Goth Costume | Don’t confuse with GOTHIC Costume !

 In the late 1970s, a new youth craze emerged in England. They were called Goths and they listened to Goth bands and wore Goth costume. The movement spread to the US and parts of Europe, Germany in particular. It was influenced by Gothic novels of the past and horror films, especially those involving vampires. The overall effect was dark and gloomy.

The bands were a big influence on the clothes, hair and make up associated with Goths. What they wore filtered down to the fans. There weren't any hard and fast rules and individual experimentation with Goth costume was encouraged. The usual color worn was black, and purple, and deep red on occasion. Both men and women had black hair, white make up and black nail polish. Eyes were heavily made up with mascara. Women wore long, velvet dresses with fishnet stockings and men wore frilly shirts as worn by the Romantic poets. Sometimes studded dog collars were worn around the neck. Silver buckles and silver jewelry would often finish a Goth costume ensemble.

Old horror movies, featuring Dracula were a favorite of the Goths. The largest annual gathering of Goths in England takes place in the seaside resort of Whitby, where Bram Stoker set his original Dracula story.

 The women especially, modeled their Goth costume on the female vamp actresses. More recent films were lapped up, such as Interview with a Vampire, adapted from the Anne Rice novel. Winona Ryder played a Goth in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice. Goths started to appear in TV shows too. Symbols of horror were used in their music venues, such as bats and cobwebs.

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The bands of the genre had wonderfully macabre names, such as Dead Can Dance, Killing Joke, Sisters of Mercy and Southern Death Cult. The most successful were Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cure.

 The Goth look was such a distinctive one that many young people were picked on and bullied. A lot of people who felt insecure with their looks felt at home in Goth costume. It gave them a character to hide behind, which made them more confident. It was also a cry for individuality in a time when society is obsessed with perfect, model type looks. The Goths are still with us today, although in depleted numbers. Most people grew out of it as they got older. They made a lot of friends with like minded people and there will be some interesting photographs to show their children.

Filed under: Goth Costume • Gothic Costume

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