Gothic Clothes Care with Beautiful PVC Styles

Welcome to the fourth issue of Goth Style Tips Newsletter. In the last issue, we interviewed Olga Lipnipski Gothic designer of www.decadentdesigns.ca for her beautiful PVC clothing, including the 2-piece gothic clothes shown below. For this issue, Nathan Chudrick of www.thekissstore.com, an online vendor of gothic clothes, fetish fashions and accessories will provide us with some helpful tips on taking care of leather, PVC and latex gothic clothes so they can last for years. Also included in this issue are tips on how to quickly add highlights to your gothic hairstyle without the damage.

Olga Lipnipski of Decadent Designs

Some of the most common gothic clothes include corsets, leather, PVC and latex wear, inspired from fetish fashions. Nanthan has some tips on the care of these special fabrics.

Nathan Chudrick – www.thekisstore.com

1. When did you get started selling fetish products at your retail and online store?

I opened my retail store two years ago and a year later, I started to post some of the items in my store online. Some of my customers are in remote regions, away from specialty stores, but I have customers in this city too. Some people find online shopping to be more discreet and would not want their colleagues, friends and family members to find out about their lifestyles. In fact, I have successful business clients who are regulars because they trust that I will safeguard their privacy.

2. As both your retail and online store carry products made out of leather, PVC and latex, what do you recommend for the care of these products?

Leather has always been popular for gothic clothes. With leather, you'll need to gently clean it with a soft cloth and Dayton Boot Oil. Then to prevent leather from cracking and peeling, I carry a conditioning product called Lexol in the original formula as the carefully formulated solution prevents cracking and extends the longevity of leather garments. It renews by restoring the oils originally used in the tanning processes.

A lot of gothic clothese are made from PVC. These garments are quite low maintenance. For light usage, a gentle wipe with a damp cloth is often all that is needed to keep it clean on the outside, while a little Febreeze on the inside will freshen it. If PVC is really soiled, hand-wash it with a mild soap in cold water. Never put it in the dryer or use a blow dryer to speed up the drying process as it can melt and the fumes from it are toxic. And once you have PVC cleaned, use a bit of Vinylex Protectant, a patented one-step formula that penetrates below the surface layer to nourish and revitalize underlying plasticizers to reduce cracking.

Latex is now a big part of gothic clothes. It is made from rubber and is a delicate fabric to wear. Before putting on latex, cover yourself in baby powder or talc for the garment to slide on easily. After each wear, it is important to clean and to store latex properly. Wash it in warm, but never hot water. You may use a mild soap, but never use grease-removing detergent as this will damage it. Finally, to remove excess powder and to keep latex shiny, I carry Eros, a high-concentrate silicone lubricant. After washing latex, hang it to dry and finally dust liberally with powder. Latex can be damaged if left unpowdered. If it comes into contact with any kind of oil, it will deteriorate. Therefore, be careful when wearing latex and leather together as the oils or conditioners used to keep leather in good shape can harm latex.

Olga Lipnipski of Decadent Designs

Highlight your Gothic Hairstyle without the Damage

For intense Gothic hair color, your hair needs to be porous to absorb the dye. Even if your hair doesn't appear to have any red tones, all dark hair contains some red pigment. Therefore, lightening your hair in one step will most likely turn your hair an unattractive shade of orange. Therefore, a double process is required to first strip the hair of its pigment. The second step is to add the new color of choice with hair dye. And changing your hair color is a continued commitment as you’ll need to touch up the roots.

If you’re only looking to add just some highlights, consider some fake hair pieces instead. Clip-in Gothic hair extensions are a fun way to change your look and at about $10 a pair from specialty hair stores, they are affordable too. Clip-in Gothic hair pieces are a fast and inexpensive way to achieve the brilliant contrasts and highlights of Gothic hair color, without the damage. These strands of highlighted hair are one inch in thickness and are packaged in singles or pairs in flaming reds, deep purples, shocking pinks, cobalt blues, emerald greens and other bright colors. The strands of hair are glued and sewn onto small plastic combs. And if you buy clip-in hair extensions made from human hair, you’ll be able to use a curling iron to style it with your own hair.

To place the clip-in Gothic hair strands, just attach the comb under a piece of your own hair and click it into place. The small teeth in the comb and the snap of the clip are sturdy enough to keep the bright hair pieces in place. Then style the new highlights with your hair. You may need to trim the clip-in highlights to match the length of your hair. As the top of the small clip is covered with your own hair, it’ll look like you’ve gone to a salon to get professional highlights. If you want to be adventurous, you can also experiment with a mixture of different colors and placement of these highlights for a wild and creative look. The best part is that since clip-in hair extensions are only temporary, you can even change your Gothic hairstyle everyday!

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