Enchanted With The Visually Macabre
If you are not quite young enough to be considered a "Gothic Lolita," do not fret. You can still dress Goth and in an elegant way at that.
Christy Kane is an artist that creates life size, handmade dolls. She then photographs them in antique settings to illustrate her original stories of social misfits. Each doll has a distinct personality. Christy's photographs are very detailed and her stories are haunting and unforgettable."Lolita Goths" may favour long skirts and jackets to emulate Victorian women rather than overtly child-like designs. They aim for elegance, but are not trying to look like children or victorian dolls. Goth Lolita designs are usually modest, sometimes with long lace-capped sleeves or frilly, high-necked blouses. Makeup is used sparingly and used more often by Elegant Lolita Goths than with other Gothloli styles. Black eyeliner is typical. A pale complexion is preferred, so white foundation might be used. Red or black lipstick is preferred.
"The Gothic & Lolita Bible" plays an instrumental role in defining the Japanese Lolita style. This quarterly mook (magazine/book hybrid) is a combination fashion magazine, culture guide and art book. It caters to fans of two separate but related fashions, "Gothic" and to a greater extent "Lolita."
The "Gothic & Lolita Bible" is now published in English and available in the U.S.
Oh, to be sixteen again.
The stage sets for the Broadway production of Dracula were created by Edward Gorey. Gorey's sets were designed with the typical Gorey shades of black, grey and white with one small nuance; a touch of red was added to each scene to represent Count Dracula's thirst for"blood." 
Not every corset throughout history was sexy or glamorous. I suppose it is all a matter of taste. Although many corsets were confining and uncomfortable, there is nevertheless, an air of femininity surrounding these garments. The dictionary defines "corset" as: a woman's close-fitting boned supporting undergarment that is often hooked and laced and that extends from above or beneath the bust or from the waist to below the hips and has garters attached.
As we all know, there are many styles of corsets and they exist for varied reasons. Some might truly be worn for support under garments, but I'd venture to guess that most are acquired as an item to be worn on its own and in the budoir. What other garment in history has assumed such social and sexual significance?
What is it about this undergarment, which was designed to enhance the female figure, that has made it an icon? Was wearing corsets primarily about sexual empowerment or restrictive chastisement? Could wearing a corset explain common female maladies of the Victorian era, from fainting bouts to miscarriage? How great was the suffering, for how small a waist? One legend claims that Katerina de' Medici, Queen of France in the late 16th century, required her ladies-in-waiting to have 13 inch waists. While this might very well be a legend, one must take into consideration that women were smaller then. (Talk about suffering pain for beauty.)
At some point, the "Goth" style corset took on the interpretation of being black and at times made of leather. In my opinion, these corsets do not represent a true Gothic style. In my travels through cyberspace, I have not come across an authentic gothic corset that was made of leather...and especially not of vinyl. These appear to reflect an S&M culture and not a "Goth" culture.
Victoria's Past website has a brief but comprehensive history of these unmentionables.
How many of us can recite the next line of this poem.? Surely, we all know its author. If you want to experience what it was like listening to Poe's stories on the radio, you can find the recordings at
Monterey Media
Please allow me to elaborate a bit on an earlier post...I adore the "Goth" style, not the "Goth" lifestyle. I am not even sure what the contemporary "Goth" lifestyle is actually all about. To me, it is the fashion, art, architecture, literature, pastimes and customs of the Romanesque Gothic period thru the Victorian era that are intriguing and endlessly fascinating. My affection for some of the slightly more tongue in cheek morbidity is difficult to deny (due to my growing up with "The Addams Family" in the sixties)? Nevertheless, I do adore this stuff!
Covering some 474 acres and containing more than 600,000 graves, Green-Wood is New York's great Victorian "City of the Dead". 
I purchased this Absinthe Art Tile Coaster at the CafePress website. Ophelias Art creates a variety of fabulous "goth" greeting cards, T-shirts and other items. Definitely worth checking out.
No other "spirit" has ever conjured up more controversey, myths and intrigue than this one. Is it the beautiful and ever changing green colour? Is it the air of mystery, danger and seduction? Or is it of its allegedly psychoactive properties? Whatever the reason, Absinthe was romanticized and captured in artwork and literature by countless artists and writers. 
The practice of creating an image by rubbing a material such as charcoal, wax or graphite on paper placed over the engraved surface of a gravestone in order to obtain the exact image of the stone's lettering and designs.
During a visit to Portland, Oregon last summer, I found some of these great postcards. There is something disconcerting about them because they combine the ghoulish with the innocence of children and yet that is what makes them interesting and of course "Goth." Check out NoMonet to see the rest of these dark cuties. The card pictured here is titled "April and June Dig Up an Old Friend." You have to appreciate the artistic graphic skills and sense of humor that went into creating these.
I happened upon these "Goth" style dolls and fell in love. They might not be huggable and you might not choose to give them to the little girl in your life, but they do ooze personality and a particular kind of charm. You can view and purchase these dolls at October Effigies.
