It always comes as a surprise to me when I find out about something well known, established and Gothy that I was previously unaware of, but even more so when I find out that it applies to me.
My personal style is a kind of Goth/Hippy fusion with a hefty side of witch, which is why learning about Strega kind of smacked me upside the head as being all about me.
I understand that being as I am so late to the party, I may be preaching to the choir here about the phenomenon known as Strega, but just in case I really am not the last to know, I’m going to talk about it a bit in this blog post.
Heads up to the always-way-ahead-of-me Everyday Goth’s blog for opening up the whole idea to me.
What is Strega?
Strega is basically best explained as modern witch-think Charmed, Willow from Buffy, with the etymology of the word coming from the Italian Stregheria, a form of Italian-American witchcraft that itself derives from the old Italian word for simple witchcraft. It has some parallels with Wicca but also plenty of divergences, and revolves around a belief in dual male and female deities rather than the pagan-centric Wiccan belief system.
Strega itself now is also a personal style, much in the way that Goth can be either a look or a look and a lifestyle combined, and the look in this case very much pings my radar when it comes to my own personal style and the selection of clothes that can already be found on my floor in my wardrobe.
Strega/Goth styling
The core tenets of Strega fashion involve a lot of dark colours and layering, so many jumpers, long skirts, tights and boots are a must for a basic look, although leggings, thick coats and lots of dangly jewellery are all good too.
Basically, if you imagine what all of the minor female characters in the Harry Potter films looked like or what your average bod on the street might imagine a modern-day witch would dress like, Strega is the look that you’re probably thinking of.
Obviously us little alt darklings tend to flock together and celebrate our differences and similarities alike, and there is also a lot of crossover and common staple pieces that fit into both Goth and Strega styling, and so unless you are deliberately trying to be un-Gothy about it, the two looks really have more in common than they do different, albeit the makeup norms tend to be heavier on the Goth side.
See?
Also, Goth jewellery and accents tend to be silver or silver coloured, while gold features prominently in Strega, either on its own or as a balance with silver.
If you want to scan some looks and get some ideas, check out this lookbook and this Tumblr feed, and for more information on the original Stregheria and its modern relatives, this is the link for you.
Are you already into Stregheria, or have you suddenly realised that you’re working this look anyway? Tell me in the comments.
