Untitled #117 by labelleestlabete
We've hit a milestone - 25 posts! It's not that many, but considering my old blogs got boring before I even got this far, it's pretty good.
Today's set started with the dress by Australian label Camilla and Marc. I chose this one because it reminded me of a Vivienne Westwood piece - for example, this one. The one in the set is made of crepe and has a much less intimidating price point!
I added the Alexander McQueen jacket and the Yves Saint Laurent boots to keep the look classy rather than rough around the edges like some (read: most) of my other sets. The studs on the jacket and the buckle of the dress's belt are both brass-coloured, so I matched the clasp on the handbag with those details. I actually chose the bag first, then added the jacket to tie it together.
I finished off the look with the gloves because I liked the unusual bow detail on them. I used skeleton cameo earrings to add some gothic flair, and a beret because I couldn't find a suitable felt hat to go with the look. There's still a lot of fedoras floating around...
Untitled #91 by labelleestlabete
We're going for more of a "cute" look today, lightly inspired by gyaru style (for more info on gyaru, check out the wiki here, or Universal Doll, one of the best blogs on the subject.) I'm not sure which category this would fall into, to be honest. Maybe the "otona kawaii" (literally "adult cute") category?
(I swear I didn't make up that name).
I started off with the lace shorts, which I didn't like much when they first hit the market, but now they've grown on me. Then I added the striped T-shirt. This grey broken-striped tee is cute, but not too cute.
I added a blazer jacket to stop the look from getting too cutesy, and kept the palette dark for the same reason.
You might also see heels with this kind of look - high-heeled over-the-knee boots are very popular - but I went with flat, slightly loose boots because they're the kind of shoes I would actually wear with this outfit(and they're also quite popular with gyaru who are going to be out and about all day). The only reason I don't wear mine every day is that it rains a lot where I live!
Untitled #90 by labelleestlabete
A bit more of an "evening" look today. I really like the idea of wearing something like a dress, but a bit more interesting than a top+trousers.
The corset-style belt pulls in the waist a further than the narrow belt, and the bracelet matches the bow detail. The other bracelet, by Yves Saint Laurent, and the Topshop necklace constrast with the bow details to stop it looking too cutesy, and the heels help to stop your legs looking stumpy where the trousers stop.
And of course, the Boda Skins jacket makes yet another appearance. I didn't want to go with a more "evening" fabric for the jacket to keep the clothing from being layers of crepe or matte fabrics, so I added a leather jacket to break it up a bit (and go with the accessories).
The one issue with the jumpsuit-as-normal-clothing idea is that nobody has managed to come up with a method by which you can use the ladies' room without having to get halfway undressed. They look so cool in magazine spreads, but they are pretty impractical if you're out all day or at a party for more than a couple of hours. This is probably why the clearance racks were loaded with them a couple of years ago - everyone likes them, but nobody actually wants to wear one. The one in the set is by Coast - they do make really lovely evening wear, but I don't think this was their most popular.
Untitled #99 by labelleestlabete
I started with the boots on this one and worked upwards. This style of boot has been really popular among goths for a few years - if your legs are aching from the 4" platforms, this can be a nice change. I wanted a jacket to match them, so I found this Missoni blazer and gold Chanel cuff. Since there are a lot of details in this look, I kept everything else basic to bring the accents out.
Untitled #97 by labelleestlabete
The Boda Skins jacket makes another appearance. This was a pretty typical work outfit at my last job - we weren't customer-facing, so anything went. My skull-print scarf got used pretty often, and so did my straight-legged black jeans.
Here's a tip: if you're a full-figured lady, go to the men's section and try on their skinny jeans. You might need to go up a size or two, but they fit more like actual straight jeans than the ones in the women's section. I have to admit, I shop in the men's section a lot. Their T-shirts are just better somehow.
