Gothic and gothic style in clothing. Features of the Gothic clothing style, rules for creating an image Images in the Gothic style

The modern Gothic style has much more in common with “neo-Gothic” than with “Gothic” 17-18. First of all, it is characterized by the use of black color.

It is allowed to dilute the ensemble with red or maroon.

Fabrics for making clothes can be very different: cotton, lurex, lace, silk, velvet, leather, vinyl and so on. Girls often wear corsets as part of their clothing or over a dress or T-shirt. You can wear both trousers and skirts. The length of the skirts is usually below the knee. Coats and raincoats are used as outerwear.

Goth men prefer to wear tight jeans, dark T-shirts, hoodies, and raincoats. Besides, they sometimes wear skirts.

When it comes to footwear, Goths prefer massive boots, like Grinders and Martins, and boots with a high platform. Girls in some cases complement their outfit with high-heeled shoes, boots or ankle boots. Shoe color is black.

The most famous clothing brands that refer to the Gothic style are: Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Viktor&Rolf.

Accessories

Goths tend to use accessories only made of silver, less often white gold. The shine of this metal perfectly sets off pale skin and is associated with moonlight.

Precious stones are practically not used in jewelry, and few of them are suitable for the Gothic style.

The exceptions are diamonds and sapphires. But you manage to see quite often: opals, agates, rock crystal and many others. One way or another, all stones that are black, white or cold in color.

Most rings, necklaces and chokers have some symbolism. Crosses are especially popular. Some people like collars with leather bracelets. Elements of garden-maza can often be seen in the Gothic style. A similar situation concerns the bandage.

Goth girls tend to wear hats with veils and lace gloves.

Hair and makeup

Makeup is an integral part of the gothic look. To emphasize the whiteness of their skin, Goths use light powder. Eyes are lined with black, and this applies to both boys and girls. Lips are painted with dark burgundy matte lipstick. Nail color is black, negligence and sloppy manicure is allowed.

Goths' hair is usually dyed black, although blonde can also be seen. It is best if the hair is long, straight, falling from the shoulders.

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Being goth means leading a whole lifestyle, from music to unlaced soldier boots. However, in a time when everyone is wearing Abercrombie, it's hard to figure out how to properly dress in this style. Read on and find out.

Steps

Become goth gradually. Don't change your look suddenly. Smoothly immerse yourself in the gothic subculture.

Decide on a style. Some people go for a romantic look, wearing tailored velvet jackets, period clothing and lace. Others are closer to the punk style with their pants decorated with zippers, straps, buckles, rings and chains and spiked collars. Still others lean toward futuristic or cyber-gothic. They can be seen wearing goggles, latex, large industrial boots and colored thread dreadlocks. There is no single Gothic style; it has many branches.

Search the Internet for images of goths and themed films for inspiration. Take a look around and think about what you would like to include in your wardrobe. Avoid directly copying someone unless you're going for Halloween.

Go to a second-hand or consignment store for cheap and original clothes. Even brick-and-mortar outlets have basics like pinstripe trousers, black sweaters, and so on. And this will cost much less than updating your wardrobe at the expense of specialized stores.

Sew your own clothes, or at least consider decorating what you have with lace, braid, and the like.

You can find a lot of things in second-hand clothing stores, but the cheapest ones are already in your closet. Give free rein to your imagination: make it a unique work of art. Guys, don't try to wear these things unless you want to look more feminine. Also make sure it fits and suits you well, because unless you're thin or in shape, it's probably not for you. Be aware that tight pants may get you called an emo, but remember: members of the emo subculture wear women's jeans, and goths and death rockers don't like such things, they buy cheap black jeans and sew them in or take quality tight black stretch jeans from proven brands brands such as Lip-service, DogPile or Tripp Clothing. If this doesn’t look good on you, choose regular or even loose-fitting clothes.

Wear T-shirts with band names on them. For example, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Christian Death, Bauhaus. But they should be t-shirts from bands you REALLY like. If you buy one just because it’s “gothic,” you’ll look like an idiot. Many goths and death rockers cut their T-shirts so that they hang off one shoulder, or cut their sleeves so that they fall down their arms and expose their shoulders.

Think about boots. Many goths wear tall black boots. There are many different styles shoes, look around and choose the one you like! Or not: boots are optional, because the goth subculture is all about a sense of originality. Some romantic goths wear shoes that make them stand out every day.

Hair. Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to dye your hair or even style your hair in any fashion to look like a goth. There are many prominent representatives of the goth subculture with natural hair color. If you decide to paint them, start by finding out what colors suit YOU. Not all of them decorate! Then study the hairstyles of members of various goth groups for inspiration. Some people like to style their hair in spikes, in a mop to one side, or wear their hair in messy styles. Remember that goths descended from punks, so many of them comb their hair in the “explosion at a pasta factory” style, put on mohawks, fancifully bend huge spikes from their hair and, in general, do everything that their imagination can do. No matter what color or hairstyle you choose, just remember that it's all about SELF-EXPRESSION! So get creative!

Color palette. Black is not the only color that exists in the goth subculture. Dark red, purple, blue, cyan and white often complement the base color black. Cyber ​​or industrial goths embrace neon colors, but they become goth because of you, and you don't have to listen to what others say.

Wear appropriate makeup. Among the Goths, he often looks dramatic: thick black eyeliner, red lipstick and thick dark shadows in black, red and purple flowers around and on the eyelids. Cat wings have almost become a cliché, but they look absolutely fabulous. Black lipstick has become much less popular than it used to be. However, there are no rules here.

1. Complete the look with accessories. This could be an elegant collar, lace gloves, a bracelet in S&M aesthetics, goggles or goggles, bat earrings, wristbands, and so on.

   • Be yourself. Don't blindly follow what some other goth is doing.
   • A few things good quality much better than a huge wardrobe that you can't stand. Think quality, not quantity. Buy the basics - skirt, pants, boots, jacket - and build from there. Take only those things that you really like and fit you perfectly. Then you will look great and feel confident, which is very important for self-esteem and will come in handy when you have to defend your clothing style.
   • Being a goth doesn't just mean dressing in that style, although dark clothing plays an important role. The main thing is how you behave. The Goth is an outcast in society, but at the same time integrated into it better than anyone else. They appreciate that we are all different and never judge others. Even if they fail, they try to ignore negative feelings and find out more about a person before forming an opinion about him.
   • The goth subculture implies many things. Goths are pacifists, but are not afraid to stand up for themselves. It's all about attitude, feelings, emotions... Black color reflects it all. It means loneliness, difference from others, uniqueness and much more.
   • Be creative. Try to make your image special. Don't try to look like a stereotypical goth or you'll be labeled a poser.
   • Black has a lot of shades: blue, red, green, brown. It goes without saying that red and green shades should not be worn together.
   • Try to learn to act like a goth by listening to goth music, reading goth literature, and going to goth clubs.

   Warnings

   • There's a lot of androgyny to the goth look, so you'll have to get used to it. This does not mean that someone is gay, bi, etc. It's all about fashion. And don't think you've determined someone's sexual orientation just by appearance. Be RESPECTIVE.
   • Some people will change their attitude towards you just because you look different now. Don't pay attention to their opinion.
   • There is a big difference between goths and emo. And the goth community distinguishes the true goths from the poseurs.

There is no need to make excursions into the distant, gloomy past: Gothic as a style of clothing has the same relationship to the Middle Ages as a theater usher to art.

The Gothic style is a “tiny” combination of silhouettes, elements typical of ancient costumes from different eras, specific accessories and completely modern materials.

No, this is not Gothic as a historical period. And a fantasy idea of ​​bygone times, formed under the influence of fairy tales about princesses and dragons, legends about sacred cups and unicorns, chivalric novels and film noir.

Prerequisites for style and its character

The fashion for Gothic fiction - books about gloomy castles, ghosts, stern men-at-arms, beautiful maidens and alchemists - began to take shape at the end of the century before last, as the role of religion weakened.

The fascination with the topic continued in subsequent decades. Finally, in the 70s, in Britain, on the platform of the punk movement, a separate subculture arose, absorbing interest in pseudo-gothic music, horror, decadence, esotericism... And giving birth to a new fashion - the gothic style. It reflects the desire for mystery, mysticism and allows you to silently, through clothing and jewelry, declare yourself as an extraordinary and mysterious person.

General features of the Gothic style

Gothic style of clothing: accessories and decor

Gothic style jewelry is massive, made of white alloys. These are chains, signet rings, necklaces, bracelets, large, baroque crosses made of silver, cupronickel, zinc and steel... Clip-on cuffs, brooches and pendants with images of spiders, salamanders, pentagrams and other signs of the occult are popular among hotties.

Bags - backpacks, suitcases, barrels, clutches made of patent leather or velvet. Choosing an original attribute in the Gothic spirit is not a problem: a huge number of online stores sell them, which confirms the relevance of the Gothic style.

Props in the Gothic style are part, a continuation of the portrait: these are, for example, umbrellas, canes, pince-nez, belts with skulls on buckles, wallets with crosses and rivets, and even respirators made of leather straps.

Hair and makeup

In the modern Gothic style there are few hats because they are replaced by hairstyles. Very often this is not just styling, but a real Gothic manifesto. Everything is allowed: mohawks, shaved temples, long curls, curls, multi-colored strands, intricate “towers” ​​decorated with bows and lace, tiaras and hoops, wigs in blue, burgundy, and platinum colors.

Make-up in a gothic manner also involves a lot of variations, from make-up similar to a Halloween mask to a completely ordinary make-up in gloomy tones.

The most popular, however, among goths is the “vamp” makeup style: black eyeliner, dark gray smokey eye and terry eyelashes, lipstick the color of gore and the same nails.

Gothic style and high fashion

The demand for Gothic returns every few years, thanks to the efforts of designers. Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, Versace, Donna Karan, Giles Deacon, Valentino, and other fashion houses tirelessly produce collections imbued with gloomy and majestic gothic energy.

The stars also add fuel to this “medieval” fire. Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart, Katy Perry, Eva Green, Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Emma Stone, Lady Gaga so often dress up in gothic clothes, that there is no doubt: this bizarre style, despite its pseudo-historicity, will never cease to excite the blood and tickle the nerves.

During the time of architectural Gothic, the color black, which is attributed to this style today, was not in sight - at most gray. Aniline dyes gave the world black color only in late XIX century. Modern gothic in fashion is a subcultural product, and those same goths brought it to the world of fashion long hair, smoky eyes, in shoes from Demonia or New Rock and raincoats from X-Tra-X. This "dark" dark side, associated with mysticism and unusual heavy music.

The roots of the culture do not go as deep as the roots of architectural Gothic - just in the very Victorian era, when women fell in love with wearing black clothes, ghost stories and all sorts of mysticism, and Mary Shelley wrote her “Frankenstein”. Then came stories about vampires.

In the photo: a still from the film “Frankenstein”, 1994

The classic gothic image in cinema is the magnificent Morticia from the famous film “The Addams Family”. Interview with the Vampire can also be considered gothic. Neverland (one of the exemplary films about vampires and werewolves in our time) is designed in a gothic style, but modern.

In the photo: Patricia Adams in the television series, model on

What to call gothic today has already been determined by representatives of the subculture: black primarily, sometimes in dramatic combinations with red, blue, purple and tartan. Long clothes, leather, corsets, hats, high platforms, lots of belts, accessories, pins, this is a “noir” aesthetic: skulls, ghosts and mummies, crosses and pentagrams, dragons and snakes. This is hair of rich colors: black, red, red, blue, purple.

If we talk about high gothic, then there is already a sample of it, the tone has already been set, and this is the EGL style, created by the Japanese musician Mana - first for himself and the group Malice Miser, and then became the basis of his own fashion brand - and the “key” to new style.

In the photo: dresses and jewelry Moi-meme-Moitie

And absolute unisex, which over the past 15 years has been actively preached by Japanese rock musicians, who could appear on stage in both men's and women's outfits. Mana himself, for example, often prefers dresses and is one of the style icons in Japan.

Shoes in this style are mainly on high platforms and solid high heels, a little “doll-like”, but increased to human proportions. The difference with ordinary Gothic is the aristocratic aesthetics.

In the photo: looks from the shows of Givenchy, Victor&Rolf, YSL

In the informal visual kei subculture, the style is called EGL - Elegant Gothic Lolita, within which aristocrats are distinguished (primarily this is a male trend, as well as the style of adult women, based on Victorian fashion) and lolitas and oji (in Japanese, “prince”). , dressing in a children's doll style.

It is in this style that “high gothic”—let’s call it that—appeared on the catwalks this season. Take a look at Moi-meme-Moitie's cross jewelery and compare it to this season's collections, especially the baroque cross jewellery. Precious tiaras in princess hairstyles. Cuffs are clips on the entire ear.

Black color and floor-length dresses decorated with “crow” feathers; Victorian capes, medieval ruffles or Victorian long cuffs on the sleeves, lush jabots, corset laces, shoes on tall thick platforms with wide heels - everything that has been coming out of Mana’s pen for the past ten years is in tune with what was released on the catwalk designers.

In the photo: look from the Gianfranco Ferre show, Patricia Adams, look from the Vanesa Bruno show

Elements of gothic style and “noir” are familiar to us from a number of famous fashion houses, for example, Alexander McQueen and Philipp Plein. Gaultier uses the fetish side of Gothic, and John Galliano has been seen in the aristocratic side. Yes, and Karl Lagerfeld last year showed in his winter collection wonderful and absolutely “subcultural” collars and cuffs with ruffles, ideal for the image of a gothic aristocrat. However, he has been repeatedly seen borrowing interesting elements from Asian fashion - having a keen sense of what will be fashionable and what will impress the public, Lagerfeld chooses all the most interesting things. And he is right about this!

In addition, it includes not only complex dresses, but also a large number of iconic accessories - and it is much easier to fit them into your everyday wardrobe.

Clothing in the Gothic style causes mixed reactions, from complete rejection to genuine interest and admiration. Dark personalities with an impenetrable expression on a deathly pale face, like aliens from the other world or parallel world, attract the eye, make you turn around with apprehension or with the thought “damn beautiful, but it won’t suit me.” These are goths. Whether it is necessary to belong to their subculture in order to dress in such a style is a moot point. Now let’s try, without changing our worldview, to join the shocking gothic fashion and add an extravagant touch to your everyday look or for special occasions.

In this article:

Let's briefly go through history from the Middle Ages to the present day and begin to study photos, select clothes and create the image of a charming goth or change our attitude towards this culture to a more loyal one. After all, its representatives - ordinary people thus expressing their individuality.

The history of Gothic fashion

Gloomy morals reigned in Europe in the 12th-15th centuries. It was an eerie and at the same time romantic time from the point of view modern man. The omnipotence of the Catholic Church, the merciless bonfires of the Inquisition, burning witches, noble knights ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of beautiful ladies.

It was during this era that a majestic style, fascinating with its cold inaccessibility, was born, called Gothic, that is, barbaric, denying the classical canons of beauty, proportions and harmony. At first, the direction of architecture, and then clothing, with pronounced sharp angles, symbolized the desire upward, towards God, the denial of the earthly importance of existence.

The new style became most widespread in France. The clothes of Parisian fashionistas were pretentious and original:

• pointed hats and pointed shoes;
• thin silhouettes covered with corsets;
• trains of infinite length;
• jagged, uneven edges of sleeves and hems;
• an abundance of bright ornaments and floral motifs.

Tailoring from a simple craft turned into an art, and all cutting techniques known to this day were invented.

And then the world stepped into the Renaissance, and Gothic sank into oblivion. The attempt to emerge from oblivion at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries was short-lived and unsuccessful. In the 70s of the 20th century, gothic revived again, replacing the fading punk culture, which failed to establish itself in its slogan “Live fast - die young.”

Life was more or less clear, and almost everyone could cope. But the theme of death, the afterlife, and eternal mourning appealed to the taste of gloomy romantics. Their favorite color became black, and cemeteries became places for walks and gatherings. The new gothic style finally took shape by the 80s, and in the 2000s it appeared on the catwalks.

Modern ready-to-wear style: characteristic features, distinctive features

The Middle Ages left its mark on the appearance of melancholy fatalists. But they only adopted a narrow, laced waist, otherwise fashion trends of that time have little in common with the appearance of modern Goths.

These grotesque personalities rather took on the role of a victim of the Inquisition, who appeared in our world with a reminder of eternal sorrow, mourning, and the frailty of existence. But believe me, deep down, none of them are going to die, and the exquisite beauty of death is a way to present oneself to the world and be noticed.

If you want to accurately identify representatives of this subculture in a crowd or try on clothes in the Gothic style, remember the main features:

• predominance of black with contrasting accents - white, red;

• dark rich colors are allowed - purple, burgundy, green, blue;

• clear silhouettes, straight flying lines;

• frank extravagance with subtext for adults;

• vintage or ultra-modern dresses with a complex cut;

• voluminous skirts, mini or maxi length;

• frill, lace, mesh, lacing;

• corsets and belts, mainly over clothing;

• loose black blouses, t-shirts, shirts, ;

• plenty of leather - trousers, skirts, ;

• rough shoes with platforms or high heels (, camelots,);

• eccentric umbrellas, veiled hats, long gloves;

• massive white metal jewelry;

• expressive contrast of dark hair and completely white face;

• deliberately careless aggressive makeup in black and blood-red tones.

Preferable fabrics:

• velvet;
• atlas;
• silk;
• leather;
• vinyl;
• brocade;
• taffeta;
• lace;
• organza.

The Goths have a fair share of aristocracy in both women's style and men's clothing. Long black coats and raincoats, a top-hat, and on special occasions a tailcoat, what a London dandy. But still, the image of a modern goth girl deserves more attention.

Options for self-expression in clothes from the goths

The image of a Gothic Lolita can be an interesting discovery for girls. This style is one of the types of Japanese street fashion. It does not contain any hints of vulgarity and vulgarity, but on the contrary looks quite elegant and relaxed. Character traits:

• black color actively diluted with blue, blue, red details;

• quite a lot of white - stockings, gloves, petticoats;

• formal dresses with bodices and full skirts;

• flirtatiously peeking shirt collars and lace pantaloons;

• elegant knee length;

• gothic prints;

• elegant hats with ribbons, coffin handbags;

• shoes with massive heels or very high (up to 20 cm) platforms;

• gloomy makeup can be replaced with makeup that focuses on the eyes;

• hair - black curls or straight dark red, purple or red strands are possible in black hair.

The result is a completely charming, feminine image. But the Gothic clothing style is very diverse. There are other directions as well.

• Cyber ​​- dark colors are generously complemented with acidic shades, hairstyles - mohawks, dreadlocks, makeup in neon colors.

• Jay is an imitation of the heroes of Japanese anime, but with strict adherence to the Gothic rules - dark clothes and contrasting makeup.

• Medieval - the most romantic branch of the Goth subculture: indispensable corsets, Victorian-style dresses, long gloves, lace, hats.

• Vampire is the most popular style. The emphasis is on the obligatory presence of a rich red color, symbolizing blood and impeccable whiteness of the skin.

• Corporate – allows you to comply with the dress code in a work environment. Usually it is a strict black suit with a snow-white shirt and some jewelry in the appropriate style.

As you can see, putting together a set of clothes in a modern gothic style, suitable for any setting, is not difficult. But that's not all. It is important to maintain the harmony of the image as a whole, that is, to turn into a Goth or Hotness from head to toe.

Shoes and accessories

Gothess legs will meet all the requirements if you wear:

• high combat boots;
• boots on a massive platform;
• shoes or sandals with wide and fairly high heels;
• for special occasions - an aggressive stiletto heel.

Instead of bags - large black backpacks or elegant suitcases. Headdress – a hat, preferably with a veil or ribbons. Glasses are often round and can be decorated with spikes. An original accessory is a collar made of latex, leather or metal. Spikes on it are also welcome. Another trick is a lace or velvet umbrella for protection from the sun.