I had the same type of incident happen occur last week. Except, I was wearing my old Sunshine Blind tee. The little ticktock-ette never heard of the band and had the gall to accuse me of being a poseur, despite being unfamiliar with the band. 😂 Monica Richards in her Strange Boutique days was fantastic.
I gotta ask, because I always hear of experiences like this but never actually experience them lol, but how do they even say it? While you're having a convo w them? Or do they just come up outta nowhere? 😭
Amen! Preach, Sister. 80's goth here. Let us remember that "Goth" is supposed to be a form of SELF expression. Wear whatever you want. Don't wear what everyone else does! Listen to the music and ALL other music. Take in all the art. Read all the books. Find yourself, and then be yourself!
I see so many people say “there aren’t any goth clothes at my local thrift stores,” and I think what they really mean is “there are no gothic brands at thrift stores.” I find it hard to believe that all thrift stores in someone’s area are completely void of the colour black and, if they are, fabric dye exists! There’s such a rush to create a vast and elaborate wardrobe as quickly as possible. It took me years to accumulate all the clothing I have now and most of my pieces are from normal shops, but second hand and black. To be honest, I can’t really understand these “goth in the box” types. Making my outfits by putting random basics together with accessories, and DIY, is far more fun than having those things ready made for you.
'been obsessed with the carnival look for the past couple years, can you imagine someone thinking they need to pick one aesthetic and dressing "carnival" every single day and feeling not allowed to wear anything else? LOL
I think these people sometimes aren't quite getting creative enough but also aren't willing to take the time to slowly curate their collection. A mix of fast fashion, hand me downs, and costume shops, along with trips to craft stores to make jewelry is what did it for me. But truly it takes time, and a keen eye. I still remember looking at the Halloween displays at h&m wanting all the fun goodies but not being able to afford them/being to afraid to ask, along with grabbing a couple items every year from the dollar store during Halloween to add to my collection. But when there's a pressure and assumption it happens in a day, it really I think narrows the ideas down to "oh I need goth clothes from goth brands" which just isn't true and paints an unrealistic picture of the fashion being expensive and only for those who can afford it
Ty!! People focus way too much on thinking it HAS to be brands like Tripp, dollskill, killstar, or something similar for it to be goth. My wardrobe goth as hell and I don't own any of those brands, half of it is branda like wet seal or just those random thrift shop brands haha like someone else said, fast fashion, thrift stores as diy is what did it for me. My thrift stores are full of fast fashion brands (mostly romwe and shein) and a lot of it is very cute goth pieces! Mine have stayed cheap too thankfully. Knock on wood.
I started dressing goth and alt around 2010 and i was a poor kid. The excitement I felt when I could DIY something for myself couldn't be replaced with anything.
In the eighties, sewing some lace on the wrists, wrapping Spanish lace over a black shirt, customizing stuff from the thrift store or the family closet, etc was the way to go! Making your own jewelry from other pieces, also! One of a kind items!
I’m happy that being a Goth (or at least looking like one) doesn’t attract the same scorn that it did back in the 90s. And I’m grateful to the internet (and your videos) for styling tips (accessories, layering, and basics). The new goths should focus less on having an “aesthetic” within Goth and more on being an individual who happens to be Darkly Inclined 🖤
That's one of the best parts. Once you take that pressure away it gives you so much more focus on finding yourself. Aesthetic comes later if you want it to.
It sends a lot of mixed signals to Baby Bats, and let’s face it, it’s influenced main stream and even haute couture fashion. Goth/Punk fashion is very accessible now, when I was growing up, in 70’s & 80’s 90%of it was DIY/Vintage and whatever we could buy in a store we all had to save up 3-4 months for. Hair dye was Manic Panic, Directions or Kool-Aid/food coloring and that’s it!! I custom painted leather jackets for food! 😂
Fr it's so accessible now w stuff like shein and romwe. Forget the 80s and 90s even just in the last 10-5 years it wasn't hardly accessible still. Us baby bats still had to stick to window (or screen) shopping all the crazy stuff expensive, and then trying our hands at diy when we couldn't afford any of it haha.
As a teenager goth I couldn’t afford all the expensive stuff. I’d wear black combat boots, black leggings with black shorts over them or black paints and a cure or Bauhaus shirt and black hat & made it work. Eye liner Etc. We had lip service stuff but those stores was $$$ in my city where the goth punk scene was ., haha
It's hilarious how you can buy DIY looking stuff nowadays. It feels sort of undeserved, the style, the "aesthetic" without any of the struggle, and honestly that also makes the people miss the experience of struggling and then achieving.
It's intimidating and irritating for those who are into the music but not the fashion. It's also curious how there seems to be more people who are into the fashion but not the music than the other way around.
@@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396 I know! That makes things so difficult because that was our common ground. That was your segue into conversation, so what are your favorite bands? Nowadays, people take that question as an 'elitist attack' and call you a gatekeeper.
@@angelabenedictI still try to talk music with them all, lol! I often find people who aren't interested, but sometimes, I get lucky and find someone who is interested in exploring the music but doesn't know where to start. Those people are great because they actually care about the subculture as a whole and I'm more than happy to help them on their way. It would be nice to find others that are into music and can show me some new stuff once in a while too. One day. . .
@@angelabenedictEn realidad la conversación podía iniciarse con asuntos filosóficos, artísticos, literarios, musicales. Por ejemplo, para iniciar la plática contigo sería de lo afortunado que soy por haber encontrado una chica tan linda. ❤️😍💓💕🇲🇽
alchemy! so nostalgic. i used to go with my mom to flea markets a lot. when i was around 9, some guy was selling alchemy jewelry. even second hand, it was expensive for our budget. i stared at all the pretty shiny stuff on show, seeing it for the first time up close. mom couldn't pull me away. the guy took pity on this little kid, very amused, and said he'd give me a discount or something like that. my mom relented and got me a necklace with a dragon that i have to this very day. wherever that guy is i hope hes having a good day lol.
As a 60 year old elder Goth I love the whole background such as the Victorian Novels of Poe, M.R.James Sheridan Le Fanu, but also the history such as the story contest between Byron, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Polidori and Shelley to write the best Ghost/Horror Story in 1818. It's such a shame to wear the clothes but have no wish to delve deeper and find out the history behind the Aesthetic.
Also sometimes it is about finding things outside of "wearing goth" to make you feel goth. I have a black cat named Elvira and this Friday I will be setting in motion my first goth dance night for the community. I am so stoked and no one can tell me I am not goth enough in my t-shirt and jeans.
I was scrolling Instagram and a reel popped up of a girl doing a goth look tutorial and she chose one of those reel-friendly songs as audio. One of the comments Said that she should’ve chosen another song since she is doing a goth look and I kid you not, other comments attacked that person and said that they “don’t have to listen to goth music to be goth”. What?! Aint that the only thing that makes you goth 😂 looks are superficial but the love for the sound, the mistery and the romantic poeticism is what brings us together - at least thats how I see it.
lol I hate that argument so much it literally pains me. Yes, you don’t have to listen to only goth music you are able to listen to other genres but goth music is what makes you goth like that’s the whole point. 😭💀
@@AuntieHauntieGames it would be really shallow to listen to only one genre of music. I personally listen to drum and bass, techno, classical, LOTS of metal, 60s and 70s rock, neofolk, prog, jazz, psy trance and so on… you get it. But still the point is that people are now primarily thinking of goth as outfit and makeup based subgenre. I personally do not look “goth” usually. Alternative yes, but not goth. That is why for me atleast, what I consider goth transcends clothes and makeup and can be many things, but is not purely and just looks.
@@AuntieHauntieGames Listening primarily to goth music IS literally what makes one goth. Just like loving metal makes a metalhead, loving punk rock makes one a punk rocker, loving industrial etc. makes on a rivethead. It is seriously that simple.
Part of the problem I see with baby bats today is that they don't want to listen to elders, they want to listen to and get approval from their peers. And the people who are new to the scene have super high standards for what "counts" as goth based on the images they see on a daily basis and they will often dismiss elders because they don't fit the -as you said- "goth-in-a-box" look. That premade goth look is what the youth are considering as the standard and often refuse to internalize anything outside of that. It's really sad to see and I hope we all con move forward together soon enough. 🖤
The "older people are not cool" mentality is cancer to subcultures. Not caring about the people that came before you shows how they don't actually respect the culture they're trying to adopt.
Being plus sized, broke and living in the middle of nowhere, you kinda still don't have the easy way out with fast fashion, and I'm kinda grateful for it. It makes me work for my style, and makes me be proud of every article in my closet, because I made it, in most cases, from scratch 💚
Honestly the DIY stuff I've seen is was cooler than the cookie cutter pre made outfits you see. There's something special about wearing something that's one of a kind, that you put real effort in creating or modifying.
Haha, back in the early 2000s I had a friend who was absolutely goth but also absolutely into the fashion as hard as she possibly could be. Her husband made good money. She had the Lip Service, New Rocks, etc. The rest of us were thrifting it and working with whatever black stuff we could get at walmart. I'm a bit more of an "everyday goth," if you will. They're standard-issue clothes for the most part, just black. I've got a little fancy stuff for occasions. But I look at it like this. I'm still a goth when I'm in the shower wearing nothing at all!
It makes me sad because there was a trend on tik tok for a while of alt people diy'ing their stuff. It seems like almost every alt subculture is losing the DIY mentality of it all, whether it's in the fashion or the politics
I don't really know if I'd consider myself a baby bat anymore but I definitely have been sturggling with the feeling that you describe here: the feeling of not feeling goth enough if I don't have every aspect of my style figured out in a way that is polished and cohesive. I find that it hits me the most in things that I can't change, like the way that I can't get a good bats nest like others can, because my hair is too thin, fine, and fragile. Or the way that I'm struggling to find goth makeup that compliments my face, especially very dramatic makeup. I know that I'm plenty goth enough just by listening to the music and doing my best to engage with the subculture, but social media tends to bring out this (very wrong) intrusive feeling in the back of my brain that nothing matters if my look isn't right. But at the end of the day, it's all about what the music means to you. I like to ground myself from those negative thoughts by doing some kind of DIY Project.
Do you really need your hair done as a bats nest? there are many other styles you can experiment with and find something that best suites your hair. With makeup you probably not using the right makeup, when it comes to your skins tone, it's like how some people say they're a warm spring or a cool summer. The only thing that really matters is if you are enjoying yourself and having fun, it's your demeanor that truly makes or breaks a outfit, not how polished it ts.
You dont have to do elaborate makeup. You can have very natural look. Black eyeliner and tinted lip balm. If you have a Walmart lip smackers Dr.pepper lip balm is perfection. Like a wine red tint. Foundation doesn't have to be white. Just use your natural colour. Liquid black liner for eyebrows if you want to wet n wild is a go to.
One secret ive learnt as fellow babybat is that you can laugh in faces of those who deemed you not Goth. Im enjoying the music so much i need to eat it. I love finding new bands and being my weird self. It is so freeing. It is so freeing when you're unbothered and enjoying what you like.
Many of us really don't care if anyone consideres "goth" I wear clothes at work for safety, not fashion. I save the pretty black dresses/outfits when I go out. Life is too short to care what people think. I have real world problems to occupy my mind. Also, many goth fashion brands use synthetic fabrics, like polyester, which is a petrolatum product. Thats why I think sewing our own clothes should be encouraged more. Linen, cotton, are other natural fibers are more comfortable. Leather can be purchased from Native American reservations that is eco friendly and has been the same way for hundreds of years, instead of fake leather that is just more plastic.
Once had a girl who transitioned to “egirl goth” during its TikTok popularity say to me “oh my god!! why are you wearing a white blouse with a black fit?! that’s not goth, i would NEVER wear white because I’m so goth” meanwhile she wore all white outfits before changing her style to keep up w the trends, it just proved beyond a doubt that she was a poser & trend hopper lol
Sounds like you had a trend hopper! It's weird, I still can't get over the fact that when it comes to things that trend that Goth is on that list of one of the things that the mainstream hop on to as something cool When it was the same people that were bullying and mocking goths when it wasn't on trend for them.
“We would just stare.” No truer words, I loathe having a smart phone. I also miss my friends, people just stopped by or called. Now they will text every once in a while. Lazy friendships 😢. I do miss pre easy access
Nowadays when someone stops by unannounced, we assume the worst or hide! Families had a hidden stash of entammans cakes for when unexpected guests stopped by.
Why I truly fell for the goth subculture was just the DIY and the art of expressing myself together with the music I love! The joy of imagining gothic pieces, sewing, finding small trinkets to add, making own necklaces, putting together every single piece to make something that truly represents who and how you are is seriously a feeling (or moment) that’s so important for us. Sad that a lot of people are missing out on it, and forgetting to bend the rules.
39yo here, identified as goth for 25+ years now. Cracking up at the notion that anyone would ever look around an audience for The Cure and then claim that t-shirts aren't "goth enough." I guess I'm just happy that the fashion styles I've loved since childhood are essentially timeless and that TikTokers are keeping the retailers I value relevant.
Thank you for featuring my things! Wearing things as other things is one of the essences of our style that is something I do a lot~ all of my wardrobe is repurposed stuff that I then stack a ton of my handmade accessories over. You're not the first to immediately want to wear the light catchers as a necklace :> there are so many creative ways to enjoy expressing yourself in goth that can start with the most random things.
i remember back in high school diying everything. there were no fishnet shirts, so i would cut the feet and crotch out of fishnet pantyhose and floral patterned rights. and also taking nail polish and painting on crosses and band symbols on my tights. and buying thirftstore slips and vintage corsets and silk camisoles. and handsewing fabric from old halloween costumes or decorations onto my chucks or clothes. buting chains and collars at pet stores. i loved making my own fashions
This is why you must get into the subculture FULLY. Not just listening to the music, not jus dressing up goth. People hate my guts when I say listening to the muisc isn't enough, cuz it isn't. To avoid all this issues you must understand your subculture, the ideology, the community and the media. I think older bats are confusing baby bats too by saying "just listen to the muisc and your set!" Nooo you're not baby, you gotta read and learn and be respectful. 🖤🖤🖤🖤
Wow! Things have really changed apparently! Back in my day, Hot Topic goth was considered “uncool” because goths made their own attire or asked their friends to make clothing pieces for them. If you bought goth clothes other than fishnet stockings, you were not considered a real goth. I always had an inner goth, but I was never expressing it through makeup and hair. Nor was I good at making such complicated clothes. So, I just stuck with the dark aesthetic but didn’t really do anything full on goth. I love it, always have, but figured, probably not my thing.
Coming from a blue collar family I can literally go into any store and create a Goth outfit. Accessorize! As a teen in the early 2000s, I bought my dog collar, choke chains and dog chains (to loop around the belt loop of pants) all from Walmart. Now there are even more options. Think basics, plain black jeans, black tee (I prefer v necks), black dress, etc,.. As a guy we can still find simple ways to make it work. Ladies have a lil more variety in stores but we all can find a way to create an outfit. Regardless of how you look, a goth is a goth. 21:58 slay 🖤🖤🦇🦇
Goth is trending but I don't see any people hanging out in graveyards (which is good because people seem to not understand RESPECT nowadays). I'm not even goth and I suddenly found it's my duty to gatekeep the graveyards (as people usually do including the graveyard employees, the grieving, joggers, and the police that [thankfully] patrol)😂When hanging out in graveyards one should be respectful which means not being loud, STAYING FAR AWAY FROM THE WILDLIFE not causing a scene, no litter, ETC. Lots of animals congregate there in peace. There is a problem with people approaching wildlife now. It both angers and upsets me terribly. Once again, I love your speaking / writing if you're reading from your notes - you inspire me keep up the great work Miss Benedict 🤙
Also, I am Christian and I find that I can mentally focus more when I talk to god and I am overcome with peace. It is so beautiful. I usually talk to god in my head or quietly out loud if there's no one else there. If anyone is actually reading this, graveyards can also be dangerous depending on where you are so be safe and use street smarts.
@@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396 Same. There is a lot of deviancy in my area (deviant youth, homeless junkies, criminals, and bums). None of them even dress goth but I was taking this into context when writing my comment. I live in the country area in Maine.
I loved living across the street from a cemetery when I was a baby bat. In my teens and early 20s I used to take dates to the cemetery, it really helped weed out who I wasn't compatible with.
I grew up in the 80's and 90's. For me, my clothing was very much influenced by the music I was listening to. In the 90's I was a teen and was heavily listening to Depeche Mode, NIN, Skinny Puppy, Sisters Of Mercy etc. I also loved a lot of the other bands which I still listen to like Duran Duran etc. I wore doc martens, bomber jackets, fishnets etc. I wore a lot of crosses and cameos which I still love to this day. Most people I knew did not have the internet yet(Information Highway) or a cell phone. It was all word of mouth. We also had magazines like Propaganda etc. to look at.
Totally agree. I found myself becoming a bit bored with the subculture of late and knew social media was the culprit and took a break. I think seeing the rise of a copy-paste sort of black and white “trad goth” (that increasingly resembles corpse paint more than 80s goth) makeup, goth in a box clothing look with the same 5 goth tik tok songs was getting old and I was missing the creativity and risk taking that made goth exciting to begin with. I find I can’t stomach a goth brand outfit head to toe on myself either, you have to mess with the perfection a bit by throwing on a run down thrift piece or something DIY. Ultimately I think people forget that this is supposed to be fun!! It’s a passion, not a job, and when you take it too seriously and lose the creativity and community that goes with it, it becomes just as performative as anything else. Yes it’s a music based subculture and fashion is important to a degree but there’s so much more than that to make it a rich and full experience-art, literature, conversation, shared cultural practices, etc. Distilling all that too much for an easily replicable 30 second video kills the buzz. I already envy generations before me that grew up with less technology but I really feel for kids today with no glimpse into a world without it-it must be easy to get lost in the algorithm. Happens to all of us sadly
I'm a goth/metalhead in my thirties and even I have worries sometimes about not looking alternative enough to not be recognized aesthetically or visually that I'm part of those subcultures.
That's natural. Even when you're confident in yourself and you're not of the same mindset as the people who kind of make it trendy, you still want to be recognized by your people and I totally get that. Sometimes I go out and realize I didn't put on a necklace and I'm like, shit - how will they know if I'm not wearing a bat?
As an elder, I just like to tell them it's not what you wear. It's who you are. As she said, it's more about those things that make your look yours. You bring who you are to the outfit. It's amazing what you can do with safety pins... Blessings to you fabulous dark things.
I always get told I don’t dress goth enough when im wearing blue or purple or red :/ half the time I’m literally wearing a metal t shirt & leggings. Occasionally a gothic look, but it’s insanity these days, bullied by “goths” bc I don’t dress “trad” And I’m so tired I’m always comparing myself bc of it Hating taking photos of my own personal outfits Bc it doesn’t feel “ goth” enough It sucks what this has done to me
It's really no different from the popular kids in high school wearing the name brands bullying the kids who aren't. Being alternative has always been a direct departure from this because whereas alt kids be it grunge, punk or goth definitely stood out because they looked different it wasn't just our appearance that made us stand out from the normie kids - it was our music, our interests, hobbies, attitudes, views, beliefs, perspectives. They were shallow because they based a persons worth on what they wore/what they had. These 'Fashion Goths' are no different. That's what makes them poseurs.
It’s so interesting watching these videos coming from the perspective of a different fashion (gothic lolita) that lifts aesthetics from goth culture. I feel like for years we beat into baby lolitas that some gothic lolitas are goths, but it’s not a requirement and the CLOTHING is not a subculture. Alas, it feels like that message is getting across less and less every year
I'm a baby bat (goth for a couple of years now) and my outfits are mostly normal clothes accessorized to look goth. I do have three or four gothic pieces I've gathered over the years, but it's mostly accessories that make the look. I don't do anything special with my hair because I have a hard time styling it and I wear simple darker makeup because I have really sensitive skin. I want to do more DIY, I want to learn how to sew and I want to support local artisans or small businesses moving forward. It is restrictive, but I need to stay true to my ecological side as well! And let me tell you, I have never felt more goth than when I was blasting goth music in my room while cutting up my clothes or when I just lounge around and let the music sink in!
The last five ish years I’ve delved deep into the peasant goth style. I love the general silhouette, the comfort, and ideologically it’s my way of reclaiming the look from the ‘tradwives’, who take these looks and turn them into misogyny… and it’s also my way of subverting the idea of ‘good old days’, of highlighting the inherent folk horror within rural culture and the poverty of oppressed rural populations. I didn’t plan it out, it naturally developed. It’s all about emulating the silhouette of a 19th century rural peasant, but making it dark, unsettling and something you wouldn’t want to meet in the forest (so just 19th century peasant if they were goth). Now after one of my friends who’s a big influencer used the hashtag on IG (which was nice, she credited me) it took off a bit, but the aesthetic seems to be misunderstood. I don’t really care, I’m not in the business of coining trends, it was just a tongue in cheek way of describing myself. But it’s interesting still.
The nuance of the word "forced" is very interesting here, and I think it's related to exactly why a lot of older goths feel the scene has changed fundamentally. It's not exactly that goths were "forced to be creative" -- it meant that *only* people who were creative were goth (more or less). Goth was a place where artistic and aesthetically-inclined minds gathered. But now, with the "fast fashion" and the "off-the-shelf identity" stuff, there's nothing sort of...weeding out a group of like-minds. (Really, the same thing is happening with a lot formerly niche subcultures/groups.) Where I grew up, the goth and punk scenes were extremely DIY, and that meant not only for clothes, but we learned things like how to cook and how to garden and how to build furniture etc etc.... It was a fundamental part of the identity, deeper than what people think of as "aesthetics". (I know it wasn't like that everywhere, of course.) I don't want that to sound gatekeep-y....but I do think that because there was a coincidental "barrier" to participation meant that, once the barrier was removed, the internal demographics changed. Goth for a lot of people is a "fashion" where you can "look cool" and maybe get some internet clout or social points, and...that's it. For most, it's not a niche group of "people who experience the world in a creatively different way than the norm" any more. Those people aren't "bad" or "wrong", but I do think it's....a net negative for goth?
Thank you for phrasing it this way. It's exactly how geek hobbies feel too nowadays. I am relatively new to the goth scene but have always loved the culture, and seeing the amount of self-proclaimed goths who say "you don't need to listen to goth music to be goth"- I'm sorry WHAT And while having clothes more accessible is a good thing, I am definitely looking into making custom clothes now because I want to create something beautiful (or ugly) never seen before that express part of my mind.
Goth clothing is a way to express ourselves. It's not a requirement. How annoying that people think it's only a look. It's a subculture based around music. The goth aesthetic can be enjoyed by anyone, of course. But it's sad that goth fashion is being used to pressure alternative people to not be themselves. Feels just like the world many of us worked to escape. Don't let fashionistas tell you who you are. Fashion is fleeting. Your identity is deeper.
I think the more that we speak about this, the more that we can maybe not so much drown out those who try to turn it into a shallow popularity contest but present an opposing view to where those affected by it realize that there's more to it and feel safe being themselves and really exploring.
I know I'm a little late to this, but I was just ranting and lamenting to my husband about how I feel like I don't get perceived in the way that I want to be simply because I don't dress the way stereotypical goths would. I can't wear a lot of the clothing due to my job, which only leaves weekends and at that point it just feels like a waste of money to invest in. I also cannot handle makeup, and dying my hair is a very expensive chore because it's so thick. However, I have a huge interest in macabre things (especially teratology and other medical maladies), gore, vampires, skeletons, deep intellectual and existential discussions, etc. However, I dress in a very "normie" way (leggings and tees) so I feel like I can't make friends with goths/alt folks simply because they don't know I am actually one of them. People love to claim that subcultures aren't all about fashion and the way you look, but someone like me would get overlooked in a heartbeat simply because I don't dress the part. It's actually extremely frustrating. I'm way too weird for the normies, but too normie for the goths.
Sadly growing up born in 96 grew up in the 00's I told my mom I wanted to be goth and express myself as such as I grew up on Marilyn Manson and Evanescence and the cure and wanted to learn more. Well my mom told me she would beat my azz if I became goth. So I went into the emo and scene route now as an adult I am free to me be but style wise I'm a mix of punk, emo and goth but I love the music fashion means very little to me I dress how I feel and to be comfortable. But growing up was awful when you have people tell you how to express yourself so they can be comfortable around you.
I have loved elements of all styles of goth since I was a teen in the 90's, but I also loved things like og hip hop, dance music and punk.I adore color and funny patterns and ridiculous, dorky aesthetics as well. I feel like when you're young, it's easier for many to fall into a "preset" niche because the effort and learning aspect isn't as satisfying to them. To me, its all about exploration and evolving yourself, and that to me is the GENUINE correlation to the whole goth idea from the start. You feel called to go outside of the familar. You understand that in order to know the objective truth sometimes you have to get a little uncomfortable. You understand its GOOD to be challenged, and willing to accept you may even prefer the less popular alternative, even if its not without some sort of sacrifice. Goth, and really subcultures as a whole, was never supposed to be so EASY. It doesn't really work as instant lifestyle makeover shipped to your doorstop with a flash of a credit card. Sure you can dig the look and vibe with it, but for me, I'd just feel like an imposter trying to fit in. Still.
I WISH we had those clothing catalogues today! I would be cutting out images, putting them in my journal(s), making notes and writing down ideas and different styling options, what makeup to wear with it, etc etc. That would be SO much fun!
I'm not a goth but I agree so much on jewelry and accessoires. I got from a renfair a necklace with a beautiful red dragon and some beautiful earrings, rings and a waist belt. When I wear basic clothes in daily life, they look don't so basics with these jewelry on. Also agree on doomscrolling and phone attention so much.
thank you for this video!!! I been a goth for 15+ years now but I live in a really warm and dangerous city so I can't wear the clothes of my dreams, a lot of people don't think about of stuff like that.
You're welcome! I'm really sorry to hear that! Unfortunately, there are so many variables that stop a person from being able to dress the way that they would like to which is upsetting because fashion is a form of self-expression and not being able to let that out can be frustrating.
as someone who dresses in the romantic gothic style I am sick of being told that I am sick of being told that I am not goth enough because I don,t dress trad goth.
The people saying that are people that have nothing to do with the subculture. They don't listen to any of the music, they have zero depth and are all appearance. They'll move on to the next trend when it comes up.
DiY fashion was what my network was all about. Lots of originality! We were poor. But creative. The ladies would get skilled in sewing if they didn't already know how. The low income men were a bit more plain clothed so the main focus was on hairstyle because the fashion clothing was expensive. But some guys would make their own accessories. One guy in the scene started a jewelry crafting shop. We were anti-capitalist & anti consumer culture so we weren't big into shopping. We organized our own music concerts & made our own clothing, built bicycles from salvaged parts, made our own crafts (like alcoholic beverages, soaps, costumes & decorations), fixed our cars for the most part... basically created our own parallel society & we loved the goth culture!
Yeehaw! I love that! I was a GutterGoth Anarchist myself, and some of the coolest stuff ever was DIY Crust level almost, but elegant! Soon as I fully retire, I am repiercing some holes with Arkansas wild lemon thorns and smithing the permanent jewelry from pure elements...Goth Batik my vintage 70s stuff and work my buckskin into a Nephilim hat. Yeah ..I am a Crusty Dustgoblin, lol...and I am landing on that Aesthetic for my old age.
I'm a bit of baby bat (early 20s) I remember really wanting to be goth in highschool but learning pretty quickly that it wasn't just looks but a music based subculture, I made the mistake of asking r/Goth what music they'd recommend I listen to (I was really into emo and nirvana at the time 💀) and it scared me off. I was really frightened of being seen a poseur. I found as I grew older and into my late teens I still was really fixated and curious about it and through friends and social media I decided to listen to the music again and fell so in love! All the different genres and subgenres it had a lot more depth than maybe I thought when I was 14. It just felt like something clicked. 🖤
I just remembered that I made my first choker out of black round shoe lace and ornate silver heart that I took from some random belt laying around the house. The favorite choker that I ever had. I did a lot of DIY back in the days because we didn't even have a thrift store around and the results were fabulous. Unfortunately, one day my mother decided to burn everything that I made to "teach me a lesson". It literally crushed my heart. After that I stopped making my clothes because I couldn't go through that again. Anyway... You just reminded me how much I enjoyed making my own clothes, so I think it is the time to go back to it. Thank you! 🧡
As someone who had to hide away their gothness for years (safety reasons) coming back into the subculture is a for lack of better phrasing culture shock! I think you put it best as to what I realized I have been missing this whole time! The creativity, just gelling with my buddies while Bauhaus, London After Midnight and ect play in the background. Making accessories and shirts together. Just talking for hours till sleep over came us! I met some baby bats at a show the other day and they were so excited to show off the things they had made, and honestly it gave me newfound hope. There is a lot of mass production now involved, I think it has led to a stifling of our collective imagination. It also is rather expensive, so many baby bats have expressed it is harder to get things now (I would argue it isn’t just costs more if you don’t know where to look) But just the other day I found myself using nail polish to paint studs for a bracelet I’m working on… After all of this jumbled mess of a statement, may we rededicate time for imagination, or losing ourselves to mindfulness without electronic distraction! Thank you for this video!
DIY is The Way. All those cookie cutter kiddos are depriving themselves of one of greatest life joys - and also maybe of a way to discover one's lifelong creative outlets! I was a teen in the mid-nineties and being dirt poor meant that I wore a mix of thrifted stuff, things that I'd pillage from my parents' closet and entirely handmade accessories. I craved beautiful jewelry so much, but couldn't afford none. I'd wear a piece of cheap black lace tied around my neck with a cat bell attached to it. Or a black velvet cat collar (which actually belonged to our family cat.) I fashioned necklaces out of wire and hex nuts and washers acquired at the builder's store. Later I've realized that I can dismantle and reuse old beaded jewelry, and it was as if a whole new world opened in front of me. I'm an avid jewelry maker to this day - although one that has an adult person budget at her disposal, Thanks to the rise of jewelry findings shops online I can create absolutely Anything I please. It is a delight. Still won't shop at Alchemy Gothic (their prices are nuts!)
I'll also add to it that a lot of the "goth brands" are expensive and were used in accent to everything else you had created. It was like a statement piece to amp up your look as opposed to what it is now, which is merely replacing the heart of your outfits with nothing *but* statement pieces. They used to be accents or something you brought out for shows when you wanted to dress to the nines. I think that shifted because people always feel they need to be completely done up for social media, making the extreme seem more everyday than it used to be.
I never considered myself a goth because I never only listened to goth music. My music taste literally runs the gamut, as does my style, but it's always leaned more alternative, and I very much relate to you on the DIY aspects. Back when I was in middle and high school (in the late 90s/early 2000s) most of my closet was just black clothes from the clearance rack or thrift stores and things I cut up. Did I look a hot mess sometimes? Yeah, but what a time it was!
That's another one of the misconceptions that floats around quite a lot about being a goth and what does and doesn't disqualify someone from the subculture which is kind of a harsh way of putting it but it's the way I've seen it delivered a lot of times. There's really only one key requisite and that's listening to the music and I can count on one hand how many golfs I know that only listen to goth music because the majority of goths listen to a million other genres as well It's just that Goth happens to be there top genre.
@@angelabenedictSi te fijas con las bandas punk desde sus inicios a la fecha, muchas se visten normalmente, incluso con traje. Te lo dije el punk y el goth son dos maneras de vivir. En cuanto a la indumentaria, tu síguela usando, que así te ves preciosa. 💓😍❤️
personally, I'm finding as i get older I'm not interested in "goth brands" anymore I'm sick of everyone dressing and looking the same. i want to support smaller niche creators and when i can't i love making my own clothes by knitting, crocheting and sewing to my style and tastes. my ultimate goal is to a me made goth wardrobe. If you can get into DIY i highly recommend it will bring so much joy and satisfaction, and you want be supporting an industry that exploits people either.
Your videos always make me feel so nostalgic. I was a babybat in the 00s, but in a tiny town in Denmark. There was zero goth presence in the nearby large city, all I had to hang out with was punks, emos and metalheads. I’ve held onto my goth identity through out the years, but it’s almost felt like by strength alone. Time wise I still spend most of my culture time at blank metal concerts due to availability, but my heart will always be with goth.
My club goth look during the 90's was vinyl hot shorts, fishnet stockings and white ruffle blouse and my point black skull boots . And vintage cameo brooch .
So happy to see a video on this! I love goth fashion, and I love some of the older goth brands too like lip service, but so much of the modern “tradgoth in a box” look I see everywhere does not resonate with me, and if I was just dipping my toes into the subculture now and all I saw was that look, I’d be a little disappointed. Like, giant bell sleeves, corsets, ankh belts, and that super specific trad makeup look all over Pinterest/tiktok are all cute, but there’s so much more than that to the fashion side of the subculture! As an artist I’m predisposed to making/modifying my own thrifted/hand me down clothes and making jewelry, and honestly; I wear those pieces waaaay more than the lip service, killstar, etc pieces I have. There are so many cool silhouettes you can go for yknow; 80s angular shoulder pads type look, tattered post apocalyptic rivethead look, a sleek gothabilly pencil skirt and blazer type thing, Siouxsie trad type look with one bright pop of color maybe, “clowncore” goth with a neck ruff and bloomers, to name a few… the options are endless and you can literally invent your own “aesthetics” with no limits :) there’s no rules, it’s pure self expression and that’s the best part! Music is also such a big part, I always just turn on my playlist when getting ready for the club and let whatever music I’m feeling dictate the makeup look and fit- a front 242 makeup look and a Jesus and Mary chain makeup look are worlds apart, but that’s the fun of it! 🖤🦇
Sometimes I do find some DIY jewelry I made when I was in high school around the Y2K, even the "wildest" piece was like ruffled ribbon made to a choker- or a piece of salvaged lace with an added ribbon and a key pendant. I remember trying to drill holes into a LEGO bat to make a pair of earrings, painting chicken bones, etc. I still hunt for jewelry pieces, (and yes, found a cameo pendant, I miss that black one my schoolmate gifted me once T_T) from antique and thrift stores, but plastic thingies are just an overload. Trying to be a very kind person with baby bats keep posting and posting on Reddit "where to find cheap clothing and accessories" but sometimes I lose it, so I rather skip that post, because I would get up a bunch of black dye, and a DIY kit and cross the ocean to kick a door on that person in a "Get in bat, we're going DIY" 😂😂
A while ago I saw a video of a girl and her og goth parents getting ready to go to some kind of goth event, the girl put a lot of effort into her outfit and dressed like all these social media fashion goths, and when she asked her parents how she did they said "you look too happy, like you have something to live for." Elaborating on that they explained that in the 80s, they put a lot of effort into looking like they had just rolled out of bed and not tried very hard to tidy themselves up, these days goth fashion is so polished and clean that it just doesnt have that same energy anymore. I feel like that idea resonates with me. I prefer the older, messier look, because I'm not good at polished and am not really interested in it. I want to look like something that just crawled out of the graveyard, not an immaculate vampire who spent 3 hours on my eyeliner and is competing to have the most extreme outfit at the party. I want to be able to just chuck on a black t shirt, my black trench coat, mess my hair up and call it a day 😭😭
I think also fast fashion is so accessible like Shein, etc where you can get super gothed out stuff so easily and cheaply. When I was a young goth that kind of fast fashion wasn’t around and buying something from Hot Topic was a once in awhile. Always wanted a Lip Service piece but I could never afford it. My friends and I all just thrifted so it def didn’t have the super put together carbon copy look I see a lot of young goth kids have. No shade to them is just grateful for having access and the option really just being thrift stores and altering your own clothes.
Also after finishing these shorts im now going to listen to a playlist that the one goth I know reccomended me and just listen to it. Like actually enjoy it. Thank you :)
as a baby bat whos really struggling with "im not goth enough" this video brought me to tears. i felt so valid especially after you revealed how you cut your tights- i did the same thing with my fishnets!! and how you talked about the fashion as a self expression. i appreciate you and wish i knew about any bat caves in my area
Don't mind humanity. The people aren't worth it. You're a goth if you know you are, it doesn't matter what you're listening to, what you're wearing, if it's day or night. I could probably make a generic list of why I'm a goth, and 99% of everyone would agree because our minds are all warped the same way. 😅
Yes!! I feel like DIY is a big part of the culture. Well it used to be but now I feel fast fashion is so easy and “goth” fashion is so easy to find now. I miss seeing more of the creativity because it was harder to find.
I feel like younger goths (like actual babybats who do care about the music scene but have tiktok brains - not entirely their fault, since it's a teen vs a multi-million corporation) who gatekeep based on fashion are actually kinda weird. I'm from Poland, we have the Castle Party festival, age of the attendees ranges from like 70 to 15. Granted, it's a "dark independent" festival, and not a strictly goth one - there's also metal and some cyber goth kinda music. Anyways, me and my friend got a gatekeeping moment from a 17 yo. girl with the whole makeup thing, even though she was like..? a toddler...? when we were babybats. But HOW can you walk out of The Mission show, where they literally look like a bunch of uncles on stage, and gatekeep based on looks? Would they come up to The Mission and tell them they're posers? Hell, even bands who still do the look usually don't have the white foundation + angular eyeliner combo. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE GOD DAMNIT
I LOVE what you said about people's personality shining through that REALLY makes the look. It's so true! On the contrary, with many people nowadays (not just goths) I see the exact opposite. They seem emotionless, inexpressive, a blank slate, portraying nothing, maybe an empty shell. It's like comparing a vivacious model to one that is boring and dull, something that vaguely seems missing (the portrayal of soul?). Even "emotionless" can be artfully portrayed via photography/modeling. I wish I could write this better, I will consider it a first draft of mine 🤔 These videos sure make me think.
It's fun making your own kind of goth. I'm out here in the back of my pickup truck, in a black Magellan sweater, grey ripped jeans, old black military boots, bat/cross rings listening to type O Negative and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Anyone can be goth just listen to the music ~ Also love that you mentioned having old pet collar necklaces! I still have one too! Gotta make do!
THANK YOU .. THANK YOU THANK YOU ❤ 00S Goth here and I was late bloomer at 17. Being a plus size goth isn't easy, im 38 and using social media, seeing baby bats looking more better than what I can achieve.. im just too comfortable in a tshirt and leggings but I do miss dress up and meet for a cuppa
Last comment!😅 (because I really loved your video lmao sorry). 20:02 yeah, I've noticed this. Hardcore gatekeepers are usually going through a goth/alternative phase. They buy expensive shit, they go around feeling superior with what they wear and how many concerts they attended. And just one day poof! They get tired of it and start throwing or reselling EVERYTHING they bought. Fine by them. But this is the people that sometimes damage other baby bats and the community. Putting up standards that they won't even follow in the future because they were in just for some years. Great video Angela, love from México! 🦇🖤🦇🖤
Greetings to you from New York! Thanks so much for your comments. I think it's important that we try to communicate that we really don't care if people like the goth fashion and aren't into the subculture, because we understand. We understand why it's beautiful and why other people would be attracted to it. Fashion is a form of expression after all. It's when those very same people take that aesthetic and then try to bully people in the subculture that it's associated with. They try to mock them or ridicule them because that person's fashion isn't up to par based on their standards when in actuality the person they're bullying is a goth, has been involved in the subculture, listens to the music but doesn't subscribe to the whole cookie cutter goth in a box trend. It's all about balance.
I've had a few people try and argue that they're part of the subculture but only wear the fashion and thee are grown adults, still baby bats but grown ass adults (I'm almost 40) who get sucked into this idea that the aesthetic is all that matters. I've been part of this subculture most of my life. I enjoy all sorts of fashion. I'm still listening to Twin Tribes or whatever on my headphones at the store. I just look like a potato because disability means I can't always dress the way I like. I save that for the few nights a year I have the energy to go clubbing or out to a bar with friends. I love when I'm told i'm not goth it's amusing to me. Clothes are not identity. They're a visual CLUE but they are not identity. The inner person usually comes out in the style.
I have a neice who is this way, the level of her binge buying. Shes still in shocked I was a thrift goth and I had zero f**ks, what people thought in old photographs.
I agree people nowadays have it so easy they don't know what it means to seriously work for your music and outfits. I just wish people would seriously learn the meaning of goth. I mean if it's only about the fashion for them just use the label alternative or darkly inclined to refer to yourself please
I enjoy goth colture since years now and I discovered that goth fashion is so wide and full of different ways to express that I just stopped trying to be like "classical" goth style at all costs and just started to be myself and express with what I thought represented me. Goth is not an uniform its the exact opposite, just be yourself, wear whatever you want and enjoy the whole goth culture the way it makes you feel happy and yourself
On top of that, these fashion brands are fast fashion so its horrible for the environment and since it applies a lot of stylistic pressure onto people that will force them and pressure them into buying more items. Esp for companies like dollskill that are really problematic on every level, subcultures having a strong aesthetic is lovely but like people shldnt forget the roots of subcultures like goths but stylistic pressure has to stop, esp when its a tool for seniority and acknowlegement in public where people might not recognise u as a goth esp non goths and even some goths are quite elitist which makes this pressure so circular.
I've made fashion disasterous styling mistakes over the years. But without them you will never get your greatest successes. Personally I embrace those mistakes. Not only can they never be used against me but it also shows I am human. Perfection is a lie and social media pushes that lie harder than ever. I'd rather be flawed. Remember the days where two people turning up in the exact same outfit caused drama and they gave each other daggers all night? Big difference between you wearing the outfit and an outfit wearing you. Make it yours!
I can relate to your experience a bit, because i like to dress in japanese street fashion (the more colorful styles). I live in Poland and it's hard to buy brands that are made specifically for harajuku fashion so I have to improvise by buying clothes in kid section (because they have a more interesting color pallete and patterns than adult clothes) and making my own jewellery with beads. BTW I also dress in black from time to time too
Omg thank you very much for this video i love and adore goth fashion but I HATE goth fashion cops so much!!!!! They need to remember that not only the music is important but the progressive politics and expressing ourselves is also important which is also progressive. I've delt with elitist goth fashion cops online and they're so rude. They don't even care if you grew up in a restrictive abusive bigoted religious household either. Last week I blocked a "goth" girl on twitter for bullying and shaming other goths and emos who were too scared to express themselves in religious environments they were forced to grow up in as children. She called them pussies and posers saying that their upbringings are "no excuses for them to be posers". As someone who grew up in a fundamentalist household where I wasn't allowed to express myself and only be raised to grow up as a future "stepford wife", her along with her friends' comments really hurt me and almost made me cry. I can't believe there's people in this subculture like her and her friends who really think this way and don't care what their fellow goth/alternative people are going through. It's like they rub it in our faces that they grew up with freedoms and privileges to express themselves the way they wanted to instead of encouraging those of us who grew up in bigoted religious environments that restricted us from expressing ourselves and the fact that she got so many followers despite the fact she's an awful vile person who treats other alternative people who didn't and still don't have the same freedom and privilege she got to have growing up like trash scares me. Guess I'm a "poser" for not wanting anymore religious abuse and trauma inflicted on me for wanting to be my true self 🙄 (sarcasm lol). I've heard from other goths online that they're been bullied and mistreated by other goths for not "looking goth enough" in real life. It's ironic and also sad that a subculture just like the emo one trauma dump and project their school days on strangers who did nothing to them while acting just like the people who picked on them in school. I'm now learning how to enjoy both subcultures again by just ignoring the horrible people in them. I had loving supportive punk and goth friends in high school who accepted me into their inner circle although i was forced to dress "normal" due to my religious fundamentalist upbringing and they still loved me and understood why I wasn't allowed to dress like them yet. I swear, goth fashion cops be trying to suck the fun out of enjoying the scene and its culture, emo ones too. Sorry for the long rant it's just something I wanted to share since I'm so happy you made this video. 🖤
I am so sorry to hear that. It's amazing The lack of empathy and understanding that comes out of the mouths of the privileged. They don't even care to attempt to see things from a perspective of something other than their own. They have literally zero ability to see the world beyond their own nose. Those are the people who are the true poseurs. There are tons of people in the subculture who have had it easy and they will readily admit that they've had it easy and respect and understand that others haven't had the same luxury or privileges themselves. The people that will shame you for simply trying to survive in an extreme environment, those are the people who in 5 years time will be in yoga gear and Stanley cups trying to get people involved in their pyramid scheme on Facebook.
Aunque no lo creas a mi estuvieron a punto de lincharme por ser vampiro, sólo por mi manera de vestir y costumbres nocturnas. Y ahora te acusan por no ser suficientemente gótico jajajaja ¿Sabes cuántas noches deambule en el cementerio? ¿Cuántas veces dormí en una cripta en los brazos de alguna gótica? ¿Cuántas ocasiones amanecimos en algún bosque lejano? Ser gótico no es una moda: ya lo dijeron aquí: Lee todos los libros; disfruta todo el arte; encuentra te a ti mismo; vístete como quieras. Te mando un beso, desde la sepultura. 🇲🇽😘12:54 12:54 12:54
@@angelabenedictYa me voy a dormir. Espero que sueñes conmigo yo procuraré hacer lo mismo. Si en la oscuridad escuchas un batir de alas membranosas, no los ahuyentes, no son murciélagos: son los besos que te mandé.🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇
wouldnt really call dollskill and killstar higher end goth, but more like trendy tiktok-ish goth. i believe this is a transversal issue among most subcultures. as a fashion and goth enthusiast myself i believe fashion is a way to express yourself through clothing, shouldnt rly be dependant on any trends, even when its inspo is a subculture. There is so much more to gothic subcultures than just "a look".
also, without the intention of being a goth-nazi, it does get missleading when ppl treat goth as a trend rather than a subculture, i find myself dressing in pink and light colors asking "goth looking" individuals everytime wether they like the cure or and one just to get dissapointed HAHA
I loved the more diy creative things people wore and made in the 80's and 90's and also now to an extent , I remember people making fimo jewelry , eastern type bohemian essential oil holder pendants, someone even had a necklace made of real polo sweets, it was also a point of interest and conversation if someone wore or made something individual that you liked , and said more about their personality than something straight from the shelf, Ive always mixed off the shelf and DiY things. Great video , best wishes 🦇🦇🖤🖤
It's funny how I only just recently got to a place in life where I can afford the goth clothes I had been wanting for many years, and while I did get some new stuff, I'm suddenly getting more into DIY modifying hats, jackets, shirts and jeans again after years of not doing that anymore.. Lol
Yes! I am 43 and have always been goth/punk but I got into drugs at a young age and was always broke because everything went to drugs. I’m over a year clean and now have money for things I never dreamed I could own and it’s become a nice of the old DIY and new money pieces 😊
I had an old couple approach me at the library in approval of my goth-look. The recognition was pretty nice. My outfit was black lipstick, some eyeliner, a nice, plain, black t-shirt, hot topic sheer fingerless gloves, and faux leather Spanx leggings with Dr. Martens. I still had my short blonde hair and tortoise shell glasses, and my vibe was more friendly than spooky. BUT, they recognized that I was a goth, and that their son also worked with a goth woman, and that they don't see many goths in this town. It was cool, I felt unique. I was just chilling on a bench outside, so the conversation was welcome.
Elder goth here; I have a vivid memory of when I was about eight or so, wearing all black, going to the supermarket with my mum and the lady at the checkout says to me: Are you going to a funeral? That never stopped me.
Oh absolutely! I have been told quite a lot lately that "i dont look goth anymore" and its just wild to me. Like I have a toddler, an eight yo, and a full time job, I dress all black and was jumping around in goth clubs before this kids were even born. I just dont have the energy or time to be in full goth attire every day. It takes a lot of time and money that I currently spend on other stuff. That doesnt make me less goth, I'm just a tired mom who listens to alien sex fiend on their way to work. I remember being 12 and really wanting to be goth but my parents wouldn't buy the clothes i wanted so i had to get creative, I used to wear a lot of cat collars with the bell on them, and I loved it. I embroidered a lot of plain tshirts and cut them. Put band patches all over my pants, dyed everything black and all sort of things. And tbh this kids look amazing but they look a little cookie cutter to me. And Im not gonna judge anyone by their looks or tell anyone "how to be goth" because just wear whatever the fck you want its about the lens you see life through, the music, the poetry, the literature, films, the vibes... Just explore be yourself and you'll do great but trying to "police" how goths should be its so wild to me.
I never questioned my identity because living in the country in the 80s, even a loose black dress and boots together seemed weird to others. It was hard not to be exiled. :/ There wasn’t Hot Topic or other goth shops in my area. So, I guess I never felt the pressure.
This video is a microcosm of why I sub'd to you. It's the 90's era way people where. Imagination and ingenuity were used and people being naturally in the moment of things, Goth or not. I miss this in the way things were. I feel so disconnected these days....😕
I think the parts of gen z/gen alpha that haven't experienced this would benefit so much. I mean their motto is 'It aint that deep' - what does that tell you? They live in the shallow end. Gotta coax them out into deeper water and show them what's in there.
I love this video! I fell into the fast goth fashion trap in my mid 20s when I became a mom and didn’t have time to DIY as much as I used to. Now at 38 I’m up cycling all my old dollskill stuff so I’m going through this amazing era of DIY with what I’ve gotten over the past decade. It’s been a lot of fun to get back to customizing my clothes again. 🖤
I feel proper sorry for kids getting into any subculture these days. Everything is so commodified and pre-packaged and absolutely rinsed on social media. It's almost like they don't have the /opportunity/ to be creative, unless they're skilled enough at it to not get laughed at (and even then they'd be then pushed to monetise it in some way). They don't get to do all of their makeup with one black eyeliner pencil and make their own outfits from anything to hand, and be safe in the knowledge the entire world isn't spying on them and judging them. I remember meeting up with my best mate on Friday afternoons in the '90s to make our outfits for that night's night out. I made him (I was the better one at sewing) a top once out of a tshirt, fishnets and condom wrappers painted in UV paint, it was badass 😂 I still love DIYing clothes, everything I own is second hand. It's part of the fun.
I think that's why it's important that we try to deliver content like this to help them along. Because when it comes to social media, the most trendy and mainstream friendly stuff is what's going to float to the surface first. So naturally as they're doing their experimental deep dive trying to figure out who they are, they're going to find the trendsters first and get their heads all scrambled up with misinfo All delivered in this sentiment that basically states, if you don't look like us then you're not one of us. It takes quite a bit of ingredients to make a goth but one of those ingredients is self-expression. They need that freedom to explore and figure that out for themselves so much encouragement from other goths in the community to go forth and see what's inside their brain will always be a welcomed sentiment.
Same shit happened to me when I walked in a goth bar dressed very normal. This kind of "you need to look the part to belong" stigma has been alive for a very long time and its silly and useless. I am who I am, don't need to prove myself to anybody ever
Great video, thanks for your take on goth/fast fashion! I see it a lot with the makeup, too. I wasn't in high school in the 90's, but even when I was of high school age, it was a little before or at the very start of the whole beauty guru side of TH-cam. I used to collect those terribly greasy $1 colored eyeliners from Hot Topic and just smear them all around my eyes 😅😂 Now, there's such a pressure to have the perfect, expensive eyeliners, and the application skills of a makeup artist, flawless skin and it's just not "real". Even as an adult, I find myself comparing the looks to how I look with the hair, makeup, clothes, and jewelry. I see my younger family members always comparing their appearances to their peers online
The diy aspect of back in the day! Yes! Putting my outfits together from various thrift store finds (lots of black satin sleep wear 😆), or using parts of Halloween costumes (not typically cheesy jewelry that came with them)... On top of that, people in my group had their "make specialties", and if you were really close friends you would make your specialty for others. In my city, the only place we could get Goth geared clothing was hot topic. It was a bit too expensive but I would get my fishnets there. I miss those days!
I too flipped through Delia's magazine knowing darn well I wasn't going to order anything lol. I really miss those simpler times. You're a great story teller Angela.
Thanks for your video. For me, the Goths subculture is unthinkable without creativity and DIY. I sewed or knitted half of my wardrobe myself. And recently I dyed my dress for the first time thanks to your video. 🖤
"Anything is jewelry if you dare to wear it" agreed! 😂 I use my ear rings as necklaces, and necklaces as belts, or boot accessories, or pins. It depends on what my outfit will be for the occasion. I cut, I sew (I'm not good at it) I parch, I paint, I glue and I get creative. And as you said, I don't usually shop pre made goth fashion. I hunt for the normal clothes and make it goth in my own way. I love DIY❤. I wish baby bats could see that.
Had a baby bat tell me my outfit wasn’t goth enough but I was literally wearing a top Monica Richards gifted me from her strange boutique days 😂
I had the same type of incident happen occur last week. Except, I was wearing my old Sunshine Blind tee. The little ticktock-ette never heard of the band and had the gall to accuse me of being a poseur, despite being unfamiliar with the band. 😂
Monica Richards in her Strange Boutique days was fantastic.
I gotta ask, because I always hear of experiences like this but never actually experience them lol, but how do they even say it? While you're having a convo w them? Or do they just come up outta nowhere? 😭
Just give me black pants,combat boots,and a black shirt and trench coat,or leather Jason jacket and I'm goth enough
@@PlagueCabaretOdd how Elder Goths are being gatekeeped by Babybats. :/
Ouch, you totally knocked them out of the ballpark :D
Amen! Preach, Sister. 80's goth here. Let us remember that "Goth" is supposed to be a form of SELF expression. Wear whatever you want. Don't wear what everyone else does! Listen to the music and ALL other music. Take in all the art. Read all the books. Find yourself, and then be yourself!
Yes me too 😊 hello fellow 80s goth 😊
Yes! Without it, it becomes something so shallow it's like, why are we here in the first place?
Thiiiiis.
well said.im an 80s goth as well.
@@lotsoffun4108 hi
I see so many people say “there aren’t any goth clothes at my local thrift stores,” and I think what they really mean is “there are no gothic brands at thrift stores.” I find it hard to believe that all thrift stores in someone’s area are completely void of the colour black and, if they are, fabric dye exists!
There’s such a rush to create a vast and elaborate wardrobe as quickly as possible. It took me years to accumulate all the clothing I have now and most of my pieces are from normal shops, but second hand and black.
To be honest, I can’t really understand these “goth in the box” types. Making my outfits by putting random basics together with accessories, and DIY, is far more fun than having those things ready made for you.
I think another issue is the whole sizing… it’s kind of hard to find clothes at the right size
'been obsessed with the carnival look for the past couple years, can you imagine someone thinking they need to pick one aesthetic and dressing "carnival" every single day and feeling not allowed to wear anything else? LOL
I think these people sometimes aren't quite getting creative enough but also aren't willing to take the time to slowly curate their collection. A mix of fast fashion, hand me downs, and costume shops, along with trips to craft stores to make jewelry is what did it for me. But truly it takes time, and a keen eye. I still remember looking at the Halloween displays at h&m wanting all the fun goodies but not being able to afford them/being to afraid to ask, along with grabbing a couple items every year from the dollar store during Halloween to add to my collection. But when there's a pressure and assumption it happens in a day, it really I think narrows the ideas down to "oh I need goth clothes from goth brands" which just isn't true and paints an unrealistic picture of the fashion being expensive and only for those who can afford it
Ty!! People focus way too much on thinking it HAS to be brands like Tripp, dollskill, killstar, or something similar for it to be goth. My wardrobe goth as hell and I don't own any of those brands, half of it is branda like wet seal or just those random thrift shop brands haha like someone else said, fast fashion, thrift stores as diy is what did it for me. My thrift stores are full of fast fashion brands (mostly romwe and shein) and a lot of it is very cute goth pieces! Mine have stayed cheap too thankfully. Knock on wood.
That's what diy is for :)@@little-miss-horror6036
I started dressing goth and alt around 2010 and i was a poor kid. The excitement I felt when I could DIY something for myself couldn't be replaced with anything.
Real. Also I've been that way almost the same amount of time hehe
In the eighties, sewing some lace on the wrists, wrapping Spanish lace over a black shirt, customizing stuff from the thrift store or the family closet, etc was the way to go! Making your own jewelry from other pieces, also! One of a kind items!
A wonderful reminder that GOTH IS NOT A COSTUME it's GOTH IS WHO YOU ARE !!!
It is what music you love more than any other.
I’m happy that being a Goth (or at least looking like one) doesn’t attract the same scorn that it did back in the 90s. And I’m grateful to the internet (and your videos) for styling tips (accessories, layering, and basics). The new goths should focus less on having an “aesthetic” within Goth and more on being an individual who happens to be Darkly Inclined 🖤
That's one of the best parts. Once you take that pressure away it gives you so much more focus on finding yourself. Aesthetic comes later if you want it to.
Absolutely Agree
@@angelabenedictEstás tan hermosa que yo creo que fue la estética la que te encontró a ti. 💞💐😍🌹💕🇲🇽
@@GregorioPalafox-ds8gf
Amo el comentario desubicado😂
Déjela en paz señor.
@@kyupiangel90 Confirmado: ví tu página y eres Generación Bob Esponja 😱🥶🤮
"anything is jewelry if ypu dare to wear it" is now my favorite quote ever 😂🖤
The problem is that these new generations create a personality around an aesthetic instead of an aesthetic around a personality.
It sends a lot of mixed signals to Baby Bats, and let’s face it, it’s influenced main stream and even haute couture fashion. Goth/Punk fashion is very accessible now, when I was growing up, in 70’s & 80’s 90%of it was DIY/Vintage and whatever we could buy in a store we all had to save up 3-4 months for. Hair dye was Manic Panic, Directions or Kool-Aid/food coloring and that’s it!! I custom painted leather jackets for food! 😂
Manic panic is still one of my go-tos and recs to folks wanting to try bolder dyes.
Fr it's so accessible now w stuff like shein and romwe. Forget the 80s and 90s even just in the last 10-5 years it wasn't hardly accessible still. Us baby bats still had to stick to window (or screen) shopping all the crazy stuff expensive, and then trying our hands at diy when we couldn't afford any of it haha.
I'm 51 and still DIY Goth
As a teenager goth I couldn’t afford all the expensive stuff. I’d wear black combat boots, black leggings with black shorts over them or black paints and a cure or Bauhaus shirt and black hat & made it work. Eye liner Etc. We had lip service stuff but those stores was $$$ in my city where the goth punk scene was ., haha
It's hilarious how you can buy DIY looking stuff nowadays. It feels sort of undeserved, the style, the "aesthetic" without any of the struggle, and honestly that also makes the people miss the experience of struggling and then achieving.
It's intimidating and irritating for those who are into the music but not the fashion. It's also curious how there seems to be more people who are into the fashion but not the music than the other way around.
It's strange seeing it this way around. It was always the music that people found and it just kind of took shape from there.
@@angelabenedictYou can’t go up to goth types and talk music anymore. Well, out in the wild.
@@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396 I know! That makes things so difficult because that was our common ground. That was your segue into conversation, so what are your favorite bands? Nowadays, people take that question as an 'elitist attack' and call you a gatekeeper.
@@angelabenedictI still try to talk music with them all, lol! I often find people who aren't interested, but sometimes, I get lucky and find someone who is interested in exploring the music but doesn't know where to start. Those people are great because they actually care about the subculture as a whole and I'm more than happy to help them on their way. It would be nice to find others that are into music and can show me some new stuff once in a while too. One day. . .
@@angelabenedictEn realidad la conversación podía iniciarse con asuntos filosóficos, artísticos, literarios, musicales. Por ejemplo, para iniciar la plática contigo sería de lo afortunado que soy por haber encontrado una chica tan linda. ❤️😍💓💕🇲🇽
alchemy! so nostalgic. i used to go with my mom to flea markets a lot. when i was around 9, some guy was selling alchemy jewelry. even second hand, it was expensive for our budget. i stared at all the pretty shiny stuff on show, seeing it for the first time up close. mom couldn't pull me away. the guy took pity on this little kid, very amused, and said he'd give me a discount or something like that. my mom relented and got me a necklace with a dragon that i have to this very day. wherever that guy is i hope hes having a good day lol.
Awww 🥹
As a 60 year old elder Goth I love the whole background such as the Victorian Novels of Poe, M.R.James Sheridan Le Fanu, but also the history such as the story contest between Byron, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Polidori and Shelley to write the best Ghost/Horror Story in 1818. It's such a shame to wear the clothes but have no wish to delve deeper and find out the history behind the Aesthetic.
I agree! Recently, I got into poetry and back into gothic literature in general, and I'm having a blast 💜
Also sometimes it is about finding things outside of "wearing goth" to make you feel goth. I have a black cat named Elvira and this Friday I will be setting in motion my first goth dance night for the community. I am so stoked and no one can tell me I am not goth enough in my t-shirt and jeans.
A tee shirt and jeans was standard dress in the 80s for punk, goth and deathrock.
@@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396 Still is in some areas.
Oh to join you and make spooky snacks!😢
I was scrolling Instagram and a reel popped up of a girl doing a goth look tutorial and she chose one of those reel-friendly songs as audio. One of the comments Said that she should’ve chosen another song since she is doing a goth look and I kid you not, other comments attacked that person and said that they “don’t have to listen to goth music to be goth”. What?! Aint that the only thing that makes you goth 😂 looks are superficial but the love for the sound, the mistery and the romantic poeticism is what brings us together - at least thats how I see it.
lol I hate that argument so much it literally pains me. Yes, you don’t have to listen to only goth music you are able to listen to other genres but goth music is what makes you goth like that’s the whole point. 😭💀
preach
@@AuntieHauntieGames it would be really shallow to listen to only one genre of music. I personally listen to drum and bass, techno, classical, LOTS of metal, 60s and 70s rock, neofolk, prog, jazz, psy trance and so on… you get it. But still the point is that people are now primarily thinking of goth as outfit and makeup based subgenre. I personally do not look “goth” usually. Alternative yes, but not goth. That is why for me atleast, what I consider goth transcends clothes and makeup and can be many things, but is not purely and just looks.
@@AuntieHauntieGames Listening primarily to goth music IS literally what makes one goth. Just like loving metal makes a metalhead, loving punk rock makes one a punk rocker, loving industrial etc. makes on a rivethead. It is seriously that simple.
U just said what op said but with a whole bunch of extra words.@@AuntieHauntieGames
Part of the problem I see with baby bats today is that they don't want to listen to elders, they want to listen to and get approval from their peers. And the people who are new to the scene have super high standards for what "counts" as goth based on the images they see on a daily basis and they will often dismiss elders because they don't fit the -as you said- "goth-in-a-box" look. That premade goth look is what the youth are considering as the standard and often refuse to internalize anything outside of that. It's really sad to see and I hope we all con move forward together soon enough. 🖤
The "older people are not cool" mentality is cancer to subcultures. Not caring about the people that came before you shows how they don't actually respect the culture they're trying to adopt.
actual baby bats most certainly do listen to elders. Poseurs do not. You can spot a true baby bat from a poseur based upon how they treat elder goths.
They aren't real goths then. They are just CONSUMERS.
Being plus sized, broke and living in the middle of nowhere, you kinda still don't have the easy way out with fast fashion, and I'm kinda grateful for it. It makes me work for my style, and makes me be proud of every article in my closet, because I made it, in most cases, from scratch 💚
I like to sew and make my own stuff. Purple has been my color for decades.
Honestly the DIY stuff I've seen is was cooler than the cookie cutter pre made outfits you see. There's something special about wearing something that's one of a kind, that you put real effort in creating or modifying.
Haha, back in the early 2000s I had a friend who was absolutely goth but also absolutely into the fashion as hard as she possibly could be. Her husband made good money. She had the Lip Service, New Rocks, etc. The rest of us were thrifting it and working with whatever black stuff we could get at walmart. I'm a bit more of an "everyday goth," if you will. They're standard-issue clothes for the most part, just black. I've got a little fancy stuff for occasions. But I look at it like this. I'm still a goth when I'm in the shower wearing nothing at all!
Its a feeling and a lifestyle
It makes me sad because there was a trend on tik tok for a while of alt people diy'ing their stuff. It seems like almost every alt subculture is losing the DIY mentality of it all, whether it's in the fashion or the politics
I don't really know if I'd consider myself a baby bat anymore but I definitely have been sturggling with the feeling that you describe here: the feeling of not feeling goth enough if I don't have every aspect of my style figured out in a way that is polished and cohesive. I find that it hits me the most in things that I can't change, like the way that I can't get a good bats nest like others can, because my hair is too thin, fine, and fragile. Or the way that I'm struggling to find goth makeup that compliments my face, especially very dramatic makeup. I know that I'm plenty goth enough just by listening to the music and doing my best to engage with the subculture, but social media tends to bring out this (very wrong) intrusive feeling in the back of my brain that nothing matters if my look isn't right.
But at the end of the day, it's all about what the music means to you. I like to ground myself from those negative thoughts by doing some kind of DIY Project.
I couldn’t agree more. Also, your username is friggin legendary!
The clothes and hair don't make or break you. You're still a goth when you're in the shower wearing nothing, right? :) No worries.
Do you really need your hair done as a bats nest? there are many other styles you can experiment with and find something that best suites your hair. With makeup you probably not using the right makeup, when it comes to your skins tone, it's like how some people say they're a warm spring or a cool summer.
The only thing that really matters is if you are enjoying yourself and having fun, it's your demeanor that truly makes or breaks a outfit, not how polished it ts.
You dont have to do elaborate makeup. You can have very natural look. Black eyeliner and tinted lip balm. If you have a Walmart lip smackers Dr.pepper lip balm is perfection. Like a wine red tint. Foundation doesn't have to be white. Just use your natural colour. Liquid black liner for eyebrows if you want to wet n wild is a go to.
One secret ive learnt as fellow babybat is that you can laugh in faces of those who deemed you not Goth. Im enjoying the music so much i need to eat it. I love finding new bands and being my weird self. It is so freeing. It is so freeing when you're unbothered and enjoying what you like.
Many of us really don't care if anyone consideres "goth" I wear clothes at work for safety, not fashion. I save the pretty black dresses/outfits when I go out. Life is too short to care what people think. I have real world problems to occupy my mind.
Also, many goth fashion brands use synthetic fabrics, like polyester, which is a petrolatum product. Thats why I think sewing our own clothes should be encouraged more. Linen, cotton, are other natural fibers are more comfortable. Leather can be purchased from Native American reservations that is eco friendly and has been the same way for hundreds of years, instead of fake leather that is just more plastic.
Once had a girl who transitioned to “egirl goth” during its TikTok popularity say to me “oh my god!! why are you wearing a white blouse with a black fit?! that’s not goth, i would NEVER wear white because I’m so goth” meanwhile she wore all white outfits before changing her style to keep up w the trends, it just proved beyond a doubt that she was a poser & trend hopper lol
Sounds like you had a trend hopper! It's weird, I still can't get over the fact that when it comes to things that trend that Goth is on that list of one of the things that the mainstream hop on to as something cool When it was the same people that were bullying and mocking goths when it wasn't on trend for them.
@@angelabenedictNi el punk ni el gótico son moda: son modos de vivir. Te mando un beso enorme para que te lo pongas donde más te guste. 🇲🇽😍❤️
“We would just stare.” No truer words, I loathe having a smart phone. I also miss my friends, people just stopped by or called. Now they will text every once in a while. Lazy friendships 😢. I do miss pre easy access
Nowadays when someone stops by unannounced, we assume the worst or hide! Families had a hidden stash of entammans cakes for when unexpected guests stopped by.
Why I truly fell for the goth subculture was just the DIY and the art of expressing myself together with the music I love! The joy of imagining gothic pieces, sewing, finding small trinkets to add, making own necklaces, putting together every single piece to make something that truly represents who and how you are is seriously a feeling (or moment) that’s so important for us. Sad that a lot of people are missing out on it, and forgetting to bend the rules.
39yo here, identified as goth for 25+ years now. Cracking up at the notion that anyone would ever look around an audience for The Cure and then claim that t-shirts aren't "goth enough." I guess I'm just happy that the fashion styles I've loved since childhood are essentially timeless and that TikTokers are keeping the retailers I value relevant.
Thank you for featuring my things! Wearing things as other things is one of the essences of our style that is something I do a lot~ all of my wardrobe is repurposed stuff that I then stack a ton of my handmade accessories over. You're not the first to immediately want to wear the light catchers as a necklace :> there are so many creative ways to enjoy expressing yourself in goth that can start with the most random things.
i remember back in high school diying everything. there were no fishnet shirts, so i would cut the feet and crotch out of fishnet pantyhose and floral patterned rights. and also taking nail polish and painting on crosses and band symbols on my tights. and buying thirftstore slips and vintage corsets and silk camisoles. and handsewing fabric from old halloween costumes or decorations onto my
chucks or clothes. buting chains and collars at pet stores. i loved making my own fashions
This is why you must get into the subculture FULLY. Not just listening to the music, not jus dressing up goth. People hate my guts when I say listening to the muisc isn't enough, cuz it isn't. To avoid all this issues you must understand your subculture, the ideology, the community and the media. I think older bats are confusing baby bats too by saying "just listen to the muisc and your set!" Nooo you're not baby, you gotta read and learn and be respectful. 🖤🖤🖤🖤
Wow! Things have really changed apparently! Back in my day, Hot Topic goth was considered “uncool” because goths made their own attire or asked their friends to make clothing pieces for them. If you bought goth clothes other than fishnet stockings, you were not considered a real goth. I always had an inner goth, but I was never expressing it through makeup and hair. Nor was I good at making such complicated clothes. So, I just stuck with the dark aesthetic but didn’t really do anything full on goth. I love it, always have, but figured, probably not my thing.
Coming from a blue collar family I can literally go into any store and create a Goth outfit. Accessorize! As a teen in the early 2000s, I bought my dog collar, choke chains and dog chains (to loop around the belt loop of pants) all from Walmart.
Now there are even more options. Think basics, plain black jeans, black tee (I prefer v necks), black dress, etc,.. As a guy we can still find simple ways to make it work. Ladies have a lil more variety in stores but we all can find a way to create an outfit. Regardless of how you look, a goth is a goth. 21:58 slay 🖤🖤🦇🦇
Goth is trending but I don't see any people hanging out in graveyards (which is good because people seem to not understand RESPECT nowadays). I'm not even goth and I suddenly found it's my duty to gatekeep the graveyards (as people usually do including the graveyard employees, the grieving, joggers, and the police that [thankfully] patrol)😂When hanging out in graveyards one should be respectful which means not being loud, STAYING FAR AWAY FROM THE WILDLIFE not causing a scene, no litter, ETC. Lots of animals congregate there in peace. There is a problem with people approaching wildlife now. It both angers and upsets me terribly. Once again, I love your speaking / writing if you're reading from your notes - you inspire me keep up the great work Miss Benedict 🤙
Also, I am Christian and I find that I can mentally focus more when I talk to god and I am overcome with peace. It is so beautiful. I usually talk to god in my head or quietly out loud if there's no one else there. If anyone is actually reading this, graveyards can also be dangerous depending on where you are so be safe and use street smarts.
I have never known a goth that didn’t treat a graveyard and wildlife with respect. Then again, I grew up in the 80s in the country.
@@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396 Same. There is a lot of deviancy in my area (deviant youth, homeless junkies, criminals, and bums). None of them even dress goth but I was taking this into context when writing my comment. I live in the country area in Maine.
I loved living across the street from a cemetery when I was a baby bat. In my teens and early 20s I used to take dates to the cemetery, it really helped weed out who I wasn't compatible with.
I grew up in the 80's and 90's. For me, my clothing was very much influenced by the music I was listening to. In the 90's I was a teen and was heavily listening to Depeche Mode, NIN, Skinny Puppy, Sisters Of Mercy etc. I also loved a lot of the other bands which I still listen to like Duran Duran etc. I wore doc martens, bomber jackets, fishnets etc. I wore a lot of crosses and cameos which I still love to this day. Most people I knew did not have the internet yet(Information Highway) or a cell phone. It was all word of mouth. We also had magazines like Propaganda etc. to look at.
Totally agree. I found myself becoming a bit bored with the subculture of late and knew social media was the culprit and took a break. I think seeing the rise of a copy-paste sort of black and white “trad goth” (that increasingly resembles corpse paint more than 80s goth) makeup, goth in a box clothing look with the same 5 goth tik tok songs was getting old and I was missing the creativity and risk taking that made goth exciting to begin with. I find I can’t stomach a goth brand outfit head to toe on myself either, you have to mess with the perfection a bit by throwing on a run down thrift piece or something DIY. Ultimately I think people forget that this is supposed to be fun!! It’s a passion, not a job, and when you take it too seriously and lose the creativity and community that goes with it, it becomes just as performative as anything else. Yes it’s a music based subculture and fashion is important to a degree but there’s so much more than that to make it a rich and full experience-art, literature, conversation, shared cultural practices, etc. Distilling all that too much for an easily replicable 30 second video kills the buzz. I already envy generations before me that grew up with less technology but I really feel for kids today with no glimpse into a world without it-it must be easy to get lost in the algorithm. Happens to all of us sadly
I really can't stand all of the white-face going on right now, it is very cringe in a bad way. My friends and I never wore it in the 80's/90's.
I'm a goth/metalhead in my thirties and even I have worries sometimes about not looking alternative enough to not be recognized aesthetically or visually that I'm part of those subcultures.
That's natural. Even when you're confident in yourself and you're not of the same mindset as the people who kind of make it trendy, you still want to be recognized by your people and I totally get that. Sometimes I go out and realize I didn't put on a necklace and I'm like, shit - how will they know if I'm not wearing a bat?
As an elder, I just like to tell them it's not what you wear. It's who you are. As she said, it's more about those things that make your look yours. You bring who you are to the outfit. It's amazing what you can do with safety pins... Blessings to you fabulous dark things.
I always get told I don’t dress goth enough when im wearing blue or purple or red :/ half the time I’m literally wearing a metal t shirt & leggings. Occasionally a gothic look, but it’s insanity these days, bullied by “goths” bc I don’t dress “trad”
And I’m so tired
I’m always comparing myself bc of it
Hating taking photos of my own personal outfits
Bc it doesn’t feel “ goth” enough
It sucks what this has done to me
It's really no different from the popular kids in high school wearing the name brands bullying the kids who aren't. Being alternative has always been a direct departure from this because whereas alt kids be it grunge, punk or goth definitely stood out because they looked different it wasn't just our appearance that made us stand out from the normie kids - it was our music, our interests, hobbies, attitudes, views, beliefs, perspectives. They were shallow because they based a persons worth on what they wore/what they had. These 'Fashion Goths' are no different. That's what makes them poseurs.
It’s so interesting watching these videos coming from the perspective of a different fashion (gothic lolita) that lifts aesthetics from goth culture. I feel like for years we beat into baby lolitas that some gothic lolitas are goths, but it’s not a requirement and the CLOTHING is not a subculture. Alas, it feels like that message is getting across less and less every year
I'm a baby bat (goth for a couple of years now) and my outfits are mostly normal clothes accessorized to look goth. I do have three or four gothic pieces I've gathered over the years, but it's mostly accessories that make the look. I don't do anything special with my hair because I have a hard time styling it and I wear simple darker makeup because I have really sensitive skin. I want to do more DIY, I want to learn how to sew and I want to support local artisans or small businesses moving forward. It is restrictive, but I need to stay true to my ecological side as well! And let me tell you, I have never felt more goth than when I was blasting goth music in my room while cutting up my clothes or when I just lounge around and let the music sink in!
The last five ish years I’ve delved deep into the peasant goth style. I love the general silhouette, the comfort, and ideologically it’s my way of reclaiming the look from the ‘tradwives’, who take these looks and turn them into misogyny… and it’s also my way of subverting the idea of ‘good old days’, of highlighting the inherent folk horror within rural culture and the poverty of oppressed rural populations. I didn’t plan it out, it naturally developed. It’s all about emulating the silhouette of a 19th century rural peasant, but making it dark, unsettling and something you wouldn’t want to meet in the forest (so just 19th century peasant if they were goth). Now after one of my friends who’s a big influencer used the hashtag on IG (which was nice, she credited me) it took off a bit, but the aesthetic seems to be misunderstood. I don’t really care, I’m not in the business of coining trends, it was just a tongue in cheek way of describing myself. But it’s interesting still.
The nuance of the word "forced" is very interesting here, and I think it's related to exactly why a lot of older goths feel the scene has changed fundamentally. It's not exactly that goths were "forced to be creative" -- it meant that *only* people who were creative were goth (more or less). Goth was a place where artistic and aesthetically-inclined minds gathered. But now, with the "fast fashion" and the "off-the-shelf identity" stuff, there's nothing sort of...weeding out a group of like-minds. (Really, the same thing is happening with a lot formerly niche subcultures/groups.)
Where I grew up, the goth and punk scenes were extremely DIY, and that meant not only for clothes, but we learned things like how to cook and how to garden and how to build furniture etc etc.... It was a fundamental part of the identity, deeper than what people think of as "aesthetics". (I know it wasn't like that everywhere, of course.)
I don't want that to sound gatekeep-y....but I do think that because there was a coincidental "barrier" to participation meant that, once the barrier was removed, the internal demographics changed. Goth for a lot of people is a "fashion" where you can "look cool" and maybe get some internet clout or social points, and...that's it. For most, it's not a niche group of "people who experience the world in a creatively different way than the norm" any more. Those people aren't "bad" or "wrong", but I do think it's....a net negative for goth?
Thank you for phrasing it this way. It's exactly how geek hobbies feel too nowadays. I am relatively new to the goth scene but have always loved the culture, and seeing the amount of self-proclaimed goths who say "you don't need to listen to goth music to be goth"- I'm sorry WHAT
And while having clothes more accessible is a good thing, I am definitely looking into making custom clothes now because I want to create something beautiful (or ugly) never seen before that express part of my mind.
Goth clothing is a way to express ourselves. It's not a requirement. How annoying that people think it's only a look. It's a subculture based around music. The goth aesthetic can be enjoyed by anyone, of course. But it's sad that goth fashion is being used to pressure alternative people to not be themselves. Feels just like the world many of us worked to escape. Don't let fashionistas tell you who you are. Fashion is fleeting. Your identity is deeper.
I think the more that we speak about this, the more that we can maybe not so much drown out those who try to turn it into a shallow popularity contest but present an opposing view to where those affected by it realize that there's more to it and feel safe being themselves and really exploring.
@@angelabenedict True. ❤️🖤❤️
I know I'm a little late to this, but I was just ranting and lamenting to my husband about how I feel like I don't get perceived in the way that I want to be simply because I don't dress the way stereotypical goths would. I can't wear a lot of the clothing due to my job, which only leaves weekends and at that point it just feels like a waste of money to invest in. I also cannot handle makeup, and dying my hair is a very expensive chore because it's so thick. However, I have a huge interest in macabre things (especially teratology and other medical maladies), gore, vampires, skeletons, deep intellectual and existential discussions, etc. However, I dress in a very "normie" way (leggings and tees) so I feel like I can't make friends with goths/alt folks simply because they don't know I am actually one of them.
People love to claim that subcultures aren't all about fashion and the way you look, but someone like me would get overlooked in a heartbeat simply because I don't dress the part. It's actually extremely frustrating. I'm way too weird for the normies, but too normie for the goths.
Sadly growing up born in 96 grew up in the 00's I told my mom I wanted to be goth and express myself as such as I grew up on Marilyn Manson and Evanescence and the cure and wanted to learn more. Well my mom told me she would beat my azz if I became goth. So I went into the emo and scene route now as an adult I am free to me be but style wise I'm a mix of punk, emo and goth but I love the music fashion means very little to me I dress how I feel and to be comfortable. But growing up was awful when you have people tell you how to express yourself so they can be comfortable around you.
I have loved elements of all styles of goth since I was a teen in the 90's, but I also loved things like og hip hop, dance music and punk.I adore color and funny patterns and ridiculous, dorky aesthetics as well. I feel like when you're young, it's easier for many to fall into a "preset" niche because the effort and learning aspect isn't as satisfying to them. To me, its all about exploration and evolving yourself, and that to me is the GENUINE correlation to the whole goth idea from the start. You feel called to go outside of the familar. You understand that in order to know the objective truth sometimes you have to get a little uncomfortable. You understand its GOOD to be challenged, and willing to accept you may even prefer the less popular alternative, even if its not without some sort of sacrifice. Goth, and really subcultures as a whole, was never supposed to be so EASY. It doesn't really work as instant lifestyle makeover shipped to your doorstop with a flash of a credit card. Sure you can dig the look and vibe with it, but for me, I'd just feel like an imposter trying to fit in. Still.
I WISH we had those clothing catalogues today! I would be cutting out images, putting them in my journal(s), making notes and writing down ideas and different styling options, what makeup to wear with it, etc etc. That would be SO much fun!
I'm not a goth but I agree so much on jewelry and accessoires. I got from a renfair a necklace with a beautiful red dragon and some beautiful earrings, rings and a waist belt. When I wear basic clothes in daily life, they look don't so basics with these jewelry on.
Also agree on doomscrolling and phone attention so much.
thank you for this video!!! I been a goth for 15+ years now but I live in a really warm and dangerous city so I can't wear the clothes of my dreams, a lot of people don't think about of stuff like that.
You're welcome! I'm really sorry to hear that! Unfortunately, there are so many variables that stop a person from being able to dress the way that they would like to which is upsetting because fashion is a form of self-expression and not being able to let that out can be frustrating.
as someone who dresses in the romantic gothic style I am sick of being told that I am sick of being told that I am not goth enough because I don,t dress trad goth.
The people saying that are people that have nothing to do with the subculture. They don't listen to any of the music, they have zero depth and are all appearance. They'll move on to the next trend when it comes up.
DiY fashion was what my network was all about. Lots of originality! We were poor. But creative. The ladies would get skilled in sewing if they didn't already know how. The low income men were a bit more plain clothed so the main focus was on hairstyle because the fashion clothing was expensive. But some guys would make their own accessories. One guy in the scene started a jewelry crafting shop. We were anti-capitalist & anti consumer culture so we weren't big into shopping. We organized our own music concerts & made our own clothing, built bicycles from salvaged parts, made our own crafts (like alcoholic beverages, soaps, costumes & decorations), fixed our cars for the most part... basically created our own parallel society & we loved the goth culture!
Yeehaw! I love that! I was a GutterGoth Anarchist myself, and some of the coolest stuff ever was DIY Crust level almost, but elegant! Soon as I fully retire, I am repiercing some holes with Arkansas wild lemon thorns and smithing the permanent jewelry from pure elements...Goth Batik my vintage 70s stuff and work my buckskin into a Nephilim hat. Yeah ..I am a Crusty Dustgoblin, lol...and I am landing on that Aesthetic for my old age.
@@PariahThistledowne that's magnificent!
I'm a bit of baby bat (early 20s) I remember really wanting to be goth in highschool but learning pretty quickly that it wasn't just looks but a music based subculture, I made the mistake of asking r/Goth what music they'd recommend I listen to (I was really into emo and nirvana at the time 💀) and it scared me off. I was really frightened of being seen a poseur. I found as I grew older and into my late teens I still was really fixated and curious about it and through friends and social media I decided to listen to the music again and fell so in love! All the different genres and subgenres it had a lot more depth than maybe I thought when I was 14. It just felt like something clicked. 🖤
I just remembered that I made my first choker out of black round shoe lace and ornate silver heart that I took from some random belt laying around the house. The favorite choker that I ever had.
I did a lot of DIY back in the days because we didn't even have a thrift store around and the results were fabulous. Unfortunately, one day my mother decided to burn everything that I made to "teach me a lesson". It literally crushed my heart. After that I stopped making my clothes because I couldn't go through that again. Anyway... You just reminded me how much I enjoyed making my own clothes, so I think it is the time to go back to it. Thank you! 🧡
As someone who had to hide away their gothness for years (safety reasons) coming back into the subculture is a for lack of better phrasing culture shock! I think you put it best as to what I realized I have been missing this whole time! The creativity, just gelling with my buddies while Bauhaus, London After Midnight and ect play in the background. Making accessories and shirts together. Just talking for hours till sleep over came us! I met some baby bats at a show the other day and they were so excited to show off the things they had made, and honestly it gave me newfound hope. There is a lot of mass production now involved, I think it has led to a stifling of our collective imagination. It also is rather expensive, so many baby bats have expressed it is harder to get things now (I would argue it isn’t just costs more if you don’t know where to look) But just the other day I found myself using nail polish to paint studs for a bracelet I’m working on… After all of this jumbled mess of a statement, may we rededicate time for imagination, or losing ourselves to mindfulness without electronic distraction! Thank you for this video!
DIY is The Way. All those cookie cutter kiddos are depriving themselves of one of greatest life joys - and also maybe of a way to discover one's lifelong creative outlets! I was a teen in the mid-nineties and being dirt poor meant that I wore a mix of thrifted stuff, things that I'd pillage from my parents' closet and entirely handmade accessories. I craved beautiful jewelry so much, but couldn't afford none. I'd wear a piece of cheap black lace tied around my neck with a cat bell attached to it. Or a black velvet cat collar (which actually belonged to our family cat.) I fashioned necklaces out of wire and hex nuts and washers acquired at the builder's store. Later I've realized that I can dismantle and reuse old beaded jewelry, and it was as if a whole new world opened in front of me. I'm an avid jewelry maker to this day - although one that has an adult person budget at her disposal, Thanks to the rise of jewelry findings shops online I can create absolutely Anything I please. It is a delight. Still won't shop at Alchemy Gothic (their prices are nuts!)
I legit saw an online shop with faux office pins, hex keys and nuts to wear as jewelry yesterday. 😹
I'll also add to it that a lot of the "goth brands" are expensive and were used in accent to everything else you had created. It was like a statement piece to amp up your look as opposed to what it is now, which is merely replacing the heart of your outfits with nothing *but* statement pieces. They used to be accents or something you brought out for shows when you wanted to dress to the nines. I think that shifted because people always feel they need to be completely done up for social media, making the extreme seem more everyday than it used to be.
I never considered myself a goth because I never only listened to goth music. My music taste literally runs the gamut, as does my style, but it's always leaned more alternative, and I very much relate to you on the DIY aspects. Back when I was in middle and high school (in the late 90s/early 2000s) most of my closet was just black clothes from the clearance rack or thrift stores and things I cut up. Did I look a hot mess sometimes? Yeah, but what a time it was!
That's another one of the misconceptions that floats around quite a lot about being a goth and what does and doesn't disqualify someone from the subculture which is kind of a harsh way of putting it but it's the way I've seen it delivered a lot of times. There's really only one key requisite and that's listening to the music and I can count on one hand how many golfs I know that only listen to goth music because the majority of goths listen to a million other genres as well It's just that Goth happens to be there top genre.
@@angelabenedictSi te fijas con las bandas punk desde sus inicios a la fecha, muchas se visten normalmente, incluso con traje. Te lo dije el punk y el goth son dos maneras de vivir. En cuanto a la indumentaria, tu síguela usando, que así te ves preciosa. 💓😍❤️
personally, I'm finding as i get older I'm not interested in "goth brands" anymore I'm sick of everyone dressing and looking the same. i want to support smaller niche creators and when i can't i love making my own clothes by knitting, crocheting and sewing to my style and tastes. my ultimate goal is to a me made goth wardrobe. If you can get into DIY i highly recommend it will bring so much joy and satisfaction, and you want be supporting an industry that exploits people either.
Your videos always make me feel so nostalgic. I was a babybat in the 00s, but in a tiny town in Denmark. There was zero goth presence in the nearby large city, all I had to hang out with was punks, emos and metalheads. I’ve held onto my goth identity through out the years, but it’s almost felt like by strength alone. Time wise I still spend most of my culture time at blank metal concerts due to availability, but my heart will always be with goth.
My club goth look during the 90's was vinyl hot shorts, fishnet stockings and white ruffle blouse and my point black skull boots . And vintage cameo brooch .
So happy to see a video on this! I love goth fashion, and I love some of the older goth brands too like lip service, but so much of the modern “tradgoth in a box” look I see everywhere does not resonate with me, and if I was just dipping my toes into the subculture now and all I saw was that look, I’d be a little disappointed. Like, giant bell sleeves, corsets, ankh belts, and that super specific trad makeup look all over Pinterest/tiktok are all cute, but there’s so much more than that to the fashion side of the subculture! As an artist I’m predisposed to making/modifying my own thrifted/hand me down clothes and making jewelry, and honestly; I wear those pieces waaaay more than the lip service, killstar, etc pieces I have. There are so many cool silhouettes you can go for yknow; 80s angular shoulder pads type look, tattered post apocalyptic rivethead look, a sleek gothabilly pencil skirt and blazer type thing, Siouxsie trad type look with one bright pop of color maybe, “clowncore” goth with a neck ruff and bloomers, to name a few… the options are endless and you can literally invent your own “aesthetics” with no limits :) there’s no rules, it’s pure self expression and that’s the best part! Music is also such a big part, I always just turn on my playlist when getting ready for the club and let whatever music I’m feeling dictate the makeup look and fit- a front 242 makeup look and a Jesus and Mary chain makeup look are worlds apart, but that’s the fun of it! 🖤🦇
Sometimes I do find some DIY jewelry I made when I was in high school around the Y2K, even the "wildest" piece was like ruffled ribbon made to a choker- or a piece of salvaged lace with an added ribbon and a key pendant. I remember trying to drill holes into a LEGO bat to make a pair of earrings, painting chicken bones, etc.
I still hunt for jewelry pieces, (and yes, found a cameo pendant, I miss that black one my schoolmate gifted me once T_T) from antique and thrift stores, but plastic thingies are just an overload. Trying to be a very kind person with baby bats keep posting and posting on Reddit "where to find cheap clothing and accessories" but sometimes I lose it, so I rather skip that post, because I would get up a bunch of black dye, and a DIY kit and cross the ocean to kick a door on that person in a "Get in bat, we're going DIY" 😂😂
A while ago I saw a video of a girl and her og goth parents getting ready to go to some kind of goth event, the girl put a lot of effort into her outfit and dressed like all these social media fashion goths, and when she asked her parents how she did they said "you look too happy, like you have something to live for."
Elaborating on that they explained that in the 80s, they put a lot of effort into looking like they had just rolled out of bed and not tried very hard to tidy themselves up, these days goth fashion is so polished and clean that it just doesnt have that same energy anymore. I feel like that idea resonates with me. I prefer the older, messier look, because I'm not good at polished and am not really interested in it. I want to look like something that just crawled out of the graveyard, not an immaculate vampire who spent 3 hours on my eyeliner and is competing to have the most extreme outfit at the party. I want to be able to just chuck on a black t shirt, my black trench coat, mess my hair up and call it a day 😭😭
I think also fast fashion is so accessible like Shein, etc where you can get super gothed out stuff so easily and cheaply. When I was a young goth that kind of fast fashion wasn’t around and buying something from Hot Topic was a once in awhile. Always wanted a Lip Service piece but I could never afford it. My friends and I all just thrifted so it def didn’t have the super put together carbon copy look I see a lot of young goth kids have. No shade to them is just grateful for having access and the option really just being thrift stores and altering your own clothes.
Im watching this video while DIYing my own pair of shorts for the summer!
Also after finishing these shorts im now going to listen to a playlist that the one goth I know reccomended me and just listen to it. Like actually enjoy it. Thank you :)
as a baby bat whos really struggling with "im not goth enough" this video brought me to tears. i felt so valid especially after you revealed how you cut your tights- i did the same thing with my fishnets!! and how you talked about the fashion as a self expression. i appreciate you and wish i knew about any bat caves in my area
Don't mind humanity. The people aren't worth it.
You're a goth if you know you are, it doesn't matter what you're listening to, what you're wearing, if it's day or night.
I could probably make a generic list of why I'm a goth, and 99% of everyone would agree because our minds are all warped the same way. 😅
Yes!! I feel like DIY is a big part of the culture. Well it used to be but now I feel fast fashion is so easy and “goth” fashion is so easy to find now. I miss seeing more of the creativity because it was harder to find.
Girl your top is SO red it's like almost neon that's crazy
It looks like it would glow under black light. I have a red lace top that does.
I feel like younger goths (like actual babybats who do care about the music scene but have tiktok brains - not entirely their fault, since it's a teen vs a multi-million corporation) who gatekeep based on fashion are actually kinda weird. I'm from Poland, we have the Castle Party festival, age of the attendees ranges from like 70 to 15. Granted, it's a "dark independent" festival, and not a strictly goth one - there's also metal and some cyber goth kinda music. Anyways, me and my friend got a gatekeeping moment from a 17 yo. girl with the whole makeup thing, even though she was like..? a toddler...? when we were babybats. But HOW can you walk out of The Mission show, where they literally look like a bunch of uncles on stage, and gatekeep based on looks? Would they come up to The Mission and tell them they're posers? Hell, even bands who still do the look usually don't have the white foundation + angular eyeliner combo. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE GOD DAMNIT
I LOVE what you said about people's personality shining through that REALLY makes the look. It's so true! On the contrary, with many people nowadays (not just goths) I see the exact opposite. They seem emotionless, inexpressive, a blank slate, portraying nothing, maybe an empty shell. It's like comparing a vivacious model to one that is boring and dull, something that vaguely seems missing (the portrayal of soul?). Even "emotionless" can be artfully portrayed via photography/modeling. I wish I could write this better, I will consider it a first draft of mine 🤔 These videos sure make me think.
Yes!! My favorite memories of those times are just sitting with friends listening to music.
It's fun making your own kind of goth. I'm out here in the back of my pickup truck, in a black Magellan sweater, grey ripped jeans, old black military boots, bat/cross rings listening to type O Negative and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Anyone can be goth just listen to the music ~
Also love that you mentioned having old pet collar necklaces! I still have one too! Gotta make do!
man, hearing you talk about laying in bed with friends and listening to music... I did that too ;')
THANK YOU .. THANK YOU THANK YOU ❤ 00S Goth here and I was late bloomer at 17. Being a plus size goth isn't easy, im 38 and using social media, seeing baby bats looking more better than what I can achieve.. im just too comfortable in a tshirt and leggings but I do miss dress up and meet for a cuppa
Last comment!😅 (because I really loved your video lmao sorry). 20:02 yeah, I've noticed this. Hardcore gatekeepers are usually going through a goth/alternative phase. They buy expensive shit, they go around feeling superior with what they wear and how many concerts they attended. And just one day poof! They get tired of it and start throwing or reselling EVERYTHING they bought. Fine by them. But this is the people that sometimes damage other baby bats and the community. Putting up standards that they won't even follow in the future because they were in just for some years. Great video Angela, love from México! 🦇🖤🦇🖤
Greetings to you from New York! Thanks so much for your comments. I think it's important that we try to communicate that we really don't care if people like the goth fashion and aren't into the subculture, because we understand. We understand why it's beautiful and why other people would be attracted to it. Fashion is a form of expression after all. It's when those very same people take that aesthetic and then try to bully people in the subculture that it's associated with. They try to mock them or ridicule them because that person's fashion isn't up to par based on their standards when in actuality the person they're bullying is a goth, has been involved in the subculture, listens to the music but doesn't subscribe to the whole cookie cutter goth in a box trend. It's all about balance.
@@angelabenedictTe envío un beso con alas de murciélago desde México 🌹😍💓🇲🇽
I've had a few people try and argue that they're part of the subculture but only wear the fashion and thee are grown adults, still baby bats but grown ass adults (I'm almost 40) who get sucked into this idea that the aesthetic is all that matters. I've been part of this subculture most of my life. I enjoy all sorts of fashion. I'm still listening to Twin Tribes or whatever on my headphones at the store. I just look like a potato because disability means I can't always dress the way I like. I save that for the few nights a year I have the energy to go clubbing or out to a bar with friends. I love when I'm told i'm not goth it's amusing to me.
Clothes are not identity. They're a visual CLUE but they are not identity. The inner person usually comes out in the style.
I have a neice who is this way, the level of her binge buying. Shes still in shocked I was a thrift goth and I had zero f**ks, what people thought in old photographs.
I agree people nowadays have it so easy they don't know what it means to seriously work for your music and outfits. I just wish people would seriously learn the meaning of goth. I mean if it's only about the fashion for them just use the label alternative or darkly inclined to refer to yourself please
I’m 53 now and I think you explained everything perfectly for baby 🦇🦇s. Keep these videos coming 🖤
Happy belated B-day JanieB!!🎩
@@gothicallyyoursprofessorm.7222 thank you so much ☺️
I enjoy goth colture since years now and I discovered that goth fashion is so wide and full of different ways to express that I just stopped trying to be like "classical" goth style at all costs and just started to be myself and express with what I thought represented me. Goth is not an uniform its the exact opposite, just be yourself, wear whatever you want and enjoy the whole goth culture the way it makes you feel happy and yourself
On top of that, these fashion brands are fast fashion so its horrible for the environment and since it applies a lot of stylistic pressure onto people that will force them and pressure them into buying more items. Esp for companies like dollskill that are really problematic on every level, subcultures having a strong aesthetic is lovely but like people shldnt forget the roots of subcultures like goths but stylistic pressure has to stop, esp when its a tool for seniority and acknowlegement in public where people might not recognise u as a goth esp non goths and even some goths are quite elitist which makes this pressure so circular.
I've made fashion disasterous styling mistakes over the years. But without them you will never get your greatest successes. Personally I embrace those mistakes. Not only can they never be used against me but it also shows I am human. Perfection is a lie and social media pushes that lie harder than ever. I'd rather be flawed.
Remember the days where two people turning up in the exact same outfit caused drama and they gave each other daggers all night? Big difference between you wearing the outfit and an outfit wearing you. Make it yours!
I can relate to your experience a bit, because i like to dress in japanese street fashion (the more colorful styles). I live in Poland and it's hard to buy brands that are made specifically for harajuku fashion so I have to improvise by buying clothes in kid section (because they have a more interesting color pallete and patterns than adult clothes) and making my own jewellery with beads. BTW I also dress in black from time to time too
That's a really good idea! Improvise using the kids section because they will have very animated, colorful styles.
Omg thank you very much for this video i love and adore goth fashion but I HATE goth fashion cops so much!!!!! They need to remember that not only the music is important but the progressive politics and expressing ourselves is also important which is also progressive. I've delt with elitist goth fashion cops online and they're so rude. They don't even care if you grew up in a restrictive abusive bigoted religious household either. Last week I blocked a "goth" girl on twitter for bullying and shaming other goths and emos who were too scared to express themselves in religious environments they were forced to grow up in as children. She called them pussies and posers saying that their upbringings are "no excuses for them to be posers". As someone who grew up in a fundamentalist household where I wasn't allowed to express myself and only be raised to grow up as a future "stepford wife", her along with her friends' comments really hurt me and almost made me cry. I can't believe there's people in this subculture like her and her friends who really think this way and don't care what their fellow goth/alternative people are going through. It's like they rub it in our faces that they grew up with freedoms and privileges to express themselves the way they wanted to instead of encouraging those of us who grew up in bigoted religious environments that restricted us from expressing ourselves and the fact that she got so many followers despite the fact she's an awful vile person who treats other alternative people who didn't and still don't have the same freedom and privilege she got to have growing up like trash scares me. Guess I'm a "poser" for not wanting anymore religious abuse and trauma inflicted on me for wanting to be my true self 🙄 (sarcasm lol). I've heard from other goths online that they're been bullied and mistreated by other goths for not "looking goth enough" in real life. It's ironic and also sad that a subculture just like the emo one trauma dump and project their school days on strangers who did nothing to them while acting just like the people who picked on them in school. I'm now learning how to enjoy both subcultures again by just ignoring the horrible people in them. I had loving supportive punk and goth friends in high school who accepted me into their inner circle although i was forced to dress "normal" due to my religious fundamentalist upbringing and they still loved me and understood why I wasn't allowed to dress like them yet. I swear, goth fashion cops be trying to suck the fun out of enjoying the scene and its culture, emo ones too. Sorry for the long rant it's just something I wanted to share since I'm so happy you made this video. 🖤
I am so sorry to hear that. It's amazing The lack of empathy and understanding that comes out of the mouths of the privileged. They don't even care to attempt to see things from a perspective of something other than their own. They have literally zero ability to see the world beyond their own nose. Those are the people who are the true poseurs. There are tons of people in the subculture who have had it easy and they will readily admit that they've had it easy and respect and understand that others haven't had the same luxury or privileges themselves. The people that will shame you for simply trying to survive in an extreme environment, those are the people who in 5 years time will be in yoga gear and Stanley cups trying to get people involved in their pyramid scheme on Facebook.
@angelabenedict FACTS!!! like I want to enjoy the subculture and it's culture in peace lol 😭🎯💯
Aunque no lo creas a mi estuvieron a punto de lincharme por ser vampiro, sólo por mi manera de vestir y costumbres nocturnas. Y ahora te acusan por no ser suficientemente gótico jajajaja ¿Sabes cuántas noches deambule en el cementerio? ¿Cuántas veces dormí en una cripta en los brazos de alguna gótica? ¿Cuántas ocasiones amanecimos en algún bosque lejano? Ser gótico no es una moda: ya lo dijeron aquí: Lee todos los libros; disfruta todo el arte; encuentra te a ti mismo; vístete como quieras. Te mando un beso, desde la sepultura. 🇲🇽😘12:54 12:54 12:54
@@angelabenedictYa me voy a dormir. Espero que sueñes conmigo yo procuraré hacer lo mismo. Si en la oscuridad escuchas un batir de alas membranosas, no los ahuyentes, no son murciélagos: son los besos que te mandé.🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇
wouldnt really call dollskill and killstar higher end goth, but more like trendy tiktok-ish goth. i believe this is a transversal issue among most subcultures. as a fashion and goth enthusiast myself i believe fashion is a way to express yourself through clothing, shouldnt rly be dependant on any trends, even when its inspo is a subculture. There is so much more to gothic subcultures than just "a look".
also, without the intention of being a goth-nazi, it does get missleading when ppl treat goth as a trend rather than a subculture, i find myself dressing in pink and light colors asking "goth looking" individuals everytime wether they like the cure or and one just to get dissapointed HAHA
Exactly--if you think being goth is about looking goth, you don't really understand what it means to be one yet.
I loved the more diy creative things people wore and made in the 80's and 90's and also now to an extent , I remember people making fimo jewelry , eastern type bohemian essential oil holder pendants, someone even had a necklace made of real polo sweets, it was also a point of interest and conversation if someone wore or made something individual that you liked , and said more about their personality than something straight from the shelf, Ive always mixed off the shelf and DiY things. Great video , best wishes 🦇🦇🖤🖤
It's funny how I only just recently got to a place in life where I can afford the goth clothes I had been wanting for many years, and while I did get some new stuff, I'm suddenly getting more into DIY modifying hats, jackets, shirts and jeans again after years of not doing that anymore.. Lol
Yes! I am 43 and have always been goth/punk but I got into drugs at a young age and was always broke because everything went to drugs. I’m over a year clean and now have money for things I never dreamed I could own and it’s become a nice of the old DIY and new money pieces 😊
I had an old couple approach me at the library in approval of my goth-look. The recognition was pretty nice.
My outfit was black lipstick, some eyeliner, a nice, plain, black t-shirt, hot topic sheer fingerless gloves, and faux leather Spanx leggings with Dr. Martens. I still had my short blonde hair and tortoise shell glasses, and my vibe was more friendly than spooky. BUT, they recognized that I was a goth, and that their son also worked with a goth woman, and that they don't see many goths in this town. It was cool, I felt unique. I was just chilling on a bench outside, so the conversation was welcome.
Elder goth here; I have a vivid memory of when I was about eight or so, wearing all black, going to the supermarket with my mum and the lady at the checkout says to me: Are you going to a funeral? That never stopped me.
Oh absolutely! I have been told quite a lot lately that "i dont look goth anymore" and its just wild to me. Like I have a toddler, an eight yo, and a full time job, I dress all black and was jumping around in goth clubs before this kids were even born. I just dont have the energy or time to be in full goth attire every day. It takes a lot of time and money that I currently spend on other stuff. That doesnt make me less goth, I'm just a tired mom who listens to alien sex fiend on their way to work.
I remember being 12 and really wanting to be goth but my parents wouldn't buy the clothes i wanted so i had to get creative, I used to wear a lot of cat collars with the bell on them, and I loved it. I embroidered a lot of plain tshirts and cut them. Put band patches all over my pants, dyed everything black and all sort of things. And tbh this kids look amazing but they look a little cookie cutter to me. And Im not gonna judge anyone by their looks or tell anyone "how to be goth" because just wear whatever the fck you want its about the lens you see life through, the music, the poetry, the literature, films, the vibes... Just explore be yourself and you'll do great but trying to "police" how goths should be its so wild to me.
I never questioned my identity because living in the country in the 80s, even a loose black dress and boots together seemed weird to others. It was hard not to be exiled. :/ There wasn’t Hot Topic or other goth shops in my area. So, I guess I never felt the pressure.
This video is a microcosm of why I sub'd to you. It's the 90's era way people where. Imagination and ingenuity were used and people being naturally in the moment of things, Goth or not. I miss this in the way things were. I feel so disconnected these days....😕
I think the parts of gen z/gen alpha that haven't experienced this would benefit so much. I mean their motto is 'It aint that deep' - what does that tell you? They live in the shallow end. Gotta coax them out into deeper water and show them what's in there.
@@angelabenedict Gen Alpha had some hope of that due to being so young still....
I love this video! I fell into the fast goth fashion trap in my mid 20s when I became a mom and didn’t have time to DIY as much as I used to. Now at 38 I’m up cycling all my old dollskill stuff so I’m going through this amazing era of DIY with what I’ve gotten over the past decade. It’s been a lot of fun to get back to customizing my clothes again. 🖤
I feel proper sorry for kids getting into any subculture these days. Everything is so commodified and pre-packaged and absolutely rinsed on social media. It's almost like they don't have the /opportunity/ to be creative, unless they're skilled enough at it to not get laughed at (and even then they'd be then pushed to monetise it in some way). They don't get to do all of their makeup with one black eyeliner pencil and make their own outfits from anything to hand, and be safe in the knowledge the entire world isn't spying on them and judging them. I remember meeting up with my best mate on Friday afternoons in the '90s to make our outfits for that night's night out. I made him (I was the better one at sewing) a top once out of a tshirt, fishnets and condom wrappers painted in UV paint, it was badass 😂 I still love DIYing clothes, everything I own is second hand. It's part of the fun.
I think that's why it's important that we try to deliver content like this to help them along. Because when it comes to social media, the most trendy and mainstream friendly stuff is what's going to float to the surface first. So naturally as they're doing their experimental deep dive trying to figure out who they are, they're going to find the trendsters first and get their heads all scrambled up with misinfo All delivered in this sentiment that basically states, if you don't look like us then you're not one of us. It takes quite a bit of ingredients to make a goth but one of those ingredients is self-expression. They need that freedom to explore and figure that out for themselves so much encouragement from other goths in the community to go forth and see what's inside their brain will always be a welcomed sentiment.
Same shit happened to me when I walked in a goth bar dressed very normal. This kind of "you need to look the part to belong" stigma has been alive for a very long time and its silly and useless. I am who I am, don't need to prove myself to anybody ever
Great video, thanks for your take on goth/fast fashion! I see it a lot with the makeup, too. I wasn't in high school in the 90's, but even when I was of high school age, it was a little before or at the very start of the whole beauty guru side of TH-cam. I used to collect those terribly greasy $1 colored eyeliners from Hot Topic and just smear them all around my eyes 😅😂
Now, there's such a pressure to have the perfect, expensive eyeliners, and the application skills of a makeup artist, flawless skin and it's just not "real". Even as an adult, I find myself comparing the looks to how I look with the hair, makeup, clothes, and jewelry. I see my younger family members always comparing their appearances to their peers online
The diy aspect of back in the day! Yes! Putting my outfits together from various thrift store finds (lots of black satin sleep wear 😆), or using parts of Halloween costumes (not typically cheesy jewelry that came with them)... On top of that, people in my group had their "make specialties", and if you were really close friends you would make your specialty for others. In my city, the only place we could get Goth geared clothing was hot topic. It was a bit too expensive but I would get my fishnets there. I miss those days!
Wow this just unlocked a vision of child me coloring in the makeup in women's magazines to "make them cooler", thanks for the memories!!❤
I too flipped through Delia's magazine knowing darn well I wasn't going to order anything lol. I really miss those simpler times. You're a great story teller Angela.
Thanks for your video. For me, the Goths subculture is unthinkable without creativity and DIY. I sewed or knitted half of my wardrobe myself. And recently I dyed my dress for the first time thanks to your video. 🖤
I wish I could have meet you when I was younger. I was rejected by a group because my tan skin was not goth
I'm so sorry you went through that. You would have been more than welcome in our group.
"Anything is jewelry if you dare to wear it" agreed! 😂 I use my ear rings as necklaces, and necklaces as belts, or boot accessories, or pins. It depends on what my outfit will be for the occasion. I cut, I sew (I'm not good at it) I parch, I paint, I glue and I get creative. And as you said, I don't usually shop pre made goth fashion. I hunt for the normal clothes and make it goth in my own way. I love DIY❤. I wish baby bats could see that.