CRUSTPUNK FASHION

NEO TRASH FASHION

POST ROCKER FASHION

ORGCORE PUNKER FASHION

HXC TOUGH FASHION

SXE MOSH FASHION

BLACK METAL FASHION

CYBERGOTH FASHION

GOTHIC  MEN'S FASHION THA DOESN'T TOTALLY SUCK

Fashion, Metal Gods

A couple of months ago, a reader wrote to ask me for advice on choosing gothic clothing for men.
Now, owing to the fact that often men don’t give a flying fuck what they wear, there’s not so much interest in men’s fashion anywhere, and the same is true in the gothic/metalhead scene. Now, with metalheads, it’s pretty easy – a metal shirt and some black jeans or camo pants and you’re done, but what if you want something a bit fancier? A bit more sauve? You’re probably going to be looking at gothic fashion sites.
And what are you going to find? Stuff like this:

Gothic trench coat

Ick.
Too young. Too blingy. Not nearly pragmatic enough for most guys older than 16. And that’s the problem with gothic clothing in general, and gothic men’s clothing in particular – it’s hard to find pieces for an older, more professional man. A man who favors a <> fit to a dozen buckles.
However, I do have a few ideas:

Purpur:

As I personally love the concept of the utilitarian and “fashion as subcultural uniform”, I am a sucker for military-inspired fashion for men and women. Purpur is an aussie label run by Russian fashion designer Kate Musina, who takes this overdone look and gives it a modern, sophisticated twist with their “Total Control” collection. Purpur’s men’s collection is just as stunning as their ladies looks, and it’s not ridiculously over-the-top expensive (although with the aussie dollar what it is these days …)

Military shirt, $159AUS, by Purpur

Black shirt, $159AUS, by Purpur

Gallery Serpentine

Every gothic gentleman worth his salt needs a long black coat. The trick is to find one that looks suitably gothly without being covered in buckles and spider-print material (unless that’s what you’re into). Galler Serpentine – another excellent and long-standing aussie label – offers a range of men’s coats, including this plain black Matrix-style priest coat. Owning a few Gallery Serpentine pieces myself, I can attest to their quality and excellent fit.

"The Lieutenant", men's coat, $270AUS, by Gallery Serpentine

Pinstripe Undertakers coat, $320AUS, by Gallery Serpentine

Crytoflesh

Another great source of men’s fashion is cyber-wear. Some of this stuff can look a bit silly, but I love that it’s always made from comfortable, sensible fabrics. Crytoflesh sell a good mix of the silly-looking stuff and the comfortable, chilled out, reasonably-priced stuff.

pinstripe pants, $72US, by Crytoflesh

Tracktion Top, $49.95US, from Crytoflesh. Man, that dude as a silly haircut. He looks really sad, too.

Wulflund

And, for those of you who like a little bit of the dark ages in your dark wear, I present my favorite place for practically everything – Wulflund. Most items are casts of archaeological examples, and you won’t find better belts, buckles, broaches, leather goods, or <>. Milan – the Czech man behind Wulflund – knows his stuff. I own several pieces from here, as well.

Medieval long belt, 28 Euros, Wulflund

Skane Thors Hammer (sterling silver), 89 Euros, Wulflund

You Stars

Lots of the stuff in the You Stars ebay shop is a bit nasty, but there are some nice, somewhat trendy but interesting guys items to be found.

black cloak cape, $62, from You Stars

Cycroptix Tie Lab

I used to be a regular tie-wearer myself (I loved the funky designs mostly – still own about 30 ties, mostly in various colors of paisley), so I know a good tie when I see one. And these ties from Cycroptix are stunning. High quality silk ties with screen=printed designs of awesome.

Tie from Cycroptix

Rocket Science, from Cycrptix ties

You don’t have to go to specialist “gothic” stores, either. There’s plenty of decent pieces in ordinary chain stores and second-hand shops that, with a little bit of scouring, and perhaps even some DIY, can become your signature look. Remember, with gothic fashion – especially men’s fashion, especially men’s fashion for an older crowd, it’s all about how you wear it. A skull ring, the right choice of buttons can turn any old piece into an item of gothic finery.

Resources

Haute Macabre
Stylish Gent
(yes, I am painfully aware I’m rather lacking in resources. This is NOT my area of expertise.