Dark Nautical

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Dark Nautical

Other names

Lighthousecore, Sailorcore

Decade of origin

2020s

Key motifs

Lighthouses, cabins, docks, rope, the sea, sea monsters, storms, lanterns, gas lamps, sturdy boots, sea shanties, sailing ships, anchors, fishing net

Key colours

Chartreuse, cyan, various shades of blue, sea green, white, black, sandy brown

Key values

Fear of the unknown, isolation, exploration

Related aesthetics

Cottagecore
Forestpunk
Nautical
Ocean Grunge
Pirate
Selkiecore
Witchcore
Reefwave

Related media

The Lighthouse(2019)

The Finest Hours(2016)
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
some of H.P. Lovecraft's stories
The Longest Johns
The Dreadnoughts
Stan Rogers
Poldark (2015-19)
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Mamma Mia (2008)

Dark Nautical is a subgroup of the Nautical aesthetic. Though it shares a lot of imagery with both Nautical and Pirate aesthetics, it borrows much more from Cottagecore in its romanticized interpretation of western life by the sea. Whereas Nautical tends to focus on much higher economic class aesthetics and Pirate on chaotic, Dark Nautical centers around a more simple and harmonized life like Cottagecore. What makes Dark Nautical distinct from Cottagecore is its focus on the sea aspect of nature rather than forests or meadows. Dark Nautical is also characterized by a healthy dose of melancholy that does not exist in any of the previously mentioned aesthetics. The aesthetic involves being both aware of the vast ocean: what it is capable of, and what lies below, as well as being isolated for long periods of time. This awareness of the danger involved with the sea aligns Dark Nautical with such aesthetics as Witchcore and Forestpunk. Originally conceived earlier, it experienced a resurgence in early 2021 as sea shanties became more popular. Earlier versions of the aesthetic include such works as Moby Dick by Herman Melville and the works of H.P. Lovecraft.

Visuals[]

Visuals of Dark Nautical revolve around the sea, especially the more mysterious, dark aspects. This can include:

Lighthouses (of which there are various types and designs)
Intricately woven rope or knots
Aran sweaters
Wood burning stoves
Chronometers
Sea salt
Sailing ships
Storms brewing
Fishing nets
Rowboats
Gas lamps
Sea monsters and creatures, such as serpents, merfolk, or giant squids
Seashells
Compasses
Old maps, especially the ones with monsters on them
Sea glass
Barometers
Brass diving helmets
Colored bottles
Rain and fog
Sea creatures
Rock pools

Fashion[]

Dark Nautical fashion is reminiscent of the 18th and 19th centuries and primarily broken up into two categories: feminine and masculine, but one shouldn't feel restricted to only one of these categories; gender isn't binary and Dark Nautical isn't either.

The style is beachy yet dark, with lots of blues and grays. In cooler weather, comfy sweaters, thrifted goodies like flannels or old sweaters, and hand-knit beanies, socks and gloves are suggested. Warmer weather necessitates breezy articles such as linen skirts and loose-fitting tops.

Feminine[]

Ankle-length dresses made of cotton or similar simple materials without many embellishments
White aprons
White underskirts
Long hair tied back or styled to be kept away from face
Blue or black and white striped stockings
Sturdy boots
Minimal jewelry: a brooch or a locket (containing the picture of your love that was lost at sea)

Masculine[]

Aran or fisherman sweaters
Henley shirts (striped blue or black and white or solid colors of grey or blue)
Sturdy boots
Pipes
Flat caps
Peacoats
Nautical tattoos (anchors, mermaids, compasses, etc.)
Oilskin jacket and sou'wester
Large beard
Little to no frivolities
Breeches, jeans, trousers, or other such simple garments

Media[]

Movies[]

Lighthouse Island (1989)
The Perfect Storm (2000)
Dagon (2001)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Yours, Mine, and Ours (2005)
Pirates of the Caribbean II: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Padak (2012)
The Finest Hours (2016)
The Light Between Oceans (2016)
The Lighthouse (2019)
Blow the Man Down (2020)

TV Series[]

Storm of the Century (1999)
Poldark (2015-19)
The Terror (2018)
Siren (2018-2020)
Nancy Drew (2019)

Literature[]

Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Pharos: A Ghost Story by Alice Thompson
What the Sea Wants by Tracy E. Banghart
The Visitors by Simon Sylvester
Tales of the Sea by Maggie Chiang
The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Selected works of H.P Lovecraft
- "The White Ship"
- "The Terrible Old Man"
- "What the Moon Brings"
- "The Horror at Martin's Beach"
- "The Call of Cthulhu"
- At the Mountains of Madness
- The Shadow over Innsmouth
Selected works of Edgar Allen Poe
- "A Descent into the Maleström"
- "MS. Found in a Bottle"
- The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket