While it can be challenging to understand goth style clothing, finding the best places to buy your favorite goth fashions can be even more challenging. According to which subculture you identify with most, Gothic clothing can be broken down into dozens of different styles. You can get the most authentic look by shopping at stores that carry your kind of goth clothing.
Types of Gothic Clothing and Styles
All types of goth were born out of gothic subcultures that embraced everything dark, mysterious, and creative. From head to toe, this distinctive clothing style features carefully crafted looks. A lot of gothic clothing styles feature black as their base color, as gothic style is about loving what others perceive as dark.
Traditional or Classic Goth Clothing
With punk music from this decade, classic goth looks emerged in the 1980s. Traditionally, goths wear mostly black, occult images, big hair, piercings, and black makeup. The way you do your hair and makeup can make your look original even though this is the style of goth most readily available in dark chain stores. Layer black clothing with occult jewelry to get this look.
Cyber Goth Clothing
In keeping with its name, cyber goth style is all about the future. The goths love to imagine what the taboo things of the future will be like. The futuristic cyber goth style features bright neon colors and is paired with dance rock, trance, and techno music. Goggles, robotic prints, and circuit board-style lines are typical pieces. Simple metallic leggings can be made into cyber goth looks by sewing neon cording to them.
Romantic Goth Clothing
You’ve got romantic goth style when you combine romance novel covers with classic goth. As part of this style of goth, black and a variety of other dark colors are embraced. It is common for romantic goths to wear more formal outfits and high fashion pieces with romantic touches, such as bows and lace.
Romantic goths often wear gowns, corsets, and frock coats inspired by Victorian clothing. This look can be achieved by pairing a corset or tight pants with ruffles and puffy sleeves.
Vampire Goth Clothing
A vampire goth tries to look as much like a real vampire as possible. As do modern vampires portrayed in movies and TV shows, fictional vampires from classic literature can provide some inspiration. Dark, sleek hair and eyeliner, beautiful nail designs, and body art are hallmarks of this style. Adding bright red lipstick or really dark lipstick to your look will complete the vampire goth look.
Hippie Goth Clothing
One example of hippie goths is those who adhere to Pagan beliefs correlated with nature, such as Wicca. There is a kind of mix between traditional goths and hippies in this style. This style is characterized by long, flowing dresses in dark colors, as well as natural crowns adorned with crystals or animal horns. For this look, choose clothing styles typically associated with hippies, like bellbottoms or maxi dresses in deep, dark colors.
Vintage Goth Clothing
Vintage goths combine vintage clothing and accessories from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, with dark colors like black, to create new goth looks. Pieces with shapes that define each decade are used to evoke that time while embracing the darkness. Antique and thrift stores are hidden treasure troves of vintage goth style. Embrace a black look from a particular decade.
Industrial Goth Clothing
The industrial goth style is characterized by things that are particularly hard and associated with industrial parks, such as metal. A monochromatic head-to-toe look is embellished with spikes, studs, chains, and buckles. Clothing and accessories in military style also fit the industrial goth style. You can add metal to your outfit in innovative ways to create an industrial style that is uniquely yours.
Modern Goth Clothing
Victorian romanticism and Western magic traditions combine to form modern goth. A more simple overall style and modern cuts distinguish it from traditional goth. Most modern goths wear black, and many pieces are unisex. Wear trendy cuts in black and accessorize with a piece of traditional goth jewelry to make this style your own.
Where to Shop for Goth Clothing
Since the modern world celebrates differences, it isn’t as hard to find gothic clothing these days. Any goth can find items to fit his or her style today, from gothic stores to online artisans and vintage shops.
RebelsMarket
You can find everything from clothing and accessories to home decor at RebelsMarket, an online store. Sites like this find the best pieces from different brands that embrace subculture styles and sell them all at once. RebelsMarket sells men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing, including plus sizes. With prices ranging from $15 corsets to $300 dresses, this online shop has everything from steampunk to cyber goth.
Heavy Red
In addition to corsets, dresses, gloves, jewelry, and coats for women, Heavy Red provides ultra-stylish gothic clothing. Heavy Red’s tagline is “Couture Noir,” so you’ll find mostly romantic goth, vintage goth, and modern goth styles. Each piece is featured with a beautiful, fully styled image that gives you outfit inspiration while you shop. Steel boned corsets cost around $100 each, while accessories like specialty hosiery cost $25 to $50.
Hot Topic
Despite the fact that many goths consider Hot Topic too mainstream, it has influenced the creation of a more mainstream version of gothic fashion. With their brick-and-mortar stores, both men and women can go goth as easily as going to the mall. To achieve a slightly sanitized version of the goth look, their clothing blends classic gothic and punk styles. A tee costs about $20, and the prices are affordable.
Good Goth
Goth themes can be searched on GoodGoth.com. There is a “Made in the USA” section in this women’s gothic clothing store, so even goths can shop local. There are also witchy goth, vintage goth, and traditional goth shopping categories. With the online shop, you can get your whole look in one place, including accessories, gothic shoes, cosmetics, and clothing. The price of clothing items starts at around $10, while cosmetics and accessories are even cheaper.
Dolls Kill
Dolls Kill offers everything from makeup to clothing in classic goth, modern goth, hippie goth, romantic goth, and cyber goth styles. The shop has a wide selection of unique and affordable items that are priced well under $100.
Be Goth and Proud
You express your personality through your gothic style. The ultimate way to show off your goth pride is to mix store-bought items with handmade ones.