Style has become more of a trend nowadays and it has become harder to find the more “true” gothic or punk clothing. True goth and punk style prides itself on defying trends, labels, and popularity and focuses more on being an individual. I have been into the goth and punk scene for about 15 years now and have noticed that it is getting increasingly harder to find clothes that aren’t fashion trends. I have put together this guide to help you find clothing that is as individual as the person wearing it and to help you save your money while looking good.
Ebay can sometimes be a good place to start looking for clothing, but sometimes you are flooded with lots of irrelevant results, or shops that charge twice the retail price or more because the item is discontinued or hard to find. Most competitive sellers on Ebay will hit the closeouts and purchase all of a certain clothing line in order to make it more difficult for anyone else to find it except to go and buy it from that seller. I have also seen this happen with popular lines such as Lip Service even when the items aren’t on sale. Ebay is too competitive and the sellers there are not looking to make loyal customers, most are just looking for a quick sale. Very rarely you will find specific items that you are looking for offered for auction at reasonable or even cheap prices on Ebay by an individual. The best way to find this, provided you have time to wait, is to sign up your email address for a notification of any new auctions matching your criteria.
AngryYoungandPoor.com is a good source for belts, accessories such as spikes, studs and etc as well as boots and bondage shorts. Their prices are the best I have found for labels such as Tripp NYC, Lip Service, Dickies and more, not to mention that they have some harder to find styles that you would pay an arm and a leg for on Ebay. They ship very quickly and I have never had a problem with them or their products.
Hot Topic stores are popular among the younger crowd. These days they only carry a few items especially for the true gothic or punk person. It is a good source for Manic Panic hair dyes, makeup, gift items such as postcards scary and not-so scary stuffed animals, stickers, figurines and even licensed bed sheets from movies like A Nightmare Before Christmas, The Corpse Bride and more. Unfortunately this store has become focused on satisfying the consumer demands of the youth that frequent the malls than maintaining their individuality.
The one place most people have shopped, even though some don’t like to admit it, is a thrift store. Thrift stores are goldmines for vintage or unusual clothing and you will usually get a better deal than any department or clothing store. I’ve found beautiful dresses, funky belts, and even some vintage plaid punk pants from the 1980’s in some of my local thrift stores. Some people are embarrassed to say that they shop at thrift stores, but these are usually the people that care more about labels and trends and should stick to their malls loaded with Abercrombie and Fitch or J. Crew. Thrift stores are exceptionally helpful to those on a tight budget, but needing new clothes for work, a wedding, or even every day. Don’t shun the thrift store, they almost always have something for everyone.
Style is constantly changing and making it more difficult to find alternative or vintage clothing. There are lots of places out there that offer the more unusual style of clothing, you just have to know where to look, and hopefully this guide has made it a little easier. Trying your search online or in your local thrift store, instead of in the mall with over-priced clothing, not to mention increasing gas prices, won’t break your bank this summer.
