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. :)