Like most good style evolutions, Jenna Ortega’s transformation into Gen Z’s resident goth girl didn’t happen overnight. No, it happened quietly — a lace cuff here, a slash of kohl there. And then, somewhere between Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Wednesday season two, Jenna Ortega stepped fully into the gothic renaissance.

The terms 'tourdrobe' and 'method dressing' have been bandied around for a while now, and it’s hardly a new phenomenon — even if Margot Robbie’s Barbie press tour wardrobe really did put it on the map. The danger here, though, is in turning a fashion moment into a costume when what you want is a cultural touchpoint. It’s a line Ortega and stylist Enrique Melendez have balanced with deft precision.

Dressed in an arsenal of sculptural silhouettes, shadowy sheers, and inky velvet, Ortega’s wardrobe has turned into a masterclass in what I’ll henceforth be referring to as 'elegant macabre'.

This is not Hot Topic goth (no offence), nor is it the gaudy Halloween redux that haunted the 2010s — and for which I, thanks to a beloved pair of purple-and-black striped knee socks and Emily the Strange, fell victim to. Instead, Ortega’s take on dark dressing feels authentic and spine-tinglingly chic.

Many have compared her to ’90s-era Winona Ryder — she did, quite literally, play her daughter in last year’s Beetlejuice sequel — but acting pedigree aside, she does have that glamorous, ghoulish quality that Hollywood so loves (see also: Angelina Jolie).

From the lace and satin gown by Ann Demeulemeester to a Sleepy Hollow-style dress by Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood, Ortega is carrying the gothic torch (or should I say lantern?) with a refined edge. Sure, there are elements of goth girls of yore — Nina Ricci, Winona, Rose McGowan — but it’s also a continuation of her own now-signature aesthetic, just elevated: no longer simply 'Wednesday-core'.

The trend isn’t confined to Ortega, either. Goth It Girls are stalking the streets of Los Angeles, London, and other cities beginning with the letter ‘L’ that I can’t currently think of. The runways have been equally spellbound. Rick Owens’ Fall/Winter 2025 collection nodded to ecclesiastical glamour in black tulle and structured leather (honorary mention for Rick Owens and Michèle Lamy — fashion’s preeminent harbingers of haute noir), while McQueen under Seán McGirr is embracing asymmetry, decay, and romance in ways that feel both timeless and true to McQueen’s darkly romantic legacy.

Even red carpets have gone moody, with celebrities like Zendaya and Mia Goth (another actress with an underworld aesthetic) leaning into Victorian silhouettes, rich textures, and a kind of worn-in drama.

But right now, Jenna Ortega is the reigning gothic princess. With her dark lipstick, 'tired-girl make-up' and deliberately undone hair, her fashion choices reflect a new generation's current mood: disenchanted, theatrical, and unbothered by conventional Hollywood glamour.

It’s no longer just about looking pretty; it’s about looking hauntingly good.

Scroll through for some of Jenna Ortega’s most elegantly macabre outfits — and where to shop similar sultry styles.

Jenna Ortega’s most elegantly macabre outfits

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2025 will see the highly-anticipated release of Wednesday season two, with the Netflix show's upcoming instalment already making headlines.

The popular series, based on The Addams Family, follows Wednesday Addams (played by Jenna Ortega), throughout her school years at Nevermore Academy.

And with Tim Burton serving as director and executive producer, and a supporting cast of Catherine Zeta Jones, Luis Guzmán and Christina Ricci, to name a few, it's no surprise that it raked in a record-breaking viewership.

This is sure to continue into season two, with new faces Billie Piper, Thandiwe Newton and Joanna Lumley coming onboard. And following the recent release of a mini teaser trailer, theories around the upcoming instalment are going viral.

One such theory centred around Morticia Addams (played by Catherine Zeta Jones), with behind the scenes footage showing the character stepping out of a car at Nevermore Academy in a floor-length blood red dress.

This, eagle-eyed viewers have been quick to point out, is a major break from tradition. And given its inclusion in the teaser trailer, fans are convinced that there is a deeper meaning behind it.

Since Morticia Addams' creation in the Charles Addams's New Yorker cartoons, the character has exclusively worn black. And from the 1964 gothic sitcom and 1991 film, to all subsequent Addams Family spin-offs, this has been a recurrent theme.

Therefore, the decision for the character to suddenly wear such a bold colour appears to be intentional, with viewers predicting the symbolism behind the move.

The most popular online theory suggests that Morticia Addams' blood red dress could signify mourning or danger in season two, with the character previously using the colour red to express grief. She famously cut the head off a red rose following the death of Garrett Gates in season one.

It is therefore thought possible that her blood red dress could symbolise the death of someone close to her in season two.

"This season is going to be bigger and even more twisted than you could ever imagine," read a voice-over from Jenna Ortega, during the now-viral teaser trailer. "If we showed you any more your eyes would bleed, and I'm not that generous."

Wednesday season two is set for release later this year.

We will continue to update this story.

Wednesday hit Netflix late last year, and by all accounts it has been a roaring success. Not only did Jenna Ortega's dance routine dominate TikTok for weeks, but the show catapulted the 20 year-old actor into the limelight and she has become something of a red carpet icon during award season. Remember her incredible Golden Globes beauty look? Dreamy. 

So as fans eagerly await details of Wednesday season 2, Jenna has opened up about the direction she would like to see the show going in - and she has some ideas about what she would change going forward. 

Discussing the future of the show on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week, she said: "We just started getting a writers' room together and talking about it.

"I think we want to up the horror aspects a little bit and get Wednesday out of the romantic situation and just let her be her own individual and fight her own crime."

During the first season, viewers watched as Wednesday found herself involved in a bit of a love triangle while simultaneously dealing with a murder mystery. But Jenna's hopes for her character to step away from the romance and focus on the darker themes is something she has previously spoken about.

In an interview with E! News hosts Justin Sylvester and Zuri Hall in January, Jenna said: "I think, me personally, I would love to see the series get a little bit darker - embrace the horror aspect a little bit more."

Although there are no concrete details of the Wednesday season 2 release date just yet, Netflix confirmed that the show would return for another instalment last month. 

Co-showrunners Miles Millar and Alfred Gough said: "We can’t wait to dive headfirst into another season and explore the kooky, spooky world of Nevermore. We just need to make sure Wednesday hasn’t emptied the pool first.” 

Excited? Same.

Since Tim Burton's Wednesday landed on Netflix last year, Jenna Ortega has become a household name.

The hit show sees the actress taking on the role of the iconic Wednesday Addams, alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia and Luis Guzmán as Gomez, and has quickly gone on to become one of the most watched series on the streaming service - ever. 

But if there's one thing that fans have been absolutely obsessed with, it's the dance. 

At Nevermore Academy's school dance, Wednesday struts her stuff to Goo Goo Muck by The Cramps and it has inspired a viral trend of those wanting to emulate her moves. 

While it has become one of the most popular social media trends in recent months, it turns out that Jenna wasn't so sure of the scene. 

Walking the red carpet for the 2023 Golden Globes, Jenna told Entertainment Tonight that the dance led to some regrets that kept her up at night. 

She said: "Some of the moves I had planned, some of it was [improvised]. That was one of the scenes that I stay awake at night thinking about.

"There was so much I could have done and should have done. So, the fact that anyone has shown any appreciation or even tried it themselves is unfathomable to me."

The rising star also added that she had a hand in script changes too, especially when she felt that some of her character's lines didn't quite match her personality. 

Jenna explained: "I remember there’s a line where I’m talking about a dress and initially she was supposed to say: 'Oh my God I’m freaking out over a dress, I literally hate myself'.

"And I was blown away because that sounded like… it was just a bunch of little things like that. I felt like we were able to avoid a lot of dialogue in an attempt to make her sound human."

Wednesday has been such a hit with fans that a second season has already been confirmed, although details about the plot and cast have been kept tightly under wraps. 

Fingers crossed we won't be waiting too long! 

Tim Burton’s  “Wednesday” on Netflix — a reimagination of the 1964 and 1991 Addams Family — has quickly become many people’s new favourite show, thanks to Jenna Ortega’s already iconic performance of Wednesday Addams. 

Since its release, beauty enthusiasts have been eager to tap into their inner goth to share their take on Wednesday’s macabre look on TikTok and Instagram, particularly taking interest in her perfectly stained lip colour. But now, we don’t have to guess what products were used to create that spooky and perfectly stained lip because executive director of trends at MAC Cat Quinn has shared the exact products “Wednesday’s” hair and make-up designer Tara McDonald used on set.  

And unsurprisingly (and luckily for all of us at home), it’s not complicated. Wednesday isn’t exactly the type of character to painstakingly apply a liquid lip. Nope, instead the look uses two products quickly blended together.

Firstly, McDonald takes MAC Lip Pencil in Nightmoth (£18) and puts a small amount in a pot (or as Quinn suggests, warms it up on the back of your hand at home) to create a smoother texture, followed by a clear balm (not gloss). These are then mixed together to create more of a tinted balm or stain and dabbed onto Ortega’s lips. The result is a blackened plum hue giving off the impression that Wednesday has this natural soft gothic look about her with minimal effort.  

As for her dead-behind-the-eyes eye look, Quinn explains in another video that McDonald first goes in with MAC Eyeshadow in Carbon (£17) underneath Ortega’s eyes to give that tired look a lot of us know all too well. Next, she takes MAC Brown Script (£17) on both her lid and underneath her eyes followed by MAC Eyeshadow in Carbon (£17) and MAC Eyeshadow in Glitch In The Matrix (£17) smudged on top lash line.

To complete her makeup, McDonald used an extremely sheer skin tint to let her natural freckles peek through her light skin tone, followed by MAC Sculpting Powder in Sculpt (£18.50) and MAC Sculpting Powder in Shadowy (£18.50) to sculpt her cheeks without looking overly bronzed.

True to her character’s nature, Ortega pairs the look with two braids (though this time with a modern fringe) and, of course, jet-black nails.

Shop all of the products Tara McDonald used on the set of Wednesday... 

Wednesday Addams is arguably the most iconic member of the Addams family, so it’s about time she got a moment to shine. 

Netflix has unveiled the trailer for the upcoming series and in the brief two-minute taster we get a sample of the witty one liners and dark humour.

Like many Tim Burton productions, this upcoming release is aesthetically pleasing to say the least. 

Cautious not to give away too many spoilers, we have all the details on the production; from when to expect it, the impressive cast, and storyline, plus much more. 

When is Wednesday released on Netflix?

The first episode of the new Netflix series will debut on 23rd November 2022. 

The series consists of eight episodes, four of which have been directed by Tim Burton. 

Every episode in the first season will be available to watch as soon as it hits the small screen, so you can stagger how often you watch the series or binge watch in one full sitting. 

The new Netflix release comes two years after it was announced an Addams family project would be in the works.

Who is in the Wednesday cast?

The cast of the eight-part Netflix series Wednesday is pretty impressive. 

It stars Jenna Ortega as the titular character, while Catherine Zeta-Jones portrays her on-screen mother Morticia Addams and Luis Guzmán as Jenna’s on-screen father, Gomez Addams. 

For those who watched the original The Addams Family - which was released in 1994 - you may remember that Christina Ricci portrayed Wednesday.  

In a cyclical turn of events, Christina also stars in the upcoming release and is introduced in the trailer as Marylin Thornhill. While it remains unknown who exactly Ms Thornhill is, it appears she is a teacher at Nevermore Academy. 

Fred Armisen takes on the role of Uncle Fester, Victor Dorobantu as Thing, Emma Myers as Enid Sinclair and Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin. 

What is the Wednesday storyline?

Wednesday’s reputation precedes her as many are familiar with her dark and mischievous ways, and they certainly come into their own in the Netflix series. 

The upcoming show follows Wednesday Addams as she journeys through high school at Nevermore Academy. 

Wednesday is paired up with roommate, Enid, who is the total opposite of her.

During her time at the school, Wednesday notices is in the trailer that “there’s something wrong about this place, and not just because it’s a school”.

In true Wednesday fashion, she seeks to explore the mysterious goings on at the high school - from the hidden pathways and libraries, to secret societies, a homicidal monster, and all while mastering her powers. 

But there’s another mystery closer to home which has impacted the Addams family for 25 years - and she is set to get to the bottom of it.