Gothic Charm School: pretty things

elder-goth:

That’s a very familiar story, and it makes me sad.

• The Gothic subculture does NOT come with a uniform. It’s very human to want to oversimplify things; it’s our shared compulsion to try to put things in neat, black-and-white categories, but that just isn’t how reality rolls. If you look at enough photos of the super-Goths, even they didn’t/don’t dress like Elvira 24/7.

• Siouxsie tried everything from topless punk, buzzcut military, to nothing but flowers, to elegant ball gowns.
• There are an abundance of super cute photos of Robert Smith in his own Stevie Nicks type vintage look of many colors - even white! /heavens!/
• Andrew- oh let’s not just this once.
• Carl McCoy dresses like some kind of dirty, voodoo cowboy.
• Nick Cave dresses like some kind of dirty, voodoo, predatory, lounge singer.
• Niether Rozz nor Valor looked anything like Dave Vanian, and his shirtless animal teen days look nothing like his Romantic Phantasmagoria days, look nothing like his biker/rockabilly days, look nothing like his mad scientist… that’s enough, right?

It was actually much later when “Goth” was cut down by the mainstream into the current Gomez and Morticia stereotypes. There’s nothing wrong with that! BUT, that is just one sliver on the vast spectrum of Goth fashion. Happens to everyone. Just look at old school punks and compare them to the stereotype, that’s a whole other rant… but damn… Any way look at trad Goths then look at Lolitas; have I convinced you yet?

I say you’re a Goth-at-heart (which is so cute) maybe even a Goth.

My stance is; fashion is great but the music is the main thing.

It’s a matter of contention in the scene, but I think how you look is just one minor aspect of the culture; If you listen to the music, like the literature, art, movies, humor, community - you are part of it.

TRUTH. 

(Elder, did you get the memo about the change in time for the meeting of the Cabal That Doesn’t Exist?)