May 203 min read

Aesthetic of Health Goth

Health Goth is, in part, something of an aesthetic value. There is a certain look to it that some people want to have. Let's cover some aesthetic values that you will find within "health goth", as well as values that are not part of it.

Aesthetic Values

General Dark Activewear (leggings, tanks, basketball shorts, etc) - In general, this is general all dark activewear that you can find almost anywhere. It tends to include your usual goth palette: black, grey, silver, dark red, dark purple, glow in the dark. It also covers general sports attire, which you might find through common sports brands like Champion or Marika.
Brand Name Activewear - The brands that have picked up on health goth in the past are: Adidas, Calvin Klein, Billabong, Pennyblack, Alexander Wang x H&M, Stella McCartney x Adidas, Air x HBA, Converse All-Stars, and Cottweiler. These have been featured in magazine photoshoots. You don't have to buy brand name stuff for this look - I just wanted to mention them.
Goth Brand Activewear - There are some goth brands that now regularly feature activewear, including: Unwonted Apparel, Blackcraft Cult, Disturbia, Fantasmagoria, Midnight Hour, Rogue & Wolf, and Blood Moon.
Ballet/Dance - Ballet and dance activewear can fit into the health goth aesthetic, especially if you are a dancer, take a dance class, or train in fencing (utilizes ballet footwork). This look is often layered, uses mesh, opaque stretchy fabric, some knitwear, sometimes stretchy lace, and sometimes bolder street dance looks. For looks, check out: Eleve, Jule Dancewear, Capezio, and Bloch.
Fit Body - Aside from the apparel aesthetic, the overall goal is to achieve a healthy fit body. A healthy body will usually have a better immune response, increased energy, increased mobility, better visual appeal, lead to an increase of self-confidence, and an increase in mood. There are a lot of other benefits not listed, but these are big ones.

What it is not:

Spikes & Studs - It doesn't matter what sort of activity you're doing, spikes and studs will tear into equipment and make workouts uncomfortable. The last thing you want to do is having to pay for a replacement part at the gym. Keep these things for after the workout or for performance pieces.
Gym Dumbass - There really isn't an excuse for being a dumbass at any gym. Be courteous, follow general gym etiquette, and find your workout groove.
Actions Don't Match The Look - If you're going to have the look, you should act the part. Be active in some way. Respect yourself and be healthy. You can have the dancer body or runner body or bodybuilder body (etc) that you consider ideal. You cannot fake it.
Heavy Makeup - Most people do not wear heavy makeup at the gym, except in the case of hitting the gym immediately after work, due to the fact that they plan on sweating up a storm. Swimmers never wear makeup while swimming. Save the makeup for time away from the gym.
Wearing Non-Activewear Leggings - There is a big difference between activewear leggings and non-activewear leggings. Activewear is designed to wick sweat, stretch properly, have athletic structure, and hold up to frequent washing. Non-activewear leggings, which can be found on a lot of goth shop websites, are made with non-forgiving fabrics (pvc, velvet, hardware pieces, etc), have a very generic cut with little support/structure, little or no wicking, and the fabric may move oddly (not very stretchy or limited stretch). I don't recommend wearing these leggings at the gym. Wear athletic wear at the gym, so you look better in the non-activewear.

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