Cottagecore is a new, bright and romantic aesthetic that has gained traction over the last few years – specifically on Tumblr and TikTok.

Anyone whose ideal life involves baking, farming, gardening, and living with nature has become obsessed with the trend – however, some people interested in this don’t personally want to focus on bright neutrals and pastels. That is where Dark Cottagecore comes in (or sometimes called Gothic Cottagecore).

If you want to find out what dark cottagecore is, and how you can implement it into your fashion and home decor, then continue reading!

dark mountains with trees and fog

What Is Dark Cottagecore?

As suggested by the title of the aesthetic, Ddark Cottagecore is a darker version of Cottagecore, the popular trend that romanticises the simplicity of life. Those who are interested or involved within the community prefer the idea of a self-sustaining life in a rural setting over a technological life within a city.

The core values of Cottagecore are harmony with nature and simplicity – this involves caring for the earth, animals, and plants in your daily life. Inspired by a romanticised view of 19th-century European farm life, enhanced by a sense of nostaglia and whimsy.

The core of Cottagecore is warm, welcoming, and happy, all of which is reflected in the entire community. Think of baby animals, colour dresses, floral prints, meadows, picnics, flowers, and homemade desserts.

Now, the new addition to this aesthetic is very similar, including an interest in baking, forests, animals and baking but it adds in slight gothic elements that make it darker. Instead of focusing on bright colours and fields of flowers, dark Cottagecore enthusiasts enjoy poisonous plants, mushrooms, dark fairytales, and witch motifs.

For Cottagecore the perfect day would be a spring morning, with the sun shining through the trees and birds singing. For Dark Cottagecore, they long for cloudy days that block the sun, misty rain, and fog.

One element that remains between the two is a deep respect for and love for nature; the difference is that Dark Cottagecore values the beauty in the dark, the ways in which nature can be harsh and destructive, not just its conventional beauty.

Some involved in this aesthetic even go as far as including blood and gore (though this largely depends on the individual), and mythical creatures from fairy tales such as witches, spirits, and cryptids.

hillside of a dark cottagecore home

All You Need To Know About Dark Cottagecore Fashion

Dark Cottagecore tends to relate more to Ravencore fashion than traditional Cottagecore; this means a tendency for gothic tones, earthy colours and a style that is reminiscent of witches from centuries past.

While this aesthetic can have elements of the warm tones, ruffles, embroidery, and lace seen in the typical representations of Cottagecore, Dark Cottagecore fashion leans towards faded browns, dirty yellows, and deep greens that are earthy.

If you’re interested in building a Dark Cottagecore wardrobe, choose a range of clothing from long dresses, skirts, aprons, flowy capes and overalls.

Footwear should include at least one of the following: lace boots, clogs, loafers or chealsea boots. For accessories, we highly recommend chokers, gems, silver jewellery, crosses are pearls to complete any look.

Your makeup should be minimal, with hints of red, yellow and black earth tones. This isn’t strict – some people in the Dark Cottagecore community prefer a dark smokey eye with a bold lip!

The most important thing is to wear what makes you feel comfortable, no matter what that is. Some inspiration for Dark Cottagecore fashion can be seen below!

Everything About Dark Cottagecore Decor

It is a lot easier (and cheaper!!) to give your space a Dark Cottagecore makeover than you mgith think. You don’t have to do a lot to achieve a good level of darkness that will satiate anyone within this aesthetic. Simply begin by adding in dark-leaved plants (specifically creepers and vines), vintage furniture, orante golden items, crytals and candles.

The best places for you to shop for these pieces will be thrift stores or garage sales, where you can buy vintage and second-hands good that have flare.

A really underestimated piece that adds to this aesthetic is oil paintings framed by ornate golden frames – both can often be found at thrift stores if you look hard enough. If you don’t like the look of oil paintings, you can always replace them with mirrors inside the frame.

If you have a bigger budget, items such as vintage books, old type writers, globes and reclaimed wood are perfect additions to any Dark Cottagecore space.

For those who are into the Witchcore side of Dark Cottagecore, be sure to include gemstones, incense, wall hangings with motifs of cats, moons and suns.

On the other hand, if you’re more on the traditional Dark Cottagecore side of this aesthetic, you can opt for depictions of frogs, spiders and mushrooms – similar to those seen in Goblincore.

To finish you space, you can never fail by adding fairy lights, candles, and ornate chandeliers to create an eerie atmosphere in your home.

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