Modern clothes in medieval style. Gothic and gothic style in clothes. Accessories, hairstyle, makeup
Goths, like many youth subcultures, emerged from music. The first was music, then style and ideology. The Goths came from among the punks. 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 moods.
The 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 the UK. 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 refer to 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 in the sense of barbaric, rude. Of course, according to tradition, journalists came up with the name for the new youth movement.
Despite common beliefs, Goths are by no means Satanists or generally a destructive youth subculture. As long-term practice has shown, after all, the subculture of the Goths, which originated in the late 1970s, exists to this day, designers, programmers and journalists will grow out of young Goths in the future. Such young people are actively interested in literature and art, among them there are a lot of humanitarians. The Goths are characterized by an interest in the occult, there is also a vampire theme in Gothic, but at the same time, the majority of the Goths are either agnostics or atheists, and there are adherents of Christianity among them.
Today, there are many varieties of Goth subculture - antique, renaissance, Victorian, cyber-goths, corporate goths, vampires. You can meet among the adherents of the gothic subculture today and not only young people - on average, the age is ready from 14 to 45 years.
Gothic style of clothing and accessories
Initially, the Goths had much in common in their clothes and hairstyles with the punks who gave birth to them. So, just like the punks, they used safety pins, the Goths also borrowed piercings from the punks. In the 1980s, the main hairstyles for the Goths were mohawks or hairstyles in the form of high spikes.
Today, clothes are ready - this, of course, is black clothes using materials such as leather, lace, silk, velvet, brocade.
Goth girls can wear leather pants, mini or maxi skirts, black dresses, an important element is a corset, gothic outerwear - long leather or textile raincoats. In general, the image of the “femme fatale”, which originated in the Victorian era, and later became popular thanks to film noir, had a great influence on the formation of the female style in the Goth subculture.
The male version of the Gothic wardrobe - black shirts and hoodies, leather pants, long raincoats.
Shoes are ready - heavy high boots like "grinders", shoes on a high platform, girls can wear high-heeled shoes and boots.
The classic hairstyle is ready - long, perfectly smooth and straight black hair, loose over the shoulders, without jewelry and accessories, for both girls and boys. In general, with regard to the image of a young man in the Goth subculture, he should be quite feminine.
Makeup and accessories play a big role in the costume.
- this is a black eyeliner, dark shadows, dark shades of obligatory matte lipstick, the whiteness of the face is emphasized with the help of powder, the nails are covered with black varnish. Makeup is required for both girls and boys.
As for accessories, these are most often jewelry made of silver - the metal of the moon, white gold, platinum can also be used. In general, accessories should be white, which looks good on a black background of ready-made clothes. Of the stones, the Goths prefer semi-precious stones - black opal, agate and jade, cold topaz, rock crystal. May wear pearls.
Jewelery is ready necessarily have their own specific symbolism. They can wear ankh (the ancient Egyptian symbol of immortality), various crosses, for example, Celtic ones, jewelry with images of bats, symbols of death, dragon and cat figurines. Also, Goths often wear leather bracelets and collars with metal spikes as jewelry.
The gothic style of clothing itself actually has nothing to do with the 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 noses, long caps in the shape of pyramids, 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, English literature of the 19th century had a great influence on the formation of the Goth subculture, as well as vampire themes, also from the 19th century.
The Gothic style in the clothes of the Middle Ages came from the French, during the rampant "Dark Age". Gothic represents "terrifying majesty", and fits the description of the gloomy style quite well. So, the Gothic style is a certain severity and. Dresses are tailored to the figure, but it is still emphasized thanks to lacing.
Clothing of medieval Europe
In the clothes of both men and women, elements such as jagged edges in outfits, a high waist with lacing, as well as pointed hats, and shoes with the same wit were accentuated. Long raincoats for men and trains for women are in fashion. It is worth noting that the longer the woman had a train, the higher the position in society she occupied. Gothic in the clothes of the Middle Ages suggested the use of fabrics such as velvet, but bright colors and floral ornaments prevailed as colors. Black color, popular for modern Gothic, was not relevant in those days.
Medieval women's clothing was a cat and a kameez. Kota is a narrow top, wide skirt and lacing. As mentioned earlier, the elongated waist was the main feature of the Gothic style. The skirt should have a train, and the skirt itself consisted of folds. It was very fashionable to have draped fabric around the abdomen. The sleeves of the dresses could be both narrow and wide. They were decorated with inserts from other fabrics, fur or a bell covering the thumb. As outerwear, semicircular or round raincoats with a clasp in the form of a buckle on the chest were used. Also, one of the elements of the Gothic style of clothing in the Middle Ages was a headdress. Women wore a gorge, which in appearance resembled a pipe with a slit at the back and an increased width downwards. The gorge was made from cloth. In addition to him, the ladies wore "two-horned" caps.
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The style is ready, easily recognizable by the predominance of black in it.
Gothic outfits that can be observed on modern representatives of this subculture are far from the real Gothic images that appeared in Europe in the Middle Ages. The Gothic style of clothing is only part of a worldview filled with suffering, darkness, longing, which is vividly expressed in music and other areas of art.
A bit of history 
The history of the Gothic style has its roots in the Middle Ages.
Gothic in art is cold restraint and solemn sadness.
Fashion always keeps pace with its era, so changes in the military equipment of medieval knights was the beginning of the emergence of new views. Chain mail was replaced by armor, spacious shirts were replaced by things tailored to the figure.
Tailors took steel scissors in their hands and began to make patterns, which made it possible to sew clothes from separate parts connected by seams.
Women's models appeared, in which a narrow bodice and a wide skirt were cut separately. Triangular cutouts on the chest, cuffs, long sleeves, pointed shoe shape - these details stylistically intersected with the architectural elements of the Gothic style. 
All this became the basis for the development of Gothic fashion and its various variations. In the late 70s, the Gothic direction was very popular among young people who met in cemeteries and gravitated towards the secrets of the underworld. Time passed, and various branches appeared in this subculture, but the aristocracy of images and depressive moods are characteristic of all manifestations of Gothic.
Typical goth outfit 
Extravagance and black are the main characteristics of the modern Gothic look. The materials used are completely different: silk and velvet, lace and denim, leather and taffeta.
Goths wardrobe, as a rule, consists of leather trousers, raincoats, long skirts, black T-shirts, platform shoes, black leather ankle boots. 
A tight leather black corset is a mandatory attribute of the costume, which gives the image of a girl sexuality, which is welcome in this direction. The corset can also be worn over the top of the dress. It is very different from the ancient, rigid models. The modern corset is made of elastic materials and seductively emphasizes the figure, as shown in the photo: 
Skirts, capes, various hoodies, made of black fabric, which in its texture resembles a fishing net, are often used in Gothic images.
There is also femininity in the masculine. A typical representative of this subculture is wearing black trousers and a shirt, a leather coat or hoodie, a hat and heavy lace-up boots.
Accessories 
For girls of this image, gloves made of lace, umbrellas, handbags made of velvet fabric, and various types of hats are preferred. Especially popular are small hats of an elegant shape, which are decorated with a veil, or vice versa, hats with wide brim. 
Sad images are often complemented by white metal accessories. Most often it is silver. It is rare to find white gold jewelry in the image of the Goths.
Such elements symbolize the coldness of the moon, and further emphasize the contrast of black clothes and white skin. 
Crosses, skulls, bats, spiders, dragons, chains, bracelets, spikes - all these elements can be found in the modern Goth look. The face and torso of young people are often adorned with piercings. 
Create a gothic look 
A few tips for those who want to embody a modern gothic look in their clothes.
Trousers
Leather pants or black skinny jeans are a good choice. If your figure does not allow you to wear tight clothes, then black loose-fitting trousers will fit perfectly into the image.
Corset
This necessary attribute of the image of a sad maiden is well combined with a tiered fluffy skirt or jeans. A shirt with bare shoulders, complemented by a black leather corset on top, looks bold and, at the same time, feminine.
Blazer
Made of velvet, it will give the image rigor and solidity. 
T-shirts
You can choose from different images or symbols. They can also be just black. T-shirts often feature elements that reflect Goth's musical tastes. 
Shoes
Massive, heavy leather shoes, mostly flat or platform boots with high heels. The color is mostly black, but sometimes you can find red models. 
Makeup and hair
The makeup uses black eyeliner or shadows, with which the eyes stand out strongly. Black lipstick, which contrasts against the background of a pale face, can be found on the lips of both women and men. Do not forget about the nails - covered with black varnish, they complete the image. In a manicure, as in a hairstyle, negligence is welcome. For dyeing hair, you can use dark shades in any combination. 
Gothic is the ability to find
beautiful in the dark and terrible. (c)
Gothic - there is Gothic architecture, Gothic sculpture and painting. There is also a Gothic style in clothing, but before talking about it, let's look at the very history of the Gothic style.
Gothic is incredibly beautiful, but beautiful with a peculiar dark, strict and cold beauty. Gothic originates in medieval Europe, during the very dark Middle Ages, when witches were burned at the stake, the Catholic Church was strong, and faithful knights faithfully served the ladies of their hearts.
However, the thinkers of the Renaissance, the era that came after him, around the 15th century, called the dark Middle Ages. And the very word "Middle Ages" for the period that lasted from the 5th to the 15th centuries was also chosen by the thinkers of the Renaissance. After all, before this period there was antiquity so beloved by them, classical, correct, mathematically verified, the one that they are now reviving, and the Middle Ages is the middle between them and antiquity, dark ages, centuries in which art refused to follow the laws of mathematics and proportion.
Gothic, the art of medieval Europe, Renaissance thinkers also called Gothic. This word comes from the name of the Goth tribe - a barbarian tribe. Barbarians in the days of Ancient Rome were called most of the tribes and nationalities of modern Europe, excluding the Romans. So the thinkers of the Renaissance, the Renaissance, dubbed all the art of medieval Europe barbaric, gothic, disproportionate, irregular, non-classical.
Today, Gothic is called the art of Europe at the end of the 12th - 15th centuries. Gothic was both in and in England, over time it will spread throughout almost all of Europe, but Gothic is emerging in France. Gothic is a French style. Gothic originates in the XII century in the north of France, the Ile-de-France region.
Gothic is most clearly manifested in architecture. Cathedrals in Chartres, Reims, Amiens. Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Their main feature is the presence of lancet arches, which appear precisely in the Gothic era. Majestic, gloomy, cold, truly Gothic cathedrals. It was in the Gothic era that stained-glass windows appeared. And for Gothic, images of formidable and gloomy chimeras and gargoyles, monsters, whose sculptural images adorn many Gothic cathedrals, are also characteristic.
But if Gothic was everywhere: architecture, sculpture, painting, if it hovered in the very air, then, of course, it could not but manifest itself in clothes.
However, do not forget that in those days when the Gothic appears, outside the Middle Ages, society is divided into classes, and the clothes of feudal lords, townspeople and peasants will vary significantly. So, for example, the townspeople, unlike the feudal lords, were forbidden to wear clothes made of silk, as well as long trains of dresses. It is worth considering that it was during the Gothic period that Europeans finally “learned” how to sew clothes, tailoring became more perfect.
Gothic period girl. Illustration from the Bible of 1340. The girl is wearing a wide veil falling over her shoulders, a long gathered dress, and a waistcoat over it.
The birthplace of Gothic clothing, of course, was France. And to the point of absurdity, to the most extreme forms, gothic clothing will be brought to Burgundy.
In clothing, as in architecture, elongated Gothic proportions appear. And if in the cathedrals there are lancet arches, then in clothes there are shoes with sharp toes and strongly elongated pointed hats. Bright colors are in fashion (the dark color will come to the Gothic much later), the favorite fabric is velvet. There are a lot of ornaments on the clothes, and the ornament is mostly floral.
In men's clothing at that time, two versions of the suit appeared - loose and long, as well as narrow and short. The second option is more often preferred by young people. Since the 14th century, purpuen has been in men's fashion - a short jacket with narrow sleeves, which was complemented by tight stockings. The purpuen could also have long decorative sleeves hanging down to the floor. Men from noble families also wore cotardi - a narrow caftan, both with wide and narrow sleeves, wing-shaped sleeves and blio - a waist-length caftan with a narrow bodice and wide floors not sewn on the sides.
A cloak at that time was a piece of fabric bent in half and not sewn on the sides with a hole for the head, it is called an amice. But if the amice was sewn on the sides and had slits for the arms or even sleeves, then it was called a surcoat. Cloaks were both short and long.
Women's clothing consisted of kameez and cotta. The kott consisted of a narrow top, wide skirt, and lacing at the back or side. The waist was elongated, a train was an obligatory element of the skirt (moreover, the longer the train, the more noble the lady), and folds were made on the skirt itself in front - it was considered fashionable to drape fabric on the stomach. Outerwear was round and semicircular raincoats with a cutout and a buckle on the chest.
Both women's and men's shoes had pointed toes, the length of which sometimes reached 50 cm.
The most popular women's headdress at that time was the gorge - it looked like a pipe sewn from fabric with a slit at the back and expanding towards the bottom. Ladies also wore high "two-horned" caps.
Thus, the main features of medieval Gothic in clothing were pointed hats and toe shoes, a thin and highly laced waist, long trains, edges of clothing made in the form of teeth, for men - stockings-pants that fit snugly to the legs.
Photo of modern dresses with elements of the Gothic style 
Gothic style in clothes and goths.
And right here, right here, right in this place, and right now, an unexpected turn is planned in our article. In the 15th century, the Gothic style fades away, and other styles come to replace it, both in art and in clothing. Gothic will be revived for some time in the 18th - 19th centuries, during the times of eclecticism, historicism, it will be reborn as neo-Gothic, along with the neo-Renaissance, pseudo-Russian style, while in fashion there will be a return to the past, a mixture of eras, a mixture of directions. But this will be a brief resurrection.
Much more interesting is the "resurrection" of Gothic in the late 1970s of the twentieth century. The Gothic style of clothing today is called the style of the youth subculture ready. What do they have in common with the Gothic of the Middle Ages? Controversial question. The general as it is, so it is practically non-existent. There is gloom, coldness, a certain severity, an interest in the other world. But at the same time, the clothes of modern Goths have more in common with Gothic cathedrals and chimeras that guard them than with the clothes of that period.
Goths, a youth subculture ready, appears along with a certain direction in music - gothic rock. One of the first bands to be labeled "gothic" was Joy Division, as critics described them.
And the Goths, starting from the 1980s, have developed a certain style of their own, their own fashion. The main features of the Gothic style in clothing today are black, metal jewelry with symbols of the Gothic subculture, often religious, mythological, and the Goths love silver, as well as the same, very characteristic make-up. This makeup is worn by both men and women, its two main components are white face powder and dark eyeliner around the eyes.
Hairstyles - more often long hair, which the Goths dye black, less often red.
Goth clothing can be stylized in the fashion of the 18th-19th centuries - lace, long dresses for women, long gloves, tailcoats and top hats for men, neo-Gothic elements in clothing and elements are possible here. Goth clothing may also have similar features with the style of metalworkers - leather clothing, metal accessories, chains. In ready clothes, you can find collars and bracelets with spikes as accessories. Among the Goths, the “vamp” style is also popular - lipstick and nail polish from bright red to black, black cosmetics, and eyeliners.
One can single out such a direction in the Gothic style as “corporate goth”. Let's just say it's an office option, an option that is used when it is impossible to dress in more extreme forms of the Gothic style. This direction is characterized by discreet jewelry, black business clothes.
Most clearly, all the differences and trends in the Gothic style are presented in the works of the Belgian photographer Viona Yelegems.
In the 1990s - early 2000s, Gothic appears on the catwalk. So the collections "Birds", "Hunger" and "Shine" were not without references to gothic plots and meanings. And Elle magazine wrote in 2009: “Neo-romantics are celebrating the return of Victorian drama to the catwalks. Puffy skirts, ruffled blouses and black lace will turn you into a real gothic heroine.
In the shows of the spring-summer 2011 collections, the gothic style was presented by Jean-Paul Gaultier, who, however, mixed it with rock-punk, and Givenchy. And today, in 2012, you can be sure that Gothic, one way or another, will take its place on the catwalks, among other trends and trends.
There is no need to make excursions into the distant, gloomy past: Gothic as a style of clothing has the same relation to the Middle Ages as a theater usher to art.
The gothic style is a “crumble” 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 the old days, formed under the influence of fairy tales about princesses and dragons, legends about sacred goblets and unicorns, chivalric novels and film noir.
Background of style and its character
The fashion for gothic - books about gloomy castles, ghosts, severe armored men, beautiful maidens and alchemists - began to take shape at the end of the century before last, as the role of religion weakened.
The passion for the topic continued in the following decades. Finally, in the 70s, in Britain, on the platform of the punk movement, a separate subculture arose, which absorbed interest in pseudo-Gothic music, horror, decadence, esotericism ... And gave rise 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 outstanding and mysterious person.
General features of the Gothic style
Gothic style in clothes: accessories and decor
Gothic jewelry - massive, made of white alloys. These are chains, signet rings, necklaces, collars, 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 the Gotess.
Bags - backpacks, bags, 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.
Gothic-style props are a part, a continuation of the portrait: for example, umbrellas, canes, pince-nez, belts with skull buckles, wallets with crosses and studs, and even respirators made of leather straps.
Hair and makeup
There are few headdresses in the modern Gothic style because they are replaced by hairstyles. Very often this is not just styling, but a real gothic manifesto. Everything is allowed: Iroquois, shaved temples, long curls, curls, multi-colored strands, intricate "towers" decorated with bows and lace, tiaras and hoops, wigs of blue, burgundy, platinum color.
Makeup in the gothic style also involves a lot of variations, from makeup that looks like a Halloween mask to a completely ordinary make-up in gloomy colors.
The most popular, however, is the “vamp” makeup style among the Goths: black eyeliner, dark gray smokey ice and terry eyelashes, gore-colored lipstick and the same nails.
Gothic style and high fashion
The demand for gothic comes back 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.
Stars also pour oil into this "medieval" fire. Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart, Katy Perry, Eva Green, Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Emma Stone, Lady Gaga dress up in gothic clothes so often that there is no doubt that this whimsical style, despite its pseudo-historicity, will never stop stirring the blood and tickle the nerves.