Quick Tips: Shopping Mainstream (Online) Stores for Alt Clothes

Photo by SoulStealer on Flickr

Personally, I get so bored with Goth shops almost all of the time. All they ever seem to stock are the same old corsets, fake corsets, Iron Fist, Demonia, Hell Bunny, and so on. (If anyone has some more unique Goth stores they like be sure to let me know bellow because I’m drowning in a sea of fifties inspired dresses in annoying prints). Pulling myself out of said sea I decided it was time I gave mainstream stores a chance, here are some tips:

• Search for typical prints and fabrics you like and want. I tend to use words like: leather, tartan, lace and velvet. But beware some store’s search functions just plain suck.
• When online stores let you customise your search by colour, is a godsend. It’s even better if you can select more than one at once!
• Never buy anything before checking for sales and discount codes. This is a more general rule of thumb but I’m not someone that likes to throw money away (unless it’s on my caffeine addiction). I frequent sites like Retail Me Not for discount codes. But beware of some websites because a lot of them are scams or secretly get commissions if you purchase something after being on their site (I’m not particularly bothered by this – everyone has to make a living). 
• Look for mainstream stores that advertise a style that is more like your own. They may not be a Goth-rock store that sells Cure and Smith’s shirts but some have a more punk flair with lots of leather and plaid, and others (ModCloth) have a vintage inspired, romantic feel. They may be typically mainstream but they still have a certain flavour that you might enjoy!
• Do I really need to mention the sale section?
• Lots of online stores like ASOS have a vintage market place. And by ‘vintage’ they usually mean eighties and nineties (more retro than vintage). But we all know that eighties is a time filled with luxurious and ridiculously printed clothing that fits well in a Goth’s wardrobe. Shirts similar to Robert Smith’s could be found straight from eighties marketplaces.
• Do some research and utilise the trends. Military and Oxblood seem to have disintegrated, while Leather and Plaid are sky rocketing for winter.

Suggest me a store you love (any store, at all) and I will be forever in your debt! Alternatively, tell me what you think of mainstream stores? Am I the anti-Goth?

Outfit Post: Mainstream Inspired – Neutral Makeup – Forever Cats

It’s pretty common, especially with the recent trends, to have Goth inspired mainstream fashion everywhere. But what about Goth fashion inspired by mainstream styles? I suppose it’s all one in the same but you can’t deny it’s useful for those attempting to fit in or even if you just like to hold up a moderately trendy appearance while keeping true to your Goth roots. Because there’s nothing wrong with mixing and matching.

I’ve been lacking outfit inspiration as of late, hence why there hasn’t been much outfitting on here. Strangely enough, I’ve been very inspired to experiment with cosmetics – mostly eyes obviously. I tried, for the first time, to create a look using neutrals. I used a little brown pallet that was a gift and I was so surprised that I actually love it. It’s rather common that those that grow up experimenting with Goth fashion usually forget how to dress any other way. But that aside I need to get to the point.

Make up: Light mauve on the inner corner, a medium brown on the centre and outer corner and black in the crease. I stole the idea of the pointed inner corners from another blogger (here) in a moment of “It’s so obvious!” Considering lining my whole eye makes me look ridiculous and my eyes small. I lined the top and inner corner with liquid liner and the bottom with black pencil. And then blended some brown into my outer under-eye. I was in love with this.

Anyway, here’s an outfit inspired by current trends. Mostly because my mother is a shopping addict and always tends to bring home clothing that she wears once or less than once which I then can call dibs on. The blue blouse (which is in fact a dress) is something I fell in love with because it’s one of my favourite colours – those being burgundy and medium aqua.

Current trends I’m abusing (teenage trends specifically):

• Sheer blouses
• Crosses and chains.
• Pumps (which are always trendy)
• Random belting, honest to god that should be what the trends called.
• Thigh highs.

I really quite dislike this picture.

Outfit:
Blouse: (Actually a dress) Cotton On – Write off from my mother. Don’t mind the fact that it’s sheer and I’m not wearing an undershirt. It was boiling hot.
Shorts: Thrifted.
Socks: Cotton On – Gift from my mum. They’re actually crochet but I don’t really like the pattern. It’s musical notes. Though it’d look good with my Bodyline Music Note skirt. I wish I could go back and wear ripped stockings instead but it was so incrediably hot.
Shoes: Cotton On – another write off from my mother.
Belt: Second-hand.
Cardigan: Thrifted.
Necklace: EBay.

It’s so difficult to photograph these shoes.

I have way to many pictures of my cats on my computer for my own good. This is why I’ll be randomly adding them to posts, as for them not to go to waste just sitting around on my desktop.

After getting Spooky (black cat) de-sexed she loves to cuddle up to her brother Isaac (Grey cat). Secretly I think she’s manipulating him as her pillow as he has long, fluffy fur.

Best wishes,
-Sary Walrus

Judgement Goes Both Ways

It’s obvious to me that as humans we judge people. It was once a survival technique – back in caveman days if you see someone walking around covered in blood then judgement would be a useful thing to have. But in modern society with the understanding of sociopathy (A person that lacks certain emotions that contribute to their sense of morality (bad word choice but oh well)) that people that look strange aren’t always murderers and that’s an obvious generalisation.

Moving on I’m not actually going to talk about the bias against people that look strange. That’s very well known even in people that don’t realise it. But the defensive bias that some alternative fashion lovers have against those that don’t dress alternatively. Sure, this ties a little into elitism. “Oh you’re a Goth. But you aren’t wearing any black?” sort of mindset. But again not exactly.

Link

Usually seen in teenagers, personally, but I don’t doubt that it’s in the older generations as well is that if you have had bad experiences with people that dress in a certain tide of mainstream fashion you may start a defensive string of judgement towards them as well.

To put it simpler, imagine two completely different girls are walking down the street. One is an alternative girl decked out in pointy boots, rosary, leather jacket. The other is a mainstream fashion lover in nude pumps, gold jewellery with her hair in a messy bun. The mainstream girl is thinking, “Ew, look at those boots. Fucking witch,” but the alternative girl is thinking, “gross, honestly, nude and swade? Fucking hipster”

It’s all judgement and it happens surprisingly often. Though a lot of people don’t realise that they do it.

I’m not going to tell you to stop all the judgement because I honestly think it’s in human nature but at least try and be a little more aware and a little less hypocritical.

Best wishes,
-Sary

Poll of the Week: Goth’s in the Mainstream

Link

We all know of Abby Sciuto from the well known NCIS, and the Goth Kids from South Park. As far as I know most just write them off as a funny cliche’. What do you think?

Television Goth’s are:

• Funny/entertainning.
• Just another character/no response.
• Ignorant/regressive.

Don’t forget to post in the comments some of your favorite characters or even characters you hate with a passion!

SPAM: I’m Sick of it.

One post in particular has gotten the most spam and I know it’s spam. You hear that spam, I KNOW YOU’RE THERE. It’s obvious when what they say is just mixed and matched words taken from the web page (I kind of want to make a program that does that for the lols) that usually make absolutely no sense, what so ever and the name links to some sort of health or drugs page.

One post in particular has generated the majority of it, Goths in the Mainstream: Project Runway which makes a lot of sense. This is just a heads up that I’m going to take down that page, it’s too much trouble for that article.

How does it feel to be crowded with spam, Amy?

I suppose if I had a capcha on my blog that would stop them, but I know how annoying it is for you followers. Too bad the spam catcher only catches comments I’m actually replying too. So, say goodbye to that post.

Best Wishes,
-Sary

Dressing Goth Being Easy, HA.

Whoever said that dressing Goth was easy was HIGHLY mistaken. Those people obviously hadn’t experienced any of the following things.

• Tightened a corset from the back by yourself.
• Gotten dressed with the amount of layers necessary.
• Poked yourself in the eye with eye-liner.
• Tripped over wearing boots.
• Bleached their hair and continued to over a time period of years.
• Applied false eyelashes.
• Gotten a piercing.
• Wore fishnet’s/lace in a bush.
• Washed mass amount’s of black clothes. 
• Ripped four pair’s of stocking’s in a row on purpose, while wearing them.
• Drank fizzy drink while wearing a corset.
• Moulded fang’s to their teeth.
• Teased and hair sprayed so much their hair fall’s out.
• Worn dread-fall’s for a long period of time.
• Washed the hairspray out of your hair after going for a ‘Robert Smith’ look.
• Tried to explain to someone, you don’t know, what Goth is on the spot.
• Seen the prices on some these clothes.
• Bleached their hair.
• Tried to find a specific item of clothing in the dark.
• Tried to find a specific item on clothing in semi-darkness.
• Tried to find a piece of clothing in the daylight!
• Worn PVC on hot day.
• Owned cat’s or some other hairy creature that malts a lot.
• Worn velvet in the rain.

Goths In The Mainstream: Growing Up Creepie

Source

Growing up Creepie is a children’s cartoon about a girl, named Creepie Creature, whom grew up like any other child minus the fact that her whole family are various assortments of bugs. Try not to visualize that birth, trust me. Growing Up Creepie is essentially a mainstream cartoon but does contain various Gothic traits.

Here are my few points on why I think it Growing Up Creepie represents the Gothic Subculture. If you disagree you can always leave your opinion in the comments, where they will be honestly noted.

Creepie wears a long black dress with black and pink co-ordinates (Much like a beloved representative of the Goth scene, most notably know as The Lady of the Manners). She has multicolored hair, often worn half up in pigtails containing: Blue, yellow, pink, orange and red.

She meets life in sarcasm and (somewhat, as it is a children’s cartoon) black humor. These are most commonly (But not restricted) traits of most Goths.

She lives in a dark, tall mansion with tall stone gates and pointed black, leafless trees. The house is surrounded by a dark, large hedge maze. Honestly, when I move out. I want a house like that. The scenery and such of the house is somewhat reminiscent of The Addams Family mansion. A black stone in a pile of bright white rocks, as the surrounding houses are as suburban as-can-be.

Creepie is often called freak, weird, Creepy as most of the subculture is referred to in mainstream eyes. She is also, considered to have psychological problems with the psychologist follows her around, at one stage she was assumed to have been attempting suicide as well. Sure this isn’t a realistic representation of the scene, but in (some of) the mainstreams eyes that is a fact.

In one episode she is recruiting into the cheer leading squad my her best (and hyperactive) friend. When asked to try her best to cheer, she comes up with this:
“Two, four, six, eight.
In my web you’ll meet your fate.
I’m the spider, your the fly.
Thanks so much for stopping by.

Eight, Six, Four Two.
Wind you and bind you, is what I’ll do.
Those who leave my nest, are few.
You’ll never escape, nice knowing you.”

Now, whom among us has never written horrible, depressing (In some peoples view) poetry or admired another’s? If the answer is no, you loose ten Goth points! (Just kidding!)

Of course, some of these points are reserved for stereotype but it still stands to some reason. The aim of this cartoon is to entertain children while teaching them about different types of bugs. At the end of each episode the featured insect is explained in reality and information is learnt! (Yay?) Considering these  points I think that cartoons such as these teach children to not judge just by looking at peoples clothing and I agree with this completely. To sum it up, Growing Up Creepie contains lots of Gothic stereotypes, teaches children about insects and not to judge people (or bugs) and is generally adorable. This is a great cartoon to laze around and watch if you ever have a ten minute gap and don’t particularly feel like thinking very much.

Enjoy!
-SaryWarlus.

P.S. What do you think of my new ‘Goths In The Mainstream’ section?