The Varied Fashions of the Gothic Subculture
Despite Public Perception, It's a Lot More Than All Black
One of the most visually recognizable of all music-affiliated subcultures, goths are generally characterized by a mostly or entirely black wardrobe, a vampiric pallor, silver jewelry, and hair dyed either jet black or a decidedly unnatural shade like blue or fire engine red.
But to focus just on these basics is to miss the startling array of variation in gothic fashion, some of which corresponds to variation in musical tastes, some of which simply expresses a particular aesthetic preference. And while there are new genres and niches being explored all the time, these few standard "looks" form the core around which the gothic fashion sensibility revolves.
Victorian, Romantic, and Gothic Lolita
The Victorian goth look is essentially just what it sounds like: Fashion inspired by the Victorian era. Ensembles are usually elaborate, and may include brocaded corsets, full skirts with bustles, top hats, mourning veils, gloves, and other accoutrements of a bygone era.
Romantic goths, on the other hand, tend to prefer a more flowing silhouette, taking inspiration from the medieval period; velvet and lace are common, as are white ruffled shirts and highwayman coats for men, and high-waisted dresses with bell sleeves for women. There is a large overlap here with other subcultures, especially the neo-pagans and Renaissance fair enthusiasts or SCA members.
Gothic lolita is a fashion movement that originated in Japan, though it usually has no association with the goth music subculture. Simple lolita dress stems from the desire to look like a little girl or a porcelain doll; gothic lolita simply adds a darker flair. Dresses tend to be pinafore-style, and have flared skirts, ample petticoats, and puffed sleeves. Shoes are mary-janes, hair is worn in ponytails or braids. Sometimes stuffed animals or other toys are carried as accessories.
Deathrock, Gothabilly, and Cabaret
As deathrock was the first outgrowth of the branching point between punk and goth, deathrock fashion tends to be heavily influenced by punk, unlike the more genteel aesthetic most people now associate with goth. Deathrockers favor big hair, either teased into huge haystacks or shaved and sculpted into wildly colored mohawks (the "deathhawk" is a variation that retains long locks of hair on either side of the face, once worn by Johnny Slut from the band Specimen).
Clothing is torn and layered and often handmade or secondhand; fishnet can usually be seen peeking from under torn t-shirts or trousers, and leather jackets with band logos painted on the back are common. Makeup is elaborate and either stark or brightly colored; jewelry often features skulls, bones, or voodoo iconography.
In contrast, gothabilly — a subset of the rockabilly/psychobilly revival — is a dark cousin of the cool retro look of the 1950s. Cherries, pin-up girls like Bettie Page, and other old-school tattoo art make appearances on clothing and shoes, and accessories like cat-eye glasses, vintage hearses, and imagery pulled from 1950's horror movies or comics are popular. Musical taste tends to horror punk and psychobilly, with the Cramps being perhaps the best known example.
Cabaret goth, elements of which have appeared in gothic fashion since the beginning, has recently seen a huge resurgence due to bands like the Dresden Dolls. True to its name, cabaret goth takes the fashions of the 1920s — and particularly the decadence of Weimar Berlin — as its inspiration. Silk and lace corsets, lace bloomers, exposed garters, hair worn in short bobs, and homburg hats are all indicative of this look.
Cyber, Rivet, Steampunk and Fetish
Cybergoths, characterized by a love of technology, computerized dance beats, and futurism, can often be spotted wearing sleek synthetic outfits accented with silver or clear plastic, tall platform boots with tons of hardware, and elaborate hair extensions in neon colors, sometimes made of plastic or wire. Although the cyber look seems almost the antithesis of goth's perceived emphasis on the romanticism of the past, there is a surprisingly large overlap between the subcultures.
So-called "rivetheads" represent the macho side of goth; they tend to enjoy hard-edged industrial music, and dress in a plain, stark style that includes large black boots, shaved or partially shaved heads, and sometimes military or uniform-style fashions.
The steampunk aesthetic stems from a type of fantasy fiction that uses science fiction elements cross-pollinated with the iconography of Victorian England, particularly the Industrial Revolution (hence the "steam" in steampunk, taken from steam engines or steam power). The works of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells are touchstones, and fashions may feature long leather coats, aviator goggles, and old clocks, gadgets and dials attached to clothing.
The fetish subculture is distinct from the goth subculture, but there is a great deal of overlap, and as such many fashion styles bleed over. This look is characterized by revealing clothing in leather, rubber, or vinyl, body parts wrapped in electrical tape or clear plastic, thigh-high boots, and a panoply of straps, buckles, and metal rings.
Sources:
Baddeley, Gavin (2006). Goth Chic: A Connoisseur's Guide to Dark Culture. Plexus Publishing. ISBN: 085965382X.
Venters, Jillian (2009). Gothic Charm School: An Essential Guide for Goths and Those Who Love Them. Harper Paperbacks. ISBN: 0061669164.
Standard Goth Look
|
Goth Couple
|
What do you think about this article?
Latest Articles