I was perusing the NYT Thursday Styles section yesterday morning while merrily sipping my grande decaf nonfat latte,* when I was stopped in my tracks with the shock of recognition. Could I really have been a goth in an earlier incarnation?I certainly didn’t ever feel gothic, with my blonde hair and blue eyes and natural makeup. But on the pages of the NYT the similarity was undeniable.
In grad school my favorite dress was a charcoal gray thickish jersey number (can’t remember the designer any more but I bought it at BG) that had a gentle crew neck, tight long sleeves, a fitted empire bodice and a long, long skirt. Not long-dowdy; long-cool.
Like the model in the photo, I wore my dress with a high topknot; unlike the model, I also wore black velvet lace-up Charles Jourdan high-heeled oxfords and black-and white striped tights. (Or sometimes Doc Martens and black thin slouched socks, with a thick African metal necklace around my neck.)
Was this gothic? I felt more like a Calvin Klein minimalist, but am rethinking, with a bit of a blush.
Have you ever gone goth? Or *are* you gothic? (Southern gothic included . . .)
*called a “why bother?” in New York, a “Puritan” in New England. I like it because it gives me the illusion of coffee and milk without the jitters or calories.
8 comments:
ha! when i first saw this in my reader, i figured it would be about someone with a lisp who watched gossip girl.
Not me. My would-be trend was rocker chick. Not that I was remotely believable. But I had these suede over the knee boots I thought were so fantastic. In hindsight, between them and the pixie hair, I probably looked as lot like Robin Hood.
Love the "why bother?"! Really, it's like a virtual drink.
I have never gone Goth, but I do like things associated with Goths--Vampires, haunted houses, demons, etc. I have, a couple of times, dressed as a Goth for Halloween--the only time I think it's appropriate for me to venture out of my usual girly girl attire.
I've always worn a lot of black -- never enough eyeliner or piercings though.
I had a dress just like you describe. I had it about 15 years ago. I wore it with white ankle socks and black suede creepers. No makeup, natural hair, does that make me goth?
I think we could all fit or not fit if we wore black/punk/similar getups.
I'm not sure I want to be in a pigeonhole like that.
(I used to order the decaf, nonfat misto at Starbux. I called it "the Unleaded.")
I think I grew up during the era when goth taking a back seat in Korea. Well come to think of it.. under my parents I couldn't have had a possibility of pursing that kind of style anyway.
I read that article too!
You must have looked TERRIFIC in grad school!!
SOUNDS goth, but I suggest posting photos of you from that era for confirmation.
I had the Docs, but never went goth. Too much of a goody-two-shoes.
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