Okay, so I’ve been seeing “trad goth” all over my Pinterest and TikTok lately, and I had to try it out. I’m not gonna lie, it looked intimidating at first, but I was determined to figure this whole thing out.
Digging Through My Closet (and Failing)
First, I raided my own closet. I mean, I wear black like 90% of the time anyway, so I figured I’d have something I could use. I pulled out all my black clothes – dresses, skirts, tops, everything. I tried mixing and matching, but it just wasn’t working. It all felt too…modern? Too casual? Definitely not that dramatic, spooky vibe I was going for.
Hitting Up the Thrift Stores
So, plan B: thrift stores. I spent an entire Saturday going to every thrift store in a 20-mile radius. I was looking for anything that screamed “80s goth” – lace, velvet, long flowy skirts, maybe some cool old band tees. I used every bit of energy to find something.
- First store: Found a decent black velvet skirt, but it was a little too…prom dress-y.
- Second store: Total bust. Nothing but old floral prints and mom jeans.
- Third store: Jackpot! I found a long, lacy black dress that was a little ripped, but in a cool, distressed way. Also snagged a pair of beat-up black boots that looked like they’d seen a few concerts.
- Fourth store: Picked up a few fishnet tops and some chunky silver jewelry – crosses, skulls, the whole deal.
Putting It All Together
Back home, I dumped everything on my bed and started experimenting. The lacy dress was the centerpiece, obviously. I layered one of the fishnet tops underneath, which instantly made it look more…goth. Then I added the boots, and boom – it was starting to come together!
The jewelry was the final touch. I put on a couple of the cross necklaces and a big, chunky ring with a skull on it. I even found some old black lipstick in my makeup bag that I’d forgotten about. I smeared that on, and honestly, I was pretty impressed with myself.
The Final Result
It wasn’t perfect, and I definitely need to practice my makeup skills (smoky eyes are HARD, you guys), but I felt like I’d captured the essence of trad goth. It was definitely a step up from my usual all-black-everything look. I took a bunch of pictures, and yeah, I’m probably going to be rocking this look more often. Who knew thrifting could be so much fun (and so goth)?
