How to Dress Goth: The Ultimate Guide

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Everything you need to know about nailing the gothic aesthetic

Co-authored by Regina Dunn

Last Updated: August 29, 2023 Approved

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Choosing the Right Clothing

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Picking out Accessories

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Modifying Your Appearance

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Video

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Expert Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

Gothic fashion originally emerged from the post-punk scene in the United Kingdom in the early 1980s,^{[1]
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Things You Should Know

Pair a cute black oversized T-shirt with combat boots and ripped black jeans.
Or, wear a black dress with chunky black shoes. Finish the look with a black leather jacket.
Accessorize your goth outfits with a choker, pentagram jewelry, and a black beanier or wide-brimmed hat.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Choosing the Right Clothing

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1
Buy lots of black staple pieces of clothing. This color has long been considered a staple of gothic fashion. Work it into your new wardrobe as the main color of your outfit. Invest in plenty of plain socks, pants, tops, and skirts during your first shopping trip. You can’t start building outfits you like if you don’t own the essential pieces of clothing.
- T-shirts are a great piece of clothing to start building your wardrobe with. They are easy to find, inexpensive, and come in many styles. For a more feminine style, buy an over-sized T-shirt and pair it with high socks or fishnet stockings, boots, and jewelry.
- It’s perfectly acceptable to not want to wear all black all the time. Add a bit of variety to your outfits by mixing in other colors, such as red, grey, white, violet, blue, or pink.
- Pick out black clothes in velvet, lace, leather, silk, PVC, and/or cheesecloth for a classic goth look.^{[2]
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  Expert Source
  
  Regina Dunn
  Goth Subculture Enthusiast
  
  Expert Interview. 12 July 2021.}
- Goth fashion is based on creativity and DIY, so try looking for clothes at second-hand shops, flea markets, indie shops, and car boot sales.^{[3]
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  Expert Source
  
  Regina Dunn
  Goth Subculture Enthusiast
  
  Expert Interview. 12 July 2021.}
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Stock up on distressed clothing. Distressed, or ripped, tops and bottoms are one of the most commonly worn styles across almost every gothic subculture. Look for denim jeans or shorts with tears on the legs, or tops with tearing along the body or frayed edges.
- Consider wearing distressed denim jeans with a black T-shirt, combat boots, and studded bracelets. ^{[4]
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- Wear fishnets underneath your distressed bottoms for an extra gothy look.^{[5]
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  Expert Source
  
  Regina Dunn
  Goth Subculture Enthusiast
  
  Expert Interview. 12 July 2021.}
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3
Play around with graphic prints. Occult patterns are a staple for gothic fashion. Keep an eye out for any patterned/graphic clothing featuring pentagrams and pentacles, moons, stars, skulls, or crosses.
- You can wear a moon phase-printed casual dress with long black socks and black creepers. Accessorize with moon- and star-shaped jewelry and black lipstick.
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If you wish to identify with a scene known as "Nu Goth", look for plaid items. Plaid is one of the most popular types of patterns in this emergent subset of the goth scene, and can be found as outerwear, tops, bottoms, and much more.
- Red, blue, purple, green, gray, and black plaid are all great to incorporate into your wardrobe.
- Pair a black top with a plaid skirt or pants.
- Alternatively, you can layer plaid flannel over your favorite top or dress with high socks and boots.
Collared shirts are a great unisex option, and can be found in a wide array of styles. You can find them in solids, patterns, or even in color-blocked designs—though you should be careful with colorblocking. Stick to dark colors or shades of black with subtle accents in neutrals or white. Wear a collared shirt with dark denim or a black skirt of any length.^{[6]
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Wear corsets for a dressy touch. Corsets are a staple of the feminine side of gothic fashion. They are also flexible enough to be worn in either a formal or casual outfit, and can be found in a wide range of sizes and styles. Wear a corset over a simple dress, or with a top and skirt or jeans. Corsets will also look great layered over a formal dress or a lacy blouse and ruffled skirt.^{[7]
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- Corsets are popular in the "romantic goth" style. Romantic goth also includes long skirts, laced boots, elbow gloves, ruffled new romantic shirts, "gothic" beaded collars, and soft makeup in colors like red and purple.^{[8]
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  Expert Source
  
  Regina Dunn
  Goth Subculture Enthusiast
  
  Expert Interview. 12 July 2021.}
- Lydia Fortner, Diva Destruction, Two Witches, Suspiria, and Requiem in White are a few artists who dress in the romantic goth style.^{[9]
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  Expert Source
  
  Regina Dunn
  Goth Subculture Enthusiast
  
  Expert Interview. 12 July 2021.}
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Buy black leather clothing in any fit you like. Leather is another popular choice of materials in the gothic scene, and is quite versatile. It can be worn in the form of jackets, pants, shorts, or skirts. You can even find it in distressed and non-distressed styles.
- Pair a leather jacket with a T-shirt and jeans, or over a dress. Complete the ensemble with combat boots.
- You could also wear leather pants with a cotton T-shirt and creepers.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Picking out Accessories

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1
Wear hats in dark colors. Hats are a common element in goth wardrobes, perfect for bad hair days and/or cold weather. There are all sorts of styles you can choose from.
- Beanies are a popular choice for basic gothic styles. They are easy to wear and customize. If you like, you can sew on skull or hexagram patches, or stick on button pins from your favorite bands.
- Bowlers are another great choice if you’re into a retro look. Wear them with a button-up shirt and pants or a cute dress.
- Wide-brimmed hats will give you a witchy look that fits perfectly into gothic aesthetics. This type of hat pairs best with your favorite dress, a top and skirt, or a shirt and jeans.
2
Acquire pentagram-shaped jewelry. Pentagram symbols can be found in most goth styles. You can most easily fit them into your wardrobe as a necklace, earrings, or even as a bracelet charm.
- Pentagram jewelry looks great with many outfits. Combine a choker with a pentagram-shaped pendant with a black dress, tights, and creepers.^{[10]
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- Goth fashion takes inspiration from cultures and iconography like ancient Celtic, pagan, Egyptian, Asian, and Christian. Ankhs; rosaries; bangles; colored fishnets; chunky jewelry featuring bats, coffins, skulls, and/or bones, and fishnets are other accessories you could try.^{[11]
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  Expert Source
  
  Regina Dunn
  Goth Subculture Enthusiast
  
  Expert Interview. 12 July 2021.}
Choker necklaces have recently gone up in popularity and are very common in goth wardrobes. They look especially great with T-shirts and low-cut tops. You can buy plain black chokers, studded chokers, or chokers with pendants attached. Look for crosses, skulls, crystal pendants, or stars.^{[12]
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Wristbands go perfectly with casual outfits, and can be worn with long-sleeved, short-sleeved, or sleeveless tops. Pick cotton wristbands with hexagrams, pentagrams, logos from your favorite bands, or leather wristbands decorated with studs or spikes.
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Cut up a pair of black tights or socks. Many gothic outfits feature socks or tights. You can buy a pair of plain black tights (solid or transparent) and add stylish tears across the legs with a pair of scissors.
- Alternatively, you can buy a pair of patterned tights or socks. Skeleton bones, occult patterns, and lace are popular choices.
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Add fishnets to your wardrobe. Fishnets are another longstanding component of goth fashion. If you don’t want to wear fishnets on your legs, you can opt for a fishnet shirt to wear over an undershirt, or even fishnet gloves.^{[13]
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- Fishnets have become very popular to wear with ripped jeans. Combine the fishnets-and-ripped-jeans look with a crop top and a choker necklace.
- You can wear normal tights or stockings if you wanted to. Sheer stockings or tights would be best to add a hint of class to your outfit or to show your legs off.
7
Buy a pair of boots and/or creepers. Both boots and creepers (a type of low-top sneaker with flat platform soles) are essential to the gothic wardrobe.^{[14]
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Expert Source

Regina Dunn
Goth Subculture Enthusiast

Expert Interview. 12 July 2021.} A great pair of boots will prove especially handy during the colder months of the year. Look for lace-up boots or a pair decorated with belts to match the aesthetic.
- You could wear black motorcycle boots as they are popular part of gothic fashion. Also, they have zippers on them which are handy if they need to be removed in any situations. ^{[15]
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- Doc Martens are also a good shoe option.^{[16]
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  Expert Source
  
  Regina Dunn
  Goth Subculture Enthusiast
  
  Expert Interview. 12 July 2021.}
- Goth winklepickers are another great shoe to consider. Usually made in black, they can come with a heel, multiple buckles, and length.^{[17]
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  Expert Source
  
  Regina Dunn
  Goth Subculture Enthusiast
  
  Expert Interview. 12 July 2021.}

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Modifying Your Appearance

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1
Get a new haircut or style. You can choose from all sorts of hairstyles to wear in the gothic scene. For a feminine look, get your hair cut into a bob of shoulder or chin length. You could also sport a cute pair of double buns or braids. Great masculine hairstyles include undercuts and mohawks.
- Goth hair is often cut in layers, backcombed, and dyed a funky color. It can also be shaved, crimped, or left long like Patricia Morrison. It's usually unruly, like Robert Smith's or Siouxsie Sioux's, and fluffy with hairspray to hold it up.^{[18]
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  Expert Source
  
  Regina Dunn
  Goth Subculture Enthusiast
  
  Expert Interview. 12 July 2021.}
- Deathhawks are also an option. Jonny Slut, Specimen's keyboardist, made this look popular.^{[19]
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  Expert Source
  
  Regina Dunn
  Goth Subculture Enthusiast
  
  Expert Interview. 12 July 2021.}
2
Dye your hair neon. You’re already wearing black clothing, so black hair could make you look monotonous. Neon colored hair is common in goth fashion, especially in shades of white, grey, green, purple, pink, blue, and red.^{[20]
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- Natural hair colors work just as well in goth fashion. Consider going with dark brown, a soft shade of light brown, or platinum blond.
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Pierce your septum. A septum piercing goes through the center of your nostrils. You can recognize it as a hoop going through both nostrils, sort of like a bull. Septum piercings have become popular in the goth scene, and can be adorned with a wide variety of jewelry. Hoops with swirled or star-shaped ornaments are most common.^{[21]
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- If you aren’t comfortable getting a real septum piercing, you can wear a false piercing instead.
- Look for jewelry with crosses, skulls, chains, and coffins on them.^{[22]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Regina Dunn
  Goth Subculture Enthusiast
  
  Expert Interview. 12 July 2021.}
4
Get tattooed if you’re 18 or older. Tattoos have always been part of the goth style, so now is the perfect chance to get one if you aren’t tattooed already. Any location and style is fine. Birds, roses, pentagrams, skulls, and other macabre images are the most popular styles. Be sure to wear clothing that puts your tattoos on display, such as short-sleeved tops or black denim/leather shorts.
- Band logos are another possible option for a goth tattoo.^{[23]
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  Expert Source
  
  Regina Dunn
  Goth Subculture Enthusiast
  
  Expert Interview. 12 July 2021.}
- Make sure you really want a tattoo before you get one.^{[24]
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  Expert Source
  
  Regina Dunn
  Goth Subculture Enthusiast
  
  Expert Interview. 12 July 2021.}
5
Apply dark makeup. You can go as heavy or light as you want with your makeup, though heavier styles look better with some outfits than others. Blue, violet, red, and black shades of lipstick and eyeshadow all fit into the gothic style.^{[25]
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- Goth makeup is very elaborate, dramatic, and in some cases, extreme. You could try brightly-colored block eyeshadow in silver, blue, or purple, along with minimal eyeliner, or go for an Egyptian-inspired/Kabuki look with triangular eyebrows.^{[26]
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  Expert Source
  
  Regina Dunn
  Goth Subculture Enthusiast
  
  Expert Interview. 12 July 2021.}
- Black or purple contour is a popular option, along with black or red lipstick.^{[27]
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  Expert Source
  
  Regina Dunn
  Goth Subculture Enthusiast
  
  Expert Interview. 12 July 2021.}
- If your outfit is going to be more formal or ornate—like a dark evening gown or something in the Gothic Lolita style, with lots of ruffles and frills—try bolder eye makeup. Think smokey eyeshadow with swirl designs at the outer corners of your eyes, or violet, blue, and black blended together in an ombre pattern.^{[28]
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- Lighter makeup styles work best with casual outfits. If your look for the day is a casual dress or T-shirt and jeans, match your makeup to the look with some simple, winged eyeliner (with or without a dark eyeshadow), and lipstick.^{[29]
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Get a stiletto manicure. Stiletto nails are a type of manicure that features long nails filed into claw shapes. They are a popular choice for a feminine goth style, especially when painted black. If you like, you can add decals shaped like pentagrams, stars, or skulls.

Expert Q&A

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Question

What accessories do goths wear?

Regina Dunn
Goth Subculture Enthusiast
Regina has been passionate about the goth subculture for over 10 years. She studied goth fashion and subculture in school and she has worked to fight misinformation and misappropriation about the goth subculture within the media. Regina is active in a range of online communities and wikis, continuing to educate and get exposure for goth music and subculture.

Regina Dunn

Goth Subculture Enthusiast

Expert Answer

Goth accessories can include an excessive amount of bangles, chunky rings and bracelets inspired by cultures and ancient iconography like Celtic and Egyptian. Though it isn't vital to understand or believe in the imagery you’re wearing, you can come across as offensive to people who do believe in it, so I’d probably warn to be careful.

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Question

What is the difference between goth and emo?

Regina Dunn
Goth Subculture Enthusiast
Regina has been passionate about the goth subculture for over 10 years. She studied goth fashion and subculture in school and she has worked to fight misinformation and misappropriation about the goth subculture within the media. Regina is active in a range of online communities and wikis, continuing to educate and get exposure for goth music and subculture.

Regina Dunn

Goth Subculture Enthusiast

Expert Answer

While they both look similar on the surface, they have vast musical and subcultural differences. Goth is a subculture which grew out of 70s and 80s British post-punk whereas emo is an off-shoot of mid-80s Washington D.C. hardcore punk, standing for “emotive hardcore”. Both scenes are alive and well today.

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What happens if someone comments on your look

Community Answer

If someone says something negative to you, just ignore them. As long as you like how you look, that's all that matters.

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Tips

Don’t be afraid to experiment! One of the best and most important aspects of goth fashion is its encouragement of individuality! Play around with different subcultures and types of clothing until you find a look that really represents you.^{[30]
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Browse thrift stores for your initial items. You should be able to find clothing that is cheap but reliable through most local thrift outlets. Shopping this way will help you to get more into the scene, as many goths shop secondhand and even donate their old clothing through these outlets.

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Create a wishlist of your favorite items. As you research, you may run into examples of clothing you love but realize you won’t be able to buy immediately. You can instead file away the name (and brand, if applicable) of the clothing piece to buy later. Having a wishlist in mind can provide you with a great roadmap for building your wardrobe.

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Warnings

Avoid splurging on fancier items right away. Hold off on your wishlist until your new gothic wardrobe has a better foundation. Once you have the essentials, it will be much easier for you to build attractive outfits with your wishlist items. If you shop the other way around, you may end up stuck with gorgeous pieces of clothing you can’t match to anything else in your wardrobe.

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Never hide behind your style choices. Only wear goth clothing if you really feel like you resonate with the style. Otherwise, you'll just feel unsure of yourself.^{[31]
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Natalie Tincher
Style Strategist & Wardrobe Specialist

Expert Interview. 13 August 2020.}

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Not all shades of black are created equally, due largely to undertones in clothing dyes. Try to find items in matching shades of black during your initial shopping trip.