Women took their cues from their favorite bandmates (Siouxsie Sioux, Patricia Morrison, Andrew Eldritch, and Dave Vanian) and donned elements of period costume: sweeping skirts, bodices, and corsets, which they subverted with accents of PVC, latex, and dominatrix leather. Men were similarly flamboyant, blurring gender lines with crucifixes, nail polish, and creepy makeup, which they wore in an unconventional way with combat boots and worn leather jackets.

By the time the 90s came around, the subculture had split into different movements. There were the future-oriented cybergoths who loved raving, listening to science fiction and techno, easily recognizable by their Matrix-style trench coats and phosphorescent rave markings. Elsewhere, the gothabilly scene paid homage to 50s pin-ups like Bettie Page, who were revived via pencil skirts, fishnet tights, beehives and exaggerated wings. By the mid-00s, however, things had fizzled out. Sure, goth was still rattling around, but only in the folds and crevices of the culture. And now, today, it has infiltrated the mainstream once again. And we have the return of Beetle juice to thank for that. In the words of the mind with the most self: “It’s showtime!”

So, what will goths look like in 2024? Well, there’s no definitive answer to that. While in the 80s you had to adhere to a strict dress code, things are much more fluid these days. In this age of individuality, goths can be anything as long as it’s rooted in a celebration of darkness. Goth is Mariacarla Boscono in the Beetle juice premiere, a ghostly apparition in a silk and feathered Ann Demeulemeester gown. It’s Michèle Lamy’s Brobdingnagian Comme des Garçons proportions and Erykah Badu’s towering witch hats. It’s Doja Cat’s Mephistophelian prosthetics and Billie Eilish’s vampire fangs. It’s Fecal Matter wearing a full-bodied Rick Owens and Arca in her underwear. It’s Ethel Cain’s Southern Gothic prairie girl, but it’s also Amanda Harlech looking feminine in Chanel.

At their core, goths are outsiders, disruptors, rebels. Yes, there is an underlying look, but goth is so much more than an aesthetic. It is not a fair-weather trend or yesterday’s viral news item. It is an attitude and an unapologetic way of life. Like Winona, goth is forever.

Tish Weinstock is the author of the upcoming How To Be a Goth: Notes on Undead Style, which is available for pre-order now