For people who wear goth clothing, it’s practically a lifestyle. Their style is part of their life. For many, finding plus size goth clothing, similar to any other type of clothing, can be frustrating and cumbersome. Not everyone wears a size 6.
Wearing the goth clothing that suits you and your style is important. It’s not just about throwing on a black shirt and jeans. It’s about expressing yourself. For people who fall into that dark aesthetic but are also not a size 6 (because shoot, who is), that means finding the brands, stores, and outfits that suit your plus size goth clothing needs.
Goths and Plus Size Clothing
People who love wearing goth clothing and happen to be plus size have the same issues many others have when looking for clothing.
For one, it’s not just about “scaling up” other clothing. That’s just not how it works. Different bodies are different. Clothes hang differently on different people, and so just scaling up fabric from a skinny mannequin to a plus sized person is inevitably a flawed idea. As pointed out at Elle Courbee, “We come in all shapes and sizes, and weight isn’t distributed evenly. From apple shapes to pears, we’re all different.”
“I think that in general any plus size customer is looking for two very important things,” says Joe Flanagan of 90s Fashion World. “The first one is good design that accommodates their bodies as they are, instead of forcing them into a dress designed for someone with no curves but just made bigger. And the other is good quality fabrics and craftmanship that guarantees their investment in a garment will result in years of use and not in a flimsy fabric that is see through and pulls at the seams. Since it is quite difficult to find a brand that caters to these two needs, when customers find it they tend to stick to the brand and be quite loyal. This also translates in them being amenable to investing in costlier garments because the results are really worth it.
In addition, many women complain that when it comes down to it, plus size shoppers just have less options. Period. They inherently are just thought of last. And that certainly is the case of goth plus-size clothes, since not only are we selecting from a small pool of designs and options in being plus-size, now we’re looking for designs that actually fit our gothy style. It’s about impossible.
“As a plus size goth myself I see a trend in 90s goth making a comeback,” says Eva Estime of The Fashion Goddess. “Slip dresses with combat boots and Mary Jane’s but with a chunkier sole. Over sized graphic tees with dark imagery tucked into skater skirts with fishnet stockings. Tips on getting your size right is reading reviews, looking for clothes that have a lot of stretch, and always look for pieces that are over 114cm (this is my secret weapon as it means it will fit over a size 16) and make sure there’s a good return policy.”
“Ensure that you are measuring yourself accurately,” adds James Brooks of Costumes Heaven, “and compare the measurements to the sizing chart provided. Additionally, be sure to read reviews before making a purchase so that you know what other customers thought about the product.
Finally, many brands and stores may advertise plus size, but they don’t actually have models demonstrating how it fits on plus size women. That speaks to the frustrations surrounding the topic, and that is, designers and fashion creators often think last about the diversity of body sizes. It often becomes a second thought. Ideally dresses that are advertised to fit plus size women should have pictures showing how it fits on these women.
So here is a breakdown of much of what you need. Here is an overview of brands, stores, and outfit ideas for plus-sized goth looks all in one place.
Brands and Store Options
Good Goth
Good Goth is both a goth clothing store and a brand (though their brand is mostly goth makeup). Operating since 2000, like many of these independent operations Good Goth began as a brick and mortar store and grew into an online store where fellow goths can find clothing that suits them.
They have an entire section for plus size clothing. While not all of them are modeled as plus size, many of them are. Ultimately Good Goth has a pretty large collection of plus size goth clothing looks, from dresses to cardigans to lingerie.
Find on Website »
Tragic Beautiful
The Australian-based goth store Tragic Beautiful has been in operation since 2006. They carry a lot of the major goth brands such as Demonia, Killstar, and others. As they say on their website, they provide “a niche for the outsiders – those that go against the grain, wander off the path and live outside of the box.”
They have an extensive plus size section with a lot of plus size models, so this is a solid place to start.
Browsing their website they also provide everything from goth clothes to goth jewelry, goth decor, and all kinds of witchy stuff like candles, stones, and jars. So while you’re looking for plus size goth clothing, you can stay and keep browsing for more.
Find on Website »
Killstar
Killstar is one of the major goth brands out there. Their motto being “In Goth We Trust,” they have been around since 2010. Killstar is a fashion and lifestyle brand known for their gothy and punk clothing.
They have a good amount of plus size goth clothing and accessories. And a lot of it is modeled with plus size women. They also have ton of followers on Instagram and other social media and are generally considered one of the foremost brands in the goth market.
Find at Website »
Dark Fashion Clothing
Dark Fashion is an alternative clothing store that offers a lot of great goth looks. They are highly regarded for their goth and punk clothes.
While they do have a plus size clothes section, few of them are modeled with plus size models and they don’t seem to make strong efforts to cater to that market. That said, it is a very large selection, with a lot of great goth clothing looks that could work well for plus size women if the size fits.
Find on Website »
Angry Young and Poor
Angry Young and Poor online shop considers themselves punk clothing, so while not everything is overtly goth, plenty of it goes in that direction. Like other smaller stores, they began as a brick and mortar location in Pennsylvania in 1995 and have grown their web presence since then.
Like some of the others on this list, the goth clothing in plus size is limited when it comes to models and representation. They have their own section for plus size clothes but it doesn’t look drastically different than the rest of their website. That is, some of them it can still be a bit tricky deciding how well it might fit a plus size woman. If you have experiences with the fitting at Angry Young and Poor or any others on this list, feel free to comment below.
Find on Website »
Sourpuss
Sourpuss is both an online store for punk and goth brands as well as a goth brand themselves. They have been around for about 20 years.
They are not exclusively a plus size goth brand, but they do model some of their clothes in plus size and seem to make efforts to cater to women who aren just a size 8 and below. There are some really fun designs here. Along with their own brand, they also feature clothes from such goth brands as Steady, Hell Bunny, and Killstar.
Find on Website »
Dark in Closet
Dark in Closet is a UK-based alternative clothing store with items under major categories such as goth, medieval, victorian, and steampunk. They also have sections for goth brands such as Punk Rave and others.
They currently have about 3 pages of plus size goth clothing items, which while not extensive, they make an effort to include plus size models and clothing that doesn’t think of it merely as as an afterthought.
Many of their goth dresses and other outfits might be better described as cosplay. Which is maybe what some are looking for. But many people like to mix and match certain goth store items with DIY or vintage goth clothes, which can create a really great look.
Find on Website »
Wicked Clothes
This is a bit fun and weird. Wicked Clothes boasts “Goth meets dad jokes” with “a little funny and a little scary”… so rather than dresses and corsets these are more funny goth t-shirts. While they don’t go for plus size in the same way the others do, sometimes a fun gothy shirt is exactly what you need.
on Amazon »
Plus Size Goth Clothing Outfit Ideas
Anesthesia Cropped Velvet Hoody with Magick Mourning Velvet Flares
At Tragic Beautiful, we have Killstar’s Anesthesia Cropped Velvet Hoody matched with Magick Mourning Velvet Flare pants. This plus size goth outfit looks great and will work well in multiple seasons.
Anesthesia Cropped Velvet Hoody »
Magick Mourning Velvet Flares »
Morning Person Cotton Womens Hoodie
From Killstar, we have a funky occult clothing option that gives the perfect attitude for many people. Not a morning person indeed.
Morning Person Cotton Womens Hoodie »
Spooky Girl Dress
At Good Goth, find this Spooky Girl Dress that will fit many sizes. You can pair it with a Faith and Devotion choker or even try a blood vial necklace which can be popular with couples.
Spooky Girl Dress »
Faith and Devotion Choker »
Photo by Tanya Dusett on Unsplash
Last Updated on August 26, 2022.
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