Gothic (or goth) is a contemporary subculture that emerged in the UK in the early 80’s, an offshoot of post-punk and rock music, that has since spread to all corners of the world. The goth subculture is the longest surviving subculture with nearly three decades, and has continued to grow and diversify since the early days, taking on many diverse influences like nineteenth century gothic literature, horror and sci-fi b-movies, fetish and to a lesser extent even BDSM elements.

Gothic is commonly associated with gloomy, spooky, eerie or creepy mystical moods and atmospheres, both in fashion, aesthetics and musical tastes, however this view is a bit limited, as there is a broad range of diverging sub-styles and interests within this definition, and not all people sharing these tastes belong to the gothic scene.

Fashion styles range from punk and old-school deathrock to romantic Renaissance and Victorian style dresses, including industrial, military or androgynous looks, or any combination of the above. The most obvious common denominator is a preference for black.