Fashioning the Vampire: What to Wear When You’re Undead

For the last hundred years, vampires have graced screens large and small, dressed in distinctive styles that have become part and parcel of their appeal. Their clothes seduce, disguise, and signal to the audience that these are figures of danger – and desire. From German frock coats, opera cloaks, and full formal tuxes, to trench coats, diaphanous gowns, and Middle Eastern chadors, vampire fashion is ever-changing but constantly signifying vampires’ identity and, ultimately, their appeal. This chapter looks at a century of vampire attire to find the connections and common threads that run through it in both film and TV. Fashion theory and vampire couture come together to ask – and answer – the question: what is vampire fashion anyway, and why does it matter?