2.11 non-goth goth-friendly clothing
Non-Goth Stores Frequently Recommended on a.g.f.
These US department stores and chain stores are often mentioned as great sources of gothable clothing, shoes, and accessories for women and men, especially in the winter season: Ross, Express, Target, Lane Bryant, Burlington Coat Factory, Contempo Casuals, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Wal-Mart, and Payless Shoe Source. Check your local phone directory to find the one nearest you!
From: Trystan L. Bass
Winter is the ubiquitous gothic clothing shopping season. No matter what store you go into, from Wal-Mart to Nordstom, you're likely to find velvets, satins, ruffles, and dark colors in clothing for women and men. Same goes for mail-order businesses. And later in winter, many things go on sale, so you can find lower prices on fancy garments -- I usually plan a big shopping trip right after Xmas to get velvet party wear and accessories. Plan ahead and buy your whole wardrobe in winter!Trendy mall stores like Contempo Casuals, Wet Seal, Rave, and others can be good sources of goth-ish clothing whenever mainstream trends happen to coincide with gothic preferences. When ruffled shirts are trendy, these shops will have 'em by the truck-load, and when they've stopped being trendy, you'll find those same shirts on the clearance racks at half-price. This is definitely worth taking advantage of.
Don't forget about off-price clothing stores like Ross, Marshalls, Burlington Coat Factory, and Mervyns. They often have reasonable prices on evening gowns, silk shirts, shoes, boots, broomstick skirts, long coats, fancy hats, cocktail dresses, etc. Outlet malls might even be worth a trip -- the discounts aren't always huge, but some have unusual items in stock. Even discount stores like Target and K-Mart have inexpensive accessories that can spruce up a simple outfit, plus basics like black leggings, tights, and t-shirts.
Chadwick's of Boston
One Chadwick Place, Box 16000
Brockton, MA 02403-1600, US
(800) 677-0340
chadwickscs@brylane.com
Free catalog Mainstream/traditional women's clothing and accessories.Ice Princess comments: They aren't immediately apparent as "goth," but just open up and take a look. The price-to-quality ratio is truly amazing, and I have *never* been disappointed by anything I've bought from them (save for the time a few years ago when a coat I ordered disappeared somewhere in transit). In summer, they have lots of pretty and inexpensive silks and cottons; in winter, velvets and wool. For basic stuff like plain t-shirts, turtlenecks, and leggings, they are utterly reliable and usually have deals on multiples. The various cotton knit dresses are staples of my wardrobe, allowing me to throw something on quickly and still feel pretty. Their sizing is generous; their knits are substantial; jackets and wool things are usually lined; seams don't ravel and buttons are usually sewn on well. I can't even *begin* to count up how much I've bought from them over the years.
Dance Express
P.O. Box 24030
Jersey City, NJ 07304-1701, US
Phone: (800) 292-1510
Fax: (800) 292-1724
International fax: (201) 392-1117
sales@dancex.com
Free catalog
Dance wear including tights, shoes, leotards, skirts, etc. Good resource for net skirts and tights for women and men, also has shimmery tights.
Delia*s
435 Hudson St.
New York, NY, 10014, US
Phone: (800) DELIA-NY
Fax: (800) 335-4265
Free catalog (when requested online)
Trendy clothing and shoes for young women.
Foot Traffic
P.O. Box 412895
Kansas City, MO 64141, US
(800) 789-3668
Catalog $1
Tights, thigh-highs, and socks in a variety of colors and patterns, including colored fishnets.
International Male
741 "F" St.
San Diego, CA 92101, US
Phone: (800) 293-9333
Fax: (619) 237-0666
style@internationalmale.com
Free catalog if requested by email
Trendy men's clothing with many gothic items.Trystan comments: Over the past few years, I've bought several coats from IM for my husband and myself (specifically a wool frock coat, a velvet motorcycle jacket, and the London Opera Coat). All of these items were well-constructed, elegant, and in quality materials, plus I received excellent customer service each time. Their winter catalogs have so many fancy velvet and ruffled items that every goth male *must* get on their mailing list! The prices aren't cheap, but they are very reasonable for what you get and they do have sale items. Recommended!
Daednu comments: My boi ordered a shirt from there for our wedding. It arrived, but way after the wedding. They were very wrong about when it was going to arrive. The people at International Male had even been told what the shirt was for and why it had to be there on time. To add insult to injury: When the shirt finally arrived (two weeks AFTER the wedding) it had $37 duties to pay on it!!!
Shawn comments: the quality seems to be excellent. the only thing i've ordered from them was the london opera coat. it fit great, and i've had it a bit over a year now, and it still looks as great as it did the day i received it. :)
Nancy's Square Dance Fashions
506 West Cedar
Arlington, TX 76011-7021, US
Phone: (817) 795-0000
Fax: (817) 460-4752
Square dancing clothes, including big, floofy petticoats.Lee M. Thompson-Herbert comments: I just ordered a petticoat made for square dancing. They're meant to be worn and worn again. And dragged around, and scrunched up in the car, and crushed between all the dancers' bodies... Of course, that means I paid $40 for a _short_ (above knee) petticoat, but it's 60 yards of nylon, with stiffening at the hems and section joins of _all_ the layers. It's still cheaper than most places want, and it's much higher quality. The only drawback is that she was all out of black and was waiting to hear back from the manufacturer as to where they were in their production cycle. So, this takes 4-6 weeks if it's not in stock. More expensive than the weddings place, but less than the goth and fetish places, and more likely to survive repeated wearings.
Newport News
Easy Style Drive
Hampton, VA 23630-1291, US
Orders: (800) 688-2830
Customer Service: (757) 827-9000
Mainstream/traditional women's clothing and accessories, plus home decorating items.Serpentine comments: I just got my two new Newport News catalogues, and there are some really nice things in them hidden amongst the teacher-gear. Let's see, they have black velvet go-go boots, short black velvet boots with a pointy toe, a burgundy burnout velvet skirt as well as a burgundy burnout velvet duster. They've also got lots of basics like velour leggings and tops, stretch velvet jeans, blazers, a really cool red peacoat, plus (*swoon*) a velvet bedding set (it's a nasty beige in the picture, but it also comes in black). My mum also got me a great lunchbox purse, but I think they are out of those. Anyway, just to brag it's dark purple with black velvety lining and big enough to hold my checkbook and all my makeup besides! They've also got long leather skirts and coats.
Ice Princess comments: I've shopped from them longer than anywhere else, going from my first business suit when I started working 13 years ago to a recent orgy of velvet. I'm not always crazy about their quality, especially for structured items, and *don't* buy shoes from them if you don't have narrow feet -- their shoes seem to run to the narrow, and my purchases have usually been uncomfortable. But their prices are good, and their sizing is pretty generous, and I'm usually happy with what I buy. I like their clearance catalogs a lot, too -- you can find some fabulous deals.
Nadja comments: When it comes down to it I love Newport News, but a few of the things I have ordered have been quite a bit different than I expected. Last holiday season I ordered what they said was a velvet skirt (and from the pic, I thought it was real velvet) but when it arrived it was actually velour. Which isn't horrible or anything, but I was just expecting real velvet. Then, the dress I just ordered (its blue with a lace top and lace trim around the cuffs and the skirt hem) looked a *lot* different when it arrived at my house then it did in the catalog. In the catalog it looks like the top is a lighter shade of blue than the skirt, but in actuality its all the same dark navy blue color. Again not what I expected, but I still like it.
Jackie Manni comments: I would say that you get pretty good quality for the price at Newport News -- the items I bought were all under $35. The prices are similar to the cheapie type stores, but the quality is much, much better (I can't even squeeze my arm into the cheapie stores large!! and Newport's large is roomy. Also, materials are better, construction also better). I haven't ordered anything pricey from them, but if I really liked something, I wouldn't hesitate. I've also gotten good customer service, and joined their little club which I think costs $20 and gives you a few dollars off each order and special clearance catalogs.
Jilli comments: I'm actually pretty fond of Newport News. I just purchased a 'riding jacket' style coat-dress, and it's an amazing piece of work for $25.
Trystan comments: Um, what *haven't* I bought from Newport News?!? I've been buying their clothes for ages and always find plenty of neat stuff in dark colors (especially in the winter catalogs, where velvet is plentiful). The quality is basic -- not exquisite, but things don't fall apart either. The prices are dirt-cheap -- most pieces are in the $20-$50 range. The shoes tend to run narrow (tho' I have wide feet). The clothes sizes seem very consistent and match what their size charts say. In the past year, the catalog has had a whole lot more home decorating stuff like bedding and curtains. I bought a black velvet comforter cover that is beautiful and was very inexpensive. Highly recommended!
Oriental Trading Company
P.O. Box 3407
Omaha, NE 68103-0407, US
(800) 327-9678
Free catalog
Novelties and junk toys at wholesale prices. Of gothic interest are the Halloween catalog which has cheapo fishnets and silly toys. Even better is the summer catalog which has big paper parasols and tons of wooden and paper folding fans.Merciful comments: A bout of summer vacation boredom led me to flip through my mom's copy of the OTC catalogue, and I had to cackle with perkyglittery glee. Highlights (and there are many) include: feather boas, masques, fans, rhinestone tiaras, glitter (including glitter glue for hot-glue guns), stickers, plastic gemstone jewelry, candles galore, pretty colored glass bottles, fimo items, faux bejewelled and be-pearled rosaries, spider rings and other bugs, sparkily sequinned magic wands, toy handcuffs, bead curtains, craft/gift/party supplies, candy, and all the green alien paraphernalia one could possibly want. For cheap, cheap, cheap! And this list is just a fraction of their stock. Sure, the stuff is generally cheap in quality, but that's part of the fun!
Payless Shoe Source
stores across the US
Inexpensive shoes.Trystan comments: Believe it or not, this no-frills purveyor of cheap shoes is a great source of classy and trendy footwear for women. The prices are rarely over $25, and all the stores have frequent sales. When granny boots and curved Louie heels were in style in the expensive stores, I found 'em at Payless at a fraction of the price. When platforms took over, Payless had those too, tons of 'em, in a variety of colors and styles, all inexpensive. Even tho' the shoes are cheap, they don't fall apart that fast. I get a minimum of two years' hard use (I walk *everywhere*) out of my $15 shoes from Payless. Fall and winter are the best times to find boots and velvety or tapestry stuff.
Sheila Marie comments: I like Payless, every shoe I've ever bought from them has last me a couple of years, that's with very extensive wear. I still have a pair of boots I bought from them about 7 years ago that aren't in bad shape at all, I wear them at the most 10 times in one month.
Ice Princess comments: You can't beat the prices, and the stuff I've bought there has, in general, been more comfortable and held up better than more expensive shoes. Some of my coolest and favoritest shoes came from them: my square-toed, curved-heeled, four-buckle "dominatrix pumps;" my suede maryjanes; my pointy-toed booties with the big studded straps; also my most comfy: cuffed lace-up ankle boots and chunky-heeled oxfords.
The Pyramid Collection
Altid Park, P.O. Box 3333
Chelmsford, MA 01824, US
New age jewelry, clothing, gargoyles, statuary, etc.
Ron's Rhinestones
P. O. Box 2028
New York, NY, 10159-2028, US
U.S. Phone: (800) 299-2185
International Phone: (001) 212-253-6299
tiaras@ronsrhinestones.com
All sorts of products made of rhinestones, including tiaras, skirts, collars, capes, headbands, tiara combs, bracelets, and earings.
Ross Dress for Less
stores across the US
Off-price department store (sells name-brand items at low prices). Has women's, men's, and children's clothing and shoes, plus accessories and housewares.CRoNiKa423 comments: This store is awesome! All kinds of beautiful clothes, velvet dresses, pants, skirts, everything. Hardly anything over $40.
vivian comments: Ross is GAF, baby. Everyone's a RossGoth here. i need to do some back-to-school shopping in a major way, and Ross is always reliable for decent finds.
Darkmoon5 comments: i guess i am a rossgoth , too. i have gotten umpteen velvet shirts there in goth colors black, burgundy , green and purple. i have also gotten 2 or 3 brocade shirts there. they also have great housewares. i got a burgundy brocade tablecloth there.
Ronda comments: Some of you have said that Ross is a good place, only that it has been picked over lately. Ask at your store on what day do they receive shipment. I was having the same problem. Once I found out when the new goodies were arriving, I made sure I was there when the new stuff went out on the floor. Just got some lovely velvet burnout stuff from Ross this last weekend. Scarves and gloves. I also found a great blouse for only $12.
Trystan comments: I've found lace and velvet dresses for $50 and less, PVC mary janes for under $20, ballgown skirts for under $20, and tons other very gothable items for low prices at Ross over the years. Yep, I love it! I got it at Ross!
The Sportsman's Guide
(800) 888-3006
Free catalog
Outdoors equipment and clothing.kirsti (not jherek) comments: Yesterday Jherek and I got the Sportsman's Guide catalog in the mail. In this catalog, for only $40, they had 6-hole, steel-toe, glossy Doc Martens! Not as nice as my 8-hole electric-blue wingtips, but nice enough that I ordered a pair in red and a pair in green. They also had navy and black.
U.S. Cavalry
(800) 922-9455
Free catalog
Military and adventure clothing and gear, including trench coats and combat boots.
Veilshop
PO Box 32
Mason, OH 45040-0032, US
Tiaras, headpieces, and veils for weddings. Does custom work.
Visabella Mythic Clothing
1526 23rd Str
Port Townsend, WA 98368, US
(800) 474-9567or (360) 385-4250
sales@visabella.com
Catalog $3
New-agey velvet and silk clothing for women and men.
Weddings for Less
7805 Dunbarton Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90045, US
Phone: (310) 642-6646
Fax: (310) 215-9127
weddingsforless@attbi.com
Bridal gowns and accessories including crinolines and hoop skirts (listed in the "slips & bras" section), Victorian-style boots, and a variety of gloves.Jilli comments: They have something like 4 pages of slips and crinolines, all for cheap, cheap, cheap! The crinolines *mostly* come in white (duh -- it's a bridal supply source), but if you're going to be wearing them under skirts, it won't matter. But, the 'Scarlett O'Hara' crinoline also comes in black! 4-tier skirt made of nylon taffeta with an *ENORMOUS* amount of netting underneath, ankle-length, for $45. I ordered it, and it showed up in the mail 3 weeks later (the lady who took my order said it would normally be a shorter length of time to get my order, but she was going on vacation.) The crinoline is great -- I can nearly block doorways with it, and it works fine as a regular skirt, due to it being made from a nylon taffeta instead of *just* netting. And they have white satin bridal boots that look just like Victorian lace-up boots, and they're *dye-able*.
Trystan comments: I ordered a lovely, very full, petticoat from here for my wedding. I ordered it in black, which they told me would be a special order. It took over two months to get to me (about 2 weeks before the wedding!). But it's a great petticoat for a low price. The only problem is that the netting at the hem catches on book hooks like crazy ;-)
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