Changing My Stripes

As Stripe-Tember progresses, I want to move on to some of the Goth-iest of all stripes: black and white. This is a simple, elegant, and striking combo, and hard to find, especially in vertical or wider combinations. I like the latter because they're so pretty and elegant; they're also a recurring motif in the films of one of my favorite directors, Tim Burton. His costume designer, Colleen Atwood, who has designed every single one of his films, is a master of utilizing them in a way that is truly elegant and memorable.

This iconic dress from Sleepy Hollow actually only appears very briefly at the end of the film, but it is so gorgeous and striking that you can buy replicas of it and anyone who has seen the movie tends to associate the dress (and pattern!) with it. My first day of b/w stripes is not so dramatic; think of it as a small transition from the subtle stripes to the bold.

Black and white striped blouse-Arc

Back net skirt-Salvation Army

Red tights-Target

Black Mary Janes-Wal-Mart

I love the b-w-r combo, and I bought this top in no small part because of how much I loved the contrast of the red trim and buttons against the black and white stripes. I felt very girly and swirly today, and I loved it! The skirt has little gems on the netting, and they catch the light just enough to add some great sparkle to what's otherwise a pretty simple little skirt. Altogether just fun!

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. :)