Sioux and the Creation of Trad Goth
From the same place as the Punk scene, a new subculture was brewing at the very end of the 1970's. Miserable, gloomy, and dark, Gothic culture had a lot to say about the world and how it treated the outcasts.
Even though the term "gothic" had been used before in the 60's, referring to a meeting an interviewer had with Jim Morrison from The Doors in a dimly lit wine cellar, the true meaning of GOTH came as a response to the punk scene, during the 70's. It started as a way to describe the mood and atmosphere of post-punk bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Joy Divison.
The look came with the Riot Grrrl movement, that protested the male-dominated, sexist, punk scene. Bands that were fronted by women, or had predominantly female members, decided to embrace their femininity and use it as a weapon. One of these women was Siouxsie Sioux. Even if most Riot Grrrls wore "girly" clothes, Siouxsie took the feminine look and made it dark and sensual.
It would be later, with the rise of true gothic bands like Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, The Cult, and The Cure, that the look became a standard, and worn by men. The look also begins to be worn by the so-called "Batcavers", named after the Batcave Club, in the Soho district in London. It is thought that this is where Goth as a subculture really begins.
As I mentioned before, the look of Goth was rooted in Punk. Siouxsie wore deconstructed vintage clothes held together by pins, she would write on t-shirts, she would wear ripped up clothes, and layers upon layers. What made her stand out, and later inspire hundreds of people, was her use of darkness and eccentricity. This is what would later be referred to as Trad Goth.
Siouxsie's hair and makeup were big factors of the Trad Goth style. Her hair was big, and her makeup was BOLD. She's characterised for her thick, black liner, defining her eyes. Her face was pale, her eyeshadow was smokey, her lashes were dark, her brows were thick, and straight. The pop of color came on her lips; she was often seen wearing a bright red lipstick, with a very pointy cupid's bow.
Even today, Trad Goth is one of the most worn styles within the subculture. It's interesting to think how one culture emerged from another, and how the choice of one amazing woman to be bold and beautiful would inspire thousands to follow suit.
