Elder Goths / Lifestylers….

[MistressoftheDarkSide]

I’m curious to know how many of us are still going, as I career through my 50s, freak flag in back pocket and fan and parasol to hand 😹

Intended to be a lighthearted style oriented thread, somewhat inspired by another thread about dressing up choices that might lead to negative reactions…

So my style is pretty much Stevie Nicks meets Helena Bonham Carter these days, as PVC and fishnets tend to make look as though I’ve been stuffed into a string back ready to display in a delicatessen.

Give me velvet, lace, chiffon and silver accessories….. hats, lots of hats…. Extravagant footwear like New Rocks (virtually orthopaedic so they’re a win). Love fringing, even if I do end up tied to door handles and furniture on occasion….

While I’m now fortunate to have been able to forge a career around it all, even when I worked mainstream jobs I was “corporate Goth” and never had any issues around my - ahem - eccentricity.

So if you’re lurking in the shadows, shall we compare notes?

And just for fun - voting:

YABU - You’re far too old for such nonsense.

YANBU - The dark side is fun - we have cookies 😈

Honestly, some of the stuff i've seen/bought on Shein has been the same quality as Disturbia and Killstar now. I am seriously struggling to find ANY alt/goth sotres that still use anything but awful 100% polyester fabrics. If you look on the Disturba/Killstar facebook groups it's extremely hit and miss what kind of quality you will get so you might as well shop Shein.

The trick nowadays is to look everywhere for the one thing you are after. The dress I mentioned above is Boden and the shirt is an older Karen Millen I picked up before they also stated succumbing to cheaper fabrics. I have clothes from EMP, New Look, Primark, Shein, Disturbia, Killstar, George at ASDA, Charity finds but they all pass as "Goth" enough. It doesn't have to be all expensive and it's about comfort and how you style things together.

I’m an old Slimelighter from the 90s and still fairly goth 🦇

I may have been there at the same time 👍

Amazing! There’s a few of us on here.

Slimelight was my church and I found all my best friends there, I was a top floor goth, but sometimes the middle floor too.

I wonder if we knew each other?

Very much love the goth look, as well as tea / swing dresses

It can be as cheap or as expensive as you make it I find, if you buy everything from Killstar for example it will cost you a small fortune but like I've said, all of my basics are from high street shops, less than £20, mostly in the sales, the accessories I've built up over the years, the only thing I really splash out on is bags and that's only very occasionally, it used to be shoes as well but I can't wear them anymore 😂. I'm an avid ebayer as well, love a second hand bargain!

I think the most expensive goth thing I own is my coffin shaped suitcase, I got it in the sale and I love it. It holds a surprising amount too.

I'm 50 and still wearing what the hell I like. My son said to me "I bet you wore the same style at 15" I should really wind it in! and start shopping at damart.

It's strange though when I read here about fringes, velvet, lace and long skirts or victorian boots, despite being 50 this year I only remember older goths wearing this style. I had older friends who were into bats, coffins, crucifixes, and listening to the cure. I never did. Although I like Jesus and the Mary chain I'm more into punk.

I've been described as goth, I've been told I'm looking like Wednesday Adams but I don't think I've been very deliberate. I've no idea what label would be accurate except to say I'm probably more Nu goth and always was even before this trend took root. It's usually skinny black jeans, t shirts, black blazer, ripped jeans, chokers, DMs, hats, over the knee socks or boots, ladders down my tights (I refuse to bin them) and not a bat or crucifix in sight. So I'm confused that some trad goths are younger than me :)

I like vintage clothes too, and have a few victorian jackets, hats and skirts. I dress up fairly regularly and also dress up victorian goth for bonfire.