Beyond the Pale — What Is the Pastel Goth Aesthetic?
Pastel goth isn’t just about kawaii or looking pretty in pink. It’s an attitude and approach to life full of diversity and nuance. Come see for yourself!
Are you looking for a unique way to express yourself and your individual style? Maybe the pastel goth aesthetic is up your alley.
Whether you’re a fan of kawaii fashion, or just looking for a way to stand out, pastel goth offers something special. It’s an opportunity to show off your own spooky-cute creative flair.
Let's break pastel goth down some more so you can see just how amazing it is.
Um, What Is Pastel Goth?
Pastel goth is a subculture and style that first emerged around 2010. Since then, it's only continued to grow in popularity. Many of the original influences for pastel goth came from Tumblr and Japanese pop culture.
A distinct and massively inventive aesthetic, pastel goth incorporates and spins off elements of the goth and grunge fashion genres. To balance out — or perhaps highlight — the edgy darkness of goth and grunge, pastel goth boasts a sweet and endearing side that's often dubbed kawaii. (Which is why pastel goth is sometimes called "kawaii goth" or "spooky kawaii".)
Some Core Principles of Pastel Goth
It's always good to peek at the underpinnings, to see why pastel goths are pastel goths. What makes them tick? What's important to them?
The main themes of pastel goth include:
- Having an affinity for all things alternative
- Celebrating individuality and creativity
- Being open to new experiences
- Embracing a positive attitude
And many of these ideals shine through in how pastel goths present themselves to the world.
What Makes That Spooky Kawaii?
According to the style bible, Aesthetics Wiki, pastel goth uses heavy doses of visuals like:
- Bones, skulls, and skeletons
- Eyeballs
- Bats
- Black cats
- Crystals
- Skyscapes and galaxies
- Sparkly-twinkly stuff (stars, hearts, etc.)
- Bows
- Babydollish affectations
- Crosses and inverted crosses
- Pentagrams
- Yin yang symbols
- Dripping things (e.g., text, objects)
- Cutesy cartoonish characters
- Gradient filters
- Graffiti paint
- Lacy frills
- Plaids
And, of course, there's lots of black. But with loads of soft or feminine colors to contrast. Think petal pink, lilac, baby blue, minty green....
Pastel goth is somehow bold, coquettish, and demure all at the same time. That's damn impressive!
How To Reveal Your Inner Pastel Goth
You can express your love for goth, witchy, punk, and alternative things in a number of ways. Just make sure you adapt your manifestation of pastel goth to reflect your quirky style.
Wear Pastel Goth Style Clothing & Accessories
First, start by adopting the signature, high-contrast color scheme: black and pastels. Any pastels are A-OK and you can feature more than one shade at a time.
Dressing the part is pretty easy. Here are some examples of pieces that fit the pastel goth aesthetic to a T:
- Cute As Hell Lace Cami Top
- Pink Web Hearts Thong Underwear
- Love Creepy Bitches Purple Shorts
- Girly Skull Bow Leggings
- Distressed Pink Stripe Bell Bottoms
More generally, you won’t go wrong if you pepper your wardrobe with things like:
- Oversized cardigans, sweaters, and tees
- Dyed, washed, or painted denim pieces
- Leather garters, belts, or jackets
- Tattoo-printed tights, striped knee socks, and lace-trimmed bobby socks
- Creepers and platform boots
- Chunky, beaded, or pastel jewelry
- Floral crowns, studded headbands, and hair clips and bows
- Sunglasses in fun shapes (e.g., round, stars, triangles, hearts)
Go for Kawaii Goth Makeup, Nails, Hair & Body Mods
Your wardrobe isn't the only tool you have for making a pastel goth statement. Your whole body is a blank canvas waiting for you to exhibit your style.
What about how you do your makeup, manicure your nails, or style your hair?
- Wearing dark eyeliner or using a bright pink blush is a good starting point. Creating a big, doe-eyed look is another way to go. But, literally, go crazy with your cosmetics if you want. Many pastel goths like to use white foundation, paint elaborate designs on their faces, or use embellishments like long or sparkly false lashes and rhinestones.
- When it comes to nails, there really are no limits. Nail art is all the rage and there are some ridiculously talented manicurists out there. Just to give you some ideas to kickstart your creativity, consider some of these: alt-color French mani; ombré, matte, metallic, crackle, glitter, holographic, or cat-eye polish; decorations like bats, bows, crosses, yin yangs, or skulls; adornments like jewels, piercings, or other little baubles.
- Pastel, dipped, or ombré dyed hair is another terrific and totally fun option. Pinks, purples, and blues are popular choices. Color your whole head or just select sections. Monochrome or multichrome — pastel goth’s preference!
We've seen many pastel goths experiment with funky contact lenses — ones with graphics on them or in striking alt colors — to create a really powerful twist. For a more permanent option, tattoos, piercings, and other body modifications do a stellar job of showing your pastel gothiness.
Add Pastel Goth Accents to Your Home
Where you spend your time can reflect your style just as much as what you wear. You can extend your appreciation of pastel goth to your interior design selections. Luckily, pastel goth décor is not hard to find and doesn’t have to bust your budget.
So, go ahead and fill your home with some spooky-sweet blankets, bathmats, whatever!
Pastel Goth, Kawaii Goth, Spooky Kawaii — Whatever You Call It, It's Great!
Pastel goth is a unique and innovative way to express your affinity for kawaii and alternative cultures. With this edgy-meets-endearing aesthetic, you get to embrace individuality to the max and blend hard and soft style elements.
