The History of Gothic Clothing

It’s difficult to categorise Gothic clothes and culture. With so many different branches and movements within this diverse subculture, it appears that everyone has their own interpretation of gothic fashion. So, where did gothic fashion begin? That is the million-dollar question. To begin understanding the origins of gothic fashion, we must first examine the influences that shaped it. So let’s explore the cultural and social history of gothic fashion and all the things we love about it, including its gorgeous, dark, and diverse origins.

What is the origin of gothic fashion?

The Victorians were a unique group of people.

Without describing the Victorians, their lifestyle, and customs, we couldn’t create this blog about gothic fashion history. Despite the fact that gothic fashion has evolved into current cybergoth and pastel goth, the classic Victorian gothic clothing look remains at the core of the movement.

So, what exactly is Victorian gothic style?

Victorian gothic clothing is primarily black, but it is frequently complemented with dark shades of purple, deep reds, or greens. It is essentially gothic mourning dress. Death was ever-present throughout the Victorian era due to high mortality rates. Whereas death and gloom are now considered taboo, the Victorians saw these aspects as very much a part of their daily life and were very open about death. Their readiness to take a stand

They used their attire to show their grief as a result of their mortality. Everything was dark to reflect their tremendous sorrow for their loss, but as the ‘half-mourning’ period progressed, the colours faded to grey tones. Men wore black gloves, a dark suit, and a hat with a prominent black band if they wore one. Women wore a lot of black, often scratchy crape material in mourning, while widows frequently wore a black veil that could be converted to white later. Women were compelled to wear mourning apparel for two years, whereas men were only needed to wear it for a few months. Because it was considered bad luck to keep mourning clothes in the house after the grieving time had ended, they were frequently discarded, and Victorians frequently purchased new mourning clothing. Since 1994, admirers of the Victorian goth aesthetic have flocked to Whitby, North Yorkshire, for the annual goth weekends, which have evolved to become one of the world’s most prestigious goth gatherings.

The New Romantics, glam rock, and punk

These gothic fashion pioneers emerged as a direct outcome of the punk scene. The glam rock era of the 1970s, with sequins, boas, and cosmetics, was disappearing, and punk rock’s angry anarchy was sweeping the UK.

The premiere of Bauhaus’ ‘Bela Lugosi is Dead’ in August 1979 marked the beginning of the gothic movement as we know it today. Peter Murphy, one of the founding fathers of goth, was suddenly exposed to an entire generation. Murphy, along with Siouxie Siu, who is widely regarded as epitomising and establishing gothic fashion, now claims that he’s ‘all about’ goth and doesn’t consider himself to be a part of the culture openly. However, his effect on gothic culture is immense. The glitz of David Bowie, the ferocity of Patti Smith and Iggy Pop, the melancholic misery of Joy Division, and finally the flamboyance of The New Romantics propelled the goth subculture forward into the 1980s. Despite this eclectic combination of influences, Bauhaus vocalist Peter Murphy and The Cure’s Robert Smith are sometimes credited as the pioneers of gothic fashion.

Who was the creator of gothic fashion?

Before Siouxie Siu, Peter Murphy ( a men’s gothic clothing UK icon), Bauhaus, and Robert Smith (Another men’s gothic clothing UK icon), there were supporters of the Gothic style. Many proto-goth style icons embraced the goth aesthetic to make a statement rather than because it was a result of sartorial traditions or a societal trend at the time. These gothic fashion heroes existed before the well-known ‘creators,’ and their contributions to gothic fashion and subcultures deserve a lot more credit.

Theda Bara, described as ‘America’s first goth,’ was a silent film diva who is considered an OG pioneer of gothic dress. With her dark eye makeup, revealing yet eerie dress, and overall gothic demeanour, she stepped outside standard 1920s style. She was the first ‘vamp’ in Hollywood, and she popularised the vamp and femme fatale stereotypes. Even her name was goth: she was originally Theodosia Burr Goodman, but the studio changed her name to Theda Bara, which is an anagram of ‘Arab death.’ Her origin was designed to add to the mystery and intrigue around her. The star’s publicist noted her interest in the occult and claimed she was “born in the shadow of the Sphynx” and moved to Paris to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. In truth, Theda was an Ohio-born American who had never even been to Paris, never alone Egypt! She created the revealing costumes and wigs for her films herself, with the most of them being destroyed in a fire at MGM Studios. Bara’s surviving photographs have become famous, showcasing her fondness for long black gowns, exposing costumes, dark eye makeup, and an intense appearance.

Let’s not forget about the Adams Family from the beginning! Since 1938, Morticia, Gomez, Wednesday, Pudsey, Uncle Fester, and the rest of the gang have been goth. The world’s first gothic family, created by Charles Addams, had a major impact on culture because to their attitude, dark humour, and clothing. Morticia, the family matriarch, was the one who popularised goth style with her long black gown, pale skin, black hair, and dark lipstick. Morticia was not only the main reason why our next gothic fashion icon propelled goth fashion into the mainstream from the shadows in the comics, television series, and later movies, but she was also the main reason why our next gothic fashion icon propelled goth fashion into the mainstream from the shadows.

Vampira

Vampira was the first princess of the underworld. Vampira was developed by actress Maila Nurmi in 1922 after watching Morticia in The Addams Family comics. Her bloodcurdling scream as she emerged from her coffin bed was transmitted into the living rooms of thousands of Americans as she hosted a late-night horror movie show on the newly born medium of television. No one had ever seen a human being as beautiful as Vampira, sipping a ‘vampire cocktail topped with an eyeball’ and saying goodbye with ‘pleasant screams.’ She’d introduce each horror picture, yet her demeanour was in stark contrast to her appearance. Her keen puns added to her attractiveness. She was aloof but approachable, sardonic but honest. Her long dark skirts, corseted waists, pointed eyebrows, and long straight black hair were the polar opposite of the popular rockabilly look of the 1950s. Nurmi wasn’t simply a goth in costume; her interest in alternative subcultures, the occult, and all things unusual demonstrated that she wasn’t just a goth at heart. Elvira, who combined her Valley Girl shtick, humour, and the goth aesthetic to become a nineties phenomenon in her own right, was influenced by Vampira’s character and look.

From Victorians to horror icons to comic book characters, this list of underappreciated and famous gothic fashion heroes is as diverse as the genre itself.

The Current State of Gothic Clothing

Nowadays there are so many subgenre’s of gothic clothing, and to be honest, too many to mention in one blog.

However no matter what you are looking for, we will probably have it, if not, we will in the future, and we can assure you it’s better than browsing Amazon Gothic Clothing.

One of the main reasons that we decided to create The Armageddon is due to that gaps that we saw in the market, for example the plus size gothic clothing UK market is simply underappreciated and scarce.

Why not take a cue from your favourite gothic fashion pioneers with The Armageddon. We provide men’s gothic clothing UK style, ladies gothic clothing, gothic teenage clothing, sexy gothic clothing, Victorian gothic clothing and plus size gothic clothing UK, with much more to come in the future.

Head to our shop page now to explore more and follow us on Instagram to keep in the loop of our frequent gothic clothing sale.

The History of Gothic Clothing