Some goths, like yours truly, are blessed with employment that doesn't regulate clothing. For instance, I'm not wearing pants as I type this. Others go into real work that involves clipboards and stuff, and places with clipboards are notoriously hard on those of us who like a little dark flamboyance to our look.
How do you deal with the Man when he tells you that last night's eyeliner simply isn't acceptable if you want to rise in your career? Do you blend it, or do you just spend your life as Office Goth. To answer that burning query, oh how it burns, I summoned the Gothic Council!
Joining us this week is Age of Decay co-founder Alethea Carr, DJs Martin Oldgoth and Regen Robinson, Toby Rider from Ending the Vicious Cycle, Jvstin Whitney of Church of Melkarth, blogger Drusilla Grey, and webmistress of Morticia's Morgue, Becky Plexco.
Alethea Carr: I have seen my husband deal with this issue over the years, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. Black polos with black slacks or jeans seem to work well, and at his current office, he has even had the freedom to wear his earrings and shave the sides of his head a bit.
However, he was once let go from a company for coming out of the goth closet, even though he did it gently and slowly and always maintained the corporate goth look, leaving the earrings at home and styling his hair and wardrobe as the regular management type, except dark.
At home, he looks much more natural and comfortable in his gothiness, and at club, of course, he grabs the opportunity to go all out!
He doesn't mind it much, and doesn't resist what he needs to do to stylistically in order to serve his clients effectively; but the bad incident I mentioned really stung him for a while. It has made him more aware and more grateful for tolerant and friendly treatment from anyone mainstream, not just his employers.
Martin Oldgoth: By day I'm a finance assistant for an insurance company, and have to be honest and say I've never found it an issue. I have to wear "normal" shirts and trousers Monday to Thursday and only ever wear black, Friday is a dress-down day, so out come the skinny jeans and big boots and either a band tee or yet another black shirt.
People know me as being a bit odd, and have got used to that, but at first I guess I was always "that guy who lives in black" since from day one I dressed this way. I think if you're like it from the beginning people forget you're any different, not that we are of course, but you know what I mean.
I have obviously dyed black hair with shaved sides that are currently bleached white, no point trying to hide what I am, far better I feel to give them time to get used to you. In my own way, I feel I'm making goths seems more human to those that don't "get it." Of course I get questions, mostly about music and what is and isn't goth, but again it's all education for the greater good!