One of the most challenging aspects of the gothic fashion industry is the sheer diversity of its movements and branches. This subculture has evolved to encompass a multitude of interpretations, making it difficult to define a singular, definitive style. However, there is a growing interest in understanding the historical roots of gothic fashion and its evolution. Many believe that embracing the colour black is a gateway to embracing gothic fashion as a style.
While this British punk movement is associated with the colour black, there are other factors that influence the choice of this style. To understand the roots of gothic fashion, it is first necessary to examine how this trend has influenced it. We will delve into the history of gothic fashion by exploring the beautiful, different and darker aspects of the style.
Origins
It is impossible to talk about gothic fashion history without delving into the Victorian era. While gothic fashion has evolved into cyber gothic, it all started with the classic Victorian gothic style. The Victorian gothic clothing style was primarily black. It was sometimes accentuated with darker shades such as purple, green or crimson.
Due to the high mortality rate, people were always dying in the Victorian era. Because of the consistency of these elements, Victorians began to see death as a part of everyday life. They were open to the war they felt and used these clothes to express the constant state of mourning that was becoming their story.
Black was the colour of choice for those expressing their deep sadness at the loss of a loved one. Over time, this colour faded to grey, reaching a period of semi-mourning. Men wore vest suits and black gloves. If they wore a hat, the material of the hat was black. For women, the rules were much stricter, as they had a lot of black, and widows would wear black veils, which were later replaced with white.
In August 1979, the Gothic fashion movement began with the Bauhaus “Bela Lugosi is Dead”. A generation was exposed to one of the founders of the Gothic movement. His influence on Gothic culture was immense, despite his denial that he was a Goth. Additionally, Siouxie Sioux is a top influencer of Gothic fashion and is recognised as the epitome and creator of Gothic fashion. Additionally, there was the glamour of David Bowie, the passion of Iggy Pop and Patti Smith, and Joy Division. The flamboyance of the New Romantics also brought the Goth subculture back in the 1980s. Despite these influences, it is still recognised that the fathers of Goth were Robert Smith and Peter Murphy.
Modern Gothic vs. Ancient Gothic
The early Gothic style was characterised by close-fitting garments that accentuated curves and gave the wearer an hourglass figure. This was the top half, while the bottom half was flowing, exaggerated and long. Men wore shirts with frills and lace, as well as dark flat boots and black high heels, and blood red shoes. Women would wear their hair down or in a bun, while men would bleach their bobbed hair with bangs.
These small details in the history of gothic fashion play an important role in today’s styles and have influenced their fashion subculture. Modern gothic fashion is simple and comfortable. It is characterised by silhouettes and sophisticated and irregular cuts. Goths wore few accessories and tattoos were everywhere. Goths mostly combine these looks with their personal fashion tastes. Furthermore, dark makeup can make the skin appear less fair. Many shoes were also used, such as pointed shoes, lace-up boots, spikes and buckled shoes. People also experimented with different hairstyles and colours as well as gothic fashion.
Final Thoughts
Despite the various influences on the history of gothic fashion, it is a contemporary style in its own right. It has remained consistent and unique over the decades, which makes it easy to recognise goths by their subculture and their unique appearance.
