Pastel goth is a unique subculture that combines the traditional goth aesthetic with more colorful and delicate elements. It is a style of fashion, art, and music that embraces a softer and more romantic version of goth. The pastel goth trend has been growing in popularity in recent years and is an interesting way for people to express their creativity and individuality. In this article, we'll take a closer look at the pastel goth movement, its origins, and what it means for those who embrace it.
We'll walk you through the steps of achieving that pastel goth look. Highlights on clothing, makeup, and accessories!
Pastel Goth (aka hipster goth or soft grunge) pertains to chic, pastel-haired people who take vintage styled pictures with a modern twist. Their pictures are often posted to sites like Instagram and Tumblr.
Purists of the original styles often criticize these fashionistas, as they generally don't follow the cultural norms of the style sources.
They accessorize with skulls, inverted crosses, and other accessories that you may find creepy. However, most of the style participants abstain from political and religious statements. It’s just part of their signature style.
It is reminiscent of the neon-haired community from Scene, Emo and Screamo fever that Myspace once had. (Does anyone still use MySpace??)
The style also pulls influence from the famous Korean “ulzzangs”, or Japanese “Himegyarus”, and the infamous Harajuku of Central Asia. (Sometimes these are called Kawaii Fashion or Cute Fashion.)
Let's take a look at some of the essentials that make somebody a pastel goth;
The Hair
If you have darker hair color, bleaching is required before having your locks dyed pastel colors.
Get creative with your hair color! Choose colors like light pink, mint green, baby blue, and lavender are favorites, though others prefer platinum blondes that turn out to be really white. Some go for royal blues and darker purples and they also rock.
With time and patience, ombre and mermaid inspired color fades can really make a statement.
If you can’t dye your hair, just buy cute and pastel-colored gothic lolita wigs.
The Makeup
Pastel goth girls have different approaches to their makeup look.
Some prefer heavily lined unibrows, thick eyeliners, and thick false eyelashes.
Some match their eyeshadow with their hair color. A few even pair their eyebrows with their eyeshadow colors.
The one mainstay of goths remains; the complexion should be as pale as possible.
Lips are normally dark in shades of oxblood, crimson, purple, pinks, dark plums and the most famous of all: matte black.
The Style
Goth clothes with inverted cross, sweaters or shirts with large cryptic, bleeding fonts or spooky quotes.
Corsets in dark and baby pinks and purples are an excellent nod to their classic Goth roots.
Tops can be paired with short skirts, jeans, or leather pants. Skull leggings or pre-torn stockings are a must.
Imagine Gothic Lolita with touches of pastel and punk.
Shoes and Footwear
Platform shoes, creepers, chucks, and boots like Doc Martens. Some were embellished with spikes, some were in dark colors, others prefer pastels.
For a cuter tone, you can go for doll inspired shoes.
The Hair Accessories
To emphasize their pastel crowning glory, they love hair accessories. Black snapbacks, bonnets or spiky headbands for a gothic vibe or flower headbands for a cutesy feel. Try mixing both spikes and flowers in one headband. Bows, skeleton clips, and eyeball bows are great. Don’t forget horns!
Other Accessories
Spikes and studs, skulls, skeletons, gothic handbags that resemble bats and coffins, unicorn wings, graphics, and animal characters.
Your pastel goth accessories can be a combination of punk, burlesque, emo, and goth.
Some prefer Hello Kitty, unicorns, bears, wings, necklaces with an inverted cross, chokers, chains, sock garters, fake fangs, and more.
Wear whatever makes you feel fab.
WIDGET SKULL
Piercings and Tattoos
They’re a great option if you’re in for a fiercer look.
For piercings and body jewelry, there are multiple ear piercings, tunnels, septum rings, tragus, tongue rings, belly rings.
As for tattoos, you can opt for colorful ones with hearts, rainbows, bows or go for gothic eerie ones.
As long as you’re comfortable with it then just go, explore, get pierced, get inked and don’t give a fuck what others say.
Men can pull it off too! Look!
Just tone it down, go easy with the accessories and go easy on the makeup.
These pastel goth photos from Tumblr look pretty cool, right? But does this new subculture have the power to linger like its Goth predecessor? Or will it also die down the scene and emo movements?
