• activex

• basque

• bic code

• bodice

• bondage

• bustier

• chiffon

• choker

• cookies

• corsage

• corset

• cotton

• deathrock

• d-ring

• ebm

• flash

• fleece

• gothic

• hoodie

• iban

• javascript

• leatherette

• nappa leather

• nubuck

• off-the-shoulder

• onesize

• organza

• o-ring

• paypal

• petticoat

• pgp

• punk

• pvc

• rockabilly

• rubber

• satin

• ssl

• tightlacing

• tulle

• velour

• velvet

• visa- mastercard

• voile

• waistline

• wool

ActiveX is a Microsoft technology also known as OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) whose primary function is to facilitate the integration of multimedia content on a website. ActiveX, or ActiveX Controls are used on a daily basis by almost all internet users, the most prominent examples are Acrobat Reader, Adobe Flash Player, RealPlayer and Apple QuickTime. The security concerns with this technology are due to the fact that ActiveX can do almost anything a program you would run on your harddrive could do, so the potential threat when downloading ActiveX elements from a website you don’t know or trust are high. Running Internet Explorer 6 or more recent versions helps minimizing the risk, so does downloading ActiveX controls only from websites you trust.

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A basque is a sleeveless and strapless top very similar to a bustier, except it is longer and usually covers the waistline. Modern basques are contouring items that emphasizes the bust by pushing the bosom upwards, but it lacks the form-molding properties of a genuine corset. Instead these items often feature decorative front and / or back lace-up details. Adepts of the romantic movement within the gothic scene are very fond of these clothes, some of the favorites in our gothic shop include the Celanil and Dandy Distress tops for women.

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BIC is the acronym for Bank Identifier Code, and is also known by the names SWIFT-BIC of SWIFT code. It is the unique code to identify a particular bank, including country and geographic location - it is a uniform identification approved by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). BIC is used for international wire transfers, in combination with the IBAN, as well as money transfers between banks. You can usually find this number on your monthly account statements, or you need to contact your local branch

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A bodice is clothing for women that covers the body from neck to waist, with removable sleeves or no sleeves, with a low cut. The purpose of the bodice is to achieve a fashionable shape and support the bust, and while traditional bodices were worn over a genuine corset, modern bodices are often worn instead of a corset. While some bodices are stiffened, they do not have the same shaping properties a corset will have, their purpose is more decorative than functional. Thigtlacing on a bodice is not possible. Bodices, originally an article of clothing from the 16th century survived into modern times in the medieval or renaissance scene, and in the romantic branch of the gothic scene. Popular examples in our gothic shop include Abraxas and La Veuve.

NOTE: The word bodice is also used to refer to the upper portion of a one or two piece dress, to distinguish it from the skirt and sleeves parts.

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Bondage is used to refer to the practice of being bound and restrained for pleasure, usually in a sexual context. Bondage, a practice commonly associated to the fetish scene, has gained tremendous popularity in “regular” couples too, and is equally popular among men and women, of all sexual orientations. Bondage has also had a major impact on the gothic and punk scene, with the famous bondage trousers, made popular in the 70’s by Malcolm McLarren, legendary manager of the Sex Pistols, and Vivienne Westwood, the not less legendary fashion designer. This style of clothing has been a fixture of the dark scene ever since, always popular, like our Made in Hell top for women, the Corrosion trousers or the Rampage men’s skirt.

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A bustier is a sleeveless (and often strapless) top held in place by elastic or stretch fabrics, sometimes through boning (although mesh panels are often used too). It is a form fitting item, designed to shape and enhance the bust line by pushing the bust up, tightening against the midriff and thus forcing the bosom to move up, all while gently shaping the waist. A bustier is similar to a basque, except it is shorter, it reaches only down to the waist or ribs. In “regular” fashion bustiers are often worn as undergarment instead of a push-up bra, while in the gothic scene, bustiers are mainly used as outer wear. Examples of strapless bustiers include the Cerenus and Countess tops, with straps we recommend having a look at the Conflict bustier.

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Chiffon is the French word for cloth, and is a lightweight woven fabric, usually made from silk or nylon, somewhat stretchable and slightly rough to the touch. It is commonly used in elegant dresses because of the flowing appearance of chiffon, but it is also popular for blouses and lingerie. Chiffon frays very easily because of its delicate nature, so gentle hand washing is recommended. Examples of how chiffon is used in gothic clothing can be seen by means of our Rapture skirt and Zombie Princess top.

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Chokers are tight fitting necklaces worn high on the neck, usually consisting of one or more adjustable bands circling the neck, either laced-up in the back or closed with hooks or pressure buttons. Classic chokers as often used in the romantic movement of the gothic scene are often made from a single wide band and lots of lace, heavily ornate with pearls, gems and ribbons (examples: Acantha or Galgaliel). Other variations of chokers are inspired by their cousins from the fetish scene, like the Bondage Choker.

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HTTP cookies, or cookies for short, are parcels of text stored on your hard disk and used by web browsers to exchange information between the website-server and the computer of any visitor. Personal information is stored inside the file which is then used for authenticating, tracking and maintaining that information when you visit the website, like preferences or the contents of electronic shopping carts. Contrary to popular belief, cookies are not programs, and are unable to perform any operations by themselves. Still, some antiviruses and anti-spyware programs identify cookies as a threat, because cookies are also used by advertisers to track your behavior on the internet in order to target the displayed adds to your personal preferences. Modern browsers will allow users to disable cookies, but this will usually result in making many websites unusable, especially online shops like our gothic store - buying clothing from us will be impossible if you have set your Internet Explorer or Firefox to reject cookies.

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A corsage is a piece of clothing for women very similar in look to a corset, but contrary to the corset it does not fit as tight, and it usually is not boned. Simplified, you could say a corsage is a sort of ornamental corset, and it is often confused with a corset because the look alike. It is also the term used to refer to the bodice part of a dress. The gothic tops Unsung or Ambrosia are a good example for a bodice.

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A corset is an elegant piece of clothing with extremely tight fit, whose primary purpose is to emphasize the womanly curves by reducing the waist, and thus exaggerating the bust and hips in comparison. Corsets divide into two main categories, overbust corsets that enclose the torso, and which extend from under the arms to the hips, and underbust corsets that begin just under the breasts. A third, shorter kind of corset which only covers the waist are, is commonly called waist ‘chincher’.

A genuine corset is made by a corsetiere (or corsetmaker) and is not to be mistaken for one of imitations commonly seen in the fashion industry, mimicking the look of a corset, sometimes even providing lacing and boning, but without any noticeable effect on the shape of the body when worn. Even in the gothic fashion scene, these fakes are also commonly misnamed corsets, but at The Black Angel, when we use the word corset, we refer to a genuine corset, made on demand for us by a renowned corsetiere.

Corsets are popular with the romantic fraction of the gothic scene, with items made from materials like satin as shown with the “Shadow Ivy” underbust corset or the “Radiant Spirit” overbust corset, but fetish themed items like the “Dead of Night” leather corset or the “Lady Lethal” PVC corset are likewise popular in the scene.

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Cotton is a soft fiber that grows on the cotton plant, often spun into yarn or thread and used to make textiles that are both breathable and soft, and it is the most widely used natural-fiber today for clothing. It is used for a great number of textile products, for example t-shirts are commonly made from cotton, but also denim (used to make jeans) and corduroy are made from this versatile fiber. The majority o gothic clothes we carry in our shop are made from cotton, typically coats (Saint Inferno) or skirts (Skeleton Kiss).

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Deathrock is a subgenre of punk and goth that emerged in London and the West Coast of the USA in the late 70’s, and is one of the oldest subgenres of the dark scene. Both visually and musically Deathrock became famous for taking punk attitude and looks and incorporating horror and spooky elements. Just like punk music, it often relies on simple chords and beats, a prominent bass line and a straight forward drum rhythm, adding an eerie mood created with scratchy guitar riffs and samples taken from campy horror and sci-fi movies. Visually, Deathrock kept a lot of it’s punk heritage, Mohawks and safety pins are common, torn and ripped clothing too, but everything is done with a dark twist, the overall look is gloomier than punk, and often sexier too, it is not uncommon that Deathrock-girls wear visible garters on top of their leo-print tights.

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D-rings are usually a metal ring shaped like the letter “D” and are often used at the end of a leather or fabric strap, or they are secured to a fabric surface using another strap. D-rings are a popular piece of hardware for bondage-style clothing, and often have a purely ornamental function, or are used to secure detachable bondage-straps to the garments. A majority of gothic clothing rely on d-rings to create an edgy and sexy look. D-rings come in various sizes, gauges and materials, including nylon and plastic too. You can see great use of d-rings on examples like the Scarecrow Man and Dreadwind tops or the Rampage skirt.

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EBM is the acronym for electronic body music, a term coined by the Belgian Band Front 242 and used to describe a hard electronic music with hard (sometimes) danceable beats, repetitive sequencer lines and undistorted vocals, a subgenre of the industrial scene that emerged in the early 80’s. EBM rhythms often rely on 4/4 beats to suggest a rock music feeling and structure, and rock guitars are sometimes integrated to lend a more aggressive feeling to the sound. The EBM scene had a decline in the mid 90’s, but has since regained in popularity and has a strong following in the gothic scene in Europe, often taking the lion’s share of songs on DJ setlists at underground parties.

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Adobe Flash, initially known as Shockwave Flash and popularly called simply Flash, is a technology introduced in 1996 and a common method for adding animated and interactive content to websites. It is a client application available in common web browsers, but might sometimes require the separate downloading and installation of a flash player.

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Fleece, sometimes also known as Polar fleece, is a soft synthetic wool fabric which has some of wools finest qualities while weighing only a fraction of the lightest wool. Fleece is commonly used for casual jackets (Deathwish), sweaters and in the case of our gothic shop, hoodies (Made in Hell)! Fleece is very soft and light, easy to wash (30°C or cold wash) and extremely warm with a relative thin layer of material. It is an alternative to wool, for people with allergies, or for vegans, as it can be manufactured from recycled PET plastic bottles.

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Gothic (or goth) is a contemporary subculture that emerged in the UK in the early 80’s, an offshoot of post-punk and rock music, that has since spread to all corners of the world. The goth subculture is the longest surviving subculture with nearly three decades, and has continued to grow and diversify since the early days, taking on many diverse influences like nineteenth century gothic literature, horror and sci-fi b-movies, fetish and to a lesser extent even BDSM elements. Gothic is commonly associated with gloomy, spooky, eerie or creepy mystical moods and atmospheres, both in fashion, aesthetics and musical tastes, however this view is a bit limited, as there is a broad range of diverging sub-styles and interests within this definition, and not all people sharing these tastes belong to the gothic scene. Fashion styles range from punk and old-school deathrock to romantic Renaissance and Victorian style dresses, including industrial, military or androgynous looks, or any combination of the above. The most obvious common denominator is a preference for black.

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Hoodie is the short name of a hooded sweatshirt, an is an upper-body garment made from heavy fabric, usually with long sleeves and always with a hood, which lends this type of clothes its characteristic name. The design usually also includes deep frontal pockets, and the hood can often be adjusted with drawstrings. Popular examples from are gothic shop include the Made in Hell hoodie.

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IBAN stands for International Bank Account Number and is an international standard for identifying bank accounts across national borders, introduced in the European Union during summer 2002, to facilitate international wire transfers and other cross border transactions within the EU. IBAN is not yet used for routing though, as it is a fairly new standard and has yet to be adopted by all major countries, which can take up to ten years. Until then, for international wire transfers outside the EU, it has to be used in combination with the BIC code (formerly known as SWIFT code) - both numbers in conjunction contain all the routing or sorting data and all account information to make the transfer.

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JavaScript is a scripting language owned by Sun Microsystems and first introduced in 1995 with the Netscape internet browser. JavaScript code is run locally in the user’s browser instead on a remote server, making this technology very reactive and responsive to user actions. It’s primary use is to enable functions embedded or included in HTML pages, the most common example is changing images or text color when the mouse cursor moves over them, and the most important function is without doubt the validation of web forms and data you have put in before submitting them to the server. In the case of our gothic shop, this would be the customer details or terms and conditions, for example.

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Nappa leather is a very soft and durable type of leather, usually made from lamb or sheep and which can be found in high-end furniture, german luxury cars, expensive wallets - and in our amazing gothic coats, like the Saint Inferno and Harbringer, or our women's leather coat Murderdoll. We have chosen this fabric because it will last you a long time and guarantee the best wearing comfort you can wish for.

Cleaning tipp: Leather coats made from nappa will look new like the first day if treated well, so while it is a quite resistent fabric, if you wear it outdoors during winter, you should take care to brush of any rests of salt used to free the roads from ice and which might have come into contact with your coat. Salt can bleach out the original black dye of your coat, but brushing it off will prevent that from happening. Cleaning is easy, just brush your coat with a soft clothing brush and soap.

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Nubuck is a rawhide leather that has been sanded on the grain side (outside) and treated to produce a velvet-like surface, making it a light and comfortable material similar to suede, but finer. The difference between both is that suede is created from the inside of a hide, while nubuck is created fro the outer side, resulting in a stronger and thicker material with fine grain. It usually is a more expensive material than suede, which need heavy dying to cover up the sanding process, and was the fabric of choice among cowboys, as it is a great material to make coats - like our gothic “Freakshow” coat.

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An off-the-shoulder-neck is a neckline that does not cover the shoulders, it lies accross the bust and arms, leaving the shoulders uncovered. This kind of neck is often found in the more classic and romantic style of clothing in our online store, like for example the Abraxas or Omori top.

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Onesize, also known as one size, OS or one size fits all is a unique clothing size for men’s or women’s clothing and means that this piece of clothing is only manufactured in one unique size. The name onesize implies that this particular size will fit everybody, which is of course nonsense. Rather, it is a size that will fit any average sized person, women with a clothing size S or M, and men with clothes size M or L. Most of these items can be stretched a little bit, some can be stretched a lot, it depends, so it could be possible that a onesize item will fit larger or smaller sized persons too. Some of these items, like our Countesse gothic skirts, have an elastic seam, and will even with clothing sizes XL+.

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Organza is a fine sheer lightweight fabric with a stiff feel, traditionally made from silk, often with a metallic sheen, and popular for elegant or dressy clothing. Modern organza is woven from synthetic filaments, while luxury Organza from France or Italy is still made from silk. Gothic dresses like Melantha use organza for extra gorgeous looks.

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O-ring refers to a round metal ring and is named after the letter “O”. While all rings are obviously round, the term o-ring is often used to make a clear distinction to it’s counterpart the d-ring, shaped like the letter “D”. It is commonly used for bondage-style clothing, often in combination with detachable bondage-straps.

Note: When used in our gothic shop, it does not refer to the BDSM symbol, a ring named after the French book “Story of O”, worn on the left or right hand to symbolize submission or domination.

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PayPal is an e-commerce business enabling online payments sent from email to email through the Paypal website. All you need is an email address to set up your account. For those who don’t wish to pay by credit card, it is a electronic alternative to cheques or money orders. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the eBay Corporation.

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Petticoats are underskirts, worn under the visible skirt, and their purpose is to add volume to the look of the upper skirt. Petticoats can be made of several layers of stiff mesh or net, with flounces to extend the skirt. The number of layers determines how much volume is added. A variation of the petticoat is the crinoline, a petticoat with one or several flexible hoops made from plastic or nylon. These lightweight hoops add a bell-shape to the dress. Petticoats and crinoline-petticoats are very popular for formal and wedding dresses, or with adepts of the Victorian and Baroque eras, and constitute a key element in any elegant gothic outfit.

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PGP is the acronym for Pretty Good Privacy, a widespread computer program created by Philip Zimmermann in 1991, which provides cryptographic privacy and authentication, essentially for e-mail communications. PGP detects whether a message has been altered between the moment it was sent and the moment it was received by the intended recipient, thus verifying the integrity of the message and if the sender really is the person he claims to be (digital signature).

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Punk rock is an anti-establishment subculture and music genre that emerged in the mid- 70’s in the United States and the UK, where the visual aspect of punk was heavily influenced by Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood, who sold the early traditional punk outfits in their legendary shop SEX. The original punk fashion was a shocking and rebellious as possible, with deliberately offensive t-shirts, intentionally torn clothing covered with safety pins, rivets, studs, chains and patches. Leather jackets and customized blazers (like our Riot Queen or Horror Business jackets) were introduced very early, and are still a common fixture of punk fashion, as were spiked or studded wristbands and chokers. Female punks rebelled against stereotypical feminine images by combining opposites like delicate and pretty clothing with typical male clothing, like ballet tutus with big heavy boots.

The gothic scene is deeply rooted in the punk scene, which is why the early batcave and deathrock movement borrowed many style elements from punk, except black is the predominant color instead of red tartan. Deathrock incorporates a sexier image by incorporating fishnets and elaborate make-up for both men and women, and corsets and garters for the girls. Occult and horror imagery are dominant, as is the legendary Crimson Ghost skull, emblematic symbol of the fiendish horrorpunks The Misfits.

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PVC is the abbreviation for Polyvinyl chloride, a thermoplastic polymer often used as fabric for clothes in the gothic and fetish scene. PVC clothing is usually jet-black in color with a skin-tight fit, and is often mistaken for similar materials like shiny patent leather, and even latex sometimes. Many stereotypical fetish outfits like the ever popular dominatrix look rely on PVC clothes, like catsuits, miniskirts and trousers.

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Rockabilly emerged in the early-1950's and is one of the earliest styles of rock music. It is a combination of rock and hillbilly music, hence the name. The popularity of this style waned in the mid-60’s and almost completely disappeared until the mid-80’s, when the Stray Cats spearheaded a rockabilly revival in the UK, and later in the US. This revival has endured to the present, and has left it’s mark on the gothic scene too, engendering own subgenres like psychobilly (more punkish) or gothabilly (more atmospheric). The revival did also bring back the rockabilly fashion, although male fans usually prefer the greaser look as practiced in the Us, with gas station work shirts, Aloha shirts, biker jackets, leopard skin accents and lots of hair pomade and long sideburns. Women’s fashion however has revived differently, the poodle skirts and letter sweaters were dropped - instead, glamorous dresses and petticoats or bad girl pinup looks became increasingly popular, and still are today.

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Latex rubber, often referred to just as latex or rubber, has traditionally been used in protective clothing like boots and gasmask. The material was quickly adopted by the BDSM and is often used in fetish fashion. It is very popular because of the dramatic appearance and shiny sheen. It is a skin-tight fabric providing a second skin sensation. Rubber can be used to make almost any item that can be made from more traditional fabrics. Rubber or latex clothing is generally made from large sheets of latex delivered in rolls, the material comes in various thicknesses, but the average ranges around 0.5 mm. Latex rubber clothing cannot be sewn, it is glues around the seams. It is a fragile material that needs special care to avoid damages.

Note: Other types of rubber include a foam like structure, which is not used as main fabric for making clothing, it is more commonly used for decorative purposes like rubber plating (see our cyber armors for examples).

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Satin is a weaved fabric with a glossy surface and dull backside, commonly made from silk, nylon or polyester. This material is particularly popular due to its high luster and smooth, light, flowing appearance. Satin, along with velvet, is one of the primary fabric types used in the romantic look traditionally associated with the gothic scene. Examples of clothes made from satin are the skirt of the Mirela dress, the lining of the Murderdoll coat and the ribbons of the Moonlight Promenade dress.

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SSL is the abbreviation of Secure Socket Layer, a cryptographic protocol that provides secure communications on the internet for web browsers, e-mail applications, instant messaging and other data transfers, like online shopping for instance. The SSL protocol enables applications to communicate in a network, like the internet, in a way that prevents eavesdropping or message forgery, thus guaranteeing communications privacy for sensitive data like personal information.

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Tightlacing is the practice of wearing a tightly laces corset in order to achieve extreme reduction of the waist, as well as enjoying the feeling of wearing such a tight corset. This practice is often referred to as corset training or waist training, and great care needs to be taken when achieving smallest waist sizes to not damage your corset - or inner organs. Not all tightlacers strive to achieve the smallest possible waist, many stop at a certain point and don’t go further when they have reached aesthetic proportions, which of course a matter of taste.

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Tulle is a fine netting, light weight, made from fibres like nylon and silk often used for veils and it add volume to gowns like dresses and skirts. A classic example for where tulle is used is a ballet tutu. In the case of gothic clothes, it is often used in short skirts or rockabilly style skirts and of course our luxurious petticoats. Some examples of items with tulle are the Countesse Noire and Crypt Thing skirts.

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Velour is the knitted counterpart of velvet (see below), combining stretching properties of knits with the rich appearance and feel of velvet. Velour is often used for warm and comfortable clothing with opulent looks. A typical example for velour is the Sacrifice jacket.

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Velvet is a tufted fabric with a distinctive look and feel, made from different kinds of fibers, ideally silk, but often cotton or viscose are used instead. It is woven on a special loom, producing two lengths of velvet simultaneously that are later cut apart. Velvet was historically a very expensive and considered to be a luxury good, just like silk, while corduroy and velveteen were the poor man’s substitute. Velvet is difficult to clean, but it’s no challenge the dry cleaners in modern times. The gothic scene is very fond of this material when it comes to dresses, skirts and tops, especially panne velvet, a type of finish which gives the material a shiny look is very popular. Velvet’s knitted counterpart is velour (see above). Typical examples of how velvet is used for gothic clothing is the Moonlight Promenade dress, the Lailah top or Magdalena skirt.

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MasterCard and Visa are two major credit card companies whose principal business is the processing of payments between the merchant’s bank and the bank of a purchaser. Both card types are used worldwide for purchases in stores and online shops. We accept both types on our website.

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Voile is a light weight fabric made from cotton, whose name originates from the French word for a veil - because of its semi-transparent quality. In fashion voile is often used in multiple layers, or laid as top layer over a second material, like the beautiful Razakielle gothic skirt.

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The waistline is the demarcation between the upper and lower portions of a garment, and usually corresponds to the natural waist of the body. Many variations in length exist however, from below the bust to below the hips, depending on which features of the body are to be accentuated.

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Wool is primarily derived from the fur of domestic sheep raised and bread for that purpose, but sometimes more eccentric hairs from other mammals such as llamas and goats may also be used. Wool has different properties than fur or hair though, mainly elasticity, much great than any artificial fiber and tensile strength, which gives it a high resistance to stress and wear. Other beneficial properties of wool is the ability to absorb moisture and still feel dry, resistance to static electricity and flame resistance - wool is difficult to ignite, and flames spread only slowly while barely releasing heat. It also serves as insulator, keeping the body temperature at an even temperature, perfect for coats like the Preacherman.

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