By: Beca Servoss
So, you’re tired of living in your parent’s basement and want to get a “real job” so they quit nagging you about when you’re going to move out. Or, perhaps you’ve passed this stage and have actually acquired this elusive, “real job,” and now you have to keep it. In either case, you’ve entered the dreaded corporate world; a place that will suck your soul dry of creativity, individuality and sense of self, if you’re not careful. But be at ease fellow darkling, there is shadow at the end of the tunnel. I should know. I’ve lived there quite happily for many years now.
I am a recent San Diego transplant, by way of Los Angeles’ Goth/Industrial scene. And I am also a customer service agent in a call center. No, I’m not going to tell you which company. But in my daily life I must appear promptly in the am dressed for work in a business environment. Which means no PVC, no 7 inch heels, no corsets and no heavy black eye liner. What is a corporate Goth to do? Obviously, I have neither the budget nor the closet space to allow me both a play and work wardrobe. So I do what any sensible person with taste and style does. I adapt. And so can you.
It is with this concept of adapt or die firmly in mind that I, and the lovely staff of Gothic Angst, pick up where The Gothling left off in her brief but piquant article about dressing for the office when you’re darkly inclined. Because you don’t have to leave yourself at home just because you have a job.
And for once in a fashion article, the men are going to come first. I think, in many ways, it’s hardest for men to import their personal aesthetic into their corporate attire. After all, most employers frown upon Adam Ant style poet shirts, multiple piercing, and more jewelry than a Cookie Lynn catalogue. But there is hope, as un-Goth as that might be, as long as you can stick to “The Uniform.”
At its basic level, “The Uniform,” is simply a pair of dress pants, a button down shirt, and a tie. It is the cut, the color and the details that give this most basic set of clothes your personal touch. For starters, please for the love of the gods, get your pants tailored. Baggy pants that sit supper low on the hips are more suited to the hip-hop crowd than the infinitely more refined crowd you belong to. No, your pants don’t need to sit on your navel, but make sure the legs are neither too long nor too short, and that they sit cleanly through the seat. Any men’s clothing shop worth your time should have an onsite tailor who can make the necessary adjustments for little or no cost when you buy your pants from them. The same thing goes for your shirts. Oversized says, “I listen to hip hop and rap.”
You can get away with three to five pair of pants: black (OBVIOUSLY), charcoal gray and some kind of classic pattern such as a pin stripe or hound’s tooth. If you can get more than three pair, get more patterns. If you can’t get all three at once, get the pattern pieces later. Avoid camel, caramel or kaki colored pants unless you’re trying to blend Goth and Yuppie *shudder*. Your shirts should be plain colored, unless you’re lucky enough to find a black and gray striped dress shirt. Try to find shirts in the following colors: black, red, burgundy, purple, dark blue, dark green, gray and white. Your ties should either follow the same color guidelines or be black on black textures and patters. Think brocade. Then simply layer your shirt and tie combo for maximum impact. Consider a black shirt and red, burgundy, or purple tie, a red shirt and black tie, a blue shirt and black tie, or any other combination you like.
But more than anything, it is the finishing touches that will convey your personality. Get shirts that have French cuffs. Yes, in general they will be a little more expensive but they are usually of a much higher quality and will wear better for longer. This means replacing them less often. Plus, they will give you the opportunity to wear cuff links. Almost anything you can think of, from ravens, wolves, and dragons to Celtic knots, pentagrams and skulls can be found on a cuff link. Many times with matching tie pins. Tie pins, for those of you who’ve never worn one, sit centered on your tie and pin it to the front of your shirt so it doesn’t move around. Have a favorite piece of Victorian mourning jewelry? Is it smaller than a quarter? Use it as a tie pin. Wear a necklace if you must, but never more than one at a time and nothing too big or scary. Don’t forget to check with your employer about displaying religious symbols openly in the workplace before you wear your pentagram out from under your collar.
Of course there are many other ways for men to incorporate their personality into their working wardrobe. But I don’t want to overwhelm you guys with too much too fast. So for now just remember the basics: tailored pants and shirts that fit, dark yummy colors any Goth would wear, and attention to details. Not only will you look sharp, you’ll feel like you.
Lol it’s great to see someone who talkes life in a dark direction so true on what you said in the beginning and great advice on the clothes you posted I will take what you said into account and make a style unique to my own self and yet keeping it simple looking forward to seeing more stuff from you!!