Two Holiday Outfit Inspirations

Disclaimer: Usually I’m someone who doesn’t post twice a day. And originally this post was meant for yesterday, but I was too busy to finish is, and anyway, it’s the holidays, and about everything is special during these days. Oh, and I tried to incorporate all brand names in the text at first, it’s horrible. You’ll find the polyvores when you click the respective pictures, which is far more convenient.

I haven’t done a Porcelain Sunday in ages! Well, today won’t be one, but there are inspiring pieces and matching outfits, so it is pretty much the same. Two of my very favouite holiday pictures, and very different ones, too.

Barbie in The Nutcracker

I love the original ballet. I love Tchaikovsky’s music. I love the story by E.T.A. Hoffmann. But I must admit, the version I hold dear most is – right – the Barbie picture. It’s not animated that well and has an incredible amount of not-sticking-to-neither-tale-nor-ballet, but so incredibly sugary and sweet, a very depiction of the Sugar Plum Fairy herself. Whenever I’m sad and need comfort that feels like a marshmellow but without the calories, I turn to this movie.

1. Dress: With the Sugar Plum Fairy theme I decided to go for something between Classic and Sweet Lolita. The dress represents the more classic and festive side. I also wanted to go for hues of plum instead of pink in contrary to the movie. The dress has a nice mid-19th -century feel about it thanks to the bell sleeves and the flap at the back (the original story was written at the beginning of the century, though). Also, the skirt looks quite light due to the pale colour which also is a notion and quality we associate with ballet costumes.
2. Blouse and Skirt (and Corset): I chose the blouse mainly chose it for the rich, reddish plum colour. While the classic version of my Sugar Plum Fairy interpretation balances the parts of blue and red equally, the more sweet take is more on the red side. The Skirt is Alice and the Pirate’s Twilight Circus, a print that I like quite much. It shows stage performances (kind of) without turning directly to ballet. In relatiom to the Barbie picture I’d link the motives to the sweets-inspired supporting characters. The corset I put in mainly as an additional piece and another block of colour to the blouse. I think it’s pretty and I already used it back in my Ero Lolita Matching Monday.
3. Headdresses: The alice band with the large round lace piece which in my head belongs to the classic side strongly reminds me of another Tchaikovsy ballet, Swan Lake (there’s a Barbie adaption of this, too, by the way, but here I’m more of a Princess Tutu fan ^^), where the leading lady often wears a headdress (on both sides of the head) made of white feathers in a rounded shape (a bit tangled, this sentence, isn’t it…). Plus, it looks like something sweet covered in layers of cream to me. The oldschool headdress was a choice of heart in this case, I just like the style.
4. Tights: Lacy ones, but striped ones would have been great with these outfits, too. The main point is to choose something light and sugary.
5. Bag: It’s far too expensive even for Lolita, but I liked the shape so much. Something shaped like sweets could be nixe, too, and again it’s a pastel pink/ plum shade.
6. Shoes: The fur-trimmed rain boots with Art Nouveau artwork are meant for the dress, while the Neosens 20s style shoes are for the sweet version. Of course it could be the other way as well, but I liked the contrast of the pale blue of the low Ludwig heels with the more red-toned rest of the outfit. It also matches the bolero jacket I thought nice with the plum blouse.
7. Accessoires: For jewelry I took things that had either to do with ballet or with sugar. There are so many sweets-themed accessoires out there, one can’t even count. The heart-shape cutout gloves are of the same brand as the purse, and I thought they would make a neat addition together with the parasol.

Hogfather

A much darker tale is Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather. A beloved Yultide classic in my inner circle since its release and the book wonderful per se (it’s Discworld) Hogfather tells the story of Hogswatch eve events mostly settled in Ankh-Morpork revolving around Susan Sto-Helit, Death’s (adoptive) granddaughter, Bilious, the Oh God of Hangovers and several other very unique characters. Actually it’s a bit like Charles Dickens with a dark fantasy twist. With the coordinate I aimed for something between dark Victorian/ Classic Lolita and very wild and strong Mori Girl.

1. Dress and Blouse: I wanted to incorporate the dress in a coordinate ever since I saw it first. It’s exceptionally versatile and can become everything with the right accessoires. Rather plain to match Susan’s current profession as a “kind of Goth Mary Poppins” (Terry’s words) it works as a base for the other pieces of the outfit rather than as a piece for itself. The blouse is one of my favourites, and I mainly used it as it is winter and I wouldn’t go out without sleeved with that weather.
2. Jacket: Even with the Hogfather theme I wanted a bit of Victorian decadence in this coordinate. The elaborate fabric with a flowery woven-in pattern and the puffed long sleeves made it perfect for the cause.
3. Hats and Scarves: Here’s the wild compound for the theme. I decided to go for a brown and a grey version. (Faux) Fur is a perfect way to incorporate something either very aristocratic (advised for Lolita) or very strong and primal (Mori, rather) into your outfits, depending on glossyness, texture and colour.
4. Ruffle Collar: A break from the toughness of the fur elements, the ruffles fall softly and ad a more usual sense of Mori Girl to the outfit, feminine and elegant, yet not too shiny and perfect.
5. Accessoires: I know, I know. It’s Hogfather, not Deerfather, but I really couldn’t find anything wild boar-related. Things with antlers, on the contrary, are quite easily found, and do transport the right feeling, too. H&M for example has cute antler-shaped rings at the moment (which sadly didn’t fit on my fingers, but as I don’t really wear rings often, it’s not that much of a loss).
6. Shoes: The granny boots are a hint on Susan’s occupation as a nanny again. The brown colour way seemed nicer with the brown fur set and the black one with grey, so I used both.

Matching Monday: Jump onto the Catbus

My second Studio Ghibli coordinate! I mostly held onto Satsuki’s outfits for the inspiration as Totoro doesn’t wear clothes at all.

1. Dress: Satsuki wears a light yellow sundress at a point in the movie, and I tried to find something plain and simple. This isn’t a dress one wouldn’t be too concerned about to go for a long walk or even a little hike (well, if it wasn’t by BtSsb, that is).
2. Blouse: The dress in the film is worn without one as the summer the story takes place in is quite hot. But once again this isn’t a cosplay, so I threw in a simple-but-cute blouse with a small black ribbon, to add another colour. It’s still short-sleeved to keep the summer feeling.
3. Shoes: I just noticed that I forgot the socks, but I imagine somthing frilly in yellow or white that goes just above the boots. The shoes are in no way related to the movie in their design or colours, but I thought they’d match the blouse and add something unexpected to the outfit.
4. Hat: The whole famili wears broad-rimmed straw hats during the film. This one is made of felt but has the right shape and colour, so I didn’t mind.
5. Jewelery: To go in the Totoro-themed jewelery box, too. The earrings show a Totoro picture and the hairclips have little Totoros, too. I thing one could also find necklaces with this cute creature or make some, but I went for a leather strap with leaf-shaped pendants on it to capture the nature theme of Miyazaki’s masterpiece.
6. Backpack: I didn’t want a handbag here but instead chose a backpack for the aforementioned hike. The green matches the yellow of the dress very well and alos fits into the nature theme, too.

Matching Monday: Delivery Witch

Yesterday was the first Porcelain Sunday of what I hope to become a series of Sundays devoted to Studio Ghibli pictures. But no more speeches, this is what the Kiki’s Delivery Service inspired outfit is made of:

1. Dress and Blouse: In the movie Kiki complains more than once about her plain, black dress. Something more plain than this favourite JSK of mine by Metamorphose would do as well, if not better. Kiki’s dress also has very wide sleeves, so I chose long puff sleeves to have something that could flutter during a broomstick ride. The sheer fabric makes the combination a little more mature, but is pretty much optional.
2. Headdress: Kiki wears something that looks suspiciously much like a head-eating bow. This bow also settles her second colour as it is bright red. I decided to go for dark red velvet Alice bow rather than something from fire engine-coloured cotton as the outfit is supposed to be inspired, not a cosplay. For a sweeter look a lighter red would be more appropriate, but I wanted something more classic, as the movie is set in a vintage Europe around the early 1960s. A simple ribbon would even be more alike the model, by the way, but Alice bows are easier to wear.
3. Shoes: During the first half of the movie, Kiki spots a pair of ruby-red party shoes in a shop window but has not the money to buy them. Her own shoes seem to be something like rather sturdy ballerinas. I wanted to keep the down-to-earth tone but liked the thought to bring in the red again that was in the head bow. The beauties from the set are by Victorian Maiden, the red colour way of those I already used for Hufflepuff with the Harry Potter themed Monday.
4. Jewelery: I wanted Jiji, Kiki’s black cat familiar, to be somewhere in the picture. Cat themed jewelery isn’t too hard to find, but I think self-made cat silhouette pendants or the like could be cute as well. The pocket watch is useful to keep an eye on time, something essential when you’ve got deliveries to make.
5. Bag: Kiki herself has a bindle as her luggage when she leaves home. Of course this was too much as a handbag, so I reduced it to a Pompadour bag. This one is from Manufactum (originally to store jewelery) and made from black velvet which I see as a great addition to the headband again.
6. Socks and Others: The socks were difficult, as Kiki doesn’t wear any in the movie. I think she does in the illustrations of the children’s book (which the move was made after), but I wanted to emphasize the film, anyway. I finally decided to use BtSsb diamond socks as striped ones were just not right for this witch, even though they are very common with this kind of people, usually. Black socks would also do, but I liked them better with a pattern. The teacup is an allusion to the mug Kiki buys for Jiji’s sake at her first visit at the grocery store (there’s a cat painted on the mug that looks like him. A.k.a. “is black”). The Jiji cushion is there for mere fun.

I would have loved to incorporate the delivery service logo somewhere, but I couldn’t find the right place.
This is by the way the right soundtrack for this outfit, my favourite song is no. 21.

Matching Monday: Hogwarts Girls

I wanted to capture the spirit of the houses rather than picturing the school uniforms in Lolita shape (that’d have been boring).

I was a little surprised myself on how it came out. But instead of boring you with the long journey to a set, I’ll give you the single ingediences instead:

1. Coat: You may remeber it from my wishlist post during the 30 Day Lolita Challenge. I noticed that it came in four colourways, matching the Hogwarts houses, and here we go, rich red velvet for Gryffindor.
2. Blouse: Not too feminine and with crochet “edges” at the bow, that reminded me of a lion’s mane in their pointiness. Off-white, nevertheless, because snow white doesn’t fit into the wizarding world too good, it simply seems to be at the wrong place. And white, because Gryffindor are so incredibly obviously the good guys. ^^
3. Trousers: Yes, trousers! One of the point that really surprised me, but in fact, leather breeches like these are perfect for adventures at the Forbidden Forest. They’ll beautifully gain patina during the years and a reliable pair of leather pants are a piece of clothing that will accompany you forever and a day.
4. Socks: Unconcious of the coat of arms I was going to use for the set, I chose AatP sock with a red-and-white diamond pattern. Somewhere between regal and tomboyish they were quite the right choice for the breeches, which actually came in afterwards.
5. Shoes:  Buckled, belted and somewhat peculiar they look like fancy boots a prince or princess would wear on adventures. They seemed to scream “we’re the right ones to tame dragons and ride hippogriffs with!” to me, and what better recommendation could I get?
6. Bag: A crown, because the lion – here as Gryffindor’s heraldic animal – is often called “king of the animals”, and also Gryffindor’s colours – gold and red – are associated with royalty.
7. Jewelery: It’s a rather simple pattern, golden lion heads. Here as a ring, bracelet and necklace.
8. Other: Braces, because the blouse would have looked a little bit weird without something else to break the white, and because braces are cool. Red leather gloves to add some extra fancy and because they might come in handy when handling wild beasts or swinging on ropes, and especially for broom rides so that your hands won’t freeze.

Slytherin had to be something elegant, maybe even gothic. The style had to be simple, nothing with too many details, since a Slytherin doesn’t show his or her fortune and class through quantity…

1. Coat: The dark, bluish colour was the base for the other colour decicions, even though Slytherin’s green is more likely to be depicted as a more “common” green in the movies. I like to think that members of the house would approve this decision.
2. Blouse: The bell sleeves hide whatever potion or dagger or fluffy pink merchandise item that you’re embarassed of you’ve got in hand. The jabot hints nobility – not royal blood, more like the ones that draw the strings from behind the scenes. And black just for the contrast to white knight Gryffindor.
3. Skirt: Something solid coloured that – again – could hide cheat slips, small portions of poison or whatever small thing might come in handy to make your way to the top – wether it might be the top of class or of society.
4. Stockings: The pattern reminded me of a serpent’s scales. The stockings themselves are quite revealing without letting the legs seem naked, and add an mature charm to the outfit.
5. Shoes: A pair of my dream shoes, I’ve got to admit. The velvet is again a symbol of class, the straps suggest fragility and Victorian elegance.
6. Bag: The AatP book strap bag in black. To carry your forbidden knowledge and black mail. Or simply love letters to that Ravenclaw you’ve been crushing on since first year.
7. Jewelery: The earrings are the official ones released by WB merchandise. The ring was an obvious choice, similar ones can be found at Claire’s at the moment, and I knew I had to use one like that on Slytherin. A bracelet in snake form would have been great, too. The feathered comb counts as jewelery, too. The colours were quite right, and a sturdier piece could also be used as a weapon, I guess.
8. Others: The lace gloves were something I wanted to symbolise the distance most Slytherins keep, even amongst equals. Plus, they matched the tights. The scarf looks like a snake’s skin and was a nice break from the polished surface of the rest of the outfit.

Ravenclaw was the first outfit I made, and I wanted it to look more classic than the rest, a little bit old-fashioned, maybe, or oldschool.

1. Coat: The same one as before, but in a very deep midnight blue.
2. Dress: Ravenclaw is the only house to sport a onepiece. Nothing too fancy, no print, something that doesn’t take to long to put on but looks serious and sophisticated nevertheless. The blue of the dress is a lighter shade than the coat’s, for a little bit of variety.
3. Stockings: My “third colour” for Ravenclaw – the original ones being blue and bronze – is champagne, here in shape of sheer silk stockings. Very classical again without looking too much like an old maid.
4. Shoes: Boots again. They look like granny boots, in a very elaborate manner, and are unique enough to fit into the wizarding world.
5. Bag: Another book bag, this time by Innocent World. As you can see I didn’t really use bronze anywhere in this coord, so I subsituted it with brown and antique gold/ brass.
6. Jewelery: The small watch necklace at the upper left is something I’ve got myself. Time pieces seemed adequate for Ravenclaw, something precise and useful. The (nearly invisible) gold collier in the middle is a classic break from this usefulness, that I tought nice for the house, though.
7. Others: The umbrella simply had the right colours, but it might be quite usefull, too, when you don’t want your precious books to become wet under the influence of Hogwarts weather. The cashmere scarf was another take on classic style, nothing too fancy but a remarkable piece, nevertheless. The brass instruments are a model of Kepler’s theory and a caleidoscope.

Last but not least: Hufflepuff. When the Scoundrel saw this picture, the first thing he said was “Wait, that’s you!”. Yes, I’m a Hufflepuff. Badger pride!

1. Coat: This time in black. Nobody would wear a yellow coat, anyway, except oilskin.
2. Blouse: White, again. The upper rows of buttons remind be of a chef’s uniform, and the ribbon around the neck can transform an outfit from serious to relaxed and back in a couple of seconds.
3. Bodice: Simply blouse and skirt wouldn’t do for Hufflepuff, every time when I think about this house I think layers. And so I ended up with a black bodice, but I imagine the boys would wear corduroy or velvet waistcoats.
4. Skirt and Dress: I couldn’t quite decide, so I took both. The skirt is Innocent World’s Antique Book, the dress is from Meta and I liked the cozyness of the ruffles and fabric buttons.
5. Socks: AatP again, this time with grey and black stripes to match a badger’s fur.
6. Shoes: I simply adore them. The’ve got low heels, rounded toes and a pretty ribbon for laces. The down-to-earth look seemed to fit Hufflepuff quite well, but of course the shoes had to be well made.
7. Bag: A leather school bag, to hold lots of treats to share with friends, and of course school books and occasional other tools.
8. Jewelery: For me, Hufflepuff yellow isn’t canary, but a little darker and more toned down, so amber seemed the best choice. The earrings are made of amber and the necklace at least is of amber colour. The headband is made of feathers that sport all colours that are present in the rest of the coord.
9. Others: Huffelpuff’s scarf is in comparison with the others the most “common” but also the most sturdy  and practical-looking. It also has a certain “cozy” aspect, especially together with that soft beanie-like cap.

Now… which house is yours (if you don’t know or can’t decide, there are enough quizzes to take)?

Matching Monday – Hares ‘n Pastels

Today I celebrated spring by climbing up the old embankment dam at the weir and standing upon the sun-warmed stones, feet in streaming water, the song of a laughing river in my ears.

Usually I’m not too fond of pastels, but with today’s coordinate I ended up with some, and I think I might take a liking to at least some pastels, after all.

What’s in this outfit?

• Skirt: It’s Love Nadia from Bodyline which I just bought second-hand from a fellow German Lolita. I love the colour and the print, it has nearly mori-esque qualities. Also, the colours allow to wear it with things that pass as Steampunk very well.
• Blouse: I wanted something romantic and somewhat historically inspired for the coord to prevent it from becoming too sweet instead of classic. Something very light with long but still fluffy sleeves might be a good alternative to the blouse shown, too.
• Shoes: Granny boots once again. The colours both appear in the skirt’s print and emphasize the classic aspect again.
• Bag: Well, more of a portmonnaie, but I’m sure it would make a great bag if sewn in a larger scale. As it’s Eastertide I wanted either lambs or hares as a theme in the coord. I couldn’t find too many things decorated with lambs, so I ended up with hares, but the leather bunny could surely be replaced with a stuffed animal lamb purse, too.
• Jewelery: Here we’ve got two hares (well, one rabbit and one hare, actually) and a pair of mushrooms. The hares are somewhat self-explanatory at this time of year, and I thought the locket with the white rabbit’s silhouette would add a nice touch to the tightrope walk between classic and sweet. And… well, I know it’s not really the time for mushrooms yet, but they matched the print of the skirt so well! There’s a little red in it, and the forest theme… well, now there are some mushrooms. We’re all grown up and can deal with that, I think. ;)
• Shawl: It still can get cold within minutes now in April. This one is a very refined one, silky to the touch. Cute and ladylike shawls don’t have to be expensive and can be found in every shopping street and mall in nearly every colour and an astounding array of patterns.
• Headwear: I went for a crocheted headband matching the print’s colours again. It also has a touch of mori girl to it and de-stiffens the outfit a little. The off-white roses are optional, but I just love, love, love flowers to be worn in one’s hair!

So, that’s it for today. Just this morning I had the idea to try my luck on making some egg-shaped charms, but then I had so much else to do that I completely forgot it. Maybe I’ll craft some tomorrow, even though Eastertide is over then. Eggs are great symbols at this time of the year – any time of the year! – anyway.

Matching Monday – Avonlea Girls

As I confessed yesterday I’m highly influenced by the Anne of Green Gables mini series here. But anyway, I tried to stick to my own imagination, too. The outfits today are more like something I can imagine the characters would wear if they lived today, but still inspired by the 19th century.

So, let’s start with our heroine!

The outfit turned out completely different to what I had imagined before. But anyway, I like how it came out, except of one detail that could be better, but I wasn’t able to find the right thing, so I’m perfectly fine with what we have here. So, here are the parts of the coord:

Jumperskirt: The thing that bugs me, actually. Originally I wanted a pinafore or something similar, more in the direction of Natural Kei than Lolita, and definitely more country. But I ended up with this, and actually I like it. It’s Antique Books from Innocent world, one of the brands that I adore most. The motif is just perfect for dreamy Anne who always has her nose in a book – even when not reading!

Blouse: I wanted something more country-like, and the blouse reminded me extremely of Marilla’s clothes from the pictures. The colour also gives a hint of the lush meadows that surround Avonlea and even Green Gables itself.

Socks and Wristcuffs: The wristcuffs looked so lady-like and playful and romantic that I instantly thought them right for the outfit. The socks were the only pair that matched in colour, but if it was completely up to me I’d rather choose some knitted ones with an elaborate, fine pattern. But those do, as well. Just nothing too fragile, it wouldn’t match Anne’s country life with feeding chicken and milking cows and endless roamings in the woods of Prince Edward Island.

Necklace: Representing the string of pearls Anne receives as a gift from her adoptive father figure Matthew Cuthbert I chose something with a ribbon, not too refined but rather something a young girl would wear even if she lived not in a great mansion in the city but on a wonderful homestead in the country, rather not for opera but smaller society events in the hotel nearby (but still some miles away).

Hat: When we first encounter Anne she wears an old sailor straw hat. It’s replaced later by Marilla, but ever since then, Anne is connected to that hat in my mind. Well, anime and live action series might have done their share… I decided not to go for the usual and simple model but something that reminds one a little bit of a bonnet (actually I tried on one of this kind yesterday and I think I need a new straw hat anyway…) to recapture the “Victorian” feeling and add a more mature and with this somehow more modern touch to it.

Bag: I thought some kind of basket would be nice, to emphasize the country influence once again. This special bag strongly reminded me of a fishing basket I once hat (and which was only used for the transport of my rabbit and guinea pigs). Also, it resembles a school satchel a little bit, to get to the “nose in a book” thing once again. Plus, it’s green again!

Boots: Here it all comes together, the colours, the feeling, the flowers. I spied these boots and instantly fell in love. Anne is mentioned to wear heavy, dusty, old working boots, even with copper toes, so there was no way I could give this coord something fragile or fashionable, but the print adds such a wonderful, fairy-tale-like touch that I didn’t even hesitate. For me, these boots are the secret “stars” of the outfit.

As for the second outfit today we’ll have a look on Anne’s “bosom friend” Diana Barry. She’s described as a very refined and to some extend sophisticated young lady, sweet and amiable.

Here we go:

Dress: Another favourite brand of mine, Mary Magdalene. I wanted something more delicate for Diana, so I took something slightly tinted between beige and rosé. The design of the dress pretty much matches the time in which the story is set, and if I recall this correctly, Diana even wears a rose-coloured dress at her and Anne’s first ball in the TV series.

Bag: Again, it’s a satchel. I imagine it could be a lady’s handbag when it grows up, so I tought it quite fitting for Diana. It’s less country-esque than my choice for Anne but Diana never showed that devotion to nature like her friend did, so a pretty leather school bag (or something inspired by one) would be much better.

Jewelery: The velvet ribbon actually is a wristband, but I’d rather see it as a choker. The amethysts could also be in Anne’s coord if one recalls the plot around Marilla’s brooch, but they were so flattering for Diana. I always think of her smiling and radiant and somehow glowing from within, with red cheeks and dark eyes, and amethysts are very becoming for this kind of young lady.

Hats: I just couldn’t decide, so I took two. The first one is a mint-coloured bonnet by Innocent World, representing the younger Diana Barry. Bonnets always remind me of the countryside and the artwork of Holly Hobbie. The second hat is pretty much the same as Anne’s, only in another colourway, standing for the older Diana as it seems more toned down and less playful, but very lady-like.

Shoes: Same here, I couldn’t leave out one pair. The light-green, flat mary janes are perfect to go with the bonnet, the brown granny boots are a great addition to the straw cap and let it seem even more mature and refined. Too late by the way I noticed that this coord lacked stockings, so please just try to imagine some pretty knitted ones, maybe with the same fine pattern as Anne’s. They’re probably off-white.

And here I leave you for today, this time without any further advice than to read those books and watch the series. Good night!

Matching Monday – Baker Street

Yesterday I told you about the Disney masterpiece The Great Mouse Detective, where Sherlock Holmes is replaced by Basil of Baker Street, a mouse (Well, kind of. Actually, Basil lives beneath Sherlock’s flat). And here we go with this week’s polyvore!

When you look at the two Disney collectibles in the lower right corner, you’ll notice that I tried to use Basils colour scheme for this coordinate, plus the red of Olivia’s and Dawson’s details.

Now, where to begin? The pieces of this style are as follows:

• A cape. One of the essentials of 19th century detective style! Best-looking and warming when they are double-breasted, a great protection against London fog and rain, especially when made of wool. Without a button line and only a ribbon to tie I guess it’s more children-like and girly.
• An umbrella. Well, the film does start on a rainy evening! Think of Dawson when he first encounters Olivia. Plus, it’s great to hide in a crowd (therefore you’ll need an unsuspicious colour like black) and cover your face to prevent to be detected by vile villains!
• The violin bag is to capture Basil’s as well as Sherlock’s hobby, playing this particular instrument. Sadly I couldn’t find any violin-shaped pieces of jewelery, but one could easily take a doll-house violin or viola to make one. Speaking of it, I think I’ve still got something like that back at my mother’s house…
• A pocket watch. Every good detective needs to know the time, and I thought a fancy time-piece would remind the watcher of the – after all – playful feeling of the movie. This tea-pot-shaped watch even came from the Sherlock Holmes museum and also hints the British tea tradition.
• The ribbon hair clips are mostly Olivia’s thing – in the movie she wears a bright red, head-eating bow. I just wanted to take this in a little less demonstrative direction but without drawing this part of the inspiration from the outfit. After all, a detective shouldn’t catch one’s eye at first sight.
• The blouse. I wanted something Victorian-looking, something that looked a little more earnest but not too stern.
• The skirt is double-breasted again and adds a military touch or even British school uniform. The pleating is a hint in Olivia’s direction – I couldn’t find a blue one.
• The shoes are granny boots, once again. The red is an addition to the hair clips to keep this in continuity. Dawson even finds Olivia in an old shoe of this kind!
• The gloves are made of leather which is obviously more resistant to wind and weather than delicate crochet or satin ones. I also wanted the look to be somewhat sensible and even masculine, so classical gloves were the right choice.
• The scarf combines all the colours or the coordinate and again is a more masculine choice but not without the possibility of the wearer looking lady-like.
• A detective hat. To sum it up, the second essential. I think about sewing one myself as they are quite hard to find, but a flat cap will do, too (ear flaps would be nice, though).
• The pipe is optional, I don’t smoke and don’t want to encourage anyone (but I think you’re all old enough to know that). A  (modded) bubble pipe would be a great alternative if you really want the look!

Today there will be no second part to the feature, but I hereby promise to make a work in progress-post/ tutorial of the cape I’m planning to sew as soon as possible!

And here I leave you (it’s incredibly late again), but not without some music.

Matching Monday – Unspeakable

I consider Ero Lolita one of the most interesting styles in Lolita as it’s not really meant to be worn in public most of the time. With the following coordinate I tried to arrange an outfit that I personally would wear in public.

The “every day friendly” coordinate for this week has some points that draws it from the boudoir to the street:

• The colours. Sadly I wasn’t able to find pieces in exactly the green from the absinthe ad above, but if I had, I’d loved it to be a bodice or shoes. Green isn’t a colour generally associated with dessous, especially erotic ones, just as well as the old yellow from ad, parasol and bloomers. Black in contrary is a common colour for Ero Lolita and, of course, for lingerie.
• The stockings used for this outfit are woolen, opaque ones. While I’m a big fan of those, many people will rather think of a tomboyish little girl or a hippie, but that’s exactly what makes them everyday proof!
• The blouse is made of sheer fabric but with a high collar and pintucks that make it more present.
• The tops. I chose three of them, just for fun. We’ve got a short one on the top that would be great for a night out – actually, I’ve got one that’s pretty similar in my closet. For every day, one would need a tank top underneath the blouse here, at least I’d be more comfortable with one. The bodice in the middle is my favourite, I definitely need one like that. It’s very feminine but without any lace or too much cleavage and the look is almost baroque- or rococo-like. The last one is the most common choice for Ero, a corset. I took the plainest I found, but I’d prefer one made of matte linen. This is a case of “tank top or party” as well, but I’m not too much a friend of corsets for every day, anyway.
• The boots. While higher heels are pretty obvious for this style and rocking horse shoes at least have lacing ribbons that make them a very lady-like and even in the right outfit appealing choice, platform-only (whithout heels) combat boost are rather unusual. I love that chunky look!
• Accessoires. I don’t know why, but for me, Ero Lolita is always connected to parasols. Here it’s a asian-style one from Clockwork Couture and not only had it a colour similar to the light stripes of the bloomers but also was it not to delicate and lacy but added a fragile air to the look I wanted to achieve. The necklace was chosen randomly, I just like bird skulls, and if you just think of how lightweight and brittle they are, it’s a turn in the same direction as the parasol. Plus, I love the Victorian look of the pendant!

I won’t write about the bloomers, for me they are such essentials of Ero that they don’t need an explanation. The ginger beer and bonbons were only added for fun, by the way.

The second coordinate today – yes, there are two this time – is a more refined version:

The several elements are pretty much the same (the bloomers are even just another colour way!) but the outfit is significantly different.

• The colours. Again, we’ve got black as one of the three basic lingerie colours (the others being white and red), but this time together with a rose colour, something between a fresh baby pink and old rose with an apricot hint. Those colours are common for dessous, too, but rather for the innocent look, and they kind of remind one of bare skin, too, or of rose petals opening, if you like metaphors.
• The stockings. Here they are sheer, way more charged with certain associations. Silk stockings with a seam are best, if you ask me, but maybe the seam’s too much…
• The blouse. This is the opaque piece here. The ruffles make it more delicate and add a lavish feel without revealing any skin.
• The corset. Yes, the top piece needed no further thinking here. It’s not the typical corset as it lacks a front plate and has buttons instead which add a cute and very young feeling, and the seams are piped in a darker colour which makes it an even better combination piece with black.
• The shoes. I’ve been drooling over these since I first saw them some years ago on MakoChan’s blog. They are so delicate, so velvety, so innocent yet appealing… Ahem. You know what I mean. They are perfect. The small heel makes them very, very feminine but more in a pastoral way (think of shepherdesses in rococo paintings) than in a way that makes you think of a fetish model.
• Accessoires. Again, there’s an umbrella, this time the Lisbeth Dahl model I’ve got, too. I don’t have to explain the difference to the other parasol, right? For jewelery I chose cameos and a very simply painted porcelain ring for a classical look and a heart pendant as a choker over a blouse like the chosen would have been ridiculous. Plus, a tight necklace would have been more cliché. :) The last thing to mention is the rose Alice band to take on the innocent and pink again.

And now it’s my turn again, today with a fashion design:

I drew this back in school when we got the assignment the design either jewelry or lingerie and I chose the latter. The (very) small collection consists of a brassiere (what a great word, so much better that the abbreviation!) with lace that is meant to look like an old iron fence, french knickers with embroidery and a corset. Fabrics are linen, velvet and raw silk, which is really, really unlikely, but I’d have been satisfied with other high-class matter, too. You can see that I even planned other colour ways, but I missed to scan the second page with the exact brassiere and knickers design (the other colours were light steam blue, pastel park lake reed green and old mansion ochre with darkened stripes for the straps and pocket).

As for music, I’d reccommend Emilie Autumn today as her outfits remind me very much of Ero, most of the time.

 

Come to think of it, I could use an outfit like the first one for M’era Luna festival in August… Hm…

Matching Monday – Princess Sara

This time we don’t have a how-to-achieve-the-look monday, but rather outfits inspired by the book.

It was a little hard to decide what to do for this Matching Monday, and I came up with an interpretation of Sara’s beautiful “rose fairy” dancing outfit, mashed up with her travelling attire:

• Long Sleeved Dress. When it comes to Sara I always think of OPs. There is no way I can imagine Miss Crewe in a jumperskirt! The dress above is from Fan+Friend, if you wonder. In my copy of the book, Sara is most of the time depicted wearing blue, but as I tried to capture the air of the dancing outfit it’s rose-coloured.
• Granny Boots. An essential for a refined, Victorian inspired look. In the book, Sara’s shoes are described as making her feet look very, very small. Granny boots with lacing will do, but with buttons they are perfect!
• Crown Motives. To embrace the princess feeling, a crown is one of the symbols to use (but that is common knowledge, I think). In the coordinate above they are very understated in the mounting of the studs, but I think that a pin or an emblem on a headdress would be lovely, too. Just limit the number, less is more in this case.
• Books. Sara is an avid reader, you might even say a bookworm. I tried to include this part of her personality with the book locket ring and the book hand bag. I myself own a book-shaped locket that belonged to my mother, and you can find many of this style on dawanda and etsy.
• The Doll. Emily is Sara’s best friend when she first arrives at Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary. I love the idea of having a perfect doll with specially tailored frocks and lots of equipment! I even consider making one my own, but I’m still planning here.
• Roses. They come from the dancing outfit, too, and as roses are my favourite flowers I had to include them. Plus, they give an air of royalty without being to serious or overdone. When Princess Portal was still online there was a tutorial on how to make a wonderful wreath out of artificial roses, but I think one can figure out how to get them in shape without it, too. The biggest problem with artificial flowers is to find some that look convincing if you want them to look natural. But if you want some black or blue ones, just go ahead and paint them yourself! There are plenty of other hair pieces with roses too, just keep your eyes open at Claire’s or Accessorize and the like.
• Jewelery. In this case I chose a really pretty locket with a rose motif, to catch on to the hair decor again. Lockets in general are very good to achieve a victorianesque look, and if I recall this right there is also a story line about a locket in the 1995 A Little Princess movie.

As for lockets, here is how I include a bit of Sara’s story and philosophy into my everyday life. Not only do I still try to follow the Princess Code by the Lost Princess Skye (Princess Portal sadly is offline, but you can still read the code here), I also try to remind myself, just like Sara, of the fact that if I want to I can pretend and behave like one. It even went easier when I found my locket:

It dangles over my bed on the knob of my made-from-a-drawer bookshelf together with a small bundle of thyme Teli gave me. Inside it, there’s a small folded piece of paper, reminding me…

I hope my inspiration was at least nice for you to read this time, best inspiring for you, too. I’ll say good bye today with a piece of wonderful music made from sound from the movie mentioned above.

 

Matching Monday – 20s Child

Another series of weekly posts!

According to Porcelain Sundays there will be Matching Mondays, too, to show some coordinates or outfit pieces to fit the source of inspiration I’ve shown the day before.

This times we’ve got The Lost Doll and with it the style of a child from the 1920s. And we’ve got my first time with polyvore as well, so please be easy on me. :)

I tried to show what for me are the essentials of this style:

• Cloche hats. They instantly shout out a loud “TWENTIES!” whenever you see them. But soft, sewn caps like the one on the left are great too, especially to capture the flair of a child’s outfit.
• Mary Janes. These shoes were quite popular in the 1920s, even though they appeared earlier. I myself own a pair of the Duckfeet strap shoes like the ones in the lower left corner, only in a dark red colour way. They give a very dollish air to any outfit, being as chunky and flat as they are, but not without any elegance. But as you can see in the upper right corner, even higher heeled T-straps have that feeling to them, and nearly any strap shoes will do the job.
• Pearls. Necklaces, bracelets, hair clips, everything that decorates, especially with satin ribbon bows that match the colour of your clothes. In 20s Girl there’s even a whole story centered around the pearl strap necklace of the eponymous character! Plus, the reflection of light from pearls is said to be the most flattering and pearl jewelery from fake pearls is really fast and easy to make for a decent 20s style.
• Pastel colours. I don’t know why, but to me, 20s children’s style is a very classic one. And maybe it’s due to the afterwards coloured photographs of the time that I instantly think of taupe and beige and rosé and light yellow and the like.
• Soft-shaped pouches. Think of kindergarten style bags with long straps and half-circle shapes that you carry your bottle of milk and your sandwich in.
• Solid knee socks. In only one colour, maybe with some knitted ajour pattern.
• Low waist lines. A this is kind of difficult with Lolita I went with a tiered skirt to at least somehow mock the lower line. But as there are enough essentials to the style there is no desperate need for the exact silhouette of the skirt. But I think ones without any pattern or print will work best, though.
• Peter Pan collars. One of the key pieces to a vintage, children-like look, if you ask me. One of the greatest things about them is that you can make detachable ones!

This is mine. No, it’s not going to stay like this, I’m going to do some embroidery, maybe whitework…

I used a mix of these three tutorials:

• Colette Patterns
• Transient Expression
• Passion for Fashion

As for books I’d like to recommend Winnie-The-Pooh by A.A. Milne, the aforementioned Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella and Flapper by Joshua Zeitz to learn more about quite inappropriate role models. ;)

Musically, there’s the Charleston and the arrangements of Max Raabe that I love the most. Oh, and there’s ragtime (here, too).

That’s it for the first Matching Monday. I hope you somehow liked it and will return for the next one!