Yeah the bullying was my main reason as well. I mean you could still rock that aesthetic to a show, but the most I feel comfortable to do nowadays is black nail polish, lol. I could get away with more on stage probably, but I won't feel comfortable like that now to be honest. The anxiety and bad experiences cut too deep I guess.
I'm nearly 40 and rediscovering my inner goth. Honestly don't care if it looks "dumb", I'm having a lot of fun! Just go for it, do what makes you happy.
I'm right there with you. I had been saying to my Wife I was gonna start wearing black nail varnish again at 39 and she basically said don't.
Started a new job, bloke with a pretty long beard and hair down my back, some older guy takes me under his wing and basically tells me to just be myself, the company loves it. I was showing up to work in a black turtleneck to look a bit more professional and nice than I am.
I had smashed my nails in at work trapping my fingers and had 2 black nails anyway so I just went for it.
Now I'm rocking up to work in a leather jacket and Army boots, Management love me and they've taken me off the Agency books and onto theirs.
Not all that Gothy but I'm definitely embracing my inner child more, and Fuck what anyone thinks. I've had a team leader tell me I can wear a dress to work if I like lol
Now the natural question here is...has the wife come around? When I declared my desire for a "summer goth cruise witch" aesthetic I'm happy to report my husband was all for it lol.
Oh absolutely she has, it's just all about trying to keep my inner child in check before I do something silly. She's the matriarch of a house of boys so she generally takes a stance against silliness whereas I'm usually for it.
While she may make disparaging comments when I'm sat watching TV and doing my nails, she's also said "I think you look really fit in that picture" about pictures where I'm in full blown Festival garb with my long hair (which she was against me growing) flowing down my back.
In fact, it's got her going through her own clothes and starting to wear some stuff she usually wouldn't too. I think she saw that I didn't get my head kicked in like we did when we were kids and thought "huh"
Oh absolutely she has, it's just all about trying to keep my inner child in check before I do something silly. She's the matriarch of a house of boys so she generally takes a stance against silliness whereas I'm usually for it.
While she may make disparaging comments when I'm sat watching TV and doing my nails, she's also said "I think you look really fit in that picture" about pictures where I'm in full blown Festival garb with my long hair (which she was against me growing) flowing down my back.
In fact, it's got her going through her own clothes and starting to wear some stuff she usually wouldn't too. I think she saw that I didn't get my head kicked in like we did when we were kids and thought "huh"