The Gothic Culture Different cities tend have their own slight differences in their common Goth fashions. Like  in the UK, hair crimping is a big thing, while it's not as popular in the US. There are definitely differences between the scenes in cities, especially in the way people dance and the general style. These common things are merely the ones I could come up with offhand, this list is not exhaustive. These are just things that generally tend to be popular with Goths. It is not a complete list of the common cultural quirks; As is true for all people, there are some who reflect on their attitudes, actions and motivations, and there are some who don't. There are those who aren't aware of the meaning of the symbols they wear. You'll find many people wearing a cross, pentagram, or ankh because they think it looks cool. Perhaps, they see someone else with it and are doing it to fit in. It becomes a matter of fashion rather than awareness of what the symbol means and why they wear it. Not everyone clearly understands their actions and habits or the reasons behind them

Gothic Clothing Some of the popular gothic style traits: anything black (less common, but still popular, is white clothing. Also less common, but in general any dark color such as navy blue or deep red.) not exposing any bare skin (while the fashion can be revealing, bare skin will usually be covered by nylons, fishnet etc.) silver jewelry (as opposed to gold, usually wearing a lot it) paleness (this could be because some Goths want a sort of undead look; or they want to embody the Victorian aesthetic that says pale skin is a sign of nobility; or they want to go against the tanning trend because it makes people's skin look like leather and causes skin cancer. The skin cancer part is less of a concern for most Goths though, because the majority of them smoke. In general, Goths view paleness as much more aesthetically pleasing than being tan, whether or not they have a reason why.) dying your hair (black, very light bleached blonde, red, or purple are the most common) wearing black and white makeup (white foundation, black lipstick, black eyeliner) thin, plucked eyebrows (also completely shaving them off and drawing them in) bondage and fetish fashion (leather, PVC, latex, rubber, vinyl and bondage gear, corsets) crushed velvet or regular velvet white poet's shirts (the kind that has a few ruffles around the cuff, the collar, and the front, sometimes called pirate's shirts) chokers (whether it's a dog leash with spikes, a bondage collar, or a velvet ribbon tied tightly around the neck) ankh (Egyptian symbol for everlasting life) the Eye of Ra (also, Eye of Horus, an Egyptian symbol. Some will have jewelry with it, some will have a tattoo of it. The symbol's popularity with Goths is partly due to the fact that it is on the cover of the "Vision Thing" CD by The Sisters of Mercy.) pentacle (The pentagram is a five pointed star -- a pagan symbol for fire, earth, air, water, spirit. The pentacle is basically a pentagram with a circle around it. These terms are often used synonomously. Since the pentacle is associated in some people's mind with Satansim, some Goths may wear a pentacle to shock people, or as a part of their Theatrical Satanism.) wearing lingerie that shows (garters, teddy, bustier, slip, camisole) opera-style capes or cloaks opera length gloves, either satin or latex (shorter length gloves as well, usually vinyl) crosses (Christian symbolism) fishnet tights or shirts black and white horizontal striped tights (like the Wicked Witch of the West) chains (as a belt, necklace, part of the outfit, whatever) spikes/studs (usually attached to a leather jacket or to a collar, belt or bracelets) tattoos (depends on the person) piercings -- usually not as excessive as punks, goths might have a few tasteful piercings, if any. I think the most common body piercing in Utah (besides ears) is the tongue, then nose, then (I am guessing, it's harder to tell) nipple. Less common is the lip, eyebrow, or genitals. Depends on the person. pointy toed shoes, buckle boots, high heels, combat boots or Doc Martens wearing band T-shirts, having band stickers on your car, notebook etc. ratted out, hairsprayed, chaotic hair, sometimes hair extensions a short A-line haircut a leather jacket (often with designs painted on it), black trenchcoat, black vinyl raincoat-looking jacket, or velvet jacket a box (something like a cross between a small purse and a lunchbox, usually black with silver hinges and a briefcase-like handle. They come in all sizes, but most are big enough for a pack of cigarettes, makeup, some ID, and some money. They are usually decorated with band stickers and what not. Guys and girls alike carry them around.) Some Goths tend to look like: Robert Smith (of The Cure) -- ratted up hair, smudged red lipstick, black makeup for eyeshadow; Siouxsie Sioux (of Siouxsie and the Banshees) -- short black ratted hair (or a sleek A-line haircut) and the makeup done very precisely with pointed angles; Death (the Sandman comic book character) -- designs drawn around the eyes, tousled black hair, always wearing an ankh; Eric Draven (character in the comic book and movie The Crow) -- white face with black vertical lines drawn above and below the eyes, black lipstick drawn extended past the edge of the lips in long smiley face sort of lines, black trenchcoat; Andrew Eldrich (of the Sisters of Mercy) -- always wearing sunglasses, short slick black hair, leather pants, a leather jacket with an open shirt. I've also noticed that in California many of the girls go for the Bettie Page look (1950's bondage pinup queen) -- long wavy black hair with short, curled-under bangs, very thin drawn in eyebrows, and dark red lipstick. The archetypes configure into a look as well: Vampire archetype -- Lestat or Louis from Anne Rice's novels The Vampire Lestat and Interview with the Vampire or a Dracula influenced look. The vampire archetype look also contains some commonalties with the vampire-free Victorian aesthetics: elaborately designed hair, ruffled shirts, long skirts, velvet, opera capes, corsets, vests. Punk archetype -- ripped tights, chains and spikes, a leather jacket, boots, ratted hair, defiant attitude. Tortured artist archetype -- a bohemian influence, wearing all black, maybe kinda beatnik, wearing sunglasses all the time, maybe a beret, thin, tired-looking, a notebook carried around at all times, can be seen reading alone in coffee shops. The tortured artist look may be a little more avant-garde, but it is not quite as clearly defined fashion-wise. It is made more by how someone acts than how they look. For guys, some common Goth looks are: A fishnet shirt and vinyl or leather pants with some sort of boots and other various accessories. A white shirt (sometimes with the collar folded up to cover the neck), black pants, a black vest, boots or dress shoes. Some of the guys will wear makeup, skirts, corsets or heels (and dance adeptly in them). It's not really meant to be a transvestite sort of cross-dressing because they are not actually trying to look like women. Gothic tends to be a very androgynous thing, where some of the straight guys like to look or dress feminine, either to challenge social gender barriers, to show that they have an open mind, or as just a fashion thing. For girls, some common Goth looks are: A crushed velvet dress with either boots or heels. A fishnet shirt with a black bra underneath, a bondage belt (or some other type) and either 1) a short vinyl skirt 2) a long velvet skirt 3) tight leggins or stirrup pants usually made of vinyl or crushed velvet. Fishnet stockings with a vinyl dress, bondage gear, high heels, or heel booties (high heel shoes that cover the front of the foot and lace up, stopping below the ankle).

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