Glamorous Vampires: The Good, the Bad, and the Drop-Dead Gorgeous

To be a vampire of any kind is to embody an archetype straight from legends and the works inspired by them. The perpetual state of starvation and need to sate it can be torture for some, even at its most euphoric, but there is an art to the experience. Depending on your needs and style of feeding, it can be subtle, undetected even on an individual level, or perhaps you take a more personal approach that reaches into one’s very core; you may lie somewhere in the middle, or perhaps you simply avoid your hunger and abstain from it completely. No matter your circumstance, you likely wear clothes, regardless of your personal taste in fashion (or lack thereof), and you may even partake in other visual aesthetics and styles to make your life a bit more fun. I know I do. If there’s anything I know, it’s glamour, and everyone could use a sprinkle of magick in their life. To start, glamours are a type of magick that involve enchanting one’s appearance to create a specific image or impression. This could be anything from an alluring gaze and a charming smile to an aloof frigidity that pushes away onlookers rather than draw them to you. No matter the intention, there’s a glamour for it, and aesthetics are a personal favorite way to achieve whatever effect I’m seeking. Ornament yourself however you like, but do so intentionally so you may reap the full effect of your artistry. After all, ornamentation via clothes, makeup, hair, etc. is truly an art, itself. In all its aspects, fashion has been a longstanding tradition across every culture, from early civilization to the modern runway. I’m not here to give a history lesson, but art has existed for as long as people have, and personal styling is no small part of it. If you want to learn about fashion, there are many YouTube channels and books I could recommend that are well outside the scope of this blog, but if you’re interested, I’ll list a few of my favorites in a BYTE post. While not a tenet of the VC as a whole, it’s impossible to deny the impact vampires have had on fashion. From historical wear with a gothic bent to outfits equal parts leather and lace, the vampire is a creature of many looks in their coffin that, at least as an aesthetic in the modern sense, follow a rough throughline of color, mystique, and edge. Champagne white like aged paper in musty books, reds both venous and arterial to bring a blush of life to the deadly visual, silver for those who can stand the holy touch, and of course the staple black in every conceivable texture to capture the light in unique ways. The vampire in this sense is mysterious – not one to approach, but one who beckons forth. Even the most bubbly personality can provoke a reaction in the prudish with the right look. This includes makeup, which I highly recommend experimenting with if you choose to get into it. Find your style, and don’t be afraid to dress it up or down depending on your mood. You can customize, mix it up, and put your own spin on the vampire aesthetic to match your lived experience. Yes, this means your favorite t-shirt and slacks or Decora Kei coord or polka-dotted pajamas are as vampiric as my leather corset and silver ankh ring are. If you’re a vampire, congrats! You are now wearing vampiric fashion on the day-to-day, nothing fancy required. Just don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Now, it needs be said that no matter your sense of personal style, your identity as a vampire is valid. You don’t have to look like Dracula or Spike or Lestat to be who you are – you’re going to be like that regardless. However, if you are inclined toward fashion of any kind, glamours could be for you. It’s about the aura, and every vampire can harness it to their own advantage. I’m always a fan of the lure, magnetizing others in a high-energy environment so we can all just let loose and have fun. I’m also a fashion nerd, so if you ever see me in public without a killer outfit, chances are that’s my evil clone and must be disposed of at any cost. Joking, but I digress. At this point, you may be telling me, “Liam, I don’t feel like I can achieve a vampiric look no matter what I do. I’m [insert physical characteristic/social class/economic class/etc.]! It’s impossible and no one will accept—” And this is the part where I tell you that anyone who spouts that gatekeeping nonsense is a loser, full stop. Vampires of color exist, as do vampires across the gender spectrum and disabled vampires and working-class vampires living paycheck to paycheck, among so many other lived experiences a person (vampire or not) could possibly have. If you are, for instance, a nonbinary Latine/Latinx* lesbian with chronic pain, or a plus-sized southeast Asian woman who can’t get body modifications because of standardized workplace attire, or you generally want to incorporate elements of your own culture that may not be as common in the (very Eurocentric) vampiric fashion scene, I have some advice: do what makes you happy, as much as you can with whatever resources you can allocate toward that happiness, and don’t ever listen to bigots and gatekeepers who want to keep you small and silent when you have every right to have as loud a voice as anyone else in this space. I imagine you don’t need the local white guy (queer and trans as he may be) to tell you that, but given how terrible people in fashion circles can be to those who fall outside the cookie cutter beauty standards, especially where vampires are concerned, I figured even if you don’t need to hear it as reassurance, there’s someone reading this who needs it as a wake-up call. Either way, if you choose to embrace a style of your own, no matter what it is, own it to the fullest extent you can, and don’t take shade from insecure nobodies. To sum up, vampire fashion is what you make of it. You can dress up or down, glamorize in more ways than one, and really express yourself. Get those piercings, those tattoos! Get your nails done and treat yourself to a nice addition to your wardrobe! Or, honestly, just DIY it with whatever you got and/or can get your hands on for cheap. Joann’s may be dead in the water but you know what isn’t? Sheets, curtains, and tablecloths at your local thrift store. The possibilities are endless with a needle and thread, no fancy machine required. So go nuts and do and make what makes you happy (though I can’t advise you do your own piercings for health/safety reasons on your end and legal reasons on mine). Fashion is what you make of it. Be the vampire you want to see in the world.