While the South is the birthplace of many parts of our current culture, it has also enabled countless atrocities our country has seen, and to this day saves space for discrimination and bigotry. Southern Gothic holds a mirror to the dark side of the south, tales of religious trauma, classism, racism, and generational mental health struggles; real problems which are covered by fake smiles and thoughts and prayers.
A fashion aesthetic that has become mainstreamed and characterized by crosses, lace, ruffles, moody makeup and long tousled hair, has existed as an exceptionally emotional literary and artistic style for decades. Early displays of Southern Gothic can be seen in pivotal works like Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, and in passed down tales which encompass the horrors in which the South was built upon.
This trend has made a name for itself in the fashion world, being featured in runway shows by Maison Margiela, Miu Miu, and Sandy Liang. Ruffled collars, dark lace, long hemlines and high necks are all details that have crept into the couture scene.
Ethel Cain has become the leading figure of the current pop culture adaptation of Southern Gothic. Her albums, filled with hauntingly beautiful songs which tell the painful story of growing up in the south, supply this aesthetic with a simultaneously melancholy and beautiful soundtrack. Cain’s imagery as an artist including religious symbolism, dark motifs, and vintage lace nightgowns all reclaim the very style of the people who repress individualism in the South.
Under the guise of colonialism, differences amongst neighbors are usually seen as threats. In today’s world, queerness and expressive fashion is seen through a negative lens in certain parts of the south. For those in the south who are different, it can turn into a tug of war between wanting to move away to a more accepting place, while also having love for the place that raised you. This style gives power back to those who have been cast aside by the bitterness of the south.
Southern Gothic as an “aesthetic” has become a home for many people who feel they cannot return to theirs.
