Gothic fashion
Gothic fashion is a distinctive clothing style characterized by dark, antiquated aesthetics, often featuring black garments accented with colors like purple or red. Rooted in Victorian influences, this fashion incorporates elements such as corsets, lace, and velvet, with a preference for pale complexions and dark hair and makeup. Emerging in the late 1970s as a counter to the disco trend, Gothic fashion gained traction during the punk movement of the 1980s and saw further popularization through musicians like Marilyn Manson in the 1990s. The early 2000s witnessed a Gothic revival, with luxury brands like Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent exploring Gothic themes in their collections.
Gothic fashion includes a wide range of styles, from casual streetwear to high couture, and is marked by accessories such as piercings, leather goods, and jewelry featuring gothic motifs like skulls and crosses. The style is inclusive across genders, allowing for expressions that are passionate, dramatic, or even macabre. Various subcultures within Gothic fashion, such as Aristocrat goth and Cybergoth, showcase unique interpretations, blending historical styles with modern influences. Overall, Gothic fashion serves as a rejection of mainstream aesthetics, providing a platform for individuality and creative expression.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Gothic fashion
Gothic fashion is clothing that is usually dark and antiquated. Outfits are often black with accents of purple, red, or various metals and may be morbid. Gothic fashions are reminiscent of Victorian styles, with corsets, lace, velvet, and capes. Wearers favor black hair and lips and pale, powdered complexions.
Gothic trends arose late in the 1970s as a revolt against the shiny disco trend. They grew in popularity during the punk movement of the 1980s, when fashion magazines were filled with cheerful pastel colors. In the 1990s, musical artists such as Marilyn Manson continued the trend, sporting heavy dark eyeliner and black clothes. Gothic fashion remained popular into the twenty-first century. The first decade of the new century featured a Gothic revival, with mainstream fashion shops carrying gothic-inspired clothing and design houses including Gucci, Gaultier, and Yves Saint Laurent presenting gothic collections. Gothic fashions also were featured in major films such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011). The perennial popularity of gothic fashion is attributed to opposition to mainstream ideas of style and attractiveness.
Overview
Gothic style is a rejection of mainstream norms. It may range from simply dark to sexual or even ghoulish. It includes both street styles, which are put together by fans of the style or underground designers, and haute-couture outfits displayed in mainstream runway shows. The dark clothing may be accessorized with body piercings and black or silver jewelry, such as pentagrams, skulls, dragons, crosses, floral designs, and filigree on bracelets, rings, necklaces, and chokers. Accessories may include leather or lace cuffs, gloves, spiky heels, thick-soled boots, hats, belts, body harnesses, handbags (such as coffin bags), hair ornaments, and parasol umbrellas.
Gothic fashions may be gender-neutral, masculine, or feminine and may be worn by any gender. They have been described as passionate, dramatic, and poetic but may also be macabre or elegant.
Goth subcultures and variations include a wide range of styles and interests:
- Aristocrat goth emulates the old-fashioned look of Victorian high society. It usually features a suit and tie for men and a frilly blouse and long skirt or bustle dress for women. Women accessorize with hats, gloves, and parasols. Fabrics are often luxurious.
- Cybergoths favor shiny PVC clothing, such as corsets or floor-length coats. Brightly colored fluorescent hair and furry boots were inspired by the UV backdrops at dance clubs in the United Kingdom.
- Goth geeks wear basic black jeans and T-shirts.
- Gothic Lolita is an innocent yet edgy style. Although the Japanese-born trend is often dark, the clothing is modest and usually nonsexual.
- Haute goth sports impeccable tailoring and elegant accessories, such as cigarette holders and faux fur. Hair is smoothly styled and lipstick is likely to be red or burgundy rather than black.
- Punk goth is similar to the costumes of hacker Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Black leather jackets, black skinny jeans, fleece hoodies, moto boots, and metal hardware are common.
- Romantic goths favor Victorian or Edwardian clothing. This may include corsets, velvet, netting, and lace clothing in black, red, purple, or green.
- Steamgoth is a subculture that pairs Victorian mourning clothes with brass, copper, and gear-themed clothing and accessories, such as goggles and bowlers or top hats. It favors retro technology.
- Healthgoth is a mix of the typical black clothing and gothic accessories coupled with athleisure. The term gained popularity through social media in the 2010s and eventually led to a variety of websites, apparel containing doctored athletic logos, and fitness studios and trainers.
Bibliography
Borrelli-Persson, Laird. "Inspired by Alexander Wang's Walk on the Dark side, Fashion's Favorite Goths." Vogue, 2015, www.vogue.com/slideshow/fall-2015-trends-alexander-wang-goth. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.
Bersten, Rosanne. "Dead Fashionable." The Age, 13 Sept. 2002, www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/09/13/1031608320631.html. 12 Dec. 2024.
Devash, Meirav. “Health Goth: When Darkness and Gym Rats Meet.” The New York Times, 10 Dec. 2014, www.nytimes.com/2014/12/11/fashion/health-goth-when-darkness-and-gym-rats-meet.html. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.
Ewens, Hannah. "Why Cybergoth Refuses to Die." Vice, 15 Mar. 2016, www.vice.com/en‗us/article/yvxy7k/the-past-and-future-of-cybergoth-the-most-maligned-uk-subculture. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.
Longman, Hannah. “Get Goth! Different Types of Gothic Clothing Style.” Fashion Week Online, 25 Nov. 2024, fashionweekonline.com/get-goth-different-types-of-gothic-clothing-style. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.
Magsaysay, Melissa. "Dressing the Goth-Punk Heroine of 'Dragon Tattoo.'" Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2011, articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/18/image/la-ig-dragon-tattoo-20111218. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.
Mai, Jane, and An Nguyen. So Pretty/Very Rotten: Comics and Essays on Lolita Fashion and Cute Culture. Koyama Press, 2017.
Min, Lilian. "The Complex Femininity of Japanese Lolita Fashion." Vice, 16 May 2017, www.vice.com/en‗us/article/vv5xb8/the-complex-femininity-of-japanese-lolita-fashion. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.
Nally, Claire. "Goth, Steampunk and the State of Subculture Today." The Independent, 11 Nov. 2016, www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/goth-steampunk-and-the-state-of-subculture-today-a7410256.html. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.
Spooner, Catherine. Post-Millennial Gothic: Comedy, Romance and the Rise of Happy Gothic. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017.