Things BabyBats Should Be Instructed About

It's been over a month since I've written anything. I could give all sorts of excuses, but I really just haven't had inspiration. I do now.
     Let's start of with the basics of Goth. First off, I believe someone needs a basic understanding and respect for Goth culture. Everyone should know the Batcave, Joy Division, big hair, Robert Smith, winklepickers, Siouxsie Sioux and how they inspired this strange mutated creature we call Goth. Then consider yourself a Goth. You needn't tell anyone else if it makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable. Of course, that sentence does not apply to the original forefathers and foremothers; they have reached a level of Goth that is now unattainable.
     When someone starts out in this subculture, they slowly start to integrate whatever vaguely Gothy items they can into their wardrobe. It doesn't always turn out well. I would like to bring up a personal example. There is a group at my school self-titled as The Black Cloud. They wear those baggy, chained Tripp pants, Slipknot shirts, and thrift store leather jackets with odd patterns. The clog up the middle of the second floor's main hallway and the teachers are always yelling at them to disperse. I was in English a week ago and the word "gothic" was brought up. My teacher asked "Do you even use that word to describe people anymore?"
     The word gothic used as a label for people aside, I would like to point out that someone can wear ankhs and stompy boots and have teased up black hair and go to Goth clubs and listen to The Dresden Dolls and Siouxsie Sioux, but if they don't want to be labelled Goth, they aren't. No one can label anyone else.
     Then, surprise of all surprises, a football player raises his hand and says "Yeah, we use it on the Black Cloud". The Black Cloud is half emo kids and half BabyBats who aren't interested in learning about the culture whatsoever. I've asked some of them; they do not give a damn.

     Some garments you should avoid under certain circumstances. They CAN be made Goth, but you would be hard-pressed and it wouldn't always look as good as you think.

• Trilbies- These hats are marketed towards a 'Goth' market, with skull emblems, pinstripes, and morose colors. However, they are usually mislabeled as fedoras. They aren't. However, they should be worn with the same things. Hoodies aren't very complimentary. Maybe a classic button-down, tie, and skinny jeans a la My Chemical Romance?
• Phat Pants- I dislike Tripp pants. I think it takes a very special person to pull off enormous pants with an inordinate amount of chains, like LeahMouse. They're almost always on BabyBats and they're seen as immature. 
• Blue Jeans- There is nothing particularly Goth about grungy old blue jeans that don't fit. I don't think they're attractive on anyone, but some people really don't have anything else. Patches, Otter wax, artful shredding and stitching, painting, and laces can be interesting on any pants, blue or otherwise.
• Halloween Accessories- The Black Cloud has a penchant for wearing fishnet gloves and plastic vampire fangs. It takes a very special outfit to pull of fishnet gloves. I prefer the pantyhose with the ripped out crotch look myself, but if no one will give you any, wear them with something that matches. Plastic vampire fangs aren't really acceptable unless it is Halloween.
• Leather Jackets- Leather (or PVC or vegan-friendly material) jackets are an amazing addition to anyone's wardrobe. They are very expensive and very hard to find in good quality on ebay or a thrift store. If they come cheap, they most likely are cheap. It's hard to be a spooky creature of the night with quilted fake leather. If you insist on wearing a trench coat length jacket, MAKE SURE YOUR SHOES MATCH. There is a part of the Black Cloud that wears one with white Reeboks. They don't match.

Things to Wear Very Carefully

• Armwarmers- Match them with your outfit. Band shirts and lace-up lace do not mix. AVOID PLASTIC. There was another Black Cloud member who wear plastic Batman gauntlets over the sleeves of his jacket. Plastic is just not comfortable, practical, and really not attractive. I never thought I would have to say that.
• Knit Fingerless Gloves- If it is too hot to wear a knit sweater, it is too hot to wear knit gloves. 
• Extensions- Extensions are best as expensive, glue ins or wefts. Clip-ins are cheaper and much easier to find, so they're a fine option. Make sure to hide the clip under your hair.

     Please understand- it is fine if you'd like to wear these things, any of them. Think about the image some of these things send out and think about if you would like to portray yourself as such. If you do, wear it. If you don't try something else. Make yourself happy and forget what everyone else thinks. Yeah, empowerment.

Goth Challenge Day On - Two!

Due to blogger's block, I'll be doing Juliet's Lace's Goth Challenge! As soon as school starts back (10 days, kiddies...) I'll be doing sort-of-regular outfit posts.
I've sort of done day 1, so I'll skip ahead a day.

Share photos and experiences from your Baby Bat days.

 Oh dear.
Now, mind you all I've dropped 6-7 pants sizes since then, and insults are intolerable.

Let us share the very first BabyBat picture I have of myself.

The first photo not taken from the front

I don't particularly know how to start this. This was my first "dress-extravagantly-and-fix-your-hair" event. It was a friend's (who was a scene girl and therefore=k001) birthday and her sister took this picture. Before you are all suitably horrified, let me describe my outfit.
If I remember correctly, I was wearing awful dark blue bootcut jeans, black low-top Converse with black/white checkered laces, a fluffy tail, not one but TWO  Nightmare Before Christmas shirts layered together, a clip on tie, and snow-leopard clip-on ears. My hair was straightened and my eyes were kohled. Can you see the eye shadow? Nooo, because I didn't know how to use makeup and didn't use primer. To this day, I still won't wear makeup. I thought I was the height of Goth couture.
I don't remember what music I was listening to. I think I was vaguely interested in Kidneythieves and Velvet Acid Christ. Amazon recommended me to them after I rated all of Avril Lavigne's albums. She was the Goth idol of course.
This was sixth grade.

 

The first selfie

This was soon after my 12th birthday (also sixth grade). For that birthday, I had my first trip to Hot Topic. I was wearing my Hot Topic top hat, Hot Topic peacoat, Lip Service bondage pants, and combat boots. It seems like it could be a relatively good outfit now, 6 pants sizes down and at the opposite end of the upper-body sizes.
The eyeshadow was a bit better, but it had just been applied shortly before. I also smeared it across another boy's eyelid after he showed disloyalty.
I do still have the coat, hat, and pants (now cut-offs). The amazing army-issue combat boots sadly did not grow as my feet did and had to be thrown away.
As tribute to my MallGothyness, I was heading to a mall.  As part of a scholastic team. I bought a hat.

The height of my BabyBat-ism

There are no words to accurately describe my shame for this pictured weekend.
It was Voltaire's first live performance in my state and he was my favorite Gawff musician. There was a velvet cloak that went with this outfit. Let's just list everything I was wearing. The top hat (Hot Topic), vest (thrift store), dress shirt (sleeves cut off with a fork moments before because of *insert state here* heat; thrift store), shorts (thrift store), socks (internet), combat boots (storage unit sale), gloves (Spencer's Gifts), armwarmers (bought hours before at convention Voiltaire was performing at) necklace and bracelet (Rue21),  and white extensions (from the con as well). I'm sorry I typed so long. The makeup was, ironically enough, Halloween store black lipstick and too much eyeliner.
Anyway, Voltaire asked for volunteers to sing "When You're Evil" onstage with him. According to my step-sister (who has been cleverly edited out), a huge group of people pointed at me. I didn't know the lyrics, but no one noticed and I can't look at the pictures without wincing.

I knew you were all wondering when a picture like this would appear

This is the epitome of MallGoth. Long coat, Green Day t-shirt (incidentally, I don't and have never really liked them), Lip Service pants, Demonia Trashville 518 boots, striped arwarmer, mesh armwarmer, and spiked wristband. I am ashamed of this first photoshoot. I am not one of those Goths that looks fondly upon their BabyBat days. Not only because of the terrible outfits but my weight problem as well. Thank God that was fixed about three moths later. This was seventh grade winter break. Notice, the "corpse paint". I am very, very sorry.

There you are. My treacherous fashion journey into Goth.

With a pit of shame and newly dyed-black-and-trimmed hair