Are you wondering why goths use the image of skulls so often? As a goth, do you inevitably have to integrate skulls into your style? Or how do these rebels bring the skulls to the fore?
At Skull World, we’re passionate about it and the skull is even our emblem. 💀
The relationship to life and death is the essence of Gothic culture. The skull and crossbones is one of the pillars of this counterculture. Wearing a skull is therefore one of the most important signs of belonging to goth culture.
In this article you will learn, among other things:
- Why the goths use the skull and crossbones image.
- And how they use the skull and crossbones in their style.
After reading the following lines, you will know exactly how important skulls are for « black clothes fans » and how they put them in the foreground 💀.
Without further delay, let’s get started together.
Do you want to become a real goth?”” Discover our collection of skull rings“éé“” .
Why do goths love skulls?
Before you start, you should know that there are hundreds of ways to delve into the goth world. Because everyone has their own way of expressing their passion (or not) for skulls.
However, skulls are an integral part of Gothic culture . They were borrowed from the spiritual traditions of Africa, where it is customary for some tribes to keep bones and especially skulls of ancestors as relics from the dead. Let’s take a look together why bones are one of the most important symbols for a lover of this subculture.
1) The idea of life and death
One of the character traits of these people is to see subtlety in things that others see as gloomy. 😈 They love everything that is mysterious and dark. And what is more mysterious and darker than death? Being Gothic is a kind of black comedy . But liking dark things doesn’t mean being unhappy. It’s almost the exact opposite! We are talking about « memento mori « : remember that you are going to die. In other words, enjoy life while you still can.
And the skull is a perfect example of the emphasis on death. So this is the main reason why they love to place skulls almost everywhere in their lives. And we like that!
2) The weird style of skulls
Being goth means standing out from the crowd. And wearing a skull and crossbones already means being « different ». Even if today the image has become much more democratic and no longer belongs only to certain communities, showing a skull still means expressing a difference. And the style of these disobedient ones underlines this very well.
Gothics are realistic, romantic, and often intelligent artists . And the image of the skull is a canonical tool for an artist to work with. There are countless ways to bring it to the fore. Our collection of “”skull images”” is the perfect example of this. We invite you to decorate your cave with one of them!
The skull fashion with the goths
We saw together the reasons why the skull and crossbones is a part of this culture. Now let’s see how we can use it to have a hot style and be fully devilish . Let’s go!
1) Wears skull attire
It goes without saying that the first element of goth style is clothing. With a skull garment you are at the top of the list of the biggest skull fanatics ! The most well-known variant is – unsurprisingly – the T-shirt with a skull and crossbones.
Combine almost any black color garment with a skull and crossbones and you’ve got the shade of a provocative style. Historically, color plays an important role in this post-punk culture. Black turns with the morbid and dark aspects of lifeconnected. The color is associated with Afro-Caribbean spirituality. « Black is the color of the shadow, that part of the soul which the ancients believed was separable. It is the time when the ghosts can sneak up from the hidden ».
Black is (unsurprisingly) the grand master of the goth wardrobe. However, you can also wear colors like purple, navy blue, and red, which perfectly match your style and the color black. ⚫️ We invite you to equip yourself with one of the skull t-shirts from Skull World.
2) Arm yourself with skull jewelry
Refine your clothing style with jewelry, because this is a detail that you should not neglect. Adorning yourself with skull jewelry is one of the most important steps in expressing your difference. 🤘🏼 The skull ring is the classic, but don’t underestimate the power of skull bracelets or pendants!
The more radical also attach great importance to chains and nails. The combination of leather, black color and silver-colored chains and rivets: That’s gothic. Get inspiration from others, but make sure you have your own style , combining these different elements in any way you want to express your personality. 🕯
3) Dress your skin in skulls
This is certainly not about convincing you to get a tattoo! You must make this decision of your own free will. But tattoos are one of the most important signs of belonging to a community. And a skull tattoo is the symbol that almost always shows up, closely followed by a raven tattoo . 💉
The beauty of our difference is that it is not in the codes of society. And the freedom to express yourself through tattoos is one of the most categorical ways to assert your otherness . A skull tattoo is the best expression of asserting your style.
4) Decorate your cave with skulls
Skulls are also very important in the world of decoration. Our decorative skulls are the perfect example of this. Gothics have always been fascinated by the many ways in which a bony head can be staged. Some even like to have one on their bedside table to add to the “somber” side we saw above.
Gothic personalities and skulls
Fanaticism for the human skull goes far beyond the common stereotype of a sullen teenager obsessed with misfortune and graveyard graves. The gothic existence has many more facets than you might think. The following figures from literature, film, and music helped shape and define this rich and diverse counterculture using, among other things…yes, the skull and crossbones! ☠️
1) Edgar Allan Poe
As the author of numerous tales and poems about anguish and boredom, Poe’s most significant contribution to our subculture is perhaps his seminal (and often parodied) work The Raven . The illustration to this poem shows the text with a raven in the middle standing on a skull and reading a book. This image is widely embraced in the art world for its beauty and complexity.
2) Siouxsie Sioux
As the lead singer of Siouxsie and the Banshees, Siouxsie’s somber lyrics and fashion sense (thick eyeliner, fishing nets, and gravity-defying hair) greatly influenced the post-punk music world as we know it today . The singer appeared extremely often with skulls on magazine covers and album covers.
3) Tim Burton
The famous director also contributes to the skull/Gothic World connection with some of his films . The filmmaker is behind the films Vincent, Frankenweenie (the original, live short), Beetlejuice and – perhaps the most gothically-heavy of them all – Edward Scissorhands. 🎬
4) Theda Bara
Bara is credited with creating the archetype of the film’s “vamp” – a woman who is not ashamed of her physical desires. Her big break came in the film A Fool There Was (1915), in which she played a character called The Vampire. Her black makeup and provocative outfit were later adopted by personalities such as Siouxsie Sioux, Lydia Lynch, and many other goths. She showed up with bones 🦴 in almost every one of her media appearances.
5) Christian Death
The goth rock band has influenced even the weirdest among us. By using death as the main theme in many of their sounds. And also by illustrating death, the grim reaper and many other symbols on their musical album covers. Skeleton Kiss is one of their most famous album and concert posters.
Young goth, join the movement!
We’ve seen a few ways a goth can emphasize the skulls in their life. If you want to do the same, then don’t force yourself! Rings and t-shirts, for example, are very accessible once you start exploring this quirky style. 💀
You also know why skulls are an integral part of Gothic culture. So now you know exactly how important skulls are to them.
It’s hard for a goth to keep up with fashion. But don’t panic! Skull World has been with Gothics since 2015 to bring you the clothes and accessories you deserve. 😈 We have selected the most popular skull and crossbones items from our community for you. Discover them simply by clicking on thisclick image below .
You can also find out how important drinks are to the goths . Otherwise, take a look at the incredible Gothic movement in its entirety.