How to survive summer as a Goth

It can be tough during the summer months for us goths! Lets face it our love of black clothing doesn't always go well with the sun and hot weather!

I'm definitely an autumn girl - I'd take scarfs, pumpkin spice lattes and jumpers any day to being a sweaty irritated mess! However summer is quickly approaching so here are some top tips on how to survive summer as a goth!

1. Wear thinner, lightweight clothing

Thick velvets are a big no in summer! Instead try material that is a lot thinner like lace, mesh and jersey fabric. Kimono's are a perfect staple in summer to immediately give an outfit a witchy look whilst still being super light and comfortable. I've also found a lot of killstar dresses are perfect for summer as they give the perfect aesthetic without having to add a lot of accessories with them - making them extremely comfortable.

2. Keep a mist spray bottle with you

This is definitely something I've learned from walking round the theme parks in Florida during mid-august! Spray bottles are super cheap and easy to find making them an easy short term solution. Adding water and ice instantly cools you down and helps to hydrate your skin as well!

3. Fishnets!

Fishnets are definitely a summer staple and are perfect to keep your legs cool in the summer (if you still want to wear some kind of tights) as after a few minutes of wearing them, you don't notice them at all - plus they make a simple outfit look a lot more alternative. This also means you can cool your legs down further with the mist spray mentioned earlier! Just remember your suncream so you don't get fishnet patterned sunburn!

4. Accessorise Outfits

Wearing more simple, comfortable clothing can easily be goth-ed up by adding jewellery, belts, badges, pins etc. Similarly to fishnets, they add further detail to an outfit and can make it look a lot more interesting. Heavy jewellery pieces could also be swapped for more lightweight pieces - for example changing metal necklaces to acrylic ones, or swapping a velvet choker for a tattoo choker.

Shop acrylic jewellery HERE

5. Suncream

Suncream is a MUST if you're spending most of the day outside. Usually factor 30 should be sufficient (To avoid a tan!) however I would always recommend factor 50+ !!

6. Light Makeup

The heat can definitely ruin your makeup and make you feel super uncomfortable. However this shouldn't stop you trying to achieve that perfect eyeliner! One solution is definitely priming your skin beforehand and setting it after with a setting spray. (This should prevent it from melting off!!) Another solution is wearing slightly less makeup - maybe missing out your foundation or wearing a foundation that includes suncream to avoid too many layers.

And if you absolutely can't stand wearing any makeup in the heat, sunglasses are a great way to (firstly keep the sun off your eyes and face) but also keep up your gothic style.

7. Keep to the shade

If all else fails - keep to the shade as much as possible!!!

8. Keeping Cool inside with no air conditioning

I thought I'd include this as a last piece of advice as here in the UK, houses don't have air conditioning so it really feels like theres no escape to this heat! Sleeping is especially difficult! And waking up sweating really isn't pleasant...

- Taking cold showers before and after you sleep

- Opening the windows in the evening (once the sun has gone down) - Use window screens to prevent any unwanted guests!

- Keep the curtains shut during the hottest times of the day

- Remember to stay hydrated

- Try and stay downstairs for the majority of the day as it will likely be cooler

- Invest in a fan to use at night

Do you have any top tips to surviving summer? Share them in the comments below!

Stay Spooky,

Kirstie x