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. :)

A Bit O' Boyish Style...

With little prelude, I present this outfit, because I know you'll be very surprised by it:

Grey hat-Scarf Co. 

Sword necklace-Asian Gifts

Black lace blouse-Arc

Grey tweed vest-Arc

Grey tweed pants-Salvation Army

Black trouser socks-TJ Maxx

Black ankle boots-The Warehouse

Yes, I actually wore pants today. I know, I know-I'll give you all a few moments to recover from your shock. I actually now own three pairs of pants-the ones in this pic, a similar pair of grey knickers, and one pair of black jeans. I haven't made any blog-worthy outfits with the others, but I really liked this outfit. I actually only bought these because they matched the vest so well-the fabrics are almost exact matches! I actually really like the vaguely "Newsies" vibe of this outfit-I'm normally the girliest of girly girls, but if I'm gonna do tomboy, dammit, I'm gonna do sassy, Victorian-urchin tomboy! I also like these pants because they're wide-legged and therefore much more comfortable than normal pants-I will never for the life of me understand the insistence that jeans are the most comfy things ever, because with all the thick seams, buttons, zippers, and snaps, I've never found them comfortable at all! Give me a good flowy silk peasant skirt any day-or in lieu of that, some sweet wool tweed trouser-style pants. :)

Also, I bought this hat on my trip because we were only showering about every other day, and I have the kind of scalp oil production that could resolve the Mid-East Crisis and I needed something to cover my Professor Snape-esque locks, but wearing it has made me realize how much I miss hats. There's a couple shops in Wellington that sell cheapie costume-style hats, and I might have to buy a few just to tide me over until I get back home! It's crazy to think that it's only a little over two months now...but I'm going to enjoy every minute of it. :)

Feelin' Kinda Grey

It's that time again-for Sophistique Noir's Monthly Theme Post! When I saw the theme was grey, I was quite pleased-I love grey, and I wear a lot about it. Plus, grey suited the rainy weather here in Wellington, so I was able to put two outfits together that matched the theme well. Here's the first:

Black lace blouse-DAV thrift

Grey jersey vest-Valu Mart

Butterfly pin-Goodwill

Black glass beaded bracelet-Fijian store

Grey print chiffon skirt-Goodwill

Fleur-di-lis tights-TJ Maxx

Silver buckle boots-Ross

I love this skirt-it's so flowy, flirty, and flittery, and feels so sophisticated and elegant. I liked the contrast of the silk chiffon with the jersey of the vest. (Which, BTW, was missing a button when I bought it-whaddya expect for $3?-so I stuck the butterfly pin on and no one was the wiser.)

Here's a close-up of the print on the skirt-it's actually a jewelry theme, with pearls, rings, and chains. It just adds to the elegant uniqueness of the skirt, and I love it!

Here's the second outfit:

Owl necklace-Inherited

Black sheer blouse-Paper Bag Princess

Black cami (under blouse)-Goodwill

Silver corset-Punk69

Silver and black crinkle skirt-Eva's Closet

Pointy-toed boots-Target

The first is a little more modern, the second more Victorian-but I like 'em both! I may also be cheating a bit with the latter, because it's more silver than grey, but oh well. The skirt in the latter is a lot of fun too-both it and the blouse were purchased in Wellington, so I'm starting to build a NZ wardrobe! Since most of the clothes I brought with me are black, white, red, or grey, this theme fit perfectly with my wardrobe. Grey is one of my favorite colors, and I love how it works nearly as well as black as a neutral without being, well, black! I love black, but sometimes you need a little change-and grey is always my go-to when I do. 

Shades of Grey

Who says that grey has to be dreary and dull? Certainly not me! This outfit is, granted, a bit understated by my standards, but it was fun to wear, so I may have to try this "Dressing Like A Grown-Up (Ish)" thing more often. You will still have to pry my neon-colored striped socks from my cold, dead fingers, but today I learned that simple heather-grey tights can work too.

Black 3/4 sleeve sweater: Arc

Underbust vest-style corset-Fusion Federation

Grey/pink tweed skirt-Repeat Boutique

Heather-grey tights-Wal-Mart

Two-strap Mary Janes-Hot Topic

I love this skirt and I think the only reason I don't wear it more often is it's hard to match because of the pink. But I love the asymmetrical cut and jagged hem-that with the pink gives the tweed fabric a punky aspect that's really fun to wear. Tweed is good, but can sometimes run a bit on the staid-ish side, and grey is similar-so I like this skirt because it gives an edge to both. Do any of the rest of you like to wear traditional fabrics in unusual cuts and colors? 

Black and Grey for A Stormy Day

It's not really stormy here, but "vaguely cloudy and windy" just doesn't have the same punch. I was in an elegant and subdued-ish mood this morning, so that's how I dressed. I definitely didn't feel as peppy today as I do when I wear something more fun, but hey, ya have to act like a grown-up sometimes, right? (The answer to that question is actually no. But that doesn't stop me from doing it once in a while-at least clothing-wise!)
Black peasant top: Goodwill
Grey skirt with black lace trim: ARC
Black kneesocks-Target
Mary-jane flats: Shoe Carnival
Pearl necklace-God only knows, and He isn't telling

Here's a close-up of the skirt and top, for more detail on the lovely lace-work on both. I love grey- it's such an elegant and timeless color, not dull or boring at all as some people describe it.

I love these shoes. They're not exciting, but they're comfy and cute. Unfortunately, they're also nearly worn out-you can actually see the insides of the soles. I've been contemplating these:

But I don't really want to pay shipping-the one thing I don't like about GoodGoth is that their shipping rates are pretty high. I'm keeping an eye out on the various Goth sites this weekend for Memorial Day sales to see if I can snag them (or a similar pair) for pretty cheap. Flat, comfy goth-ish Mary Janes are the holy grail of shoes for me-cute without being cutesy, casual and comfortable while still being dressy, and just all around awesome. What sneakers or tennis shoes are to most people, Mary Jane flats are to me-it's no wonder these have worn through, I've worn them at least three times a week since I came up here in September, and I do a lot of walking when I'm in the city. Do any of you have a certain type of shoe you just love and can't live without?