Ignore what you believe to know about the ‘Goth and ALt’ fashion style. This rendition of the timeless subculture places greater emphasis on style than on melancholy. Hence, don your most edgy attire and join the Black Parade.
How Alt/Goth Fashion Has Evolved Over Time
Between the demise of Punk (in the 1970s) and the growth of cheesy pop culture in the 1980s, the first incarnation of the Gothic style emerged. Artists such as The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees began to offer a new wave of the counterculture during this time. It included darker topics and a mournful tone, with a softer approach than the angst-ridden, fast-paced punk rock of the time. With the influx of new music came a more romantic approach.
Lace, smeared eyeliner, and draping garments replaced the punk apparel that had lost its edge. But, what was considered goth in the past no longer really represents goth now.
Robert Smith, Dita Von Teese, Taylor Momsen, and Travis Barker are all names you may associate with the alt-goth fashion genre, yet their interpretations of the movement are vastly different. Why? Well, age differences account for a significant portion of the disparities. In essence, the goth subculture has always been an anti-culture.
Goth was designed for outsiders. What constitutes ‘difference’ in the eyes of popular culture is continually evolving. Goth has evolved over time to incorporate the new abnormal.
When bands like The Cure were at the height of their popularity, men with dark eyeliner and unabashedly shabby dresses were regarded to be distinctive. Today, it is more normal for males to apply makeup, and we’ve all had days where we look like we rolled out of bed. Even’shabby-chic apparel exists, but that’s a topic for another day.
So what, by today’s standards, is edgy? This can be somewhat difficult to define. This graphic depicts two goth clothing from the 1970s, while on the right, we compare two goth outfits from 2022.
Since the introduction of the internet, we have all been segregated into social bubbles. What is cool to some is strange to others, yet when we’re online, we frequently only see specialised content that algorithms have picked for us based on our individual preferences. So, if we were to slip down the rabbit hole of fashion, an alternate appearance that is far off from the present zeitgeist may appear fairly ordinary.
In some respects, the current Alt and Goth fashion movement has become a hyper-curated mockery of itself. Modern alt and goth have transformed the radical aesthetic characteristics into a performance, eradicating the lifestyle counterculture era. It’s the same drama you know and loves, but with a greater emphasis on fashion.
Historically, Goth and alt-fashion were inextricably related to music. This is no longer always the case. Back in the day, dressing as a goth while listening to pop music was a cardinal sin. Today, though, you wouldn’t be considered a pretender for doing so.
Today, in a world preoccupied with rapid fashion, simply dressing goth is enough of a revolt, and the juxtaposition of embracing pop culture in other areas makes it much more genuine. In a sense, modern goths rebel against their predecessors. Hence, sub-trends such as soft-goth and pastel goth have emerged independently from the larger umbrella.
World Goth Day is celebrated annually on May 22. It is an occasion for the goth subculture to celebrate its own existence and make its presence known to the public.
In the early 1980s, the goth subculture emerged as an offshoot of the post-punk scene in the United Kingdom, resulting in a new musical genre with the same name.
How Was International Goth Day Established
As the name suggests, World Goth Day is a day set aside annually by alternative communities to honour gothic subcultures. The first Goth Day event was conducted in the United States in 2009, and since then, the 22nd of May has become a global celebration.
Following a week-long examination of musical subcultures by BBC Radio 6 DJs Cruel Britannia and Martin Oldgoth, the day was first recognised in the United States. The 22nd of May was designated as “Goth Day” for the week, and this date was thereafter designated as “Goth Day.”
The style of alternative clothing is comparable to that of the punk and goth subcultures. The focus should be on the music, while other aspects, such as clothes and graphics, are optional. The term “alternative fashion,” on the other hand, has come to refer to any fashion that is not considered to be mainstream. The majority of people, when asked to describe alternative fashion, will most likely mention punk, goth, or emo styles.
Although alternative fashion is frequently a hybrid of the forms listed above, it is not restricted to only those trends. One example of what may be termed alternative fashion is the Fairy Kei subculture, which exists outside of the mainstream. This mentality is often reflected in fashion, with outlets like Etsy and tiny shops being popular locations to buy alternative items. The alternative community, in general, is supportive of small artists. Together with do-it-yourself projects, thrifting is highly encouraged.
Fashion that is distinct from the dominant commercial style is referred to as alternative fashion (sometimes abbreviated as “alt fashion”). Alt fashion may include but is not limited to the following subcultures’ fashions: emo, scene, goth subculture, hip hop, cyberpunk, kawaii, cottage-core, goblin core, 70’s core, and Lolita fashion. But alt-fashion may also contain other subcultures’ fashions as well. In general, alt-goth fashion, sometimes known as “alt” fashion, does not correspond to the widely popular style trends that are prevalent in the culture at large at any given time. It may present itself as a fringe style, which is particularly attention-grabbing and more artistic than practical, but it may also originate from anti-fashion views that place emphasis on straightforward utilitarian drives (e.g., grunge fashion, which was largely based around comfort and availability). Let’s have fun and explore more about gothic culture with Chicago Suicide Club.