Wack-tober:Steampunk Pants Fun!

These are not cosplays, but they both count as Wack-tober for me because they involve an element none-too-frequently seen in my outfits: Pants! Well, bloomers. And knickers. Still, bifurcated bottom garments-not something I do that often! But it is Wack-tober, after all-and for me, pants are definitely out of the ordinary. Here's the first:

Goggles-Goodwill
Black and navy blouse-Arc

Black velvet underbust-Buffalo Exchange

Black pantalets-Buffalo Exchange

Rainbow socks-British shop
Black round-toed Mary Janes-Ross
I wore this last Sunday to go to the doll show with my mom. I got the pins on the corset there-I really like them, and think they add a lot of pop to the outfit! I'm now rather enamoured of the idea of wearing brooches and pins on my corsets for decoration. 

And here was last night's outfit, for a Rasputina concert!

Black lace bolero-Love Culture

Cream blouse-Fiji flea market

Black and cream underbust-Punk69
Bloomers-Made by me
Black flowered tights-Target

Black and white striped stocking-Hot Topic
Mary Jane heels-Goodwill

Sorry for the slightly blurry picture-it was rather late last night when I got home from the concert, so I didn't notice the picture was blurry when I took it. I'm rather proud of these bloomers-they were actually a very small pair of children's bloomers I got from Goodwill, then split open and put large panels of cream-colored satin (scavenged from another skirt) on the side. It was a pretty simple endeavor, but I really like the results. They are super comfortable and easy to wear, and the perfect thing to wear to see one of my favorite bands. :)

Mega-Super Post of Awesomesauce

I've been a terrible blogger lately. Don't really have an excuse except that I've been busy enjoying some of my last days in New Zealand, but I've still been recording my outfits and want to share them, so I thought I would do that today with pithy comments! Nine days until I'm back in the States, I can hardly believe it. Time has really flown! And speaking of things that fly, look at these neat tights:

(See what I did there? :P)

Black sparkly sheer blouse-Paper Bag Princess

Black cami (underneath)-Arc

Black sparkly net skirt-Salvation Army

Feather print tights-Evolve

Black boots-The Warehouse

Loved this outfit, and really enjoyed wearing it. The beads on the skirt and blouse livened up the solid black, and I'm a sucker for a good feather print.  In fact, judging by my outfits (and my irregular blogging), one might say I've been a little bird-brained lately:

Black peacock-print dress-Fiji specialty shop

Black boots-The Warehouse

This dress makes me preen like a peacock. Ok, ok, I'll stop with the bad puns. (For now.) It is super-comfy and very easy to wear yet elegant, though. Like a nightgown for public consumption. But my love of wacky prints continues unabated:

Black lace shirt-Salvation Army

Japanese doll-print skirt-Salvation Army

Black tights-Wal-Mart

Flower wedges-Recycle Boutique

Here's a close-up of the print on the skirt, because it is unbelievably adorable:

If that doesn't make you want to smile, you have no soul. And speaking of soullessness, here was my attempt at a sexy, black-clad creature of the night look:

Black ruffled shrug-Love Culture

Black cami-Arc

Black-black striped underbust corset-The Crypt

Red velvet/black mesh skirt-Recycle Boutique

Black patterned fishnets-The Warehouse

Black satin heels-H&H New Zealand Clothing

Ok, this wasn't really an attempt at vampire cosplay. It just came out looking like one. Oops. Or not. I HAVE NO REGRETS! I also have no regrets about this skirt:

Black pinstripe jacket-H&H New Zealand Clothing

Gargoyle necklace-Repeat Boutique

Black tank-Forever 21

Silver underbust corset-Punk69

Black handwarmers-Forever 21

Ruffled multi-colored skirt-Paper Bag Princess

Black and green striped socks-New Zealand Sock Company

Black flower wedges-Recycle Boutique

This skirt, man. I saw it, I was drawn to it, but then I was like "It's too loud." But I kept thinking about it, so I went back and bought it. It was gloriously spinny and fun and perfect to wear swing dancing. One of my friends told me "It reminds me of when we used to do parachute in elementary school!" I think that's one of the most unique comments I've ever gotten on my clothing. It made me smile! 

Red and Black Week Day Two: Stripes and Jacks

Just a note: Because I'm in NZ and 18 hours ahead of everyone, my posts are going to be a bit wonked timewise, so I apologize for that. But onto the important bit: THE CLOTHES!

Nightmare Before Christmas tie-random Wellington shop

Black t-shirt-Forever21

Black vest-Arc

Black mesh skirt-Paper Bag Princess

Black and red stripe handwarmers-Claire's

Black and red striped socks-London street stall

Black chunky Mary Janes-The Warehouse

I seem to be on a bit of a punky tear this week. It's different, but I like it-it makes me feel insouciant and saucy, rather than my usual elegantly whimsical. The tie has little Jack Skellingtons on it, and the moment I saw it, I knew I had to have it. I don't care if wearing a tie like this is a wee bit Avril Lavigne circa 2005, it's so cool. And because it's a Tim Burton reference, I had to bring along ye olde stripes as well. I bought these socks in a street stall in London when I was there five years ago, and they are starting to show their age a little, alas. I'll be very sad when they (and the rainbow and black/rainbow striped pairs I bought at the same time) finally go-I feel like they were some of my first pieces of Goth style clothing, before I really identified as Goth but when I knew I liked black and darkly elegant, macabre, and enchanting things. They're also a memento of the first time I left the United States, for a two-week trip to England the summer after my freshman year of high school. If you'd told me then that I would be wearing them five years later in Wellington, New Zealand, to go to film classes in my final week at Victoria University, I never would have believed you. It's funny how much memory and significance can be wrapped up in two simple pieces of yarn and spandex! These socks are one of my favorite items of red and black clothing, and I'm happy to be able to feature them. :)

Pinstripes Are People, Too! Or Stripes Week, Day 2

I love my big, bold Goth stripes. Really, (obviously), I do. But sometimes, I feel like the humble, simple pinstripe gets lost. And I do love my pinstripes. One of my goals in life is to find an appropriately girly but still accurate-ish navy pinstripe suit, so I can cosplay girl!10th Doctor. Because seriously, how snazzy is this?

One great-looking outfit (and one great-looking man), no? Love! But for now, all I have with me are my trusty pinstriped corsets, one of which I wore today:

Gargoyle necklace-Repeat Boutique

Lace necked t-shirt-Arc

Cropped cardigan-Salvation Army

Pinstriped underbust corset-Punk69

Black velvet circle skirt-Arc

Silver crinkle skirt-Paper Bag Princess

Grey tights-Wal-Mart

Grey and black stripe socks-Target

Black buckled boots-Ross

Lots of layers today, but it is very cold, windy and rainy in La Wellington this week. I snuck some conventional stripes in there along with my pinstripes, through my mostly-hidden socks, but I still love pinstripes the most. Alas, most of my beloved pinstriped jackets are at home and shipping is obscenely expensive, or I would have worn one of them, too! I just need to find a good pinstriped skirt; I'm sure in my thrift-store wanderings, I'm bound to come across one eventually! Do you like pinstripes or find them too boring? I like their subtlety, personally-and this is coming from the chick who regularly plasters herself with skulls, plaids, and neon-colored stripes. Because sometimes, a girl just needs to feel classy and elegant. :)

STRIPES Week, Day 1-Red and Black

I miss doing my theme weeks, I really do. I mean, I can still do color ones, but I kinda like the more exotic, imaginative ones better-like my fictional characters-inspired week, or my Goth-themed symbols. But with a more limited (by my admittedly exaggerated standards) wardrobe here in Wellington, I just haven't felt like I have enough play. But by gum, I want to make it work! So I'm trying to work with what I have to make interesting themes, and I thought this week I would fall back on the ol' standard of my best-beloved stripes. Today, I was feeling very red and black-ish about the whole thing:

Black heart necklace-Savers

Black shrug-Paper Bag Princess

Skull dress-Hot Topic

Leggings-Forever21

Striped handwarmers-Claire's

Striped socks-London street stall

Silver-embellished slides-Wellington thrift store

It was really windy today, so let's just say I was quite glad I wore leggings with this light, ruffly little chiffon-skirted dress! I don;t normally mix patterns, but something about this dress just makes me want to pair it with stripes; last time I wore it, I wore it with stripey tights as well! Wow, I've actually gotten good about linking back to my previous posts...I'm coming up on 100 posts soon, so keep all of your eyes peeled for that one, because I've got some special stuff planned. :)

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!