Why Do Goths Dress in Black?

Are you wondering why goths dress in black? Does the color black fascinate you, and would you like to adopt this style? Or perhaps you were intrigued when you saw a goth dressed entirely in black?

The team at the store is passionate about the gothic movement. We have experts in Gothic clothing. With millions of goths around the world dressing in black, we will explain to you point by point why this is so. 😊

Goths dress in black because this color represents the vanity of life. It allows one to see death as it is. Goths choose the color black because it evokes sadness, melancholy, and the night. It is this shade that best reveals their state of mind.

In this article, you will discover:

• The real meaning of the color black and why Goths adopt it
• The multiple cultural and musical influences that led them to this choice

After reading this article, the reason why goths dress in black will no longer be a mystery to you!

Enough talk, let's discover this without further delay!

Before diving into the heart of the matter, we need to question who are the people who choose to dress in black and what is their nature.

What are people who dress in black called?

You guessed it, when we talk about people dressed in black who love to wear it, we immediately think of goths. Although there are many fashion styles where this color is predominant. 

The first thought that comes to mind is our friends, the goths. When we talk about gothic fashion, we can quickly see that the definition is quite vague. Most of the time, those who are not familiar with this movement think of: a person who decides to dress because they have dark ideas. And that's it. We will see later that it is not that simple.

What is a goth?

Brief definition of a goth

It's a vast subject. But to keep it short, a goth is a person who adheres to a specific musical style that emerged in the 1980s in England. We can mention the most famous ones: The Cure, Bauhaus, Siouxsie. And later, singers like Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, and others. 

Moreover, it should be kept in mind that before being a fashion style, it is a state of mind. It is a movement rich in culture, notably literature, philosophy, music, cinema, romanticism, poetry, and fantastic mythology. 

They are very open-minded people, who are very open on many subjects. One of the characteristics of the gothic mindset is the ability to see beauty in all things, even in death, gloomy themes, suffering, etc. 🦇

Of course, the goth stands out with their unique fashion style and their own aesthetic. In essence, the fashion style is a continuation of the state of mind; it's not the clothes that make the goth, but the gothic soul that makes the clothes. They also adopt provocative and original makeup and hairstyles that do not go unnoticed.

Thus, each goth is different from another. Their clothes, jewelry, and accessories are chosen with care and have a particular symbolism. They have the courage to go against the grain and don't care about others' opinions, the most important thing being to be authentic. Their unique personality often leads them to love solitude. They are not afraid of being marginalized by society, quite the opposite.

Stereotypes about goths

Goths also have their share of prejudices and clichés. Here are a few:

• Goths are weird
• They only think about attracting attention
• They all  look  alike
• Goths are  suicidal  and  depressed
• All goths are  satanists 

And finally... 

• Goths  only dress in black

And yes, although  goths  love wearing black clothes, it's important to know that it's not the only color they wear !

The meanings of the color black in gothic fashion: Everything you need to know

Previously, we saw that the people who most often opt for black are goths. It's a color that suits them well. The question now is the meaning of this color and the deep symbolism of black. Why does black have such a consensus among goths? That's what we will see now in six points.

1. Black clothing: a symbol of death

To begin with, one of the symbolic meanings of black is that of death and mourning. Indeed, if you ask many people what the color black reminds them of, this term will often come up. Black is the color of mourning at funerals, the grim reaper who takes souls, darkness, the void, the shadows, are also filled with blackness. Wearing gothic clothing of this color means being comfortable with these concepts and being fascinated by death. 

By the way, if you are also interested in the concept of death, discover the gothic skull bag that will perfectly symbolize it. ☠️

2. The color of suffering

Next, black can also signify suffering and misfortune. It is the color that perfectly represents tormented states of mind. The sufferer who prefers to remain alone in the darkness with their pain is a perfect metaphor for understanding the link between suffering and black.

3. Dark attire: a metaphor for melancholy and despair

Whether in 19th-century German romanticism or in Victorian style, melancholy and despair are omnipresent. Not that these are the only themes of these movements of thought, but they remain present nonetheless. If we had to give a color to sadness, most people would answer black. It's logical, when we feel negative emotions, we see the world in a darker way. We tend not to perceive the colors of life, but its darker aspects.

Nevertheless, this remains just one meaning; not all goths are sad and depressed.

4. Dark-colored clothing: a symbol of the night

Moreover, it should be known that most goths love to live at night. When the sun sets, and there is no full moon, it is completely dark. Thus, black is a symbol of the dark night. Wearing dark clothing allows one to create harmony with their preferences and way of dressing. Those who love to live when everyone else is asleep will choose to wear black to best represent their ideas. 🌙

5. An anti-Christian color

During key moments in a Christian's life, one is dressed in white. Whether during baptism or communion, the people involved are dressed in light clothing. The anti-Christian logic is therefore to reverse these colors to show that one is completely opposed to this religion. However, the gothic movement has many viewpoints on these questions (agnostic, atheist, Christian, satanic, and others). So black has an anti-Christian significance only in a minority of cases. 

6. Black to see beauty in all things

Finally, we have seen in the points above that black has meanings that are related to dark things. But this is not always the case. Let's add some nuance. 

One of the most important symbolisms of black is that of seeing beauty in all things. Whether in sadness, death, the night, etc. Wearing black clothes symbolizes the acceptance of things as they are and being able to love them. Wearing this color is an act of courage and authenticity that few people dare to do. 🌹

Musical Influences: dark clothing

You now know the meanings of black in gothic fashion and what they imply. Now, we will focus on the multiple musical influences that have led goths to choose this color tone. Here are some examples. 🎵

Marilyn Manson: a dark look

He needs no introduction, Marilyn Manson is an iconic figure in Goth culture. He has a unique way of dressing, and we can see a strong presence of the color black in his style. With a celebrity as great as Marilyn Manson, we can see that many people are inspired by him especially to dress, and thus wear black.

Dark Wave: dark thoughts and black clothes

Let's focus on a musical movement in its own right.  Dark Wave is a musical genre that emerged in the 1970s, closely linked to the gothic movement. It appeared almost simultaneously with  New Wave. The music of this genre contains many lyrics revolving around introspection and dark thoughts. Thus, artists of this musical movement dressed exclusively in black, which led their fans to do the same.

The Cure: a dark fashion style

The Cure is a gothic rock band, born in England in 1978. It is a reference band in the history of gothic culture. Moreover, we can categorize The Cure in  New Wave, alternative rock, and post-punk. 


Many former Goths or purists of the movement love The Cure. When observing the band members in concert, we can see that they too have a gothic look all in black, which did not leave their fans indifferent. 

Discover gothic fashion in all its splendor!

In this blog article, you have understood the many reasons that drive goths to wear black. This way, the next time you see a goth or choose your gothic clothing, you will perfectly understand what wearing this color means.

Whether through symbolic dimension or musical and artistic influence, the dark fashion style primarily represents a state of mind and belonging to a community, making it a completely justified color.

Moreover, if you are reading this topic, it's probably because you are interested in gothic black clothes for your wardrobe. That's exactly what we offer in our store dedicated 100% to the gothic universe.

On that note, this pair of shoes is a must-have and is one of our best sellers. Click on it to discover and visit the rest of our store.