Goths wear black because:

[kitten]

Originally Posted by VampiricYouth

The original batcavers wore black to rebel against the Disco/Funk culture which was the main opposition to Punk in the late 70s/early 80s.

I watched a documentary on that on IFC. It was very informative, I liked it alot.

[Draconysius]

Originally Posted by kitten

I watched a documentary on that on IFC. It was very informative, I liked it alot.

I love IFC.
Basically, today, most "goths" wear black as a way to identify themselves with other members of the subculture.

[Dark Wolf]

Originally Posted by VampiricYouth
The original batcavers wore black to rebel against the Disco/Funk culture which was the main opposition to Punk in the late 70s/early 80s.

Originally Posted by kitten

I watched a documentary on that on IFC. It was very informative, I liked it alot.

OMG...Those posts just made me feel so old! I was around when all of that was going on and I remember it all. There is a DOCUMENTARY on it? Holy crap...somebody get me a friggen cane!

[Dark Wolf]

Sheesh...Kitten, I just checked your public profile...I was out of high school before you were born...

Ack.

[kitten]

I guess I am young. It was a great documentary! Don't feel old.

[kenwheeler]

Originally Posted by Godslayer Jillian

I'm extremely skeptic that you could think so deeply about a color before beginning to wear that certain color because of its significance.
But if indeed this is true, you're alone in such a manner of thought.

ive thought about going through a RED stage, dying my hawk red, buying red and black striped stockings, red fishnets, red shoelaces on my boots. i thought it would be a nice change since i wear black and ONLY black.

i never went through this stage however, so you are wrong. i thought deeply about a colour(its spelt colour here) before beggining to wear that certain colour because of its signifigance.

[Lostdreams]

I've been wearing black sence I was little (around 5 years old). It expresses how I feel and how I think. It is the color of everything I've been through and the wall I have up to protect myself from more pain.

Plus, I'm really really really pale and anything brighter than black makes me look like a clown.

[Feralboy101]

I can't honestly speak for the majority, though I first started wearing black as a mere fashion statement. However, as time went on, I began to see a certain poeticism in wearing it in Winter and Summer, not changing, even as time goes on...

Besides,I'm so used to it by now, I'd feel out of my skin in anything else!

[Neurosis]

Well, I do remember a time where I was about 10 or 11 years old, I devoted to myself that I would only wear black. That whole summer, I only wore black, and my parents did not mind really. I had no intentions of anything Goth or the like, just to wear the color.

I just see the color as just that, a color. No need for anti-conformity, rebellion, or being enshroud. I am just more comfortable in a black top and pants than all white, or red for that matter.

We are all very colorful people, just look at your hair!

--Neurosis

[Mick Ignis]

Black is great for many reasons.

- It's a mysterious color, the color of night and death.
- It's a passionate color, rivaled only by deep red in my opinion.
- It has a very "silent movie" like feel to it (especially when accompanied by pale skin and eye liner)
- It goes with everything
- It's an easy way to look professional or formal (black collared shirt with black pants)

I wear black 24/7, although I add a little red and white in now and then. I've also discovered wearing a white, open, collared shirt over my black shirt tends to bring the black out more (by visual comparison).

[Tumor]

At this point, I wear black because I've been wearing only black (for the most part) for 10 years. It rarely occurs to me to buy anything of any other color any more. Except for boxers and socks. I don't care whate color my boxers are, and I refuse to wear black socks. I always get tons of black lint between my toes, and if I'm sweating, ew...

[JoeAverageSF]

My reply.

I started wearing black as a teenager probably as an outward expression of whatever was going on inside my head at the time. I don't have enough of a connection to where I was at that time in my life, but if I were to speak in 15-year-old Joe's voice, I'd probably say that I saw the world in a very specific and generally negative way and the clothes that I wore reflected on that world view. They were a symbolic thing and when you're young and powerless, it gave you that tiny modicum of power and control. People would react to you on your own terms: "Oh, he's the guy in black." and they'd love you or hate you or berate you or whatever, but you created that thing they reacted to.

I think those of us that stick with the goth scene for any length of time constantly reevaluate what it means to us. My initial interpretation of it, like most peoples, was probably pretty shallow. "I'm a GAWF. I'm in my doom clothes, riding my doom buggy, fucking the doom girlies that were impressed by my big doomy persona."

Time went on, you grow up, you reevaluate.

Why do I wear black now? One, I love the whole gothic subculture, good and bad, sweet and nasty, and wearing black clothing is flying my Goth flag, saying "Fuck you" to those who get bothered by that sort of thing.

Two, I'm Italian. Black looks really good on us.

Three. I work with a lot of cops and soldiers and while they are great people and fascinating (nobody has better stories to tell) they tend to be agents of stasis, if you'll pardon the asinine metaphor. I stick to one color, one symbol, and no matter how deep I go, I'm not like them.

Also, black goes with everything and I'm fashionably illiterate.
j.

[Vyvian Blackthorne]

Goths, or if you, will, we wear black for many reasons, one alone cannot speak for the entire subculture. Though I feel that it represents a part of us, it shows others that we identify with the idelogy or the general subculture, to show how much passion-perhaps it even is like the eyes to the soul-a window. Though in this case, an outlook. Fashion does not always dictate whether a person is goth or not, yet to show pride and independence (an element the colour generally stands for) most of us goths wear black to show the world our melancholy expression, with the death of hiding the darkly inclined misfit we all are.

goth4ever

[Vako]

I just wear black because it looks sharp.

[maggot]

I wear it so stupid people will leave me the hell alone.

[BlackDahlia]

I wear it because it's all colors in one, it looks good on me, and it makes doing laundry a cinch.

[Minyaliel]

This is getting old... *sighs and rolls eyes*

[Vyvian Blackthorne]

Getting old indeed, WE as goths, or a general thinker outside of the box, should already know the reason. Though I must admit, you put your spirituality in goth (as I do) generally, which is something we both have in common-so I need to say that I was interested to see what yours would have been

[Minyaliel]

Originally Posted by Minyaliel

I wear black because I look good in it! Often in combination with other colours like white, dark red, any shade of blue, dark green or brown. Right now, I'm wearing a black and white tweed mini skirt a la the late sixties with a black Morticia style top - a little bit stylish, a little bit bohéme, that's me

Already posted about a year ago =) Now I'd probably add that I feel very comfortable in it aswell.

[raggedyanne]

I wear it because:

1) It soaks up the sun's rays, warming me without burning

2) It makes me stand out from the pink frilly masses

3) My dog likes it

[Your Darkest Secret]

I don't really feel that comfortable when I'm not wearing black. I feel weirdly exposed. Although, that could just be because I've been wearing lots of black for a long time.
I just happen to like the colour. It looks good on me

[Azurite]

Actually, for me it's only a matter of supply...
I don't really care much for the color itself (other than that it is a nice contrast on white skin) but for the cut, detail and opulence gothic clothing has to offer. Unfortunately the majority of gothic fashion is only available in black.
If it's a beautiful piece, I like white, silver, light and dark purple, emerald, bordeaux and dark blue apart from black.

In conclusion, for me the reasoning behind wearing what I wear is just my sense of aestheticism.

Take care,
Azurite

[DarkHeartedDemoness]

I don't really wear that much black, but I know when I'm going to be in a situation where I'm uncomfortable (family gatherings, for instance, because I have 27 perfect-looking cousins that don't know me but don't like me) I wear black because I know I'll feel more comfortable. If I'm going to a formal event, I'll pick black over other colors because I know I'll feel classic and comfortable, and I know the color suits me.

[mrs.wes straker]

Black just looks good. Period. I also wear other colors that look good.

[The Mystic Moon]

Black makes me look good. I can't be bothered to colour co-ordinate all my outfits. My mind can only work with dark colours. I think it looks more attractive but it has to be done with style. I do wear colour, but usaully dark.