Get the Vampire Look at School

If you want to get the vampire look and be noticed for it at school, you can definitely accomplish this. With a few wardrobe modifications, some basic goth makeup and a slight shift in your behavior, you'll be pulling off the vampire look at your school in no time.

Steps

Updating Your Clothing

  1. Wear mostly black clothing in a Victorian style. The vampire look is essentially goth style with a twist – both groups wear predominantly black clothing, but the vampire look leans toward a more romantic, Victorian style of dress.[1] Victorian-era fashion references the European style of dress in the 1800s and focuses on clothing with lots of different textures and made with exotic fabrics.
    • Examples of Victorian fashion would be ruffled shirts, cloaks, long skirts, velvet frock coats, opera capes, corsets, and vests.[2]
    • Examples of some of the more exotic materials would be crushed velvet, fishnet, silk, lace and leather.[3]
    • Referencing Edwardian, Elizabethan or even medieval styles is also common in this subculture.
  2. Look for vintage jewelry. Vintage items have a dated look that a vampire would prefer, since they are supposed to be very old creatures. Check out thrift stores for vintage jewelry, especially old-fashioned items like pocket watches and lockets.
    • Any vintage accessories made of lace, leather or velvet would also be great.[4]
    • Opera length gloves made of satin, velvet or latex are also popular.[5]
  3. Wear vampire accessories. Silver jewelry is preferred and anything featuring bats, skulls, ankhs, gothic crosses, coffins and occult symbols is ideal.[3] Wearing ornate silver rings on most of your fingers is another fashionable vampire look.
    • Chokers and velvet ribbons tied around the neck are popular looks, along with caplets and shawls in decadent fabrics.[6]
    • Consider wearing black and white striped stockings if you like that look, since they are prevalent in vampire goth fashion.
  4. Get a pair of vintage-looking black boots with pointed toes.[6] Look for a pair that goes up to at least your mid-calf, but no taller than past your knee. Plain black leather lace up boots are fine, but if you can find a more ornate pair with buckles and other adornments, opt for those.[7]
    • Many women prefer a pair with heels, but it’s not required.[8]
    • Definitely check out thrift shops for vintage and/or less pricey versions of these boots, since they tend to be on the expensive side.
  5. Wear dark sunglasses. In vampire lore, vampires usually can’t go into direct sunlight (which is one of the reasons why they are so pale). Since you can’t realistically avoid sunlight all the time, wear dark sunglasses any time you have to out in the sun or even outside in general.
    • Whenever possible, actively avoid sunlight.
    • Even with your sunglasses on, squint and wince a little when you’re forced to be outside in the sun, as though it’s making you very uncomfortable.
  6. Be open to androgynous looks. It’s not unusual for all genders in this subculture to wear things that mainstream society considers feminine, such as makeup, skirts, corsets, heels, etc.[5] Dressing outside of the gender you normally identify with is not required, but keep in mind that the gender lines are quite blurred and you should feel free to experiment if you like.
    • Vampire goths are progressive people and they accept, represent and identify with all genders and orientations.
    • Learn to embrace the things that make you different. Don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd and be proud of who you are.

Getting Vampire Hair and Makeup

  1. Use white foundation to make your skin appear as pale as possible.[9] Get a high quality foundation in a pale shade that matches your skin or that’s one shade lighter. If you have darker skin, go no more than two shades lighter with the foundation. After you apply the foundation evenly all over your face with a sponge, lightly dust your whole face with white powder.[10]
    • The powder will set your foundation and give your skin an ethereal pallor.[11]
    • Avoid over-powdering and be sure to powder past your jawline – dust your neck, chest and any other exposed skin with it, as well.
    • Buy the best foundation that you can afford. Low quality foundation may give your makeup a cakey, theatrical quality. The look you’re going for is slightly more natural.
  2. Get the appearance of gaunt features by using contouring makeup. Use bronzer, a dark shaded powder or a dark blush to sculpt your face. Suck your cheekbones in and apply the shade in the hollow of your cheek. Apply the darkest makeup at your hairline and get lighter as you go down the hollow of your cheek toward your mouth. Blend well.[10]
    • This will create a gaunt vampire look, as most vampires have defined features.
    • Use a large makeup brush with soft bristles to apply the contour makeup, since this is the best tool for blending it well.
  3. Wear dark eyeliner, dark eyeshadow and blood red or black lipstick.[1] Eyeliner styles are unique and vary, so experiment with a few different looks, like a heavy kohl/smoky eye and winged liquid eyeliner. Eye shadow should be a dark and you can apply it to the lid or all the way around your eye for a highly stylized look.[10] Mix it up by adding some red eyeliner or dark red eyeshadow.
    • Lipstick colors are usually black or a deep red to accentuate a pale complexion.[10]
    • Lipstick isn’t required. Doing a pale mouth with dramatic dark eye makeup is a popular look.
  4. Grow your nails long and paint them with dark nail polish.[12] Vampire goths tend to grow their nails out quite long and some like to file their long nails down into points. Nail polish can be any very dark color, it doesn’t necessarily have to be black, so experiment with some deep reds and purples.
  5. Dye your hair very dark brown or black and grow it out. The length is up to you, but longer, dark hair is the most common look for all genders in the Victorian era. Wear it flowing loose and free, or tie it back with a simple velvet ribbon, allowing a few wispy pieces to fall around your face.
    • You could also curl your hair with rollers and pin it up in a true Victorian hairstyle, if you like. Do loose curls or tight ringlets.[13]
    • Another popular look is braiding long pigtails and then securing them with bobby pins at the crown of your head in a a sort of halo.
  6. Consider colored contact lenses and artificial fangs.[14] These things aren’t required but some enthusiasts like to go all out with their vampire look. The contact lenses chosen for this are usually yellow-green in color.[12]
    • Check out costume shops and goth specialty stores for artificial but realistic-looking fangs that you can pop in and out easily.

Changing Your Behavior

  1. Befriend other goth/vampire kids.[15] These kids tend to hang out in small groups, and they are easy to identify because of how unusual they look in comparison to the other students. Introduce yourself and get friendly with these people. Bring up goth music or vampire lore when you’re around them at school to get conversations started.
    • Take mental notes about what the other vampire kids are wearing to get additional ideas for your wardrobe.
    • Investigate whether or not your school has any goth social groups or meetups. If so, check them out.
  2. Listen to dark/goth music on your headphones at school. There are tons of goth bands out there and goth music itself is highly varied with many subgenres, so if you’re new to the game, it can be a little overwhelming. However, you can’t go wrong with classic goth bands like The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Joy Division, The Damned, Sisters of Mercy, Christian Death and (early) Depeche Mode.[6]
    • Check out the bands on goth-friendly record labels like Projekt, Cleopatra, Anubis and Tess if you aren’t sure where to start.[16]
  3. Act mysterious and maintain a straight face at all times. Vampires are known for their air of quiet mystique, and smiling is a rarity for them. Act a little broody and pensive around others. Avoid being talkative and glide around as though everything you do is effortless for you.
    • Maintaining a straight face doesn’t mean looking angry or upset. Focus on looking indifferent to what’s going on around you and relatively emotionless.
    • Be aware when people are looking at you, but don’t look at them. Act as gracefully as possible when you’re being watched.
    • Demonstrating impeccable manners and a reserved demeanor are also a big part of the vampire mystique.[17]
  4. Learn as much vampire lore as possible.[1] Read Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, Anne Rice’s series The Vampire Chronicles and Poppy Z. Brite’s novel Lost Souls. The classic German film Nosferatu is a must-see.
    • Other important vampire films are The Hunger, The Lost Boys, the Underworld series, the Blade series, From Dusk Til Dawn, Dracula (1931 film featuring Bela Lugosi as Dracula), Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992 film featuring Gary Oldman as Dracula), and Interview With A Vampire.
    • Other vampire references to check out – the comic book series (and film) 30 Days of Night, as well as the following television series: True Blood, The Strain, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, The Originals and The Vampire Diaries.
    • For goth references outside of vampires, check out popular sci-fi/fantasy/horror writers like H.P. Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Mary Shelley, Edgar Allen Poe and Neil Gaiman.[16]

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://vampireunderworld.com/vampire-subculture/
  2. ↑ http://www.gothicsubculture.com/common-culture.php
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.beautytipsonline.com/articles/gothic.htm
  4. ↑ http://www.gothicbeauty.com/category/fashion/
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 http://www.gothicsubculture.com/common-culture.php
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 http://gothic-charm-school.com/charm/
  7. ↑ https://www.gothicplus.com/mens-shoes-boots-sneakers/mens-boots/mens-victorian-ankle-boot-brogue10
  8. ↑ https://www.gothicplus.com/womens-shoes-boots-high-heels/womens-boots-sexy-boot/victorian-tesla-granny-boot
  9. ↑ http://www.hotgothicstuff.com/gothic-girls.shtml
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 http://gothic.lilithezine.com/Gothic-Makeup.html
  11. ↑ https://www.vamp.org/Gothic/Text/makeup.html
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 http://articles.latimes.com/2002/nov/24/magazine/tm-goth47
  13. ↑ http://www.mookychick.co.uk/alternative-beauty/hair-styles/gothic-hairstyles.php
  14. ↑ http://www.vampires.com/want-real-fangs-ask-your-dentist/
  15. ↑ http://gothic-charm-school.com/charm/
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 http://www.gothicsubculture.com/common-culture.php#misc
  17. ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/2002/nov/24/magazine/tm-goth47/2
Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Get_the_Vampire_Look_at_School&oldid=326557"