Goth Punk – The Evolution of Goth Fashion from Punk Fashion

Goth is one of the many subcultures that evolved from the punk subculture of the seventies and eighties.

Goth, punk and other fashion trends tend to originate from the music that their followers listen to. While these two groups are closely related, they don’t tend to intermingle.

The original punk style that developed in the 1970’s was intended to be as shocking and rebellious as its contributors could imagine.

It was, indeed, shocking to parents of teens to see fashions, make-up and hairstyles so extremely different from the crisp look that had been popular in their own childhoods.

Early punk fashion included deliberately controversial and offensive t-shirts, tight denim and leather pants, and leather jackets. Make-up was colorful and bold, both on girls and boys.

Hair styles were sharp – literally – and often just as colorful as the make-up. Studded and spiked leather jewelry was common.

In the 1980’s, heavy boots were a staple in the punk wardrobe and still are in the related fashion trends, including goth punk and emo. Heavy metal was prevalent on the stereo, and in their fashion.

Chains were used as belts and necklaces, and piercings and other body modifications became more common. Hairstyles became even more extreme.

While punk was becoming even louder and more colorful, some wearers of the styles splintered in another direction. They played down the color and their music, while still hardcore to some, became more electric in its sound.

The goth culture was born. Black clothes, black make-up, and pale skin are the immediately recognizable physical traits. While both goths and punks tended to be – or wanted to appear to be – moody and separate, goths went about it in a more quiet manner than their punk counterparts.

It became common to see groups of each kind of kid hanging out, far from one another on high school campuses around the country, most commonly in urban and suburban areas.

Goths pulled from more than just their punk roots, taking on various elements of historical fashion and early Hollywood to make their looks their own. The evolution of goth punk and their related fashions is an intricate one.