Gothic style in clothing of the 20th century. Gothic style of clothing. Gothic style shoes

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 the color black only at the end of the 19th century. Modern gothic fashion is a subcultural product, and those same goths with long hair, smoky eyes, wearing shoes from Demonia or New Rock and raincoats from X-Tra-X brought it to the world of fashion. 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’s right about that!

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.

Goths, like many youth subcultures, emerged from music. First was music, then style and ideology. Goths came from a punk background. By the end of the 1970s, the violent and open protest of young people against the foundations of society, expressed through punk culture, weakened and was replaced by pessimistic sentiments.

Goths are no longer an open protest, but a withdrawal into oneself, into one’s inner world, a withdrawal from society. And if punk was widespread among young people from the outskirts, then representatives of the middle class became goths.

The Goth subculture appears in the late 1970s in Great Britain. Among the Goths in the 1980s, such musical groups as, for example, Bauhaus, Southern Death Cult, Siouxsie and the Banshees, were popular.

The word goths was also most likely used to designate a group of young people in terms of characterizing their musical preferences - the music is rough, clearly non-classical, that is, from the English gothic meaning barbaric, rude. Of course, according to tradition, journalists came up with the name for the new youth movement.

Despite popular belief, goths are by no means Satanists or a generally destructive youth subculture. As many years of practice have shown, after all, the Goth subculture, which originated in the late 1970s, exists to this day; young Goths will become designers, programmers and journalists in the future. Such young people are actively interested in literature and art, and many of them are humanists. Goths are characterized by an interest in the occult, there is also a vampire theme in Gothic, but most Goths are either agnostics or atheists, and there are also adherents of Christianity among them.

Today, there are many varieties of the Goth subculture - antique, Renaissance, Victorian, cyber Goths, corporate Goths, vampires. Among the adherents of the gothic subculture today, you can find not only young people - on average, the age of goths is from 14 to 45 years.

Gothic style of clothing and accessories

Initially, the Goths had a lot in common in their clothing and hairstyles with the punks who gave birth to them. So, just like the punks, they used safety pins, and the Goths also borrowed piercings from the punks. In the 1980s, the main Goth hairstyles were mohawks or hairstyles in the form of high “spikes”.

Today, ready-to-wear clothing is, of course, black clothing using materials such as leather, lace, silk, velvet, and brocade.

Goth girls can wear leather pants, mini or maxi skirts, black dresses, an important element is a corset, goth outerwear is long leather or textile raincoats. In general, the formation of female style in the Goth subculture was greatly influenced by the image of the “femme fatale,” which originated in the Victorian era and later became popular thanks to films in the noir genre.

The male version of the Gothic wardrobe - black shirts and robes, leather pants, long raincoats.

Shoes are ready - heavy high boots like “grinders”, shoes with a high platform, girls can wear high-heeled shoes and boots.

The classic Goth hairstyle is long, perfectly smooth and straight black hair, loose over the shoulders, without jewelry or accessories, for both girls and boys. In general, as for the image of a young man in the Goth subculture, he should be quite feminine.

Makeup and accessories play a big role in the Gothic costume.

- this is a black eyeliner, dark shadows, dark shades of matte lipstick, the whiteness of the face is emphasized with the help of powder, nails are covered with black varnish. Makeup is mandatory for both girls and boys.

As for accessories, this is most often jewelry made of silver - the metal of the moon; white gold and platinum can also be used. In general, accessories should be white, which looks good against the black background of goth clothing. Among the stones, the Goths prefer semi-precious stones - black opal, agate and jade, cold topaz, rock crystal. They can wear pearls.

Gothic jewelry necessarily has its own specific symbolism. They can wear an ankh (an ancient Egyptian symbol of immortality), various crosses, for example, Celtic ones, jewelry with images of bats, symbols of death, figurines of dragons and cats. Goths also often wear leather bracelets and collars with metal spikes as jewelry.

The Gothic style of clothing itself actually has nothing in common with medieval Gothic costume. In the Middle Ages, townspeople and aristocrats, dressed in the Gothic style, wore costumes of bright colors and bizarre shapes - shoes with long toes, long pyramid-shaped caps, and bells could be sewn onto clothes as decoration.

Therefore, if the Goths borrowed something from - then this is only the symbolism of Gothic architecture. The very costume of modern Goths is much more connected with the costume of Victorian England of the 19th century and, of course, with the literature of this period. In addition to punk, the formation of the Goth subculture was greatly influenced by English literature of the 19th century, as well as vampire themes, also from the 19th century.

The very concept of “Gothic” means a movement in art that reigned from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries. Initially, this is an architectural style and when traveling around European countries, you can see many historical buildings in this style. Its distinctive features are multi-colored stained glass windows, large openwork towers and the noticeable elongation of all structures. The interior design also has noticeable features of the Gothic style. He is characterized by grandeur and grace. Characteristic features are openwork patterns, pointed vaults, stone lace carvings, and the main decoration is a stained glass window - a rose. This style was called dark and gloomy already during the Renaissance, which came to replace it in the fifteenth century.

During the Middle Ages

However, the Gothic style is present not only in architecture, interior design, but also in clothing. This style became popular among young boys and girls who were passionate about the Goth subculture. It should be noted that the style of clothing that modern Goths adhere to differs significantly from the clothing of medieval Europe. Gothic fascinates with its gloomy majesty, coldness and severity. This style of clothing originated in France in the Middle Ages and then spread throughout Europe.

The medieval style was characterized by a clear division into the classes of feudal lords, peasants and townspeople. Each outfit was characterized by contrasting differences depending on social status. The feudal lords' clothing was made of silk with long trains. The main features were an elongated silhouette, and, consequently, pointed hats and the same shoes. Black color had not yet taken over fashion and mostly bright shades and different patterns with images of plants prevailed.

Clothing for women of the Middle Ages was also characterized by an elongated waist silhouette and a tight corset with lacing on the side or back. The bottom of the dress was completed by a wide skirt with a train. Its length depended on the social status of the lady. Draping on the skirt in the abdominal area has come into fashion. The cloaks were rounded and fastened with a buckle at the front. Basically, the edges of the clothes had a pointed shape.

Men's suits in that era existed in two types. The first option was loose-fitting and very long, the second, on the contrary, fitted the figure and was quite short. Short suits were mainly worn by young men. Gradually, a short jacket with tapered sleeves is coming into fashion; in addition to it, pants in the form of stockings began to be worn.

Men from noble families also wore a similar suit, but it differed in the shape of the sleeves. The narrow bodice was complemented by flared flaps on the sides. The cloak model was very simple and consisted of a piece of fabric with a hole for the head. This cloak was called an amice. This model was usually not sewn on the sides, but if it was stitched and there were holes for the arms, then such a cloak was called a surcoat. Similar models were available in both long and short versions.

Revival of style

The era of the Renaissance and the Renaissance is replacing the Gothic style of clothing. Gothic would only be revived for a short time at the end of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth centuries. But this period will be very fleeting.

Gothic will manifest itself more brightly and catchily in the late seventies of the twentieth century. In our concept, the Gothic style is the style of the Goths, the youth subculture. Only distant characteristic features will remain from the images of the Middle Ages. The style will contain cold gloom, excessive severity, and an interest in mysticism. Modern clothing is more reminiscent of Gothic cathedrals, i.e. architectural direction.

Music and fashion have long had a huge influence on each other. So with the advent of a new direction in music - gothic rock, the style gained a second wind.

By the beginning of the eighties of the twentieth century, its own Gothic style and fashion was formed. The main characteristics of this trend to date are black color and voluminous silver accessories. Another distinctive feature is the style of makeup applied by both girls and young men - whitish powder and a thick layer of eyeliner on the eyes. Everyone's hair must be black.

Clothing is stylized during the short revival of the style in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Mandatory elements in modern clothing are long black dresses, satin or leather gloves, and an abundance of lace. Men have hats in the form of cylinders and tailcoats in their wardrobe.

Sometimes the clothes of the Goths resemble metalheads - a lot of leather clothes, chains and an abundance of metal jewelry. On modern Goths you can see collars and bracelets with metal spikes, which act as jewelry. Goths love to use the vamp style in their makeup, which involves red or black nail polish, black eye shadow and eyeliner.

Fans of this style can also be seen in the office. Basically, such people stand out by wearing black clothes and the presence of discreet metal jewelry.

Distinctive features in clothing

If we summarize all the special features of this style, then it is possible to see the characteristic features of this direction.

• The predominance of clear lines in clothing.
• Clothes with a straight silhouette.
• Availability of outfits made of velvet, satin, taffeta, leather and brocade.
• The predominance of plain black clothing with a microscopic presence of burgundy, purple, blue and green colors.
• Various lengths of skirts and dresses. From ultra-short to maxi options.
• Presence of vintage items.
• Leather clothing in the form of trousers and jackets - leather jackets.
• Black hair and emphasis on the eyes.
• What does a modern goth's wardrobe consist of?

A modern person does not even have a question about how to dress, because mass market stores and showrooms abound in the presence of various textures and styles.

• Trousers made of leather or fabric. Such models are preferred by girls with ideal proportions.
• Corsets are perhaps a classic of the genre for every self-respecting goth. This piece of clothing perfectly emphasizes the waist, making the image sexy and attractive. It is worn over a blouse or on a naked body.
• Lace dresses serve as an excellent outfit for a festive occasion or a special celebration. The length of such a dress can be absolutely any, but the waist and neckline area must be emphasized.
• Everyone knows T-shirts with images of bones, skulls, crows or spiders. Every self-respecting goth has such a wardrobe item.
• Suits are perhaps the most standard option, consisting of a pencil skirt and a fitted jacket.
• Outerwear consists of leather or fabric raincoats, flared at the bottom and with a large hood.

Favorite decorations of modern goths.

Gothic is one of the few styles based on certain types of subcultures. It is used by young people who consider themselves to be part of the movement of the same name. The Gothic style in clothing today is distinguished by a noticeable predominance of black. To find out more about this unique fashion, let’s first plunge into ancient times.

Gothic style in clothing of the Middle Ages

Gothic in architecture, painting, and sculpture appears to be incredibly beautiful, filled with solemn gloom and cold severity. It is characterized by elongated shapes, pointed arches, and vaulted ceilings. Gothic is considered to be the art of the period XII-XVI centuries. It became a natural result of the development of the medieval world. The emergence of a new style could not but affect other areas of life, including clothing.

The history of the birth of a new era began with the period of modernization of military equipment of medieval knights. Heavy chain mail was replaced by lighter armor. Clothing for the civilian population has also undergone enormous changes, turning from loose, shapeless shirts into products of complex shapes that hug the figure. This happened thanks to the widespread use of steel scissors in tailoring.

It was then that the foundations of tailoring were laid, which had a significant impact on future forms of women's clothing. It now has a division into a narrow bodice and a skirt, which expands thanks to additional inserts. Triangular cutouts on the chest and back, stand-up collars, long sleeves with cuffs, and shoes with pointed toes echoed the elongated Gothic proportions of architectural structures.

People's ability to create patterns for clothing parts has completely deprived styles of dependence on the width of the woven fabric. The suit consisted of several separate elements connected to each other by means of a seam. Now the clothes enveloped the figure, fitting tightly to it and repeating the contours. During the Middle Ages, the fundamental foundations of future European fashion were laid, which later became an important social aspect in human society.

Subculture of the 20th century

Increased interest in Gothic appeared in the late 70s of the last century. Among young people, the punk style, characterized by revolutionary and anarchic principles, gradually faded away. Rebellious moods gave way to decadent experiences, which were clearly reflected in the music and appearance of the supporters of the new subculture.

The black color of clothing symbolized mourning for a life filled with pain and suffering. The inevitability of the end of existence attracted the newly-minted Goths to the secrets of the afterlife. Sad romantics often chose cemeteries as their meeting places.

Elements of sadomasochism - spikes, whips, leather collars - were widely used as attributes of the style. They expressed an expression of bodily suffering that is considered the norm for the gothic subculture.

Over time, the Gothic movement divided into separate movements expressing special preferences and interests. What remained common to all types was a pronounced aristocratic style, attraction to art and a depressive mood.

Features of the Gothic style of clothing (photo)

A typical Goth outfit consists of black clothes in extravagant styles. The main materials for sewing are silk, velvet, denim, leather, lace. Organza, brocade, taffeta, and lurex are also widely used. Their shine and radiance serve as a spectacular decoration for costumes.

In a woman's gothic wardrobe there will always be leather trousers, dark T-shirts, raincoats and skirts, mostly midi and maxi lengths.

Tight leather corsets that seductively highlight the figure are a must for girls. They are usually worn over a shirt or dress. The corset came to us from the Middle Ages and Victorian era, when it was considered fashionable to give a woman's torso an hourglass shape. Ancient structures were rigid, rough and caused a lot of inconvenience. They made breathing difficult and often caused women to faint. Modern models are distinguished by elasticity and comfort. They do not compress the body, but only follow the contours of an elegant silhouette.

The Gothic style in men's clothing is characterized by pronounced femininity, and therefore is in many ways similar to the wardrobe of sad ladies. Mostly these are leather trousers, black shirts, shapeless robes, and hats. Long raincoats are made of leather or thick fabric.

Fans of the dark subculture are offered shoes of the average type - heavy high-lace-up boots, platform shoes. Women can spice up their outfit with high boots or ankle boots made of shiny black leather.

Accessories for gothic looks

Goth girls decorate their outfits with lace gloves, umbrellas, velvet handbags, and hats. Hats come with wide brims or have a small, elegant shape, complemented by a mesh veil.

Goths love fabrics made in the form of a fishing net or transparent lace. Women's skirts, shirts, capes or robes are sewn from them. All these products are, of course, black.

Typical signs of sad images are white metal accessories. This is usually silver or inexpensive alloys. Sometimes white gold jewelry is used. The color is a symbol of the cold Moon; it well emphasizes the contrast of a pale face and dark decoration.

For adherents of any orientation, decorations in the form of crosses, skulls, and bats are considered necessary elements of style. Punk goths prefer metal chains, bracelets and spikes. Piercings can often be seen on their faces and torsos.

How to create a fashionable look

Gothic style in modern clothing includes various trends: antique, Victorian, Renaissance, corporate, vampire, cyber or punk goth. Each of them has a special composition of clothing and a set of accessories. Based on one’s own inclinations, a specific wardrobe is formed.

• Black pants. Buy jeans or leather pants. Skinny models are more suitable for a slender figure. Another suitable option is loose-fitting trousers.

• Leather corset. This is a mandatory element of the Gothic Lolita image. It looks great with jeans or a full, layered skirt trimmed with lace. An off-the-shoulder pirate-style shirt is recommended underneath. The result is a daring and touching image at the same time.

• Velvet jacket. Gives a solid look to supporters of the most ancient styles.

• T-shirts with branded logos. To wear such clothes, you need to be a true fan of a gothic rock band.

• Leather shoes. Boots with chunky flat soles or high-heeled boots – the choice is up to the goth. The color is predominantly black, although there are also blood red models.

• Accessories. A spiked collar and leather bracelets are a universal set for a representative of any gothic trend.

In addition to the wardrobe, specific makeup is required for Goths. Moreover, this is a mandatory element of the image for women and men. The eyes, thickly outlined with black, should clearly stand out on a whitened face. Scarlet or blue-black lipstick is applied to the lips.

Classic and original, modern and distant past, gloomy and romantic. All this characterizes the Gothic clothing style - one of the relatively young, but deep-rooted fashion trends.

Gothic style of clothing: medieval motifs in a new way

To understand the modern fashion trend, you need to travel back several centuries and get acquainted with the stylish “ancestors”.

The general concept of “Gothic” appeared during the Renaissance and meant a movement in the art of European countries at the end of the 11th – 13th centuries. The Gothic movement, which replaced the Romanesque style, affected architecture, sculpture and, of course, fashion, which was distinguished by:

• gloomy majesty;
• bewitching coldness;
• beautiful severity.

And it literally permeated everything around. People of art and art historians of the Renaissance called this period and everything related to it “barbaric.”

Like many things related to art and fashion, the Gothic style originated in France, and reached the peak of its development in the historical region of this country - Burgundy.

The “barbaric” fashion of the Middle Ages had several options - each class had its own trends and preferences. They were united by their affinity for elongated proportions and silhouettes. The trend included shoes with long toes (sometimes up to half a meter), pointed hats, thin, tightly laced waists, scalloped edges and long trains. The higher the lady's position, the longer the train. The fashion trend was draping around the abdomen.

The outer outfits were represented by semicircular or round cloaks, fastened on the chest with a massive buckle.

The color palette was dominated by bright shades and all kinds of ornaments.

After some time, other styles replaced Gothic. It seemed that it had outlived its usefulness and faded into history. But several centuries later, at the turn of the 18th–19th centuries, it was briefly revived, absorbing new rules and trends.

The next round of popularity of the “well-forgotten old” came in recent history.

Features of modern Gothic

Modern gothic clothing, with the help of which goths (fans of the subculture of the same name) express themselves, is significantly different from what was in fashion almost a dozen centuries ago. The current Gothic style was born, or rather, revived in a modernized form in the 70s of the last century. In addition to the features of medieval fashion, elements of punk and modern trends are woven into it.

The main distinctive features of the “barbaric” trend in modern clothing are:

• Gravitation towards black and its cool combination with white or red. Minimal use of rich shades of purple, burgundy, green and blue is also allowed.
• The presence of clear silhouettes and straight lines.

• Extravagance.

• A narrow top and a loose bottom, designed to make the figure angular and hide feminine curves.

• The use of white (light) decorations of a certain theme. The favorite metal is ready - silver, which symbolizes the Moon and emphasizes the deathly pallor of its owners.
• Sharp angles that can show up in collars, cuffs, hems or even prints on clothing pieces.
• The use of textured fabrics and materials with an interesting texture.

From his medieval ancestor he inherited gloom and severity.

Diversity

Currently, the Gothic style is divided into several directions, which, naturally, do not depend on the social status of its fans. Rather, it is a matter of taste and preference.

1. Antique (romantic), using fashion trends of the 18th century and characterized by the presence of lace, elbow-length gloves, maxi dresses, corsets and veils.
2. Vampiric, which is a kind of imitation of “movie” vampires. Girls who adhere to this trend diligently emphasize their sexuality and use bright red details in their outfits or makeup (lipstick, nail polish).
3. Metallized (rock). It echoes “metal” in music and uses leather items, complemented by all kinds of chains, collars, and spikes. The use of latex clothing is also allowed here.
4. Cyber ​​direction. Skillfully combines Gothic and industrial elements. When creating looks, preference is given to artificial fabrics, acidic shades, and high-platform shoes.
5. Lolita (J-Goth). The direction comes from Japan. Its main attributes are gothic knee-length dresses, richly decorated with frills and crinoline. Umbrellas, hats, and shoes with rounded toes on a high platform are used as accessories.
6. Corporate. A kind of “adaptation” of the subculture and its fashion to the requirements of the dress code. Characterized by minimal use of accessories and virtually no makeup.

In addition to these options, modern Gothic can be distinguished;

• Victorian and Renaissance Goths, embodying images of the past;
• androgynous, trying to “disguise” their true gender behind clothes and cosmetics;
• glitter and fairy goths, which include exclusively girls who dye their hair in uncharacteristic bright colors, braid dreadlocks and braids.
• Western goths reminiscent of cowboy films.

Representatives of the last group are the fewest and occur less frequently than others.

Modern set of gothic things

As already noted, black items predominate in the Goths’ wardrobe. But the range of image elements itself is quite wide.

Silk, velvet, vinyl, mesh leather, denim are used for outfits, complemented by organza, brocade, taffeta, and lurex.

A woman's wardrobe consists of:

• leather trousers, tight-fitting silhouette;
• T-shirts, turtlenecks, dark-colored blouses;
• skirts and raincoats of medium and maximum length;
• leather corsets, which are worn on top of dresses or shirts;
• vintage or ultra-modern dresses of complex styles;
• sword belts - like corsets, they are worn over clothing;

The look is complemented by all kinds of lace, frills, lacing, rough boots with high platforms or heels, unusual umbrellas, long gloves, hats with veils, large massive jewelry made of white metal (mostly silver is used, but “exceptions” made of white gold or platinum are allowed).

Favorite goth accessories are:

• jewelry decorated with spikes, chains, handcuffs;
• bracelets and collars made of latex or leather;
• images of skulls, spiders, cats, dragons;
• rings, earrings and pendants with images of Egyptian crosses.

Instead of bags, girls will want large backpacks or elegant traveling bags.

An integral and important part of the image is the hairstyle. For the Goths, this is usually straight hair the color of a raven's wing (less often red or ashy). The romantic direction allows for curls and voluminous hairstyles.

Followers of the Gothic style also have a unique makeup look. “Aristocratic” pallor of the face is very popular, so a significant layer of makeup is applied to it. The most expressive detail is the eyes, lined with black eyeliner or pencil. The manicure color is also black.