Trend: Chain Necklaces

You know what I haven't worn in over 20 years? Chain necklaces. I don't mean dainty chains--I mean the industrial ones you would get at a hardware store. When worn with a spiked collar (like in the above Widow photo), it was a pretty badass look in the late 90s, early 00s. I'm liking it with the updated hair and makeup in the photo above. Though I won't hate it with the choppy highlights and panda eyes of the 00s.

Wearable Cyberpunk

I am DYING for Cyberpunk 2077 to come out and with day 60+ of wearing masks and having digital dance parties, I mean, the cyberpunk apocalypse is upon us. I mean, I thought I'd be wearing light-up masks and not an n95 I bought at the hardware store.

cyberdog--also don't wear this mask for Covid--look at those holes.

The Biggest Balloon Sleeve

I'm not buying anything online due to the virus, but one day, when this is all over....

Currently, I am on the hunt for the biggest balloon sleeve (I've also seen them called "bishop sleeves"). They've come in and out of style the last few years, but all of the ones I've seen in stores (during the before time) are wimpy and itsy-bitsy. What I'm basically looking for is two skirts on my arms. This is a beautiful dress but the sleeves are not big enough:

Gorgeous dress by Vampire's Wife, knocked off by goth brands in 3...2...

 This blouse at Nasty Gal is almost big enough, but I hate this fabric. I can feel how scratchy this is just by looking at it.  

Trend: Bike Shorts

from https://themutantstompfriends.blogspot.com/2019/01/comme-des-garcons-mens-fall-winter-2019.html

2019 Trend Predictions (and trends I'd like to see)

What sort of dark fashion trends will we see in 2019? 

The nicer term for mall goth. I think we are going to be seeing more embellished clothing and accessories, so listen for sounds of chains rattling, straps jostling, zippers zipping, and belts tightening. Expect to see people getting caught on chairs and doors and each other, plus more lists of "problems only goths have."

2018 Trend Recap

I'm back! Those of you who follow me on Instagram @5thAvenueGoth know that I've been recently laid off from my job. Fun fact is that this blog started while I was looking for work, and since I've got some time on my hands now, I'll return to blogging. Instagram isn't really good for the commentary I like to do, and I'm still toying with the idea of doing YouTube--that's where I go for fashion commentary myself, so it makes sense that the audience who is interested in dark fashion commentary would be there as well. 

It's that time of year again, when I recap the 2018 dark fashion trends. Still enjoying wearing cold-shoulder tops? See where they started in the 2017 recap. Are you gluing things to your forehead? Check out the 2016 Recap. 

Personal style: what's in and out for summer 2018

The seasons have changed and so it's time to pack away what won't be worn (my "outs") and hang up what will be (my "ins").

IN: Black horn jewelry. I've been wearing gold and silver and bone for the past year, and I've missed all my black stuff!

Pantone's 2018 color of the year: Ultra Violet

2018 Trend Predictions

It's up for debate whether or not "dark fashion" is a "youth culture" thing, but I do know that every four years or so people come and go into the scene and the styles change. We've reached the end of another cycle, in my opinion. Nugoth is in its dying years and something's going to replace it.

My guess? I'm going with one of Vulcan Butterfly's recent trends in her Fall report: Maximalism

2017 Trend Recap

It's that time of year again, where I recap the 2017 trends. Are you gluing things to your forehead? Check out the 2016 Recap. Wondering where the septum jewelry and braids are? Why, they are in the 2015 Recap!

Accessories Trend of the Year: Ethnic Jewelry

Details, coins, bellydance, bollywood--if it jangles and weighs a ton, it's good.

Glitter makeup: 2017 holiday

lol sorry for the extreme editing

Trend: Curated Ear

"Curated" ear, "constellation" piercings, or whatever buzzword they are going by these days is the trend of getting a bunch of piercings throughout the ear. It's different from the "ear projects" of old because it's more mainstream. "Ear projects" often had custom jewelry and industrials and stretched lobes/cartilage, whatever. It was meant to be extreme:

Why isn't gold goth?

For me, personally, this has been the year where I rethink all the conventional dark fashion "rules." And there are rules--there's a difference between someone who is just wearing black and someone who is counter-culture. But for people in high school and college who were dressing this way to be "unique" or "rebellious," I'm sure they were eventually disappointed:

"[I found a place] where I can be appreciated for my originality" 

For some reason, gold was never goth. I have theories: 1: the good stuff was too expensive for youth culture. 2) it traditionally doesn't go with cool-toned pale makeup and blue-black hair. 3) it was popular with parents and old people.

Maybe. I'd argue that it doesn't have to be expensive...you don't need to get solid gold. Brass would work too:

Personal Style: what's in/out for fall

I'm packing away my spring/summer clothes right now and am kind of overwhelmed with how much stuff I have--it seems like my apartment shrinks more and more. I'm recycling a bunch of stuff with H&M's recycling program (you get a 15% off coupon!) and selling a few things on Poshmark, including this Victorian cybergoth dress I hate so much:

New York Fashion Week Ready-to-Wear Highlights

NY fashion week for spring/summer 18 has come and gone. Here are a few notables that I'd like to discuss.

Ashish

 Ashish was really the only one who screamed "I'm goth" and, yes, it's likable and wearable. But it's basically the goth brands...except sequins.  You got the Wednesday Addams thing above and the nu-goth ironic sweater below. Yawn.

Trend: high-waisted fishnets

I'm seeing everyone on Instagram and on retailer's pages pull the waistlines of their fishnets over the waistbands of their pants. The wide band of the waistband gives it a strappy look that's been very popular the past few years, while the fishnets provide coverage and a pattern. So it's basically an evolution of the strappy nu-goth style into the more mall-goth looks of the 00s. It's a more post-apocalyptic/industrial look than the ultraclean lines of nu-goth, which didn't really use fishnets at all. (Sorry for the wordy paragraph.)

Btw what is that belt loop circle thing? It's kind of cool

Trend: Wide Belts

With all the stores getting rid of their summer stuff right now, I'm noticing a lot of wide belts coming in now. Maybe instinctually, everyone's getting tired of looking like a shapeless blob with all those easy-to-produce geometric patterns everyone's been making for the past decade.

Blackhorne belt

Trend: Cold Shoulder Tops

http://lookbook.nu/look/8325279-Asos-Off-The-Shoulder-Cami-Top-Stradivarius

I know what we'll all be thinking 5-10 years from now: Remember when we all wore those cold-shoulder (or off-the-shoulder) tops that one summer in the mid-to-late 2010s? The Lookbooker above has nailed down the look with every trend that's hot now: choker, tattoo jewelry, and a still-going-strong wide-brimmed hat.

Surprising Dark Fashion in Mainstream Stores

Gucci

Trend: Choker Tops

Don't like wearing chokers but love the look? Do you like wearing turtlenecks? Hit the stores, because this is the trend for you.

Killstar