What is a Goth? Is it a personality? A style? To an outsider being a Goth is seen as a style, with their black hair, black clothes and everything else being black but during my research I found out that it isn’t only a style – it is a group of people who feel comfortable within each others company.

Most people become Goths because they have been spurned by 'normal' society because the way they want to live their lives does not fit in with how most people are told to live theirs. Goths are free thinkers, people who do not accept the moral rules of society because they're told 'This is just how it is'. Each and every Goth is really passionate about who they are.

The Gothic scene began in the UK in the 1980’s, as part of the Post-punk genre.  This subculture has continued to exist much longer than others of the same time. The subcultures influences come from 19th century Gothic literature and horror films.

Goth Fashion:  Their favourite colour will be black but sometimes you will see that they wear another main colour e.g. Red and black. Styles of dress within the subculture, range from Deathrock, punk and Victorian style, or a blend of the above, most often with dark clothing, makeup and hair. Some Goths like to wear Victorian style clothes, such as tailored jackets and waistcoats for men. Also, Gothic men wear long black leather coats.  Women like to wear corsets, fishnets and mini skirts. Also a big fashion statement for Goths is leather, leather dresses, skirts and trousers.  A very popular brand that Goths wear is New Rocks. New Rocks are these big, chunky leather boots with zips, laces and metal bits on them.

Make up: A lot of Goths will paint their faces white and add loads of black eye liner to their eyes and they will also have black lips and black nails. Over all Goths make up is very exaggerated.

Music: Gothic music includes a number of different styles including Gothic rock, Darkwave, Deathrock, Ethereal, Neo-Medieval and Neoclassical. Some Bands I thought were quite good were All About Eve, Clan of Xymox and Screaming Dead

One of the most interesting things I discovered, was they do not like to be asked what they are because they do not put themselves in a subculture.  This isn’t just Goths, it’s the same thing with every subculture – it’s society who puts them there. They all say the same thing, “I’m not anything, and I’m just me”.

 

 Punk Wear

 

 This is Punk wear because Tartan and leather is very big with Punks. On most of their clothes you would probably find patches, safety pin, badges.

                                                             

      Hippie Wear

 I think these two garments are Hippie wear because of the the bright colours and the fact they are nice and flowly. The top above is tie dye and is very popular with hippies and the dress below is nice and flowerly and flowly and would probably be worn by a FLOWER CHILD.

    Biker Wear

             This is what biker wear because they are all about the leather and  and chains and studs.

Vintage Stores

           Absolute Vintage: I didn't like this shop at all. I found the people

          who worked there very rude.

                Blondie: I really like this shop, it didn't look like a vintage shop, i thought it look more like a high end  Boutique.

                   Rokit: I thought this shop was ok but it wasn't very big and didn't have very much. and the person who worked in there didn't seem very inviting

                  Beyond Retro: I loved this SHOP!!! it was nice and big with lots of clothes and it was all layedout very nicely.  AND it had a cat! running arounf :) just loved this shop.

                                        

Crusties/Eco Warriers

Urban outfitters run 5 retail brands Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain and Leifsdottir, Urban Outfitters is a worldwide shop, everywhere you look is very busy with clothes.

Underneath a block of flats, looks out of place because of the gloomy setting around the shop, clothes hang from the ceiling instead of racks.

 

Hoxton boutique is has quite a big space and has a kind of clean look to it, with white walls but the colours had some great colour too it.

 

Look gothic on the outside, a lot of their clothes have a dark edge to them.

 

B Store has a big open space, the picture in the window is to celebrate the new collection that has just come into the store.

 

Sits across the street from the other browns shop, most of the clothes that they sell have attitude to them.

 

Sliding pictures that are also links to other pages, sell both men’s and women’s wear, very white, no real colour to the website.

 

Selfridges has 8 floors and sells everything from clothes to food.  Establish by Harry Gordon Selfridge on 15 March 1909, it is the second largest shop in the UK and stores many brands from Vivienne Westwood to Marc Jacobs.

 

Liberty has a Tudor design on the outside, on the in side it has a wood effect all the way through out.

 A nice big open space with a big window that casts lots of light into the shop, the shop sells lots of different brands.

 

Very bright home page, with easy links to other pages, also when you put your mouse over the picture of something then it shows you what it looks like on a person.

 

Has sliding picture on the first page to take you to different pages, sells many different brands, and only sells men’s clothes.

When you walk into the shop it like walking into a normal shop, it doesn’t look like a charity shop, very organized but still have to have a good look to find something really good.

 

On the home page there is pictures of the newest collection, sells some very sexy clothes.

 

Big space where lots of different designers sell their work, it looks like an art show because of the way the products are presented.

 

Topshop has 3 floors, and sells women’s clothes, men’s clothes, accessories, shoes and sells Kate Moss’s designer line.

 

Sells more then just clothes, all of the clothes are presented very well, the way they are laid out have a connection to what the clothes are like.

 

Has two floors, nicely decorated mixing white and some colours, also is kind of girly, I feel it’s the sort of place that would make any girl smile.

This is a poster for pop up shops at Whiteleys Shopping Centre, 144 Queensway, London, W2 4YN. very unique shops, all very nice and scapey.