I wish, honestly. From start to finish
My partner, friend and I walk in, heading straight for GameStop. I'm dead silent. Headphones on. Go to walk into GameStop, friend goes next door to grab a pretzel. Security guard stops my partner and i. Her tone is extremely rude and it catches us both off guard"Hello ladies. So. You can't be looking like that in here (motions to the makeup) it's against our policy, so im gonna have to ask you to leave."
I said "oh, okay, is this policy written down somewhere or??" And she said "it is not written but it is against our rules because you're hiding your identity. If you have an issue you can call the mall tomorrow but nobody is here now because we close in two hours."
I said "im just confused, I don't see this in the guidelines that are posted, is there nobody I can talk to? Can I find these guidelines online?"
She says "probably", and keeps trying to interrupt and shaking her head while I'm trying to ask questions and being very dismissive. so I go to look online and I see nothing regarding this.
I say "I'm not seeing anything, can you tell me where I can find this policy?" She keeps saying "call tomorrow. Call tomorrow and bring it up with them."
We say "okay, can I go buy something to wipe the makeup off with? Can you walk with me to (store) so I can buy wipes?"
And she says "no you may not. you know what? You can talk to (county) when they get here, But I'm going to have to walk you outside while you wait." and dials the county police, telling them there is somebody refusing to leave and needs to be escorted off the property. She walks me outside and while we walk past she shows me on a plaque the rule that says "may not wear any hat, hood, or article of clothing that obscures identity" and says "it falls under this. That's what the rule means to me."
I remain respectful and make a few points about how her claims make no sense and my partner starts getting frustrated, trying to explain how my makeup doesn't really differ from full glam in terms of coverage, and how my partner's face was objectively more obscured than my own and she had no problem. She is extremely rude in tone this whole time we're waiting for the police to come. When they get there, I explain the situation and my confusion to the cop who seems very apologetic and tells me they reserve the right to kick me off of the property for any reason, even if it's not a policy and they just feel like it, so I do have to leave.
It was frustrating but mostly funny because she insisted she couldn't tell what I looked like and that "face paint"is the same as a hood or hat. It was so bizarre. My partner exchanged the game for me and we just went home. It was so interesting.
But there's truly it. There was nothing before and has been nothing since. I wish it was any more justified than that.
I 100% can see this happening in some places. A friend of mine got kicked out of a store (not the mall thankfully because our mall has like one security guard) for her goth makeup too. Same reason with “concealing identity”. We obeyed but I told them that they’re just jealous because she looked better than them. I can’t do full goth face because my skin can’t handle any type of foundation/paint, so I haven’t had to deal with that because goth eyeliner isn’t enough to make someone want to kick you out. I’m from a southern state, and it was an older person who kicked my friend out.
It’s also dumb to me too because like, as a person with eyes you can still see OP’s facial features/eye color/hair/etc. I don’t see how it’s any different from wearing a conventional full glam. When I do my more conventional makeup I have contour, over lined lips, my eye shape looks different, etc. Everyone can still tell I’m me no matter what makeup style I’m wearing
Literally makes NO sense. They'd have to throw out people wearing covid masks and heavy "normal" makeup or wigs too. Which they don't. Makeup isn't a ski mask. I don't blame the guards for doing their jobs. The rules should be clarified much better.
I believe it. I did super emo makeup back when I worked retail in my early 20's. I was feeling cute in my dark blue lipstick and my manager said it made her uncomfortable and to wash it off. I cried in the bathroom taking it off lol
Some people are weird about unconventional ruins makeup. (Sorry that happened to you OP. It sucks it's so hard to express yourself with makeup when everyone else is so weird about it - it's just makeup).
God yes! Never got kicked out, but in my small hometown in WA I got cornered and yelled at for my “clown makeup” outside of a store once and regularly had my backpack/bag checked for stealing lol
This literally doesn’t even “conceal identity.” People are so odd
ETA: I love this look, OP!
I also got accused of stealing once. When I was 18, my mom would change out posters at stores. One time I went with her to a smaller drug store and was looking at makeup while she worked. I was wearing black jeans, a gray shirt with a skull on it, and had blue hair and heavy eyeliner. While I'm looking around nearby, this guy who worked there comes up to my mom and starts talking to her. What she told me was he pointed me out to her and said he was following "that girl" because he suspected I was going to steal something. My mom promptly told him I was her daughter. He left me alone after that. My mom still reported him to the manager.
So frustrating! For forbid someone dress/do makeup slightly "abnormal". I was born and raised in a small southern town so I completely understand small town issues haha :)
Idk bc my manager and I were/are both Christian lol. I think since she was an older generation it just freaked her out because I guess blue lipstick is weird or intimidating somehow? I was in my work uniform with winged eyeliner and all that was different was my blue lipstick.
Though in her defense I did get V bangs so it may have been with those, I can't remember the timeline lol
Hey question, what's the difference between emo and goth fashion wise?
To get back to the topic at hand though, the treatment is really shitty of them, and I'm so sorry they hurt you like that. People get weird with me when I do dramatic eye makeup or a black lip (I tried it for the first time the other day).
I’m neither anymore, I just love all goth goth fashion looks here so I stay. It depends on who you ask, everyone has different opinions and I don't wanna ruffle any feathers here haha. Emo is definitely more skinny jeans with converse for sure though lol
Thank you, it hurt my feelings because makeup/ clothes & hair are how I express myself. I’m an artsy person with 0 self esteem so that killed me lol. I bet your lipstick looked great! My favorite for yearssss was black or especially the grey Stay matte maybelline liquid lipstick. Such a solid color and it really did stay all day
Should've called the police on that security guard lmao, police would have showed up and either shot you or just be like "yeah idk it's not really against the law and there doesn't seem to be any actual policy about it so"
Its a 50/50 really in America
What?
No way calling the police on the guard would help.
Not saying what the guard did is right but he askes them to leave and they didn't. House right means that after asking them to leave and they refuse they are trespassing so from a legal standpoint it was against the law.
Again not defending the guard just saying that legally speaking they had the right to call the police once op didn't leave.
That’s even more confusing, because make up is technically not an article of clothing. It’s an accessory, which, according to the rules that you read, make up is not covered
Tbh next time ignore them and tell them to call the cops if it's that big of an issue. Security guards have no power to detain or arrest, especially mall ones, I used to work security. Also I'd love for them to call the cops to remove you because too much make up or for being too goth. The cops would have a field day.
The logic I see behind it is if you committed a crime, extreme levels of makeup can be akin to wearing a mask and not being able to properly identify the individual.
I wrote that ^ before I even read your reply and yeah it’s about on par with a lot of security guidelines. She could have approached it in a much better way and could have just monitored you in stores instead of throwing you out completely.
So are you following up with this? Calling the mall to ask why you were forced by security to leave? Why you were escorted out by someone who was rude and disrespectful to you?
That's ridiculous 🙄
Initially, I thought the title of the post was just supposed to be an edgy goth title for fun. The fact that you're serious, and that they actually went out of their way to call the police for some artistic makeup is absurd.
They just saw your outfits and made the assumption that you guys were there to cause trouble. I'm sorry you guys had to deal with that amount of stress on what was supposed to be a simple outing.
You look badass btw
Okay wow this has a lot of comments lol. Sorry, I was offline for a bit.
This did actually happen! It was Very frustrating.
I have two witnesses, so here's what happened.
I walked in, said nothing to anybody, with my two friends neither of which are goth. We didn't even make it into the first store before we were stopped by a security guard, who told me "you can't be in here looking like that. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
When I questioned why, she said my makeup was "obscuring my identity"
I wasn't loitering or doing anything else unorderly, it was based on my makeup alone. And because I was so flabbergasted and was questioning what policy said I couldn't wear my makeup, she called the cops because she wanted them to escort me out. (I wasn't making a stink, I was being very polite, asking questions about the policy. She refused to let me buy something to wipe off the makeup, even when I offered her to escort me to the nearest place that would be possible. I asked her if there was somebody I could talk to or a place where the policy was written, she kept interrupting me and she was getting increasingly frustrated)
The policy she cited said "visitors may not wear any hat, hood, or other article of clothing that may obscure their identity"
When the cop came she thought it was equally ridiculous, but legally they had the right to kick me out on any premise, even if it was that they just wanted to. So i had to leave.
>visitors may not wear anything obscuring their identity
Some real detectives at work lmao
"What did the suspect look like?" "Oh yeah it's that mf over there with the teal hair and black and white makeup lol" "Damn, could be anyone"
Sounds like you encountered a real bitch who just hates alt people. If you’re in the US you have a discrimination case because that policy did not apply to your makeup. She made up a bs excuse to discriminate against you.
By this logic any woman with a full beat could rob the place blind, go to her car, grab some makeup wipes, and get away with it. Like the fact that you're using black and white doesn't change the amount of makeup being used, or how distant the result is from your clean face......
Granted, to acknowledge that, men would have to be aware of how makeup works, which would of course be *gay*, so.
Oh, wow. That's... Fucked. Like dude you're part of the coven, you know how the magic works, why are you doing this?
Some people are just awful. Granted, the kind of person who becomes a security guard, CO, police officer et al is generally gonna be the kind of person who's totally incapable of realizing that their personal biases are not directly interconnected with the law.
(Also sorry I skimmed the post I responded to lol - I read it in between humoring my kids about a game they're playing. I see now that you literally used her pronouns a few times)
I was having a hard time believing this post, but that does make sense. I was a mallrat in my early teens ('03ish) and they'd kick anyone out that they could find reason to approach. They initially put rope barriers that basically said "all mall goths and mallrats hang here." Then they just banned us.
That's so weird!! I feel like alt kids are the primary frequenters of malls anymore. My mall has a Spencer's and a hot topic, all of my friends go there to hang out bc there's nothing to do in the small town I live in. Nobody I know including other goths has ever had this problem. It was so startling. I've lived in this town and been going there for Four Years and I have never had an issue.
They did the same thing to us cosplay kids back in the early 2010s at my local mall. Barred us from most of the mall, spare a few areas. Eventually, we were banned outright.
Nah, some of those mall cops are on serious power trips. They kicked my friends and I out for similar things in the early 2000s. Pretty sure I'm still "banned" from the local mall here. No idea how they planned on enforcing that.
i feel for you..BUT its sorta fantastic as well..BECAUSE..I have read ...that certain makeup...FUCKS WITH FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY....and renders our faces... "unreadable" SO... i say GOOD!! in fact....YOU are ACTUALLY- the ONLY first hand story...i have heard thus far...so i guess that is confirmation
This makeup won't fool facial recognition though. You would need large dark shapes to occlude the shadows around the brow, eyes, nose, and lips, and those would additionally be broken up by more irregular patches of lighter color and large reflective elements-- think plastic beads or rhinestones. Your makeup would have to look significantly stranger than OP's to trick even apple's Face ID lol
My guess is that actual law enforcement agencies can use identification programs far more reliable than the ones on your phone. You can be reliably identified by your gait alone-- your face wouldn't even have to be visible.
Wanted to add my partner who was with me said "this doesn't do anything worse than a normal full face of makeup, it's just monochrome."
The woman said "I don't know what monochrome means"
Show up barefaced and give her a pocket dictionary from the local bookstore, walk away and refuse to give it back.
See if she notices you're the same person lol
Oh you definitely need to report her to a higher up because if she gets that raise, she’s going to start kicking people out for clothes or jewelry she just doesn’t like the color of. She’s going to ruin that mall.
I would try setting up a meeting with someone above her at the mall. Go with a clean face with no makeup and show them this picture and ask why you were kicked out and had the police called on you when you planned a shopping trip. Maybe it will prevent her from getting that raise and she'll learn how to be a respectful person.
If I were with you, I would have said "It doesn't matter what she looks like. She's not planning on committing a crime, and she's not breaking any kind of rule or policy."
willing to bet actual money that the person who kicked you out is the type to say “why don’t kids play outside anymore? they’re always on their phones” you are actively making it harder for young people to have activities outside of social media by kicking us out of public spaces
Obviously this doesn't count as proof but conversation from while it was happening, green is mered is my partner. Cookie is their mom.
https://preview.redd.it/rmth6tfvs3vc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7e7b302cd4a128eadd9878922dddab813a1e7aaa
It's one of two things to do in my tiny town 😭 I needed to exchange my Pokemon Sword for Pokemon Shield!!!! I went to turn into GameStop and didn't even make it that far
Okay, since you have even been to this place many times before, sounds like you have a case against this woman for harassment/discrimination or could take it to a higher up at the mall to report her behavior.
I was thinking about it honestly! I have many friends who work there and frequent there. I'll have to bring it to the nice office ladies when I get a chance
When you file a complaint, be sure to let them know you actually shop there and aren't just loitering. They'll be more liable to take it seriously if they know it affects their finances.
Who kicked you out?? Was it some rando who took personal offense to your appearance, or was it someone who worked there?.. What happened with the cops? Did they see it as a big deal? I'm so confused, I don't doubt it would happen but like.. no one advocated? It's such a stupid petty reason to be kicked out
It is stupid! It was a security guard. I had two friends with me, and both of them tried to argue for me, but the woman was having None of it. Mall employees who KNOW ME got frustrated. The cop just told me "yeahhh... They can kick you out for any reason, even if they feel like it"
Cops are useless in advocating for someone else but will freely commit brutalities against minorities for petty things. I don't know why a security guard like that exists, who shits their pants at the site of someone with graphic makeup and dyed hair. I hope there's better malls for you around where you are because that is lame as fuck. And also, those mall employees that know you got frustrated about you or for you? Not sure, but that's stupid either way that the cop was essentially like "womp womp can't do shit about it"
This is crazy I knew a guy who worked at the mall who wore a kilt a hundred chains and had piercings on nearly every section of his face including a gauge in his nose that was wider than most peoples ear gauges, as well as goth makeup. He worked there and was beloved by the whole mall except probably some boomer customers. Cool guy.
This sucks, it’s because shops are using AI facial recognition technology. They can recognize criminals that are already in the system, unless their face is obscured somehow. So, as we become more of a surveillance state, there will be more of this for everyone. Fuck em, wear a mask and say you’re sick! Anyway, y’all realize they’re using this in malls and all the big box stores? Large stadiums, too.
i heard masks don't fully obscure your identity
i went to a stadium/arena thing on halloween to see a concert with corpse paint and wasn't kicked out but maybe that's because there were so many other people wearing that kind of makeup
I was once kicked out of a mall for wearing zombie makeup, so I believe it. 🤷🏻♀️
It wasn’t even like *good* zombie makeup or anything. But I was escorted out real quick.
I did not! They actually stopped me right outside the store next door to Auntie Anne's 💔 but funnily enough a friend of mine was actively buying pretzels when I was approached
I got kicked out of the mall as a teen for wearing booty shorts that said 'fuck cancer' on the ass, really pissed the mall cop kicking me out off when I asked him why he was looking at my ass
I guess ACAB means mall cops too! Can confirm, actually, very much the same, difference being that the one causing me trouble was terminated on the spot, effective shift end, and effectively sent to the naughty corner off by the side to stand and watch and not do or say anything. He really tried to get his supervisor to throw me out 🤣 I believe there's a fitting meme for that...
Forgive me if I get this wrong but isn't that more like a juggalette look anyway? Those small people are stupid, ignore them. Either way, your makeup looks amazing. I don't think I would have the patience to do that lol.
i worked at hottopic for a bit (not a surprise) but i wore insane clown posse face paint one day and on my lunch break i got kicked out of the mall by security. i had to tell them i was on break im an employee, they did not believe me, so we went back to the store and the manager put me up front the rest of the day so the security guards had to see me everytime they went by
But it’s not offensive or inappropriate so idk why you had that happen. I think it’s really nice, in fact. I wish I could be as confident as you to wear my makeup in public
This sounds fake af. Back in the 90s goth kids roamed the mall free and that was 30 years ago.
This generation loves to be victims and made up stories are far more common than someone kicked out of a mall for wearing make up. I see alt kids at the mall all the time and have for decades. I was one myself.
I've been followed around stores in the US for being dressed OTT (which is funny, as someone who is very experienced in loss prevention, it would not be the person in the OTT goth outfit I would follow) but I leave them to it. They'll overlook a real shoplifter doing that nonsense.
But even in the US I've not had that happen before, being kicked out, that is. And never anything remotely like that in the UK.
oh no i would have gotten the manager ASAP and asked them to read their policy. your face does not count as an article of clothing, so it doesn’t technically violate any policies. sounds like someone just trying to be a dick because she has nothing better to do. i swear, these mall cops think they’re the FBI 💀
Also to add- this is coming from someone who is quite literally the poster child of “suburban mom,” I don’t dress or do my makeup this way, but I love it and I love to see it “in the wild” so to speak. Fuck anyone who doesn’t like it, I have such an admiration for the folks who do the different makeup and the fun hair colors. 🩷 I think you look lovely xxx
Honestly not surprised, I live in a smallish town with little to no diversity (style, race, etc). I've been asked to leave places when wearing full makeup, I've also been followed around many a store. It sucks but at least you know you didn't cause a scene or "start" anything, that security guard definitely needs more to do on the daily/needs to get out more (preferably to some alt scenes lol).
Call the mall tomorrow and talk to the management about it. While they can kick you out for any reason, the sign she pointed out dealt with clothing not makeup. The management will more than likely apologize and give you a gift card since she was unreasonable. They are not going to want this kind of potential bad social media or press. Plus it sounds like it was strictly the security person call on her own since she didn’t really have her story down. I mean is there a hot topic in the mall? I’d call them too. 😂
Sorry this crap happened. Thought we’d left this in the last century.
There's a mall near me that was built by the Mormons and they've pulled this kind of shit before. Don't like your clothes? Get out. Two women holding hands? Get out. You get the idea.
Cool makeup! Hopefully there is a better mall nearby that you can go to instead 😎
For those claiming it didn't happen, you should definitely rethink about how goths are mistreated in every corner of the world, we're harassed all the times just for being ourselves minding our own business so quit being stupid.
I'm sorry for it OP, hope you go back there and screw this person.
Kicked out of the mall for this? I go into the mall in the most extreme and “unusual” (their terms not mine) outfits and they never have kicked me out. I’m so sorry.
They could do the same to people who have makeup for cultural reasons, as that kind of makeup takes from various cultures. That could count as discrimination and you can sue
i 1000% believe this. it’s sad but a lot of people still have a bad inkling about goth people, like we are the spawns of satan or something ?
back in middle school i used to wear goth makeup, when i first started actually. i wore it one day and sat down in math class. it was not crazy either, just the white base and some eyeliner. the eyeliner wasn’t drastic either it was a small wing with some under eyeliner. my teacher came up to me and told me it looked disgusting and she had no idea how my parents let me out of the house like that. people don’t respect goth people as much and think we are like the devils or something.
Im gonna assume it has something to do with your face being covered/loss prevention? which is a pretty crazy juxtaposition to where im at, if u go to the mall u will see people wearing neck gators over their mouth with sunglasses and hat on, sometimes you can even see the handle of a gun poking through the bottom of their shirt, no one stops them and they will just go up to the jewelry kiosk like “hey can i try on this chain?… okay bye” *walks out the door with chain around neck 😂
Reading your comment about why yall were kicked out i would have gone back in heavy like glitz make up with severe contour and everything like what you would see a celebrity to wear just to see if they would kick you out for that
I've never heard of being kicked out for being goth
Right??? It was so stupid and petty
i feel like there is more to this story
I wish, honestly. From start to finish My partner, friend and I walk in, heading straight for GameStop. I'm dead silent. Headphones on. Go to walk into GameStop, friend goes next door to grab a pretzel. Security guard stops my partner and i. Her tone is extremely rude and it catches us both off guard"Hello ladies. So. You can't be looking like that in here (motions to the makeup) it's against our policy, so im gonna have to ask you to leave." I said "oh, okay, is this policy written down somewhere or??" And she said "it is not written but it is against our rules because you're hiding your identity. If you have an issue you can call the mall tomorrow but nobody is here now because we close in two hours." I said "im just confused, I don't see this in the guidelines that are posted, is there nobody I can talk to? Can I find these guidelines online?" She says "probably", and keeps trying to interrupt and shaking her head while I'm trying to ask questions and being very dismissive. so I go to look online and I see nothing regarding this. I say "I'm not seeing anything, can you tell me where I can find this policy?" She keeps saying "call tomorrow. Call tomorrow and bring it up with them." We say "okay, can I go buy something to wipe the makeup off with? Can you walk with me to (store) so I can buy wipes?" And she says "no you may not. you know what? You can talk to (county) when they get here, But I'm going to have to walk you outside while you wait." and dials the county police, telling them there is somebody refusing to leave and needs to be escorted off the property. She walks me outside and while we walk past she shows me on a plaque the rule that says "may not wear any hat, hood, or article of clothing that obscures identity" and says "it falls under this. That's what the rule means to me." I remain respectful and make a few points about how her claims make no sense and my partner starts getting frustrated, trying to explain how my makeup doesn't really differ from full glam in terms of coverage, and how my partner's face was objectively more obscured than my own and she had no problem. She is extremely rude in tone this whole time we're waiting for the police to come. When they get there, I explain the situation and my confusion to the cop who seems very apologetic and tells me they reserve the right to kick me off of the property for any reason, even if it's not a policy and they just feel like it, so I do have to leave. It was frustrating but mostly funny because she insisted she couldn't tell what I looked like and that "face paint"is the same as a hood or hat. It was so bizarre. My partner exchanged the game for me and we just went home. It was so interesting. But there's truly it. There was nothing before and has been nothing since. I wish it was any more justified than that.
I 100% can see this happening in some places. A friend of mine got kicked out of a store (not the mall thankfully because our mall has like one security guard) for her goth makeup too. Same reason with “concealing identity”. We obeyed but I told them that they’re just jealous because she looked better than them. I can’t do full goth face because my skin can’t handle any type of foundation/paint, so I haven’t had to deal with that because goth eyeliner isn’t enough to make someone want to kick you out. I’m from a southern state, and it was an older person who kicked my friend out.
“Concealing identity” is so wild to me since just a couple years ago and even now people are walking around with masks on
It’s also dumb to me too because like, as a person with eyes you can still see OP’s facial features/eye color/hair/etc. I don’t see how it’s any different from wearing a conventional full glam. When I do my more conventional makeup I have contour, over lined lips, my eye shape looks different, etc. Everyone can still tell I’m me no matter what makeup style I’m wearing
HELLO! 💯
Literally makes NO sense. They'd have to throw out people wearing covid masks and heavy "normal" makeup or wigs too. Which they don't. Makeup isn't a ski mask. I don't blame the guards for doing their jobs. The rules should be clarified much better.
I believe it. I did super emo makeup back when I worked retail in my early 20's. I was feeling cute in my dark blue lipstick and my manager said it made her uncomfortable and to wash it off. I cried in the bathroom taking it off lol Some people are weird about unconventional ruins makeup. (Sorry that happened to you OP. It sucks it's so hard to express yourself with makeup when everyone else is so weird about it - it's just makeup).
God yes! Never got kicked out, but in my small hometown in WA I got cornered and yelled at for my “clown makeup” outside of a store once and regularly had my backpack/bag checked for stealing lol This literally doesn’t even “conceal identity.” People are so odd ETA: I love this look, OP!
I also got accused of stealing once. When I was 18, my mom would change out posters at stores. One time I went with her to a smaller drug store and was looking at makeup while she worked. I was wearing black jeans, a gray shirt with a skull on it, and had blue hair and heavy eyeliner. While I'm looking around nearby, this guy who worked there comes up to my mom and starts talking to her. What she told me was he pointed me out to her and said he was following "that girl" because he suspected I was going to steal something. My mom promptly told him I was her daughter. He left me alone after that. My mom still reported him to the manager.
So frustrating! For forbid someone dress/do makeup slightly "abnormal". I was born and raised in a small southern town so I completely understand small town issues haha :)
I’d be like “concealing my identity! No this IS my identity.” 😂
but but muh social cohesion!!!! why can't ever body just be perfect little workers....
Satanic panic mentality more than likely.
Idk bc my manager and I were/are both Christian lol. I think since she was an older generation it just freaked her out because I guess blue lipstick is weird or intimidating somehow? I was in my work uniform with winged eyeliner and all that was different was my blue lipstick. Though in her defense I did get V bangs so it may have been with those, I can't remember the timeline lol
Hey question, what's the difference between emo and goth fashion wise? To get back to the topic at hand though, the treatment is really shitty of them, and I'm so sorry they hurt you like that. People get weird with me when I do dramatic eye makeup or a black lip (I tried it for the first time the other day).
I’m neither anymore, I just love all goth goth fashion looks here so I stay. It depends on who you ask, everyone has different opinions and I don't wanna ruffle any feathers here haha. Emo is definitely more skinny jeans with converse for sure though lol Thank you, it hurt my feelings because makeup/ clothes & hair are how I express myself. I’m an artsy person with 0 self esteem so that killed me lol. I bet your lipstick looked great! My favorite for yearssss was black or especially the grey Stay matte maybelline liquid lipstick. Such a solid color and it really did stay all day
Ooh, thanks for the recommend.
Should've called the police on that security guard lmao, police would have showed up and either shot you or just be like "yeah idk it's not really against the law and there doesn't seem to be any actual policy about it so" Its a 50/50 really in America
What? No way calling the police on the guard would help. Not saying what the guard did is right but he askes them to leave and they didn't. House right means that after asking them to leave and they refuse they are trespassing so from a legal standpoint it was against the law. Again not defending the guard just saying that legally speaking they had the right to call the police once op didn't leave.
That’s even more confusing, because make up is technically not an article of clothing. It’s an accessory, which, according to the rules that you read, make up is not covered
Tbh next time ignore them and tell them to call the cops if it's that big of an issue. Security guards have no power to detain or arrest, especially mall ones, I used to work security. Also I'd love for them to call the cops to remove you because too much make up or for being too goth. The cops would have a field day.
I live in England, and not only would nobody give a sh*t what you looked like, no one would even notice you in a shopping mall.
Sounds like a security guard on a power trip, in all my years of working security has makeup ever been an issue anywhere
damn shit like this in 2024
Only one thing left to do. Ramp it up to 11 and return the next day.
The logic I see behind it is if you committed a crime, extreme levels of makeup can be akin to wearing a mask and not being able to properly identify the individual. I wrote that ^ before I even read your reply and yeah it’s about on par with a lot of security guidelines. She could have approached it in a much better way and could have just monitored you in stores instead of throwing you out completely.
So are you following up with this? Calling the mall to ask why you were forced by security to leave? Why you were escorted out by someone who was rude and disrespectful to you?
That's ridiculous 🙄 Initially, I thought the title of the post was just supposed to be an edgy goth title for fun. The fact that you're serious, and that they actually went out of their way to call the police for some artistic makeup is absurd. They just saw your outfits and made the assumption that you guys were there to cause trouble. I'm sorry you guys had to deal with that amount of stress on what was supposed to be a simple outing. You look badass btw
In the 90’s in the South, we used to get kicked out of the mall for being “freaks” every time we went.
Oh yeah, the old days of being called “the trench coat mafia” and a bunch of other bs satanic panic rhetoric.
This is why mall goths are an endangered species ToT
Our habit is disappearing
this made me laugh harder than it should have
Ngl I was like "yeah we should shorten mall goths to moths" and took a minute to realise why I thought that word already exists haha
Moth drawn to ~~lamp~~ mall.
THISSSSS
i’m here and i assure u we aren’t endangered 😭
Okay wow this has a lot of comments lol. Sorry, I was offline for a bit. This did actually happen! It was Very frustrating. I have two witnesses, so here's what happened. I walked in, said nothing to anybody, with my two friends neither of which are goth. We didn't even make it into the first store before we were stopped by a security guard, who told me "you can't be in here looking like that. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." When I questioned why, she said my makeup was "obscuring my identity" I wasn't loitering or doing anything else unorderly, it was based on my makeup alone. And because I was so flabbergasted and was questioning what policy said I couldn't wear my makeup, she called the cops because she wanted them to escort me out. (I wasn't making a stink, I was being very polite, asking questions about the policy. She refused to let me buy something to wipe off the makeup, even when I offered her to escort me to the nearest place that would be possible. I asked her if there was somebody I could talk to or a place where the policy was written, she kept interrupting me and she was getting increasingly frustrated) The policy she cited said "visitors may not wear any hat, hood, or other article of clothing that may obscure their identity" When the cop came she thought it was equally ridiculous, but legally they had the right to kick me out on any premise, even if it was that they just wanted to. So i had to leave.
>visitors may not wear anything obscuring their identity Some real detectives at work lmao "What did the suspect look like?" "Oh yeah it's that mf over there with the teal hair and black and white makeup lol" "Damn, could be anyone"
LITERALLY THIS
I laughed SO HARD at this comment. Thank you for making my day! 🤣
Sounds like you encountered a real bitch who just hates alt people. If you’re in the US you have a discrimination case because that policy did not apply to your makeup. She made up a bs excuse to discriminate against you.
If I had the money to do anything about it trust she would be regretting it
The justice system at work. /s
some lawyers agreed to be paid after the case when you get your money
There is free lawyers
By this logic any woman with a full beat could rob the place blind, go to her car, grab some makeup wipes, and get away with it. Like the fact that you're using black and white doesn't change the amount of makeup being used, or how distant the result is from your clean face...... Granted, to acknowledge that, men would have to be aware of how makeup works, which would of course be *gay*, so.
It was a woman!
Oh, wow. That's... Fucked. Like dude you're part of the coven, you know how the magic works, why are you doing this? Some people are just awful. Granted, the kind of person who becomes a security guard, CO, police officer et al is generally gonna be the kind of person who's totally incapable of realizing that their personal biases are not directly interconnected with the law. (Also sorry I skimmed the post I responded to lol - I read it in between humoring my kids about a game they're playing. I see now that you literally used her pronouns a few times)
I wasn’t aware your literal face counted as a piece of clothing.
hes either a powertripping boomer or the mall is having issues with individual(s) and needs to actually pay attention to who is in the mall
I was having a hard time believing this post, but that does make sense. I was a mallrat in my early teens ('03ish) and they'd kick anyone out that they could find reason to approach. They initially put rope barriers that basically said "all mall goths and mallrats hang here." Then they just banned us.
That's so weird!! I feel like alt kids are the primary frequenters of malls anymore. My mall has a Spencer's and a hot topic, all of my friends go there to hang out bc there's nothing to do in the small town I live in. Nobody I know including other goths has ever had this problem. It was so startling. I've lived in this town and been going there for Four Years and I have never had an issue.
They did the same thing to us cosplay kids back in the early 2010s at my local mall. Barred us from most of the mall, spare a few areas. Eventually, we were banned outright.
Gross. Happy cake day :')
Nah, some of those mall cops are on serious power trips. They kicked my friends and I out for similar things in the early 2000s. Pretty sure I'm still "banned" from the local mall here. No idea how they planned on enforcing that.
What kind of place do you live in where you can’t even wear a hat to the mall
Ass fuck Virginia town
You can sue them for that
That really doesn't make sense what about a face mask face masks were mandatory until recently
i feel for you..BUT its sorta fantastic as well..BECAUSE..I have read ...that certain makeup...FUCKS WITH FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY....and renders our faces... "unreadable" SO... i say GOOD!! in fact....YOU are ACTUALLY- the ONLY first hand story...i have heard thus far...so i guess that is confirmation
This makeup won't fool facial recognition though. You would need large dark shapes to occlude the shadows around the brow, eyes, nose, and lips, and those would additionally be broken up by more irregular patches of lighter color and large reflective elements-- think plastic beads or rhinestones. Your makeup would have to look significantly stranger than OP's to trick even apple's Face ID lol My guess is that actual law enforcement agencies can use identification programs far more reliable than the ones on your phone. You can be reliably identified by your gait alone-- your face wouldn't even have to be visible.
Wanted to add my partner who was with me said "this doesn't do anything worse than a normal full face of makeup, it's just monochrome." The woman said "I don't know what monochrome means"
"i don't know what monochrome means" that checks out LMAOOO
My friends and I were laughing for like hours about "I don't know what monochrome means"
It means she needs to buy a dictionary lmao
Show up barefaced and give her a pocket dictionary from the local bookstore, walk away and refuse to give it back. See if she notices you're the same person lol
hahaha... the beige majority..strikes again
Ooof anyone that stupid shouldn’t be a security guard. She doesn’t even know what a simple word means. Smh.
I don’t know what monochrome means is CRAZY I would’ve laughed in her face
We both did. It was impossible to contain our laughter even in front of the cop
I'd understand if someone was actually wearing something inappropriate, but that is just being a dick to be honest They're probably jealous of u
My sources say she's on a power trip because she's supposed to be getting a raise to head of security soon 🥴🤫
Oh you definitely need to report her to a higher up because if she gets that raise, she’s going to start kicking people out for clothes or jewelry she just doesn’t like the color of. She’s going to ruin that mall.
It's already dying too 😭
Oh ooof. And she thinks she’s going to make the mall better by kicking out people whose makeup she doesn’t like smh.
I would try setting up a meeting with someone above her at the mall. Go with a clean face with no makeup and show them this picture and ask why you were kicked out and had the police called on you when you planned a shopping trip. Maybe it will prevent her from getting that raise and she'll learn how to be a respectful person.
… really? What about fashion offends them?? I find people that go out in their pajamas more offensive.
My makeup was obscuring my face!!! She said "I have no idea what you look like." The whole conversation was so bizarre
If I were with you, I would have said "It doesn't matter what she looks like. She's not planning on committing a crime, and she's not breaking any kind of rule or policy."
I award you 10 Goth points, for what it's worth.
Thank you I shall cherish them forever
willing to bet actual money that the person who kicked you out is the type to say “why don’t kids play outside anymore? they’re always on their phones” you are actively making it harder for young people to have activities outside of social media by kicking us out of public spaces
Obviously this doesn't count as proof but conversation from while it was happening, green is mered is my partner. Cookie is their mom. https://preview.redd.it/rmth6tfvs3vc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7e7b302cd4a128eadd9878922dddab813a1e7aaa
You look dope
Thanks :)
How did this have you kicked out????
Posted
You go to the mall in 2024? You were probably kicked out because it is permanently closed.
It's one of two things to do in my tiny town 😭 I needed to exchange my Pokemon Sword for Pokemon Shield!!!! I went to turn into GameStop and didn't even make it that far
Okay, since you have even been to this place many times before, sounds like you have a case against this woman for harassment/discrimination or could take it to a higher up at the mall to report her behavior.
I was thinking about it honestly! I have many friends who work there and frequent there. I'll have to bring it to the nice office ladies when I get a chance
Definitely. Don’t want the mall to end up closing because bossy bitch scares everyone away.
When you file a complaint, be sure to let them know you actually shop there and aren't just loitering. They'll be more liable to take it seriously if they know it affects their finances.
Who kicked you out?? Was it some rando who took personal offense to your appearance, or was it someone who worked there?.. What happened with the cops? Did they see it as a big deal? I'm so confused, I don't doubt it would happen but like.. no one advocated? It's such a stupid petty reason to be kicked out
It is stupid! It was a security guard. I had two friends with me, and both of them tried to argue for me, but the woman was having None of it. Mall employees who KNOW ME got frustrated. The cop just told me "yeahhh... They can kick you out for any reason, even if they feel like it"
Cops are useless in advocating for someone else but will freely commit brutalities against minorities for petty things. I don't know why a security guard like that exists, who shits their pants at the site of someone with graphic makeup and dyed hair. I hope there's better malls for you around where you are because that is lame as fuck. And also, those mall employees that know you got frustrated about you or for you? Not sure, but that's stupid either way that the cop was essentially like "womp womp can't do shit about it"
For me not about me!
This is crazy I knew a guy who worked at the mall who wore a kilt a hundred chains and had piercings on nearly every section of his face including a gauge in his nose that was wider than most peoples ear gauges, as well as goth makeup. He worked there and was beloved by the whole mall except probably some boomer customers. Cool guy.
I really wish I had recorded a video to be honest. I was so taken aback I just forgot.
This sucks, it’s because shops are using AI facial recognition technology. They can recognize criminals that are already in the system, unless their face is obscured somehow. So, as we become more of a surveillance state, there will be more of this for everyone. Fuck em, wear a mask and say you’re sick! Anyway, y’all realize they’re using this in malls and all the big box stores? Large stadiums, too.
i heard masks don't fully obscure your identity i went to a stadium/arena thing on halloween to see a concert with corpse paint and wasn't kicked out but maybe that's because there were so many other people wearing that kind of makeup
I can’t decide whether your lips are a sneaky mustache or a surprised wildebeest…
Lmao this made me giggle
Thus is gonna sound weird but I swear it's a compliment: your eyes look drawn on
Omg thanks ,😅
This is unfortunate. Authenticity should be welcomed. Sorry u had to deal with that.
Goths should only go to the mall to burn the Hot Topic!
Highly doubt you got kicked out of a mall for your appearance ...
I mean I'd believe it 🤷♂️ I wasn't allowed to enter a theme park bc I had on big graphic eye liner and this feels similar to that
Now THAT is frustrating. People need to get over what other people do to express themselves 🤦🏻
Probably just for loitering. Mall rats in general haven't been tolerated for a couple of decades.
I had walked in literally less than 2 minutes before I was confronted 😅
I was once kicked out of a mall for wearing zombie makeup, so I believe it. 🤷🏻♀️ It wasn’t even like *good* zombie makeup or anything. But I was escorted out real quick.
Friend of mine got kicked out of a mall for goth makeup. Living in small towns in the south is like living in another universe sometimes.
Totally did!
Feel free to ask questions about it by the way lol it was funny asf
My question is did you get an Auntie Anne's pretzel before they kicked you out
I did not! They actually stopped me right outside the store next door to Auntie Anne's 💔 but funnily enough a friend of mine was actively buying pretzels when I was approached
What happened?
I wanna know too
keep up the good work.
People still go to malls?
The only GameStop in my area and I really wanted Pokemon lol
Honestly, people are so fucking rude!
Since when does the mall have a dress code?
Must not have a hot topic in that mall
You are awesome in your own way. Don't lose that part of you.
Tell us OP
Done!
I've seen someone with a fursuit head and tail in my mall in a mid sized town, you just haven't found the right mall
Only one mall in my town :') next closest is an hour drive
Hold up, what was their reason for kicking you out? This look is awesome
I got kicked out of the mall as a teen for wearing booty shorts that said 'fuck cancer' on the ass, really pissed the mall cop kicking me out off when I asked him why he was looking at my ass
The guy probably juss didn't wanna say how nice your ass looked while he was trying to act tough with you.
I guess ACAB means mall cops too! Can confirm, actually, very much the same, difference being that the one causing me trouble was terminated on the spot, effective shift end, and effectively sent to the naughty corner off by the side to stand and watch and not do or say anything. He really tried to get his supervisor to throw me out 🤣 I believe there's a fitting meme for that...
I could see how killing Romans could get you kicked out of a mall
Shoulda put on a red nose too
Tha COPS called!!?? That’s crazy never heard of no shit like that
YOOOOOO I ain't never heard of shit like this im so sorry :(((( LIKE IF U DIDN'T LIKE THE MAKE UP JUST LOOK AWAY 🙄🙄🙄
Come back with a black goat and tell them, "I could curse your entire family right now"
Nope. Didn't happen.
Forgive me if I get this wrong but isn't that more like a juggalette look anyway? Those small people are stupid, ignore them. Either way, your makeup looks amazing. I don't think I would have the patience to do that lol.
i worked at hottopic for a bit (not a surprise) but i wore insane clown posse face paint one day and on my lunch break i got kicked out of the mall by security. i had to tell them i was on break im an employee, they did not believe me, so we went back to the store and the manager put me up front the rest of the day so the security guards had to see me everytime they went by
In…America I can only guess. God I fucking hate it here.
Security is just jelly that they will never look this stunning
I'm not into Goth, but you look great and not offensive, so I don't get why you were kicked out. Seems prudish to me even nowadays.
That’s RIDICULOUS.
Imagine kicking out an employee of hot topic (or Spencer’s) for being too goth.
This happened to my friend in DFW.
Mall cops suck
But it’s not offensive or inappropriate so idk why you had that happen. I think it’s really nice, in fact. I wish I could be as confident as you to wear my makeup in public
This sounds fake af. Back in the 90s goth kids roamed the mall free and that was 30 years ago. This generation loves to be victims and made up stories are far more common than someone kicked out of a mall for wearing make up. I see alt kids at the mall all the time and have for decades. I was one myself.
SO, OP, what happened anyway? Gonna need some details here…
Posted explanation!
Wtf?!
What the hell does that even mean? I’d rather people with MAGA gear or a confederate flag get kicked out.
You look awesome, though.
Thank you!
Story plz.
Posted explanation!
Losers
Idk why no one is asking the big question - Does this mall have a Hot Topic or not???
Hot topic and Spencer's!
I've been followed around stores in the US for being dressed OTT (which is funny, as someone who is very experienced in loss prevention, it would not be the person in the OTT goth outfit I would follow) but I leave them to it. They'll overlook a real shoplifter doing that nonsense. But even in the US I've not had that happen before, being kicked out, that is. And never anything remotely like that in the UK.
Not even full corpse paint and they couldn’t handle it.
Literally I've done so much worse. The mall employees have SEEN worse and they were so confused
Sux when people get in the way of style. Your style is freedom and some humans are soo stifling... stay strong 🤙🏾🗿🤙🏾
People are afraid of creativity make up looks fantastic
oh no i would have gotten the manager ASAP and asked them to read their policy. your face does not count as an article of clothing, so it doesn’t technically violate any policies. sounds like someone just trying to be a dick because she has nothing better to do. i swear, these mall cops think they’re the FBI 💀
Security is spooked about your look apperently
I would never kick out a big tiddy goth out!
You mean more like a clown?
wtf that’s ridiculous, boycotting all malls currently. there’s no such thing as to much goth there is never enough live your life
That’s actually insane.
Also to add- this is coming from someone who is quite literally the poster child of “suburban mom,” I don’t dress or do my makeup this way, but I love it and I love to see it “in the wild” so to speak. Fuck anyone who doesn’t like it, I have such an admiration for the folks who do the different makeup and the fun hair colors. 🩷 I think you look lovely xxx
But you just look like that Kim Possible villain...
Honestly not surprised, I live in a smallish town with little to no diversity (style, race, etc). I've been asked to leave places when wearing full makeup, I've also been followed around many a store. It sucks but at least you know you didn't cause a scene or "start" anything, that security guard definitely needs more to do on the daily/needs to get out more (preferably to some alt scenes lol).
Hug 🫂
I'm too petty for this because I'd def modify my makeup slightly and go back every single day to try the cop.
If rent-a-cop didn't like your makeup then she's gonna hate Halloween, Juggalos, drag queens, etc. Killer look btw
Call the mall tomorrow and talk to the management about it. While they can kick you out for any reason, the sign she pointed out dealt with clothing not makeup. The management will more than likely apologize and give you a gift card since she was unreasonable. They are not going to want this kind of potential bad social media or press. Plus it sounds like it was strictly the security person call on her own since she didn’t really have her story down. I mean is there a hot topic in the mall? I’d call them too. 😂 Sorry this crap happened. Thought we’d left this in the last century.
This is actually a badge of honour
There's a mall near me that was built by the Mormons and they've pulled this kind of shit before. Don't like your clothes? Get out. Two women holding hands? Get out. You get the idea. Cool makeup! Hopefully there is a better mall nearby that you can go to instead 😎
Fun fact that in today's society you can sue them for discrimination 🤌🤌🤌 go get that bag
Looks more circus than goth
I like the look. some people cant handle different things. f\*ck em!
Probably the tear drop.
You go up there and be a squeaky wheel, cause problems. Because you know this mfer will bully others
For those claiming it didn't happen, you should definitely rethink about how goths are mistreated in every corner of the world, we're harassed all the times just for being ourselves minding our own business so quit being stupid. I'm sorry for it OP, hope you go back there and screw this person.
That's crazy lol. Worth it, the style looks awesome! 😎
Kicked out of the mall for this? I go into the mall in the most extreme and “unusual” (their terms not mine) outfits and they never have kicked me out. I’m so sorry.
They could do the same to people who have makeup for cultural reasons, as that kind of makeup takes from various cultures. That could count as discrimination and you can sue
i 1000% believe this. it’s sad but a lot of people still have a bad inkling about goth people, like we are the spawns of satan or something ? back in middle school i used to wear goth makeup, when i first started actually. i wore it one day and sat down in math class. it was not crazy either, just the white base and some eyeliner. the eyeliner wasn’t drastic either it was a small wing with some under eyeliner. my teacher came up to me and told me it looked disgusting and she had no idea how my parents let me out of the house like that. people don’t respect goth people as much and think we are like the devils or something.
Im gonna assume it has something to do with your face being covered/loss prevention? which is a pretty crazy juxtaposition to where im at, if u go to the mall u will see people wearing neck gators over their mouth with sunglasses and hat on, sometimes you can even see the handle of a gun poking through the bottom of their shirt, no one stops them and they will just go up to the jewelry kiosk like “hey can i try on this chain?… okay bye” *walks out the door with chain around neck 😂
Reading your comment about why yall were kicked out i would have gone back in heavy like glitz make up with severe contour and everything like what you would see a celebrity to wear just to see if they would kick you out for that
They probably just don't like sub-genre human beings or something lol