My Story (Being a Beginner to Subculture)

I would hesitate to use the words "babybat" and "goth", as although my style is sometimes slightly similar to goth, I am not goth, and somebody who is not goth by definition could not be a babybat.

I started to experiment with diffrent styles of fashion at an earlier age, maybe around eleven or twelve. And, considering that I was eleven or twelve, one can assume it did not look too good. Pale foundation looked terrible on olive skin, and the tons of skull clothes, striped socks and converse were not much better. Even so, I only remember getting one somewhat-rude comment at the time, somebody yelled something about Halloween at me in the beginning of december. It did not affect me much, as even then I did not really take the fashion authority of someone wearing a TNA hoodie and trainers. And it was fine, I was still learning and so were they.

However, sixth grade came to an end soon enough, and I was left with nothing to do for the summer. I tried going to a summer camp, but after accidentally cutting my leg open on a broken fence in the park, nearly drowning several times and having to sleep on a broken bunk-bed with no matress and insects for compan for a week decided to leave. My style at summer camp was purely practical, usually shorts or cut-off jeans and a hoodie that I was not afraid to make mesy and an old pairof boots.

The next year, my style very much evolved. Even though most of the old clothes I had stlii fit me perfectly....I stopped growing at about twelve....I decided to give them away and get new ones. For at least a month my wardrobe was very small, two skirts one of which a relative has made for me and another from my grandmother and several shirts, my favorite two being again my grandmother's. They are a black and a white cotton blouses with lace, and I still wear them today. I usually wore a black skirt about knee length with a white blouse and a large blacl bow on my head. Mu shoes were a pair of black pumps with almost no heel, and mu hair was about shoulder-lengt with no bangs.

By the end of seventh grade however, I had decided to take a step which to me now is even somewhat symbolic, get bangs for the first time, my relatives were still not sure they wanted that, and I had to cut my bangs myself. It was not perfect I must say, but already ten thousand times better then it was before. About a week later I went to the salon with a picture of a model whit short hair for the first time, wad when the hairstylist finished I ws amazed. It took one look in the mirrir to realize which of my relatives I reallu did look like: I was the photograph of Grand Dutchess Anastasia, in flesh. She is somebody whom I greatly admire, so you can imagine what the sudden discovery of my resemblance to her did for my self-coinfidence. That's it! I deciden no more baggy jeans, no more black t-shirts, no more ugly pumps, enough!

My year in eigth grade was completely diffrent. My clothes were chosen much more tastefully, my hair and makeup always neat. I had black tops with lace, lolita-style skirts, and several dresses. There were elegant necklaces and rings, and my eyeball ring which, unknowingly to me when I bought it, had once belonged to Marilyn Manson. I still hardly take it off. At that time, I pretty much refused to wear any shoe with less then two inches of a heel , well, because....remember, I did stop growing at twelve.

My style has evolved quite a lot since then, and I have discovered many more good places to shop. I had learned to sew and to alter clothes, as well as fix jewelery. However, I will stop writing at this, as here what I count as my beginner years pretty much end. I hope reading this helped you see that being a  beginner is not only pefectly notmal, it is wonderful. It means that you are very creative, and are learning about yourself and the world around you.

Goth Shopping Tips

Many of us like to shop and pick out new clothes. But once you find something you like but are not sure about, do you buy it or not?

First, think about what you would wear the item with. We are all guilty of once in a while buying something that does not go with anything. If your item is a basic, such as a simple black blouse or dark jeans, think if you have something similar already, and whether you need another.

If you decide that the item will go with many things you already own, think about where else you could buy a similar item for a smaller price. For example, I found a pair of black over-knee socks with lace on Bodyline for $12. But at Ardene's, similar socks could be bought three pairs for $10. This is not all, as Claire's had them on sale for $1.25 a pair. In the end, I bought two pairs of black overknee socks from Golden Square Center for $1, and added lace I had remaining from making a skirt myself.


Lastly, see if the item is already on sale or may end up on sale soon. For example, if there are five more of the same thing in your size, you may want to wait until one or two are left and they are on the sales rack. This also depends on the store, as some stores like to put things on sale and others don't.

I hope this would help you decide, if anything. Happy shopping!

On Shopping in Mainstream Stores For Summer

Goth clothes are hard to find, and goth clothes for summer are harder still. However, this is not impossible, as I am about to prove to you.

Let's start with the shoes. The first three pairs are from the department store Sears, and all under $30. The two after them are from Ardene's, sold two pairs for $20. There are dozens of other gothable designs there, but I did not have time to photograph all of them. The last pair is from Siren's, $30, and is also availiable in black.

And now, for the clothes. The first top I liked so much I actually bought, at Siren's for $9. It was also there in purple, but they did not have my size. The second one is Sirens also, $6. The third is a mini-dress from the same store, originally priced $20 but on sale for $10. The other two are from H&M and would go with something more casual, the cherry-print mini dress $15 and the top $5. The top was also there in black, but you could not see the design of a moth with a skull on it as well. However, it is still a very good example of a more sophisticated and less rebellious teenager-like way to wear a skull.

For tights, we have a large display of lace and fishnet from $2 up at Icing by Claire's, with the ironic sign concerning true colors, and a similar thing at Ardene's, this time any three pairs for $10. 

And now, fo what in the summer especially  for what really makes an outfit, the acessories! They are all under $10, and I would have posted more, but this post is getting too big...:

Ideas for Goth Nails

Learn how to manicure at home! Here are 10 easy steps for giving a manicure--from filing to polishing--these simple hints will give you great-looking nails.

1. The first thing to is to exfoliate your hands. To do this, use a mixture of salt and hand soap or a commercial exfoliant hand lotion. Wash and dry hands. Remove any old nail polish you may have on.

2. Next, moisturize using hand cream or even a little olive oil. Let cream or oil sit for a few minutes and then wipe off excess.

3. Soak your fingers in a bowl of warm water to soak and soften the cuticles. Do not soak for too long as they will become too soft. You may also opt for simply using a cuticle softener and skip the soaking process.

4. Next, gently push back the cuticles using a cuticle stick. Do not cut them. If you have hangnails, cut them carefully with nail scissors or cutters. This is a key step, as overgrown cuticles make your fingers look shorter and your nails messy. NEVER skip this. It may hurt a little, but trust me, it's more then worth it.

5. Follow this with a shaping of the nails using a double-sided emery board, or a nail file, and shape them depending on your personal preference. I file mine into a pointy shape, as this makes my fingers look longer. Make sure you file in one direction to avoid rough edges.

6. Some people like to shine their nails with a buffer, but I find this unnecesary as it makes the nails thinner and weaker. It is your personal choice wether to do this or not.

7. Apply a thin clear base coat, try for this to use strengthening nail polish, such as Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle. This will help protect the nails and allow for longer polish wear, as well as depending on your choice of base coat help them groww faster and stronger.
8. Now you can put on color nail polish. For those of us who were banned from using black, which happens, remember that dark purple, wine red and metallic colors are always an option. Here are some designs for inspiration:

These are probably acrylic, but still very nice.

World Goth Day

In two days, that is, will be world goth day. I have never done anything for goth day, mainly because I am not goth, but since this is a blog about goth fashion I figured I might as well add it. I mean, goths out there reading my blog, you should know more then me.

However, as me and my dear friend M.G.  have already noted, having a "World Whoever's Left of the Decadent Movement Day" would be very nice.

When is Too Early?

When is too early to wear corset and stilettoes? To use makeup and dye your hair? To get acrylic nails? Many of the younger goths ask themselves this, and it is a good question with an even better answer. There is no "too early"! Every age is the right age, it is not to worry.

Let's taker a simple example. You are twelve years old and in sixth grade, and you start to experiment with makeup. It may not look the best at first, but expectations for a twelve-year-old are usually relatively low, and you will have plenty of time to practice until you finally find something you like. Fast forward, you are seventeen. You already know what you want your makeup to look like, and you can make it that way, as opposed to those of us who force ourselves to wait until fifteen, seventeen or even our twenties just to start. At that age, everybody including yourself will have a higher expectations, and looking like a "babybat" or "mall-goth" could make others think badly of you, or even of the goth subculture itself. Heard "oh, all goths are immature wanabes"? By starting to look goth at an earlier age, you will not only get lots of practice and find your own style, but also be able to break that stereotype by looking better then other people your age.

C'est-a-dire, of cource, if you only discovered the subculture at an older age, this is perfectly fine too. It will simply be a bit more challenging, and you will probably need to be more careful. Don't wait anymore. Don't wait yntil you get thinner, or older, or your hair grows out, or anything, because this never helps. If you are in a stage of your life when you don't have much coinfidence, hiding who you are only mekes it worse. Knowing who you are and actually working on the parts of yourself that you want to improve is the first step to becoming more coinfident, and dressing in a style that you like is a good beginning of that.

I like to think of a subculture as a hobby, and you can think of it that way too. For example, your hobby is to collect postage stamps. The earlier you begin, the bigger your collection will be, and the more you will know about how to get the stamps that you are looking for and to organize your collection. The same thing, really, goes for goth as well.



             She may have yet to find the best style for herself, but I admire her efforts to be herself and express who she is no matter what her age. 



Ideas for Goth Shoes (for those who can't buy brand)

How many times have we seen a good outfit ruined by the wrong shoes? Dress pants and running shoes, or maybe converse with a dress?  Today this is exactly what I saw, and I figured this was the last, I am going to write about this and explain.

This summer, at least where I live,  there is a big trend for platform sandals, and you can always use that. Being someone who is very self-conscious about their feet, I almost never wear a shoe with open toes or heel. Some people it looks good on, but make sure that you do not have messy toenails or rough skin showing. Something like this, for indtance, can be bought from an inexpensive brand, or as knockoff and still look very nice.

For those of us who are still in our early teens and want to look older, shoes with a higher heel are always a good option. They may not be the most comfortable shoes to wear, and you have to be sure to choose the right ones so you don't appear to be wearing your mother's shoes, but are definitely worth it. For example:

This is a good idea:                                This will do:                        And this is definitely not a good idea:

A pointy toe is a good idea, as that way your legs will look taller and slimmer, and if your feet are still growing will leave some room so the shoes can be worn longer. Black or a neutral dark color is best because they can be worn with anything and is dirt or scratches are less visible.

And I know, yes, mommy says the heel is to high. But the Last of the Movement is not mommy! If you wear high heels to school, it won't hurt you since you're just sitting around anyway. And if she's scared you'll trip and fall? For one thing, eventually you're going to have to learn to wear high heels sooner or later and it might as well be now. I have worn stilettos at fourteen and not tripped once since. You'll be fine.

If you however know you run around a lot during the day and are not me, a flat shoe could be a good idea, and studded black ballet flats or something somilar will do perfectly. However, avoid running shoes and definitely converse, which give off a strong air of  "rebellous teen" "baby-bat" and "emo". And please, no skulls or broken hearts! I don't even understand why they would put that in a print, much less on shoes, so just don't buy them and don't find out!

Good:                                                                                                           Please do not buy:

 

WARNING: Avoid Montana Grill!

Not only is it a VERY bad restaurant with tastelkess, overspices food and not overly clean setting, this is a pure health concern. Today I decided to go to Montand Grill, it was near my appartament and I figured I might as well go and see what it's like. Turns out, that was a horrible idea. Maybe it was the dirty napkins, maybe the badly washed plates and water glasses or something they put in the food, but it made me very, very sick. One of the two people who were with me was sick too. So if you are not one of the few people who enjoy stomach cramps, dear friends, avoid Montanna Grill at all costs. If anything. have an anorexic lunch (half an apple) like M.G., she knows what I'm talking about.
On a better note, apart today was a relatively good day. If you don't count nearly being hit by a car. Some idiot in sunglasses blasting Eminem songs and driving around a parking lot 70 miles per hour and the Last of the Movement are definitely not friends. Had some passerby not shouted "JUMP!" at the top of his lungs I would had not been writing this. Had I been able to make out the number on the car's lisence plate, I would have for sure called the police.

How Much Makeup is Too Much?

You like the goth subculture, and you want to look good. Who doesn't? However, sometimes you don't know  what to do, or which style would be most flattering on you. Sometimes you are afraid, not knowing how much makeup is too much. Today, I will shw how to do goth makeuo in a unique and flatteringf way, without looking tacky.

Try to stay away from drawing symbols or exessive destgns on your face.

As much as you may feel you like a certain symbol and feel it represents who you are, your face is not the best place to draw it, as a symbol, especially like this person's ankh, rarely comes out shaped right when drawn on the skin in eyeliner or shadow, and distracts from your features, which are always the most important part of your makeup style.
 It also depends on what kind of symbol you want, and, of cource, where you will go with thaty style of makeup. For example, if you are going to a party with your friends, an Adora Batbrat- like style is okay, as long as it is done well. By Well, I mean use foundation, use concealer, use good quality products and don't leave the house until ypou feel proud of the way you look.
 For example, this is much better:

Notice how the design is not something that looks like it must be symmetrical, especially if only done on one eye, and is not a particular symbol.

Don't forget your primary goal is still to be beautiful.

If the black lipstick does not suit you, don't wear it. Try other colors. Same goes for pale foundation, lots of eyeliner, or really antyhing else. It can be the most goth thing in the world, but if it does not make you look better than you did befor you put it on, there is no reason to keep wearing it. Try diffrent things to see what suits you and what does not. For example, I had to try many, many diffrent kinds of foundation, eyeshadow and lipstick to see what looks best, and it took almost a year to figure out my makeup style, and that foundation, if I wear any, should be a shade or two darker then my natural skin tone, not, as many of us initially assume, lighter, and to choose the best brand for myself.


On the same note, avoid foundation that is too pale.

And definitely halloween makeup or whiteface. Most of the time extremely pale skin is not necessary to be goth, so there is no reason to be wearing layers and layers of white foundation if it does not suit you. For school or work, lots of foundation can be even impractical. It is best to embrace your natural skin color, and to learn to be happy with who you are.

Goth at Special Occasions

It is the middle of may, and the time many of ys begin to think about going to an end-of-year event at our schools or even prom. To go or not to go? What to wear? What to do? There is so many question.

Your safest option is just not to go. It's a perfectly good idea, as prom in most schools is VERY expensive and may not be worth it. If you will pay for your own ticket, look at other things you can spend that money on. For example, a school I have been to had prom for $90 per person, so really, it was no surprise that most chose to spend that money on repainting their room, buying clothes, getting a new hairstyle, buying electronics, donating money to charity, paying rent, or in the case of one of my friends a summer course to learn English.

If you do not want to go to prom or dance, but your parents or relatives say you must, is a very common. Talk to them about how would you feel awkward and you dont like to dance, or how it is too expensive and what you'd rather spend that money on, or whatever reason you have not to go. If anything, ask whoever it is to drop you off at the door, and once they leave instead of buying tickets go to a friend's house or the nearest cafe, restaurant or shop until the end of the event, when you can call home and ask them to pick you up.

If you would like to go to the prom or dance, then you definitely need to think about things like what to wear, wether to dance or not, or others. I myself never dance, mainly because for me this is completely out of character, but also because at around twelve or thirteen years old, I had gone to my first school dance and accidentally made a complete fool of myself, without going into detail, so now I always afraid of that happening again. If you can ask the school to play cartain music at the dance, try bringing it in and seeing how that goes.

And now, for what to wear. Unfortunately, almost all prom dresses are very expensive, could only be worn once or twice, and need drycleaning. You can try looking for a cheaper dress or buying one secondhand, but a better idea would be just to buy a simple dress, even take an everyday dress that you have not yet worn to school, and add intresting acessories and a nice pair of boots or shoes. That way, you can still keep wearing the dress to other special occasions or everyday, instead of having a "prom dress" hanging in the back of your closet that you don't know what to do with.

And don't forget that it doesn't have to be a dress! A skirt and a blouse, or a suit is always just as good. However, beware the tacky dressed sold as gothic, just like anytime. They are usually cheaper then a prom dress, and are labelled as being meant for special occasions, but look more like a halloween costume then anything, having tacky fabrick, low quality and cheap design.

Hee are some examples of what is and is not a good idea:

This is  a great outfit:


This will probably do:


And things like this should be avoid:

Mommy says no hairdye

Which is not a problem, really. Sure, one may think goths must have black or unnatural-colored hair. But many times this is not only hard to achieve, it is also COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY. A neat hairstyle is usually worth much more then just the unnatural color. Here are some ways to get your dream style without unnaturally coloring or even cutting your hair:

1) Dark brown or red is better then black

Dark brown hair dye almost always has much less harmful pigment chemicals in it then black, meaning it is less likely to give you dryed-out hair or an allergic reaction. It is also a more flattering color in the sense that while black hair makes many people's skin seem more red, dark brown or dark red will never cause this.

2) Pin back a section of hair instead of shaving

Instead of shaving  section of your hair, which is a populat hairstule among goths, tale the section of yout hair and pin it back tightly with bobby pins. Use other hair to cover the pins, then gel or hairspray your hair so the pinned back section stays where you put it. This way, even from a very close distance your hair will look like it has been shaved, buy you can always undo it of you get bord of it and it does not take time to grow out.

3) Get straight bangs

If you do not normally have bangs, get them. This is a great update to your hairstyle that flatters pretty much everyone. I mean it, bangs can make a miracle. If you thought you were an ugly duckling before, it is almost a guarantee that bangs will make it look much better. This is because the some of the most common areas of your face to not look good are the forehead, hairline and eyebrows, and bangs can easily hide that.

4) Buy (or make)  nice hair acessories

A nice barette or headband can instantly make a hairstyle much more intresting, as well as is not hard to find. For example, to make something as simple as a ponytail look more elegant just use a thin hair elastic and tie a ribbon over it, to look like your hair was tied with a ribbon. Just using a ribbon usually does not stay , however.

More goth makeup tips

Here are some more good and bad ideas regarding goth style makeup.


1) Never use marker/pastel/paint/whatever else!
(However obvious it sounds, some people still do.)


I am not acusing her. This person actually stated that the lips and designs around the tyes were done with a Sharpie marker when she posted the picture. This is never a good idea, firstly because a marker has toxic chemicals in it and is not meant to be used on skin, but also because marker always looks like marker, no matter what you do with it, and is also very hard to wash off.

2) Wear a smoky eye


This is one of the few styles that flatters almost everyone. It is relatively simple, works with almost any color, and does not distract from your features. This style goes with pretty much every outfit and hairstyle, as well as good in the way that if it acidentally smudges, this will hardly be visible.

3) Use bronzer/darker foundation/skin tint

Yes, goths are supposed to be pale, if you say so, whatever. But this is a great product to try, as not only it evens out your skin tone, it also hides blemisher or redness better and, unlike lighter makeup, will NEVER make you look like a clown. Just try it, and you will be surprised how good it looks.

True story.....

Another day, another floorlength skirt gets dirty at the bottom....

In all honesty, I hate it when that happens.

Apart from getting dirty at the bottom, floorlength skirts are a great item to own. They are very versatile and go with pretty much everything, as well as are a great way to make an outfit more romantic or even funeral-clothes-like. They are usually classy and parents rarely are against them, as well as are flattering on almost every figure type, especially if they are chosen in a solid dark color. The Last of the Movement likes to wear them whenever posible.

If you are new to goth, this would be a great basic item to buy, and simple black maxi skirts can usually be pretty inexpensive. Definitely but one, even if the design is completely plain, but always try them on to make sure they cover your shoes first. That way, before you have money to buy nice shoes or boots, you can wear the most mundane looking ballet flats or pumps and no one will notice.