Many people joke about going through an emo phase in their life, when black liner rimmed their eyes and a little bit of rebellious edginess showed through. However, a dark and brooding gothic look can be a style you want to adopt now if you want to step into the next phase of darkness.
Goth couture offers a more sophisticated and sleek appearance than the emo aesthetic. Instead of jeans, long-sleeve tees, and sneakers, its wardrobe collection involves more dresses, skirts, and heels. Here are four tips for styling and wearing gothic looks and how to embrace this next dark wave in your fashion.
Dark and Moody Color Schemes
Goth glamour’s main personality and essence is its color scheme. It sticks to dark and moody tones, creating a monochromatic color palette. In the rare instances when you add hues to a gothic look, they’re usually dark violets or deep reds. Say goodbye to the rainbow and hello to the various shades of black.
Lace, Mesh, and Netting Textures
With such a dark and simple color scheme, gothic style adds detailing and statements with other fashion stylistic elements, such as textures. Lace, mesh, and netting offer soft counters to the harsh visual appearance of black. They nod to the roots of the aesthetic, the Victorian and Edwardian eras, where lace commonly appeared in fashion. It also adds a regal flair to the look, relating to the aesthetic’s sophisticated essence. Implementing lace, mesh, and netted textures—in dark colors, of course—gives your outfit a more gothic appearance.
Chunky Statement Accessories
Chunky statement accessories also add details to the all-black outfits, providing extra visual appeal. Thick velvet chokers are a staple in gothic fashion. They capture the eye’s attention and create an hourglass figure between your head and shoulders, slimming around the neck. They also cover a huge portion of the skin, adhering to traditional conservative design features. Large crosses on jewelry, giant buttons, and thick chains are also common chunky accessories common in gothic style.
A Mix of Fitted and Flowy Forms
Boho styles involve flowy fits, while Hollywood glamor uses more fitted and structured designs. Gothic looks use a mix of both. A prime example of gothic fashion that uses both fitted and flowy elements is Morticia Addams’s famous long black dress. The main body of the dress hugs her curves and sits tightly against her figure. However, the sleeves and bottom of the dress are more flowy and loose fitting. Gothic fashion also includes the vintage fit and flare design, where the torso is cinched and tighter than the skirt area, where the clothing flares out at the hips.
Channel darkness—at least the aesthetic of it—with these four tips for styling and wearing gothic looks. With various vintage trends taking over 2023 fashion climate, gothic style is back and ready to walk the runways and the streets. Level up your aesthetic for more sophisticated and vintage fashion.
