Black Lace and Cabernet

Apologies for my absence, but it's been so hot here that I've lacked both spectacular outfits and the ambition to blog about them. :) I've got today and tomorrow to make up for it, though! I was definitely feeling more ele-Goth today, so I picked out some of my prettiest (but lightest and most temperature-appropriate) duds and went to town-both literally and figuratively. 

Necklace-Hobby Lobby

Black lace camisole with nude lining-Savers

Black taffeta corset-Punk69

Cabernet satin skirt with black net underlayer-Goodwill

Chunky black Mary Janes-Goodwill

This skirt is super-awesome. The black layer you can see peeking out from the bottom is actually a semi-sheer that's opaque enough that, when the skirt is reversed, it looks like a regular ankle-length black chiffon skirt. My wardrobe is so packed that any time I can get two garments for the space of one, it makes me super-happy! I also love black lace stuff with nude lining-it just feels so sexy and daring to me, without actually having to show tons of skin. I also got not one but two replacement pairs of black chunky-but-comfy Mary Janes for the ones I wore the soles off of this year, figuring if I can rotate the two pairs I won't wear through them as fast. Since those are basically my go-to shoes outside of chunky Doc Marten-style boots, I thought it was worth it to buy an extra pair!

The Whole of my Undoing

I love black and white patterns. They have a way of taking the two simplest and starkest colors, and making them fun and whimsical. (Sign I spend too much time around Regretsy: I totally typed whimsicle there, and very nearly followed it up with fuckery.) Anyhoodle, here's my totally Oreo outfit:

Black raschel lace blouse: Goodwill
Black and white gingham corset: Punk69
Black and white gypsy skirt: Savers
Black and white Mary Janes: Hot Topic
Stripey White/Black handwarmers: Claire's
I love, love, love this skirt. It's black and white with lace (point!), gypsy style and tiered (point!), rayon without looking cheap or plastic (point!), and thus doesn't wrinkle, ever (one thousand points!). Yes, I am wearing one black and one white shoe-I have one black and one white pair of these cheapie HT Mary Janes, and I wore one of each because I don't believe in doing anything halfway. :)

Pretty(ish) In Pink

Yay! Tons and tons of PINK! I felt in a very sprightly mood today for no particular reason, so I pulled out all my hot pink and black stuff and went to town:

 Black t-shirt-Savers
Pink cami-Forever 21
Pink tapestry corset-Punk69
Black and petticoat skirt-Tripp via Buffalo Exchange
Lace leggings-Claires
Iron Fist Bela's Dead shoes-Hot Topic

 Side view, because the skirt is so gloriously fluffy and its fluffiness must be celebrated.

Here's a side view of the shoes. They are so awesome. I wanted them ever since I first laid eyes on them at Hot Topic, but I didn't really want to shell out $45 for one pair of shoes. I waited 'till they went on clearance, then nabbed them for $12 on one of HT's frequent half-off clearance sale. 

I mean, they have vampire fangs on them! They are awesome, even if they make me want to chop off my feet at the ankles. Oh, Hot Topic, continually putting adorable but excessively uncomfortable shoes on sale at such a low price that I cannot resist them. I wish I could like the leggings more-they're black lace, and a pretty pattern, but they have a really low spandex content, so rather than stretching comfortably, they tend to sag. Usually I'm pretty happy with the tights and leggings I've bought at Claire's (and as a poor-ish college student, I've bought a lot of stuff there), but this pair tends to go on crooked and look like elephant knees around the ankle if I don't pull them up every five minutes. They're wearable with boots, but not much else. I don't really love that they're footless, either-I'm much more a fan of plain tights, since they don't ride up nearly as much as footless ones do. I need to find a really good, affordable pair of black lace tights-any suggestions? 

Corsets, Beads, and Valiant Deeds

No, I have not actually done any particular valiant deeds lately-I just liked the rhyme. I almost didn't do the lovely SophistiqueNoir's bead theme post, because I didn't think I had any beaded stuff-but I forgot about this top, which I love, love LOVE! 

Black empire-waist jersey dress-Repeat Boutique
Beaded shrug-tank thingie-Repeat Boutique
Silver jacquard corset-Punk69

Here's a close-up of the shrug-thing. I've actually had this for over four years-I bought it my freshman year of high school, and I don't wear it that often because I'm kind of afraid of it falling apart. I got it for around $6, which I'm pretty sure was an insane deal because I've seen similar pieces online and at the Ren Faire for $75 and up. I just love it-it feels armor-ish and fierce at the same time that it's feminine and slinkily seductive. I always feel like a character out of a Tamora Pierce book when I wear it-awesome, bold, and ready to kick some major ass. Not too bad an accomplishment for what I'm fairly certain is a bellydance top! If I ever realize my ambition to be a real bellydancer instead of playing one at Ren Faire, I'm quite certain this top will feature prominently in my ensembles.