Am I Goth?
Am I goth? A question asked by Baby Goths to Elder Goths
Am I goth? It is a question that many of us, from Baby Goths to Elder Goths ask. Goth is both a state of being and classification of personal style. Over the years, I’ve learned that fashion styles may come and go, but personal style, your “art of display” is everlasting, regardless of the shifting fads sweeping through. It’s your creative adaptation of the underlying sea of current trends that shows that you are both confident and caring about your gothic self.
Am I goth? It all starts with your imagination. The art of display is a creative expression that allows others to see the “real” you. And by expressing your uniqueness through your self-image, this enables you to attract like-minded people into your life. Individuality is the gothic subversion to the mainstream convention on how one must look. Therefore, I have found that most Goths are very accepting of the diversity of clothing styles and body types. Unlike mainstream culture, which emphasizes a youthfully thin figure for women or a muscular body type for men, Goth celebrates the beauty of the human form in all shapes, sizes and ages. This helps to debunk the disempowering belief that “my body is not sexy enough because…” which may come from the feelings of unworthiness perpetuated by mainstream media. Instead, gothic subculture enables you to express yourself attractively in its many variations.
Am I goth? As Gothic style rejects popular values, emphasis is on freedom of expression and challenging taboos. One of the most striking features of Goth is that both men and women may wear items that are typically relegated to women in modern culture such as fishnet, PVC, lace, velvet and even corsets and skirts. Menswear in mainstream culture and what is allowable to be worn in the workforce is limited to shirts, pants and suits, usually within conservative colors. Gothic attire enables men to accept of their feminine essence as all humans, whether male or female contain both the yin (feminine) and yang (masculine) energies within us.
Even though there are variations, there are definitive and unifying elements within Goth style – such as rejecting of popular values, emphasis is on freedom of expression, and challenging taboos such as black eye liner on men in Western culture, whereas lining the eyes with kohl was a practice in ancient Egypt and in oriental cultures for both men and women as the eyes are the windows of the soul.
Am I goth? Finally, this can only be answered ultimate by how you feel about being goth. I have found that goth is a state of mind that appreciates the darkness of life or the shadow self. This came about after realizing that I needed to know my inner darkness as much as my inner light to be goth. Goth is about facing our deepest fears since running away from them will only make them stronger. What you resist will persist. Light exists because darkness coexists. Eureka is the sudden clarity emerging from the depths of chaos and the midst of darkness.
Lady Eureka, writer for Goth Style Secrets
For more information about goth, read “Step-by-Step Essential Guide to that Elusive Gothic Look & Style”.
