All About Gothic Fashion

What we should’ve learned from this subculture

I’ll start by saying that I was not a part of the gothic subculture. I loved the goth look and would wear random accessories like spiked bracelets and black clothing. However, I was never brave enough to go “full goth” like some of my friends did.

The gothic subculture became popular in the 1980s, originating in the United Kingdom after the popularity of the punk subculture waned.

The main influence of the gothic subculture was 19th-century films and literature and similar to other subcultures, its roots are in music. The Cure, Blue Oyster Cult, and Depeche Mode influenced gothic people in the 1980s, and they rocked out to Marilyn Manson, Orgy, Tori Amos, and Rammstein in the 1990s.

The goth style is all about darkness and contrast: The white powdered makeup, black hair, black lipstick, and the septum ring (nose ring that pierces the middle of the nostril).

A goth’s style is described now as eerie, artistic, and mysterious. When I was younger, gothic people were called “freaks”.

In 2020, many staples of goth fashion are now trendy.

The Septum Ring

The septum ring is actually a cultural symbol: The Mayans, Aztecs, and Incan people were the trailblazers of this accessory. The septum ring was seen as a rite of passage gained after a man experienced a soul-searching trip into the wild.

For many North American Aboriginal tribes, it was the symbol of a warrior.

When people in the gothic or punk subculture wore a septum piercing in the 1990s, it became a symbol of rebellion and also the butt of many jokes. I remember adults and kids comparing people who wore the septum ring to pigs.

In 2020, you cant walk down the street without seeing a girl with a decorative septum ring. Today, it is looked at as being beautiful, because Lady Gaga and the Kardashians wore one.

In the 1990s, the beach blonde California look was the “in” look. Anything that didn’t conform to this esthetic, was considered to be in the “freak” or “geek” category.