My inspiration to ask this question came from watching a programme about kids bullied at school for not wearing cool brand names.

What makes you want the name brand at double the cost? Does thrift store shopping make you any less popular? What are the alternatives?

I see a lot of trendy type fashions in the gothic community. Morbid Threads, Lip Service, Hot Topic, to name a few. And whereas I like their clothes, and even own a few items myself...does it make one more "popular" in the goth scene to wear those names than the girl who's wearing the no-label black dress she bought at Oxfam or any other second-hand shop?

It would be nice to have a nice shop that doesn't charge so much for their stuff. I have even seen some thrft stores that go a little over the top with their pricing!

I have to agree, dressing Goth is too expensive .. and there's always the trendies, picking on the fashion challenged people (such as Myself.)

I don't follow too much any trend at all, I just tend to dress however I wish to. that, and any clothing that is pretty much to My budget.

well .. as for any kid picking on My dressing style .. there was a few times I had to argue every now and then, but nothing seriously. besides, where I came from, there was the usage of uniforms .. and so, there was no fashion stated on the school.

I buy what i like, who cares if it has a label or high cost or not. If i like it, i will buy it. Is that not what fashion is really about?
I mean, yeah, i have some of both, labels and non. Generally around here, the gothic/midieval style of clothing is quite expensive... even if its not much of a "brand name" .. i mean like Tommy, Guess, CK, etc etc ... you think thats expensive? no ... dressing "goth" is much more expensive, even if its not a name brand label. The style of clothing is much more complex, and complicated...there is much more work involved in designing and making it, and it is certainly more beautiful than any CK plastered T i have ever seen.

anyways, yeah ... my thoughts.....buy what you like! If your wearing something that has no label, it does not make you any less of a person, and if your wearing something that does have a label, it does not make you any more of a person. Just do what makes you comfortable. If ppl make fun of you ... fuck em .. who needs em anyways?

generally i avoid labelled clothes. but these days, i can't afford any clothes. which helps put the pressure on my momma to make the clothes i dictact to her.

mwahaha!
shame that most of the stuff i want her to make, she doesn't want me wearing and therefore refuses. she thinks i'm too weird

i guess when you're young it's important because you want to do anything to fit in. anything that you can control to fit in, you control. i'm not saying i did this, i wasn't cool at all, and then later when i realised what the game was, i was beyond caring about fitting in.

and i guess you answered your questions in your opening statement: kids bullied at school for not wearing cool brand names.

that's pretty good incentive i guess. as valid as any.

the answer to everyones problems....TRADE CLOTHING STORES...you can find both brand name and thrift stuff...and its all cheap, cheap,cheap. 2$-20$.(well 20$ if its something extra special..) and hey if your broke just bring clothes and get money for them...or store credit..well i guess it depends on the stuff, some places are pretty picky but thats the beauty of it...very funky stuff.

I refuse to be a walking advertisement. If it has a name stamped across it, or something obviouse in the way of a logo i won't wear it unless it happened to be free.

have i mentioned in the last hour that i love ebay... I LOVE EBAY!!!

*wishes he was ebay*

:doh: ... did i say that out loud?

I think it's funny when you see these overgrown lumps of lard wearing sports logos like Nike, i mean, they aren't exactly interested in keeping fit by the looks of them. Such boring labels, too! I guess everyone advertises something aware or unaware. Dress black and people think "Goth" that's advertising that sub-culture. etc.

Oooh, i love ebay too.

damn ebay ............... gets all the hot chicks

I don't flash my labels (my New Rocks advertise themselves) but sometimes its extremely nice to know that you have labelled goods on.

Saying that I won't just wear any old trainers, they have to be Vans/DCs/some other brand skater/some other brand goth, but I know a v good outlet store, my last 2 pairs of Vans were £40 for both pairs (about $70) instead of £120 ($180)

My t-shirts I get for next to nothing because they come from average chain stores.
If I get label clothes its not for the label (apart from the shoes obviously) its because I like them.

I just bought a wee black skirt with black lace flowers on it from a second hand shop for £3! Has Topshop on the label. lol.

wow, thats pretty cool

I'll have to get a picture of it.

please do

Personally I either buy cheap at thrift and discount stores or go the other route..........make and design my own clothes. Makes for a much more interesting wardrobe.

I always thought that the goth scene encouraged people to be experimental with their clothes and not just go for ready-made off-the-rack fashion. A lot of people I know make their own clothes or alter thrift store stuff (my god thats fun). Thrift stores are great for finding vintage clothes although I have the problem that I'm too big and tall for most of the vintage clothes, especially across the shoulders - were people smaller in those days or something?
That said, if you want a great corset or some fab fetish gear then labels are the way to go for the sheer quality of the garments.

I know this problem well, although it's usually the bustline in my case. I found some nice bustier patterns at the local fabric stores that are easily adapted to suit different desires. I'm still working to convert one in particular into a corseted gown.

i dress at both the expensive stores and the thrit shops, what i like abotu thrift shops though is that you never know what you can find and i found some damn sexy things at the thrift shop. hehe/