Nu-Goth is the more modern take on the Goth subculture, although it has been decidedly controversial in the core scene.
It’s rooted in and influenced by Trad Goth to a degree, but some in Nu-Goth style do consider certain musical genres to be Goth which have very little connection to what is accepted as Post-Punk-originating. Despite this, many other Nu-Goths do enjoy originating Goth music. For this reason, they are not discounted from the scene by Trad Goths.
There are people who dress Nu-Goth that actually do like and appreciate Goth music, while others gravitate more towards Witch House, dark EBM artists, and the likes of Chelsea Wolfe and Zola Jesus (who do take some influence from darkwave). For this reason, they tend to be stereotyped as a gothic subculture that considers Goth to be a style/visual-based aesthetic more than being an aesthetic originally based in a musical subculture.
Besides music, they are very different in their visual aesthetics than most Batcaver/Trad Goth types. Batcaver/Trad Goth is visually very broad, taking inspiration from all forms of mythology, Catholic imagery, and Gothic types of poetry, literature, and film. Nu-Goth imagery and fashion focuses far more heavily on the romanticization of witches, paganism, and the occult (even in comparison to the equally influenced Deathrock and Hippie Goth).
This mix of sleek, modern clothes with witch/pagan images visually gives them more in common with Pastel Goth.
Philosophy[]
Disclaimer: This is merely a broad general spectrum for Nu-Goths as a collective and does not reflect Nu-Goths as an individual which may have different philosophies. No two Nu-Goths will be the same, but all harbor some commonality.
Nu-Goths are known to welcome Baby Bats & Mall Goths to their subculture and are more lenient on the music knowledge compared to their Trad Goth counterparts. As previously stated, many Nu-Goths (but not all) believe the visual/fashion characteristics of Goth are more important than the music genre.
Interestingly, while there is a clear stylistic difference between the two, Trad Goth fashion as it began in the 80s was extremely broad and undefined. Therefore, there is no reason that someone could not be Trad Goth and Nu-Goth at the same time or why they could not mix visual influences.
Yet for every Nu-Goth that overlooks the music, there are Nu-Goths who admit the importance of having knowledge about the differences between Goth music and other dark genres like Metal, in order to understand the culture better.
Usually those who are under the Nu-Goth Umbrella are Health Goths and Pastel Goths.
Fashion[]
The main characteristic of the fashion is black, gray and white outfits with occult prints and accessories. Nu-Goth fashion is very modern and sleek (extremely similar to Health Goth).
They tend to be more influenced by 90s Trad Goth more than by the 80s. They also show a stronger focus on Gothic (but not Goth) icons, especially Wednesday Addams from Addams Family Values and to a smaller degree, movies like The Craft.
It also depends on the individuals taste in style but it will always be modern and up with the times, you'll almost always see these key features:
- Stereotypical "goth" motifs
- Round oversized hats
- Round sunglasses
- Silver moon or pentagram jewelry
- Peter Pan collar dresses
- Fashion harness
- Monochrome graphic print tees
- Leather jackets
- Black lipstick
- Tattoo chokers
- Inverted cross leggings
- Spiked ankle boots
- Creepers
- Ouija boards
- Edgy Disney edits
Music[]
Popular bands among Nu-Goth include:
- Salem
- Zola Jesus
- White Ring
- Humanfobia
- Mater Suspiria Vision
- Ritualz
- Switchblade Symphony
- Chelsea Wolfe
Some bands liked by Nu Goths include those from the 90s to modern Goth scene. But for the most part their aesthetic imagery and music does take heavily from Witch House and darker forms of EBM.
It is important to note that Nu Goth supports and encourages self discovery above all else. Within the subculture, people are encouraged to listen to all genres of music to expand one's sense of self (as many in the Trad Goth scene have done).
For this reason, it is not uncommon to run into Nu-Goths who listen to Metal or Post-Hardcore.
Resources[]
External links to help get a better understanding of this aesthetic.
Blogs[]
Vendors[]
Be cautious of the vendors you seek, many have negative reputations surrounding company beliefs, misuse of funds, and treatment of workers.
Pinterest Boards[]
- Nu-Goth by Lady Hydra
- nu goth (and causal goth) by nol
- Nu goth by Na'amah
- Nu Goth & pastel Goth by Alma
- Nu Goth by Naomi C Yuuji
- Nu goth✨ by Luna
Gallery[]
