Teen Gothic

This isn’t music related, but I’ve developed a fear of getting old because I don’t want to have to stop expressing myself out of fear of being viewed as a manchild. I don’t judge older people who continue to dress in an alternative style – in fact, I admire them for staying true to themselves – but the relentless mockery that people like Robert Smith receive scares me. It seems like men who continue to dress goth into old age get judged even harder than women do. I plan on toning down my style as I get older but I dread the day when I wake up and find that I have one too many wrinkles to be able to pull off the androgynous vampire look. How do you cope?