Cyber Fashion; origins & subculture

Cyber fashion and cybergoth fashion are generally thought of as interchangeable terms, and followers of the subculture itself often refer to themselves as "cybergoths," "cyber punks", or "cyberkids." This subculture is responsible for the creation of cyber fashion. Today, this niche subculture enjoys a relatively small following consisting primarily of young ravers and clubbers, and of gothy and industrial offshoots.

While modern cyber fashion is believed to have roots exclusively in the European clubbing scene, clear connections exist with the famed designer Rudi Gernreich's work of the 1950s and 60s. Generally using the canvas that was model Peggy Moffitt's body, Rudi was the first designer to incorporate non-clothing items and fabric, such as plastic wraps and hardware, into his clothing deigns. Non-clothing clothing is one of the unique qualities setting cyber apart from mainstream fashion.

Cyber Looks Like;

Cyber Clothing
Today, cyber fashion is marked primarily by science-fiction inspired clothing. Expect to see bright UV-reactive and glow-in-the-dark fabric (and also quite commonly plastic or other off-the-wall materials) contrasting with black or other dark fabric. Machinery bits and computer chips are sometimes used in unique pieces of jewelry. Wires and plastic tubes are also factored into designs. Cutouts, where-ever possible, are favored.

Cyber fashion takes inspiration from gothic and industrial fashions, and therefore certain aspects resemble these other fashions. Large industrial style boots, but generally platformed, are the almost exclusive footwear of cyberkids. Black and other dark shades are predominate colors, but by no means mandatory. All-over florescent yellow and orange and neon pinks and greens can also serve as base colors for any outfit.

Cyber Face & Makeup
Facial peircings, tattooes, and other body modifications are extremely common in cyber fashion, as with industrial, punk, and gothic fashions. Hair is almost always heavily processed, dyed and styled to look unnatural. Googles, typically worn on the head or around the neck instead of on the eyes, are another typical asthetic. Frequently biohazard and nuclear symbols appear on the eyepeice of the goggles frequently, making them useless to wear anyway.

Makeup is generally dramatic and unnatural by intention. As with clothes, bright flourecent colors, or sometimes black, is a staple to any cyberpunk's eyeshadow collection. Eye-changing contacts, as to symbols typical of biohazard warning signs, X'es, or cat-eyes and others, but rarely normal pupils. Unnatural lip colors are used also, but to a lesser frequency.

Falls & Cyberlox;

Falls, cyberlox, or dread falls are also very popular within the cyber fashion scene. "Falls" or "cyber falls" refer to hair pieces made of yarn resembling dreadlocks. They come in a variety of colors and are widely available. Cyberlox typically refer to plastic tubing clipped into the falls (and sometimes in your hair directly, or are a part of the cyber falls piece). They aid in making the hair appear larger.

Resources;;

The Cyberpunk Project: A website dedicated to cyberpunk fashion.
Savage Garden: A Canadian club appealing predominately to cyberpunks.
Cyberdog: One of the first cyber fashion designers.

Where To Buy;;

US-based

Scallies: Unique peices, but small selection.
Sludge Faktory: More industrial than cyber, but the two are closely related.

Overseas

Cyberdog: The first real cyber brand. Based in the UK.