The Goth Handbook: How To Get In The Subculture

Being Goth in School

If you want to be noticed as a goth kid at school, there are some surefire ways to accomplish this.

 A few wardrobe tweaks, and some minor changes in your activities and hobbies will get you noticed as a gothkid at your school in no time.

Dress in a lot of black."Goth" and "rock" fashions have many similarities and a lot of overlap, but one of the main differences between them is the preference by goths to have an almost entirely black wardrobe. Rock kids love black clothing too, but goths tend to favor black for everything.If you want to achieve a rock look, wear plenty of black t-shirts and black jeans. You can mix it up with other dark colors.A black leather jacket is perfect for both styles.Goth fashions are primarily all in black and focus on lots of different textures and fabrics.A few examples of some of the more exotic materials favored by goths: crushed velvet, fishnet, silk and leather.

Wear goth/rock band t-shirts. Band t-shirts are a great way to communicate that you're part of the goth or rock subcultures, especially if you're new and unsure where to start with some of the other fashion elements. There are many bands out there making goth and rock music, so it can be hard to know which shirts to choose. However, you can't go wrong with the classics.

Start by getting t-shirts featuring classic goth bands like The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Joy Division, The Damned, Sisters of Mercy and Depeche Mode.For a more rock vibe, wear t-shirts featuring classic rock bands like Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, David Bowie, The Doors, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Johnny Cash.

Wear dark eyeliner and dark nail polish.Rock kids and goth kids both like to experiment with black eyeliner and dark nail polish, although they are much more common in goth fashion. All genders experiment with eyeliner and nail polish in these subcultures.

For a more rock-oriented look, experiment with dark nail polish. Give smoky black eyeliner/eyeshadow a try, if it suits your personal rock style.In gothic fashions, black eyeliner and dark nail polish are staples. Experiment with a few different looks, like a heavy kohl/smoky eye, winged eyeliner, and mixing it up by adding some red eyeliner in there.Goth lipstick colors are usually black or a deep red. Goths tend to accentuate their pale complexions with white powders and foundations.

Go for a dramatic hairstyle and consider dyeing your hair. Hairstyles vary wildly among both crowds, but there is a tendency toward the dramatic, especially in goth culture. Among the rock crowd, the style is usually more important than color. Gothic fashion tends to emphasize dramatic hair color, with less importance placed on particular styles.To achieve a rock hairstyle, sport a long fringe in the front, allowing it to fall over one (or both) eyes.Backcombing and asymmetrical shapes are popular looks, and dyed black hair is common, sometimes with a bright red or bleached blonde streak.For a goth look, black, deep red, purple and green hair colors have always been and still are fashionable.As for goth hairstyles, there is a huge variety. Most goth 'dos tend to be backcombed, teased and feature sections of razor-cut layers.Styles can range from dramatic mohawks, dyed dreadlocks, chin-length bobs, long straight hair, pixie cuts, pompadours, variations on the mullet, and beyond.

Wear leather, studs, spikes, fishnets and other alternative accessories. Both crowds love their accessories, with the goths generally choosing the move over-the-top items.Other options are chokers, silver jewelry featuring skulls, ankhs, and crosses, corsets, and anything made of leather or velvet that features spikes, chains, or studs.Opera length gloves made of satin or latex are also popular among the goth crowd.Black trenchcoats and velvet jackets are also trendy among goths.