Proud goth man compares striking side-by-side photos of himself between ages of 18 and 48

Cecily Knobler
Fri, 12 Sep 2025 14:51:32 +0000
Gothic literature, Music, Pictures of you, The cure, Dracula, Teenagers, Gen x, Millennials, Fashion, Style, Goth

There is something about the music we connect to when we're young that beautifully helps shape our identity. We want to scream from the rooftops, "This is how I feel!" but we so often can't. Luckily, clothes and accessories can do the proverbial screaming for us. Often, it's written off as a moody teenage phase (and sometimes it is), but for some, it's an absolute vibe that becomes a part of everyday life all the way to the end.

And so, when a man took to the subreddit r/goth to show off HIS goth look from teen to middle-age, many rejoiced. The OP writes, "Fashion Friday: 'It's not just a phase, mom' 18 vs 48 years old." Under this is a split photo. On one side is the 18-year-old version of himself, hair slicked back, eyes full of dramatic dark liner and shadows. He's in all black (natch) with a Nosferatu t-shirt tucked into leather (or possibly pleather) pants. One hand is tucked into said pants, while the other dramatically holds up a glass—his body tilted in the ultimate cool pose, as he shows off his black nail polish.

On the other side is the now 48-year-old version. He wears a black sleeveless The Sisters of Mercy band shirt showing off lots of tats and an intense stare under his tiny glasses. Under the photo, he writes, "Less hair but more tattoos, and at least I don’t have to pose in my parents’ backyard anymore :)"

A man posts a photo of himself at 18 and at 48 showing off his goth looks. Reddit, Hemlox76

Upworthy had a chance to speak to this Redditor and when asked if he still feels the "goth vibe" that he did as a teen, his answer was enthusiastically , "Oh hell yeah I do!" He added, " I keep my look pretty toned down for work ( corporate gothic, sort of), but still go all out when going to concerts and stuff like that."

The comments under the post are undeniably goth in nature. The first immediately references death when they write, "Looking stylish in both pics. I'm currently 33. Goal is to be buried in goth attire." The OP replies, "Well, a black suit is usually standard :) Myself, I’d go for just a hole in the ground in the woods and an ash tree planted over me if that was legal over here."

This commenter explains how their music influences brought them to the goth lifestyle. "Heh. I came by mine honestly. Dad likes Black Sabbath and science fiction/fantasy, Mum likes Steeleye Span, Edward Gorey and gothic novels. Their kid likes all of it, plus goth rock and power metal. They thought it was weird when I was a teenager, but now that I'm an adult we go to shows together and my mum buys me black lace and darkly themed vintage :)"

And this kind Redditor compliments the OP: "You aged like a fine wine brother. And your hair colour now suits you. Granted I was 4 when the first pic was taken, but yum to both."

Goth guy explains how goth fashion emerged from the music. www.youtube.com, Jake Munro

The goth vibe, in music, clothes or all-around attitude, started gaining in popularity in the late 70s, as a term to describe atmospheric post-punk bands. The term got thrown around a bit, but the overarching idea is music and clothes that are dramatic, moody, and emotional. To paraphrase an old adage, "I'll wear black until they find a darker color," certainly applies. Both musically and in appearance, think Robert Smith, the front man for the English band The Cure.

The official music video for Pictures of You by The Cure. www.youtube.com, RHINO

The whole mood is steeped, at least in attitude and clothing, in Gothic literature which goes way farther back than just the 1970s. Moody heartbreak and even mysterious horror were romanticized in books like Frankenstein and Dracula. It was cool to be sad, and beautiful to be heartbroken.

And even though the goth baseline might appear dark, the Reddit thread illustrates that its community is often like a tight-knit family—with great taste in music AND clothes.