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The scope of ‘alternative’ fashion ranges far and wide, from elegant Lolita to brash Punk to playful Scene. I myself like to play around with a variety of styles in my wardrobe, but the one fashion I’ve always come back to and have put the most amount of money, effort and time into perfecting is Goth.
Like many others, I was inspired by ‘alt’ fashion that became popular on Tiktok during 2020, the vaguely emo-goth style known for looking flashy, not all-put-together, and consisting primarily of fast fashion pieces. Since then, my affinity for the goth look has grown and my proficiency in putting together cohesive outfits has developed. I am overall happy with my wardrobe now, but there are a few things I wish I could go back in time and tell myself before making a few pricey (and tacky) mistakes.
Build your wardrobe slowly
It’s tempting to go all out when you’re first getting into a new style. You want to wear it out as quickly as possible, which means you need a skirt, shirt, jacket, jewelry, shoes, and tights, and you need them all to match! It’s easy to go into a frenzy buying any and every cute thing you see simply because you like how it looks. But before you blow your entire paycheck on the 18 items in your cart, slow down and think about what you’re buying. A good strategy is buying one new item a week instead of going on shopping sprees, to see if your interest in the style is still as strong then as it is now. Wait until you know how you’d style that item, what you’d wear it with, where you would wear it, etc., until you pull the trigger and add it to your wardrobe.
Statement pieces don’t make a wardrobe
Any good style has its basics. They may look different for different subcultures, such as the essential black maxi skirt for goth or a plain dress for layering in Mori Kei, but they serve the same purpose of supporting the pieces you build an outfit around. If your statement piece, whether it be a patterned skirt or frilly shirt, is a piece of art, your basics are the frame that makes the whole picture come together. Statement pieces are often attention-grabbers, either in pattern, print, or structure for a less colorful style, so buying them before you acquire any basics may leave you with a full wardrobe and zero outfits that come from it.
Study the greats
Fashion is an art, and like any good aspiring artist, studying those more skilled than you can teach as well as inspire. That doesn’t mean just scrolling on Pinterest and saving pictures to a board you’ll never look at again. Follow people who share your style on social media to see what pieces they own and how they use them in different outfits. Watch fashion shows and look for things like silhouettes and color combinations. Look at what people are wearing in real life. When you find a picture/video/real-life example of an outfit you like, don’t focus on where they got their shirt or what brand their jacket is. Find out what you like about the outfit, whether it’s motifs, silhouette, patterns, colors, or fit, and make that what you try to emulate instead of looking for specific pieces that they’re wearing.
Cohesion, cohesion, cohesion
A famous drag queen once said that when you’re putting together an outfit, the shoes should match the nails, should match the dress, should match the makeup, should match the hair. That isn’t to say every single item should be color-coordinated, but everything you wear when you get dressed should come together to make a cohesive outfit. When people see you walking down the street, they see all of you, not the dress you spent an hour picking out and the shoes you threw on at the last minute. It may sound snobby, but one mismatching element in an outfit is like a puzzle piece in the wrong place; even if everything else is perfect, it’s the first thing your eyes are drawn to because it sticks out. This leads to frustrating situations, having every piece of an outfit except for one, and having to delay the debut of your new style, but this helps with what I said earlier about building a wardrobe slowly. Dressing in a specific alternative style is an investment, and it’s better to know something isn’t for you before you’ve spent way too much on it.
You are the center of attention, embrace it
Most of my tips before consist of my personal philosophy towards fashion, but this is something that I want everyone who dresses alternatively to hear and take to heart; when you go out dressed differently from the norm, you will be the center of attention. Compliments and general comments are common, but stares are inevitable. You may consider it rude, but in my experience, it’s easier to embrace it. After all, a majority of the stares you get, unless they’re dressed similarly, aren’t drawn to what you’re wearing, but you, and your ability to wear it without fear.
Think back to the first time you saw someone out in public, dressed exactly the way you’ve always wanted to; remember the admiration, the respect, even the jealousy you may have felt for them and their ability to dress the way they do? Imagine doing that to someone else, even inspiring them to dress how they want instead of feeling insecure. For me, my potential to do that for someone far outweighs any amount of judgmental looks I could get while out and about. Besides, in my experience, the amount of compliments you get will always outnumber the rude remarks.
Keep in mind that the tips I’ve laid out (except for the last one) are all my personal beliefs when it comes to fashion, and you’re more than welcome to dismiss them all and keep doing what you’re doing. After all, fashion is all about self-expression and matching your outside to your inside. Have fun, dress fun, and look good!
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