Mega-Super Post of Awesomesauce

I've been a terrible blogger lately. Don't really have an excuse except that I've been busy enjoying some of my last days in New Zealand, but I've still been recording my outfits and want to share them, so I thought I would do that today with pithy comments! Nine days until I'm back in the States, I can hardly believe it. Time has really flown! And speaking of things that fly, look at these neat tights:

(See what I did there? :P)

Black sparkly sheer blouse-Paper Bag Princess

Black cami (underneath)-Arc

Black sparkly net skirt-Salvation Army

Feather print tights-Evolve

Black boots-The Warehouse

Loved this outfit, and really enjoyed wearing it. The beads on the skirt and blouse livened up the solid black, and I'm a sucker for a good feather print.  In fact, judging by my outfits (and my irregular blogging), one might say I've been a little bird-brained lately:

Black peacock-print dress-Fiji specialty shop

Black boots-The Warehouse

This dress makes me preen like a peacock. Ok, ok, I'll stop with the bad puns. (For now.) It is super-comfy and very easy to wear yet elegant, though. Like a nightgown for public consumption. But my love of wacky prints continues unabated:

Black lace shirt-Salvation Army

Japanese doll-print skirt-Salvation Army

Black tights-Wal-Mart

Flower wedges-Recycle Boutique

Here's a close-up of the print on the skirt, because it is unbelievably adorable:

If that doesn't make you want to smile, you have no soul. And speaking of soullessness, here was my attempt at a sexy, black-clad creature of the night look:

Black ruffled shrug-Love Culture

Black cami-Arc

Black-black striped underbust corset-The Crypt

Red velvet/black mesh skirt-Recycle Boutique

Black patterned fishnets-The Warehouse

Black satin heels-H&H New Zealand Clothing

Ok, this wasn't really an attempt at vampire cosplay. It just came out looking like one. Oops. Or not. I HAVE NO REGRETS! I also have no regrets about this skirt:

Black pinstripe jacket-H&H New Zealand Clothing

Gargoyle necklace-Repeat Boutique

Black tank-Forever 21

Silver underbust corset-Punk69

Black handwarmers-Forever 21

Ruffled multi-colored skirt-Paper Bag Princess

Black and green striped socks-New Zealand Sock Company

Black flower wedges-Recycle Boutique

This skirt, man. I saw it, I was drawn to it, but then I was like "It's too loud." But I kept thinking about it, so I went back and bought it. It was gloriously spinny and fun and perfect to wear swing dancing. One of my friends told me "It reminds me of when we used to do parachute in elementary school!" I think that's one of the most unique comments I've ever gotten on my clothing. It made me smile! 

Stripes and Plaids

It's a good thing my friends are motivating me to do things like go out to get pizza and play bar trivia games, because otherwise all of my blog posts would be me in my pajamas. Not having class makes me reluctant to put on real clothes, it seems!

Black obsidian necklace-Inherited

Cropped shrug-Paper Bag Princess

Lacy cami-Ross

Black-stripe underbust buckled corset-The Crypt

Laced black fingerless gloves-Claire's

Ruffled black skirt-Paper Bag Princess

Tartan tights-Equip

Black wedge slides-Recycle Boutique

Yes, it is The Best Skirt In The Universe again. If nothing else, I'm glad I came to New Zealand just because it allowed me to get this skirt! (Ok, and the wonderful university experience, great new friends, and exciting scenic adventures I've had also make me glad. But the skirt's a nice bonus!) I like the tartan tights, even if they don't exactly lie straight on my legs. Overall, just a fun outfit for a fun night out doing bar trivia with my girls. I can't wait until I get back home and have more than one pair of dressy shoes, though-I feel like I'm wearing these shoes in 4 out of 5 posts nowadays. They're nice, and pretty comfortable, but darn if I'm not longing terribly for my heels and pumps.

This was a little more casual outfit, just for going out and about and shopping:

Playing card necklace-Gift from a friend

Black and white striped dress-Salvation Army

Black tights-Wal-Mart

Black boots-The Warehouse

There is just something about black and white horizontal stripes that feels terribly Parisian to me. I felt like an extra in a Godard film in this outfit! As opposed to black and white vertical stripes, which as any fool knows make one feel like an extra in a Tim Burton film. Simple outfit, but very comfortable. I've been trying not to buy any more clothes here because I'm fairly certain I'm going to have to ship at least one box home already, but I just couldn't resist this dress in all its wide-necked, full-skirted glory. What can I say? Hello, my name is Jamie and I'm addicted to clothes shopping. :)

Red and Black Week: The Finale

This is it, folks: The grand finale! I can't believe it's already been six days. I've been introduced to so many great blogs through this event, and gained a few new followers too. Thanks, guys! And welcome! I thought since this is the last day, I'd do a two-fer, day to night. I had this red and black "day" outfit from a couple weeks ago, when I was photographing my outfits but didn't have the chance to blog a lot of them:

Bat necklace-Asian Gifts

Black long-sleeved top-Salvation Army

Maroon underbust corset-Canal Boat Trading

Long red skirt-Recycle Boutique

Fishnet gloves-CoinMax

Black boots-The Warehouse

Pretty simple look-I like to think my boots and fishnet gloves give it a little "edge" but I like the elegant Victorian air of it!

And here we have the "night" outfit, for a friend's birthday party:

(Excuse the derpy expression on my face; I really don't know why I look like that! Also excuse my bangs; don't trim your bangs with safety scissors yourself because you got annoyed with them being in your eyes, kiddos.)

Caduceus necklace-Salvation Army

Red and black corset-Punk69

Black lace dress-Buffalo Exchange

Black and red stripe tights-Wal-Mart

Chunky Mary Janes-The Warehouse

A little less sedate and reserved, a little punk mixed with elegance. I feel like this is really "me"-a little whimsical and childlike mixed with a little elegant and sexy. Best of both worlds! Do any of the rest of you like to blend your favorite Goth looks for something that's uniquely you?

And many thanks to the amazing VictorianKitty for putting this whole thing together. We all love you and your awesome blog! 

Read and Black

I'm very sorry about the pun, you guys. I just can't ever pass up the chance to make one, no matter how groan-inducingly bad they are. Here, have the pretty Red and Black week logo to make you feel better:

And here's the actual outfit, which is only moderately pun-worthy:

Red headscarf-inherited

Playing card necklace-Gift from a friend

Black wrap dress-Recycle Boutique

Newsprint corset-Punk69

Black fingerless net gloves-Claire's

Black patterned fishnets-The Warehouse

Red fishnets-God only knows

Black slides-Recycle Boutique

I actually was wearing two pairs of fishnets, but for some reason the picture came out looking like I was wearing black fishnets over solid red tights. Oh well-take my word for it, it looked really cool! This dress is really lovely and super-comfortable-it's a black cotton jersey that's the simplest thing in the world to wear. I love wrap dresses, but it's hard to find one that's appropriately elegant and Gothic! I lucked out in this one, because it has little buttoned cuffs and puff sleeves that are vaguely Victorian-esque. 

I'm A Bit Maroon'ed...

After a couple days of punkier outfits, I was ready to return to my more elegant Victorian-Goth roots today. I decided to do it in style!

Black lace long-sleeved top-Salvation Army

Maroon underbust corset-Canal Boat Trading

Black velvet knee-length skirt-Arc

Lace tights-Random mall store

Black wedges-Recycle Boutique

I was honestly really disappointed in these tights-they were too big and kept sagging down around the ankles if I didn't pull them up every two seconds. Sadness! Lace tights and a lace top were probably not the best choice for a cold, rainy/windy day either... I may have been cold, but at least I looked good, though! I cannot get over the weirdness of having to wear warm clothes in June. My body says "June! It's time for warmies and sunshine, yay!" and then is confused when there's cold weather. At least I had my nice velvety skirt and lovely taffeta corset to keep me warm! I really like this corset-it's long-line and the color is a really dark, rich lovely red. Sometimes simplicity is best, and when you have a shimmering iridescent taffeta like the one this corset is made of, letting the fabric speak for itself works. 

Black and Red For A Rainy Day

Today the weather was rather bleah in Wellington-not entirely unexpected, as it is almost officially winter here, but not fun to go out in nonetheless. In an attempt to ward off the wet-n-windy blues, I decided to go with a more cheerful variation of black and red, and throw some white into the mix:

Skull hands necklace-Claire's

Black tank-The Warehouse

Red lace blouse-Fiji flea market

Black and white handwarmer-Claire's

Red fishnet handwarmer-CoinMax

Black and white print skirt-Arc

Black boots-The Warehouse

My biggest fear with this was that the combination of the prints in the skirt and the lace in the top would be too busy, but I think it actually ended up working pretty well. Black, white, and red is one of my favorite color combinations, and you can see why-it's graphic, bold, and clean-looking while still having that Gothic air of elegance about it. In fact, the descriptions of the clothes were part of why I loved Erin Morganstern's The Night Circus so very much-all the black, white, and red dresses sounded lovely! This is a great book, and I just have to pop in a plug for it. The prose is beautiful, the characters dynamic, and the story very well-crafted. 

And, Victorian setting? Legitimately star-crossed lovers? Ancient magics at play? Pretty clothes described in loving detail? And a largely red, white, and black themed circus that only comes out at night? This book couldn't be any more Goth if it tried! Plus the cover is pretty and fits in well with this week's theme. If you haven't read it yet, it's totally worth it. I seldom espouse or even read popular books*, not out of some annoying hipster-esque compulsion to avoid mainstream things but because books that sell well with the Oprah set rarely appeal to me (see Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood and The Help); however, The Night Circus is deservedly popular, with its intoxicating blend of romance, magic, and imagination. And its pretty, pretty dresses.

*Harry Potter and The Hunger Games excepted, of course. :)

Red and Black Week Day Two: Stripes and Jacks

Just a note: Because I'm in NZ and 18 hours ahead of everyone, my posts are going to be a bit wonked timewise, so I apologize for that. But onto the important bit: THE CLOTHES!

Nightmare Before Christmas tie-random Wellington shop

Black t-shirt-Forever21

Black vest-Arc

Black mesh skirt-Paper Bag Princess

Black and red stripe handwarmers-Claire's

Black and red striped socks-London street stall

Black chunky Mary Janes-The Warehouse

I seem to be on a bit of a punky tear this week. It's different, but I like it-it makes me feel insouciant and saucy, rather than my usual elegantly whimsical. The tie has little Jack Skellingtons on it, and the moment I saw it, I knew I had to have it. I don't care if wearing a tie like this is a wee bit Avril Lavigne circa 2005, it's so cool. And because it's a Tim Burton reference, I had to bring along ye olde stripes as well. I bought these socks in a street stall in London when I was there five years ago, and they are starting to show their age a little, alas. I'll be very sad when they (and the rainbow and black/rainbow striped pairs I bought at the same time) finally go-I feel like they were some of my first pieces of Goth style clothing, before I really identified as Goth but when I knew I liked black and darkly elegant, macabre, and enchanting things. They're also a memento of the first time I left the United States, for a two-week trip to England the summer after my freshman year of high school. If you'd told me then that I would be wearing them five years later in Wellington, New Zealand, to go to film classes in my final week at Victoria University, I never would have believed you. It's funny how much memory and significance can be wrapped up in two simple pieces of yarn and spandex! These socks are one of my favorite items of red and black clothing, and I'm happy to be able to feature them. :)

Red and Black Week: I'm Back!

Hello, lovely readers! Sorry I've been largely absent for May-school has just been crazy! But I'm back in time for the lovely Sophistique Noir's Red and Black Week, and very excited indeed for it. When my blog was just a wee fledgling last year, this event introduced me to a lot of great Goth bloggers and got me some of my first followers. As such, I'm very grateful to VictorianKitty for hosting it, and very fond of it!

So, without further ado, here's my first outfit for Red and Black week:

Black skull t-shirt-Buffalo Exchange

Red pleated skirt-Paper Bag Princess

Black printed fishnets-The Warehouse

Strappy Mary Jane flats-Ross

Fairly simple and straightforward. I think the red is a little more orange-y and a little less jewel-toned than the reds traditionally used in Goth clothing, but the skirt was so darn cute I couldn't resist it. I'm just a sucker for short pleated skirts! It's a little more casual/punky than my typical style, but considering we have the day off today and I'm just writing papers and possibly running to the grocery store later, I didn't feel like getting all dressed up with no place to go. I'm glad to be back, and glad to be wearing red and black!