How to wear goth style in your 30s

Getting older doesn’t mean you need to give up the clothing style you love. Many in the alternative clothing subcultures notice in their 30s that the attraction to alternative fashion wasn’t only a phase. But when you pass your 20s (and it’s already a decade since your teens), you start to feel pressure ever so slightly put on you to change your style somehow. The pressure can come from other people, but sometimes we create it ourselves. It’s normal to seek updates to your appearance. Actually, people usually feel the urge to change their personal style every 10 years. Yet, there are many ways to adjust the goth style to the turns of life in your 30s.

The background story of my style

For me, the evolution of the personal style has been a rollercoaster. I fell in love with dark aesthetics when I was around 13 years old. Since that, I’ve been experimenting with different looks and styles. There were time periods of me wearing traditional and Victorian gothic outfits almost daily. For some periods of time, I didn’t wear alternative styles at all and then suddenly transformed the whole wardrobe back to black.

The latest change happened when I was 28 and lost ten kilos (about 20lb) in six months. At that point, nothing in my wardrobe literally fit me anymore, and I got an opportunity to make modifications to my style. Since that, I’ve been on a learning curve with my preferences and new styles that I discovered. I wanted to retain dark aesthetics in my looks but at the same time felt overwhelmed by the inconveniences of a more traditional gothic style.

Adapting to the life stage of the 30s

Circumstances change in your 30s, and it requires a bit of retouch to sustain a goth style. We start facing new requirements and strict dress codes in business and work life. New responsibilities keep coming into our lives, and overall we’re busy. As a consequence of that, we start prioritizing our time, grow to appreciate effortlessness, and embrace comfort.

Many gorgeous goth ladies are rocking various dashing styles in their 30s, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. I just started to feel that short skater skirts, revealing tops, straps, corsets, heels, heavy makeup, and dagger nails, as pleasing to the eye as they are, make my life quite troublesome. That’s when I fell in love with a style called modern goth. This subgenre was an answer to all of my apparel issues. I got very inspired by the simple and casual outfits, which are also very easy and affordable to put together.

Essentials in modern goth aesthetics

Here are some of the essential features of the modern goth style I found working for me the best. Feel free to copy the ideas to refresh your casual goth in my 30s wardrobe. For more styling inspiration, follow my Pinterest board about modern goth outfits.

Cuts

Very clean (well, modern) lines and cuts in the garments are ideal. Drapey, layered, and airy outfits are comfortable to wear. Close-fitting pieces work best when mixed with boxy or loose-fitting garments. When in doubt – size up.

There can be a hint of classic Korean style in the clothing designs. The garments are not too exposing or complicated to get into. Multi-functionality and transformability are essential. For more comfort, look for stretchy materials and elastic waistbands.

Colors

Black is the natural choice to go with. Primarily, use mainstream clothes but all in black. You can mix various outfits of black mainstream garments and turn them into a more sophisticated gothic look with accessories. As a statement piece, you can try a dramatic one-color dress, bright red or white, as an example. Black is still 99% dominant with a very decent amount of prints and almost no bold patterns.

Details

Since the garments are mostly mainstream, the goth element is in the details. Different kinds of mystical and ethereal symbols in the prints, accessories, and nail art are good ways to bring out your personal style. If you like prints and patterns, keep them quite modest. Put the focus of the outfit on one or two detailed pieces.

Tops

Tops have a more relaxed feel in them if you stick to relatively covering pieces without super sexy details or open cuts. If you want to add romantic and elegant sexiness, pay attention to the fabrics. Lace, satin, and sheer fabrics are refined and feminine. Knits, sweaters, and cardigans are essential pieces.

Bottoms

Straight business pants, chinos, culottes, wide-leg pants, and black jeans are good pieces. Almost any type of black skirt can work. An essential style hack is wearing black tights with skirts and shorts. You can spice up the simple stockings with fishnets on them.

Footwear

Any simple shoes will work, especially flats. There’s no need to torture your feet with platforms and high heels. Think more of sneakers, Dr. Martens, boots, ballet flats, loafers, and sandals. Modest detailing with classy buckles and lacing is evergreen. If you prefer heels, look for stilettos, cone heels, and wedges for more comfortable usability.

Hair and make-up

Hairstyles can be as effortless as the rest of the look. Classic haircuts work well because arduous hairdos and voluptuous locks are not predominant parts of a casual look. Darker shock hair color is a great option for those who want more gothy vibes.

Make-up follows the same rules of ease and effortlessness. Heavy eye makeup is not something necessary to wear daily. You will go far with a flawless foundation and natural contouring, classy eyelashes, liner, and neat eyebrows. For more drama, you can add dark lipstick. Think of solutions that save you time and effort, like permanent makeup and eyelashes.

Accessories

The essential accessories are sunglasses, brim hats, and big pendants. Curb the flowy garments with a cinch belt. Bags can be almost anything as long as they are black and practical, so they’ll be timeless and serve your needs from one season to another. The number of accessories may not be extravagant, but single pieces can be striking. A moderate and simple black outfit highlights the sole accessories and details.

For more inspiration for this style, don’t forget to click and follow my Pinterest board! I keep adding content to the board whenever I discover new outfit ideas.

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