Meaning
What does Pastel Goth mean?
Pastel Goth or as it is sometimes called nu goth is a new trend where usually girls, sometimes boys on Tumblr, dye they hair pastel colour, while wearing hipster/vintage looking clothing which vaguely promotes goth images, like an inverted cross, skulls, etc.
They justify their looks as gothic with a pastel colour palette, but it’s more reminiscent to the lighter emo/scene look.
They are mocked by the goths as a posers, because the most of them don’t listen to goth music and don’t do goth things.
They are also disliked by the Nirvana fans because they are loosely using the term “grunge” to describe themselves.
Origin
What's the origin of Pastel Goth?
The first know mention of pastel goth was around 2010-2012, however the origin is unknown or that if there is any origin.
After its first mention on the internet it has started to spread in popularity as it was heavily inspired by the Japanese kawaii street fashion mixed with the elements of goth and grunge fashion.
Spread & Usage
How did Pastel Goth spread?
In 2012 an entry was submitted to the website Urban Dictionary where a user explained what “Pastel goth” means.
After the submission and the rise in popularity of the trend on message board websites like Tumblr and Reddit, fashion industries saw the potential in it, so they started to market it as a fashion trend.
External resources
- Fandom – Aesthetic Wiki