#goth tips

Here is a general guide for those who are interested in dressing goth. Obviously none of these things are required to be goth since it’s a music based subculture, however I hope this can be helpful to anyone trying to put together a goth wardrobe.

The Basics

♰ Patterned tights/fishnets

♰ Black slip dress

↳ Layer w/ fishnet top (can be made from tights)

♰ Costume jewelry

♰ Plaid pants or skirt

♰ Leather jacket

♰ Vests & corsets

♰ Belt chains

♰ Flowy blouses, skirts, & dresses

Iconic Brands

♰ Hot Topic

♰ Vivienne Westwood

♰ Betsy Johnson

♰ Disturbia

♰ Tripp NYC

♰ Scarlet Darkness

Thrift Tips

♰ Make a list of specific pieces you’re looking for (ex: vest, flannel, ect)

↳ Use Pinterest as a reference

♰ Some stores sell bags of costume jewelry

♰ Look for patterns and textures like lace and velvet

♰ Don’t judge a piece at face value — clothes can be altered!!

↳ Consider the DIY potential

Misc. Advice

♰ Black Dye is your best friend!!!

♰ Sewing is a lot easier than it looks

↳ Take advantage of free online tutorials

♰ Accessories can take an outfit from basic to gothic

♰ Go to antique stores for vintage pieces

Don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions!

Note: I am low-support needs disabled, and what works for me might not work for you. I am not a doctor and cannot offer medical advice!

Black hair, baby. I dye my roots with $1.25 men's beard dye from the 'tree now, so that's pretty cost-effective, and you don't have to do anything for your hair to look 'goth'. I wouldn't recommend a mohawk because for it to look maximum cool, you have to style it, and that can take a while. My haircut now is shaved on the sides with short bangs and it looks goth even if I don't style it. It requires minimum maintenance, too.

Pre-layered accessories. Many necklaces- especially ones marketed for 80s costumes- are pre-layered and you only have to work with one clasp. Maximum style for minimum effort. You can find layered necklaces on Amazon, at Halloween stores, and I've even seen them in the costume section of thrift stores. There are also bangle stacks that function the same way.

Strega Fashion and Lagenlook- this might work for wheelchair users, depending on how long your flowy elements are. Lots of tunics and skirts and sweaters and fancy hooded tops, etc. Think of a dark, witchy vibe. Very comfortable and can be easy to style with clothes-you-find-at-Wal-Mart, and relatively cheap.

Nails. I LOVE having long dark red nails for maximum 'spoiled vampire prince' vibes, but sometimes having acrylics or press-ons can be too expensive, impractical, or maybe too femme for you. Whatever the case, I have more recommendations than your standard black nail polish- there's silver nail polish that makes your nails look mirror-like, red nail polish of all shades, purples, etc. For a more masculine, deathrock look you could experiment with dark, zombie-esque greens, or even neon shades to stand out against your darker clothing. Painting my nails can be hard for me due to my coordination issues, so I keep Q-tips nearby and soak them in acetone to clean up the edges.

Eyeliner- they sell jumbo eyeliner sticks and you can basically roll that about your eyes, smudge with your finger, and call it done in about one minute. I have yet to find a sharpener to go with mine, which is unfortunate, but these would seemingly be the way to go when you don't have the spoons to pull out the white base and all that.

Shave your eyebrows. Not necessarily for everybody, but it gives a more alien or 'more human than human' vibe to your look without makeup and makes me look infinitely more goth even in jeans and a t-shirt. YMMV.

i come asking thou how to dress alternative/goth but like. something that would work for a transfem to wear

GAAHHH IM HONOURED THAT YOU ASKED ME!!

- if you wanted to go more traditionally feminine look I would recommend following Victorian and romantic goth styles, which would include stuff like lace, corsets, long skirts, cameos and fake pearls, putting your hair in updoos etc

- to create a dramatic sort of silhouette I layer lots of skirts then have a tighter top (often times I’ll use a corset), reminiscent of historical gowns.

- another thing for a dark feminine look I would recomend is veils and super long sleeves + gloves

- be on the lookout for lace.

- layer jewellery

-have fishnets that you can add under shorts and skirts for instant goth look

- eyelash glue so you can attach charms and such to your face

- pairing dainty peices such as Lacey skirts with harsher accessories such as combat boots or spikes. Eg: in this outfit I have the lace sleeves and corset + the stud belts and bracelet

- remember the white base is not an essential to the goth look, it’s about finding your own style.

-red lipstick

- not sure what your hair type is, if you want I can give you recomendatkons based on your hair type

-I boil and mix herbs to make my own at home beauty oils and fragrences, this is a great way to incorporate the DIY sort of aspect of goth

- get black singlets, undershirts, pants and stockings, etc so you can start building more outfits

- include your interests! I take fashion inspo from animals, theatre, history and my cultural heritage. I like to incorporate symbols of my culture such as my families clan kilt pin and hanbok accessories as well as referencing Korean art styles. If you have favrouite animals/ kin types you can mimic their fur patterns using makeup.

- all the makeup you really need is black eyeliner and black eyeshadow for trad goth makeup. Other stuff helps but you don’t need to empty out your wallet for makeup.

- experiment with colours and styles, goth is about artistic expression, there are no rules you don’t have to only wear black and white

-research sub styles within goth fashion.

- save stuff like broken metal, old jewlerry, string and craft supplies as this can be made into jewlerry

- roam the thrift stores, make sure to look for materials rather than finished pieces, often times you will need to diy and take stuff apart to your liking

I'm a huge fan of goth music since my childhood and now I would like to start dressing in goth style. I don't really know where and how to start. I would love to have some makeup, clothing, accessories or hair tips.

Thank you for helping a new baby bat ♡

-lint rollers

-Black fabric dye

-anti dandruff shampoo

-eye makeup remover wipes

-CLEAR deoderant

-backup fishnets

-safety pins

-mini hairspray

-sunscreen/parasol/large hat

1. Look at make up tutorials and test what goes with your skin

2. Cardigan+dress (or top+skirt) +shoe combos, stay the fuck away from trenchcoats

Keep it simple, keep it gay

3. You don't need expensive ass clothes from the uk, get a maxi dress in black and a waistbelt from the mall

4. Don't let lipstick build up and stain your teeth, either get lip polish or suck your middle and pointing finger

5. Get foundation and powder, don't go around all day with greasey skin and cat eyes