I’m a Millennial Rewatching ‘Buffy’—and I’m Obsessed with the Show’s Whimsigoth Fashion

As you may have guessed from the combination of the words “whimsical” and “gothic,” the whimsigoth look isn’t quite the all-black-everything aesthetic of a moody teenager à la Lydia Deetz or Wednesday Addams. There’s a romantic earthiness to it that softens the edge. Think: bell sleeves, long skirts, crochet, crushed velvet and touches of lace and mesh. Motif-wise, fairy-like florals, butterflies and celestial bodies reign supreme, as do nods to astrology and, of course, witchcraft. 

Indeed, while Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Buffy Summers has her whimsigoth moments when she combines floral skirts and lacy camisoles with her ever-present cross necklace and leather jacket, it’s really Alyson Hannigan’s Willow Rosenberg who perfects the aesthetic—especially in later seasons when she (spoiler alert!) embraces her witchy powers. On a related note, the term whimsigoth is also often applied to the magic-wielding characters in Practical Magic, Charmed and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, solidifying its synonymy with good witches of the ‘90s.

As you can see below, I’ve already been busy cultivating my collection of Buffy- (and Willow-) inspired staples, so to help you get the look, I’ve rounded up a few more whimsigoth pieces that have totally cast a spell on me.