Industrial Goth is a subgenre of Gothic music and fashion that emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which combines the dark, atmospheric sounds and themes of Gothic rock with the aggressive, abrasive and industrial sounds of industrial music.
Music Characteristics
Characteristics It typically features electronic instrumentation, distorted vocals, and often includes elements of metal, punk, and post-punk. The lyrics often deal with themes of darkness, despair, and dystopian societies.
Fashion
Industrial Goth incorporates a visual aesthetic, often with dark and edgy fashion styles, such as leather and metal, along with gothic and cyberpunk elements.
How to dress Industrial Goth:
Clothes
- Lightweight T-shirts or tank tops or go shirtless
- Bondage, cargo pants, battle dress uniform (BDU) pants, ripped jeans, or Japanese hakama style pants
- Skirts, short shorts, dresses, or corsets
- Tights, leggings, stockings, fishnets, hosiery or socks
- Leather jackets, flight jackets, or long coats
Shoes
- Combat Boots
- Tanker Boots
- Jungle Boots
- Military style knee-high boots
Accessories
- Add detail to your outfits with jewelry, chokers, and gloves
- Wear spiked bracelets and collars, bullet belts and necklaces, and military-themed pieces
- Put on multiple statement rings and a piece of jewelry in any piercing you may have
- Goggles worn on either your forehead or around your neck will add sci-fi vibes
- Military gear is essential, wear leg rigs, tactical belts with ammo pockets and gun holsters
- For gloves, combat gloves are key
- Wear distressed clothes that look beat up, and specifically very dirty looking clothes
- Gas masks are essential for dystopian clothing
- Aviators and military goggles are good accessories for sun protection and style
Make up
- Wear minimal makeup to achieve a Industrial Goth style
- Makeup should not be the focus of your look
- Stick with darker colors or use eyeliner or shadow to create a pop of color on your eyes
- Bright lipstick, gloss, or stain can be used to achieve the right effect on your lips
Hairstyle
- Popular hairstyles include crew cut, pixie cut, completely buzzed off hair
- You can integrate both long and short elements into a hairstyle with something like a mohawk, an undercut, or a partially shaved head
- Dye your hair to stand out
- Integrate a color like crimson or deep green for nuance and color coordination
- Cyberlox can add a bright pop of color
- Short hairstyles are most common
- Blonde or black dye are popular, but any color can work
Body Jewelry
- Multiple piercings can enhance the Industrial Goth fashion look.
- Ear piercings are a good place to start for beginners, but facial piercings such as nose, lip, and others are popular.
- Industrial ear piercings are common but can be very painful and should be reserved for those more experienced.
- Septum pieces for the nose and various lip piercings like jestrum, snake bites, medusas, and labrets are in line with an Industrial Goth look.
Tattoos
- Choose tattoos that align with the dark and moody aesthetics of rivethead fashion.
- Avoid lighthearted or overly colorful tattoos.
- Blackout tattoos that create patterns or look like jewelry are popular choices among rivets.