Vera “Velma” Hernandez
Audio By Carbonatix
The perils of girlhood are much catalogued. An inescapable component of the feminine experience is the pressure to fit within societal expectations, and the burden to conform to the stereotypical Dallas blonde archetype takes no prisoners. But for those who feel out of place in Uptown and prefer the dirtied booths of a dive bar to hotel cocktail lounges, an emerging trend serves as the North Star.
“Weird Girl Winter,” as the TikTokkers are calling it, is the embrace of counter-cultural femininity, a rejection of the status quo. There are no rules or definitions for what makes a Weird Girl. It’s encouraging a shameless and unabashed enjoyment, even if it makes you a little weird. It’s all about self-expression. The trend isn’t about disparaging the women who do like the trendiest of items – there’s no shame in enjoying pop music and Sunday brunch mimosas – but instead encourages all women to find the things that bring them joy, free of judgment. Come one, come all.
Just in case you need a little help embracing the weird, or want to diversify your experience of Dallas and discover a little peculiarity, here is our definitive guide to being weird in the best way.
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Where To Dance:
LadyLove Lounge
310 W. Seventh St.
LadyLove is no hole-in-the-wall. The staple bar is one of the most popular spots in Dallas, with lines that wrap around the block and visits from A-listers. If you’re unfamiliar, every night at the Bishop Arts lounge has a theme with a live DJ. Every Monday is a goth and new wave-themed event, and Dallasites are encouraged to wear their weirdest wardrobe. The night brings out the eccentric for a night of riotous and carefree fun.
The Church
4322 Elm St.
The Church is a historic goth-industrial club staged out of It’ll Do Club on Sundays. “Enter without prejudice,” is their mantra, and they stand by it. Corpse paint, the full-face white and black makeup worn by traditional goths, is a common sight. The club also hosts fetish nights, welcomes dominatrices and is the meeting ground of the city’s freaks.
Where To Listen To Music:
Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio
411 E Sycamore St., Denton
Tired of paying for overpriced tickets just to be far from your favorite artists at a traditional venue? Head down I-35 to the region’s premier venue for up-and-comers and niche genres that don’t get booked at larger venues. Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios serves as the perfect stage for small bands seeking their audience. There are usually several shows each night featuring undiscovered artists covering genres such as screamo, synthwave, heavy metal, techno and everything in between. This is the spot that proudly embraces the bizarre, and patrons can expect funky, experimental shows and headline-catching antics. As a bonus, tickets are almost never more than $15.
Double Wide
3510 Commerce St.
Don’t have the time to drive to Denton, but still looking for a spot to hear music they’re not playing anywhere else? Slide into Double Wide for one of their weekend shows. Dozens of local bands and acts take the stage to delight the freaks and geeks of Dallas. The trailer park-inspired bar is a frequent spot for the eclectic. Double Wide also hosts regular goth nights, and dressing up is encouraged.
Where To Go For A Drink:
Single Wide
2110 Greenville Ave.
The little sister to the aforementioned Double Wide, Single Wide, located on Greenville Avenue, has no main stage. But it does have the same off-kilter drinks that Double Wide is known for, like the YooHoo Yeehaw, a chocolate milk and vodka frozen delight. Single Wide attracts just as abnormal patrons as Double Wide, at least in comparison to Lower Greenville’s usual crowd.
Charlie’s Star Lounge
4319 Main St.
This spot is another classic for those looking for the perfect place to let loose without the disapproving stares of a finance bro. Don’t let too loose, though, the bar’s already had problems with sink-breaking, sex-having parishioners before. Either way, Charlie’s is a safe space to be a little weird and have a little extra fun. This one also has a great karaoke night, and if anywhere is going to queue up your obscure Japanese industrial deep cut, it’s Charlie’
Where To Shop:
Curiosities Antiques
8920 Garland Road
At this quaint East Dallas shop, you can find almost anything. Taxidermied rattlesnake? They’ve got it. Haunting porcelain dolls from the 1900s? Check yes. They’ve got crystals, they’ve got knick-knacks, they’ve got anything you want so long as it’s atypical. If there’s something on your Weird Girl Wishlist you can’t find anywhere else, you can almost certainly find it here.
Dolly Python
1914 N Haskell Ave.
Dolly Python is another classic staple for Dallasites who don’t want to blend in with everyone else. The vintage store, with endless racks of vintage goods, is as close as you can come to affordable one-of-a-kind pieces. If a key element of your weirdness is an enviable personal style, look no further.
