TREND ALERT: Corporate Goth Is The New Office Attire For Gen Z Workers

 

Photo: Teen Vogue

When you think of business attire, the last thing you'd expect to see in the hallways at some corporate office is an emo wannabe wearing head-to-toe goth. Today's corporate Gen Z are taking a page out of the Robert Smith & Siouxsie Sioux catalog by sporting the goth look for the office. Nothing says "Please take me seriously" than looking like you crawled out of a coffin carrying a can of Clamato juice and your smartphone. I must be getting old because the goth look during my youth was what you wore to a rave party, a Cure concert, or to a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It sure as hell wasn't what you wore to have a sit-down with clients or the CEO.

Corporate goth is the latest trend among the Tik Tok generation. Young professionals are donning their best white pancake makeup, black eye liner, fishnet stockings, pleather, and greasy hair to make whatever-the-fuck statement they think they're making with their attire. The trend is gaining traction among younger workers who are saying they want to "express themselves in the business world because the freedom to be themselves at work is nearly as important as pay."  Um, okay...so screw having a decent salary and benefits because making a fashion statement is more important? Got it. These corporate goth dressers want to be seen as original thinkers by being copycats of trends from my youth. I don't expect them to understand the irony. 

Photo: Hart / Business Insider

 

Photo: Killstar

When I read about this I decided to do a quick search to see if there are websites catering to it. And of course, there are. Anything to make a dollar. There are numerous online retailers selling overpriced trendy corporate goth attire. One online store was selling a basic black shirt for $127.59. To me, that's a lot of money for a boring-ass-nothing-special-button down shirt. But wait a sec...how are these corporate goth workers able afford all this expensive stuff when a having a good salary isn't important to them?