Stripe-tember: A Subtle Beginning

So, I mentioned this briefly and rather opaquely a few posts back, but over the next three months, I'm going to be doing something a little different with my blog and outfits. If you're a longtime reader, you may have noticed that last year, I would do theme weeks around a specific color or idea. This time, I'm going a little more ambitious: I'm doing theme months. I'm starting today with Stripe-tember, which is based around the premise that every outfit that I wear this month is going to incorporate some kind of stripe. Sounds simple, right? Stripes are a staple of the Goth wardrobe, especially notable in the the design of Tim Burton movies and not a few of Edward Gorey's drawings. From subtle pinstripes to bold inch-wide black-and-whites to a rainbow of striped socks, I have TONS of stripes in my wardrobe-but how to incorporate them into different kinds of outfits? How to wear them day after day without getting repetitive in my looks? Therein lies the challenge!

If anyone's interested in joining me (for a day, though you can try for the whole month if you're ambitious!) I'm going to have a multi-blog event in the line of Sophistique Noir's Monthly Theme Day, or The Dancing Maenad's Monthly Homework Assignment, on the 20th of the month. Bring out your stripiest finery and show me what you've got! More details forthcoming as I make them up...er, as the event comes closer. And now for today's outfit:

Black and silver pinstriped blouse-Arc

Black ruffled vest-Recycle Boutique

Black lacy skirt-Goodwill

Black tights-God knows where

Black heels-Wal-Mart

This is indeed a very subtle beginning; but I promise, there are silver pinstripes on the blouse. Look, here:

I had a good reason for keeping it more subtle today, as I was attending the memorial service of a close friend of the family. He was 89 years old and a dear, fantastic man who brought light to everyone around him. He played five instruments and offered me support and guidance when I was just a scared, lonely, weird teenager. He always gave me compliments on my outfits; once, when I was wearing my Iron Fist vampire heels he told me "Those are the neatest shoes I've ever seen-if they came in my size, I'd like a pair." I dressed it down and demure for his funeral because I am a firm believer in old-fashioned ettiquette and dressing appropriately for the occasion, but secretly, I think, if I'd have worn something very bright and fabulous, he would have enjoyed it. My outfits have often drawn scorn from some older people in my hometown's community, so it was unspeakably wonderful to have someone who appreciated them-and me-exactly as I am. R.I.P., Homer. Me and my shoes will  miss you, your brilliant sense of humor, and your wonderful and heartfelt compliments and support. 

Two For One, Silver Edition

Hello, all! Had a nice dinner party last night, but it meant I didn't have time to post my outfits, so today you get two for the price of one. Yesterday's outfit:

Black muppets T-shirt: Wal-Mart

Grey satin skirt: Paper Bag Princess

Laced handwarmers: Claire's

Grey tights:Wal-Mart

Black combat boots: Ross

A little more punky/casual than my usual; the skirt is new, and super-swirly, so I really like it, and want to try it in a dressier outfit in the future!

Sorry for the whacked-out lighting in this pic-the sun comes into my room at really weird angles sometimes! I get a beautiful sunset view, though, so it's all worth it.

Gargoyle necklace-Repeat Boutique

Black lacy blouse-Savers

Grey wool vest-Savers

Pinstriped underbust corset-Punk69

Black net and ribbon skirt-Paper Bag Princess

Black tights-Wal-Mart

Flowered round toe shoes-Recycle Boutique

It's a shame the skirt didn't photograph better, as it is a LOT lovelier in person; it's a stretchy black net with ribbons running down it in vertical stripes and a layer of black lace ruffling out from underneath. The back has a trailing fishtail element that makes it look super-Victorian. I'm going to play around with my camera this weekend and see if I can get some better shots of it, because it sure is lovely!

All The News(Print) That's Fit

For my first day of classes, I wanted a little extra confidence, so I picked one of my favorite pieces, my newsprint corset, and built an outfit around it:

Faux pearl necklace-Inherited

Black lace shrug-Love Culture

White tank top-Wal-Mart

Black and white striped handwarmers-Claire's

Newsprint corset-Punk69

Black ruffle skirt-Paper Bag Princess

White gypsy skirt-Fiji flea market

Black and white striped socks-Claire's

Black Mary Janes-Ross

I actually got a couple of compliments on the corset, and one on the whole outfit, that made me feel simply delightful! I felt a wee bit late-19th-century saloon girl, with the swirly skirts-which, as we all know, is perfectly fine with me! Note the amount of layering in this outfit; because I ended up bringing one carry-on and one large suitcase's worth of clothes for five months, expect to see a lot of ingenious layering and recombining of items in the coming days! 

Christmas-Goth, Day 1...4...Heck, Who Knows?

Hi, gentle readers! Deepest apologies for my absence from the blog-o-sphere for the past week, I've been prepping for finals and things have gotten pretty crazy. I have been faithfully recording my outfits, though-I've gone red and green this week, to celebrate the coming Christmas (for me, at least) holidays. I'll just go ahead and post today's outfit for today, and keep the rest in reserve for when I'm at home (in less than a week, yay!) and generally wearing nothing more fascinating than leggings and big t-shirts. :) 

Heart necklace-Arc 

Pinstriped blazer-Plato's Closet

Green peacock feather corset-Punk69

Black and red brocade skirt-Savers

Black suede pirate boots-Shoe Carnival

I love this skirt-it's so elegant and classic, it makes me feel like a princess! And no one could tell I was wearing fleece-lined leggings underneath to protect my legs from the cold, so score one for deceptively comfy elegance. I was quite happy with this outfit, actually-I think it really managed to be festive without being too "Christmas-y" and I just felt super-classy all day long. It was the combination of the pretty corset (this is one of my favorites), the "professional" blazer, and the wonderful, wonderful skirt. I'm actually fairly certain, given the fact that the hem of this skirt was obviously put in by hand and the fabric is an extremely high quality silk brocade, that this skirt was once the bottom half of someone's prom dress. I'm very glad they decided to pass it on so I could throw a little princess into my everyday look! 

Down The Rabbit Hole, Or Character Week Day 3

I'm sorry to do it to you all, lovely readers, but I'm going to momentarily drop into the well of the cliche Goth again today, dressing as that Goth/Lolita/all-alternative-persons beloved wandering child, Miss Alice, of Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass fame. I will admit to simultaneously being an Alice fangirl and a bit of an Alice snob; I love the original books unconditionally, and I decently *like* many of the gajillions of adaptations of them, but the only two that I really LOVE are SyFy's Alice and (of course) Tim Burton's in-spirit 2010 sequel. Again, the incomparable Colleen Atwood's designs make me drool desperately and start eyeing my sewing patterns to see if I have anything that could make a decent facsimile. Alas, I haven't my sewing machine with me, so this was the Alice I pulled from my wardrobe:

 

Clock pendant-Thrifted

Black cardigan-Goodwill

Blue camisole-Ross

Blue taffeta underbust corset-Punk69

Black lace skirt-Arc

Blue and black striped socks-Buffalo Exchange

Black boots-Target

I thought I did a decent job combining the feel of this (whimsical, Victorian, and blue):

With this (modern and easy-to-wear):

I think it turned out pretty neat, having an "Alice-y" feel without being too costume-y. Although, costume-y be damned-if I could get ahold of/make this dress, I would wear it at least once a week. 

A girl at Starfest last year had made a pretty close replica, and I was so jealous of her. Not only did she have mad skills, she had a boyfriend who was willing to dress up as the Mad Hatter with her. They were both incredibly awesome, and I loved getting to hang out with them. 

Also, I don't doubt that most of you have seen Tim Burton's version, but if you haven't seen the SyFy one with Caterina Scorsone, please get ahold of a copy. It's well written and interesting, and it has a really fantastic cast. (No, seriously-Kathy Bates, Colm Meany, Caterina Scorsone...it's awesome.) 

And now for a bit of literary nerd-anger, if you'll allow me: My only big issue with both it, and Tim Burton's, is that they combine the Red Queen and the Queen of Hearts into one person. THEY ARE TWO COMPLETELY SEPARATE CHARACTERS! No, really. Other than Alice, there is no crossover in the books as to characters. The wold of the Looking Glass is separate from Wonderland, and though I'm ok with them being combined for storytelling purposes (neither book is really long enough to turn into a movie on its own), it really irks me when people act like the Red Queen and the Queen of Hearts are interchangeable. This is the Queen of Hearts:

"

This is the Red Queen:

YOU SEE? TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT PEOPLE! Not to mention, the Queen of Hearts is evil, crazy, and generally prone to decapitations, while the Red Queen is kind in a loopy sort of way and welcomes Alice to be a queen when she finally makes her way across the chessboard. In fact, one of my favorite parts of the book is the absolutely insane conversation Alice has with the Red Queen and the White Queen when she finally arrives at the end of the chessboard. One of my favorite bits:

Here the Red Queen began again. 'Can you answer useful questions?' she said. 'How is bread made?'

'I know THAT!' Alice cried eagerly. 'You take some flour—'

'Where do you pick the flower?' the White Queen asked. 'In a garden, or in the hedges?'

'Well, it isn't PICKED at all,' Alice explained: 'it's GROUND—'

'How many acres of ground?' said the White Queen. 'You mustn't leave out so many things.'

'Fan her head!' the Red Queen anxiously interrupted. 'She'll be feverish after so much thinking.' So they set to work and fanned her with bunches of leaves, till she had to beg them to leave off, it blew her hair about so.

Now, I'd say fanning someone's head with leaves is rather the opposite of ordering it lopped off, wouldn't you? :)

For more literary nerdery + outfit awesomeness, come back tomorrow to see me venture back about forty years before Alice and company to the time (and books) of one of my absolute favorite authors.

The Worst Pies in London, or (unofficial) Movie Monday

Hello, and sorry that last week kind of fizzled-but I'm hoping that this week will make up for it! Today, I decided to participate in Sal Kaye's Movie Monday for the first time-and to kick it off, I wanted to use one of my absolute favorite movies, Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd. And then I realized it wasn't official Movie Monday, but I decided to do it anyway and carry on the tradition. I know it's a total cliche, but I love that movie so much-the music is gorgeous, it's beautifully shot and acted, and holy crap, does it look good. All the costumes are flawless, thanks to the amazing Colleen Atwood, who is kind of my role model as a costumer. I would seriously wear them every day if I had the money; I mean look at this:

And this:

Holy crap, I want that swimsuit so friggin' bad.

Alas, I haven't the resources of a large movie budget, so here's my humble attempt to replicate the awesomeness of the movie's costumes from my wardrobe:

Necklace-Inherited

Black lace blouse-DAV thrift

Black cami-Arc

Black and white pinstripe underbust corset-Punk69

Green, red, and blue plaid skirt-Arc

Black lacy skirt-re-made by me from thrifted prom dress

Aaand, because you just can't have a Tim Burton movie without stripey tights, I wore mine today. No one could see them, but I knew they were there, and that's what counts, right? :)

Black and white striped tights-Target

Black Doc Marten-alikes-Wal-Mart

I really enjoyed wearing this outfit-it was like having my own little secret identity, a joke that no one was in on but me. I spent the day humming The Worst Pies In London and Nothing's Gonna Harm you under my breath. I love the character of Mrs. Lovett so much; she is a total bad girl, and I love her shamelessly disgusting practicality and the way she takes advantage of every situation. Plus, I might be a little biased because, as an alto, she's one of the few female leads I can actually sing! She's not an admirable character, but she is intriguing, and I love the way HBC played her. No one can ever replace the inimitable Angela Lansbury, but I think HBC made a great Mrs. Lovett.

By the way, I liked the idea of dressing like a character from a movie or book so much that I decided to do it this week as my weekly theme. Tune in tomorrow to see my spin on my favorite Disney princess!

Feliz Cumpleanos y Dia De Las Muertas

Goodness, but won't tomorrow be a letdown after three special themed posts in a row! Monday was Halloween, yesterday was the Monthly Theme Post, and today was a twofer: my 20th birthday and Dia De Las Muertas! I wanted to celebrate by wearing one of my favorite color combos, wine and black. I normally would have gone with something a little slinkier/sexier (I always like to feel a year prettier!), but it was freezing and blizzarding today, so I compromised with a worm but elegant outfit:

Square-necked black peasant blouse-Goodwill
Maroon underbust corset-Canal Boat Trading
Double layered black chiffon/wine satin skirt-Goodwill
Black broom skirt (underneath)-Arc
Fake Doc Martens-Wal-Mart

I bustled the chiffon portion of the skirt with pretty pins, then wore this lovely heavy black microfiber broom skirt I scored for $3.50 at Arc underneath it for warmth. I was wearing two pears of sweater tights, too, so I was nice and toasty even in the blizzard weather!

I originally wanted to do a Goth retrospective on my style evolution today, but I need to get some pictures from other sources I don't have with me in order to do that, so instead I'll leave that for later and talk about my fantastic birthday instead. One of my classes got out early today, so I went to the Dia De Las Muertas celebration they had on my college campus today with one of my best friends. She bought me a cute skull necklace (which I'll post pics of tomorrow), and painted my face:

Afterwards, I went out to dinner at Noodles and Company with my other two best friends, still wearing the makeup. It was fun! I've always said that being born on All Soul's Day meant I was fated to be a Goth, so I loved being able to properly celebrate what I think is a beautiful holiday. A celebration of the souls of those passed on, with cheeky nods at death and the inevitability of our own mortality? Sounds pretty Gothic to me! I had a lovely birthday, and I hope that next year's 21 will be as nice!  

Pretty Pretty Princess, or Halloween Week Day 2

Hello, my dearest darlingest readers! Today, I made an endeavor to put my regular clothes together in a pseudo-costume, just to have a little fun pre-Halloween. Not that I don't sometimes skirt the edges of costume in my everyday clothing anyway, but this time it's deliberate. :) So, today I wanted to be a princess-because outside of the forced marriages, the constant maintenance of a perfect public facade, and the endless state dinners with endlessly boring people, what's not to love? I kid, I kid-mostly. The two teenage daughters of the Prime Minister of Spain, who are pseudo-princesses, are both rad and Goth-y, and Duchess Middleton seems quite a lovely lady. And we all know how bad-ass Elizabeth I was! I, of course, wanted to be an elegant, sweeping-skirted, pseudo Gothy princess-if they made a Disney princess of me, I would sing Emilie Autumn-esque songs and bats, rats, and black cats would come out to help me make my fabulous corsetted ballgown.

Silver chain necklace-Inherited

Black lace blouse-DA thrift

Black tank-Goodwill

Silver and black underbust corset-Punk69

Silver silk dupioni skirt-Arc

Black heeled boots-Ross

Here's a closeup of the lovely silver pin-I didn't realize until I was looking at the pictures that it and my corset were off-center to each other, but oh well!

So that's my first "costume"-Goth princess! I did get a couple more compliments than usual, and even some people who know me well (and thus know how "formally" I dress every day relative to most people my age) asked me what I was all dressed up for. I took great pleasure in telling them I was dressed up to celebrate the fantasticness of life! The ankle length light-colored silk formal skirt was a little tricky to work around, even for me, so I would only dress like this every day if I actually was a princess who lived in a palace with no dirty floors or staircases, and had servants who could give me large napkins to prevent food stains and follow me around with a steamer to get the wrinkles out. But it sure is fun for once-in-a-while! (BTW, the skirt is one of my favorite thrift finds-real silk and I got it for $2.50 on a 1/2 off Saturday sale at Arc!) If you were a princess, what wildly impractical item of clothing would you wear on an everyday basis?

Ooh, Batsy or Goth Symbols Week Day 4

Bats of a different kind today: Specifically, Batman symbols! Yes, I was just thinking today how shamefully negligent I have been about blogging the "geeky" part of Geeky Goth Girl, so I decided I would combine an outfit post appropriate to my theme with a bit of nerdy exposition about my love for Batman. Here's the outfit (and I totally need to get a better light source for night pictures, my apologies for the terrible lighting):

 

Black t-shirt: Wal-Mart

Batman print dress: Made by me

Black leggings-Wal-Mart

Black combat boots-DAV thrift 

Here's a close-up of the print on the fabric-though someday I would like to get a really big, bold Batman print fabric and make a huge, foofy dress out of it, for now this one does quite nicely in its subtlety:

So, Batman geekery ahoy: When I was a kid, I had the passing interest in Batman that most kids do in all superheros-I watched a couple episodes of Batman Beyond here and there, I actually (cringe) thought Batman and Robin was good, and I generally didn't think about him all that much. I also watched a few episodes of the 1960s TV series, and enjoyed them for the campy cheesefests that they were. Fast forward to my young adulthood (14 or so), and I got deeply into Justice League Unlimited, and find I love the relationship between him and Wonder Woman. I started reading all the Batman comics I could get my hands on from my local public library's VERY limited stock-Brian Azaezello's Joker and Neil Gaiman's Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader among them. I wanted more, but couldn't get it-so what was I to do?

I re-watched the two Tim Burton movies focusing on the Dark Knight and find them fascinating, and of course Chris Nolan's fantastic Batman Begins and The Dark Knight played no small part in pushing along my newfound fascination with the character. Actually, the development of my interest in Batman dovetailed neatly with my budding babybat tendencies. As I explored the darker aspects of the world around me, I found a lot to like in the dark-but-heroic man who used shadow, symbology, and intimidation to fight for what was good and right. One of the central tenents of Goth is that darkness is not evil, and Batman really encapsulates that idea. The character's story, which even by the admittance of Bob Kane, his creator, follows very closely to that of Zorro and The Scarlet Pimpernel, contains enough tragedy and darkness to sate even the most sorrow-hungry darkling. Dead parents, a dashing man with a hidden alter ego, a forbidden love that can never truly be realized, hideously deformed villains-all the elements of our favorite Gothic stories are in there, and when combined with the action and adventure of a comic book, they make for a killer story.

When well-written, Batman can be an incredibly compelling character-but now that I am into the comics, I love his supporting cast nearly as much as the character himself. From Barbara Gordon, the original Batgirl-cum-wheelchair-bound Oracle, to Dick Grayson, the original Robin all grown up into Nightwing, to current Robin Tim Drake and ruthless Huntress Helena Bertinelli, the Bat Family is simply fantastic to read about. My hope is to someday see these characters used in a good movie or television adaptation of the Batman mythos, because they add so much to the narrative. They both ground and humanize Batman and give him more conflicts. The only media so far to depict them have been the hokey '60s series and the atrocious candy-colored abominations that are the Joel Schumacher movies, and neither one did any sort of justice to the great characters. Who knows, maybe someday I'll be able to do it!

So what would this Bat-geek recommend to those who would like to learn about the character beyond the mainstream movies? Alan Moore's The Killing Joke is considered the definitive Batman graphic novel, for good reason-I am not always a huge fan of Moore, but that book makes me understand why people love him so much. The series of recent comics ranging from The Black Glove to Batman R.I.P is incredible, and The Long Halloween is another exemplary graphic novel. For those who aren't into comics, the Batman animated series and Batman Beyond are both incredible-honestly, anyone who writes these off as "kid shows" because they are animated is missing out on a hell of a lot of great writing and acting. One of my meters for a "real" Bat-fan vs. someone who only knows the character casually from the movies (not that there is anything wrong with that, but it annoys me when movie-only fans act all know-it-all!) is if their answer to "Best Joker" is Heath Ledger or Mark Hamill; if they say Hamill, I know they know what they are talking about. If you want a primer on where to start, the Nostalgia Critic recently made a very funny and edifying video discussing his Top 11 Batman Animated Series episodes; it's definitely worth a watch! How big of a Batman geek am I now? Last Halloween, I cosplayed Harley Quinn.

Tune in tomorrow, same bat time, same bat channel for more geekery and gothery, this time vampire centric!

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?

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!

Skulls and Fishnet and Tripp, Oh My! Or, Skull And Crossbones Week, Day 1

So, as I mentioned previously, I want to try and do a different Goth-y theme for every week in October, and I'm kicking off with that most archetypal of all Gothic symbols, the skull. I actually have surprisingly few skull-and-crossbones or skull-festooned items of clothing in my wardrobe, all things considered, but I do have a lot of skully fabrics at home waiting to be sewn up. I do have enough to make a week, though, so here's the first outfit!

 

Heart Necklace-Arc

Fishnet shirt-Buffalo Exchange

Skull t-shirt-Buffalo Exchange

Tripp buckle skirt-Buffalo Exchange

Patterned tights-Target

Chunky black sneakers-Goodwill 

Wow, I totally didn't realize until I was writing out my description that pretty much the entire outfit came from Buffalo Exchange. It kind of makes sense, though-the t-shirt is generic (if unusually patterned), but the fishnet shirt is Lip Service and the skirt is Tripp, and the only place I get that kind of stuff is Buffalo Exchange, since finding Goth brand stuff at Goodwill or Arc is about as likely as finding a hen's tooth. I have one Lip Service jumper and one Lip Service skirt from different Arcs, but that's two finds in about five years, so...yeah. This outfit is definitely a lot more punky and a lot less elegant than my typical, but it was still super fun to wear! I really like the anchor/skull pattern on the shirt, too-it's an unusual combination of two fairly common Gothic motifs, and gives it a bit more kick than your usual skull-themed stuff. Can't wait to continue my parade of death's heads tomorrow!