Gothic Clothing Near Me on Melrose: Posers Hollywood and New Rock LA

Posers Hollywood has sold subculture clothing on Melrose Avenue since 1985, and today it runs two doors: the main shop at 7417 Melrose Ave and New Rock LA a few steps east at 7407. Both open at noon every day and close at 6pm, except Saturday, when they stay open until 7pm. For anyone searching gothic clothing near me who wants boots first, this is the stop in Los Angeles with the deepest wall of New Rock, from a $299 shoe to $949 military-style boots.

Posers describes itself as a punk, ska and alternative store, and its own mission line sums up the approach: the spirit of rebellion has been the guiding principle since 1985, carrying the brands that built subcultures and dressing the people who refuse to blend in. That history matters on a street where alternative boutiques open and close quickly. Necromance and the Kreepsville Melrose shop are gone, while Posers has kept its doors open across four decades of changing fashion.

The store is not a goth specialist in the strict sense. Its largest single brand is Fred Perry, including an exclusive Amy Winehouse x Fred Perry collection, and the mod and ska side of the shop is obvious as soon as you walk in. What makes it essential for goth shoppers is the overlap: Lip Service, Tripp NYC, George Cox and New Rock, the labels that dark-fashion wardrobes are built on, all live in the same two storefronts.

New Rock LA at 7407 Melrose is the reason many shoppers make the trip. The Spanish bootmaker's heavy soles, metal plates and buckles are hard to buy without trying on, and Posers lists more than fifty New Rock styles. Shoes such as the M-994 start at $299, a large group of boots sits at $349.99, and the most elaborate styles, like the M-313 and M-314, run to $849 and $949. Try both sizes if you are between them, since the boots are rigid.

If New Rock is too much, the Dr. Martens section is the softer entry. The 1B99 Whimsigoth boot, a 14-eye leather and velvet lace-up, is $250, and the Pascal Whimsigoth Arcadia version is $190. T.U.K. pointed creepers with buckles and studs sit at $149.99, a classic goth-and-rockabilly shoe that works with tailored trousers. Posers also carries kids' sizes in some lines, useful for families shopping together.

Lip Service, a long-running alternative label with a big following among goths and punks, is the main clothing draw. Posers stocks the Lip Service x Riddick Cathedral Mini Dress at $79.99, the Gangsta Pranksta corset top at $85.99, the Sleeping Beauty Corset at $99 and the Black PVC Industrial Ball Gown at $189. Smaller pieces include the Classic Fishnet Long Sleeve top at $49 and the Dagger Bat Baby Tee at $39.99, good layering basics.

Tripp NYC covers trousers. The Classic Slim Leg Bondage Pant is $129, with straps, zips and D-rings that make it a staple for punk-goth crossover outfits, and the same cut comes in a yellow tartan plaid at the same price. Pair the trousers with a pair of creepers and a fishnet top and you have a complete look from one store, which is exactly how many first-time visitors use Posers.

Metal finishes the look. New Rock makes jewelry as well as boots, and Posers stocks pieces such as the Sinful B1-154 necklace at $180 and a Braza cuff bracelet at $139, both in the same heavy, gothic-industrial style as the soles. Lip Service adds smaller items such as a $29.99 trucker hat, and the PVC Von Zipper mini skirt at $79.99 is the shop's easiest club-night piece.

Weekday afternoons are the easiest time to try on boots without waiting for a seat. Saturday is the busiest day on Melrose, and Posers' extra hour until 7pm makes it a good last stop after other shops close at 6pm. Staff field size and stock questions by phone at (323) 653-4393 or by email at shop@posersonline.com, which helps if you are hunting one specific New Rock model.

Posers pitches itself to both longtime scene regulars and newcomers just starting to explore alternative fashion, and its own description leans on knowledgeable staff rather than self-service. If you are building a goth wardrobe from scratch, start with boots, because the sole you choose decides the proportions of everything else, then build trousers and tops around them. The store also publishes size guides online, worth reading before you try on a rigid New Rock boot for the first time.

Skip Posers if you want romantic Victorian goth, velvet gowns or a shop where everything is black. The large Fred Perry selection gives the store a mod feel, and there are no ball gowns outside the Lip Service PVC piece. For long velvet dresses and vegan pieces, walk east to FOXBLOOD at 7262 Melrose Ave, a minimalist goth label that is closed on Mondays and open the rest of the week from noon to 6pm.

Posers sits in the Melrose and Fairfax pocket of Los Angeles, and Metro bus Line 10 runs along Melrose Avenue between West Hollywood and downtown. A loop that starts here, heads east to FOXBLOOD and then turns to Dolls Kill at 415 N Fairfax Ave covers three different takes on dark fashion. Dolls Kill stays open until 8pm daily, so you can end the evening there after Posers and FOXBLOOD have closed.

Address: Posers Hollywood, 7417 Melrose Ave, and New Rock LA, 7407 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046. Phone: (323) 653-4393. Hours: Monday to Friday and Sunday 12pm to 6pm, Saturday 12pm to 7pm. Since: 1985. Prices: Lip Service x Riddick Cathedral Mini Dress $79.99, Sleeping Beauty Corset $99, Tripp NYC Classic Slim Leg Bondage Pant $129, T.U.K. pointed creepers $149.99, Dr. Martens 1B99 Whimsigoth $250, New Rock boots from $349.99.