How do you feel...

[KontanKarite]

About shops centered exclusively around counter culture? Stores such as Hot Topic, Xtra-X, C-C boutiques, Shrine of Hollywood, ect despite the quality of the products being sold. NOTE: Some of these stores have a damn good product, Shrine for example. But that's not exactly what this thread is about.

But sure, what's your feelings on them?

[blindNsect]

I don't see a problem. Countercultures should be constantly evolving anyway.

[ART]

Love 'em. Hardly ever shop at them, but browsing is fun.

Plus them kids decked out in stuff bought at such places sure are more fun to see about town than the H&M crowd?

[blindNsect]

H&M? or HIM?

[ART]

H&M, HM or Hennes & Mauritz. Swedish chain polluting the world with ugly clothes.

[ThenAgain]

Hey, there's some nice pieces in H&M, I've got a few pairs of black jeans, some shirts and cheap rings from there.
You've just got to look through the shit. It's less work than trawling through charity shops, at least.
As for specialist shops I think they're not bad; a good place to get clothing that is difficult to find elsewhere or would make up the central part of an outfit.

Like with any shop it's a ba idea to build up your whole wardrobe from the one source but they're nice for looking at and dipping your toes into.

Edit: There may be a difference in quality due to our locations. You're in Sweden and I'm in the UK.

[ape descendant]

My big beef is quality of merch and selection. I would love hot topic if their shit didn't fall apart a week after purchase... or if they had a size bigger than 00... yeah.. angst, angst, angst.. thats why I own a sewing machine...

[Apathy's_Child]

The very concept of counterculture has been mainstream for so long now, these stores are no different to any other.

[Underwater Ophelia]

The quality of clothing at tons of stores is bad. I'm not sure what the point you're making is.

[JCC]

Fuck counterculture.

[Luv2H8]

I hate the Hot Topics, but I LOVE the people that shop there.
Their sense in fashion is enough to make me giggle like an asian schoolgirl.

[Warlord1388]

Links Gothic clothing huge spam Junk bad Worlds.

[HavelockV]

I think such retail establishments are fun to peruse but I rarely purchase anything from them. I derive more delight from finding the hidden gem in a thrift shop or even an unusual piece in a more, shall we say, "mainstream" store.

Interesting that you should bring up Shrine of Hollywood. When I was younger I believed them to be the epitome of goth culture but was restrained from acquiring pieces due to my limited finances. These days, however, my regard for the company is much more reserved. They still carry some attractive designs, but much of what they offer seems overpriced and generally uninspiring; particularly the women's garments.

To each their own, I suppose.

[ThenAgain]

I've never seen shrines of hollywood before and it reminds me of another massive flaw with these sort of websites: they're fucking expensive.

[Pineapple_Juice]

Like Ipso Facto or Electric Chair. Alternative clothing shops are expensive and cheap, because they know rich kids will still buy from there.
Counterculture doesn't exist anymore.

[TrivialMorose]

Love any such store.

What else could I feel?

Loss and regret...

I miss Xtra-X. Visited the boutique in Berlin once, had fun.
Was really sad when it got obliterated by an ElectroMagnetic Pulse for no reason. Just wanton destruction.

Was fondly reminded of it just yesterday when I found a nice Bat Attack faux leather jacket in a thrift store. It was cheap and in great condition, too, which is to say it can't have been used very much. We'll see how fast it will implode when put to use.

[HarryHaller]

From what I've gathered, the original Goths had no other sources buy DYI & used stuff (since there was nothing around in terms of shops and they were young & broke... Also taking into consideration Goth came from Punk it's understandable too)

Then one day the scene turned into something bigger, the Goths themselves built their small biz (still do) & there is nothing wrong with that AFAIK...

But then the scene got waaaay bigger, mainstream heard through the grapevine an easy buck was to be made... BAM, hot topics & clones & tons of kids with no respect for Goth bough all those clothes & records from bands that were not even Goth... Yeah, that's shitty... Or not?

If those mainstream shops are exploiting & abusing their workers & polluting, then it's still shitty, yet what sort of behaviour do you expect since it's the same people selling funky hawai-kawai shit to the sheep? It's not different when the stuff they sell is Goth, shit is still shit...

OTOH, those 'kids' will eventually stumble upon the real thing (music, DYI culture, literature... the roots). Let's face it, many are isolated from big cities, can't go to clubs, they are the only Goth kid on highschool,etc. Those kids (or even grown ups) have to start somewhere.

No, I wouldn't want Goth to take over the world. Can't happen. Mainstream is all about change & sell new clothes like every month, so Goth will never become mainstream, nor will any other underground thing (I'm not even using the word 'subculture', nothing 'sub' on different cultures)

[TrivialMorose]

Originally Posted by HarryHaller

(I'm not even using the word 'subculture', nothing 'sub' on different cultures)

I like that.

Goth is a tribe. We just don't know it.

[chipthepunk]

I used to get things once in a while from those type of shops when I was in my early teens but even with the added work you have to put into thrifting and DIY-ing it seems more "worth it". Plus, like someone mentioned before, a lot of those shops (I can't speak to Shrines, this is my first time hearing of it) are "fast fashion" shops and contribute a lot to both to environmental damage and worker exploration.