Utility Goth-- The Next Branch Of Goth?

Howdy! I was recently browsing alt clothing stores, when I came across a pair of jeans on Vampire Freaks labelled "Vegan Leather Utility Goth Pants". The pants themselves look really cool, though they're kinda pricey, but I was really interested in whatever "utility goth" was. Some basic research on various platforms has lead me to believe that I misread the title as a combination of utility style and goth style, rather than the algorithm tags they're being used as. However, I'm really interested in the idea of utility goth, so I'm gonna try and structure something for it. There's every chance this has been done by someone, somewhere, but in that case I'm doing it again.

Utility style is primarily made up of clothing with utility-- pockets, strong materials, vests, belts, the like. It's meant to be practical and last long. For this particular venture, I'm going to expand that to include straps, clips, and loops; all things that could be utilised in a practical setting. For example, I keep a carabiner on my belt, which allows me to keep things like tools or keys handy. Straps, besides being comfortable, can help secure things to your outfit, or help you secure yourself to something like rigging. Clips allow easy access to straps and loops alike, and can also be used for keeping things close to your person for easy access. Of course, we cannot forget pockets, which are a staple in utility outfits. Pockets are good for storing tools, hardware pieces, or cool things you find on the ground. I also want to keep vests in mind, as A.) They're very practical, and B.) They're objectively pretty comfy.

Goth style consists of a few things, most notably: black or dark clothing, purple or red accents, an unique silhouette, lots of accessories, and layering. Goth focuses on oddity and flare, so unique shapes are also a must-have. I want to focus on the black with a colour accent and silver jewellery in particular. Long sleeves and lace/fishnet, while commonly used in goth fashion, aren't going to be used much here, as they pose risk of getting snagged or ripped easily. I'm also not going to use footwear with exaggerated height; while I love my 4" platforms, even I'll admit that they are not the most practical for walking. Combat boots or steel-toed boots would work in our favour for this, though. Chains and studs are also commonly used, so I'll add those.

With those specific traits and ideas in mind, let's style some outfits, shall we?

(The mannequin is blue for detail visibility.)

This is a quick sketch I did of one concept outfit. The fingerless gloves are work quality, with elastic ribbons to secure them onto the arms (because nothing is worse than your glove being snagged and pulled off). The shirt piece is a compression tanktop. I added the iconic goth V-neck and some cord to lace the sides together. The utility vest has large inside pockets, with a total of four pockets on the front. The utility belt has a secure clasp and plenty of slots to hang tools. The pants are made of denim, with two cargo pockets, two front pockets, and two back pockets. There's a loop on the front to clip things, and crosses cut into the sides of the pants for style points. Every pocket on the outfit can either zip closed or velcro closed for secure storage. The footwear is white socks and elastic-fit Mary Janes. I also added a black ribbon choker, as dangly jewellery could risk getting caught. Any makeup would work for this outfit (probably something melt-proof), but a tied or short hairstyle would work better than a loose one.

Okay, originally I was going to make three different outfit examples, but I ran out of time.

Note that the model I used for this outfit is not exclusive, and that anybody of any race, body type, gender, disability, or otherwise is allowed/able to dress in this style. Clothes are meant for anybody who wants to wear them, after all.

And that concludes my brief exploration of this style. I'll admit that utility goth is pretty much how I dress on a day-to-day basis, but it was still fun to research and draft some designs for it. I hope you enjoyed this! If anybody tries this style, let me know!