More on the Evils of Hipsters Invading Goth and Grunge

That title is completely facetious. There is nothing wrong with Hipsters, nor their interest in Grunge and Goth. The post that still has more views than the rest of my posts combined (Pastel Goth, Nu Goth, and Hipster Goth) still holds a lot left unsaid. I just described their differences, how they could be considered Goth, and a vague little 'be nice to them'.

Look at this outfit. Is it that bad, if you get past the label of 'Nu Goth'? I don't think so. Could it be Goth?
Well, look here.
There's the big question.
Could it be Goth?
Who's to say what is and is not Goth? Why, it's the person wearing it! If they know the basics of Goth and consider yourself one, no one can tell you any different. These Basics of Goth are something lots of people have disagreed with me on. I think it would be very, very helpful if you knew the minimum, the most basic smidgen of knowledge:

• The History- No, not as far back as the Visigoths, silly goose. I mean the modern movement with big hair and ripped pantyhose pulled over heads. My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult was the first band where the followers were called "goths" in an interview in 76-78 (this entire sentence was taken from a Facebook conversation with another blogger). Then, Bela Lugosi's Dead came up and the sound was called Goth. The rest is history. 

If Ashley Joncas (the Nu Goth pictured) identified, she could be a Goth. She could have a skewed idea of it, but she could still be one. She wouldn't need to know the history; there are no requirements because we are all accepting. Well, we are supposed to be.
I'm being sidetracked.

 I don't know anything about the original Grunge movement, but I'm sure it had little to do with pastels. BUT (you knew there would be a but, didn't you? You are all VERY smart) the adjectives 'soft' and 'pastel' are used. An adjective is 'a word or phrase naming an attribute, added to or grammatically related to a noun to modify or describe it'. Notice the modify. The style, as far as I can tell, is somewhat influenced by grunge fashion.

If you have a tumblr account, you'll know about the 'geeks girl' controversy. Male geeks will approach females wearing comic book related clothing or buying comic books will be harassed about knowing everything about these books, or games, or cards. You don't need to know everything about Goth or grunge. It would certainly be helpful, but it's very near impossible to know everything. In my opinion, you should know some very basic things and you should definitely have an interest in your subculture (if you don't, you need to rethink your motives).

 In short, hipsters being interested in Goth and grunge isn't a bad thing, whether they identify as part of the subculture or influenced by it. This is society becoming more accepting of us black-clad spooksters; accept it. 

If you have any questions, comments, or flame wars in the making, please send them to me here. 

-HRH LittleGothCat

Pastel Goth, Nu Goth, and Hipster Goth

I know, second post on my first day, faux pas. But I was browsing tumblr, like I am for at least 18 hours a day, when I noticed hate on Pastel Goth. I personally love how PG combines little decora and lolita type fashion with Goth. I've also noticed hate on Nu Goth and Hipster Goth. They aren't quite as appealing to me as PG, but I still admire them for the same fusion with goth.

Examples of Pastel Goth

Image 1 found here
Flowertuner is a great example of pastel/loli/deco fashion. I really have no name for it. Notice how the Gothy influence comes in with the patterns, such as the skull-and-crossbones pattern on the blouse and zombie unicorn pattern on the dress. If they had a different print, such as a pastel and gingham, it could be considered lolita. Well, it could if it was a bit longer and bell-shaped. Eyeballs (on the bowie) are commonly found in Pastel Goth, to add in a little creepy to the cute. Her platform boots are Demonia, if I might add. I personally love this outfit and I follow this girl on tumblr.

Image 2 found here
Here lies one of the most contorversial aspects of Pastel Goth: the inverted cross. Goths don't like it. Why? Many Goths starting out have used the inverted cross as a rebellious symbol against religion. It isn't. The inverted cross (known as the Cross of St. Peter) is a symbol of the crucifixion of Jesus' disciple Peter. I'm not sure why PGs like it so much; you can ask a few, if you'd like. Another huge aspect of PG  fashion is the hair. Irodohieru (on the left) is wearing a wig. It utilizes (what looks like) your hair as an accessory to match any outfit. They come in a variety of styles, colors, and materials. It's possible, though not as versatile, to dye your hair a pastel color if you wish. I understand many people put conditioner in their dye to lighten the color. And vice versa to make it last.

Examples of Nu Goth

Image 3 found here
This Lookbook is absolutely filled with Nu Goth. I see Nu Goth as an unholy alliance with current mainstream fashion, 90s revival fashion, and how the mainstream sees Goth. The mainstream part of the fashion are the shoes. You cannot see them in this shot, but the most popular shoes with the Nu Goth and fashion-forward crowd are Jeffrey Campbells, particularly their Litas and recent collaboration with Blackmilk. The 90s revival comes in with the infatuation with high-waisted denim shorts (seen here), Americana, photo-editing (also seen here), and round John Lennon-esque glasses. Now, here comes what gets Goth's skull print panties in a twist. Nu Goth takes what the media sees about Goth fashion (spikes, chains, studs, leather, monochromatic color scheme) and uses it. Notice the black and white clothes, spiked headband, and (not seen) shirts with 'edgy' prints.

 Image 4 found here
Now, at the opposite end of the color spectrum, another example of NG. Note that the model is the same, but the hair is different. What does that mean? A wig, of course! That is one similarity NG has with PG. ALSO, notice the cross and love of studs/spikes; another similarity that causes people to confuse the two!
The model has a habit of posing in a melancholy/edgy way, both of which are moods that are seen as 'Goth Moods'. I AM NOT SAYING NU GOTH IS BAD. No, I'm simply acting as if they are a species of their own and imitating Steve Irwin as I type and pointing out why Goths don't like them. I personally do.


Examples of Hipster Goth

Image 5 found here
Nu Goth and Hipster Goth are very similar. In fact, you could say they're different facets of the same fashion. I'd say the main difference is that HGs are essentially dark indie folk and hipsters at heart; therefore, they have nothing to do with mainstream fashion. They also accept color, but there wasn't a good transition word to include that. This HG is employing the use of layered skirts. There is a long, sheer-ish, sometimes interestingly patterned skirt paired with a shorter, non-sheer one underneath. Her hair is also dip-dyed, which, I've noticed, is a trend in the HG and NG scene.

Image 6 found here
Ooh! This is the first male PG, NG, or HG I've seen! The beanie, glasses, and skinny jeans are reminiscent of Hipster fashion, but the charcoal color gives it a slightly Gothy flavor. His hair actually reminds me of flowy RomantiGoth hair. That image tickles me so. The cross necklace gives it Gothy iconography. The shoes are interesting because I can't identify them. Hm.

Image 7 found here (I tried lookbooking for this, but couldn't find it; if you know the true source, please tell me) Ah, Creepers! They are truly a Hipster Goth staple. They come in suede, leather, polyurethane, in just about every color and pattern, double sole and single, wedge, knee high, ankle, etc...This HG also sports ripped tights, which is actually an aspect of NG fashion. Tights in general are popular in every fashion style in this post; solid black for all, bat-print, polka-dot, and heart print are popular with the Pastels, the Nus prefer ripped, ribbed, and sheer, while the Hipster Goths seem to enjoy space print, sheer stripes, and other interesting patterns.

So, all in all, these pastel, bewigged, and dip-dyed stepchildren (dare I say it?) of Goth aren't bad. They're just new. They may stay as long as Goth or fizzle out. Some of them could be close-minded ignorant bastards, but some Goths are. You'll find some in every subculture. So, please, treat them like you would treat any person.

All picture are labelled with their sources and none belong to me.

Thanks for putting up with me and getting ahead of myself on BlogSpot
With striped socks and clunky boots,