It's Ok To Dress Like A Goth If... (expanded)

Ok, I've noticed rather a startling number of people asking questions along the lines of "Can I be goth if I'm fat/ugly/of African descent/skinny/short/paralyzed/one eyed/a monster/have bad skin/missing a hand/a Siamese twin/king of Prussia?"


And I was thinking, that it needs to be cleared up that, yes, even if you are the space mutant zombie king of Prussia you can be goth... actually if you were the space mutant zombie king of Prussia... you'd probably get extra goth points.

However, I'm trying to make a serious point. Goth is about being spooky/morbid/macabre what have you, and you don't have to be a size two beauty queen to be spooky. There are fat goths. There are skinny goths. There are goth body builders. You can be a goth no matter how you happen to be shaped. The gothic subculture is one of the most physically accepting. Most of it doesn't judge people on factors like weight, beauty, race, what have you.

The wonderful thing about goth is you can be spooky pretty much no matter what you look like. Garments can be found to flatter any body shape.

The Curvy or plus sized girl:

Victorian, fifties pinup wear or 18th century garments (with proper under pinnings, as corsets give excellent support to a full bust) for more curvaceous ladies, making them look pleasingly ample rather than shapeless, and giving them the look of a "voluptuous demoness"
Plus size cyber girls can rock tops that show off their assets, and still be sexy, although the must be careful garments do not create unflattering bulges, and that skirts end at a flattering point on the leg. Always make sure you buy good lingerie, esp if you are of a curvier build, get yourself fitted for a bra in a department store, and always try on before you buy. Also it is very important to wear clothes that are not baggy as they merely hide your shape (which is probably quite feminine in nature) and make one look blocky or blobbish. Be watchful of medieval style gowns are they are often not as tailored as Victorian clothes and may

The Slim Female:

The boyish and wraith thin female has no problem finding gothic attire either, she can be a twenties vamp, or a consumptive Victorian maiden, or a survivor of a nuclear apocalypse. You should make sure your clothes are not too baggy on you as that makes on look rather too "dressed in a sack"-ish and flatter your figure. It's important be careful about things being baggy through the bust. If you desire a more feminine shape a corset can nip in the waist and give the wearer the curves she desires.

If you are quite young and look it, it is best to avoid dressing in a very serious or overtly sexual manner as it may look somewhat silly, or in the case of overt sexuality, a bit disturbing to some of us older folk. Instead in the case of a young girl, gothic Lolita is the obvious choice as it works with your youth rather than trying to skirt the issue. If one is very short as well as thin Gothic Lolita is again a good strategy, as it will not overwhelm you.

The Athletic Female:

Girls of an athletic build tend to look good in Edwardian gowns (if they are of sufficient height), 1940's dresses, and tighter more modern clothing that shows off their toned muscles. There is also a large crossover between the belly dance community and goth. Middle eastern dancing dress could be an excellent way to show off your body. A mixture of punk and gothic clothing in your case can be fantastic, as it's a wonderful way to play up your strength rather than play it down. You appear stronger than your more waifish counter parts, and therefore it may be unwise to try and appear as flimsy and fragile when you are not. Instead of wilting and ghostly, it might be more appropriate to cast yourself as a threat. This of course can still be highly alluring. Instead of a broken dolly, you are a temptress, luring men to a very pleasant doom, or you don't have to be a temptress if you'd prefer not to be, you can be any number of ideas, you can for a more futuristic look, cast yourself as a bounty hunter or mercenary.


The Larger Guy:

Heavier males tend to look best going for tough rather than fouffy and romantic. I'm sorry but that crushed velvet shirt is unlikely to flatter you. If you want to go for historic, think less mopey poet and more black knight. With this historical look it is important to avoid coming off as nerdy, or bikerish. If you are a large strong fellow this is an excellent way to go. Long duster type coats re also not the best choice for you as they will fit oddly over your midsection.

Make sure your clothing is neither too baggy or too tight, as these are both especially unflattering.

Take care to buy pants that are tailored but not skin tight. You can pull off spikes, leather and all that far more convincingly than your lither counter parts. If you are heavier, but perhaps want something more civilized the Victorian again offers good choices. Think in this case professorial. Cultivate facial hair perhaps, and invest in suits cut in an archaic style, pocket watches, and waistcoats give one an air of dignity, and if done right can give one a rather "mad scientist" air.


Also although velvet shirts and leather pants are not the most flattering, priestly attire is recommended highly for you, if pulled off with the right quality of malevolence can be just the ticket.

If you are young and of a heavier build one should not attempt to look as knightly as your older counter parts. Instead think Victorian thug, or perhaps street thug of the future. A proletarian appearance is often more suitable than aristocratic attire for the young, and so perhaps a 1930's fellow in a button down, suspenders, a fedora or news boy hat, and well cut trousers would suit you.

The Skinny Guy:

Slimmer goth boys, especially those of a more petite build often have it easier in the "romantic" and "cyber" categories. If you are androgynous in appearance it's all the better, there's a long tradition of crossdressing in the gothic subculture, and you, my dear, are the ideal person to do it. You are the one that poet's shirt was intended for, although Miss Madeira does not recommend crushed velvet shirts to anyone, velvet is far better as a material for a jacket, or dress.

When it comes to cyber goth, tight pants are your friend, as are short skirts. The one thing that is very much not your friend? Boots that are too massive, as they are likely to make you look ungainly and strangely proportioned.

You may also find that you look too "young" in certain fashions. Wearing a full on Victorian lord type outfit may make you look like a child in costume, so instead of dressing as a lord of the castle dress a bit more like a debauched prince. The debauched prince look is similar to that of the lord of the castle look, however it is a bit more dandified and piratical, with more lace, and velvet. Even so, if one is too young looking even for the debauched prince look, it might be a good idea to focus stylistically on something a bit less authoritative, and a bit cuter.

For the very young looking historical leaning goth boy, I suggest looking at 80's goth. Be delicate and pretty, be foppish and trim everything with lace. The 18th century is a good century to reference, as it was a century for men too pretty to be rugged. Miss Madeira thinks it is probably best that you don't try to appear "bad ass" instead appear witty and charming. You are probably pretty rather than handsome, and there's nothing wrong with this, and playing that up with hair and makeup is a good idea as it will give you a charming air of ambiguity.

An image of a boy who would not fair well as a lord of the castle or a prince, but looks quite nice dressed as he is:
http://www.logoonline.com/sitewide/flipbook/img/shows/gypsy_83/320x240_001.jpg

When going for a historical look it often looks blatantly wrong to use unnatural fibers. You may not be the most "built" guy, but there are plenty of goth girls (and boys) who find you attractive just as you are. I have on last suggestion for you: Tight rather than baggy. Baggy clothing swamps you and may make you appear too frail, where as tighter fitting clothes will show off your slenderness to advantage making you look less prepubescent and far sexier.


The Muscular Guy:

Muscular goth fellows look excellent in cyber outfits, and dressed as Victorian gentleman. Victorian clothing is very flattering to a lean but defined figure. As you are likely to look a bit older than your waifish counterparts, you are by far the best man to pull off the "lord of the castle look, as it will not make you look foolish and prepubescent. It is a good idea to avoid women's clothing for you though, as you are likely broader through the chest and will come off as comedic rather than waifish, although if you are lean but cut, a short skirt and no top could be an excellent choice for clubbing.

If you are quite young but muscular it might be best to appear more Proletarian or feral (as I said above in the heavier men's section) for young men the dark fae look often works quite well, as does the look of a casual 1920's gang member, sharp but casual, pants and suspender with a shirt, but no suit jacket, etc. Don't try to appear as a dead mobster for regular outings, zombie makeup is not the most appropriate for club outings. Instead save it for halloween or a photoshoot.

An Example of an outfit that would suit you: http://www.thedarkangel.co.uk/catalogue3.php?p=76

In general on fibers:

I repeat, please do not wear velvet shirts, they are historically inaccurate, and often made of poor quality velvet that has a rather "I R TEH VAMINPRYE" look to it, this is sadly often true of satin shirts as well. In my mind the best materials for a proper Victorian shirt are cotton, linen, or silk.

Hair:

Though I believe it is important to note that as a goth in general it is important to make sure you do something with your hair. I often see young goth boys going about with either ill kept, or unstyled manes.

So to digress for a moment, although you can be a goth with any color hair, or any haircut, I think it contributes immensely to a look to have good (and particularly gothy) hair.

Dying the hair is often a good idea, as it livens things up a bit by making somewhat indefinite colors "pop" more.

Here are a few suggestions if you don't want to do anything too harsh to your hair:

Dark hair (light to dark brown): Dye it or tint it a bit darker (if it's very dark already you can dye it black, it will likely suit you very well) If you have warm toned skin (golden undertones) you will look best with a browner back, if your skin has blue undertones a blue black will suit you best.

Red hair: Red hair can be very, vey goth. You can brighten it with a semi-permanent dye, or a color gloss to acheive a more extreme look. If your skin is cool toned, but not ruddy a cool blue red will suit you best, but if your skin has a bit more yellow to it an orange red will look best. Henna can be a good and gentle way to achieve a brighter color

Fair (blonde, to very pale strawberry blonde): If your hair is blond you have loads of options. FIrst of all, you will not need to lighten hair as much, or at all to acheive vibrant results, you can color your hair any unnatural color you want to, without nearly as much damage. If you are golden tressed by all means use a color gloss to enhance this, long blond hair on a male or female can be quite entrancing. Another option is to lighten it, if your hair is a darker blonde or a middling sort that you aren't fond of, you can lighten it to acheive platinum blonde or white, which are both very gothy colors.

As you can see, I am not terribly fond of light brown hair on goths, and I do have a reason for this, with the black clothing it tends to look a bit washed out, so if you are light brown haired, and either do not wish to dye, or cannot dye your hair, I would recommend wearing a bit more color (Eg: black pants red top, etc, so that you remain defined)

Quick notes on hair care:
One shouldn't wash one's hair too frequently, once or twice a week is the best for the hair if you can manage to wait, and one must condition afterwards (if one has fine hair just condition the ends, and use a light weight conditioner, like aussie 3 minute miracle) frequent trims are important to prevent split ends and maintain a nice looking mane. If you have long hair put it into a loose braid before bed so that it doesn't become tangled in the night. It is also best to use a brush with natural bristles as it will help to distribute natural oil down the hair which will keep it healthy. Do not brush your hair after a shower, instead use a wide tooth comb to distribute conditioner while in the shower, and to remove tangles afterward.

Use a creamy conditioner if your hair is dry or damaged, my current favorite is Redken Allsoft, and if your hair is colored make sure to use a shampoo formulated to minimize fading.

Style:

Long: While long hair is an excellent look for many people, it is very important to maintain it, and make sure that it flatters you and does not become boring. If your hair is very long and fine it will often be somewhat lacking in volume and interest, layering can combat this problem, and on males can differentiate one from the herds of goth boys with long blunt cut hair, not to mention that, if you are long faced layering around the face can prevent it from dragging everything down and making you look more long faced than you would like. If ones hair is wavy or curly, wearing it long is a particularly good idea as it makes it less likely to be pouffy and unmanageable. In the end ;ong hair is a good choice for pretty much any sort of goth, as long as you have the time and energy to maintain it properly.

Shorter and teased, a very classic goth look. All it takes is aquanet and a comb. A word of caution on this, those of larger builds might want to avoid this look as it draws comparisons between oneself and Robert Smith. Though if one is larger and has longer hair it is perfectly approprite to add volume. The wild bird's nest look is particularly suited to the slim and androgynous sort of goth, especially if they are enamored of 1980's gothic fashion with it's torn up victoriana, and ankhs.

Spiky: Spikes can be a very good thing, or a very bad thing. If one has a big forehead it will not be the most flattering to create spikes all the way to the hairline as it merely makes ones forehead look larger, instead spike the back and sides, and leave a bit of fringe in the front (be careful with this as it can look a bit too emo, although I don't think Emo kids as a rule have very bad hair) if done with certain haircuts this can also bring unfavorable comparison to frat boys who are frequently seen with their hair gelled into more modest spikes

Dreads: Long down the back dreadfalls work for just about any type of goth (except for historical) and people of any build, except for more petite males, and females who are a bit on the short side. In the case of these two catagories shorter shoulder length pigtail type falls are more flattering as in the case of the shorter females it adds length to the body, and in the case of slimmer males short dread falls do not overwhelm the body so much. Dreadfalls are not my favorite look for various reasons, but if you love them, then of course you should wear them.


Makeup:

Eyeliner: Pencil and liquid are both fine (though I think mac fluid line with a mac 208 brush is ideal) and both take practice. A good liquid liner can be bought from Sheseido, it comes in a pen for very tidy application.

In one case however, pencil liner is not fine. This case of course is for large swirly eyeliner. If you are the type of goth who enjoys wearing large swirly eyemakeup, please use liquid liner. It is also very important if you are going to wear large swirly eyeliner, or gothic makeup in general to invest in a good foundation that match (or nearly matches) your skin tone. I like mineral powders best as they are the best for the skin, and do not cause breakouts or irritation, and remember to blend. Good ones can be found from Bare Minerals or Fyirnnae (http://fyrinnae.com/)

If you do however choose to wear a liquid or cream formula, it is vastly important to remember to powder it down afterwards so you don't run, crease or streak. A good concealer is also of great benefit to a goth. It allows one to hide dark circles from being up late, pimples from... anything, and any marks left behind by one's paramour.

If you wish to wear a lot of eyeshadow, it's important that it look blended and neat. Gothic makeup is often dramatic, and when ill executed can look very silly. brushes are the best way to apply shadow, as they allow much more when it comes to layering and blending of color than sponge applicators. With eyeshadow (especially dark colors) one must practice and learn to blend before going out with it on. I find practicing on the back of my hand to be a very useful thing.

On Mascara: If you're wearing makeup... wear it. Black eyeliner and invisible lashes is not a flattering look on anyone.

A word on lipstick: Black lipstick is not a crime... unless it's badly done, in which case it very much is. Wear a lipliner under it (so that it doesn't smudge) a mac waterproof eyeliner works fine for this, and use a lipbrush so that it looks tidy. Also if your hair is brown it is not flattering to wear black lipstick as it washes you out. Amanda palmer is an excellent example of makeup for a brown haired goth (although I don't recommend white face to anyone who is not a trained professional) she manages to look very dramatic, without overusing black and thus washing herself out.

Not to mention that you have loads of options besides black, you can wear any color you wish, blue, red, pink (yes I said pink), purple, whatever, you can wear it. One note one blue/green/purple type colors: Again use a lipliner as a base to get the proper coverage as you don't want pink showing through)

Makeup for going out: If you plan to attend a club is it wise to make certain changes in your makeup due to lighting, and the fact that you will probably be dancing which may lead to perspiration and smeared makeup. First of all, if you do not normally wear one under your foundation apply a primer to help foundation cling to the skin (my favorite is by smashbox), then apply concealer, liquid/cream foundation, cream/liquid highlighter/cream contour/cream blush, or any other liquid or cream products you will be applying to the face. After you have blended all that you will apply powder over all the liquids to set it (use loose powder for this, but pop a compact of pressed powder into your bag) Next apply any contour you planned to do with powder. After that apply a shadow base to your eyes (an excellent one is urban decay primer potion), and fill in your brows and do your eye-shadow as you would normally, although since the lighting in the club will likely be dim, use more shimmer, and higher contrast colors than you normally would, however, when you do eyeliner, use a water proof pencil on your lower lids (and then set with black powder eyeshadow, and use either a liquid liner, or a cream liner on your upper-lids. Apply a waterproof mascara, and watch for clumps. Next apply a waterproof lipliner taking care to fill in the entire lip (makeup forever makes a particularly nice one) and apply lipstick or gloss as you prefer, taking care to be sparing in your application. Next comes the big secret sptiz on some makeup fixative and wait about 30 seconds (depending on the instructions on the bottle) before opening your eyes. It won't feel awesome, but you'll get used to it, and it's worth it for the immobile makeup (Model in a bottle makes a nice fixative: http://www.modelinabottle.com/ )

A short word on skincare:

You wear loads of makeup, you smoke, or are around people who smoke... for gods sake take care of your hide. To start off sunscreen, use a mineral based full spectrum one in at least spf 15 everyday, I'd suggest using one that doubles as a moisturizer to save time. However that's not all. You should cleanse, tone, and moisturize once or twice a day. If it's once do it before you go to bed, as it's not a good idea to sleep with your makeup on. Cleaner should be milky for dry, normal, or sensitive skin, for oily or acne prone skin a foaming cleanser will do very well, although if it is too strong it can strip your skin making it produce more oil. My favorite milky cleanser right now, is DDF Non-drying gentle cleanser, another excellent one is Purity by philosophy, for oilier skins Aveda's Purifying Cleanser and Murad's Energizing Pomegranate Cleanser. Then you should use an alcohol free toner to remove any build up of cleanser left on the skin, and any minerals that might have been left by the water. A few recommended toners are for dry/normal/dehydrated skin skin: Bliss Daily Detoxifying toner, for oily skin Murad Clarifying toner, Sensitive skin: DDF Aloe Toning Complex. And then spread moisturizer all over your face: For dry/normal/sensitive: DDF Daily Protective Moisturizer, for oily: DDF Ultra-lite oil free moisturizing dew, for all: Philosophy: Hope in a jar, Juice Beauty Oil Free Moisturizer.


But in the end of course, you have a right to do anything you want, I merely wrote this little guide as a way of suggesting items that might particularly flatter particular colorings and figures, since there really is something that will work wonderfully for everyone


Next week: Responses to reader questions (if there are any), and five things that do your skin more harm than good