Darker Vintage looks

[TillyMilly]

Hi All

This is my first post and first thread so please go easy on me. I'm looking for some inspiration or tips on creating a darker vintage look- maybe a 20's Vamp meets 40's femme fatale look as i don't suit pastels at all. I'm coming at this from a 'Gothic ' background but i've never been keen on skulls or Gothic imagery if that helps.

For ref: I have a snowwhite kinda look going on beautywise- but with bobbed hair.

How do you gals dress when you are feeling 'dark'?

Thanks

Trish

 

[Lady Day]

Check this thread, Trish Its been around a while, it might have some tips. There are quite a few here who come from the Goth background.

And welcome!

LD

 

[TillyMilly]

Thanks Lady Day

 

[VoodooDolly]

Woohoo! Another vampy pale girl! I personally think a great starting point is movies/TV with female villians or oddball characters. That will give you a good idea of how to mix beauty of the past with a kookier spookier look. You might begin with Carol Borland, Gloria Holden, Theda Bara or even Carolyn Jones. Maybe think Black Dahlia for a more 1940s look. I personally stay ultra pale, with very dark red lips, and eyebrows that have a tiny bit more arch than most. With black hair of course.

I think that jewel tones are really your friend for this type of look. And I have found lots of vintage-type tops and dresses with a pronounced white collar and cuffs, for that Wednesday Addams goes retro look. I really need to figure out this darn Photobucket thing so I can get some pics up!

 

[TillyMilly]

Thanks for the advice Voodood Dolly- i'll look into those suggestions.

I had a CMB colour analysis done and found out that jewel tones really are my best shades so I'm glad they'll go with my dark look. I'm really drwan to the femme fatale character- so seems so much more interesting than the damsel in distress.

 

[Lillemor]

Tish, my aestetic angle was originally gothic but my tastes have widened over time so I'm fine with brights and clear pastels now. At first I thought I was alone in the 20s-50s gothic look and commented on this on a goth forum and was surprised at how many who at least part time dress 20s-40s. I didn't hear from any who do 50s gothic but apparently there's a style called gothabilly. I'm more in to everyday vintage look so I don't take much inspiration from films or old promo shots but I have a pretty good imagination and can tweak the everyday look in a more gothic direction though that of course takes a lot of the authentic appeal away but that's fine with me.

I agree on the jewel tones. I'm not pale so I find that deep jewel tones or neons even with OTT coordinated make-up, nails, etc. with some black accents do a better job for me to convey.....some gothiness!

Before I lost a lot of weight I had several retro 20s-30s dresses that had been worn with much love which I was going to throw away (which I eventually did) but for a while I wore and accessorized them for a decayed glamour look. I've never been part of a scene so I'm no good with correct terminology.

 

[baby_butterfly]

Gothic/Darker Vintage looks?? and other questions

Hi Gals, feels like its been a while hope you are all well I am afraid to say the hair is still all there....but choclate brown instead. For some reason I am less afraid of changing the colour that I am the length...baby steps lolz

Secondly,
I am really intrigued by all things dark and wonderful right know and things like gothic fashion, lolita, lace and other fabrics like velvet and satin, baroque and the victorian era have all capture my attention and I was wondering if anyone else (Tishkaminx comes to mind) that has a more gothic or darker vintage look??

Does anyone have any links to picture or other sites for inspiration?? or advice?

 

[Lauren]

Hiya!
There were gothic and especially Victorian inspired looks in vintage eras. The most specific I can think of offhand are the "Vamp" or "Vampire" look of the 1920s and the Victorian revival of the late 1930s (specifically 1938- early 1940). I don't have any pictures offhand, but those two looks are really great and do certainly crossover with both vintage and goth. I'd be really interested to see what you do with the look, because I really admire Victorian looks myself and find a lot of gothic dressing to be very artistic.

Here's a blog post on 1920s Vamps.

 

[RodeoRose]

Yeah, the 20s are fully of dark vampy beauties!
Like the one and only Theda Bara:


I don't dress very darkly myself, but I admire the look.

Have you ever seen Picnic at Hanging Rock? I find its eerie Victorian costuming endlessly inspiring. Plus it's a fantastic film.

 

[Viola]

Have you checked out Dita's looks? Not as a direct thing to carbon-copy but some of it is fairly helpful for the rich, dark, burlesque-accented look.

I hear you on not being able to wear pastels - doesn't suit me at any time. Well, maybe gray? Sometimes? But usually pastels are terrible on me.

I would start with smart black suits and possibly fascinators? I could never carry off '20s eyebrows but if you can, its a sharp look.

 

[Woland]

Ehhh...
Usually not hanging around "the ladies room", but...

The VintageGoth Thread.

 

[RodeoRose]

I was looking at some of tattoo artist Angelique Houtkamp's work today (I love her work!) and I totally started thinking about this thread. I'm the farthest thing from goth you could get, but I'm so drawn to her images. They're very vintage 30s/40s pin up inspired, but also very dark and gothic. I would love to try out some make-up inspired by these sometime!

 

[TillyMilly]

Viola

Thanks for the advice. I still love going to rock clubs at the weekend and have drawn some inspiration from Dita for my outfits. I find it hard to dance to rock music in long skirts so I either opt for black capris and a 50's style halter top with my big boots or I have a few pencill dresses that i have cut short and I team them with seamed stockings peeking out underneath- and immaculate hair and make-up to juxapose the chunky New Rock boots. I also have a dress which is very similar to a corsellete- it's made of power mesh and falls just below the knee, i also have the mini skirt version of it. It's a bit cheeky but definatly looks more of a dress than undies. Sometimes i throw bits of latex into the mix- gloves etc.

For Halloween i've got a fetish inspired Little Miss Muffet look- with poufy skirt and red and black striped patent corset- with a big rubber spider of course.

 

[TillyMilly]

RodeoRose. Thise pictures are GORGEOUS- the women look like they have stepped out of the pages of Illamsqua: http://www.illamasqua.com/collections/art-of-darkness/

 

[VoodooDolly]

Another gal that comes to mind is Jennifer Tilly in the movie "Bound." The overall effect isn't 100% vintage, but I think it comes off as very sexy, and like a modern take on the 1920s vamp. It's tough to find good pictures online (most of them are more, ahem, "adult" than should be posted here), but if you watch the movie you can get a better idea.

 

[Paisley]

Yeah, the 20s are fully of dark vampy beauties!
Like the one and only Theda Bara:

Ms. Bara seems to have inspired Ryuk the shinigami, or death god. Check out the earring, eye makeup and dark lipstick:

Earring available at Amazon.com.

 

[Brooksie]

Darker vintage looks seem to fit me well also.

 

[Goldfish]

 

[Goldfish]

I think this editorial also has a dark, vintage vibe going on...

 

[Lauren]

Those are STUNNING.