I've already heard a few times on social media that there's people out there who believe, being goth means you need quite a lot of money to dress the part - and therefore be part of the subculture, or - and that's worse - people who tell others that they can't be goth if they can't afford some "trending" brands that are labelled as "goth".
Let me clarify this with a brief history lesson.
Goth is a subculture that is very much related to punk - just look at pictures of 80s "goths" (although that term wasn't around yet back then) and remember that one very influential music genre of the subculture is called "Post Punk" - you can dig deeper into all that if you haven't known that connection yet but - yes, Goth always had core beliefs that were inherited by punk - even those of us in the 90s who started to dress more "romantic" in frilled shirts and long velvet gowns shared them.
Goth, like Punk was very much a DiY subculture - you might have heard of that, for some reasons, this was of sheer necessity, there were a few indie brands* around but they weren't available for a lot, and we're talking about times before internet shopping.
But it wasn't just necessity. It was also about individuality, not letting "fashion" dictate what you look like and - not fitting a mold of being "conventionally attractive".
DiY is also a statement against consumerism and therefore - capitalism. Early punk inspired styles showed this with distressed clothing and upcycling thrifted stuff - but also short lived movements like the early 80s "New Romantics" that were a lot more about historical influences and oppulence were at their core, very punk, because they achieved the look by - DiY, thrifting and Upcycling, and by using their creativity to get a super unique look by combining things in unusual ways.
This is just a rough overview that can't, of course, go too deep into everything but - I hope it makes sense.
So - if you claim that being goth means you need to buy ready made clothes for horrendous amounts of money - that's the exact opposite of what Goth really is in it's core. It's large companies that make a fortune by selling a false image of "being alt" that they stole from subcultures.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not telling you what to do, if you like something from those brands - go for it if you have the means, but maybe I can inspire one or two to just go out and maybe make something to go with the bought stuff - all by themselves, or maybe just think a bit about the "Goth is expensive" bs - it is not. Just open your eyes and get creative - you don't even have to look like straight out of the 80s, come up with something new and unique - make Goth your own and don't throw too much money at the big companies.
You don't even have to learn how to sew perfectly, remember - Goth is related to Punk: if it's a bit wonky, it's just fine the way it is ;) - and there's a lot of small things you can do to customize your wardrobe as well - try a few things, keep an open mind and look around you for bits and pieces you can re-use (or abuse ;) ) - trust me, it's fun!
You can dye old clothes or stuff you like, but isn't the right colour, you can use bleach to create interesting patterns of fabric, you can add patches, rivets and eyelets, and lace trims, leather belts and nylon tape, and D-Rings and chains ... safety pins and so much more.
Thrift things, decorate them, cut them up, re-purpose them.
You have now one advantage that we old fart Goths didn't have: you can find tons of tutorials on the internet, and if you want, I can make some for you as well - or answer questions about sewing and similar stuff.
So - thanks for reading until the end. I just had to get these thoughts out of my head.
And never forget: Goth is not expensive or elite. Just use your creativity and make it your own, like we did when we were young.
*the early indie brands were small companies, founded by people from the subculture themselves. So - if you have the money, support small indie brands and makers. They still exist.
