Why do people adopt the Gothic style? Why do so many teenagers join this counterculture? What motivations lie behind this change?
Our team of enthusiasts in our online store will answer your questions and shed some light on the subject. ✌️
Individuals adopt the Gothic style primarily to join a movement marked by difference. The way of thinking is what drives a person to become gothic. Style of dress and rebellion against the norm are among the main reasons. 🔥THE MOST POPULAR PRODUCTS🔥
In this article, we will discuss the following points in particular:
- Why people adopt the Gothic style
- Why this counterculture appeals most to teenagers
- The motivations behind this shift in thinking and style
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After reading the following lines, you’ll understand perfectly why people go goth, as well as the reasons behind joining this movement that’s so “different”.
Let’s start without further ado 👇
The Reasons for Adopting the Gothic Style
The gothic movement is a subculture characterized by a style of dress and worldview different from most people. In particular, it involves wearing black clothes and listening to gothic music.
But why does one become a goth? We asked ourselves, and here are 4 reasons why people (often young people) join this movement.
<1) Being Different
The term “Gothic” dates back to medieval times, when originally, the structure of buildings such as Notre-Dame Cathedral was not appreciated. Since then, the term “Gothic” has been associated with things that are “different”, mysterious or simply twisted… Today, when the word “Gothic” is uttered, the first image that comes to mind is that of a group of dark people who seem to worship the devil. 😈
But that’s not true (although there may be some). In fact, one of the main reasons people adopt the Gothic style is to show the world that they don’t live in the same world as everyone else. They want to assert their difference, and they do so by adopting this style, which has been around since the Middle Ages.
2) Need for Escape
Goths are often rejected and judged. Their different style is not accepted by everyone. This is often the case for a person before adopting this movement. They feel rejected and need to find themselves through something. This is what the gothic community provides.
It’s simply the need to escape and be welcomed by other members of the community that drives everyone to join the movement. It’s the escape from a world that can sometimes be disgusting. Because the music, the style and other gothic people offer the possibility of disconnecting from reality to live in peace. 🙏
3) Respect everyone
Although they may seem strange to the majority of people who don’t understand the point of adopting the gothic style, these rebels are individuals who accept you for who you are and will always be there to support you.
Respect for each other is at the heart of this counter-culture. As goths, we don’t judge others; we’re already tired of being judged by others. That’s why anyone who wants to join us is welcome. 🙌 We strive to convey the idea of not judging someone based solely on their appearance, for example.
4) Rebellion against the Norm
Not conforming to the rules is one of the reasons why a young person adopts this movement. The idea of not bowing to capitalism and ever-changing fashions is one of the sources of motivation for black clothing enthusiasts. Not everything that society considers normal is normal for a goth! Rebellion against the norm starts with clothes. Why dress like everyone else? A skull and crossbones t-shirt will do just fine. General ideas are also very different from “the norm” when it comes to death, politics, social relations and many other subjects…
Rebellion against the norm in terms of dress or ideas is a feature of many youth subcultures. So is seeing oneself as different. Finding one’s identity is a teenager’s mission. And the gothic movement serves to find a way, a path of thought.
What attracts people to adopt the Gothic style?
We’ve just seen 4 of the main reasons why people adopt a completely different style. Let’s continue on this path by talking more specifically about Gothic culture itself.
1) Being part of a Community
When asked what attracts people to adopt the Gothic style, the simplest answer is that people want to be part of something, a group, a community. They want to share their ideas with like-minded people. Not to be alone, or even worse: to be surrounded by people who don’t understand why you have such a style of dress or such a way of thinking…
Just as a group of supporters of a soccer team get together to express their passion for a club, gothic people get together to discuss their vision of the world and society. We’re social beings, and it’s in our nature to get together with like-minded people. Being in a group also makes us feel superior, as the addition of our personalities creates a powerful collective identity. 👊 Not being alone, but surrounded by like-minded people, is one of the easiest ways to be happy.
2) The Wealth of this Counter-Culture
In this quest to join a community, there’s also the fact that the Gothic movement is extremely rich. It’s not limited to a simple symbol or to wearing a particular garment, as a soccer fan would wear his favorite team’s jersey.
There are many different ways in which a person can embrace our counter-culture. Some are drawn to music, others to ideas about life and death, others simply to gothic styles of dress. And that’s what makes our subculture so rich. The doors of entry are multiple! 🚪 The reality is that, like everyone else, Goths joined the movement because they found something in it that resonated with them, something they identified with.
3) Emotional Awareness
We don’t want to get into complex psychological debates. So, we’ll simplify and summarize the idea behind this title in a few lines.
It’s obvious that most Goths (not all) are much more in tune with their emotions and seek to see beyond what the majority of people perceive. The Gothic movement emphasizes the afterlife, the relationship with death, and many other aspects. The aim is to be aware of who we are and to explore our being more deeply, far beyond what society dictates as the right thoughts…
Houna explains why she went goth
This week we caught up with Houna, a 27-year-old who’s been gothic since she was 14. She shares her passion and her views on the subject.
I became a Goth before I even knew there was a Goth movement. For me, it wasn’t a fixed thing, it was simply an evolution of my person. It’s not just a question of clothes. For me, it’s a lifestyle, and above all the music I listen to reflects and relates to my thoughts from childhood and adolescence.
It’s not something that happened to me by chance, or through the influence of a friend… It came very naturally to me, as a matter of course. From the age of 5, I was already asking my parents to wear only black. ⚫️
So I didn’t change as a teenager as many do. And even though I hate categorizing people, it’s obvious that I was quickly identified as “gothic” because I corresponded in every way to this movement.
Unfortunately, these days, “gothic” seems to have evolved to encompass many different styles. For many, it’s simply a “look” without the real lifestyle or open-mindedness of the early days. 🧐 The movement seems to have become distorted over the years, and open-mindedness and individuality have become a stereotype that was never at the origin of our culture.
Manu tells how he joined the gothic movement
Like Houna, we met Manu, a 30-year-old goth who joined the movement a few years ago. He shares his experience. 👇
Nobody chooses to be a goth at random… We simply realize at some point in our lives that we’re different, that our way of thinking doesn’t fit the norm. And the good news is that there are other people like us. It was a revelation for me to discover that there are people out there who share my tastes and aesthetic vision.
For me, being gothic means appreciating the darker aspects of life and using them as a source of happiness and inner peace. It’s seeing light where most people only see darkness. It’s a kind of connection with the things we can’t see, the things we can’t control.
For the beauty of darkness. Yes, there is beauty in the dark. There’s beauty in the side of humanity we don’t see, or don’t want to see. For me, being a Goth is exactly that. It’s the category of people I feel most at home with, because I prefer black to white.
It’s an embodiment of romance for me, for us. It’s looking at what’s twisted, macabre, strange, and finding comfort in it 😉 If this resonates with you, if it speaks to you, if you feel connected to it all… then you who read these lines certainly have a gothic soul!
I’d say going goth is something you simply feel. It’s simply the need to know who we really are, to discover it, and to embrace it fully. It can happen at any time in a person’s life. And if it happens to you, know that there’s a culture out there full of like-minded people who are just like you! That’s the good news. You’re not alone, join us. 🤟
You too can adopt the gothic style!
We’ve just looked at the reasons why people (often young people) adopt the Gothic style. We’ve listed the various obvious qualities of our rich counter-culture. Now you know exactly why people go gothic, and what values unite black-clad enthusiasts. 🔥THE MOST POPULAR PRODUCTS🔥
Whether you’re already a goth yourself or want to become one, equip yourself with the coolest accessories to achieve a devilish style! 😈 And for that, there’s nothing like dressing up your hands with skull rings. It’s the must-have accessory. We’ve selected the most beautiful ones for you. Simply click on the image below to discover them.
