Goth Shop Stop
The original Morticia Addams (Carolyn Jones) sits in a wicker chair, blows on a dagger, and smiles. This gif is in black and white.
Okay, not everything here is gothic per se, but I wanted to highlight some independent shops that I think bring the kitsch, creepiness, darkness, and drama that we desire (and require) from our autumnal aesthetics.
Notice I don’t say Halloween.
For those who know me, you may be surprised to learn I’m not a huge fan of Halloween as it exists today.
There’s a spiritual reason and a sassy reason.
But this post isn’t about THAT. This post is about your daily dedication to shapeshifting, character creation, and personal lore building.
Akasha (Aaliyah) from Queen of the Damned showing her fangs and biting into a bloody heart. The gif is black and white.
If you want to dress in vampiric dramatique flare, cheeky fae frocks, clownish chaos, or other daring forms, I’ve gathered some of my favorite independent Depop shops. These are all sellers who make their clothes or upcycle them. As you likely also know, I make and sell my own upcycled freaky fashion. You can check my website shop or my Depop.
Most of my shopping is done in thrift stores, but I also love supporting artists who put care and creepiness into their craft. There’s no joy quite like owning a piece of clothing that no one else in the world has. *wipes drool from mouth*
Plenty of Depop shops are selling corsets these days, so I won’t highlight those as much, though I do love a good corset for a costume.
Note: Depop has a lot of ways to make shopping cost-effective, such as bundling items, making offers, haggling in messages, or trades if you also have items in your shop.
This mortal flesh is a costume for the spirit, you might as well play dress up!
*I also am not casually using the word spooky because it’s derived from the racial slur spook and should only be used in reclamation by black people. A moment like this is not appropriate.
Costume Curation!
Style: I adore that these garments look like aging fat in a jar sitting in some grotesque scientist’s lab. These fleshy garments are paired with metallic accents and structured to be slutty and playful. Additionally, this artist makes distressed garments that look like you just had the most decadent romp with your werewolf lover (maybe you were a werewolf, too!)
Fave Item
A bust of a white person in a tan tube top that looks wet but is silicon. The top is crossed with a dark string in a grid pattern, and there's a black bow at the top.
Pros: Handmade by owner. 100% one-of-a-kind and unique, sure to be a conversation starter.
Cons: Unsure of the environmental impact on the materials nor how sweaty they make you. Not very size-inclusive.
Style: Out of this world, woven unique silhouettes will have you feeling like your whole body is a planet. You’ll be a…celestial body. This artist also makes cute moon pillows!
Fave Item
A Black person with brown skin wears a corset and skirt made of woven rope-like velvet fabric in abstract shapes on the corset and flowers on the skirt.
Pros: Black-owned. Handmade by seller. Custom-made so can be in expansive sizes.
Cons: I’m not sure what the material feels like or the weight of the garments.
Style: Beautiful vintage-inspired dresses, lingerie, and two-piece sets from various eras. A solid place to find custom decadence and flirty frocks.
Fave Item
A red silk dress with black lace trim, a scoop neckline, a bell skirt, and bell sleeves. The dress is short, with a black bow on the chest.
Pros: Clothes can be custom ordered to any size. Handmade by seller.
Cons: Unsure of material sourcing. I’ve experienced some communication delays with this seller.
Style: This designer is absolutely chaotic! So often, I’m not even sure what I’m looking at, but that’s kinda of the delight of this artist. You never know what you’re going to find. Within the whirlwind of colors and patterns, you’ll find some truly spectacular, one-of-a-kind pieces, along with some fabulous hats for any creature or fae.
Fave Item
A backless handmade top made of different patterns of blue vintage material with rings of satin blue pleated ribbon. There are rose and star decals.
Pros: Upcycled/recycled materials. Handmade by seller. Seller has a lot of variety.
Cons: Not sure of the sturdiness of every garment, nor their comfort. Not very size-inclusive, but I’m unsure if they do commissions.
Style: I must highlight the fabulous clown/dollie ruffle accessories here. I particularly like that this designer goes much larger than most who make accessories like these. When I want a costume accessory, I want it to have a statement in and of itself.
Fave Item
The bust of a white person wearing a white blouse and a shining collar that scrunches around the neck and then flares out over the shoulder in waves.
Pros: Handmade by seller. Items are handmade when purchased and can be made in various sizes.
Cons: Unsure of the comfort of the material.
Style: Now, chainmail is a fantasy must, but it’s so hard to find affordable pieces. Cue Marisa with these inventive chainmail accessories, many of which are decorated with sick bone pieces. Perfect for you necromancers out there.
Fave Item
A short silver necklace of interlocked silver rings. Tiny bells are hanging off of the bottom rings. Off of the three large rings, there are three long bones.
Pros: Handmade by owner. Affordable. Unique pieces.
Cons: Unsure of where the metal or bones are sourced.
Style: Now we’re talking drama!!! These gothic silhouettes are inspired by religious iconography, and medieval darkness, all with a slutty twist that I absolutely adore.
Fave Item
A black garment covers the whole body of this white person, but it has slits up the sides that expose the legs and torso. There’s a window cut into the chest with a white cross over it. There’s white detailing connecting the garment.
Pros: Handmade by seller. Most pieces are linen and, thereby, breathable—unmatched dark vibes.
Cons: Existing pieces are not very size-inclusive, and I am unsure about the ability for customs. Outside of the US, you’ll have to contend with international shipping.
Style: Handprinted shirts with hyperpop and cyberpop aesthetics and dark and emo eerie poetic sentiments. For the subtle, casual, macabre goth in your life.
Fave Item
A close-up of a white cropped tank top with the words, “You are a woman marked for sorrow.” Below the text is a lounging woman covered in tiny black insects.
Pros: Accessible fashion. Handmade by seller. Customizable.
Cons: I only see shirts go up to XL, but I wonder if you can get a custom in a larger size.
Style: Each item is a lost relic from some fantasy epic. Every piece is storied and unique and made with love, as you can tell by the textural hand-soldering.
Fave Item
An open sea shell is sealed in a golden resin with a glass pearl. Silver is soldering around the edge.
Pros: Black-owned. Handmade by seller. One-of-a-kind pieces.
Cons: Unsure of how the stones are sourced. I don’t know the types of metal that are used.
Style: Hand-printed eerie and emo designs ranging from cryptic, subversive religious messages to emo icons like the Virgin Suicides.
Fave Item
A silvery silken mini nightie with thin straps. There’s a thin black lace trim. Printed on the dresses is a haunted house, a moth, and some dried flowers.
Pros: Handmade by seller. Casual, accessible goth wear.
Cons: Lana del Ray girlies (lmao sorry, not sorry), premade garments are not size inclusive (unsure about customs), premade underwear is not inclusive to all bodies.
Style: These pieces are artworks of experimental shapes and textures, each existing in its own theme and sense of play. You can find a variety of characters within these pieces, from cloud elementals to leafy fairies to cybernetic angels to mossy trolls.
Fave Item
A Black person with rich brown skin stands wearing a handmade outfit that’s a skirt, forearm covers, and a tube top. The base of these garments is white with a closeup blue leaf pattern printed on top.
Pros: Black-owned. Handmade by seller. Unique pieces of many styles. Some reworked upcycled pieces.
Cons: Not very size-inclusive, unsure about customs. Some pieces seem rather delicate.
Style: Be a living cartoon in these outrageous cyberpunk silhouettes made out of recycled materials. Additional garments are a gritty homage to punk aesthetics.
Fave Item
A pair of jeans laid out flat on the ground. The jeans are stripes of different blue jeans. The jeans are wide and extend out in a bulb shape.
Pros: Upcycled/recycled materials. Exciting silhouettes. Handmade by seller.
Cons: Established pieces are not size-inclusive, unsure about customs. Unsure if every funky silhouette would wear on the body well.
Style: The crochet trend isn’t my favorite, but I love what this artist is doing with the medium! There’s chainmail, goblin ears, mermaid crowns, bonnets, and more!
Fave Item
An upclose picture of a face of a light skin Black person wears a crochetted headpiece that covers the head and neck that looks like medieval chainmail.
Pros: Black-owned. Handmade by seller. Whimsical forms I haven’t seen anywhere else. Customs can be made any size.
Cons: Unsure of the material’s texture. Have to continue with international shipping. Premade items are not size-inclusive.
Style: Sci-fi-inspired garments ranging from bubbling fungal forms to reptilian Animorph casual sets. Some items are complex and couture, and some are simple tanks and jeans to meet various intergalactic aesthetics.
Fave Item
A Black person with rich brown skin stands stoically facing the camera, wearing a black top that plumes around their head and a light pink long skirt tied up in string around their legs. Their round belly is exposed, showing a 97 tattoo written in a large gothic font.
Pros: Handmade by owner. Black-owned. Fresh fits.
Cons: Unsure of materials used/how they’re sourced. Pieces on online shop go up to XL, but the custom pieces seem more size-inclusive and can be made any size.
Style: It’s giving Mad Max, and I kinda love it.
Fave Item
A long skirt made of many woven bands of leather in belt-like strips. The leather ranges from white to oak brown and many tans in between. The stitching is visible and adds texture to the skirt.
Pros: Made from upcycled/recycled materials. Hand-made by owner. One-of-a-kind pieces.
Cons: A bit more expensive than others. Unsure of the durability of some of the pieces (while some seem super durable).
Style: Macabre hand-printed garments that all look bloody, even if the printed images aren’t blood. The images range from religious iconography, gross anatomical renderings, vintage films and horror movies, bugs, and a lotta sad white bitches.
Fave Item
A mesh skirt on a thin white body is printed with a collage of images of Jesus, young women taking communion, cowboys, weeping faces, and other vintage movie stills. The colors are blood red, cream, and black.
Pros: Hand-made by seller. Mostly upcycled pieces. Potent goth vibes.
Cons: Unsure of print durability. Not very size-inclusive for premade items, but you may be able to order customs. A lotta sad white bitches.
Style: Playful plushie, sculptural designs for those who want to live in one of those vintage cartoons where all the flowers and trees have faces and dance with you.
Fave Item
A mesh body suit is skin tight on a Black person with rich brown skin wearing white heels. The body suit is an ombre light blue to pink, and 3-D blue satin heart plushies are hanging off of the suit. Similar blue satin shapes cover the chest and hips. There’s also gold sparkling detailing around the bodysuit.
Pros: Absolutely show-stopper conversation pieces. Handmade by seller.
Cons: Unsure of the comfort of pieces beyond their plushiness. Premade items are not very size-inclusive, and I am unsure about customs.
Style: Glamorously slutty mesh dresses that feel like a modern approach to the Elvira or Morticia Addams silhouettes.
Fave Item
A faceless mannequin in an empty room wears a black lace see-through halter dress. There’s a lace wrap scarf around the head.
Pros: You’re gonna look HOT. Prices are reasonable for gowns. Handmade by seller.
Cons: Mesh is fragile. Premade items are not size-inclusive. Unsure about customs.
Style: Sometimes, a witch just needs a numerology bikini or an astrological thong. It’s as simple as that. I also love this artist’s bunny hats and balaclavas.
Fave Item
A Black person with brown skin wears bright pink crocheted shorts with no shirt. Instead, they wear a black balaclava with long bunny ears covering their chest. The inner ears are the same bright pink.
Pros: Simple yet effective witchy fits. Black-owned. Handmade by owner. Custom-made crochet items.
Cons: Bikinis and thongs don’t seem accessible to all bodies. Sizes only go up to XL. Unsure if you can request customs.
Style: Part clown, part doll, all one-of-a-kind whimsy! These upcycled pieces are made in exciting, over-the-top silhouettes that are sure to dazzle and amuse.
Fave Item
A thin, white body wears a large ruffled top that is short in the front and long in the back. The print looks like a Twister board, and the garment's shape is boxy. The sleeves are long with ruffles at the end and buttons down the front.
Pros: Upcycled/recycled. Handmade by seller. Super duper fun!
Cons: Despite the large shapes, I only see the seller saying their size goes up to XL. I’m unsure about custom pieces, adjustments, or if the pieces would actually fit larger sizes.
Style: I wanted to highlight the sick soldering techniques of this artist, who makes any shape look sharp and tough, as well as dripping and gooey. This artist also makes very goth and whimsical layered necklaces.
Fave Item (tooth and pearl cross)
A cross in white space made of individual necklace pendents. Each pendent is a different-colored bead surrounded by spiky metallic silver soldering. Some are hearts, some are stars, one is a tooth, and the center one surrounds a fresh water pearl in the shape of a cross.
Pros: Handmade by seller. One-of-a-kind pieces.
Cons: Unsure of necklace durability. Unsure of the sourcing of the artist’s metal and materials.
Style: Peak maiden vibes. A beautiful collection of vintage dresses as well as many sweet handmade fae, royalty, and clown-inspired accessories.
Fave Item
The close-up bust of a thin white person wearing a vintage faded light blue and brown flower print dress with flared cream lace sleeves. The base of the dress is cream. The person is holding a dagger with a cream lace ruffle around their neck.
Pros: Beautiful collection. Fun textural collars that can be custom-made.
Cons: Vintage dresses are not size-inclusive.
Style: Now we have peak clown vibes! This artist is dedicated to creating stunning clown costumes and other rascally accessories.
Fave Item
A red clown jumpsuit that bunches like shorts. The sleeves are long and have a black and white cow print. There’s a plush large collar made of cow print and gingham patterns. There are two big white pom poms on the chest.
Pros: Upcycled/recycled. Handmade by seller. Sizes go up to 3X.
Cons: There could be even more size inclusivity, but perhaps there is for customs.
Style: This seller has many classic goth garments, but the real treat is this seller’s handmade jewelry. Hand-crafted dolls and anatomy parts mixed with intense metallic detailing. Each piece comes with its own story.
Fave Item
A round doll face is surrounded by a metal wreath that grows out of the face. Over one eye is a metal plate, and the other has a silver iris. The mouth is painted silver, and there are staples along either side of the mouth, stapling it shut. Long nails stick out all around this doll like a halo.
Pros: Handmade by seller. Black-owned. Recycled materials. One-of-a-kind pieces.
Cons: Unsure of the durability of the pieces.