Being goth is about more than just wearing black, but who can resist the allure of a new shroud of darkness? Not me, that’s for sure! Dropping upwards of $50-$100 on every piece of clothing in your closet is no way to live, though. It’s time to make your goth wardrobe more affordable with this list of ways to keep your spending to a minimum while you goth out to the max.
Shop Goth Brand Sales
Gothic clothing brands can be expensive, but if you shop strategically there are a lot of great deals out there. I’ve found several great pieces for around $10 by scouring the sale items at Killstar, for example. If a brand’s prices usually put you off, just keep an eye on the clearance section. The same goes for higher end brands like Disturbia and La Femme en Noir. You’d be surprised how affordable some of their sale items can be.
You might not have thought about Hot Topic in a hot minute, but they do have some unique gothic clothes and they’re SUPER inexpensive, often offering sales like 40-60% off selected items with a discount code. The clothing quality is about on par with brands like H&M, but it’s decent for the price (which, again, you truly cannot beat). Vampire Freaks also has a lot of inexpensive graphic tees that would fit a mall goth, emo, or Y2K aesthetic.
Go Forth and Thrift
The goth subculture thrives on making old things new again and romanticizing forgotten things. What better way to embody that mindset than exploring your local thrift store? With a little searching, you’ll find clothes that can be modified or styled to create goth outfits–and you might even find some genuine 80s clothes for a trad goth outfit, or the 90s slip dress your whimsigoth dreams are made of. The first goths filled their closets with whatever interesting, romantic pieces they could find, so embrace that spirit as you shop.
Depending on where you live, you might even snag some hard-to-find items from goth clothing brands. Part of the fun of thrifting is that you never know what you’ll stumble upon, and nothing beats the feeling of triumph when you take home a gorgeous blouse or skirt for $5.
DIY Goth Clothes
Can’t afford those $200 Tripp NYC pants? Get yourself a pair of cheap oversized black cargo pants and attach chains ($9), straps ($13), and studs you can purchase on Amazon, Etsy, or from a craft supplier. With a few basic sewing techniques, you can transform a lot of plain clothes into gothic statement pieces.
Thrifting inexpensive basics like black pants, tank tops, and t-shirts will give you a solid foundation, and from there you can unleash your creativity by adding band patches, fabric paint, lace, ribbons, grommets, studs, and even embroidery.
Look for textures like velvet and chiffon that lend themselves to a gothic aesthetic. A plain black blazer can go from office to coffin with the addition of some pyramid studs ($6) or cone spikes at the lapels and shoulders. You can also rip your black jeans or distress the denim with a cheese grater for a grunge goth aesthetic, or cut the bottom off an oversized t-shirt to make a cute crop top.
Check out this video for some easy alternative fashion DIY ideas to get you started.
Shop Clothing Resellers
If you want to shop goth clothing brands without the high price tag, check out sites like Poshmark and Depop. A lot of times, you’ll find clothes from brands like Midnight Hour, Punk Rave, Disturbia, Modcloth, and Foxblood at a deep discount. It might take a bit of patience to find clothes you like in your size, but if you check every once in a while you’ll strike gold eventually.
Get Cheap Goth Shirts
Let’s be real–band t-shirts and horror movie tees make up the bulk of most goths’ wardrobes. Cute gothic lolita dresses and vampy Morticia Addams gowns can make you feel like a queen of the night, but they just aren’t in the cards most days. For those everyday looks, you’ll need some goth t-shirts to exist in–and fortunately there are a lot of places to get them, often for under $20.
Nuclear Waste Underground has a wide selection of gothic band merch such as tees, tanks, and hoodies, and great prices all around. You can also find a lot of cheap goth shirts on Etsy, with designs like ravens, dark forest imagery, vampires, and bats. They also have a lot of goth band tees, including some rare vintage finds (though these are a bit more pricey).
If you’re on the hunt for ways to expand your gothic wardrobe without shrinking your bank balance, these tips should get you started. With a mixture of thrifted pieces, DIY projects, and inexpensive finds, you can create a gorgeous and distinctive goth aesthetic for a fraction of the price of expensive name brands and make goth clothing cheap at last. The only limit is your dark imagination.