Pastel Goth (not to be confused with Gurokawa or Nu-Goth) is a fashion and aesthetic that originated on Tumblr in late 2010. The fashion entails taking the basic elements of dark goth style and mixing it with pastel colors. Looking to create a pastel goth style? Pastel goth takes some traditional gothic imagery and pairs it with cute and colorful elements. Pastel goth is sometimes confused with the (very similar) style of soft grunge, and refers to a style that mixes the hard edges of gothic fashion, with the soft pastels more commonly associated with Kawaii fashion subcultures. Pastel goth clothing is a relatively new trend, but it appears to be a lasting one.
Steps
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Choose the right colors. Pastel goth is all about color! Unlike the traditional goth style, pastel goths welcome color, but there’s still plenty of black as this forms the base color in pastel goth style. Add in some pastel pinks, blues, purples, and greens, and don’t be afraid to mix and match with different hues. The combination of pastel colors, black, and edgy gothic accessories make for a great pastel goth style! A notable addition to this style in the last year is holographic fabrics - so look out for these elements to be incorporated into a pastel goth look!
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Use patterns. Patterns are great for adding texture, color and detail to any pastel goth outfit! Some popular prints are sugar skulls, bats, crosses, or even stereotypically 'cute' things like cats or candy.
- Try goth clothes with an 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.
- A pair of patterned leggings or a graphic printed t-shirt is a great base item to build a soft gothic look from.
- If you’re less into patterns, try something more subtle - maybe a pattern on a cute scarf or a hat.
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Accessories are the most important part! Accessories are crucial to the pastel goth style, as they can add color to a dark outfit, or conversely 'darken' up a cute and colorful one. 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 fabulous. A rule of thumb is to never wear more than 4 accessories at once. To emphasize your pastel crowning glory, use hair accessories. Good accessories are hair bands, flower crowns, bows, metal link bracelets, charm bracelets, small leather purse, and a nice necklace. Be sure to make all jewelry appropriate, and never wear any large earrings.
- 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.
- The most common accessories seen in pastel goth style are hair accessories. A bow in your hair - especially in a pastel color - will look stylish and add to the contrast of dark vs cute styles. Bows, skeleton clips, and eyeball bows are great.
- Don’t forget horns! Spikes and studs, skulls, skeletons, gothic handbags that resemble bats and coffins, unicorn wings, graphics, and animal characters.
- Chokers are also very popular. You could wear a classic black choker or you could wear a more colorful one, it’s up to you.
- Chunky or beaded bracelets, gothic necklaces, and rings are also very popular with the pastel goth style.
- Arm warmers are also great for accessorizing and staying warm, and look great with short-sleeved or strappy dresses.
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Do your hair appropriately. Hair is one of the most important factors of the pastel goth look. Many pastel goths dye their hair, with pastel pinks and blues being some of the more popular colors. There are no real rules when it comes to hairstyles to go with a pastel goth aesthetic; you can wear your hair long or short, but it's safe to say that a long, choppy style is very common.
- If you don’t want to dye all of your hair, you could consider dip-dying it. That way, it’s less damage to your hair. You could also try wigs if you want to change it up often, and get a striking gothic pastel look instantly! Synthetic wigs are great for this particular gothic look, because they often come in brighter, less natural tones than wigs made from real human 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.
- Having wild hair (even black or pure white) can make it difficult to get jobs or get into universities. On that note, you will want to make your hair very simple, either just normal or with blunt-low cut bangs.
- To make your hair appear softer, try putting hair oil on the ends and conditioning often. You may also want to spend some extra time working out hairstyles that work for you. Keeping your hair in a style is a lot classier and more fashionable than leaving it down or in a ponytail.
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Wear makeup that helps you stand out from the crowd. Pastel goth girls have different approaches to their makeup look. Pastel goth makeup has a strong foundation in traditional goth makeup; black lipstick is popular, but is often offset with bright eyeshadows.
- Remember - pastel gothic outfits are all about the contrast between dark and light! for example, a light pink or purple will add the soft color to your look, but contrasts well with heavy winged eyeliner and a defined brow. You could also do a more natural, everyday gothic makeup look with a twist. Try neutral eye makeup and wear a rainbow highlighter and a bright colored lipstick, such as turquoise or blue.
- You can also try out colored contacts to give your look a much more striking effect! 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.
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Find some attractive shoes. You can have a lot of fun with shoes! Any of the classic goth shoes will look good - creepers, chunky heels, and boots. If you want, you can add colorful laces to a pair of black shoes you already own. Of course, you could also get a pair of platform boots in a pastel color of your choice - a look that is pretty popular when it comes to the pastel goth aesthetic. Platform shoes, creepers, chucks, and boots like Doc Martens. Some are embellished with spikes, some are in dark colors, others prefer pastels.
- For a cuter tone, you can go for doll-inspired shoes. If you’re not into chunky shoes, you could instead rock for a pair of flats with pentagrams or skulls on them, and pair them with knee-high socks for a more kawaii edged pastel goth outfit. This type of look also harkens to the Harajuku style, so don't be afraid to borrow ideas from different alternative fashion subcultures as you build your pastel goth style.
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Invest in some stunning jewelry. Statement earrings are another staple in pastel goth fashion. Large hoops, or pastel-colored shapes are great. Gauges are also popular in the pastel goth world. If you like piercings, wear pastel goth jewelry that matches your style! Lip piercings and septum piercings are popular in the pastel goth community.
- You can wear more dainty and cute jewelry like a small stud or a flower, or you can go bold with spikes and studs. If you don’t want to commit to a piercing just yet, look for a fake piercing! You can find fake septum clickers very easily.
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Choose the right clothes. Clothing is basically what makes the pastel goth. If you don't get the clothing right, you will be regarded as a scene kid, a regular goth, a hipster or just plain normal.
- Stock up on the following: oversized tops/sweaters/cardigans, button up formal shirts, one nice tuxedo shirt, striped clothing, plain pants, plain v-necks, plain dresses, Peter Pan collar shirts, any collared shirts, high waisted pants/skirts/shorts and floral pattern clothing.
- You may want to avoid red clothing, as other people will pinpoint you as scene or hipster if you wear it. Try going for a violet or sky blue top instead.
- Wear the right shoes. Shoes are a huge part of the pastel goth look. You may see lots of pictures of pastel goths wearing high heels, but this is not appropriate for middle school and could result in expulsion or suspension from school on your part.
- Doc Martens has great shoes, which fit to your feet and come in many styles and colors. For example, you could try their boots.
- Mary Janes, Combat Boots, Uniform Type Shoes, Short Doc Martens, Ballet Flats, Leather Shoes and many other shoes from shoe companies are great choices for footwear. Make sure that your footwear is comfortable and appropriate. You will want to avoid shoes with spikes and embellishments; they are more scene and goth than pastel.
- There’s a lot of variety in pastel goth tops - so the possibilities are endless. One thing to remember is that it is best to look for tops that are wither straight up gothic (to be combined with pastel accessories), or are pastel-colored or otherwise cute and 'Kawaii', to be combined with more traditional gothic items. For a more traditional look, wear a corset top in black, and pair it with pastel accessories. Alternatively, look for a graphic printed tee-shirt, and goth it up with some traditionally gothic or 'dark' accessories, such as a goth choker or leather arm cuffs. The key is to create a contrast - so find pieces that clash, and make them work together!
- Dresses are an easy way to make a pastel goth outfit - as they can be used to form the centerpiece of your look. For example, you could wear a pastel peter pan collared dress with black tights and tall pink boots! For a quirky style, find a pastel goth dress with printed patterns - such as cute ghosts, hearts, or bones on it. Most pastel goth dresses have a modern style to them, with cartoon-style prints and bright colors taking center stage. Fit and flare dresses or short A-line dresses are popular, but Hi-lo dresses with pastel chiffon detail work well, too.
- Finally, tie together your outfit with some awesome pastel goth styled outerwear. Cardigans are a great addition to your wardrobe, and come in many different styles and colors that can pair perfectly with this particular subculture. But if you want to make a bold statement, look no further than leather! Leather jackets in pastel colors such as mint green or baby pink add an instant touch of pastel goth glam to any outfit - so watch out for these! Denim jackets are also very popular in pastel goth fashion; a lightly tye-dyed denim jacket or a bleached denim jacket will complete your outfit - and offers a perfect opportunity to experiment with some fashion DIY. Add studs, safety pins and some cute patches to build a pastel goth look that is truly unique!
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If you really wish to wear ripped, transparent, or otherwise revealing clothes, always wear something more covering underneath it! It allows you to wear what you want while keeping it appropriate for your age. It also can add fun colors.
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Avoid anything neon, green, yellow, red, orange, dark grey, animal print and rainbow. Unless you find these colors/prints in perfect pastel shades then try to avoid wearing or owning anything that color.Advertisement
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Tips
- Dress how you want, don't categorize yourselfThanks
- Don't wear high heels.Thanks
- Stay innocent and don't drink alcohol, do drugs, or participate in any illegal behavior.Thanks
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Warnings
- Don't be offended when people make stereotypes about you.Thanks
- Make sure to keep your hair in good order, as it will dry out with the amount of styling and products you may use.Thanks
- Don't overdo anything. If you wear excessive/strange clothing, people will avoid you and treat you badly.Thanks
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