Welcome to my first Fashion Deep Dive! This week’s style: Whimsigoth. This subgenre typically includes celestial motifs, deep jewel tones, and flowy silhouettes. It’s heavily inspired by the late 80s and 90s. We’ll be diving into the history and elements of the style, as well as some style inspo!
Where did Whimsigoth come from?
Whimsigoth was hugely popular in the late 80s and 90s, but we didn’t have a name for it yet. It was heavily influenced by the modern neo-pagan movement growing in popularity at the time. People took lots of inspiration from Stevie Nicks, Tim Burton, and Phoebe Buffay from Friends. Whimsigoth bled into many mediums outside of clothing, like furniture, interior design, and artwork. One of my personal favorite examples is the album cover for Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by Smashing Pumpkins, or really any piece of art from that album. Within the subgenre, you’ll see lots of celestial, Wiccan, and mystical influences, creating a dark, dreamy vibe.
What is Whimsigoth?
As stated before, Whimsigoth draws lots of inspiration from Wicca/Paganism, so you’ll find lots of nature & celestial motifs, with lots of deep jewel tones. It also takes influence from medieval styles, like large, billowing sleeves, long skirts & dresses, and corsets. Layers with different textures and colors are a must! Deep, saturated colors are most common, often accenting with neutrals like black, brown, and white.
Accessorizing is super important with this style. Antique (or new) jewelry with sun or moon motifs, and charm necklaces or bracelets can be great additions. I love checking out the jewelry counter at the thrift stores for things like this. Long beaded necklaces can be layered with the others to make super cute stacks as well. I personally love a good dangly earring, I feel like it adds a lot of fun movement, but I know they’re not for everyone. If you can’t do the dangles, studs with stars, moons, or suns are perfect! If you like stones, opal/opalite earrings are such a cute addition, and in my opinion they’re one of the stones that fit in best. Adding ring stacks is a great final touch that is often forgotten. These can be as simple as plain bands, or go all out with lots of chunky costume rings and big stones. And don’t forget things like tights, headbands, and fun socks! Colorful or patterned tights can be a super fun way to add color and texture to an outfit that might feel a bit plain! We all remember the frilly socks and the plastic zig-zag headbands we could never really get right. Well these make the best final touch to any Whimsigoth outfit. Time to pull ’em out!
Thankfully, hair is where we can take a rest. Loose, messy styles are perfect for this. Messy buns or ponytails and frizzy crimped/curly hair are the stars here. Just wash it and leave it! Makeup is relatively easy as well. Fresh-faced with just a little blush, mascara, and some deep berry colored lip gloss is an easy, throw on & go look that always works. If you wanna go a little heavier on the makeup, opt for a smoky eye. A smoky eye can be done in a million different ways, with different colors and shapes. Add a duo chrome or glittery eyeshadow topper and your done! I personally love heavy makeup, and like to add lots of blush and a deep purple or red lipstick!
Whimsigoth Style Icons
I think everybody loves Phoebe’s style in Friends. It’s eclectic, fun, and dare I say… Whimsigoth! She is a queen of layering and embodies the style perfectly. I’m a huge fan of a loose fitting, sleeveless dress with a turtleneck underneath, it definitely is a very 90s take on Whimsigoth. The long crystal necklaces really tie in the mystical, witchy vibes!
Another perfect example from Phoebe. The messy hair thrown up in a bun, the crystal choker layered with a long beaded necklace, the hoop earrings, and the lace top are everything you could possibly need! She’s got very simple makeup on, and it still fits in perfectly! The whole outfit gives very strong nature vibes throughout!
Today, Florence Welch is our Whimsigoth icon. She hits every mark with every outfit she wears. The medieval influence can be seen in the long, trumpet sleeves and the super flowy silhouette. The lace fabric absolutely makes the whole outfit stand out even more. Her headband almost looks like a crown and adds an ethereal feel.
More Florence of course. This one really embodies the free feeling. The sheer, ruffled nighty layered over hotpants is so good. Now to wear something similar out, I would probably switch out the hotpants for some longer bloomers and a lace edged tank top. Even a solid slip dress would work well. Add on some jewelry and a few other accessories and you’re in!
Stevie Nicks is probably the most universal icon. The sheer, beaded poncho is absolutely stunning and adds the perfect amount of texture, while keeping the outfit flowy and free. She wears it with a long, neutral skirt that continues the free feel. She’s wearing minimal to no makeup, and has left her hair as is. It’s the perfect effortless look!
This is one of my all time favorite Stevie looks. It’s so interesting to look at, and it feels like you notice something new every time. She’s got layers on layers creating an intensely fascinating look. She adds a trumpet sleeve shawl, pulling inspiration from medieval styles. The leg warmers are an amazing but often overlooked accessory that can add weight to the bottom, balancing the look.
I have a corresponding Pinterest board full of inspo linked here!
Rituals & Raiments 
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