so youve discovered youre goth. you love the music and you align with the politics/beliefs. you want to get into the fashion side (not necessary but thats your personal choice) and youre not sure where to start. you see people on social media with demonias and the most beautiful vampire gowns but you cant afford them. obviously shein and dollskill sell "goth" outfits but you know theyre fast fashion and thats the opposite of what goth is. sure you can go to a thrift store but youre not gonna find the most perfect victorian gothic outfits (unless you go to one in whitby). im gonna give you some tips on how i dress "goth" from mainly charity shops. first i target the black clothes. as a goth you dont have to exclusively wear black of course but theres some good pieces there to build up your outfits. i always buy anything black lace (you could buy white laceand dye it black but ive never done that so i cant advise). i also go for long skirts. also black shirts and t shirts and black blazers/jackets. once you have a nice base of black clothes, branch out and pair your black skirt with a purple shirt for example. understand youre not going to find yourself an entire wardrobe in one go, ive been building mine for 8 years where i buy a new piece every few months. i know some people say to look at lingerie and sleepwear, unfortunately the charity shops where i live dont have those sections, but if yours does then definitely check them out. also look at old 80s goth photos. goth has always been about diy, and youll see how people used to build their outfits back then. look at what siouxie used to wear as an example. learn how to sew too, then if you find the perfect shirt but unfortunately its just too long, you can just chop the bottom off and sew it up. if you can afford it, invest in a sewing machine, especially if you plan a lot of diy, but its okay if you cant, you should be able to hand sew most stuff. also make sure clothes last, oh your jeans have a hole in them? sew a patch over it! and lastly : accessorize! bracelets, wristbands, necklaces, belts. diy chains into belts, i turned some old necklaces into a belt chain using the keyring attached to my old college id badge. charity shops are full of jewelry but theres a lot of small businesses you can also buy from. unfortunately i have a lot of skin allergies so i can only wear silver jewelry which is expensive but luckily for me i have a decent job and can afford it, but theres definitely a huge range of affordable options. you dont need dyed black hair and to wear trad goth makeup and dress like dracula (of course if you want to thats so okay) because goth has always been about being unique and different to the status quo. go with what feels right for you and try not to let these so called "goth influencers" online convince you that being goth is expensive because i promise you, it is not! omg this was so long but i really hope it helps someone
