#also disclosure time i actually wanna get a long black skirt for next summer but i haven't found one i like ... nor have I decided what

[sprucetreeconspiracy]

Do you have any tips for making masc goth outfits? Especially for summer, that's what I'm struggling with the most

hello! I'm not an expert considering how much crossdressing I'm quite comfortable with and how feminine my style is in the end but I'll try! my thoughts are prolly quite generic and recycle various other people's ideas.

if it's too hot for jeans or sth worse (fake leather from plastic) i usually wear shorts, often from the women's section because they will have shorter legs (my legs are the best part of me) and often more fun materials like velvet or sth shiny. guys shorts have the too long and too boring/sporty/"casual" for a good look -disease for me most of the time. you know the cargo short type.

cut out shorts from any old trousers you wanna snip will do fine if you've got those available.

sometimes i wear tights underneath for aesthetic reasons but that may not read as masc depending on how traditional we're thinking.

too hot for boots? I'd like to get myself a pair of winklepickers but rn i have cesare gaspari's take on what a dr martens 3 eyelet platform 1461 would look with a bit more heel. A simple black dress shoe can also work rly well, like plain toe oxfords, monk strap version too if buckles are ur thing. for rain I've got rubber chelsea boots. overdressing w shoes a bit is fun because they're a thing you will see of yourself without a mirror. because I'm a bit of an xmas tree i sometimes accessorise w some flavour of leather straps (narrow recycled belts or stray bag straps) around an ankle or sth.

sun hats are fun and if it's not a bajillion degrees a woolen one will be fine too. for when it is i got myself a black wide trimmed sunny from a random grocery shop.

some shirts can be easily layered as a light jacket if you wish to have sleeves and or layers, or if the cut makes for a cool shape.

my generic tip is to avoid materials that don't breathe as much as you can and to focus on the aesthetic you want to achieve regardless of where the clothes came from, as the masculinity or femininity isn't all in the labelling. think of yourself as a character designer when outfit planning if that's a helpful way to conceptualise.

and when secondhand shopping i usually just browse by colour first, then fabric (visually), then i look at the actual piece like is it sth i could wear or customise into a wearable thing, is the condition ok for what I'd get it for, is it a shite material that gets sweaty easily etc. (sometimes i still get crappy materials cuz they work for the aesthetic like dude i can't afford leather trousers even secondhand and most see through stuff is like polyester or some shit.)

I also buy accessories secondhand and attach them into clothing or wear them on my body in some unintended way. like my fav way to wear my velvet shorts is to safety pin a thrifted black feathery chain necklace to the top so the charms and chains dangle a bit below the short leg.

dissecting old clothes that are no longer useful for anything else is also fun. got some fun zippers and studs from old pleather jacket and boots that were rubbish otherwise. and leather bits with eyelets for laces that I'm yet to slap on anything but their time will come.

a hardware store can be your friend for diy accessories, good for chains, o-rings and the like. got myself a shitton of chain from the boat section last year (and am yet to chop it into smaller accessories cuz i didnt remember to get a tool to cut it w... wore it as a harness a couple of times by stitching it together w safety pins tho).

craft shops for keyring materials are also friends, good for attaching aforementioned pieces.

so. I'd say create a silhouette you like then accessorise and keep your eyes open for pieces that could be a part of something bigger with or without some modifications. in terms of masculinity and or femininity I'd look at like traditional formal and smart wear from whatever historical period u wish and looking into the details that speak to you, then boiling them into the why that's appealing - is it the cut, the material, the fit, the shape - and finding or making sth that embraces some of those aspects.

this was a rly fun thing to think about so thank you for asking!