There is something about the Hot Topic look that really bothers me. Disposable fashion trends in general I cannot get behind. In one day out the next. Fashion needs to be more sustainable. Not just in how it’s produced either. In how you as the consumer think before you buy. If you buy an item it should have a lifespan longer than one season or mood. It really is just sad to me that goth has been blended down into logo/band tee’s, skeleton gloves, and cheesy oblong platform shoes. It’s become so generic. That’s what bothers me. Almost like a uniform for people to wear to conform to a specific group. When the beautiful thing about goth is that it’s all about individuality, not conforming to one set look/ideals while embracing your darker side. I feel that the origins of what gothic culture is has been totally lost. To be honest it started way before Hot Topic the minute goths started looking the same. I hate seeing people look the same. Modern Goth, simply put is not something you can buy in stores. It’s a state of mind regardless of what you wear. It’s a deeper feeling, slightly rebellious and a certain sense of self that the majority do not have. Again, individuality.
How can one take claim to be an individual if you look the same as everyone else in a certain group. This issue is actually deeper than just aesthetic or Hot Topic. It’s s a cultural thing. We as humans always seems to want to get into tribes. Divide and conquer. Even the actual term goth comes from a Germanic tribe back in Viking days. The Romans saw them as barbaric and uncultured similar to the Vandals. Then somewhere in the last 1970’s it was coined as a term to refer to music and from there it’s been downhill ever since as far as the fashion goes.
Throughout my entire life I have been an individualist. From never fitting into one friend circle to never dressing one way to liking all different types of music, dating every race, to making crazy art. I think life ends when you stop being open, when you stop learning, when you subscribe to only one group or format of thinking. I love black, I love to embrace my dark side but I hate looking like everyone else. Therefore I consider myself a more Modern goth. I do not fully fit into any group but I embrace the darkness and the light. Then apply that aesthetic to a more modern & classic look. Maybe your still finding yourself therefore you’ve chosen to look like everyone else in a group to fit in (bad idea). Or, maybe you just gave up on trying to be yourself. Either way, being yourself has never been about looking like anyone else. It’s about finding what makes you unique from the rest.
Here are some anti fashion references that I’m referring too so you can get a better idea of what I’m talking about when I say Hot Pocket Goth (And why does saying that make me want a hot pocket?):
Here is the older version of goth from where the whole dark dress really began in the late 70’s-80’s:
Either way goth it’s time for a serious upgrade! You can even see from the 80’s it was becoming a homogenized “look”. Let’s get away from tribalism. It will not only be the death of personal style but it will be the death of us as a society. It’s never went well for us when we segregate ourselves into groups. This week I employ you to reach out to more people outside of your friend circle. Mix up your routine. Date someone outside your race. Do something different and keep an open mind! Never be the same, never stop learning, and for goths sake. Dress to impress not to regress.
My entire look this week was sourced locally here in Tijuana,Mexico at street shops. How I’m able to put together looks so cost effectively is because living on the border you get a lot of discontinued products sent here from California at a fraction of the cost. This was all about staying warm by layering while looking cool. My motto for the winter months of wardrobe styling.
