What is your inspiration?
 

For some background info:

I'm doing a senior design project at a fashion school and I chose Goth as my topic for a woman's eveningwear collection.

I haven't been a Goth for 6-7 years, and even when I was, I was just a follower, and a short-lived one at that. I’ve always appreciated their fashion though.

My question to you all: What (besides your friends) are your influences? Do you pay much attention to Victorian culture (specifically mourning wear) or to the 1200's-1400's in Europe?

My understanding of the Goth fashion scene as an outsider would guess that its origins and heaviest influence came from the geometries of the cathedrals in 13th century France. What is your opinion?

I like Victorian inspired things or just wacky things. Underwear looking things that aren't trashy...

Oh, if you plan to stick around, it would benefit you to make an intro.

As for my fashion influnces, I don't know really. My fashion changes on a very frequent basis, it depends what type of mood I'm in. I'm probably not the best person to answer your question. I do like victorian fashion, my biggest influences are definitely not my friends - I don't go clothes shopping with them as we have such different tastes.

I'll have a think and tell you later.

Sometimes I go for a dancer/ballerina inspired look, as well. Very sleek, delicate, tiny.

Crushed velvet panties!

I like the victorian style as well, but most times my style is based on 2 words: "dark" and "elegant".

I do alot of research in fashion myself to see different concepts and tastes people have of personal expression.

As I mentioned in another thread recently, I had found rare issues of "Gothic&L***** Bible" magazine. This Gothic fashion magazine is imported from Japan. There is ALOT amazing concepts and styles in there. You would be shocked how they do it in Japan.

harajuku/goth ****** meets victorian meets broke teenager with painted converse sneakers

Sounds very unique, I must say.

I’d describe my formal dress style as romantic and very passionate. For example I like the black lace & garnet shirts, the white ruffled shirts with leather pants and maybe a long reverend coat to go over it. I like the Victorian style too but if I were to classify my look into a specific category I’d say it would be a classic European renaissance style.

I found a website containing images from the G&LB mag. Have a look.

http://www.avantgauche.co.uk/gallery/index.html

Hope this brings more inspiration to all.

I'm fairly romantic. I do have LOTS of death rocker influences.

Fashion... hmm...

There's the times I'm very romantic looking (poet shirts, pvc pants, nice dress coat)

There's the times I'm death rocker looking (Ripped fishnets, tall ass boots with the pants tucked in.

The girlish looks (Skirts, girl tops, ect)

The modern romantic (Form fitting blazer jackets, loosely buttoned dress shirts, tight but breathable slacks and black jean cut trousers)

Then there's the times I fuse these fashions into one look. Like this Sunday when I went to see Voltaire.

2 layers of shredded fishnet shirts, Black slacks cut off at the knees, thigh high black and red stripped socks, black SHINY dress shoes, red velvet smokers jacket, red and black studded belt and an extra leather belt with a jolly rodger on it, sagging to the right and resting on my right thigh. Black eye shadow

Don't forget the 80s.

Goth fashion aspects, I honestly love 'em all. Though I truthfully must say that favourites are the Victorian and Deathrocker fashions. I could wear a black frilled poet shirt with torn fishnets...crazy meh...so FTW I agree with Kontan

For influences, i just go with what feels good. I am getting ready to work on a pair of really nice fitting black jeans, and i am going to fit them with lace on the pant legs, add a few d-rings and make it like a corset lacing. And its going to cost a total of... 20$. Why so cheap?

Pants: 12$
Rings: 3$
Ribbon: 2$
Lace: 3$
Making pants your own and that fit perfectly: Priceless.

But, i will say i do love the victorian mourning wear, along with alot of the evening wear. The corsets are a MUST. Pirate type outfits from the 1500s are coming into style now. Personally, i'll throw a bodice on top of a tunic and add a pair of jeans and it looks great.

My influence? I love grunge. No, not plaid flannel. I don't wear flannel. I just like to wear torn jeans over fishnets, large baggy jeans with lots of patches over rips. I like t-shirts from thrift stores with the collars cut out. Mostly, I like to be able to dress like a slob and still look cute.

Oh, really, really hard question - my look can change radically on a day-to-day basis. An actual example from three weeks (or so) ago:
Monday - PJ day. I was at home the whole day walking around in my light pink silk PJ's and slippers. Ooh, so goth. *giggle*
Tuesday - Comfy style - trainers, baggy pants, black tee.
Wednesday - Pixie look. Lots of pastels (blue, pink) and golden details, ripped skirt with colourful designs (plants, peacocks, leaves, that sort of thing) and a white top, with my hair looking as if I'd just woken up, that is, very messy.
Thursday - deathrock day. My black band jeans (embroidered with the names of my favourite bands and artists; a continuous DIY project of mine), ripped fishnets on my arms, a simple black top and a full death hawk.
Friday - vintage look; my hair down into a bun, full, long petticoats (several layers and colours), a dark red top and a corset and a shawl.
Saturday - Rockabilly day, wearing clothes a la "Grease" (think Sandy in the very end of the movie).
Sunday - Victorian mourning attire.

I do have a preference for vintage and retro styles, as well as for the fantastic (pixies, fairies, vampires, elves, etc); some times I just lounge around in comfy clothes. I'm a DIY'er, and often make my clothes myself, and combine historical styles from all eras, from Medieval (often with celtic influences) to the 1980's goth- punkish style. Old clothes are a lot of fun - I've got authentic clothing from the early 1900's (possibly late 1800) through dresses from the 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's and a ski jacket from 1960 that I use every day because its versatility. Also, cross- gender is very much fun. Strangely enough I'm able to pull it off very well (sometimes to the point where strangers ask me whether I'm male or female... *laughs*). Recently I've become enamoured of the anime style and the japanese EGL style. But to sum up my main inspiration, I'd probably have to say historical styles, tales/ myths/ folklore/ fantasy literature/ fantasy movies and music. I agree with DG, elegant and dark are usually what I'm aiming for, aswell as (sometimes) cute.

Forgot to add, I also pick up a lot of inspiration at the opera and musical theatre shows I participate in.

The replies so far have been great - I'm starting to finalize the details on my first item of what is turning out to be a fairly bad-ass looking skirt. It sits on the upper waist and starts out with corset-like ribbing. It turns into a pencil skirt at the waist, and then before the knee turns into several inches of chiffon ruffles... figuring out the draping to make it look good is going to be a nightmare.

Please keep the ideas coming - you guys have already helped me a lot so far.

I wouldn't do the ruffles.

I still do kinderwhore sometimes... think old school Courtney Love or, better, Kat Bjelland. But my influences now are far less cool. Mostly Kilted and tartaned, jeans, slacker T-shirts.

Maggot - I'm using a thick, textured cotton, so the ruffles add more of a flare than they do a new look. It's still going to be fairly organic-looking.

What about a layer of sheer over everything else like an outer layer, but splits in the front and is asymmetrical?

My... influence. Hm, I guess I settle with whatever fits my whimsy. Right now it's long coats, but I also take elements in my wardrobe from steampunk. With brass goggles and a leather trenchcoat, I look like a gothic aviator of sorts @_@ or so I've been told.

M'ihyunno.

Steampunk is incredibly hot.

I'd say my influence is pretty self explanitory.