Things I'm Gravitating Towards Lately

My style is always rooted in the Goth scene, but how I express that tends to change on a fairly regular basis. I get bored when I wear the same things all the time, so I'm constantly on the hunt for something that will spice up my wardrobe. Normally, I just latch on to another style and combine it with my dark aesthetic, but lately I've noticed that when I'm in stores or online my eyes tend to gravitate towards particular things. Here are some of the more common offenders.

Dark Green and Maroon

When paired with black that is.  I've always liked jewel tones, but lately I've been favoring maroon and green over others. They're just so enticing.... I recently bought a top that's roughly the color of the middle nail below, and I love it to death. I'm also on the hunt for a darker green military jacket (The one I bought years ago is far too light and just screams junior section...)

Dress Shirts

I've always liked dressing up, but for me that normally means throwing on an actual dress and getting creative with my makeup. Lately, I've been wearing a lot of jeans (Partly because it's easy, partly because it's COLD and a skirt and tights ain't gonna cut it) and I've been hovering on the more androgynous side of the spectrum by breaking out my ties, suspenders, etc. So of course, I need a better dress shirt to pair all of that with.

I could also go for something like this.

Funky Jackets

If you saw the recent purchase I showcased in the last Sophistique Noir challenge you know I've got a very funky jacket that's been getting a lot of use. Unusual jackets have been high on my list as of late. Of course, I'm a bit obsessed, so jackets are always at the top of my list, but I've been striving for more creative designs in my recent searches.

Leopard Print

I've loved leopard for ages. I'm not sure I should count it as something I'm gravitating towards lately, because I always covet it, but my closet has seen a larger influx of leopard prints than normal in recent months so I suppose it counts. (A little while ago I bought a leopard print sweater and yet another scarf in the same week..)

Polka Dots

I've been feeling the vintage vibe strongly this last month. However, I don't have a lot of opportunity to express that vibe because my 'vintage' items are few and far between. The 50s are one of my favorite time periods for fashion (Along with the 40s and 20s. We're not counting the alternative 70s/80s wardrobe because that's half my life already) and I've been trying to at least incorporate some of that in my everyday life by looking for more polka dots. It's a stretch, but at least it's a bit of an homage.

Round Sunglasses

I don't know where it came from, but I've been struck by this inexplicable urge to own a pair of circle lenses. I think I may have seen a picture on Tumblr, and then later realized I just had to have a pair. The only problem is that I'm not sure they'll fit my face shape, but I'll deal with that hurdle as it comes. Is it a bit hipster-ish at the moment? Maybe. Do I care? Not particularly.

Are there any trends or items you've been gravitating towards lately? Feel free to share, I'm always open to inspiration!

30 Day Clothing Challenge~ Day 14: An Outfit you Wish you Had

 An outfit I wish I had? Geez, I don't really know here to start with this one. There are so many! Not to mention, now I have to go hunt them down.

*5 minutes*

Well! Here's a decent list of a few of the outfits that have caught my fancy in the past, and were actually laying about my desktop. They've been there so long I'm not sure where I got most of them, so I'm afraid I can't credit the models on the ones I should. If you know who some of the people are, drop me a line and I'll add their name and link to something of theirs.

Obviously a clothing brand.
I covet so much of their things.

That Jacket...

Good ol' deathrock

I would kill for his jacket.
I will never have enough jackets.

This. All of it.

Jacket...

That hat is so lovely.

So as you can see there's a lot of romantic type things with a small dash of deathrock and a healthy amount of Japanese influenced fashion, specifically Gothic Aristocrat. I love all of it so much and if I had money...well, you should see my wishlist.

On a little note before I go, does anyone in the U.S. remember that Buzz Lightyear show that aired years and years ago? The other day it just popped into my head and I remembered watching it when I was little. The only reason I remembered it actually, was because someone mentioned Nosferatu and my brain made a little connection I had never gotten as a kid. My favorite character in the show was a robotic vampire. He was British and snarky and very dapper for a robot. (Really! He had a monocle!)

 And get this.

His name was NOS-4-A2.

As you can imagine, I had a bit of a giggle over that.

Current Fashion Pet Peeves

Now I'm far from the expert on Fashion. Far from it. Some of my clothes look two centuries out of date and the rest are a throwback to the 80s (And I'm damn proud of it!) However there are a few trends I've noticed lately that have begun to take over in a very bad way. I'm all for dressing in what makes you happy. If you're honestly really comfortable in that pink Aeropostle shirt then wear it with a smile. If you want to *shudder* 'sag' your pants and let everyone know what color underwear you have on that day I won't stop you. If you want to jump on the the Punk, Goth, Lolita, or whatever other subculture wagon then more power to you! (And a virtual hug of support from me). However there are a few things that I simply cannot stand at the moment.


 Peasant tops/Peasant blouses

Keep in mind this doesn't apply to all Peasant tops. It's this kind I'm talking about. I'm all for embroidered things, but I'd rather not look as lumpy as a sack of potatoes. Considering I prefer form-fitting clothing you can see why this baggy thing might irk me a bit. If something's going to be puffy please make it the sleeves and not the stomach!

Rompers

I suppose this is just more of a practicality issue for me. I don't understand the point of sewing together the top and bottom half of your outfit.  I would just throw on a tank top and shorts if I wanted that look! Not to mention, doesn't it throw away a bit of the versatility you could have in an outfit? Also, they tend to have a bit of fabric that bunched up in the middle and I do not want to walk around with a pouch.

Shorts and Uggs

Now I don't actually know how many of you see this trend. I know people down in Florida love it because we all have this special syndrome. We barely get any cold weather so as soon as it even hints at being a little cooler we whip out out jacket, scarves, and boots. Unfortunately some people can't seem to let go of these items when it warms up again and wear their Uggs with short shorts all summer. It's a little bit ridiculous. I mean, it's 90 degrees out and you're wearing furry boots...

Tights and Leggings as Pants

Now I love tights. But I was under the impression that they're supposed to go underneath something. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong. Please. Ladies, have a little self-respect please. There is no need to advertise your butt like that. Leave a little to the imagination and get a well fitted pair of pants. It's much more attractive.

Neon Lace

How could they? Lace is so beautiful and I firmly believe it should be done in elegant colors. Not only are designers sticking lace on everything lately, but it's horrendous quality too! Not to mention, they're puking the rainbow all over it. Traffic cone orange and toxic waste green lace surrounds me every time I go to school and sometimes it really make me want to gag. Especially when it's paired with leopard print. What is this world coming to?

My eyes!

Well I might not like seeing my fellow classmates clad like this, but I have to admit it's amusing in a tragic kind of way. I'll stick to my black, lace, and spikes personally. How about you guys? Are there any strange trends going on in your area? I challenge all of you fellow bloggers to come up with your own small list of fashion pet peeves! Make a fun little post out of it and together we can all help people avoid deadly mistakes! Mine was really general, but why not make one for alternative fashion?

Alternative Fashion in the Mainstream~ Project Runway

Ok, so I'm not usually a sucker for reality TV shows. They tend to grate on my nerves. However, Project Runway has remained one of my guilty pleasures since I was a kid. Being fashion oriented, the show is a great way for alternative fashion to creep into mainstream life without being 'taboo'. Seth Aaron even won his season and those clothes...well let's just say I've spent no small amount of time on the internet looking to buy things similar to his designs.

Normally the semi-alternative/designers with interesting ideas are thrown out around the half way point to make room for the 'marketable' ones, but it's nice to see them while they last. A new season just started up and I've picked out some of the designers that caught my eye, for better or worse.


Elena Slivnyak

I'm ah, not entirely sure about her. The first item she showed us was this amazing leather jacket that was a strange cross between armor and the creature in Alien. (To my disappointment, I can't find any pictures.) However, her work is futuristic to the point where I couldn't help but think 'Tron!' when I saw a few other pieces. I think she's got great inspiration, but some things might be a bit over-the-top. Futuristic looks are great. Personally, I'd rather not look like I popped out of Star Trek. On the other hand, I liked how she said she strives to create a sort of look that 'Isn't male, but isn't female'. I'm a huge fan of androgynous looks so maybe she'll pleasantly surprise me in the future.

Melissa Fleis

I'll admit I got a good laugh out of this one. Melissa walked in with this rack of black clothes which my eyes began to feast greedily on. Then she began to speak. Somewhere in describing who she is and where she gets her inspiration from she said something similar to this. "My clothes have a certain Gothic element to them, without being too Gothic."
*Snort* Oh dear. Again? Must we immediately shy away from the term Goth and be afraid to apply it to our clothes? How many bloggers have already written about their own opinions on Goth in the mainstream and how everyone does this exact thing? (Black Lipstick? That's edgy, not Goth.) It amuses me to no end. Not to mention, where exactly do you draw the line at being 'too Gothic'? I'd really love to know how she creates her 'Gothic' inspired clothes without crossing that dreadful taboo.

 Andrea Katz

Ooh, Victorian inspired clothing here we come! (hopefully). This lovely lady is 58, owns cats, and walks in to the audition with this jabot that threatens to consume her face because of how enormous it is. I'm already on her side. Ok, so she admitted to half of her clothing reminding her of her grandmother's tablecloths. But the other half was very promising indeed!

It seems I've been helplessly sucked into yet another season of melodramatic fights and people accusing others of stealing their ideas and so on. (Someone please get me some Advil. I'm going to need it.) Oh, how I suffer for fashion ^^