Okay, so I’ve been seeing “trad goth” pop up all over my social media feeds lately, and honestly, I was totally clueless. I mean, I get “goth,” but what makes it traditional? It was time to do some digging and figure this whole thing out.
My Deep Dive into Trad Goth
First, I hit up some search engines. I typed in “what is trad goth” and, well, the internet did its thing. I found some articles, forum posts, and even a few videos. It was a bit of a mixed bag, though – some stuff was super helpful, other stuff was just…confusing.
I started to get a sense that trad goth is all about the original goth scene, the stuff that came about in the late 70s and early 80s. We’re talking post-punk roots, that dark, romantic, kind of theatrical vibe.
So, to really understand it, I decided I needed to go straight to the source: the music. I made a playlist of some of the bands that kept popping up: Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, Sisters of Mercy, The Mission… you get the idea.
- Bauhaus
- Siouxsie and the Banshees
- The Cure
- Sisters of Mercy.
- The Mission
I spent a good chunk of the day just listening. And yeah, I started to get it. There’s this really distinct sound – a lot of driving basslines, atmospheric guitars, and dramatic vocals. It’s dark, but not in a heavy metal way. It’s more…moody and elegant, I guess?
Then, I figured I should check out the fashion. From what I gathered, it’s not just about wearing all black. It’s about big, teased hair, dark eyeliner (sometimes pretty elaborate), pale foundation, and a lot of black clothing, but with a certain romantic, almost Victorian influence. Think lace, velvet, fishnets, and maybe some dramatic jewelry.
It’s kind of like taking the dark aesthetic of punk and mixing it with something a bit more…refined? I don’t know if I’m explaining it right, but that’s the impression I got.
I even tried to put together a bit of a trad goth-inspired outfit, just to see how it felt. It was…interesting. Definitely not something I’d wear every day, but it was fun to experiment and get a feel for the style.
So, after all this, I feel like I have a much better understanding of what trad goth is. It’s not just a look or a sound, it’s kind of a whole package. It’s about embracing that early goth subculture and all the music, fashion, and attitude that went with *’s about looking back to some great music.
