#dark mori

~ d a r k • p r i e s t e s s ~

southern gothic fashion blends classic victorian and gothic romanticism with the rustic, vintage aesthetics of the american south. It prioritizes breathable, worn-in materials, featuring antique lace, faded cotton, and corsetry, tailored for a moody, beautifully decaying aesthetic. here is a break down of southern gothic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

origins and development

drew its initial inspiration from the early to mid 20th century literary genre spearheaded by authors examining the dark underbelly of southern society

grew into a distinct visual and musical subculture in the late 1990s and 2000s alongside the rise of gothic americana and dark country music

heavily influenced by the humid, swampy geography of regions like louisiana and mississippi, alongside traditional voodoo and hoodoo aesthetics

popularized globally in the 2010s through television dramas and crime procedurals that embraced a sun bleached, macabre atmosphere

key motif

light weight distressed cotton

linen dresses

yellowed or tea stained cloth

frayed dusty denim

dark cavas work coats

vintage lace slips

tarnished silk ribbons

high neck prairie blouses

wide brimmed straw hats

felt fedoras

sun bleached panama hats

weathered cowboy boots

riding biots

simple canvas shoes

heavy suspenders

white or grey work shirts

distressed pocket watches

antique skeleton keys

silver lockets

accent items

spanish moss

cicadas

cotton balls

dried magnolia leaves

run down leather satchels

bones

taxidermy jewelry

makeup and hair

minimal natural sweaty and smudged makeup

sun flushed

sallow skintones

muted blurred brick red or berry lips

loose naturally messy hair

messy braids

humidity frizzed waves

loose buns

hair accessories

tarnished silver combs

dried and wilted flowers

colors

tea stained ivory

cream

bone white

dusty charcoal grey

faded black

sepia brown

dried moss green

olive

swamp mud brown

muted terracotta

rust

sunfaded burgundy

music

gothic americana

dark country

delta blues

swamp rock

southern gothic rock

psychobilly

artists: murder by death, those poor bastards, wovenhand, 16 horsepower, slim cessnas auto club, adia victoria, ethel cain

movies / tv

true detective season 1

preacher

sharp objects

interview with the vampire

the beguiled

eves bayou

other media

as i lay dying by william faulkner

wise blood by flannery o’connor

midnight in the garden of good and evil by john betendt

belonging by toni morrison

hunt: showdown

resident evil 7: biohazard

red dead redemption 2

nor i

alt country music scene

gothic americana music scene

modern independent southern gothic literature

true crime

dark folklore

similar aesthetics

dark mori kei

whimsigoth

goblincore

dark academia

inspo