Sometimes called the darkest color, black is technically achromatic (i.e. it has no color, like its opposite, white) and happens when something either totally absorbs all light, or when there is no light present. A black aesthetic can touch a lot of moods from sorrowful gothic to contemporary grunge, classic monochrome, and pretty much anything in between, especially when paired with other colors and accents, or used as an accent itself to really make something pop out against a background.
“You’ve got to be willing to mix black into your palette if you want to create something that’s real.”
Amy Grant
Black aesthetic themes and meanings
- power and authority (and wealth, especially when used with green)
- fear
- mystery
- elegance (especially when paired with white to form monochrome, or metallic hues like gold or silver)
- night time and outer space
- death / mourning (in the West at least)
- magic and the occult (often paired with purple)
- sadness, misery and despair
- certainty
- misfortune / evil
Black aesthetic things in nature
More black aesthetic things
Example shades of black
Example accent colors for a black aesthetic
Do you have a black aesthetic?
If you find yourself consistently gravitating towards black clothing items or incorporating black into your outfits, it could indicate that black is your aesthetic. You might already like closely related looks such as grunge, goth, or monochrome, and find that wearing a lot of black – including all black – gives you comfort or confidence, or both.
Some people are drawn to the sense of mystery, sophistication, or depth that black can evoke. If black resonates with your mood and emotions, it could well be your aesthetic! If you’re into gothic (or modern goth) styles, or just like to keep the tones around you dark and dim – though not necessarily grim or funereal – then a black aesthetic could be right up your tombstone – er, street!
A short history of black
As a color, black has a highly varied history that spans across lots of different cultures, art movements, and symbolic interpretations. A heavily dark or black aesthetic is often seen as synonymous with power, mystery, and elegance, but there’s a ton of diversity to be found in its use, especially depending what other colors it is paired with.
In ancient Egypt, black represented life and fertility due to the dark, fertile soil along the Nile River, while in Greece black was associated with the underworld, symbolizing death and mourning. The development of high quality black dyes in the Middle Ages turned black into a fashion with the nobility in Europe, leading to it becoming a common symbol of wealth, power, and social status (especially when laws were introduced restricting its uses among the lower classes)! Modern black is still central to loads of different artistic and fashion areas, from minimalist art (where the use of black is seen as “stripping down” to fundamentals) to couture like Chanel and Dior (where black is still associated with elegance, wealth, and sophistication). Funnily enough, black has also been a huge part of rebellion and counterculture too, from the 1950s black leather jackets of street gangs and rebellious youth to the enduring goth and punk subcultures that started in the 1970s and 80s. It can be romantic or erotic (for example if paired with red), or even highly feminine if used with pink or lighter blues.
Most Western countries also associate black with secrecy, magic, and even violence, while in China black has a wide range of meanings, from good health and prosperity to cruelty and sadness. Similarly, in the Middle East black can mean both rebirth and mourning, while in Latin America and some parts of Africa it is associated with masculinity as well as mourning, maturity and even spiritual energy.