An annotated bibliography of my most recent pins
What I want to wear and what I'm going to do about it
Vogue calls this collection an “outré combination of lingerie, bikers, and occult symbology” that failed on the point of looking a bit cheap, an assessment that I concur with. The straight-cut satin and structured seaming of this piece actually pulls across the body in ways that I don’t particularly like, but this detail! It reminds me of some mesh inset pieces from Midnight Hour that I’ve had in the back of my mind as maybe-somedays.
How am I going to take inspiration from this? I don’t own anything with mesh insets, and I tend to prefer to bring in imagery via accessories. I’m on the hunt for a pair of Victorian-esque lace tights for an event next month. When the weather starts to get warmer, I think I’ll make an outfit where the tights are the focal point, maybe using some of my snake-themed jewelry from my Medea halloween costume to bring in a touch of the occult.
These boots are an example of my attraction to ‘basics with a twist,’ pieces just ornate of unassuming. From the bondage detail of buckles encircling the ankle, to the round waxed cotton laces that speak of elegance, the silver detail on the lace, that unique bump on the toe, everything about these is just a touch extra. Would I buy these, even if I had the budget? Probably not, actually — I don’t like zippers on shoes with laces, and they look quite narrow for my wide feet. I wear black ankle-height boots 99% of the time, and I have two pairs that echo these — one with a (shorter, 2” as opposed to 3.5”) substantial heel and pointed toes, and one with a lower heel and buckles a bit lower on the ankle. The casual drape of the buckles I do have creates a more libertine effect from the tighter fit of these, hitting right at the joint. How these inspire me, though, is to think about footwear in the overall eroticism of an outfit (I actually recently pinned, also, a wrist harness, to a very similar effect).
Praise be to God I already own a black velvet duster; mine ankle-length, vintage, and scored for $15 at a Habitat for Humanity thrift store in 2019. The allure of all-black is a fickle lover to me, one with which I have flirted off and on for a decade at this point, but which I have been falling more and more in love with again over the past year. In terms of color blocking, I’m actually wearing something very similar to this right now, a floor-length black gauze skirt and black turtleneck with off-white detailing at the neck, sleeves, and hem. That’s the key, for me, one which I’ve discovered only very recently — I will wear black and white with very near cousins of the other, but that little bit of softness, like a chord suspension, that can be claimed by refraining from either extreme, makes the whole thing cohere. I’d wear this whole thing in an instant, but the necklace, actually, is the piece that strikes me more the more that I look at it. The raw, organic shape of the pendant mirrors the tailoring of the suit pieces; the opalescence of its sheen the all-muting quality of the velvet. This has actually inspired me to put on the fake pearls from my high school choir uniform that I sometimes wear as fashion :)
It looks like you can still buy the dress version of this but not the shirt; the former will set you back a cool $1,300 (and that’s with at 30% discount)! High fashion; you hate to love it. I love the use of texture on this piece, some part of the construction (it looks like the fold on the drop shoulder is built into the seam) and some created by wear as the belt cinches the drape of the chiffon. Structure is also created in the sleeve by a deeper, folded hem; meanwhile it looks like the bottom of the torso has a rolled hem that creates a freer, more organic drape and movement. The mandarin collar provides a fixed point from which the fabric can then cascade downward, torqued and twisted but ultimately only partially manipulable, certain to shift as it’s worn. With my compact gamine frame, the collar is the one thing that would save this piece for me, keep it from overwhelming me. I think I could pull it off though — potential thrift flip?
This is actually really similar to a handmade dress I thrifted for an event a few months ago, not in its (very different) silhouette, but certainly in what draws me to it. They eyelash lace insert adds a touch of delicacy, and the skin that shows through here and through the sheer sleeves is a break from the volumes of black that cascade from the double-tiered skirt to the floor and past the knuckles. The vertical pattern of the lace, also, is a more sophisticated detail than a more standard floral lace would be. I’m drawn to the tension between sensuous and conservative elements in this dress, between its silhouette, its baring of the breastbone, and its almost meticulous covering of the actual breasts. I think, actually, that the design of it would benefit from a slightly (but only slightly) higher neckline, one that brushes up the neck. A keyhole cutout in the back and an elegant button — either pearl or antiqued pewter — would cinch it in that case.
I never intended for my own dress to be part of my wardrobe, but once I pick out the red blood drop beads I’ve sewn into the neck (it’s a vampire-themed event), I think I will actually experiment with trying to wear it — this one has convinced me.