This is not a definitive list, as there is often quite a bit of overlap between the various categories.(See Male Goth Stereotypes.) There are some coresponding stereotypes for each gender - i.e. The Dandy is the male equivalent of the Lucrezia, the Siouxsie is the female equivalent of the Mad Bob - but there is also overlap between, say the dancing style of the Lucrezia and the Male Waif. The hell with it, there's just lots of overlap, okay?

The Siouxsie

  • WAY too much eye-liner (i.e. not just black, but also hints of purple, red, green and occasionally yellow); the same haircut as Mad Bob (i.e. large black frightwig); dressed in vaguely dark hippie dresses, with bangles and masses of pendants and chains worn around the neck.
    Favourite drink: anything with Vodka in it, especially vodka, or anything IN vodka (like blackcurrant cordial).
  • Favourite music: Siouxsie and the Banshees (obviously!), the Cure.
  • Dances: much like the Mad Bob, except a bit slower, with hand-gestures borrowed from Tai-chi; perhaps a bit more direction and an air of "I know something you don't."

The Lucrezia

  • Long gowns in velvet and/or lace; 19th-Century riding costumes, net veils; elbow-length gloves, many rings with large red stones, elaborate face-makeup (not overdone like the Siouxsie, but with involved designs).
  • Favourite drink: champagne, anything with more than six ingredients, or a name with more than five syllables or some kind of sexual reference.
  • Favourite music: Sisters of Mercy, anything with the Steinman Taint, classical (i.e. O Fortuna), the Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil... well, ANY 4AD band.
    Dances: very much like the Male Waif; the Two-Step-Back'n'Forth with minor variations such as skirt-train-swooshing is also popular because those huge, ornate dresses often make anything more complicated a dangerous proposition.

The Waif

    Jeans, Doc Martens (their feet always look three or four sizes too large for the rest of their bodies), tight t-shirts; skeletally thin, pale faces, lots of hickeys; a leather strap around the wrist; the "Tank Girl" look.
  • Favourite drink: anything that someone else will buy for them (except beer).
  • Favourite Music: Nine Inch Nails, or anything dripping with angst.
  • They're usually too self-conscious to dance.

The Scruff

  • Or the post-hippy. Skirts, black cardigans or big black shapeless jumpers with holes, laddered black stockings, no makeup, hair dyed black with streaks of red or purple, Doc Martens, several ear-piercings moving in a line up the ear-lobes, also nose-piercings, eyebrow-piercings, lip piercings, tongue piercings, anything-that- sticks-out-and-occasionally-some-things-that-don't piercings. One of the few kinds of Goth you can see out in daylight, albeit under the protection of very large black sunglasses. Sort of like a collision between Siouxsie and Hayzee Fantayzee.
  • Favourite drink: blackcurrant cordial.
  • Favourite music: Ministry, Skinny Puppy, the harder Nine Inch Nails. The softer versions have admitted to a liking to Hawkwind.
  • As for dancing... when they have the energy, they either stomp like Blank Reg or sway like Siouxsie.

Death

  • After the Neil Gaiman character. Black singlet, black jeans, large silver ankh, eye-of-horus makeup done in black eyeliner, hairstyle a more restrained version of the Mad Bob. Also known as the Party Goth, or Goth-Who-Smiles.
  • Favourite drink: coca-cola.
  • Favourite music: Early Birthday Party, the Sugarcubes.
  • Dances: tends to bounce around like scattered ping-pong balls (these people will dance to anything. Madness, The Vapours, SPK, radio static, smashing glass, passing traffic, people talking...)

The Domina

Miss Generic

  • A standard for when she can't squeeze herself into one of the other categories. Long black dress; pale makeup, eyeliner design not too intricate (less that four curlicues); any colour hair; a few rings but must have at least two fingers bare.
  • Favourite drink: vodka.
  • Favourite music: anything that the DJ plays - they will then go around commenting derisively "They call THIS Goth music?"
  • Dances: will watch everyone else to see what they're doing and then tentatively copy them. You may think we're coming down a bit hard on Miss Generic; not at all. Some of our best friends are, etc. etc. We accept that some people can't be Goths all the time.

The Baby Goth

  • Usually someone's little sister or cousin. Wears one of her two black dresses (the one that looks least like it comes from Portmans) and black school shoes.
  • Hair: Long and neatly brushed.
  • Makeup: Black lipstick and nail polish, no other makeup, OR, pale foundation and intricate face designs, done by whoever brought her along. Tends to smile nervously a lot, especially when spoken to, and fiddle with her hair or necklace.
  • Favourite drink: Strongbow sweet, with a straw.
  • Too busy staring wide-eyed at the dancers to actually hear the music.

Above list is courtesy of (and copyright 1995 or so) Chris Niland, used with permission.

The Charlotte

Charlottes have only recently made their way into junior high schools across America. A Charlotte is any girl between the ages of 10 and 13 who sees a few Good Charlotte songs on MTV and decides that wearing all black and listening to "goth" music is a way to garner attention. A hallmark of Charlottes is their inability to differentiate between genres of music; they often consider themselves "punk" for this reason.

Appearance: Look for Charlottes making the rounds at your local mall wearing oversized (men's extra-large, minimum) Good Charlotte t-shirts, or shirts with appropriate gothic sayings on them ("You say 'psycho' like its a bad thing" is popular). Charlottes wear black and white striped socks cut into gloves, black wide-leg JNCO jeans that completely cover their feet, and Adidas sandals to complete the ensemble. No tattoos or piercings (her mother won't let her), but sports several rings and maybe some black lipstick. Hair is matted and unkept, may have a poorly-executed dye job. It is extremely rare to see a Charlotte older than 14; typically by this age they realize how goofy they look wearing their older brother's clothes.

Music: Good Charlotte (obviously), Britney Spears, Slipknot

Drink: Root Beer

Dance: Dancing is difficult when your pants come completely over and under your shoes. Too hip to venture onto the dance floor during the 7th grade Homecoming Dance, anyway. Prefers to lurk in dark corners with girls and guys of similar ilk, and might shuffle around and headbang a bit if the DJ plays some Linkin Park.

Quote: (To annoyed chaperone at junior high dance): "Why can't they play more punky music, like Limp Bizkit?"

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