Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 16: Traditional Gothic Style
• Method 2 of 16: Romantic or Victorian Style
• Method 3 of 16: Medieval Style
• Method 4 of 16: Cyber ​​Gothic
• Method 5 of 16: Gothic Fetish
• Method 6 of 16: Hippie Gothic
• Method 7 of 16: Gothic Lolita
• Method 8 of 16: Rivethead (Industrial Gothic)
• Method 9 of 16: Death Rock
• Method 10 of 16: Little Bats
• Method 11 of 16: Metalheads
• Method 12 of 16: Geeks
• Method 13 of 16: Gotabilly
• Method 14 of 16: Cabaret Goths
• Method 15 of 16: Steampunk Goths
• Method 16 of 16: Tribal Goths
• Tips

Do you want to become a goth? This article will be useful for teenage girls - it will help you find your style and dress harmoniously. Before choosing clothes, you need to decide on a style. However, don't limit yourself to one style if you want more. In this article, we will talk about different directions within the Gothic style.

Steps

Method 1 of 16: Traditional Gothic Style

1. 1 Listen to music. The Gothic subculture was born in the 80s, and the early Gothic style is inseparable from the music. Classical lovers listen to Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Birthday Party, The Sisters of Mercy and all the music that sounded at the Bat Cave in London (this club is considered the birthplace of gothic culture). Gothic culture has also been influenced by other bands (like The Velvet Underground).
2. 2 Dress appropriately. Lovers of classical Gothic are trying to recreate the images of the first Goths. At the very beginning, gothic was strongly influenced by punk culture: fishnet tights, leather jackets, piercings, bright makeup and bondage elements. In addition, the Goths adopted black from the punks (as well as others, including burgundy).
3. 3 Learn the history of the Gothic. Since the classical Goths draw on traditional Gothic culture, you should familiarize yourself with the history of the Gothic.

Method 2 of 16: Romantic or Victorian Style

1. 1 Imagine something dark, mysterious and sensual. 80% of classical Gothic culture consists of music, and adherents of the romantic style emphasize the dark, sensual and mysterious world of Gothic, described in the literature of the Victorian era and in films about that period. In other words, these are the real Goths. They can be recognized by their velvet and lace, flying outfits (often in Victorian or medieval style), and their love of poetry and literature.
2. 2 Be an emotional, creative and dreamy person. Unsurprisingly, romantic Goths are emotional and impressionable. Withered roses, skulls, cemeteries seem beautiful to them. These goths love music that emphasizes reflection rather than horror, so they love ethereal (Love Spirals Downwards) as well as folk (All About Eve, Faith and the Muse). The Sisters of Mercy and The Cure are also among their favorite musicians. In addition, these goths are also connoisseurs of classical music, especially Bach and Wagner.
3. 3 Be aware that Gothic clothing has been influenced by Gothic literature and films about this era, as well as books by Edgar Allen Poe and Bram Stoker. Victorian elements of clothing (corsets, lace, coats on pale skin) have always been popular, but no one knows how to wear them like the romantic Goths.
4. 4 Appreciate beauty and nobility. Your clothing should be beautiful and preferably historically accurate (corsets, for example, should be worn under clothing). Dresses with puffy skirts and mourning robes are of particular importance.
5. 5 Do what was popular in high society. Go to the theater, to masquerades, go to book clubs, and have tea parties. And, of course, don't miss out on themed festivals that allow you to show off your costume (but remember that a costume can be worn not only during the festival).

Method 3 of 16: Medieval Style

1. 1 Dress in a medieval style. Many castles, cathedrals and other buildings were built in the Gothic style. Goths who dress in a medieval style can be found at Renaissance fairs or historical reenactments. Of course, clothing and activities may not be strictly medieval - they can be mixed with Tudor and Celtic elements.
2. 2 Know the history. Goths, who love the Middle Ages, often visit museums, castles, churches, ancient monuments, as well as cemeteries, where they read names and dates on tombstones. They host themed weddings and often live in houses with many art objects reminiscent of the Middle Ages.
3. 3 Know the music. Medieval Gothic includes classical and Gregorian compositions, as well as folk (Loreena McKennitt), ethereal (Faith and the Muse) and Medieval Baebes.
4. 4 Know what interests you might have. More often than not, women secretly want to be the Morgana Fairy, and men are attracted to swords.

Method 4 of 16: Cyber ​​Gothic

1. 1 Know the features of Cyber ​​Goths. Cyber ​​Gothic is the opposite of anything gothic. Cyber ​​Goths love bright neon colors, futurism, technology. They listen to dance music that is far from gothic.
2. 2 Know why this style is called Gothic. So why are these people still considered Goths? Perhaps because their favorite music is based on industrial - an experimental offshoot of gothic styles in music. Perhaps the lyrics by Electronic Body Music or EBM artists (like VNV Nation) are too dark for other dance music lovers. Or maybe just because they have weird hairstyles.
3. 3 Dress appropriately. Other people should immediately recognize you as a cyber-goth. Cyber-ready is usually easy to spot in any club. They have crazy hairstyles and glasses, futuristic clothes, huge platform shoes and lots of glowing elements all over their bodies.
4. 4 Be aware that other goths may dislike you. Although cyber-goths are some of the most prominent representatives of the Goths, other goths hate them, especially the industrial lovers. However, the cyber scene has grown significantly in recent years and the number of fans of this style continues to grow.

Method 5 of 16: Gothic Fetish

1. 1 Be eccentric. Eccentricity is an integral part of the Gothic movement, and it has been that way from the beginning: the musicians from Bauhaus hung themselves in chains, put on leather clothes, fishnet tights and bandage elements. Today this image does not lose its relevance. Modern Goths wear much bolder outfits. Tattoos, piercings, and other forms of body modification are also popular. In addition, such Goths probably keep handcuffs, masks and whips in the bedside table.
2. 2 Get to know the music. Almost all gothic musicians managed to write at least one song, which would mention not quite traditional sex, so there are no musicians who would be associated only with this style. At the same time, 80s New Wave (Depeche Mode) and Industrial (Throbbing Gristle) were the most fetishistic.
3. 3 Know the facts. Probably, the classic goth fetishist managed to try everything everywhere and with people of different genders (at least that's what he says).

Method 6 of 16: Hippie Gothic

1. 1 Understand who hippies and hippie goths are. There are two types of stereotypes in the Goth universe: some think that hippies are too cheerful, while others are hippies themselves. There are a lot of hippie ready. They love nature, are adherents of paganism or other "new age" religions, adore candles, crystals, incense sticks, tarot cards, as well as anything that can be found in "new age" stores. The only difference between hippies and hippie goths is the prevalence of black and occult symbols in the latter.
2. 2 Respect nature. Like hippies, hippie goths are often vegetarians or vegans. They often become conservationists and animal rights activists. However, when they are not fighting for world peace, they enjoy eating, drinking and running through the fields at night, following an "ancient Celtic ritual."
3. 3 Understand hippy-ready music. Hippie goths like dark folk (Faith and the Muse), ethereal (Cocteau Twins), pagan rock (Inkubus Sukkubus), as well as more familiar folk and new age.The older generation can listen to Fields of the Nephilim, The Cult and more psychedelic 80s music (Tones on Tail).

Method 7 of 16: Gothic Lolita

1. 1 Learn more about the Japanese direction in Gothic. Gothic lolita is a style that has little to do with gothic. Although the emergence of this style in Harajuku (a fashionable district of Tokyo) was driven by the Western Gothic movement, adherents of Gothic lolita most often come to this style in other ways: either through cosplay (dressing up as their favorite anime character), or through alternative Japanese music - visual kei ( it is believed that the beginning of this direction was laid by the Japanese group X-Japan).
2. 2 Know what kind of music Japanese goths prefer. Visual kei groups are very different from each other. They can play heavy metal (Dir en Gray) or Europop (L'Arc en Ciel, Malice Mizer). However, more importantly, the image of the musicians combines elements of gothic, punk and glam rock, as a result of which a unique androgynous mix is ​​formed. Very often, members of men's teams try to look as feminine as possible, even dressing up as women.
   • This style managed to go through a full cycle, and now the Western world is borrowing from Japan. By far the most recognizable style is Gothic Lolita (a mixture of Gothic, Victorian fashion, Alice in Wonderland and French Handmaid), which has already become a part of Western Gothic.

Method 8 of 16: Rivethead (Industrial Gothic)

1. 1 Rivetheads, or industrial goths, often do not consider themselves to be goths, although the music and clothing they like can be bought where the goths are sold, and they enjoy going to gothic clubs. This trend began at a time when Throbbing Gristle founded their own label, Industrial Records, to release very strange experimental electronic music. Many rivetheads believe that only this music can be considered real industrial - for example, the bands SPK and The Leather Nun, which appeared in the 80s.
2. 2 However, modern industrial has gradually begun to morph into a darker, harsher, desperate version of the cyber scene. Modern rivetheads listen to darkwave, which resembles a heavier variety of EBM (Wumpscut, Skinny Puppy), or more commercialized industrial metal (Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, KMFDM).
3. 3 The clothing of industrial lovers resembles cyber-goth clothing in its futuristic manifestation, but it is monochrome, less calibrated, with military elements. The appearance of the rivetheads has also been influenced by films such as The Matrix. Many of them refuse to take off their raincoats, even in hot club rooms.

Method 9 of 16: Death Rock

1. 1 Be aware that death rockers (from the death style - death) are considered something in between punks and goths because of the attributes and musical tastes similar to classical goths. However, classical goths believe that gothic is dead, and death rockers believe that this style is alive, albeit in a modified form.
2. 2 Remember, death rockers can be recognized by their layers of ripped fishnet tights, band logos, incredible hairstyles. Death rockers listen not only to classics of gothic from the 80s (Christian Death, Specimen and Alien Sex Fiend), but also to contemporary artists, including Cinema Strange and Tragic Black. They also listen to other genres of music such as horror punk and psychobilly. If the songs sound weird and talk about zombies, death and bats, they are good for death rockers.
3. 3These people also love old horror films (the more naive the better), and also have a good, albeit peculiar, sense of humor.

Method 10 of 16: Little Bats

1. 1 Be aware that little bats in the West are often called teenagers who have not seen the 80s, who have no money for a "real" gothic outfit and who do not know what kind of music to listen to and how to use makeup. Often the older generation treats them with disdain.
2. 2 Although these teenagers consider themselves to be Goths, they are very different from the real Goths. They prefer metal (Marilyn Manson, HIM), wear metal and skate outfits, and love to shock - there is little aesthetics in their appearance.
3. 3 To the great regret of the true Goths, the media also classifies these teenagers as Goths. Although this is unpleasant for real Goths, it is important to remember that it was the media that popularized the term "Gothic" when writing about the new style.Therefore, ideas about Gothic and non-Gothic can change.
4. 4 It is not uncommon for aspiring Goths to find their own style in music and clothing over time and become respected members of the Goth community. Therefore, they should be treated with respect, not contempt.

Method 11 of 16: Metalheads

1. 1 Be aware that metaldeham have a hard time finding a place in gothic culture. Many goths and metalheads believe that these are separate directions with different origins, musical tastes, habits and clothing preferences. Such people are convinced that people confuse these two directions only out of ignorance.
2. 2 At the same time, these directions have a lot in common (especially the love of black, dark and frightening), and in the modern world they are often mixed in clothing and music. There are clubs where music of both directions sounds.
3. 3 In addition, there are a number of offshoots in metal that appeal to fans of both styles, including gothic or doom metal, such as Type O Negative and Theater of Tragedy. In addition, these bands often use gothic imagery (especially Nightwish, Lacuna Coil), and they often sound more "gothic" than gothic bands. On top of that, there is also industrial metal (Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein), which further confuses the situation. It all depends on how a person defines the concept of "gothic" in music and whether it takes into account the sound, image and behavior of the group.

Method 12 of 16: Geeks

1. 1 Remember that, strictly speaking, all Goths are geeks (that is, people with weirdness). After all, how else can you devote so much time to choosing clothes, reading old literature and collecting obscure music? Therefore, the Goths have many features of geeks, but among the Goths there are more and less strange people.
2. 2 Know that the weirdo goth thinks less about clothes and more about different sides of dark fantasies. Such people may not dress as brightly as other Goths, but they know a lot about the symbolism and artistic movements that influenced the formation of the philosophy of the Gothic. They are more passionate about role-playing games than others, read science fiction, science fiction, horror novels, and also watch programs about the occult and films on gothic themes. In addition, geeks are more interested in computer games and anime than others. They are more likely to be found in comic shops rather than clubs.
3. 3 Geeks are the smartest, most creative Goths with a broad outlook. They are often music lovers and listen to a wide variety of music, although they are most attracted to bands that sing about the Lord of the Rings, Cthulhu and other things that interest them.

Method 13 of 16: Gotabilly

1. 1 What happens when you mix Elvis Presley, The Cramps, horror movies and add some lounge music? Oddly enough, the result is a style called gotabilly - a rare exotic subspecies of Gothic. Lovers of this style have special tastes in music and clothing.
2. 2 This style emerged at the intersection of rockabilly (50s American rock and roll) and psychobilly (80s punk rock influenced by hard rockabilly). Gothabilly draws on retro and kitsch aesthetics, but with a darker undertone. As in death rock, which in many ways overlaps with gotabilly, there is a lot of understatement and deliberate primitivism in music and images. Therefore, many bands that identify themselves as Gotabilly have such strange names: Nacho Knoche & The Hillbilly Zombies, Cult Of The Psychic Fetus, Vampire Beach Babes.
3. 3 Gothabilly lovers are some of the most variegated representatives of the Goths: they can be recognized by their colorful tattoos, cherry-shaped accessories and polka-dot clothing.

Method 14 of 16: Cabaret Goths

1. 1 Remember that the sexy and extravagant world of cabaret and burlesque has many similarities to the gothic aesthetic. Corsets, belt stockings, and black coats have been Goth clothing for many years. Therefore, we can safely say that the emergence of "dark cabaret" was a natural phenomenon.
2. 2 Be aware that cabaret is most prominent in the work of the Dresden Dolls, although many other groups have also experimented with the burlesque aesthetics: Siouxsie and the Banshees, Voltaire, Sex Gang Children and Tiger Lillies. Even Marilyn Manson, whose work belongs to gothic metal, flirted with burlesque (and, literally, if you count Dita von Teese).
3. 3 Connoisseurs believe that cabaret and burlesque should be equally sophisticated and sexy, and who, if not Goths, know what it is. Goth women wear corsets, lace and feathers paired with high heels, garters, and tassels. And the men? They usually look like a cross between Count Dracula, Charlie Chaplin and a mime - they have their own special style.

Method 15 of 16: Steampunk Goths

1. 1 Know how Steam Gothic came about. Antiques, Victorian Gothic elegance and the bold futurism of rivetheads may seem like incongruous opposites, but thanks to the ingenuity of the Goths, they still managed to mix. This is how steampunk gothic appeared.
2. 2 Steampunk is science fiction set in an uncomputerized past (most often the Victorian era). Steampunk is a pair of robots, hand-wound computers and complex devices made of wood, copper and wheels. Many Goths are drawn to Victorian imagery combined with strange technology. Most of the ready and steampunk devotees, however, are united by their love for Victrian writers, including Mary Shelley and Edgar Allen Poe.
3. 3 Steampunk Goths love unusual clothing that combines elements of Victorian technology (watches, keys, gears). Although steampunk has no musical direction, steampunk has influenced the creativity of artists such as Rasputina, Emilie Autumn and Abney Park.

Method 16 of 16: Tribal Goths

1. 1 Be aware that in the past, tribal gothic was a rare definition given to goths who were fond of primitivism - bone ornaments, dreadlocks, beads, braids, significant body modifications, and anything else that could be considered "ethnic". In a sense, this brings tribal Goths closer to the first Goths - the Visigoth tribe, from which the name of the direction appeared. However, in recent years, this name more often means a very narrow variety of Goths - dancers of oriental dances of a gothic orientation.
2. 2 When Turkish and Egyptian belly dancing became popular in the United States, a new style appeared - tribal. Its mysteriousness, sensuality and close ties to god worship instantly attracted the Goths, and many of them began to dance with a bandage on their stomach and bracelets on their wrists. This is how this direction appeared.
3. 3 In modern tribal gothic, traditional belly dancewear is combined with gothic accessories and motifs. Many dancers attach particular importance to ethnicity and use jewelry made from shells, bones, wood and other natural materials. Preferences in music depend on what kind of music they are dancing to. Many people like Corvus Corax, Collide, Maduro and Knossos.

Tips

• Decide what kind of goth you want to be. You do not need to hang labels on yourself, but you need to decide on the style at least in order to choose a wardrobe. Do you like flying skirts and ruffled blouses? Romantic Gothic is for you. Prefer spikes, chains, and tattered clothing? Then try on massive boots and pay attention to industrial.
• Wear things that make you feel good. If you are comfortable with something, it will look good on you.
• You can always use cosmetics. Black eyeliner is never superfluous. Try different colored eyeliners. Experiment! If you want to make the look bright, paint your eyes with dark shadows, and lips with red lipstick. This will not work for everyone, as it makes the face look heavier. It is important to consider the natural skin tone. Do you like burgundy eyeshadow, but it makes your skin look gray? Discard them.
• Look for items at used clothing stores. There they will be cheap and you can customize things as you need them. Look for similar stores in your city. Very often in these stores you come across things in the Gothic style.
• Black nail polish looks good on pale skin, but more often than not, it is only available from inexpensive brands and of poor quality. Deep red, burgundy and even blue will also work.
• Wear black bracelets. Silver looks better on pale skin compared to gold.
• Don't be afraid to try different things. To be a real goth, you don't have to fully match the description. You might be 12 years old and like sequins, rock bands like Skillet and Three Days Grace, and comedy. In other words, you can have your own gothic style!