What the Hell is Gothic-Burlesque?

[Hexotica]

It isn't a strip tease out of a mourning outfit if that's what you're thinking (though that's an interesting possibility!). It's what is also called the 'cabaret goth' look found in clubs across the globe which fuses gothic dark romance with retro burlesque glamour. You could say it was personified back when Marilyn Manson married Dita von Teese. Goths have been wearing corsets and veiled hats for decades but long bustled gowns and drippy lace sleeves have sub-culturally morphed, so glamour pusses have started polishing up the heavy make-up, traded teased hair for pin curls, and now match their black fish nets with ruffled knickers. Those who refused to leave the traditional behind are now called Steampunk, Neo-Victorian, or Boiler Goths, but that's a whole other style (and I personally think the guys can get way hotter than the girls there!). It's also not the same as Gothabilly, which is a goth in fetal limbo between Goth and Rockabilly, a common progression out of the entirely black-clad when you start trading in your spiders and bats for birds and cherries. The Cabaret Goth style is more classy and less cliched than that and is, simply, for those who love a lot of black with their colors and a lot of vintage with their PVC.
If this is your kind of style, follow my main blog HEXOTICA for a personal style parade and handcrafted gothic-burlesque jewelry, cocktail hats and burlesque accessories.