In my recent escapades around Birmingham’s rich and diverse Gothy club world, I have found myself meeting and admiring all sorts of Goths with their own unique looks and styles, and have made it my mission to find out more about them. I’ve already mentioned recently my new ice Goth buddies, which is a look that I have fallen in love with but decided is totally impractical for me, and now I’m looking at one of the more popular Goth looks from back in the day, being military-Goth fusion style.
So without further ado, here is a quick rundown on military Goth styling, along with some tips.
What is military Goth?
Military Goth is a fairly structured look that involves a lot of angles and sharp lines, as well as shapes and styles that give the impression of added height or bulk, such as is the case with high boots and military jackets with epaulette shoulders. It also tends to involve a lot of shiny buttons and double breasted looks for both coats and dresses, and a colour palate based on either black or khaki, with additional accent colours.
More inspiration and background on the look can be found here.
A core military Goth wardrobe
An absolute must for your military Goth look is shitkicker boots, but fortunately, that covers a wide range of different footwear offerings. Trad DM’s, platform New Rocks or actual squaddie boots from military surplus stores are all a goer.
No military Goth wardrobe is complete without a good coat either, and again, there’s loads of room for interpretation here too. Floor length double breasted wool officer’s coats are good and can usually be had from military surplus stores, short tailored jackets are also a goer, and so are camo-print jackets and more casual tops as well.
A true military look is not complete without a hat either, and again, your military surplus, flea market or Ebay will be able to sort you out there, with a piece of the genuine article from all sorts of armies from around the world.
Know what you’re wearing
When you head out to the military surplus or start browsing online for your genuine original military accoutrements and find something that you like, a word of caution before you shell out your funds: Know what you are buying. By that I mean, find out what army squadron or battalion (I’m pretty much just pulling military terms out of the air here) you are perusing, and what country’s offerings you are thinking about wearing.
Bear in mind that certain pieces may cause offence, such as if you’re going full SS or something similar, and of course you can wear virtually anything you like ironically, but knowing what you’re dealing with is a good start, not least because people are likely to take an interest and ask you what it is that you’re sporting.
The Everyday Goth talks about the finer etiquette of military Goth styling here, for more information, and if you’re looking for inspiration, try out this Tumblr thread, and this Pinterest board.
