Anyway, Camden set my eyes agog, but alas, I was a struggling tech writer & had spent my savings just to take the trip (& was already saving up to head to grad school). I recall splurging on one or two velvet dresses & a little bit of jewelry. On one of our next trips to the U.K., I bought a few pairs of boots in the Camden shops, including the black suede granny boots that I wore at my wedding & have since worn with every Victorian costume I have.
During my most recent trip to London, last summer, my husband went to see a friend, & I decided to visit ye olde Camden Town for some shopping. Well. I don't know if it's that times have changed or I have changed. Perhaps both.
At first, I was charmed & amused by seeing the brocade coats & military-esque jackets & faux-bustled skirts & steampunk pocket watches. Except they were EVERYWHERE. The exact same things. In every single stall. The only variation was how much one hustler could be bargained to sell it for.
And some of them (OK, a lot of them) were really crap quality -- acrylic fleece masquerading as wool, terribly shiny brocades, thin flocked "velvets," plastic faux-metal buttons, flimsy poly baroque satin, scratchy laces, no linings in anything, lots of elastic waists & back lacings to simulate fit, & stiff cotton ruffled shirts that would take a million washings to get a decent drape & the stitching probably wouldn't hold up to that.
Yes, sewing my own costumes has totally turned me into a snob, & sure, if you pay 35 pounds sterling, you can't expect a custom fit or silk velvet. It's all mass produced in Asia, so the price & quality reflect that.
A few of the short jackets didn't look so bad in quality (basic black twill, spiffy military styling), & I was tempted. Except, again, I saw the same ones everywhere. While I wouldn't see it at home (especially not when I'd be wearing it at work!), I was still irritated by the goth-in-a-box aspect.
I'd rather invent my own goth style from stuff I buy at Target than buy a premade "gothic" item that 80 zillion people are wearing whilst sitting around Whitby or Wave-Gotik-Treffen or whatever. I just gotta be me! Even if someone judges me as looking less goth. I don't want the cookie-cutter clothing.
Instead, what appealed to me was a 1950s-ish black & red cocktail dress (cheap quality but also inexpensive) because I'm woefully low in stock on cocktail dresses, a peasanty long burgundy cotton skirt, & a plum-colored open-weave waterfall/wrap sweater. All rather colorful, appealing to my inner peacock. And all things that didn't seem too samey. The later two were specifically from an artist who hand-dyes her stuff (the colors were rich & amazing). The first one was some prefab knockoff, but I didn't see others exactly like it. Quirky items that fit into my aesthetic, whether officially "gothic" or not.
And since bringing them all home, I've gotten good use out of each one. They've held up fairly well; not the best quality, but reasonable for the modest prices I paid. Best of all, I feel good about wearing them. I don't feel like a pre-fab goth nor a cliche marketed to or being ripped off. I still have my edge & my own style.
There are a few traditional gothic businesses I'll still support -- like the lovely Kambriel, of course -- & I even pop into Hot Topic if I'm at the mall & looking for new fishnets. But if I'm craving a ruffly shirt, I'll just as soon scour eBay, a thrift store, or Old Navy for something suitable, then combine into an ensemble that suits me.
What I'm wearing: Black & white stripe knit sleeveless dress, Nordstrom | Black & white stripe knit double-breasted jacket, Marshalls | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Silver-grey wedge pumps, Anne Klein | Black & white stripe bead earrings, Kohls
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