Gothic Coats.
The gothic coat and the culture originated with a medieval German family that eventually, after many generations, found their way to the United States. The family brought with them the style of the coat which later carried their name. During the Victorian era the gothic coat was worn as a mourning coat.
In the United States and the U.K. during the punk era of the 1970’s, the gothic name and apparel became a fashion and a culture. The punk era was the time of the nonconformist. A time to say “I don’t care what you think of me” and “I will do as I please.”
With this attitude there came a form of dress which included the gothic coats. They were a coat that had a tight fitted top, tight sleeves and a flared skirt.
The style of the gothic coats varied. They were single breasted or double breasted, zippered or snapped and always black. One particular style was zippered in the front off center and had a faux lacing on the opposite side.
The member of the gothic culture was called a ‘Goth’ and whether man or woman they wore the classic uniform of the Goth. This consisted of the black ‘Goth’ coat, black dyed hair, black eye makeup (worn by both men and women), black lipstick and religious jewelry.
The jewelry consisted of crucifixes, skulls, rosaries, and carried over into pierced lips and tongues.
The men wore tight pants with the loose coat and always wore a crisp white shirt. Women’s gothic clothing tends to be more sexy with corsets, fish net stockings and see though blouses.
The classic gothic coat has been seen in films, mostly in vampire movies because, Hollywood never misses a chance to promote something new and different. The coat is, in fact often referred to as the vampire coat.
It began as early as the l920’s with the silent movie entitled Noferantu where the vampire wears a long full length coat with a tight bodice and tight sleeves a flared skirt and a small fur collar.
The vampire coat or gothic coat was further made popular by Bella Lugosi in all of his vampire movies. His vampire coat was long and looses fitting, almost like a cape, convenient for transformation into a bat for a quick get-a-way.
It continues to be the choice of modern day vampires like Count Alucard, who brought the color red into the Gothic culture.
The gothic coats are the type of wearing apparel that the confident man wants in his wardrobe, especially if he wants to make the attitudinal statement that the members of the gothic culture make. In this day and age it is a significant piece of day-to-day wearing apparel.
The gothic coat has a long history and one wonders if the originators had any idea of what was in store for it. Named after a prominent medieval family, traveled to the U.K. and U.S. and became a cultural attraction.
Popular Trench Coats For Men
Vampire Coats.
Because the vampire coat and the Gothic coat are similar in style, they are each referenced in the same category.
The single and sometimes double breasted coat has various styles. Although, all of the coats are tight fitting, some have a short skirt and others have a long flared skirt. All of the coats have long tight fit sleeves. The collars can be faux or real fur, small cape, stand up, or cowl. The fabric varies as well from satin, leather, and velvet to cotton or twill.
The vampire coat was usually always black in color until the introduction of Count Alacard (which just happens to be Dracula spelt backwards), one of the most modern of vampires who added red to his vampiric wardrobe.
The similarity between the vampire coat and the Gothic coat makes it able to be worn by both men and women. The women’s vampire or Gothic apparel leans more toward the sexy look than the practical look although it does have some practicality. The women’s apparel consists of corsets and bust enhancers as well as long and short skirts and dresses also long and short coats. Women’s apparel also has various shoes and boots. The men’s apparel is restricted more to pants, coats (long and short), crisp white shirts and shoes and boots.
Although the vampire coat has been in existence since the early Victorian era it gained popularity with the 1920’s silent movie, Nosferantu . The vampire in this movie wore a long coat that fit tightly at the top with a flared skirt and tight long sleeves trimmed with a small fur collar.
No one could ever wear the coat in the same menacing way that Bella Lugosi did as Count Dracula in his many movies. Bella Lugosi so liked his role that when he died he was dressed in full costume. His was a full flared coat with a small cape collar which allegedly made it easier for him to shape shift from human to bat when the need for a quick retreat was necessary.
The vampire coat is now associated not only with the vampire cultists but with the Gothic culture. The punk rock music of the 1970’s and 1990’s was the inspiration of the Gothic culture and the apparel and its accessories became the apparel of choice.
The stereotypical Goth is a person possessing the need to be nonconforming thus breaking the bond of conformity. To be a true Goth one has to have an “I don’t care what you think of me” attitude and dress accordingly. Along with the aforementioned apparel the Goth adds to his or her accessories pierced lips, razor blade earrings, skulls and crucifixes along with black hair, black face makeup and until now all black clothing.
Popular Trench Coats For Men
Gothic Trench Coats For Men.
Unlike the traditional trench coat the gothic trench coat for men is one that is worn to make a definite and loud statement. It was for the man that wanted to say he did not care what anyone thought of him and by wearing this apparel made his rebellious and/or sexual declaration.
This style became popular in the 1970’s through the 1990’s during the punk rock era. An era made up of people with a “who cares” attitude. It was an important time for certain people for nonconforming and breaking the bond of conformity. The message brought forth by the apparel was meant to be serious and meaningful and not stylish or fashionable.
The gothic trench coat for men makes a sexual statement and is sometimes called the S&M or the bondage coat because of the chains and tapes fashioned onto the garment. They are also called Matrix, vampire, or Emo trench coats.
Although the gothic trench coat for men is made of leather some are made from a smooth velvet which was often more preferred by the man.
Some other fabrics that made up the gothic trench coat for men was cotton, twill and some faux fur. The coat was form fitting and may have been closed with buttons, a zipper or fastened with a hook and eye. It had a deep vent in the back to make it easier for the wearer to sit down in it. Some have a lacing in the back which when pulled made the coat more form fitting.
As usual, Hollywood had to latch on to a good thing and the gothic trench coat for men was not to be overlooked.
You will see the gothic trench coat in movies such as Edward Scissorhands, The Matrix, vampire movies and countless horror movies both A grade and B grade. The coat is worn not only by the bad guys in the movies but the good guys as well.
Because of its vast popularity the gothic coat has made its statement, and is still making a statement as a part of the gothic culture. A culture that adorns itself with skulls, crucifixes, and skeletons and whose favorite color to wear in apparel and make up is black. Black leather coats, black face and eye makeup, and black hair. Safety pins are commonly pierced through the lips and tongue and razor blade earrings are also worn.
Not only is the man that is wearing the gothic trench coat making a statement, the coat itself is making a statement and it will always continue to do so. Unlike the traditional trench coat which is the first choice of many men of all age groups, the gothic trench coat is more of an acquired taste.
Popular Trench Coats For Men
Gothic Trench Coats.
The gothic trench coat is often associated with visions of anarchy and rebellion, and while in some instances this may be true, it is not always the case.
The gothic trench coat is worn by someone who is making a statement, they are not afraid to stand out in the crowd, and do not want to blend away into insignificance.
The gothic trench coat first became popular in the late 1970’s to early 80’s. The music of that era included ‘Punk’. The ‘Punk’ image was all about ‘bucking the trend’, and refusing to conform. Razor blade earrings and safety pins through your lip were a way of saying, I don’t care what you think!
Many ‘Punks’ began to wear a long black trench coat, and soon the Gothic style appeared on the scene.
In the 1980’s more and more young people were favoring the Goth image, and the gothic trench coat was an essential part of their wardrobe. It still remains a central part of Goth culture.
Mens gothic coats were seen in many horror films and vampire movies of the 80’s and 90’s, and were worn by both hero and villain. Even the most scary character was seen as exciting and sexy in his trench coat. Men were keen to adopt this type of image and sales quickly started to rise.
Edward Scissorhands, The Matrix, Blade, etc. can all be associated with this style of coat.
A gothic coat can be made from a range of fabrics and a variety of materials.
Black gothic leather coats, black hair, and black make up are often the image that springs to mind when we think of the typical Goth. But although many Goth’s do opt for wearing a leather trench coat, there are many who prefer the smooth velvet gothic coat.
The gothic trench coat is usually slim fitting and very long. It may be covered in zips and D rings, or the buttons could be skull shaped. There may be slashes, safety pins, or studs dotted around the body area.
A gothic trench coat may have buttons, a zip, or hook and eye fastening. There is usually a deep vent at the back, making movement and sitting down more easy. Some designs even include a hood.
Some Goth coats have corset lacing down the back, a fish tail hem, and they may be made from heavyweight cotton, twill, PVC, or faux fur.
Some gothic trench coats have a hint of ‘S&M’ and are termed ‘bondage coats’. This is usually because they have tapes or chains which connect the sleeves to the main body of the coat.
Many gothic trench coats for men have a skeleton, crucifix, or skull on the upper back section of the coat.
The Goth style trench coats are often referred to as Emo trench coats, Punk trench coats, Vampire trench coats, Matrix style trench coats, Gothic Priest Vampire coats, and Pirate trench coats.
There are many top designer brands with Gothic Punk, Tripp, and Lip Service being very popular.
There is no doubt that there is a huge range of designs and materials to choose from, and that the gothic trench coat makes a statement all of its own.