Let’s get real.
Women’s gothic fashion is hot but finding that perfect style to match your own unique tastes can sometimes be a little tricky. After all, it’s not like there’s a gothic clothing store at the corner of every street. This is probably why most people looking to score some new dark threads head online in search of the best gothic clothing brands and deals they can find.
There are a few big players out there that you’ll see first in your dark shopping quest. A lot of these big names have been around for a while so they’ve built up a lot of reputation and trust among their loyal customers.
Despite that, one of the best things about the online world today is that smaller companies have a chance to show what they got as well and oftentimes, you can find some really cool and unique items. Suddenly now a whole world of the best women’s gothic clothing and accessories opens up and you’ve got a million and one options to find that perfect look.
It’s important to remember though that just because a website is popular, that doesn’t mean they take the top spot in every respect. So to help you make an informed decision when you’re looking for the best gothic clothing brands, we’ve compiled a list of the surefire ways to tell you’ve found a gothic clothing store that stands above the rest.
1. The Website Looks Good
The first thing people usually notice about a website is how it looks and honestly, in this day and age, there’s no reason why a website should look like it was designed in 2002. It’s hard to have trust in a gothic clothing store that doesn’t care enough about their website to make it look modern and inviting.
We want to see good use of colors, high resolutions images and of course, an overall eye-catching design.
Basically, if the website looks like crap, it probably is.
2. They Have Good UX and Are Mobile Friendly
A respectable gothic clothing brand would ideally have a responsive website that runs smoothly on any mobile device.
Since most people are shopping from their smartphones these days, this just makes sense.
Gothic clothing websites that are hard to navigate, read, or basically just use at all on a mobile device are probably sites that aren’t worth shopping on. After all, if they really cared about their users, you’d think they’d have a user-friendly experience as well as a responsive design.
If the site isn’t mobile-friendly or super hard to use, that’s probably a good indicator of what the rest of your shopping experience could be like.
Doesn’t really instill a lot of confidence, does it?
3. They Have Good Customer Reviews
Reviews are an excellent way to get insight into a company right from the experience of another shopper. How they report their interaction with a business is a good indicator of what you can expect, especially if there are multiple reviews showing a similar trend.
Additionally, business owners or representatives will often reply to customer reviews so how they conduct themselves is going to be a good reflection of how much they value their customers.
If you’re noticing a trend of good customer service, then you’ve probably found a winner but if the company seems like they don’t care a whole lot, it’s probably best to take your shopping elsewhere.
When you’re looking for gothic clothing brands you can trust, the reviews will speak for themselves.
4. They Have Fast Shipping Times
People don’t like to wait, especially for things they’ve already purchased. Waiting three weeks or more for the gothic clothing or accessories you bought to arrive is a huge bummer. Most quality gothic clothing brands will offer fast shipping (usually less than 10 days).
If the shipping times are high, you might be better off shopping for your gothic style someplace where you don’t have to wait a million years for your items to arrive.
5. They Offer Free Shipping
Let’s be honest, nobody wants to pay for shipping. I mean, you’ve already paid for the product, why should you have to pay even more just to get it? It seems silly but lots of gothic clothing brands still don’t offer free shipping and this can often be a deal-breaker for many shoppers.
At the end of the day, you can always ask yourself if you love whatever gothic fashion item you’ve set your eyes on enough to justify the extra shipping but for most shoppers, the answer is a big ‘ol “Nope!”
6. They Have Awesome Customer Service
There’s nothing worse than having a bad customer service experience. Dealing with a company that clearly doesn’t care about their customers or their experience can be super frustrating and often times anxiety-inducing.
So making sure that their contact information is easily accessible on the site and using things like reviews or checking out their social media are good ways to gain some preemptive insight into whether or not a gothic clothing brand is prioritizing their customers first.
7. They Have a Good Social Presence
Having a good social presence doesn’t necessarily mean a business has millions of followers or likes, it simply means they are active on at least one or two social media platforms.
Being active simply means posting regularly and engaging with followers in a timely fashion. This shows that a gothic clothing brand is truly interested in not only engaging with their audience but also building a community.
If you’re seeing some great gothic fashion and posts are being shared consistently, along with some decent engagement, then it’s more than likely you’ve found a gothic clothing brand that is truly interested in its audience and fostering a strong community of fellow goth enthusiasts.
8. They Have a Good Product Selection
A good product selection shows that a gothic clothing brand is really involved in what they do. It means they’re growing their product base to offer new gothic clothing and accessories, ensuring customers keep getting the best selection.
This is also a good reflection of the commitment to their gothic brand and a testament to how invested they are in their customers and community.
A good gothic clothing store would naturally have a good selection. So if there isn’t much to choose from or the products seem shoddy, it might be best to move on.
9. Coupons, Discounts, and Promotions
How great are coupons? It doesn’t matter whether you’re a naturally thrifty person or not, everybody loves to save a few bucks when they can.
Fashion can be expensive and sometimes taking 10% off your purchase can be a make or break point in determining whether you’re going to follow through with the checkout or abandon that shopping cart like a haunted house.
My point is, most stores usually have some kind of coupon, sale, or promotion going on so if you find one that’s stuck on stone-cold prices, it might be worthwhile to look around and see if you can score some deals on gothic fashion somewhere else.
10. You’d Shop There Again
Last but not least, perhaps the biggest sign you’ve found a winning gothic clothing store is after making a purchase and going through the experience, you feel you’d do it all again.
To reach that point, you probably had a positive experience from the moment you first arrived on the site all the way up until you found some gothic styles you loved and decided to make a purchase.
Clearly they must have hit the mark for most of the things we’ve covered for you to have made it that far and if you can honestly say that you’d shop there again, then you have most likely found a winning gothic clothing brand.