Originated 1979–1985 Los Angeles; ongoing revivals from the 2000s

Deathrock

Late-70s Los Angeles punk-goth offshoot — ripped fishnets, backcombed hair, horror-movie iconography and graveyard makeup.

Palette: jet black blood red bone white deep purple silver hardware
Signature garments: ripped fishnet tops and tights deconstructed band tee leather biker jacket creepers or winklepickers spider-web shawls studded leather belts ankh and crucifix jewellery
Canonical brands: Demonia Lip Service Tripp NYC Killstar vintage 1980s thrift

About

Deathrock emerged from the Los Angeles punk scene around 1979, often credited to bands like Christian Death, 45 Grave, Kommunity FK and the early Cramps-adjacent crowd at Hollywood's Cathay de Grande. It runs parallel to British post-punk goth but keeps a louder punk edge — DIY zines, B-movie horror references, occult dabbling and a much rawer, hair-sprayed silhouette. The look reads as a graveyard sleepover: ripped fishnets layered over fishnets, deconstructed black tees, leather and lace, ankhs and crucifixes, smudged white face paint and elaborately backcombed two-tone hair shaved at the sides. The 2000s revival around bands like Cinema Strange and the global Drop Dead Festival kept it alive, and it cycles back through TikTok every time a new generation discovers Rozz Williams.

Not Trad Goth — Deathrock keeps a louder LA-punk edge with B-movie horror references; Trad Goth is the more polished British post-punk lineage from the Batcave.

On platforms

Hashtags to copy, brands to know, and live listings — per platform.

Not sure if this is the right aesthetic?

Drop a photo into Style Check and the tool will name the aesthetic, return adjacent and supporting reads, and surface the canonical hashtag set in seconds.

Try Style Check Depop hashtag generator Grailed hashtag generator