Romance and drama can sometimes seem lacking in our modern world of endless athleisure wear. Sure, black leggings are comfy, but where is the panache? It’s hard to feel like Mina Harker when you’re rocking a black hoodie every day. If you’re feeling glum about your go-to goth aesthetic, it might be time to embrace a ghostly new look.
Victorian Goth Aesthetic
If you yearn for an era of corsets, lace, and parasols, then you will love the Victorian goth aesthetic. This look is dramatic, romantic, and oh-so-captivating–you’ll feel like you’ve just stepped out of the pages of a gothic novel in an intricate, vintage inspired dress.
The building blocks of this look are long, ruffled dresses and skirts, often with petticoats for added volume, as well as corsets, high-necked blouses, lace-up boots, capes, and gloves. If that sounds a little theatrical–it is! This aesthetic is great for cosplay, themed events, and larping (or just heading to the grocery store if you’re brave enough). In fact, plenty of goths have adopted a spooky Victorian vibe as their signature look.
Finding Your Perfect Victorian Goth Dress
The first step to becoming a bride of Dracula is finding the right outfit. As with many goth looks, your first stop should be the thrift store or online consignment stores like Depop or Etsy. Bringing together thrifted pieces allows you to be creative and inject your own personal style into your clothes.
A lot of 1980s wedding wear and party dresses fit this aesthetic since they’re highly structured garments dripping with lace, intricate beading, and ruffles. The clothing construction and fabric quality you’ll find are also miles ahead of present day fast fashion. If shoulder pads aren’t your thing, they can easily be removed to create a more Victorian silhouette. Adding a black corset will help give these dresses the look you’re going for, and they can be layered over a long black skirt for a 19th-century aesthetic. You can also add an “underskirt” to the bottom half of a short dress by performing a little Frankenstein surgery on your thrift store finds.
Fabrics & Colors
Nailing the details will make you a true gothic heroine. Victorian style is all about textures, so look for fabrics like:
Velvet
Silk
Brocade
Linen
Lace
Wool
Satin
Muslin
Jacquard
Patterns:
Vertical stripes
Damask
Dark Plaid
Colors:
Black
Burgundy
Purple
Gray
Crimson
White (for nightgowns, blouses & collars)
Victorian Goth vs. Steampunk
There’s a lot of overlap between these two popular alternative aesthetics, but they share a basis in the European fashions of the late 19th century. You’ll find waistcoats and bustles aplenty in both these looks, but there are a few key differences.
Victorian gothic clothing is going to be mostly black, occasionally with other somber colors like burgundy or gray, whereas steampunk clothes involve more earth tones like brown, copper, khaki, and olive green. Accessories like goggles and tophats decorated with gears and clockwork are staples of a steampunk look. In terms of genre inspiration, steampunk takes its cues from science fiction, where Victorian goth is pure old-school horror. There’s no hard and fast line between the two looks–and they can be easily combined–but most people tend to favor one or the other.
Victorian Goth Brands
Of course, not everyone has the time to dig through racks of clothes until they strike gold. Fortunately, there are lots of great Victorian goth brands that make romantic, delicate vintage inspired dresses right out of Bram Stoker.
Speaking of Bram, Dracula Clothing is a good, affordable brand for lacy, romantic gothic clothes that often have a Victorian twist. This black brocade dress ($92) features satin ruffles on the floor-length skirt and ghostly lace panels that will make you feel like a queen of the night. Their black and white striped Victorian dress ($125) would be perfect for a touch of Sleepy Hollow flair.
With its velvet trim and oodles of ruffles, you’ll feel like a haunted doll in this gray Victorian tea dress ($170) from Gloomth. This brand specializes in high quality gothic lolita fashion, and if that’s your aesthetic, you’ll find the cute gothic dress of your dreams there. They also carry a classic black Victorian mourning dress ($170) trimmed in velvet ribbon with long sleeves in a dainty tea length.
La Femme en Noir also has a wide variety of beautifully made gothic dresses in various styles, including Victorian. They even have collections inspired by films like Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Beetlejuice. You’ll find this black Victorian column gown ($250) made of crinkled chiffon with breathtaking puff sleeves and black pearl details in their Crimson Peak collection (and it comes in inclusive sizes). Or you could try this gorgeous black satin bustle dress ($248) for a more relaxed take on the black ruffles look.
Handmade Goth Dresses
Lots of designers on Etsy create amazing made to order gothic dresses, and they’re often surprisingly affordable. This sweeping long black gown ($155) with a lace-up bodice and gathered sleeves would suit a Victorian aesthetic. You should also definitely check out this high-necked lace overlay dress ($210) for elegant, witchy black lace from head to toe. Last but not least, this elegant linen fit and flare dress ($125) has a high collar and lacy ruffles at the shoulders and cuffs–and it comes in a rainbow of colors, including black, white, wine red, and purple.
This collection of tips and links should help you find a Victorian gothic dress to fuel your fantasies of wandering a misty graveyard. Whether you browse these gothic brands or create a dark masterpiece from your next thrifting haul, you’re sure to summon spirits of the past.