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Dark Designs for Hot Days

When black is your favorite color—and quite possibly the only color in your wardrobe—summertime means melting. Dark souls don dark outfits. But being dead on the inside doesn’t mean you can avoid the scorching sun outside, so what’s the best way to survive the warm weather? 

Your grotesque style is a wonderfully witchy reflection of your inner world. You don’t need to change your aesthetic simply because temperatures are rising. With a few wardrobe adjustments and SPF 100 sunscreen, you’ll be ready to get outside. Lightweight, breathable fabrics are key to staying cool in the summer. Fill up your closet with regular tees that express your macabre spirit and satanic wit. We all have to live through the heat, but you don’t have to give up your undead sense of self. Wear these dark designs to your next graveyard picnic or poolside séance. 

Maybe your flavor of darkness skews mystical. You love a good mushroom forage, you make your own hand salves, and your three cats are all named for their astrological signs. This design is an excellent, understated way to embrace your inner magic. 

Camille Crew's "Hold On" t-shirt design
Hold On” design by Camille Chew

Symbols and signs collide with sacred geometry in this design that channels ancient rituals. Wear it for your next gathering in the woods on a moonless night or to your favorite metal band’s next show. 

Niel Quisaba's "Memories of Aldebaran" t-shirt design
Memories of Aldebaran” design by Niel Quisaba

Do you draw comics? Design your own zine? This dark design is perfect for the artist with a sinister streak. The inner self battles the outer in a scene straight out of a comic strip.   

Zinn Vi's "Psyche" t-shirt design
Psyche” design by zinn_vi

For the vampire-loving, monster-mash-singing soul, this design is a perfect balance of campy and classic. Whether you want to be or date her, Vampira still holds our gaze with a ghostly glow. 

Mitch O'Connell's "Mystery Date" t-shirt design
Mystery Date” design by Mitch O’Connell

For the crafty goth, this cross-stitch-inspired design is the perfect pairing for an afternoon of sewing, embroidery, and casting spells. Wear it while wandering through the next dark art craft fair or oddities market.

John Tibbott's "Curse Stitch" t-shirt design
Curse Stitch” design by John Tibbott

Reminiscent of its near namesake by Gustav Klimt, this ghoulish design is perfect for the dark and artistic. Lovers of fine art will appreciate the pastiche while lovers of mortality will appreciate the deadly embrace.  

Vincent Trinidad's "The Kiss of Death" t-shirt design
The Kiss of Death” by Vincent Trinidad

Cute and cartoony, this design is a lighthearted addition to the closet of those with a more pastel palette. Who says death can’t be cute?  

Wawawiwa's "Dead Inside" t-shirt design
Dead Inside” design by Wawawiwa

With happily haunted designs to darken your days, you’ll be ready for the sun no matter how brightly it shines. Creak the door to the coffin open, throw on a tee with one of these dark designs, and face those annoyingly happy bluebirds with a sarcastic smirk on your face. 

Sarah Fischer

Doting on my house plants is how I fill my time when I'm not writing, reading, running or playing with my darling cats, Evelyn and Charlie. In a past life, if any of us live more than once, I might have been a French poet or horticulturalist. Powered by: beautiful cake, morning sunlight and black coffee.