As a proud goth—someone who physically, emotionally, and spiritually gravitates towards the dark edges of life—Halloween is my Christmas. By the time Mariah Carey’s season rolls around, I’m pretty much all out of festive cheer. That’s not to say that goths can’t do Christmas. We just do things a little differently. For example, instead of the obligatory orgy of technicolor tinsel, our decorations tend to be more saturnine and sparse. I once went to a Christmas brunch at tje king and queen of darkness Michèle Lamy and Rick Owens's house, where they'd erected a menacingly chic, caviar-hued tree without an ornament in sight. It was all very maudlin, very macabre.
In my household, instead of putting our energy into Christmas Day, we prefer to revel in the dark romance of Christmas Eve. There’s something wonderfully gothic about walking through a moonlit graveyard on the way to midnight mass, and something witchy about lighting candles while singing hymns. Come to think of it, a lot of the festive songs are rather melancholic. Take “In The Bleak Midwinter,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” and the ever-haunting “Silent Night.”
A misconception is that we goths are impossible to buy gifts for. On the contrary, when you live your life according to a strict aesthetic, you're giving more direction to your loved ones than most people do. Unsure what to get your beloved goth? When in doubt, opt for something black. Or, better yet, pick something from below.
What a Goth Wants
Worshiping at the altar of the self is an incredibly gothic pursuit, particularly when it comes to treating one’s body like a temple. It’s textbook Aleister Crowley. One person thinking along these lines is the high art witch Marina Abramović who, earlier this year, launched the Longevity Method, a trio of tinctures designed to improve your physical and mental health. As someone who is chronically online, goes to the opening of an envelope, and has two rugrats to reckon with, the vitamin-rich cranberry and grapeseed powdered Energy Drops are calling my name.
Forget being a horse girl, I want a pair of boots that can turn me into a centaur. Enter: these incredibly perverse looking horseshoe boots from Alexander McQueen. They are the perfect blend of monstrosity and kink. Santa, baby, please throw these down the chimney for me!
No one gives Stygian glamor as good as health goth zaddy Rick Owens. I've been eyeing his evil mermaid fishtail skirts for a while now, and I think I just need to bite the silver bullet and buy one for myself this year.
After spending my teenage years smothering my eyes in kohl and never once removing my makeup before bed, I like to think I’ve refined my gothic glam look. Instead of focusing on the eyes (possibly still triggered from the numerous styes I developed in my eyeliner-heavy youth), I now love a hemoglobin-hued lip. It's giving sultry siren on the brink of death. And what better way to achieve this than with Byredo’s aptly named ‘Worship Her’?
Don’t get me wrong, I love a high-drama fashion moment, whether that's wearing a vintage Galliano gown or cobweb lace from the 1930s that disintegrates with every step. But I also like to be cozy. We creatures of the night are also creatures of comfort. That’s where the humble hoodie comes in. The problem is, I don’t actually own any myself. Instead, I just steal my husband’s, which are all by the band Salem. It’s time I start building a collection of my own.
What a Goth Gives
Any goth worth their salt should have an artillery of leather. Jackets, skirts, coats, and trousers are a given, but what about the more niche items? I’m talking thongs, aprons, chokers, and even entire bodysuits. This holiday season, kit out your favorite goth with something saucy from R&M leather.
Purveyor of all things weird, Charlie Fox has released Flowers of Romance, a new photo book that champions pop culture at its most sickly sweet. The tome features stills from classic angsty teen movies and arthouse horror flicks, like The Cell and Heathers, inter-spliced with a variety of images—from leopards at night and Hajime Sorayama’s sexy robots to Matthew Barney’s Cremaster Cycle and runway pictures of Kate Moss. It’s a cloying fever dream that will speak to the more romantic side of goths.
Given the current political climate, we could all do with a bit of supernatural protection. A bad boss, a vengeful ex, a lousy president, whoever the aggressor, help a sister witch in need with a powerful crystal or two. Get amethyst to alleviate anxiety, and black tourmaline to ward off evil spirits.
Our polar ice caps may be melting but it’s still pretty cold outside. Give the gift of warmth this Christmas with this ever-so devilish horned hat from Coperni.
This year, I missed dark temptress of the night Dilara Findiklogu’s annual Halloween ball, which is a tragedy I'm still processing. Styled as a funeral for toxic masculinity, it was a bash for the ages. Luckily for me—and now you—she’s curated a capsule collection of treasures based on the event. From antique Victorian mourning jewelry to ribboned boxer shorts and funereal corsetry, it’s the perfect place to look for stocking stuffers for any nascent goth.
