All My Cards On The Table

Or on my legs, as the case may be...I felt today was very much a black, white, and red kinda day. And this was the outfit that resulted:

Red lace blouse-Fiji flea market

Black and white polka-dot cami-Savers

Black vest corsetlet-Fusion Federation

Black ruffled skirt-Recycle Boutique

Playing card socks-Hot Topic

Black chunky Mary Janes-The Warehouse

I know I've worn this skirt a kajillion and two times in the past month, but I seriously love it more than words can express. It's subtly sexy (long in the back, but the folded-over front ruffle exposes more leg when I walk), comfortable, easy to wear, looks good, and adds an automatic steampunk/neo-Victorian touch to every outfit. When I saw it in the store I believe I ran over to it shouting "My precious! MY PRECIOUS! YOU WILL BE MINE!" Ok, nothing so dramatic, but I did snatch that puppy up pretty quick. About the only downside is that all those lovely pleated ruffles take about 20 minutes to iron every time I wear it and wash it...but I consider it time well-spent. 

Also, how fun are these socks? I would wear them a lot more often, except the Hot Topic sock designers  apparently used a drainpipe as the model for the leg, as they actually get SMALLER at the top and thus aren't terribly comfortable. Now I don't know about you, my lovelies, but my thighs are actually bigger than my calves, and thus ideally socks would be bigger at the top to accommodate that. But maybe I'm just a freak of nature, and most girls are going around with Bratz-doll toothpick legs. What do I know? :)

Goth (Stereo)Types Week Day 1-Perky Goth

Hello! Last week was nice and all (and I promise I will post the two missing outfits next week, when I'm on Thanksgiving break and won't be wearing anything more impressive than a Star Trek t shirt and Mickey Mouse fuzzy pajama pants), but I almost find the color weeks...boring after all the fun I had doing various themes in October. So, I wanted to go back to unique, wacky themes-but where to start? Fortunately, as I was surveying my closet, the thought "I can wear so many different styles of Goth!" popped into my head, and I immediately flashed on Black Waterfall's great Goth (Stereo)Types artwork, and went "Ah-HA! I've got it!" So, each day this week, I'm going to dress in my own version of one of the looks. Today, I was feeling very PerkyGoth (which is what I normally am, but...you know, this was stylewise rather than personality-wise!). 

Image copyright Megan Balnack

I'm not going to lie, I showed this picture to one of my friends and she was like "It's YOU! Did the artist draw that off of YOU?" So, I wanted to do my own spin on the PerkyGoth bright-colored look:

Sorry for the blurry pic-my camera was not focusing for some reason today!

Black and silver pinstripe blouse-Arc

Yellow tank top-Forever 21

Black underbust corsetlet-Fusion Federation

Black and yellow Tripp skirt-Buffalo Exchange

Black tights-TJ Maxx

Black and yellow bee socks-Flossie MacGrue's

Platform Mary Janes-Goodwill

I could have done the pink, but I was feeling more yellow today. As the website's lovely description informs us, Perky Goth is not so much a style as it is an attitude-and one I feel I tend to radiate. Who says death, bats, skulls, and other assorted dark whimsies must be gloomy? Pish tosh, says I. I can wear black, skulls, and bats to my heart's content-and still radiate giant rays of sunshiney happiness. Because I'm awesome like that. :)

Monthly Theme Post-Gloves!

Wow, I can't believe it's already time for another Monthly Theme Post!

This month's theme was Gloves/Armwarmers, and I was more than happy to oblige!

Necklace-Inherited from my grandma

Black t-Wal-Mart

Red bubble corsetlet-E-bay

Long black satiny opera gloves-Gifted from a friend

Vintage circus-print skirt-Arc

Red tights (underneath)-Target

Floral fishnets-TJ Maxx

Victorian boots-Ross

Bit bigger picture than usual because there was so much fun detail in this outfit! I know, I know, the theme is gloves (and don't you see my simple-yet-fab ones?), but I just couldn't resist a couple of detail shots of the amazing print on this vintage skirt I got for $4(!!) at Arc the other day:

Isn't that print just too much fun for words? When I saw it, I was immediately like "YES!" I thought it would be perfect paired with the elegant long black satin gloves, which, in my mind, have a bit of a circus-performer vibe to them. I have to take them off to use the computer, but when I have them on, they look super-fantastic! I usually wear handwarmers or fingerless gloves (I could do about 18 posts on the subject), but I feel like these definitely have that certain elegance that makes me feel as though a butler named Wadsworth will appear to offer me tea and crumpets at any moment. Happy all soul's day! (Also, tune in tomorrow for my birthday post-in which I will reflect on my personal evolution into Goth! /blatant self promotion.)

Feeling Catty (or, Gothy Symbols Week Day 2)

More kittycats, huzzah! Since I can't have a cat where I live (darn campus housing...) I'm expressing my love of them vicariously though my clothing this week. Today, (as it is so often with me), it was really all about the socks:

 

Gold bell-sleeved blouse-Repeat Boutique

Black vest-Buffalo Exchange

Beaded bracelet-Forever21 

Maroon plaid skirt-Goodwill

Black capri tights-???

Cat socks-The Crypt 

Chunky goth shoes-Repeat Boutique

Here's a close-up of the socks-they are just too fun and awesome! I think of them as my Harry Potter socks, because the cat is rather witchy looking and the gold and maroon colors are like Gryffindor!

This is the only pair of capri tights that I own-they mysteriously turned up in my laundry last year, and I asked my roommates and friends, and even posted a sign in the laundry room, but no one claimed them, so I kept them. Normally I dislike footless/capri tights (I've only picked up a couple of pairs of footless tights on clearance, and even then I wear them with boots so you can't tell they are footless!), but these are pretty nice for wearing under kneesocks on cold days like today. I guess even the most annoying fashion trends can have their uses. Do any of you have a trend you normally can't stand that serves an occasional function for you?

Attack of the Spider-Lady-or Spiders Week, Day 2!

More spiders, yay! Let's get right to the arachnids, because it's more fun that way.

 

Bat necklace-Twin Dragon Asian Gifts

Black spiderweb dress-Made by me

Black and red obmbre fishnets-Claire's

Black pointy boots-Target

If this dress looks a little more costume-y than usual...well, that's because it is. It was actually a Halloween costume from 8th grade, when I went as a dead fairy. Funnily enough, no one really commented on it all day-I wonder what that says about my regular dressing habits that I can wear a jagged-edged pixie-skirted dress with shiny red spiderwebs on it, and no one so much as blinks twice.  It's a fun dress, though, and I enjoyed wearing it-it's actually super-comfortable, and I'm definitely thinking about bringing the pattern out again for some more everyday-styled dresses. I was a little worried that the pattern on the tights might kind of clash with the pattern on the dress, but I think they ended up playing rather well together. I think I'm getting more daring about mixing my patterns! Do any of you have "costume" pieces you've re-used in unusual or fun ways?

Spooktober Week 2: Spiders!

Continuing my month of spooky and Goth-y patterns, we're moving from skulls to spiders this week. Day 1 brings us the unlikely combination of spiderwebs in technicolor, rainbow, what-have-you. Aren't you interested to see now what I'm blathering on about?

 

Lace dress-Savers

Black jersey dress (underneath)-Arc

Spiderweb Corsetlet-eBay

Leggings-Forever 21

Striped Socks-Street market in London

Doc-Marten-Alikes-Wal-Mart 

Here's a close-up of the corsetlet print-isn't it fab? This isn't an actual steel-boned corset, just plastic boned (sure sign of a lingerie corset rather than a real one-it's sold by small, medium, large rather than waist size), but it's so pretty and fun I don't even mind. I think it might be a bit weird even by Goth standards that I have enough spider-web print clothing for a week, but I fully intend to make the most of it! Stay tuned for various spider-things throughout the week.  

Adieu, Cranes Belle-Or Skull Week, Day 5

Here's the final day of skull week...I'll miss my little jolly Roger buddies! Today was all about the accessories (I had to work, and wanted more practical clothes!), but here's a shot of the total outfit anyway, just for fun! Oh, yeah, and because outfits are basically the point of my blog. That might make a difference too. :P

 

Black blouse (under dress)-Wal-Mart

Black lace dress-Buffalo Exchange

Skull bangles-GoodGoth

Skull hairfixers-Walgreens 

Skull tights-Rite-Aid

Black buckle boots-Ross 

 Here's a close-up of the black and white bangles-aren't they too cute for words? I got them in a mystery bag from GoodGoth, and when I remember to wear them, I love them!

 Here are the tights-they were only $2 or $3 from Rite-Aid last year around Halloween, and sadly it's starting to show-they have a fair amount of runs in them, and are starting to come apart entirely. I'll have to get another pair, but it's not like I didn't get my money's worth out of these-I wore them at least 10-12 times last year!

 Here's the other bangle-I actually have a green one too, but I thought two bangles on each wrist might be just a tad excessive. :)

 And here's the hairfixer-for some reason they were real boogers to photograph, so apologies for the blurriness, but this is the best picture I could get! You can also see a detail of the lace on the dress, which is really quite pretty but which I am far too lazy to photograph on its own, so it's a twofer photo!

 That's the last of the skulls...at least for now! When I go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas break, expect to see a lot more because my sewing machine and I are going to be busy, busy, busy sewing up all my cool skull fabrics. Tune in next week for a just-as-Gothic but a bit more unusual motif-spiders and spiderwebs!

Purple and Sparkles and Stripes (Again!), Oh My!

More purple and black; I know you were all on tenterhooks waiting to see what I'd come up with next. Here's a twofer, since circumstances with school stuff prevented me from posting yesterday!
Wednesday's outfit is shown here:

 

Black t-shirt-Forever 21

Lilac corset-Canal Boat Trading

Black lace skirt-Goodwill

Purple sparkly tights-Wal-Mart

Black Mary Jane heels-Hot Topic 

  And here's today's installment-the purple is more subtle, but I still had fun with the scheme!    

Black raschel lace top-Arc

Purple tank-Forever 21

Black swishy ruffled skirt-Goodwill

Purple, blue, and green striped socks-Wal-Mart

Black zipper Mary Janes-Arc

The outfit for today was definitely more laid-back/less dressy than the one from yesterday-I seem to be alternating this week! You can't see it in the picture so much, but the tights in the first outfit are sparkly, so they added a fun touch to an otherwise sober-ish outfit. I have so much purple in my wardrobe in so many variations, from casual basics like the tank I wore today to super-dressy pieces like the corset I wore yesterday, that I could probably put together a month's worth of outfits just from the purple items I own. You might notice the black hair in the second pic-it's quite a change from what I'm used to, but a lot of people said they liked it today, so it's growing on me! I actually got deep burgundy dye, and was expecting...well, deep burgundy hair, i.e. dark red with purplish undertones, so you can imagine my surprise when I dried my hair after dyeing and it was really, really black! I'll see how it looks after a couple more washes, but next time I might go with the regular burgundy rather than deep burgundy. :)