Summer Is Officially Over – Enter Goth Girl Autumn

The skies are grey. Jackets are creeping back out of wardrobes. Our iced matcha lattes have been quietly traded for hot ones. What does that mean? Summer’s over, and so is the carefree wardrobe that came with it. Sigh.

What’s replacing it? Something a smidge darker. Some might call it goth, we prefer to think of soft goth, or even goth-adjacent. Think of it as gothic gone mainstream - so embedded in the cycle you hardly notice it until you look closer. Lace, velvet, mesh, and leather. Ornate jewellery with a Victorian edge. Combat boots and creepers that once belonged to the underground and the indie sleaze scene, are now a cool-girl uniform.

Why now? Fashion thrives on contrast. After a summer of ‘clean girl’ minimalism and airy coquettepastels, the pendulum was always going to swing darker. Gen Z has made an art of mood-dressing, and the gothic aesthetic offers something cathartic: drama, depth, a refusal to look too polished.

Fashion’s darker forces have had their say. Rick Owens - lovingly dubbed the ‘Lord of Darkness’ - has seen his DRKSHDW thigh boots and trainers climb from niche to essential. We can also look to the likes of Dilara Findikoglu and other brands that are subtly weaving gothic codes into their DNA. It’s very clear the aesthetic has slipped its subcultural shackles.

Then there’s celebs, of course. Wednesday returned for season two, and Jenna Ortega has become the undisputed face of gothic style. From her sheer snakeskin Ashi Studio couture moment at the season two premiere to her acid-wash, cut-out Zac Posen x Gap dress at Netflix’s ‘Graveyard Gala,’ she’s taken gothic into high fashion - bleached brows included. Everyone, it seems, wants their own Wednesday Addams chapter. In on this are A-listers like Dua Lipa and Paloma Elsesser, who have both recently tapped into mesh.

So here we are: summer’s lightness has faded, gothic autumn is calling. The question isn’t if you’ll join in, but how: mesh, velvet, creepers take your pick. The season has already chosen its mood. Scroll to find the best pieces goth girl autumn pieces to carry you through this season and beyond.

Shop: Goth Girl Autumn Clothes

Renee Washington, Grazia's digital fashion and beauty writer, lives online. With a penchant for wispy lashes and streetwear, she writes about the worlds of fashion and beauty from the viewpoint of the modern fashion girlie..

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