Extension of identity

Fashion is a part of the identity practices of the goth subculture. As such, a person's style (including their clothing, hair, makeup, and accessories) is a major factor in determining whether the person will be perceived as "authentic" by others in the subculture. This is not particular to goth; rather, it is a feature of many subcultures. Styles that are read as "goth" to the mainstream may be read as "outsider" to those participating within the scene, and participants in the subculture may and often do have differing ideas about what constitutes gothic fashion. In his book Goth: Identity, Style and Subculture (Berg Publishers Ltd., Oxford, 2002), Paul Hodkinson talks about goths using their fashion choices to demonstrate commitment to the subculture. In particular, he asserts that more extreme, less easily concealed choices -- such as dyeing one's hair or shaving part of it off -- demonstrate greater commitment.

The core of gothic fashion is individual taste, as gothic culture generally attempts to subvert mainstream conventions of how one must look. Anti-mainstream fashion sentiment is not its prevalent theme, however, nor is this attitude shared by all members of the subculture. While recurrent themes can be identified, many different and highly unique outfits can be witnessed at events like the Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig and the Whitby Gothic Weekend in North Yorkshire, England, where the color palette ranges across the spectrum from head-to-toe white to all-black. Between those two extremes, anything goes, be it modern, classic, conservative or ragged.

[edit] Typical aesthetics

Typical goth dress usually consists of, but is not limited to, black clothing, often combined with dark red, occasionally accessorized with silver and/or pewter, that is often Egyptian Ankhs, Christian crosses, and/or Wiccan symbols.

The stereotypical female gothic outfit, sometimes referred to as the "romantic" look, is limited only by the wearer's imagination, and can include elaborate gowns and corsets, veils, hobble skirts, neck corsets, teased hair, eyeliner, black fingernails, fishnets, and styles borrowed from the Elizabethans and Victorians.

Traditional female goths in general wear some sort of skirt/dress. Also popular are tight-fitting trousers and boots with a slight military look, but moreso connected to Rivetheads.

Traditional male goths mostly wear some sort of black suit (possibly with some dark red, dark blue or silver as contrast), a gothic male is rarely seen without some kind of dress shirt (unless he is wearing nothing on the torso), and legwear often involves tight or rugged-looking pants. As opposed to most other subcultures gothic males almost wear as much makeup as the females.

Unisex As with the unisex nature of makeup, clothing also takes on a more personal, less dichotomized nature in the goth community, which is why male goths may be seen in skirts, dresses, corsets, and other culturally female attire. The nature of the event will to some degree dictate the dress code, but expression of personal style is generally more important, and it's not unusual for club-goers on a given night to appear dressed very formally or elaborately in a way unrelated to the specific event.