Since the late 1970s, gothic fashion has been a unique subculture that has consistently changed and expanded, giving rise to different goth styles.
There is a style for every taste and preference, from the traditional Victorian-inspired goth to the futuristic cybergoth.
Below is a list of the different goth styles, each with distinctive aesthetic and clothing elements.
This list covers whether you like a more modern, minimalist take on gothic fashion history and style or prefer an old-school, traditional goth appeal.
1. Goth Lolita
Goth Lolita, or GothLoli, is one of the most well-known Gothic styles. In this appearance, Lolita fashion’s adorable and feminine aesthetic is combined with aspects of Gothic fashion.
As a result, a distinctive and interesting fashion influenced by Western and Japanese fashion is created.
Dark colors, lace, ribbons, and other Victorian-era accents define the Goth Lolita style.
For many who adopt it, this look is a way of life rather than merely a fashion statement. Gothic Lolita fashion is very popular because it emphasizes personal expression through clothes.
With this look, people may show their darker side while still looking feminine and delicate.
Black lace and velvet create a sultry and sensual atmosphere, while bows and ruffles offer a lovely touch.
2. Nu Goth
Nu goth, also known as hipster goth or modern goth, is a relatively recent addition to the goth subculture and is a fusion of traditional goths with more modern, current features.
These goths adopt a “new” perspective on the gothic subculture by choosing certain components from traditional gothic styles and fusing them with more contemporary ideas.
It emphasizes fashion more strongly than music or ideology, which are less distinctive.
Although nu goth has certain components of classic gothic aesthetics, it is sometimes described as a more “watered down” or straightforward version of the gothic appearance.
Without being as open as some of the other different types of goth styles, it combines gothic elements.
Due to the elements of hipster fashion and styles in which it is profoundly founded, the nu-goth style is sometimes called hipster goth.
Many people believe nu-goth to be hipster than goth; however, despite its significant hipster influence, nu-goth is still founded on many of the same fundamental ideas as the other more scary gothic styles.
3. Romantic Goth
Within the greater goth community, a romantic goth subculture emphasizes a sophisticated, elegant, and ethereal look.
The romanticized, Victorian-inspired fashion sense of the Romantic Goth style is characterized by flowing gowns, corsets, lace, and feminine touches, often in darker shades of black.
Dramatic makeup and loose curls, braids, or extravagant hairstyles complete the appearance.
The design often integrates intricate accessories like embroidery, beading, and lacework.
The Romantic Goth subculture emphasizes emotions, individuality, and the beauty of nature while highlighting art, poetry, and literature.
Romantic writers like Lord Byron, Mary Shelley, and William Wordsworth are favorites of romantic Goths.
Their fondness for gothic and darkwave bands with more melodic and romantic sounds expresses their romance.
The darker and more violent themes seen in other goth styles are contrasted with the beauty, romanticism, and unique expression celebrated by the Romantic Goth subculture.
4. Emo Goth
While many continue categorizing emo as a part of the goth subculture, many see it more as a cousin of most gothic styles than a closely linked subculture.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Emo subculture gained popularity and even entered the mainstream.
Although there are still many emo goths around, the community has decreased to a relatively modest size compared to its past glory as the decade 2010 approached.
Despite its roots in classic gothic ideas and elements, emo has developed into its unique subculture. Poetry was given much attention, and the emotion was celebrated.
It was well-liked by teenagers and served as a refuge for misfits bound together by their intense emotions.
Many emotive and hardcore bands played music for these goths, like Taking Back Sunday, Funeral for a Friend, Secondhand Serenade, Senses Fail, Underoath, The Used, and others.
Screaming was a common element of hardcore emo music, frequently accompanying the song’s emotional passages.
Tight, narrow jeans, band t-shirts, Vans or Converse shoes, studded belts and bracelets, piercings, tattoos, and most notably, hair that often had long bangs are all features of the emo fashion trend. This is one of the best different types of goth styles.
5. Medieval Goth
The medieval goth style is a distinctive mix of gloomy, brooding aesthetics and historical elements inspired by the Dark Ages.
Dark, textured fabrics like velvet, lace, and leather are usually used when dressing in medieval gothic style.
Corsets, tunics, capes, and long, flowing gowns and robes are examples of clothing styles.
The aesthetic often includes chokers, crowns, extravagant jewelry, and elaborate headpieces.
Focusing on dark and romantic themes like vampires, witches, and medieval mythology, this fashion sometimes combines parts of Victorian or Edwardian designs with medieval-inspired clothes.
6. Bubble Goth
A single person may be largely credited with creating the more recent gothic style called “bubble goth.”
In the true spirit of the goth subculture, Kerli Koiv, an Estonian pop singer who popularized this look, wanted to “make the beautiful, creepy and the creepy, beautiful.”
This style emerged from this unique music, much like the goth subculture. Like pastel goths, bubble goth style brightens up the often gloomy aesthetics of the gothic subculture.
Since Kerli Koiv essentially created the bubble goth look, her music is a big part of the music genre for these different goth styles.
The music genre known as “bubble goth” is heavily centered on pop music and has more edgy or dark electronic elements than cyber goth.
Bubble goths borrow their style elements from cyber goths, who wear comparable items like gas masks and high-tech jewelry.
It also resembles pastel goths in that less black clothing is worn in favor of brighter or more neutral colors in various garment types, such as shorts, skirts, and tops.
7. Hippie Goth
The free-spirited, flower-child attitude of the hippies and the dark, gloomy aesthetic of the goths have fascinatingly fused to create the hippy goth look.
This distinctive look combines free-flowing, bohemian clothes and accessories with darker elements like black lace, leather, and studs.
The key to the Hippie Goth look is balancing light and dark to produce an edgy but delicate appearance.
The secret to wearing the Hippie Goth look is to accept your uniqueness and allow your imagination to run wild.
Try blending and matching various textures, colors, and patterns to create an original style.
The Hippie Goth look also emphasizes the importance of accessories, such as bold sunglasses, chunky jewelry, and wide-brimmed hats.
The hippie-goth look is the ideal approach to embracing your inner rebel and flaunting your unique style, whether going to a music festival or running errands. This is one of the best different types of goth styles.
You can also create your hippie goth look with a few other touches. Embroidered patches are a great option to accessorize a costume.
You can customize hippie gothic style embroidered patches to decorate your outfit. This will make your outfit look more stylish and good-looking. Embellishing your outfit with embroidered patches can also make your overall look more unique.
8. Vampire Goth
Similar to romantic goths, which have many of the same Victorian fashion elements, the vampire goth look also emphasizes aristocratic or elegant tones.
The primary characteristic of vampire goths is, as the name implies, their love of vampires and vampire-related ideas and themes.
These gothic styles gained popularity because of early vampire tales written by authors like Anne Rice.
You’ll often notice the focus on wearing fangs, satin and silk robes, gowns, and other clothes, as well as a taste and elegance for the finer things among vampire goths.
Certain vampire goths who behave and think like vampires take this a step further.
This level of involvement is sometimes called the “Vampyre” subculture, where the idea of taking someone else’s energy or blood is seen as less fictitious.
9. Casual Goth
One of the newest different types of goth styles is casual goth. People like experimenting with various eerie and sinister components and pairing them with ordinary, casual attire.
Black is the most popular color for casual goths, so they often wear black shirts and jeans.
They always wear long and straight hair, and they only wear black lipstick as their only noticeable cosmetic.
They complete their appearance by wearing odd jewelry on their hands, limbs, noses, ears, and necks.
10. Bohemian Goth
A subculture known as “Bohemian Goth” fuses gothic culture’s darker, more horrific aesthetic with bohemian attire.
This style highlights natural materials and flowing, loose-fitting garments in dark, earthy tones like black, brown, and deep reds.
Bohemian Goths often decorate with things like long scarves, leather boots, and statement jewelry made of natural materials like feathers, stones, and crystals.
They may also dress in long skirts, loose-fitting slacks, layered shirts, or loose, flowing blouses.
Bohemian Goths’ cosmetics and hairstyles also showcase the blend of bohemian and gothic characteristics in fashion.
Natural-looking makeup often draws attention to strong lip colors or smokey eyes. Hair is worn long and loose, perhaps in natural braids or waves.
11. Cyber Goth
Cyber Goths are a subculture that developed in the late 1990s and early 2000s by fusing cyberpunk aesthetics with rave culture, industrial music, and goth fashion.
Their look includes neon colors, PVC, vinyl, and latex, and their haircuts are intricate and include dreadlocks, cyber lox, and synthetic hair extensions. They have a futuristic and cyborg appearance.
They regularly wear clothing with LED lights and goggles, gas masks, and other industrial-themed items.
Cyber Goths are electronic music fans, focusing on trance, industrial, and electronic beat music (EBM).
They typically gather at bars or concerts supporting rave and industrial music scenes.
Due to the cyber goth subculture, new dance styles like “cyber-dancing,” which blends industrial and rave dance, have emerged.
A unique style, a passion for electronic music, and a celebration of technology, dancing, and independence characterize the Cyber Goth subculture.
12. Deathrocker Goth
Deathrocker goths are different goth styles that developed mostly from punk origins and comprise a large portion of the gothic style.
Deathrockers go midway between punk and classic goths, darker than standard punk characteristics.
These goths were mostly inspired by punk fashion, but they went a step further and added several gothic features to create a darker alternative look.
Deathrocker goths are often seen as the missing link between goth and punk since they are more closely tied to traditional goths than any other subgroup.
This look is recognized visually for its prominent punk components, such as jeans, chains, piercings, and extravagant makeup, but with a darker, more gothic vibe.
13. Perky Goth
Perky Goth is one of the best goth styles. Their energy and enthusiasm are boundless, like the energizer bunny on steroids.
Perky goths embrace life and despise the dark, gloomy stereotypical attitude that many goths adopt, in contrast to their classic gothic counterparts.
For them, being a goth is all about having fun; they like the more upbeat components of the subculture, like Halloween and everything from the 1980s. They like nothing more than having a good time, and they routinely do dancing.
14. Victorian Goth
As the name implies, Victorian goths took a lot of inspiration from the Victorian era, which promoted things like elaborate costumes and fine hair.
These goths fashion themselves like the rich Victorian aristocrats, emulating their taste for the better things in life.
Formal galas and other opulent events are common for this goth type, who also has a keen interest in Victorian poetry, literature, hobbies, and other things.
An upper-crust group of the goth subculture is formed when all these combine with the gloomy gothic look.
Victorian goth music forms often draw heavily on classical inspirations and contain a common love of opera and theater performances.
These different goth styles, particularly, often feature extravagant ballgowns, corsets, headgear, long black gloves, and jewelry, including chokers and necklaces.
Victorian goths often have long, black hair, pale complexion, and subtle makeup.
15. Traditional Goth
Traditional Goth or Old-School Goth are popular names for the first wave of the gothic subculture that emerged in the UK in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Horror movies, books, and music served as inspiration, and their gloomy style still impacts the subculture today.
Traditional goth music is distinguished by its atmospheric, melancholy sound, which often uses synthesizers and drum machines extensively.
In contrast, traditional goth attire is mostly black, with romantic and Victorian-inspired elements like ruffled dresses, corsets, long flowing gowns, lace, and leather. A prevalent trait is also a lot of black makeup.
Traditional goths often have interests in poetry, art, literature, clothing, and music, such as works by H.P. Lovecraft, Anne Rice, and Edgar Allan Poe.
They enjoy debating philosophical issues like the purpose of life, death, and the afterlife.
Even though the classic goth scene has evolved, it is still one of the most popular and lasting goth styles, with a distinctive fusion of music, dress, and culture.
16. Pastel Goth
A fashion trend known as pastel goth, which uses a pastel color scheme with goth and kawaii style elements, first appeared in the early 2010s.
It combines delicate pastel colors, often in pink, lavender, mint green, and baby blue tones, with dark and edgy elements like spikes, crosses, and skulls.
The gothic subculture served as the style’s inspiration, but with a lighthearted and whimsical touch.
Pastel Goth fans choose wearable lighter colors while adhering to the darker look rather than the traditional all-black outfit.
Pastel goth fashion includes several types of clothes, such as skirts, dresses, leggings, and crop tops. Platform shoes, big bows, and chokers are typical accessories.
Numerous pastel gothic outfits also have pastel hair, often in pink, lavender, or blue shades.
17. Steampunk Goth
A subculture known as “steampunk goth” mixes science fiction and fantasy with the polish and beauty of the Victorian period.
This creative and distinctive look honors originality, ingenuity, and personality.
Steampunk Goths often dress in Victorian-styled attire with a sci-fi twist, such as corsets and top hats.
They embrace DIY culture by making apparel and accessories and keep to a color scheme of browns, blacks, and brass accents.
Beyond just a trend, Steampunk Goth is a way of life that emphasizes invention, imagination, and creativity.
This subculture includes science fiction and fantasy, including airships, mechanical clockwork, and cutting-edge technology.
Steampunk goths encourage the development of personal interests and unusual means of expression.
Steampunk Goth is an unusual subculture that supports distinctive and outlandish self-expressions since it combines history and fantasy.
