Victorian Goth Era
Where did gothic fashion originate?
While writing this blog about Victorian Goth, we cannot fail to mention the Victorian Era, their lifestyle and customs. While Gothic fashion has evolved broadly into modern Cyber Goth and Pastel Goth, the classic Victorian Gothic style remains at the core of the movement.
In a previous blog about Gothic hairstyles, we mentioned these Gothic categories. Friends who are interested can take a look.
What is Victorian Goth style?
Essentially gothic mourning clothing.
Victorian Gothic clothing was primarily black, but was often accented with darker tones of purple, crimson, or green.
Death was a constant presence in the Victorian era due to high mortality rates. While society now tends to view death and darkness as “taboo,” the Victorians considered these elements a part of their daily lives and were very open about death.
Their willingness to face death leads them to use clothing to express their state of mourning. Everything is black to express the deep sadness of their loss, and then as time passes, during “semi-mourning,” the colors lighten to gray tones.
The men wore black gloves and dark suits, and if they wore a hat, it was specially paired with a black strap.
For women, mourning dress was very strict, with lots of black, often scratchy pleated material, and widows often wore a black veil, which could be changed to white later. While men were only required to wear mourning clothes for a few months, women were required to wear mourning clothes for two years.
Since it was considered unlucky to leave mourning clothes in the house after the mourning period was over, they were often disposed of, so purchasing new mourning clothes was commonplace in the Victorian era.
Since 1994, fans of the Victorian Goth aesthetic have descended on the North Yorkshire town of Whitby for the annual Goth Weekends, which have grown to become one of the premier Goth events in the world.
What is the difference between gothic and Victorian Gothic style?
- Different styles and concepts
- The Victorian style reinterprets the meaning of classics, abandons mechanical and rational aesthetics, and begins a new definition of artistic value in human life.
- Gothic architectural style expresses strong emotions of mystery, pathos and sublimity with excellent architectural skills.
- The time of rise is different.
- The Victorian style was an artistic restoration style formed during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) in England in the 19th century.
- Gothic architectural style originated in France in the 12th century and lasted until the 16th century, earlier than the Victorian style.
- Is it religious?
From an architectural perspective, the Victorian style was non-religious, it mainly reflected the art of royalty. Gothic style architecture has a strong religious color, and its buildings are mainly used for churches.
Victorian Goth Fashion
Common elements: black, lace, corset, dress, top hat, cape top
While the Queens may have been unwitting trend-setters, they were already inspiring future goth and punk kids, long before the Sex Pistols played God Save the Queen, long before Morrissey whispered “The Queen is dead” in frustration.
After her husband’s death in 1861, Queen Victoria of England fell into mourning for the rest of her life. The impact on fashion was evident almost instantly, as many began to sympathize with the Queen’s all-black wardrobe. The popularity and persistence of black as the color of death not only created associations with evil, sin, darkness, and death, but also evolved into the color of anti-establishment rebellion.
Black Clothing as an Expression of Separation
By wearing black every day for more than four decades, Queen Victoria may have unwittingly influenced a subtle form of protest fashion known as the “black bloc” – wearing all black as a means of separating oneself from mainstream society.
The influence of Victorian fashion on modern Gothic style
In addition to the influence of Queen Victoria’s choice of black as the main color of her wardrobe, the influence of the Victorian era in general remains an ever-present part of the gothic aesthetic. Elements such as lace and ribbons can be seen in Gothic Lolita fashion, High Goth fashion, and a variety of romantic Goth clothing. Even the pastel goth clothing retains some Victorian influence.
Victorian Goth Fashion And Bauhaus Band
In the 1980s, gothic fashion reached new depths with the emergence of bands such as The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Bauhaus, whose fashion trends embodied It captures the moody, dark aesthetics of Gothic culture.
The Victorian gothic style is still accompanied by a new macabre cocktail that includes fishnets, elaborate makeup, pale skin and a dash of the Westwood Mardi Gras aesthetic.
Bauhaus‘s influence soon permeated the emerging subculture, as their dark, atmospheric live performances of music and theater were highlighted by their signature black leather, fishnet stockings, and dramatic makeup—all of which became known as goth stylish logo.
One of the most iconic elements of the Bauhaus fashion style was the use of the “bat” symbol, which became synonymous with the band’s look and aesthetic. The symbol is still incorporated into various Gothic fashion pieces, appearing on jewelry, accessories and clothing.
Victorian Goth Makeup
Black and purple are the absolute protagonists of Victorian goth makeup. The melancholy of black and the romance of purple not only have the unique complex and elegant atmosphere of the Victorian era, but are also very suitable for matching with Victorian-style clothing.
In terms of hairstyle, smooth and elegant buns and long wavy hair parted in the middle are very suitable. It should be noted that in order to cater to the Victorian goth style, the color of the hairstyle should not be too bright. Unlike our popular pastel goth style, rich black may not be a wrong choice.
For more goth makeup information, you can see our previous article for details: How To Do Goth Makeup Looks: A Complete Guide.
Victorian Goth Clothing
In this section, let’s discuss about Victorian Goth Clothing. I’ve listed four features of Victorian dress here for your information and reference.
Lace
As the most representative of Victorian style, I chose lace, which has an antique feel to it.
The finest lace is handmade and expensive, and has a couture feel to it. During the Victorian era, women loved lace on necklines, cuffs and hemlines. At tea time, white embroidered lace tablecloths and napkins were also used to create a moody atmosphere.
Ruffles
Ruffles are simply synonymous with gentleness and elegance, revealing the classical and noble temperament of the new era. After incorporating the British royal temperament, the stretched ruffles spread across the entire shoulder of the dress. In conjunction with the cutting of the round skirt, the ruffles are modified with wx drapey lines, which further shows the elegant charm of the aristocracy.
The most famous are the Victorian style cake dresses, and even today, short cake dresses for everyday wear and long cake dresses for balls are very popular.
Wrap Buttons
Buttons are, in fact, an essential detail of a Victorian costume, delicate and elaborate. Wrapping the buttons in silk or satin, the same material as the garment, shows a seamless decorative touch and reflects the meticulous workmanship of customized craftsmanship.
Bow Tie
There’s nothing to say, everyone knows.
The bow is an important symbol of the Victorian era and remains popular throughout any era. Who can resist a bow tie?
To be honest, the bows of the Victorian era emphasized the long ribbons. Whether it is a thick and wide ribbon or a slender rope, it has an elegant beauty flowing in the wind.
