Thursday, June 16, 2016

Is Goth "Hipster"?

I was in Bushwick about a week ago, the new hipster neighborhood now that Williamsburg is too expensive. In my neighborhood an hour away, I'm often called a hipster, and I've just dismissed as the norms not knowing what dark fashion is or that they call "HIPSTER!!!" to anyone who doesn't walk around wearing a Yankees hat. That I'm a gentrifier "taking over" their neighborhood even though they live in new condos/historic houses and I live in tenement housing with all the immigrants.

taken at the block party

But the hipster gentrifiers have taken over Bushwick, bringing vintage stores, art galleries, foodie restaurants and bars, and their trust-fund dollars. This would attract a lot of goths, and there were a lot of goths. Nu goths, not traditional. I saw a lot of tattoo necklaces, pentagrams, unif shoes, big circle sunglasses, wide-brimmed hats, H+M. You know the look. I'm not judging...I personally like the look. But here I am in THE hipster neighborhood (for the block party, so maybe they are also commuting for the block party) and there are a bunch of people who are called, sometimes derisively "hipster goth." The 2 local vintage stores have a witchcraft section with spell candles, crystals, tarot cards. There's a full-blown occult bookstore that has goth events (I went to a tea-leaf divination workshop a while back. They still don't have a whole lot of inventory, but I wish them the best.)
an altar at the occult shop, catland

wands at the shop

Goths everywhere. It was at one of the pop-up music shows that I realized that everyone around me looked like a "hipster goth" or nugoth. I didn't want to creep too much and take photos of everyone's outfits, but I'll share these:
In front of me: pentagram, check; sea of black, check; wide-brimmed hat and pleather on a 80+ day, check
sea of black continues to the left, with very 90s-looking plaid/tattoo necklace, guy in a metal t-shirt
What do you think the band lineup was? Post-punk, followed by goth, followed by more post-punk? Nope. It was indie electronica, followed by something surf-indie (which I loooooooooved), and then something that was kind of generic indie rock. So...hipster bands. Which I liked. And so did everyone there.

There's a lot of talk on whether or not you have to listen to "goth" music in order to dress goth. The answer is, clearly, that people are going to wear whatever they want and listen to whatever they want, and no one's dumb opinion on the internet is going to change that. They're going to go buy some crystals and have an altar because it's cool, go to a divination workshop because its fun. It's really a great time to be "alternative" because it's pretty much mainstream. People in my age group would have been calling everyone a poser cause there wasn't any "goth" music playing. Personally, I'm glad that people entering the scene live in a post-everything world, where you can do no wrong. It's done nothing but revitalize the community. Anyone who's pushing back on the "new goth" just hasn't gotten over their own insecurities, imo.

lol so, basically this post was about how I finally went out of my apartment and saw some goth people. BIG NEWS!!! I need to stop working on the weekends.

12 comments:

  1. I've seen girls with black fedoras, maxi skirts and velvet crop tops and the only thing setting them apart from Nu Goths are the lack of yin yangs and pentagrams. I honestly think Nu Goths are going through some kind of identity crisis where they haven't quite found the look that is inherently their's, instead they look like most anybody, which for Goth is kind of a bad thing. Traditionally Goth is subversive and contrary to what's popular. When everyone is wearing the same stuff can it still be considered Goth or even alternative?

    I've seen photos tagged Nu Goth when the person is wearing traditional Goth clothing, it's as though no one knows for sure what Nu Goth is. I think at its core, Nu Goth is anything contemporary incorporated into a Gothic wardrobe. For me, if in ten years we still see this style around then Nu Goth is an actual part of the Goth scene, otherwise it's probably just another Instagram fad, like "Sea Punk" was.

    Of course it doesn't actually matter. People will wear what they want and identify with whatever scene they choose. I know what I am and that's all that matters to me lol. Hipsters will come and go but I change.

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    1. Won't change* my phone keeps replacing words. :/

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    2. the pastel goth thing was definitely a fad because I never saw it IRL. Only online. I thought it was the same for nugoth, but then I actually started seeing real people wearing it. When you're online flipping through inspiration and fashion sites, it's easy to be out of touch with what real people are wearing. Agreed, Minus the pentagrams, nugoth is just normal clothes and isn't subversive. It's a fast fashion scene... It'll die when h&m stops selling it. Never thought I'd see the day that goth was mainstream... But honestly, I can't make myself hate it

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  2. Yeah in the end Goth stuff being trendy at least helps with finding cheap buys and not being as bullied. People have and will always do what they like and there's no point wasting energy on it. I love crystals and that sort of thing, I just hope that the new age trend also reminds people to be all friendly and not act all hippie but still be an asshole. Peace and love man! :p

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    1. With the social justice movement these days, occult doesn't have to be warm and fuzzy now. Which I like. Goths are progressive and on the right side these days, I feel.

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  3. The last paragraph, which was gold, pretty much summed up how I feel about the alternative realm right now- just do the thing and be the thing, maybe there would be more bands and events, for god's sake!
    Sound like a great atmosphere, would love to visit that shop where the altar has been :)
    I find it so funny that people who dress in dark fashion listen to indie electronica, that's the last thing I associate that genre with, but it's definitely more hipster than neon socks and white creepers!

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    1. Lol the 5 industrial fans left on this earth might see some influences in indie electronica... There were a few times I heard sets that could have been from 00s Ant zen.

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  4. Very good post, I couldn't agree more. I'm happy that the scene is still ever-changing and evolving. Plus, it means more interesting clothes in mainstream stores, and interesting events.

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  5. Well, I actually like the shopping possibilities it gives (at least in this time when there is a lack of time for DIY and my sewing machine still being broken) and as mentioned in other peoples comments it seems people accept us a bit more... Then again... Do I really want people to accept me who would have thrown words and things at me a few years ago? -_- 50% good things, 50% bad things but hey you had a great time out!

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    1. I'm ok with it becoming mainstream despite the bullying. better than continuing to be bullied for it.

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