Surplus Goth: fashion from the forces

In our constant quest to create a comprehensive list of all the different (and possible) gothic fashion styles, my other half came up with a great one. Surplus Goth. We've all seen them; their outfit pieced together from the local army surplus stores, looking like an extra from a Marilyn Manson music video.

And while it may raise the odd eyebrow from passers by, a bit of vintage uniform can be the part of a great outfit. Here's EGL Magazine's guide on the Do's and Don'ts of Surplus Goth...

DON'T dress in head to toe camoflague: you will only end up looking like a rejected extra from Apocalypse Now, and your friends won't be able to find you.

DON'T put on war paint. You're wearing a military jacket; we already get it.

DON'T wear a gas mask.

DON'T wear 10 sets of dog tags. These may have been very cool a few years ago, but they really aren't anymore.

DON'T expect to be applauded for wearing a full Nazi uniform. Be a little bit sensitive about what you choose, maybe check out Google to find out what certain symbols mean before you plaster your jeans in them.

DON'T go overboard. There's a very fine line between doing it right and getting it very, very wrong. Just a couple of signature pieces twinned with your usual jeans and boots is enough.

DO choose vintage pieces. You'll look less like you've jst gone AWOL from the nearest camp, and those vintage pilot jackets are just oh-so-sexy.

DO hunt out items with a certain uniqueness - search for jackets with name labels on, shirts with numbers written on them - and then spend all day dreaming about the person who might have worn it before you.

DO customise your clothes with military patches and badges. Check out the Militaria section of eBay to pick up some great authentic items.

DO accessorise your military-inspired outfit with cute and feminine jewellery.

DO finish off your cyber-goth outfit with an awesome pair of flying goggles. And they look totally fab with a pair of hair falls.

DO mix cute, frilly, girly skirts and dresses with huge, kick-ass rock boots.

DO rent or buy the Tank Girl movie, and make notes while watching the movie. You don't have to cut your hair like her, but she should now become your fashion icon!

And remember to experiment and have fun. Fashion is all about trying new things, and don't worry about making mistakes, we've all made big fashion mistakes, you've just got to learn to laugh about it when it ends up all over Facebook!

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Keller is EGL Magazine's editor. She has a degree in Writing which includes Journalism, and loves a good rummage in the local surplus store.