go for the black-leather, silver-studded motorcycle jacket over second-skin leggings.
If you want to ease in, start with what might first seem an unlikely choice, says David Hacker, vice president of trend and color for Kohl's department stores: plaid. Often preppy and classic, this season it looks much edgier rooted in dark backgrounds with a flash of, say, hot pink. Metal hardware with a punkish vibe would be the clincher, he says.
Pair those plaids with statement graphic T-shirts covered in skulls and crossbones, or graffiti lettering.
But before you get bogged down in specific outfits, put on the right attitude, adds pop-rock star Avril Lavigne, who designs the juniors' and girls' label Abbey Dawn for Kohl's. For her brand, she describes in an e-mail, it's about "being a free spirit and having a rock and roll edge."
But, she says, it's easier to get that vibe when you're wearing jeans and a hoodie.
