Romantic Gothic Style: Creating the Look of a Dark Fairy Tale

With an amazing rise in re-imagined fairy tales gracing modern film, it’s easy to get your hands on beautifully dark creative imagery these days. Taking a cue from visionary Tim Burton, the film industry in the US has recently given us such blackened amorous enchantments as Alice in Wonderland, Red Riding Hood, and Black Swan. The look and feeling that these masterpieces evoke is slowly creeping into youth trending and modern fashion as well. So how does the new romantic gothic style come together in the real world?

The romantic gothic aesthetic is about drama, volume, and texture; blending soft, weightless, and ethereal forms with the mysterious feminism of lace and the substance of intricately woven brocades and brushed satins to create the image of an exotic and poetic fractured fairytale. Though blacks and charcoals may be the primary color focus (as with any gothic style), romantic gothic clothing and accessories also incorporate deep jewel tones, metallics, and even antique whites in moderation.

With this type of exaggerated and emotional styling, jewelry will often be exaggerated as well, drawing on ornate and heavy Victorian style structure with large jewels and layering that reflect an Edwardian opulence. Pearls, glass beading, lace, ribbons, and lacquered nature inspired shapes and silhouettes all play a part in dark romantic accessorizing.

Oversized cocktail rings, gothic and fleurian crosses, off kilter settings, and talisman type necklaces are all common here, as well as multi-layered chokers, thin draping chains, and a subtle hint of more delicate, lacey graphics.

Pulling together a romantic gothic look will require practice, passion, and of course, romanticism, but in the world of media over-exposure and DIY couture, it never hurts to have a little head start.