Goth pants are black or near-black trousers chosen by the line they draw and the fabric they are made of: wide from the hip, flared from the knee, slim to the ankle, or cut short above the thigh, in lace, sheer mesh, corduroy, faux leather or dark denim. Pick the line first, then the fabric, then check the waist and hip in centimetres against a pair you already own.
Most shops sell goth pants as a single grid of chains, straps and cargo pockets. This guide sorts them by cut instead, keeps to the gothic and romantic side of the wardrobe, and gives every pair with its price and its sizes, and its measurements where the listing prints them. Everything named here is linked, and the rest sits in our gothic trousers and wide-leg goth pants collection.
Key Takeaways
- Goth pants come in four lines: wide-leg (wide from the hip), flared (wide from the knee down), slim jeans or leggings, and shorts.
- Lace or sheer mesh is what makes a flare gothic; ours come in S, M and L.
- Grunge jeans belong in a goth wardrobe as faded, loose denim under a black top half, not as ripped streetwear.
- The widest-sized picks here are lined faux leather leggings and corduroy shorts in S to 4XL, and grey flare jeans to 4XL.
- Measure a pair you own (waist, hip, length) and compare the centimetres, because only some of these listings print them and one sizes by weight.
What are goth pants?
Goth pants are any trousers that carry a gothic outfit from the waist down, and the cut matters more than the label. Wikipedia's entry on bell-bottoms draws the line most people blur: flares "become wider from the knees downward", while early naval bell-bottoms were often just very wide-legged trousers. So a wide-leg pair is loose from the hip, and a flare hugs the thigh and opens at the knee.
That gives you four shapes to choose between, and each does a different job. Wide-leg trousers make a long black column. Flares make a waisted silhouette that ends in movement. Slim jeans and leggings keep the leg narrow so a long top, a corset or a coat can do the talking. Shorts are for heat, worn over sheer tights. The rest of this guide takes them in that order.
Wide-leg goth pants
Wide-leg goth pants fall straight from a high waist and hide the shape of the leg entirely, which is why they sit so well under a fitted top. They are the closest thing in trousers to a long black skirt.
The Black Flowy Grunge Goth Pants are polyester mesh with an underlayer at the top, so they are covered at the hip and sheer through the lower leg. The waist is a high, elastic rise, the listing gives 92 to 94 cm of length and a 58 to 62 cm waist, and in the photos the legs end in a rippled hem. They cost $32.34 in M and $35.83 in L and XL. Wear them with a fitted long-sleeved mesh top and a platform boot that shows under the hem.
For wide-leg denim, see the Starfall Jeans in the jeans section below; the Starfall and The Butterfly Pair also sit in our trousers collection.
Goth flares
Flares are the most romantic of the four lines. Cut in lace or sheer mesh, the flare reads Victorian rather than seventies, and the opening at the knee moves when you walk.
The Raven's Lace Pants are built in two parts, which the listing calls a split joint: in the photos, an opaque high-waisted top section and legs of rose-patterned black lace that widen towards the hem. They come in S, M and L, at $49.00 in S and $77.99 in M and L. The listing sells the pants alone, without the top or belt in the photos.
The Sheer Flared Black Pants are the lighter version: sheer polyester and spandex with flared legs, patterned in the photo and opaque at the top. They are $31.02 in S and $34.51 in M and L. With either pair, keep the top half plain and fitted (a black bodysuit or a corset), so the lace is the only texture in the outfit.
If you want a flare you can wear every day, Death's Miracle is a grey flared jean in cotton and polyester, ankle length. It is sold from XS to 4XL, and the listing labels each size with a weight range, from XS (38 to 43 kg) to 4XL (80 to 90 kg). It costs $31.37 in XS and $36.71 in every size from S to 4XL. Flares and jeans also sit together in our alternative bottoms collection.
Goth jeans, and grunge jeans the gothic way
Goth jeans are black or washed-dark denim with one detail that pulls them into the wardrobe: lacing, say, or an embroidered motif. They are the practical pair for bad weather and long walks.
The Black Lace-Up Denim Pants are cotton and spandex denim in a washed black-grey (the listing's colour is "Black gray"), with lacing at the thigh in the photos. They run from XS to XXL, which is the widest letter range in this section, and the listing gives a waist of 60 to 79 cm, a hip of 96 to 115 cm and a length of 100 to 105 cm across those sizes. They cost $32.89 in XS and $41.41 from S to XXL.
The Butterfly Pair are slim-fit black jeans with a red butterfly detail at the bottom of the leg. The model is 5'6" (167 cm) and wears L. They come in XS/S, M, L and XL, at $40.55 in XS/S and $64.99 in M, L and XL.
What about grunge jeans?
Grunge began in mid-1980s Seattle, and Wikipedia's entry on grunge fashion describes thrift-store clothing worn loose to play down the shape of the body, with ripped or faded jeans. The gothic version keeps the loose, faded jean and changes everything above it: a black lace or mesh top instead of flannel, silver at the neck, heavy boots.
The Starfall Jeans are the pair we would build that on. They are wide-leg denim in a faded grey with a star print across the whole surface, relaxed through the hip and thigh, with contrast top-stitching and five pockets. They come in S, M and L at $59.99. The stars give a witchy, night-sky note that plain faded denim does not.
Goth leggings
Leggings are the narrowest line, and an old one. The Wikipedia entry on leggings counts the linen pantalettes worn under crinolines in the mid-19th century as a form of them. Wear them under something long: a tunic, a short dress, a coat.
The Victoria Mesh Leggings combine faux leather with lace: in the photo, a leather-look section at the top and lace down the legs. They are mid-waisted and ankle length, about 88 cm long, with a waist of 62 to 80 cm and hips of 80 to 106 cm. They are sold in one size at $29.27, so check those two measurements before you order.
For cold weather, the Black Goth Winter Leggings have a faux leather outside and a thermal inner layer, in S to 4XL ($31.02 in S, $34.51 from M to 4XL). Our goth winter outfit guide builds three outfits around them.
Goth shorts
Goth shorts are how the wardrobe survives summer: a short, high-waisted black pair over sheer black tights keeps the outfit dark without the heat of a full-length trouser.
The Velvet Goth High Waist Shorts are, despite the name, cotton corduroy, with a high rise and a button fly. They run from S to 4XL, with a waist of 60 to 90 cm, a hip of 78 to 112 cm and a length of 27 to 33 cm across the range, at $29.71 in S and $32.76 from M to 4XL. The listing tags them whimsigoth, and the model in the photos wears them with sheer tights and lace-up platform boots.
If you would rather the shorts looked like a skirt, the Elasticated Waist Gothic Skort is a pair of lightweight shorts cut to read as a skirt, in cotton and polyester with an elastic waist. It comes in S to XXXL, 36 cm long in S and 40 cm in the largest size, at $30.15 in S and $33.20 from M to XXXL. For a real skirt, our goth skirts guide goes through mini, midi and maxi.
How should goth pants fit?
Goth pants fit by measurement, so measure before you choose a letter. Lay a pair you already like flat, measure across the waistband and across the widest part of the hip, double both, and measure from the waistband to the hem. Then compare those three numbers with the listing.
A few things to check on these pieces in particular:
- Waist type: The flowy wide-leg pants and the skort have elastic waists, so the figures given are a stretch range. The corduroy shorts have a button fly, so the waist figure is the one that has to fit.
- Length against your boots: Flares and wide legs are meant to break over the shoe. If you wear a platform, the hem needs to reach the floor with the boots on; our goth boots guide gives heel and platform heights.
- Weight-labelled sizes: Death's Miracle prints a weight range beside each letter and no centimetres. Treat the weight as a rough guide and compare its letter size with a pair you own.
- One size: The Victoria leggings come in one size, so the waist and hip ranges printed on the listing are the whole fit guide.
If you are building a small wardrobe around one pair, our goth capsule wardrobe checklist shows how a pair of black trousers works with a long skirt and three tops. For trousers that pass an office dress code, see our corporate goth guide.
Goth pants in plus sizes
Where each pair in this guide stops:
- Black Goth Winter Leggings: S to 4XL.
- Velvet Goth High Waist Shorts: S to 4XL (hip up to 112 cm).
- Death's Miracle grey flare jeans: XS to 4XL, labelled to 80 to 90 kg.
- Elasticated Waist Gothic Skort: S to XXXL.
- Black Lace-Up Denim Pants: XS to XXL (hip up to 115 cm).
- The Butterfly Pair: XS/S to XL.
- Black Flowy Grunge Goth Pants: M to XL.
- Raven's Lace Pants, Sheer Flared Black Pants and Starfall Jeans: S to L.
- Victoria Mesh Leggings: one size (hip 80 to 106 cm).
So above XL, the wardrobe here is the lined leggings, the corduroy shorts, the skort, the grey flares and, at XXL only, the lace-up jeans; the lace flares and the wide-leg pants stop at L and XL. For other independent labels and how far their sizes go, read our plus-size goth clothing guide, and for more of our own larger pieces browse the plus-size collection.
Frequently asked questions
What are goth pants called?
There is no single name. Shops sell them as goth pants, gothic trousers or alternative bottoms, and the cut names (wide-leg, flares, bell-bottoms) are the useful words to search. Another name you will meet is tripp pants: Wikipedia's gothic fashion entry lists them among the classic goth pieces that the cybergoth and rivethead looks of the late 1990s borrowed.
Are jeans goth?
They can be. Black or washed-dark denim with lacing, a printed motif or an embroidered detail sits in a goth wardrobe, especially under a lace or mesh top. Faded grey denim works too, as long as the top half stays black.
What do goths wear in hot weather?
Shorts or a skort over sheer black tights, or a pair of sheer flares with an opaque top section. Both keep the outline dark with far less fabric than a full-length trouser.
Are leggings goth?
Yes, in lace, mesh or faux leather, worn under something longer. Because they hug the leg, they work best under anything that covers the hips, such as a tunic or a long coat.
Start with the cut you would wear most often, then compare the centimetres, and browse our gothic trousers collection for the rest.
