Sartorial Saturday: 20s meets Mori meets Me

Well, it’s not particularly 20s, but the dress from today’s outfit is the one I also wore to the Bohème Sauvage last May. It’s also not particularly mori, either, but the accessoires qualify. The combination and rest of the outfit is simply me.

Outfit Rundown:
- bodice: Orsay
- dress: Promod
- longsleeve: H&M
- tights: drugstore
- socks: presumably some relative
- shoes: cropped-off Undercover steel toes

I just couldn't get those colours right... Actually the red is much darker and less pink...

Accessoires Rundown:
- cap: artisan’s fair
- fork bracelet: artisan’s fair
- earrings: Bijou Brigitte
- necklace: handed down from my mother
- gloves (not in the pictures): Waschbär (they were dark red, to match the cap)

I look a little bit more tired than usual in this picture, please excuse that. My sleep hasn’t been exactly fitful, but I’m still in my holidays rhythm, so I stay up a little too long and have to rise for university rather early nevertheless. Most of the time this works quite well, but on weekends it shows a little. ^^

Cute Games: Costume Quest

Happy Frankenstein Friday* and welcome to the Halloween Cute Games special I promised. Cute Games used to be filed under “Intermezzo” or at least titled with it, but as Costume Quest is a larger, non-browser game, it simply counts for “Otherworlds”.

And I finished it right in time for a review before the big night!

All pictures that are not marked “screenshot” come from the official site (make sure to watch the trailer!) and belong, together with the screenshots, to Double Fine Productions. Who’ve got a great logo, too (Siamese twins in Victorian bathing suits? Epic win.).

... which of course belongs to them, too.

The PC version that I played is rather new and was launched just two weeks ago while the console version has been out for a year now. I guess the basic game play and control are a little bit easier there, but maybe I’m just not used to games without mouse use. When I played it the second time – yes, I did, as I didn’t take any screenshots earlier – I had grown to it, but I had a severe case of optimising my computer before. If your PC isn’t the latest in technology or made for gaming, you could suffer from the same problems that I had: slowed down reactions (lethal in fights) and lagging.

Without giving away any spoilers, the plot is as follows:

You are the new kid in the neat little town of Auburn Pines, and it’s Halloween, the best day of the year. While being out trick-or-treating, your twin is being kidnapped – being mistaken for a giant candy due to their embarrassing candy corn costume – by a candy-stealing monster, and you’ll be grounded FOR EVER if you return home without them.
Gladly you’ve got some spirit and an awesome costume so you can head after those candy thieves! You way will not only take you to the Autumn Haven Mall and the rural surroundings of Fall Valley, but also let you achieve what your mother told you to do and make some friends (which are just as nerdy as you).

one of my favourite dialogues during the game

Wren without a costume

The twins are Wren, the Halloween-adoring first-born, and Reynold, the candy-loving younger. I myself chose Wren to be my hero, as her stubbornness and fierceness reminded me of myself, especially in 4th grade. You start out with a transformer-like robot costume and are able to collect up to ten more during the game, and nearly all of them bear some pop culture reference.

My favourite costume from the whole game is probably the Pumpkin King (actually it’s only “pumpkin”, but the player is strongly reminded of Jack’s first appearance in Nightmare Before Christmas) or Jack O’Lantern. He even does a little jig after you win a fight.

My second favourite was a surprise for myself: My Pretty Panacea. I’m not even a fan of the robot unicorn (if you don’t know it, google it. I dislike the music so much that I don’t want to link back to it) or My Little Pony (although I guess I’m somehow growing interested, at least in modding). But its attack animation and limit break are too awesome to ignore.

below: comparison: non-fight costumes (from left to right: Wren as Pumpkin, Everett as Knight, Lucy as My Pretty Panacea)

The fights are pretty much like every other J-RPG, except this one isn’t from Japan. Of course your enemies grow with you, but there’s nothing you can’t do with awesome costumes…

yes, your enemies explode into candy

While your heroes in this game are kids and it is quite kid-friendly, it’s definitely not a game for children. I mention this because these two things are often confused. Though you don’t really kill the monsters and there is no splatter involved, most of the pop cultural hints and the nerd humor are better and more appreciated as an adolescent or adult.

All in all, Costume Quest is an awesome game. A little short, maybe, but in return at least the PC version comes with an ad-on, Grubbins on Ice, that takes place some months after Halloween (reports on that before Christmas). I’ve got no stars or grades system (and I don’t want one), so I can only recommend it to you. Enjoy!

* recurring every last Friday before Halloween. For more information, look here.

Happy World Pasta Day!

I made an extra amout so that I can take some with me to uni tomorrow. My very first bento!

Anyway, celebrate! Pasta also tastes great with sugar and cinnamon.

Preparations Again: Halloween

Primaly I wanted to split the Halloween preparations post for this year into several parts, each dealing with another way to celebrate this holiday. But now there’s only one week left and I don’t want to push and force things, so this concept will have to wait until next year.

Instead I’ll bring the anticipation for October 31st to you through the medium of…

… Computer Games!

Indeed. And this is only the first part. A second one will follow (but rather in the form of a Cute Games issue)!

First of all I’ll have to admit that I’m a little bit of a browser game addict. Not really a severe case, but I truly like my daily dose of Poupée Girl.* One of the greatest things with these pretty, well-designed flash-based games are the “events” that turn up with every larger holiday (in the case of Poupée Girl not only western, but also Japanese ones).

Long story short, one of these holidays is traditionally Halloween, and here we go with some of the awesome gadgets, outfits and objects the creators of my major waste of time (just kidding) made for it.**

Halloween background without Halloween items

Poupée doesn’t only host the aforementioned events through special items but also changes the background for most of them. While this is quite nice, the really interesting part is what happens when your doll wears something from the event collection.

Halloween background with Halloween items

I really can’t decide what I love most about this room design. Probably the interesting pattern mix from bed and floor, but the patched Sally Ragdoll-like rocking horse is awfully cute, too.

Sometimes they also launch very small items that trigger another “special” background. This year on Halloween it’s bracelets, optionally with ghosts, pumpkins or black cats.

special background

They even animate these backgrounds:

special background with some alterations. spot the differences. ;)

In this picture you can also see my favourite clothing items from this event. One thing I appreciate very much in flash games with vector graphics is the amount of details one can zoom into.

hat from the "room" outfit

And once again I wish I had these clothes in real life.

Aaaaw, and the stockings!

detail: ragdoll hair bow

I’m actually thinking about replicating this bow for myself, maybe a little bit smaller, but esentially a look-alike. I only need a solution for the needle, I don’t think I want this near my hair, at least not this pointy.

detail: dress and apron neckline

The hue of the dress is awesome, there should be so many more Lolita dresses in this colour!

awesome apron detail.

* I do realise that most of my readers might actually know these pictures already because they play Poupée Girl themselves. If you do, feel free to add me, this is where my doll lives.
** Also, please note that this post is by no means an advertisement and that I write this out of mere enthusiasm for what I think is cute design.

Sartorial Saturday: Street Style

I’ve got the very bad habit to go and take the pictures for this weekly feature on Saturday just before sunset. Today I couldn’t take any that were just right, so I made a quick sketch of what I wore today. Not only does this match the outfit, but I also liked it pretty well.

Outfit Rundown:
- beret: H&M
- short bodice: thrift shop
- long sleeve: H&M
- skirt: self-made
- tights: some green fashion shop
- gaiters: swap gift by freudenkind
- shoes: cropped-off Undercover steel toes

beret and gaiters for better outfit imagination

Accessoire Rundown:
- amber necklace: heirloom
- amber sun stud/ silver creole hoop: Waschbär/ found

30 Questions Mori Girl Challenge – 6 & 7

6- what sort of things, outside of fashion, do you consider to be part of a mori girl lifestyle?

If it’s called a lifestyle I consider every part of life to be part of it. That’s only logical.

7- are you also a lolita? I find a lot of mori girls do lolita as well! whether you are or aren’t a lolita, why do you think this is?

The little bit of escapism that these two styles share is a point that is quite likely to put them together, as well as the old-fashioned, dreamy and ladylike or antique-ish manners aspects. To me a Mori Girl could as well be a Lolita princess who went to the woods and gave up her petticoat for practicability and changed her tea party shoes for chunky boots to run better. Those two together make a great fairy tale.
I also am a Lolita, even though I wear it less than I’d like to. And I’d love to see a few more Mori x Lolita coordinates!

Sartorial Sunday: One Day Late

Due to this week’s schedule I’m a little late with my weekly feature. I had to take the photos today as I left in a hurry and returned when it was already dark when I wore this outfit on several occasions. But the alliteration stays, so that’s okay.

This is an outfit I actually wore twice this week (and today), the first time to the fan meet-up with Steampunk author Gail Carriger of Parasol Protectorate fame (more about this great book series in a post of its own) on Tuesday and a second one for the book fair convention yesterday.

Outfit Rundown:
- blouse: once-upon-a-time H&M
- bodice: probably some LARP shop
- trousers: Takko, altered by me
- shoes: cropped-off Undercover steel toes
- coat: Pimkie (changed buttons)
- scarf: handed down
- fingerless gloves (unseen): local shepherd

Accessoires Rundown:
- watch pendant: Promod
- bell earring/ acorn stud: self-made/ Accessorize
- hair clips: H&M

close-up of the clock face appliqués on my trousers

This is pretty much the city look I wrote about in my last post, and I love it. It’s quite influenced by my time in Frankfurt, but picturesque and playful enough for Marburg, too. When I wear something like this I feel like nothing in the world can stop me. I feel savvy, good-looking (rather than pretty), strong, I’ll-get-my-will-and-you-know-it like. I guess the biggest part of this awesome feeling comes from trousers and coat, the trousers make my legs appear quite long (and I’ve been assured that my back looks quite good in them, too) – just like my Savate sports trousers -, and the coat has something rather professional about it, as if it were a little (and more practical) sibling to the expensive woolen coats all the business people in my old city wear (I wear my coats open most of the time, I guess I just like the dramatic effect of them swinging).

I also think that this last part will become a regular part of the Sartorial Saturday, it’s just such an interesting thing how different outfits can make us feel like different persons, or parts of our personalities, at least.

30 Questions Mori Girl Challenge – 4 & 5

Emma and Feline weren't too fond of being my models today...

4- name 5 things you love about mori girl.

1. The animal motives. Deer and foxes and hares and rabbits, the whole woodland folk.
2. The materials. I may have already mentioned this once or twice, but I really dislike plastic fabrics. Mori Girl sports very natural fabrics like wool and linen, so it’s perfect for me this way.
3. The un-styled-ness of the style. Somehow an oxymoron, but anyway.
4. How it keeps the balance between wild and ladylike. Although I sometimes miss the sturdier part of wild.
5. That I’m able to purchase Mori-style clothing from several green and alternative clothing shops here in town or at Waschbär. Also, it’s more goa-fairy-look compatible than Lolita…

5- name 5 things you dislike about mori girl.

1. I only happen to see girls that are etherally thin in Mori. As someone with curves I feel not only underrepresented but also a little bit left out. There are no real examples of women with some breasts and butts (sorry for being so frank) so I always fear to look utterly silly in this style. We definitely need some more curvy love here!
2. That there are so little boys in the style! I’m sure they could come up with really lovely coordinates, maybe a little rougher than what we are wont, but still… I’d love to see it.
3. The looseness. Well, only part of it, as it’s somehow a staple. But it’s a curvy problem again, as soon as I put on something without a waist at all or a babydoll I look pregnant. Is a more fitted Mori Girl style actually possible or should I give it up alltogether because my measures don’t fit?
4. Thought like those above.
5. The whole Polaroid camera and photography-is-a-must thing. It’s a great hobby, sure, but the represented urge is too “in your face” for me and somehow reminds me of hipsters. And I don’t really like hipsters.

P.S.: Happy Eggs Day and Dessert Day, by the way!

30 Questions Mori Girl Challenge – Day 3

3- Have you ever lived in a rural environment? If you have, do you think it influenced your mori-ness? If you never have,  do you think living in a suburban or urban environment influenced your style any?

I’ve tried both, and both environments had a certain influence on my style developement and thus also on my mori-ness. Spending my childhood in a house at the edge of fields and woods opened my eyes for the very beauty of nature, of the opportunities it gives to breathe and retreat. It also made me use autumn leaves’ wreaths for crowns and acorns for earrings.
The city where I spent my last teen years in contrary showed me that I need this form of social, modern jungle, too. It’s a different kind of breathing. I don’t think I’d appreciate nature less if I wasn’t such a self-made city child, but it certainly helps. A city is a kind of forest of its own, so there is no way that Mori couldn’t originate from there, just like the country isn’t likely to make everyone who lives there a moss daughter.

Living in the city also made my style a little tougher and actually more practical. In a place with lots of people of every kind you need to be stronger, less vulnerable – at least on the outside – and have more self-esteem. My years there influenced not only my clothing but also my attitude, the way I walk and my ability to behave in large public places, especially when I’m on my own.

I love finding little oases of green between high concrete walls, I love admiring old town houses and watching the people hurry by. But I also love to retreat at my mother’s house in the Shire and wander the hills where I spent my wonderful childhood.

I made you a list of examples of influences these environments had on my style decision below:

Country influences:
- flimsy fabrics
- light colours
- accessories from nature finds
- feathers in my braids
- flower prints
- moccasin boots
- rain boots
- short pants
- woolen sweaters
- soft berets
- head scarves
- linen
- Vintage

City influences:
- heavy steel toed boots
- black flare trousers
- open short coats
- deep non-metal influenced black
- heavy fabrics
- Lolita
- dark lipstick
- smaller bags than a backpack
- Danish Duckfeet shoes
- bodices
- high-collar blouses
- Alice bands

30 Day Mori Challenge – Day 1 & 2

I found it here, and as it wasn’t exactly the Lolita challenge but with “Mori” filled in, I decided to do it. I think I’ll be doing several days at once this time so I’ll have the spaces to write about other things, too. It’s more of a 30 questions challenge then, I guess…

1- naturally, our first question is how did you get into mori girl?

I guess someone wrote about it in their blog, Victoria Suzanne from Parfaitdoll or Aly from Miss Lumpy, if I remember it correctly. I noticed that my lifestyle was pretty much what one could call a Mori Girl one (together with Steampunk and Lolita), so I started to incorporate it on purpose.

2- who is/are your mori girl idols? who inspires your fashion?

I think Rima Stains could be counted as one of them, but in contrary to Lolita where I have more actual real life idols, Mori relies even more on fictional characters for me. In fiction it’s especially Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden and also many, many fairy tale characters. I’m sure Snow White and Rose Red would make excellent Mori Girls.