The Origins of Gothic Fashion
The origins of the Gothic subculture, unfortunately cannot be explained in a simple statement. Not only do the origins stream from music, the lifestyle, and a certain sensibility. While many may not think of it, the word “Gothic” can be used in three separate ways. Firstly, it tends to describe a building such as a cathedral, that has a Gothic style of architecture that can be distinguished by the tall pillars, vaulted ceilings, and pointed arches. The Gothic term is also used to describe stories, which mysterious things tend to happen in dark places such as a castles ruins, or a style of printing used to write in print.
In the old world, the term Gothic was used from the Renaissance to signify the art styles of the middle ages. It was called this, after a German tribe of Goths who had once invaded Italy and shattered the roman empire. However, in the fifteenth century, man had hoped to revive the classic age, as the inkling of re-birthing the renaissance. This intervening period was called the middle age, which is still another means of a not so endearing form to refer to it. The Italians blamed the Goths for this destruction of the Roman empire, thus calling the art of this period Gothic.
While this in and of itself, didn’t spawn the Gothic subculture. However it did help to inspire the originality. However, the Gothic term was spawned out of negative connotations, and not quite as positive as this day and age. During the romantic movement, is when fashion became the key in the goth culture. In the eighteen hundreds, people romanticized the Gothic culture, creative a revival of Gothic, and medieval things within fashion.
Generally, the romantics as they were referred to, wanted to escape the concrete historical situation. They used several ways to achieve this, such using the dark, strange, and bizarre symbols and themes. Which were tinged with the resemblance of the Gothic artwork. Most of these trend followers, exhibited a sexual obsession, by allowing it to trickle down into romantic literature. Some of the books of this period, containing an important role of femme fatales, which took in several sinful agonies within delight.
These darker novels have helped to spawn the unweilding fascination with the undead. Most of the literature existing of a complex mix of terror, horror, mysteries, and eroticism. The typical characters, not only being femme fatales, but vampires, and were beasts as well. Some examples of this work, would be Edgar Allan Poe, and Bram Stoker. Stoker, however did have a rather vague picture of the vampire, which emerged from the nineteenth century literature, and earlier, of who’s vampiric lifestyle assumed a mythic status in pop culture. This of course, has helped to inspire not only modern day vampiric tales, but the fashion of the Gothic subculture.
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You’ve barely even covered were Gothic Fashion came from
it started with Music, Gothic Rock/Post Punk, in the late 70′s/Early 80s, it involved alot of leather and lace, black clothing, big crimped and teased hair or mohicans, torn up stockings/fish nets, dark arty make up, jewelry and was somewhat tribal. It was inspired by bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees and Bauhaus, and later bands like Specimen, Sex Gang Children (who sort of gave Goth its title). It grew even more into a subculture (of punk btw) when The Batcave came along, the prototype goth club in England in ’83/4. Notable Goth’s from the 80′s to check out would be Jonny Slut (aka Johnny Slut), Siouxsie Sioux, Daniel Ash, Andi Sex Gang and Specimen (the whole band, including Jonny).
Victorian fashion is a very small part of gothic fashion, in fact it was barely covered in the 80′s, only nowadays has it really come into the light.