Reasons Why Vampires Wear Black Clothing on Film

One of the most recognizable cliches of horror movie vampires (next to the fangs) would have to be dark clothing. There are symbolic reasons why vampires wear black clothing that have not changed over time. You might be surprised, though, how far back some of these points of symbolism go back in time.

Blend into the Night

It would make sense that a character that lives at night would want to blend into the darkness of night. This is one of the main reasons why bad characters have traditionally worn black clothing. It does not matter if the antagonist is a cowboy in the old west or a vampire in the mountains of Transylvania.

Color of the Bat

Remember that one of the oldest beliefs about the vampire is that undead can turn into a bat. It would also make sense that a vampire that could turn into a black creature would have an affinity for the color of the creature of the night. Again, evolution has caused the bat to be black to blend into the night, and so does the vampire.

The Devil

When most people think of the Devil, they think of a red demon. If you were to peruse old artwork you would find that the Devil is often shown wearing black. Black is not only the absence of all color, it is also the absence of all light. The vampire is supposed to be a demon on Earth so it would make sense that it would follow the mythology of the Devil.

Transfiguration

A point that leads to the thought of the Devil wearing black is the old belief that Jesus, and His followers, wore white. In the Bible, Jesus was said to be clothed in white during the Transfiguration. Over time, it became a norm of Christianity to have holy people wear white. Ministers, baptismal candidates and religious converts are usually encouraged to wear white as a symbol of their acceptance of the Light of the Holy Spirit.

In the vampire, you have a character that is an abomination of life and death. He is a character that traditionally is afraid of crosses and holy water. Prayers can often weaken the creature and a holy person can stop some vampires in their tracks. It would make sense that a creature that fears symbols of Christianity would lean more towards wearing the color that acts as an antithesis of anything holy.