How to Be Goth in Middle School

Middle school is the time of your life where you begin to look for your own style. A lot of people look to existing styles that they can put their own spin on for help. If you're interested in the goth subculture, try to adopt a goth style at your school and see how you like it. In addition to clothing and hair, being goth comes with its own subculture, including music, visual art, and a belief in individuality. If you want to identify as goth, focus on adopting the music taste as well as the attire.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Adopting a Goth Style

1
Choose a variety of types of dark clothing. Goth clothing is mainly dark, but it is mainly based off what popular goth bands wore. The idea of being a goth was to take inspiration from your favourite musician, but to never directly copy. ^{[1]XResearch source}
- Choose a goth style. Common goth styles include traditional goth, deathrock, or romantic goth. Traditional goth included silvery jewellery, fishnets, DIY leather jackets usually in black or darker colours; deathrock incorporated multiple layers of fishnets, deathhawks, extreme make-up, and accessories of belts and necklaces; and romantic goth consists of flowing dresses, corsets, and a medieval style aesthetic.
- However, goths did not always wear black and many goth musicians in particular have adopted a colourful image, for example, Siouxsie Sioux in Siouxsie and the Banshees music video Spellbound.
2
Pick the right footwear. Shoes are another major component of goth style. As with your clothing, you want your shoes to be black. Buy a variety of footwear commonly worn in the goth subculture.^{[2]XResearch source}
- Boots in particular are a staple of goth style. Look for military style/combat boots, winklepickers, Doc Martens, New Rocks, or most commonly worn today, Demonia platforms which often feature buckles and chains.
- Casual footwear. However, if you're tight on money, converse, flat-style, or canvas type shoes are not frowned upon but align more with emo pop punk fashion instead.
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3
Style your hair in a goth manner. Goth hairstyles vary greatly, so pick a style that flatters your hair and face while also reflecting the goth culture. If your parents allow it, try dyeing your hair black. You can get this done at a salon or use a home hair dye kit. Black hair will really reflect the fact you're adopting the goth style.^{[3]XResearch source}
- For guys, longer hair may look slightly more goth than short hair. Longer hair shows a commitment to non-conformity, an important ideal of goth culture. Consider growing your hair out slightly and slicking it back with gel.
- For girls, you can let your hair grow or cut it into a bob. Many female goths add other colors to their hair, like streaks of red or blue. If it's okay with your parents, you could dye your hair black and add something like blue tips or red highlights.
- If your parents allow, a more dramatic style can also look goth. For example, try doing something like deathhawk or spikes. Shaved hair can also look goth.
4
Accessorize. There are many accessories to choose from when it comes to the gothic style.
- Popular accessories include dog collars, silvery jewellery, bone clips, piercings, tattoos, fishnet/lace or leather gloves. You can also wear jewelry with Pagan, Egyptian or Christian symbolism.
5
Do your makeup like a goth. If you wear makeup, work on fostering a gothic style. In goth culture, it's not uncommon for boys to wear makeup as well. Black eye liner is popular for both genders. Pale foundation is also commonly used by both men and women.^{[4]XResearch source}
- Go for a pale foundation. This will give you an eerie, gothic look. Add a heavy layer of foundation to your face before adding things like eyeshadow, eyeliner, and lipstick.
- As with anything goth, darker shades are key. Black eyeliner, darker lipsticks, and dark mascara are helpful in cultivating a gothic style. If you like painting your nails, choose a dark shade.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Fostering the Goth Mentality

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Develop an interest in darker subjects. One major aspect of goth style is an interest in the morbid. Many goth kids read dark literature and are fascinated with subjects like death and graveyards. If you want to be goth, try exploring some darker subject material.^{[5]XResearch source}
- Many goths are interested in Egyptian culture, as there's such a focus on death and life after death. Try to familiarize yourself with some basic Egyptian mythology.
- Watch some darker movies. Films like Donnie Darko and A Clockwork Orange have a darker theme, and are popular in the goth subculture.

How.com.vn English: Be Goth in Middle School Step 7

1
Respect everyone's right to be themselves. Just as you would not want to be judged for wearing goth clothing, do not judge anyone else for dressing in more preppy attire.
- Try to treat everyone as you would want to be treated. Do not behave in a judgmental fashion to those around you.
- Get to know someone before making assumptions about them. Do not assume anyone would behave a certain way, or feel certain things, simply based on how they dress. Judge people based on their character over their appearance.
2
Focus on being an individual. Individuality is a major component of goth lifestyle. Non-conformity is a major ideal of goth subculture. You want to be your unique self, without worrying about what others think.^{[6]XResearch source}
- Explore your own interests without hesitance. If you want to, for example, read a book of poetry during free hour at gym, do so without worrying others will judge. While you can follow rules of goth style, as you want to adopt the look, make the look your own. If you feel like adding some pink to your wardrobe, do so.
- Get creative. Being creative can help you become more of an individual, and creativity is another major aspect of goth culture. Try writing some poetry, painting a picture or creating your own clothes. DIY is a huge aspect of the subculture - the original goths did not have their clothes made for them, they often created their own clothes. Allow yourself to grow creatively to help develop your individuality.
3
Familiarize yourself with goth music. Goth music expresses a lot of ideals of the goth subculture and is ultimately, the core of the subculture as the only thing specific to the subculture is music - dark fashion/aesthetics are found in multiple dark/alternative subcultures but the goth subculture owns goth music. If you want to work on being goth, listen to some popular goth bands.^{[7]XResearch source}
- The goth subculture originated from the British post-punk scene in the late 70s/early 80s with bands such as Southern Death Cult, Sex Gang Children, Ausgang, Bauhaus, Joy Division, and albums such as The Cure's Disintegration, and Siouxie and the Banshees' - Juju.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Look into modern goth music as well. Goth did not stop evolving at goth rock, but developed other sub-genres like darkwave and ethereal wave. Goth also has counterparts from other countries, like deathrock and coldwave. However, modern bands do exist and are vital to continue the longevity of the scene. Current modern goth bands include She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover, Boy Harsher, Drab Majesty, Angels of Liberty and Black Nail Cabaret.
- Keep developing your taste in to the subculture. Search Last.fm, Bandcamp, and goth/post-punk specific YouTube channels like In Depth Music and GOTHIC ROCK OFFICIAL to find more bands, whether they are older, modern, or obscure and underground.
  - Remember to support bands directly - attend their concerts, buy their music and buy their merchandise from their official Bandcamp page or official website.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Dealing With Being Goth in School and Home

1
Talk to your parents about the goth subculture. They may be afraid of some negative stereotypes of goth culture. Your parents may be worried about you becoming involved with drinking, drugs, or illegal activities, as the goth style can look startling. Talk to your parents and explain you're simply exploring yourself and your individuality. Assure them you will not get involved in negative activities just because you're becoming goth.
- Tell your parents many kids become goth in middle school, and remind them they likely experimented with different styles at their age. Let your parents know that you simply want to try this subculture out.
- Explain to your parents that being goth is about music, art, creativity, and fashion. Not all aspects of the goth subculture are negative, and you are not necessarily depressed just because you're becoming goth.
- Let your parents know drinking and drugs are not necessarily part of the culture. While all subcultures have negative aspects, whether or not you want to participate in harmful parts of the subculture is ultimately your choice. Reassure your parents they raised you well, and you will stay away from drugs and alcohol while becoming goth.
2
Deal with prejudice at school gracefully. Due to your unique style, you may get teased at school for being goth. If you're the target of bullying and teasing, find ways to disengage with your tormentors.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Sometimes, the best way to deal is to simply ignore the bully and report them. If someone makes a mean comment, simply keep walking and don't give them the satisfaction of them knowing you heard them. If you feel unsafe, get to somewhere where you do and report or ask for help.
- You should never get aggressive with a bully. Try to hold in your anger, and avoid retaliating in a physical manner. This will only escalate the situation.
- Be confident in yourself. Remember, you chose goth because you're proud of your individuality. Work on conveying self confidence in your day-to-day life in order to deter bullies and be happy with yourself.
Not all aspects of a goth style will work with your school's dress code. Review your student handbook and look at the dress code section. Some schools may ban things like certain piercings, chains, types of jewelry, and dyed hair. Make sure any aspects of the goth style you adopt are permitted in your school.
4
Seek help if you find yourself depressed. There is some evidence people who adopt the goth style are more prone to depression. If you are going goth because you feel sad or left out, find better ways to cope. If you're feeling depressed, there are resources you can go to for help.^{[10]XResearch source}^{[11]XTrustworthy SourceHelpGuideNonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources.Go to source}
- Symptoms of depression include feeling irritable, hopeless, anxious, or unhappy most of the time without cause. You may also lack interest in things you once enjoyed, have difficulty sleeping, and have gained or lost weight without trying.
- If you feel you are depressed, talk to your parents. Ask them for help finding you a mental health counselor who can help you deal with depression. Therapy and medication can be used to fight depression and get you back on track to being a healthy and happy teenager.
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Question
How do I find choker necklaces?
Community Answer
Stop by your local mall and browse the stores. A store like Hot Topic may carry chokers. You can also buy such products online.
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I'm fat for a girl and my parents aren't supportive of me. I love the goth style, but I am forced to be girly. What should I do?
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Have a sit down talk with your parents and explain to them you want to experiment a bit with your personal style. Reassure them that goth culture is not inherently negative, and talk about the positive aspects of the culture such as embracing diversity and individuality. If you feel bad about your physical appearance, see if your parents could help you find a counselor. A qualified counselor can help you gain better self esteem and a better self image overall.
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Tips

Start out slowly so you don't startle friends and family.
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Don't try to copy everyone's styles when you are trying to be goth.
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Tell your parents what you're doing. Educate yourself so you can educate them. Parents sometimes assume their goth kid is depressed, suicidal, rebellious, or attention seeking. Don't believe the stereotypes.
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Warnings

Some people might treat you differently.
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Your parents might not approve of your clothing choices.
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