Editing Gothic fashion (section)

==Characteristics==
[[Image:Whitby goth couple.jpg|thumb|right|A male and female goth couple]]
Cintra Wilson declares that "The origins of contemporary goth style are found in the [[Victorian fashion|Victorian]] cult of mourning."<ref name=cintra/> [[Valerie Steele]] is an expert in the history of the style.<ref name=cintra/>

[[File:Model Sandi J., Goth Subculture in Cleveland, Ohio.jpg|thumb|Goth model Sandi J.]][[Goth subculture]] is stereotyped as eerie, mysterious, and complex, and the fashion is used as an outlet to express these characteristics. Goth fashion can be recognized by its stark black clothing. [[Ted Polhemus]] described goth fashion as a "profusion of black velvets, lace, fishnets and leather tinged with scarlet or purple, accessorized with tightly laced corsets, gloves, precarious stilettos and silver jewelry depicting religious or occult themes".<ref>{{harvnb|Polhemus|1994|p=97}}</ref>

Nancy Kilpatrick's ''Goth Bible: A Compendium for the Darkly Inclined'' defines "[[poseur]]" for the goth scene as follows: "goth wannabes, usually young kids going through a goth phase who do not hold to goth sensibilities but want to be part of the goth crowd (...)". Kilpatrick contributor "Daoine O'" denigrates poseur goths as 'Batbabies' whose clothing is bought at [mall store] [[Hot Topic]] with their parents' money".<ref>Nancy Kilpatrick. ''Goth Bible: A Compendium for the Darkly Inclined''. St. Martin's Griffin, 2004, p. 24</ref>