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Old 12-30-2015, 05:04 PM   #1
Ocularis
 
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How to look "goth" with brown skin?

Hello everyone,

This thread is NOT about race at all, it is more about color theory than anything.

I have noticed that goth fashion in general relies heavily upon the contrast between white and dark colors (black, burgundy, etc.) to make it work. Usually, the skin is white and the clothing presents the dark colors, creating a very high-contrast look.

Another thing goth usually does is monochromatic looks, e.g. a very pale girl in a white dress.

This is all pretty easy if you have very pale skin or even very dark African skin (I think people with very dark skin can also pull off goth very well - think of a girl with almost black skin in a black dress and long black hair, it looks very goth, or even if she wore goth clothes in all white instead of black). But what if you have...medium brown skin? Not black skin, but brown skin.

I am personally having difficulty "pulling off" goth fashions as well as my pale-skinned and dark-skinned peers because my skin is just in the middle; it doesn't contrast with or blend with anything (besides brown/beige, which isn't a very goth color...)

The only thing my skin really contrasts with is sky blue, which makes sense, because blue is across from brown/beige on the color wheel. But sky blue isn't exactly a "goth" color, either...

I'm not going to change my skin color because the chemicals and especially tanning are dangerous.

This was basically a long-winded way of asking for suggestions on what colors someone with medium brown skin should wear to look goth, what color to dye my hair, what color of makeup to wear, etc. Because in my experience, wearing all black doesn't make me look that goth due to lack of accompanying pale skin, nor does black hair (it just looks like my natural hair).

For example, if you were going to make Halle Berry or Rihanna look goth (they both have about the same skin tone as me), what colors of hair, makeup, and clothing would you put them in besides black?

Sorry for being so analytical about it, it's just that I'm actually in the process of learning image consulting/wardrobe styling. I asked my instructor and she doesn't know anything at all about alternative fashions such as goth, so she was no help...thanks, guys.
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Old 12-30-2015, 05:57 PM   #2
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I'm not sure... perhaps you can highlight your face with a champagne or gold shimmer (something that blends in but will still bring out some more contrast with darker clothing) and use jewel toned blues in your makeup/dress?

(The technique is called strobing I think, this is the effect I mean. The purple lip there is nice too - Rihanna has worn different shades of purple. You could even get one that's violet in tone, not far off blue.)

Don't overlook mixing in silver (lips, eyes, fingernails, clothing). Or jewel/dark green. It's very pushed that goths wear everything in flat black, but I've found a subtle mix of shades with black is more flattering.

This isn't goth but has a range of looks, so might help if you can find someone of the same skin tone to see how colours look on them.

Also small cues like slightly heaver/more stylised makeup, shaped and darkened eyebrows and creepy accessories help everyone to read as goth rather than just someone wearing black.


And while it seems dated or weird, you could look at the seasons colour system for their colour theory and pick the non-peachy shades. They have a lot of pics of pale women, but halfway down the page there are photos of Tia Carrera and Lucy Liu plus some colours for those skin tones.
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Old 12-30-2015, 06:39 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Acharis View Post
I'm not sure... perhaps you can highlight your face with a champagne or gold shimmer (something that blends in but will still bring out some more contrast with darker clothing) and use jewel toned blues in your makeup/dress?

(The technique is called strobing I think, this is the effect I mean. The purple lip there is nice too - Rihanna has worn different shades of purple. You could even get one that's violet in tone, not far off blue.)

Don't overlook mixing in silver (lips, eyes, fingernails, clothing). Or jewel/dark green. It's very pushed that goths wear everything in flat black, but I've found a subtle mix of shades with black is more flattering.

This isn't goth but has a range of looks, so might help if you can find someone of the same skin tone to see how colours look on them.

Also small cues like slightly heaver/more stylised makeup, shaped and darkened eyebrows and creepy accessories help everyone to read as goth rather than just someone wearing black.


And while it seems dated or weird, you could look at the seasons colour system for their colour theory and pick the non-peachy shades. They have a lot of pics of pale women, but halfway down the page there are photos of Tia Carrera and Lucy Liu plus some colours for those skin tones.
Strobing is a good suggestion, and so are the colors (jewel toned blue, silver, etc.)...however, I don't put much stock in seasonal color analysis: one person can go to 5 different color analysts and get 5 different results...it's incredibly subjective, even though it doesn't seem it. I've been told I'm everything from "Autumn" to "Spring" (the only one I never get is "Winter", which is kinda the one I want...).

I think Rihanna is a good example of what I mean rather than Halle Berry: Rihanna actually dresses goth quite often, but because of the type of music she makes and her skin color, people rarely peg her as a goth. She might sometimes be haute goth, glam goth, or urban goth, though:



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Old 12-30-2015, 11:41 PM   #4
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Honestly, I've always looked at people such as Danny Trejo and Michelle Rodriguez as inspiration being of a light brown complexion myself. If anything, rock the color you love and how you wear it.

It's all about confidence hon
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Old 12-31-2015, 12:30 AM   #5
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All good, was just chucking out some ideas! Hopefully you'll find something that works for you.
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Old 12-31-2015, 02:55 AM   #6
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I don't know much about makeup, or fashion for that matter, but for what it's worth:

I've seen goths of all different skin colors be able to pull off "traditional" all black goth outfits; for me at least, the high contrast between black and white is not the most important aspect of goth aesthetics. My guess is that you probably look a lot better than you think. Bourbon Boy is 100% correct that it's all about confidence, and finding a look that suits you - there is certainly more than one style of goth fashion.

You may also be overthinking this. For example, in looking at Rihanna's photos, I think she looks amazingly chic - and also very gothy - in those pictures, and it doesn't look to me like she's done anything different from a white goth. Those clothes, with those accessories, and the makeup (especially the black lipstick) to boot, all scream goth to me; the skin tone doesn't subtract from that in the slightest. In those pictures she looks just as goth to me as somebody with an alabaster skin color wearing the same outfit.

But in terms of other colors, I second the suggestion of purple - in eye makeup, jewlery/accessories, hair color, clothing, etc. I think that goes well with black. But I think you could do a lot of things with blue, also:



Yes, I realize that model has pale skin - but I think it could still work on you as well. Maybe not a sky blue, but a deep, vibrant, "cybergoth" shade of blue.
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Old 12-31-2015, 05:17 AM   #7
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In all honesty I believe that black goes with everything ..
I don't do the white Gothic face either, nor do I remove my eyebrows.
Obviously many do, the latter I've found is customary if the individual enjoys make up artistry; changing eyebrow shapes really finish a look.

I joke with my Friend that I'm peach, not white He's a fine black-skinned gent who rocks his own definitive look; he's exceptionally Pagan as opposed to Goth. In his overall expression he speaks of an etheral based look, that's something that I personally consider Gothic. He's an inspiration to many; he is entirely himself and expresses many style orientations that all simply work! To me this is categoric proof that 'Gothic' is something that emanates from within; it's internal - a part of You.

Of course expression of that outwardly is something that we all enjoy <3
I think your personal style will come to you, Goth doesn't HAVE to be black endorsed and there are so many shades /hues in the colour spectrum ...
Dyeing clothing is something that I enjoy, Dylon dyes (eg) are cheap and work well for the main fabric types; or indeed there are heaps of fabric dyes out there. They'll handle pretty much every material type .. velvets, leathers etc.
To my mind even white can be expressive of Gothic, it's all about the overall look, how an outfit is pieced together. I love the diversity of Goth tbh, Victorian clothing, vintage garments one day, Punk rooted fashions the next; and of course the super comfy jeans & band tee for 'non-fancy' grunge type days. Hell .. I can feel Goth as fuuuck in my pyjamas
Express you, on your terms. Clothing that makes you feel good. Garments that you're passionate about or are drawn to. Screw convention, be You babe xxx

I'll pop in 2 examples of white based, just purely as these are as far from the 'trad-goth' black as can be .. personally the cut, overall style of a garment matters so much more than the colour .. and let's not forget accoutrements that add interest .. never leave the house half-assed lol .. always plenty of belts and jewellery, even on the afore mentioned down days of a grungy look. For we are Goths, not Philistines ;D



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Old 12-31-2015, 05:33 AM   #8
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*Of course these are not an every day wear example .. but elements of a designer look can be used as inspiration. Dress coats & frock coats for example, they are a staple of mine! Strangely they work just as well with jeans and baseball boots as they do with skirts and dresses I feel having FUN with your self-expression is the vital thing, everything else just falls into place and stems from that. So as a friend I'd say experiment with a varied colour palette and find what You like <3
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