Kilts as Goth wear.

[minimalistix]

Whenever I hear the term "mainstream" it reminds me of a button I used to have that said "Go Lemmings, GO" ;-)

LOL ;)

Speaking of which, it's about time to go out to the bar with the rest of the drunk lemmings. Its about 10:00 here. Yes, still early, but I have to drive and pick up my girlfriend 45 mins away. (She's got her family her otherwise I get her to meet me.)

[Yaish]

There is a t-shirt that sells at Hot Topic that says "You laugh at me because I'm different, I laugh at you because you're all the same."

Ironically, the shirt is meant to be worn BY the goths/counterculture types and be about "everybody else". However the sentiment fits those kids themselves just perfectly.

In fact, out here we have a local sort of outdoor mall that is a huge hangout for just about everyone (Irvine Spectrum for those in SoCal) Its always got a large group of Goth/CC types as well as everyone else. Goths are always in black clothes, chains, pants, boots, etc... It might as well be a uniform.
On the other hand all the "conformists" are wearing things like shirt and tie, t-shirts, polo's, sandals, running shoes, boots, dress shoes, slacks, jeans, shorts, khakis, etc...
There is FAR more variation among the 'conformists' than among the rebels.

[Sir Robert]

My 14 year old daughter divides up her high school into punks and preps.

Now that you can just go down to Hot Topic at the mall with Daddy's credit card and be an insta-goth, why?

[GlassMan]

One time I was waiting for the valet to bring me my car outside the Mayflower after having drinks at the Town & Country bar when a goth walked up to me wearing a black kilt. He wanted to know where a certain club was and figured since I was wearing a kilt I might know. I politely told him that I had no idea.

Why he'd think such a thing is beyond me since I was in a hyper-traditional outfit and he was wearing all black. But I guess a middle-aged guy like me should feel honored that a young punk that I was cool.

[auld argonian]

My 14 year old daughter divides up her high school into punks and preps.

When I was in High School, low these many years (40) ago, it was Doopers (ivy league/collegiate look) and Greasers (....uh...well...greasers...you know: long leather jackets, pointy toe shoes...).

best

AA

[cormacmacguardhe]

Yeah, my high school was divided into several "groups" there were the "jocks", the "hoods" and their female counterparts. Other kids were divided into smaller groups, such as the "YFC" (Youth For Christ, bible club.) and the really new "fringees" or hippies. This was in the late 60's. Nowadays I think most people fall into the catagory of "sheeple" just following the crowd or whatever they were told was the direction to go was.

[Raphael]

Just because kids wear black make up and chains, they may not be goth in the true sense. Goth is about attitude and the fascination about the darker side of human emotion. It is about embracing the feelings that most of us see as outcast and unhappiness. Most goths seek to live lives that most people consider as childlish and obscure.

Goth's Fashion sense and musical style evolve from the Punk and BDSM Scene. That's why you see Goths walk around in chain, leather, PVC and tall black boots. Punks and Goths want to be different than the main stream society and many of them choose to wear skirts to challenge the fashion trend. Some of them will wear kilts from Lip Service and Utilikilts because they are readily available. Mind you, most of them are not looking for the tradtional look of Kilts. Don't expect your Goth Buddies to follow the preaching of Hamish or Todd.

In the Goth Scene, Skirted men are not consider cross dressers. It is the norm of the community and there are plenty of Goth guys wearing kilt, solid colour and tartans. Mind you, they didn't dress up to look like girls, but the Goth girls have different views on what men should look like.

Tip for the kilt makers: Goths will spend money on clothes and they are less likely to whine about the price. If you are to expand your market, look at the Goth Scene. It could be your next gold mine.

[Archangel]

They're all copying me, ha, as I copied Alice. I'm above it now but they're still trying to catch up.

How do you like your eggs? Goth, sunny side down

[Ranald]

The problem with goths, and punks for that matter, is they all end up looking the same. It's the packaged rebellion for youth. I have friends in punk/metal bands, guys that have record contracts, that have corporate jobs in the day time, but when they go out dressed like rock stars they joke about being 'geared up'. They don't buy into the whole fashion.

I guess my point is, guys who honestly believe in wearing kilts, and do so because they like to, are the true rebels of fashion. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are outside of the mainsteam, which is fine with me.

Of course, I use to show up at clubs like the 'Double Door' (its like CBGBs in NYC but in Chicago) wearing a suit type outfit. It was funny to see the punk wannabe kids enunciate their dislike for me or my cloths (the same guys who alway bitched about being accepted) when the old school guys, the guys who were playing the show were fine with it. It was my own personal a@@hole detector. They recognized me because I wore something different from the run of the mill crowd.

I think you'll find, and correct me if I'm wrong real Goth clothing evolves and is not just bought as a uniform.
In my day we we're called futurists, and not goths, and the clothing was also black.You could always tel the geek who just bought the lot to fit in (or try to).
Some of us though came from poorer families and could not afford the flashy trainers(sneekers) that others had.So we made our own fashoin with what we could afford, like army surplus.
Still this made me different and has led me eventually to here.
Interesting thread I'll be watching it's progress.

[Mr. Kilt]

All this talk about goths and punkers has me thinking.
As a city transit driver, I get to see all kinds of different people during the course of my shifts. Of all the teenagers, the goths and punkers are generally the most polite when boarding and riding my bus. Some of the "conventional" looking teens are the most rude and destructive.
Just an observation.