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A word I coined in the summer of 1997 to describe the people (mostly young adults) who relied on MTV and cookie-cutter clothes from the local malls and corporate clothing stores (ie.Urban Outfitters) to design and define their "alternative" lifestyle. It came to me in '97 when I saw a kid drive up in his red, '65 mustang wearing a mall-bought golf cap while sporting his inreasingly popular, brand new, fresh from the package wife-beater to show off his latest "tribal" arm-band tatt. The Mallternative clone can only participate in a prefabbed lifestyle that was mass produced for similar like-minded individuals designed to represent their 'unique' place in the world amongst all their other 'different' peers in the herd.
"Look at him with his pseudo-tattered, store-bought, knee-less, pre-stained jeans and his fake tattoo t-shirt...He's SO Mallternative!"
"I am the same, yet I still think I'm different, in a uniquely special kind of way...I'm Mallternative!!...hey, look, it's a Journey's right next to a Hot Topic!!!"
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Similar to mall-core. As a person: One generally in high school who frequents such stores as Hot Topic, revelling in their alt.life and thinking they're so alternative when they are simply doing the same thing that most other kids across the country are doing.
As a concept: Something that is trying to hard to be cutting edge and hip and cool but is about as edgy and cool as a warm bowl of oatmeal. "alt" for the masses.
Hot Topic, Avril Levigne, Limp Bizkit
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A shopping area outside of a mall. Typically, a cluster of small, independent businesses offering a variety of services and products. Mallternatives tend to grow organically and are usually known by area residents and early adopters.
Wilma: "Where did you you get those great shoes?"
Betty: "I found them at this little store over on 11th street. There's a lot of cool, funky shops there. A real mallternative to where I usually shop."
Wilma: "A mallternative? What the hell is that?"
Betty: "Think about it dumbass."
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Purchasers of goth/skate/punk accessories at the local shopping mall.
"But Mom, I want to be different like everybody else."
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