I’m sure you’ve seen posts on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and more of your favorite Goth creators and thought, “How do I do that? How do they find their clothes?” Or maybe you’re a full fledge member of the cauldron feeling like a baby bat wanting to add some more spooky to your wardrobe. I often find myself feeling almost like a fake or a fraud because I’m not always 100% Gothified, even though just listening to the music makes you Goth. But, dressing like a member of the Cure is really, really fun, so here are my recommendations on how to do so!
Where to find the clothing of your dreams Nightmares?
1- Thrift Stores- It may take some time and digging, but you can find some really great things at a thrift store for decent prices. Look for fabrics, patterns, shapes, and cuts that you like.
2- DIY clothes you already have or have just thrifted- Rit black dye and safety pins will be your friends! You can still wear some of your favorite pieces as is and make them more Goth through, or, if you want, you can dye them to match your newfound love of the darkness. Add tears and safety pins to your old shirts. Paint your favorite bands names and embalms onto scraps to make pins or straight onto tees, pants, and dresses to make one of a kind band merch! If you can think of it, you can do it with DIY! The possibilities are endless! Give new life to some well loved things!
3- Etsy/Ebay/ Poshmark/ other secondhand sites- I personally love vintage clothes. I own a lot of vintage dresses that I’ve found off of Etsy and Ebay that were reasonably priced and in good condition. I’m not the biggest fan of resellers that jack up the price of clothes that are totally not worth the price and have caused instore thrifting to go up in price. However, I’ve found that if you weed through some of the places selling stained tees for $40, you will find someone selling the perfect piece you’ve been looking for reasonable prices in good condition.
4- Make it yourself! This one can go with #2, or you can totally make your own clothes from scratch! Find some easy patterns and get started or alter pieces to fit/match your style. Cut up a tee and resew it with exposed stitching to rival Frankenstein’s Monster or make a patchwork skirt with Halloween fabrics. Pinterest has some fun DIY sewing projects perfect for Goths, though they’re often listed as Halloween. This is also a great way to get home decor items and accessories.
What do you do when you have everything? That’s when you start the fun part; Styling!
Layer necklaces and bracelets, wear fishnets under everything, and add a million belts. Put a corset over a puff sleeved blouse with some black slacks and wear a chain around your waist. Wear a dress with an oversized blazer and some combat boots and a bunch of chunky spooky jewelry. Wear whatever feels nice and looks good to you. Be comfortable and be yourself.
It’s also worth mentioning that all you really have to do is listen to the music to be Goth. That’s it. It’s that easy. Dressing like a 1800s widow in deep mourning is not a requirement for being able to call yourself Goth. You can dress like a walking rainbow if you’d like.
You can also absolutely buy from sites and sellers that sell items and clothing labeled as Goth. There is nothing wrong with doing that either, but don’t limit yourself to just that and don’t think that you have to in order to call yourself Goth.
Enjoy, my spooky friends!!
It's not a phase, it's Memento Mori 
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