Gothic Fashion and Music
How the Gothic in literature influenced fashion & music
Gothic fashion can be described as dark, mysterious and exotic. Black clothes, hair, nails and lips, and dark eyeliner are some characteristic features of this fashion style. It can be noticed on members of the modern Goth subculture. Many people are familiar with this type of fashion but few know what it actually is and the story behind it.
As described in Casper's text about the Gothic in literature, some characteristics of the Gothic literature are darkness, shadows and threat of horror. This was much later used to describe a new type of music in 1979 that was different from the pop mainstream. To describe this type of music as "Gothic" became more and more common and it eventually became a music genre of its own. One example of a well-known band associated with the Gothic genre is Depeche Mode. Gothic rock artists often drew inspiration from horror film images and soundtracks for their own music. These rock bands' audiences responded by starting to dress-up in a style that corresponded to the Gothic music, i.e. in black. A source of inspiration for the emerging new fashion trend, was the seventies TV-series The Addams family. The black and white TV show features a family with macabre interests and supernatural powers.
Today there are new Gothic bands producing new Gothic music and the Gothic fashion is still present. One example of a modern Gothic rock band is Evanescence.
As described in Casper's text about the Gothic in literature, some characteristics of the Gothic literature are darkness, shadows and threat of horror. This was much later used to describe a new type of music in 1979 that was different from the pop mainstream. To describe this type of music as "Gothic" became more and more common and it eventually became a music genre of its own. One example of a well-known band associated with the Gothic genre is Depeche Mode. Gothic rock artists often drew inspiration from horror film images and soundtracks for their own music. These rock bands' audiences responded by starting to dress-up in a style that corresponded to the Gothic music, i.e. in black. A source of inspiration for the emerging new fashion trend, was the seventies TV-series The Addams family. The black and white TV show features a family with macabre interests and supernatural powers.
Today there are new Gothic bands producing new Gothic music and the Gothic fashion is still present. One example of a modern Gothic rock band is Evanescence.
Beata Rystedt