heroin chic
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A fashion trend begun in the 1990s revolving around models who bore characteristics of heroin addicts, such as emaciation and androgyny.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
As counterpoints to the glamorous looks of 1980s models such as Christie Brinkley and Heidi Klum, heroin chic models such as Kate Moss were thin to the point of anorectic gauntness.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “heroin chic” mean?
A fashion trend begun in the 1990s revolving around models who bore characteristics of heroin addicts, such as emaciation and androgyny.
Is “heroin chic” formal or informal?
heroin chic is generally slang.