With the recent revival of goth aesthetics and the popularity of media like Netflix’s Wednesday and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, gothic fashion is having a major moment. While the goth subculture has never disappeared, its popularity has ebbed and flowed ever since the first trad goths draped themselves in black in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.
Now that goth is becoming trendy again, it seems like the subculture has become just another marketing category, split up into increasingly atomized, marketing-friendly micro-niches. With fast fashion brands getting in on the trend, it feels like someone is always trying to sell you something.
The antidote to all this consumerism is to embrace the goth scene’s DIY roots and passion for ethical clothing to create your own spellbinding outfits. All you need is a dark sense of fashion, a little creativity, and maybe some scissors and fabric paint.
Here are some ideas for DIY goth clothes you can make yourself, with little to no sewing required.
Cutout T-Shirt
Cutting the neck out of a t-shirt is a quick and easy way to give your wardrobe a refresh. T-shirts are great for cutup diy projects because they tend to be made of fabric that’s a bit stretchy so you don’t have to worry about the raw edges fraying after you cut them. You can even cut out the neck, sleeves, and bottom of an oversized tee from the thrift store to make a cute crop top.
If you have a bit of sewing know-how, you can also take in the side seams of a loose tee to make it more form-fitting, or even make it into a minidress. (Using contrasting stitching with bright green, pink, or red thread looks really cool with a black t-shirt and gives a vintage emo vibe.)
DIY Bleach Shirts
Bleach is your friend when it comes to creating unique punk-inspired or grunge goth clothes. For example, you could dip the bottom half of a plaid flannel shirt in bleach for an ombre effect, or use a paintbrush or bleach pen to draw an anarchy sign, Eye of Horus, or pentagram with bleach on a black hoodie. Splashing bleach on your clothes can create a wild Jackson Pollack effect, or you can use a spray bottle for more control (try using a stencil to create shapes).
For spray bleach, use a solution of 50% bleach and 50% water and let it set for 5-20 minutes to create a faded vintage look.
Whenever you’re working with bleach, try out your technique on an old piece of clothing or rag first so you can get a sense of how it will turn out. Bleaching is not an exact science, but it often creates a ghostly effect that looks macabre and interesting. If you’re working with black clothes, just be aware that they probably won’t bleach out to white; instead, they’ll turn yellow/orange where bleach has been applied.
When doing a DIY bleach project, you’ll want to mix up a neutralizing solution of 1 part hydrogen peroxide and 10 parts water in a bucket or plastic tub beforehand. This will stop the bleaching process and prevent your clothes from getting damaged.
Once you’ve applied the bleach to your clothes, let them sit in the bathtub or shower for about 20 minutes for the full effect, rinse out the clothes thoroughly, submerge them in the neutralizing solution for 15 minutes, and rinse again. Next, run your clothes through the laundry as usual. Always wear gloves and eye protection and stay in a well-ventilated space when you’re working with bleach.
DIY 80s Outfits: Just Add Lace
To create an 80s trad goth outfit, remember that more is more: more textures, more accessories, more patterns. (And, of course, more hairspray.) This is a maximalist aesthetic that looks to the Victorian and Romantic periods for inspiration as much as the flamboyant styles of the 80s. A great way to capture this look is by adding lace to your clothes.
A plain top or skirt becomes pure gothic decadence with the addition of some black lace. Create a simple border at the hem or neckline, or pile on the layers. This also goes for other textures like ruffles, tulle, or chiffon. Adding a layer over a plain shirt gives it instant 80s drama.
Adding a lace cuff to the inside of a long-sleeve blouse is another fun, easy DIY project to get that angsty vampire aesthetic. If you don’t know how to sew, just use hem tape or even a hot glue gun or safety pins for a quick, temporary fix.
Embroidery
This one is for all you crafty bats out there. If you’ve been looking for a project that will help you put an individual touch on your clothes, a bit of embroidery is fun and funky, perfect for whimsigoth clothes.
A denim jacket, sweater, jeans, or even Converse sneakers would all look great with embroidered designs. Try adding flowers, leaves, or cute skeleton embroidery to personalize your wardrobe.
You’ll need embroidery thread and a heavy-gauge needle depending on the material, as well as a thimble to protect your finger and possibly an embroidery hoop to stretch out the fabric you’re working with.
Patches
Adding band patches to a denim vest or jacket is a must for punk-inspired or deathrock looks. If you’ve always wanted a battle jacket but aren’t sure how to get started, grab some patches for bands or movies you like from a site like Nuclear Waste Underground. This is a great opportunity to learn some simple sewing if you’ve never done it before. Of course, if you’re totally allergic to needles and thread, you can find iron-on patches as well.
How to Sew Band Patches
First, line the patch up where you want it and use stick pins or safety pins to keep it in place. Measure out a piece of thread about twice as long as your arm (much longer than this and it’ll get tangled when you’re trying to sew). Thread it through the needle until the needle is halfway up the thread–or about one arm length. Tie the ends together in a knot that is big enough to ensure it won’t slip through the fabric. A triple knot should be good.
Poke the needle up through the fabric and the patch from the inside so the knot won’t show. You might need a thimble to protect your finger and help push through the thick fabric. A corner is a good place to start.
Pull it through until the knot catches, then stick the needle back through just the denim fabric. Repeat up the side of the patch with the stitches creating a kind of “spiral”--this is called a whip stitch. Stitches should be no more than a centimeter or so apart if you’re using thick thread, with less space in between for standard thread, which is more delicate. Keep going around the edge of the patch until you run out of thread. When you do, leave a couple of inches to work with and cut off the needle, then tie the ends together (on the back side of the garment), securing the stitches in place with a knot. Repeat the process until you’ve gone all the way around the patch. For a smaller patch (about 4” x 4”), this will probably take about 20 minutes.
Once your patches are sewn on, you can add buttons and badges, and even draw or write on your jacket with fabric paint or pens.
Drawing on Denim
You don’t actually need special ink or paint to create DIY designs on a jacket or jeans. A Sharpie or ballpoint pen will work just fine and hold up to multiple washes. If you don’t want to write words, try using stencils to create cool borders and patterns. Just tape the stencil down first to make sure it doesn’t migrate while you’re working. Test it out on a pair of old jeans or a worn out t-shirt first to see how it will turn out.
If you want to expand your artistic horizons with fabric paint, just be aware that it can be pretty gloopy and hard to manage, especially if you’re trying to create fine details. Stencils are probably a no-go, but you can still create interesting freehand designs and color gradients. Try watering down the paint a bit to make it smoother, and try out some different brushes on a fabric sample before starting your project. Dry it with a hairdryer when you’re done to avoid smudging, especially if you’re painting multiple layers.
These ideas should help you kickstart your imagination and start creating your own alt fashion and goth clothes from scratch. Use these DIY dress up ideas to create your next gothic fashion masterpiece.