Punk Goth Wedding Dresses

About Punk and Goth Styles

Although punk and Goth fashion styles may differ, they offer several unifying elements. Rebellion against the mainstream and repeated use of black both occur frequently in the fashion cultures.

The punk clothing look is somewhat unkempt, especially in contrast with the often elaborate styling found in Gothic clothing. Though the punk culture has numerous subdivisions, common elements of punk fashion include:

• Ripped, tattered, torn or shredded materials
• Blazers or jackets, often 1970s or 1980s styles
• Studs and safety pins
• Chains
• Plaids

Goth fashion, on the other hand, is usually divided into two main groups, though there are always splits with the main factions. The first group leans towards Victorian-era fashion trends, with romantic lace and velvet. The second group features a harder look, often incorporating leather into the clothing. Both groups, however, emphasize the body through use of tight and/or revealing clothing.

Create Punk Goth Wedding Dresses

Combining both punk and Goth fashion for a wedding dress may not be as difficult as it sounds. Two main ways can be found for creating a personalized dress that reflects a particular style. One is to design your own wedding dress and the second is to create one by altering a current wedding dress.

Design Your Own

Designing a wedding dress can be expensive and time consuming. However, the payoff is a one-of-a-kind dress that fits perfectly. To begin, call local designers and interview them. Bring in photographs of both punk and Goth fashion elements that should be included in the dress.

Choose the designer that sounds most willing to work with the punk Goth wedding dress style and shares a similar vision for the final dress. Have a sketch of the design drawn up and approved. Then, simply show up for fittings and alterations. If anything is not exactly as imagined, speak with the designer during the process to perfect the dress.

Alter Current Dress

Altering a wedding dress to suit the punk Goth look is a great way to create a distinctive dress without spending a fortune. Deconstructed garments are a trademark of most punk styles. Pick up a black wedding dress or Gothic wedding dress to begin the gown alterations. Consider the following:

A leather corset is a punk goth touch.

• Adding a tight black lace corset
• Ripping the train off and using safety pins to reattach
• Shredding the hemline of the gown
• Donning a velvet blazer or bolero in black or deep burgundy over the gown
• Wearing a studded sash
• Cutting a deeper neckline
• Tearing into top layers of satin, leaving edges jagged
• Adding a plaid layer to a tiered skirt
• Taking out any crinoline
• Shortening the dress length to knee or above
• Adding black leather trim around the hem and neck

Consider purchasing a vintage dress reminiscent of one of the early icons of punk style, Vivienne Westwood, with Goth elements added to it, like a bodice or black lace and wearing it as a wedding dress. Other acceptable colors to incorporate can include maroons, dark purples, or midnight blue.

Buy a Dream Punk Goth Dress

Purchasing punk Goth gowns from a typical wedding shop or salon may not be impossible, but it can be difficult. Try visiting alternative clothing boutiques and stores to find a dress that fits the fashion requirements. Places to try often cater to the Goth, punk, skater, retro, industrial or rave fashions. Check out some of the women’s dresses offered online or in person at:

• Slash ‘N’ Burn
• Starlets & Harlots
• Red Haze
• Trash & Vaudeville

Visit vintage wedding dress shops to look for Goth looking gowns that may have been worn during the 1970s and 1980s, at the height of the punk movement. If every available outlet has been exhausted for purchasing a dress, look into theatrical costume rentals. A rented costume might provide exactly the right elements for the perfect Goth punk wedding gown.

Fashion and style, like beauty, is often in the eye of the beholder. A wedding is no reason to turn one’s back upon her entire style philosophy. A wedding that fits the couple’s taste is all that is required, and fabulous punk Goth wedding dresses can complete the entire celebration.