Gothic fashion is a clothing style worn by members of thegoth subculture. A dark, sometimes morbid, fashion and style ofdress,[1] typical gothic fashion includes blackdyed hair and black clothes.[1] Both male and female goths can wear darkeyeliner, darknail polish andlipstick (most often black), and dramatic makeup.[2] Styles are often borrowed from theElizabethans andVictorians.BDSM imagery and paraphernalia are also common.[1] Gothic fashion is sometimes confused withheavy metal fashion andemo fashion.
Cintra Wilson declares that "The origins of contemporary goth style are found in theVictorian cult of mourning."[3]Valerie Steele is an expert in the history of the style.[3]
Goth subculture is stereotyped as eerie, mysterious, and complex, and the fashion is used as an outlet to express these characteristics. Goth fashion can be recognized by its stark black clothing.Ted Polhemus described goth fashion as a "profusion of black velvets, lace, fishnets and leather tinged with scarlet or purple, accessorized with tightly laced corsets, gloves, precarious stilettos and silver jewelry depicting religious or occult themes".[4]
Nancy Kilpatrick'sGoth Bible: A Compendium for the Darkly Inclined defines "poseur" for the goth scene as follows: "goth wannabes, usually young kids going through a goth phase who do not hold to goth sensibilities but want to be part of the goth crowd (...)". Kilpatrick contributor "Daoine O'" denigrates poseur goths as 'Batbabies' whose clothing is bought at [mall store]Hot Topic with their parents' money".[5]
One female role model isTheda Bara, the 1910sfemme fatale known for her dark eyeshadow.[6][7]Siouxsie Sioux was particularly influential on the dress style of thegothic rock scene;Paul Morley ofNME describedSiouxsie and the Banshees' 1980 gig at Futurama: "[Siouxsie was] modeling her newest outfit, the one that will influence how all the girls dress over the next few months. About half the girls atLeeds had used Sioux as a basis for their appearance, hair to ankle."[8]Robert Smith,[9]Musidora,Bela Lugosi,[10]Bettie Page,Winona Ryder,Vampira,Morticia Addams,[7]Nico,Rozz Williams,David Bowie,[1]Lux Interior,[1]Dave Vanian,[11] are also style icons. The 1980s established designers such asDrew Bernstein of Lip Service, while the 1990s saw a surge of US-based gothic fashion designers, many of whom continue to evolve the style through the current day. Style magazines such asGothic Beauty have given repeat features to a select few gothic fashion designers who began their labels in the 1990s, such as Kambriel,Rose Mortem, and Tyler Ondine of Heavy Red.[12] Influential goth models includeWednesday Mourning and Lady Amaranth.
During the emergence of thegoth subculture in 1980'sLondon,[13] many genres of music played a large role in establishing the fashion trends - fashion spelled out the music an individual would listen to. Because of its origins, the major music inspirations during the early emergence of the goth subculture were similarlyEnglish bands. Some bands who have influenced gothic fashion over the years include bands likeBauhaus,the Cure,Sisters of Mercy andSiouxsie and the Banshees.[14] TheBatcave was a nightclub in London, between 1982–1986, that hosted live music and paid homage to all things goth. The interior, as described by Kelly Rankin, included cobwebbed ceilings and a real coffin at the entrance. She says that "The Batcave became iconic because it aided the progression of this movement."[13] Music historianDavid Cavanagh stated early goth bands "favoured aLily Munster look in the hairstyles, clothes and make-up".[15]
Deathrock fashion, much like goth music, is closely related to goth fashion. The influences of the style come from a blend of glam rock, punk rock, gothic horror literature, and undead characters of classic horror films. The aesthetic was born from the early Los Angeles punk rock scene, and gained influences from fashion worn by patrons of the Batcave club in the UK as the two regional scenes had met. Many deathrockers have a dark DIY punk approach on their attire. The common theme of the aesthetic is dominantly black clothing: shirts featuring deathrock bands or horror themes, torn fishnets as a shirt and/or hosiery, pale fleshtone or pale white foundation and powder makeup on the face, black or darkly colored eye makeup, combat boots orDoc Martens, and skirts, leggings,slim fit pants or shorts. Iconic hairstyles of this style are the "Deathhawk", mohawks or variants of mohawks, and spiky or teased hair. The horror punk and deathrock fashion section of thepunk fashion article has more details.
In 1977,Karl Lagerfeld hosted the Soirée Moratoire Noir party, specifying "tenue tragique noire absolument obligatoire" (black tragic dress absolutely required).[16] The event included elements associated withleatherman style.[16]
Goth fashion has a reciprocal relationship with the fashion world. In the later part of the first decade of the 21st century, designers such asAlexander McQueen,[3][17][18]Anna Sui,[19]Rick Owens,[18]Gareth Pugh,Ann Demeulemeester,Philipp Plein,Hedi Slimane,John Richmond,John Galliano,[3][17][18]Olivier Theyskens[18][20] andYohji Yamamoto[18] brought elements of goth to runways.[3] This was described as "Haute Goth" by Cintra Wilson in theNew York Times.[3]Thierry Mugler,Claude Montana,Jean Paul Gaultier andChristian Lacroix have also been associated with a gothic style.[17] In Spring 2004,Riccardo Tisci, Jean Paul Gaultier,Raf Simons andStefano Pilati dressed their models as "glamorous ghouls dressed in form-fitting suits and coal-tinted cocktail dresses".[20] Swedish designer Helena Hörstedt and jewelry artist Hanna Hedman also practice a goth aesthetic.[21]
Gothic Lolita, sometimes shortened togosu rori (ゴスロリ) inJapanese (or "goth loli" in roman characters), is a combination of gothic andlolita fashions. The fashion originated in the late 1990s inHarajuku.[22]
Gothic Lolita fashion is characterized by darker make-up and clothing.[23] Red lipstick and smoky or neatly defined eyes, created using black eyeliner, are typical styles, although as with all lolita sub-styles the look remains fairly natural.[24] Though Gothic make-up has been associated with a white-powdered face, this is usually considered poor taste within the (largely Japanese) lolita fashion scene.[25]
Brands which exemplify the Gothic Lolita style include Atelier-Pierrot, Atelier Boz, Black Peace Now,H. Naoto Blood andMoi-même-Moitié. Author and TV HostLa Carmina is a popular model of Gothic Lolita fashion.
Aristocrat is a type ofJapanese street fashion, championed by thevisual kei rock musicianMana with his fashion labelMoi-même-Moitié,[26] and influenced by gothic andNeo-Victorian fashions. A typical outfit will combine elements offetish wear with Victorian and sometimessteampunk fashions, includingtight pants, velvet sportcoats,top hats,cravats,corsets, ankle length skirts, lacepetticoats, and the frillypirate shirts previously popularised by theNew Romantics of the 1980s.
TheCybergoth andrivethead subcultures emerged in America during the late 1990s, and combined classic gothic fashions such as leatherduster coats,tripp pants or Demonia brandplatform boots with the clothing worn by fans ofindustrial metal andrave music to create adystopian,futuristicscience fiction look.[27][28]Shaved heads, syntheticneondreadlocks,camouflage, tight leather pants, chains,platform boots,[29] stretchedbody piercings, sleeve tattoos,goggles,corsets, PVC orleather skirts, and blacktrenchcoats decorated with metalstuds are frequently seen on members of this subculture.[30]
Traditional goth (or trad goth) is a term defining the aesthetic that reflects the classic and original aesthetics of Goth from the 1980s. The examples are from the attire worn by Bauhaus, Siouxsie Sioux and the Cure. Dominantly black clothing,creepers,winklepickers, and backcombed, disheveled hair are common. Patrons of the Batcave club in the UK had an impact on the fashion with the attire they wore. This also has close relation to thedeathrock revival and fashion, as the 1980s goth and Batcave fashion influenced the aesthetic over the decades into the 2010s.
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Victorian goth is a modern fashion movement that interprets and redefines certain aspects regarding fashion of theVictorian Era.[31] The Victorian Era is notable for having big dresses and elegant hair, and these elements have made subsequent integration into modern day main stream gothic fashion. With early inspiration taken frommedieval settings that were used byEdgar Allan Poe, in addition to late-Victorian examples of gothic fashion that are used in Bram Stoker'sDracula.[32]
Social media has increased the level of awareness surrounding gothic fashion trends, but this has also modified the dynamic and expectations within the community itself.[14] Bianca Wooden describes the emergence of a new wave of goth fad fashion and says that "goth has become less of an organic movement and more of a calculated brand".[14]
Goth YouTuber Angela Benedict describes inthis video, some of the negative impacts that social media has had on gothic fashion. Some of these include the increased emergence of "elitist goths"[14] who shame others for not being "goth" enough. This has led to many online goths who portray their gloomy attire and dramatic makeup looks only to take pictures or film videos.[14]
Fashion accessories
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Media related toGothic fashion at Wikimedia Commons
