I know I've used this title before, but in a post about studs and spikes, it's far too fantastic not to repeat. You know what else is far too fantastic? STUDS AND SPIKES. Yeah, we saw that one coming. Studded-and-spiked everything is everywhere right now, ranging from sexily prim to punk-reminiscent edgy. And there is NO WAY that something I could describe as "sexily prim" is passing my wardrobe by. Oh hells no. Just look at those SHOES up above. LIKE SERIOUSLY, take in how glorious they are. Unf. So in the spirit of the thing, here's a rundown of a few awesome different studded options, plus three gloriously differently-styled studs-and-spikes outfits. With fanfiction models, because I have way too much fun making up stories about fictional fashion girls.
Accessories are definitely the easiest way to add a bit of spike to your wardrobe, and debatably the cheapest, although once you reach Meadowlark that may not be the case. Nevertheless, as I declared on Facebook while putting together this post, "There is never a time that I go to the Meadowlark website and come away disappointed."
In this case, Meadowlark have ever so thoughtfully created three ring options - a wee pyramid stud ring, if you want to ease into it; a black gem knuckleduster, for a bit more swag, and a full-on spiked ring, for those times you feel the need to a) reconnect with your teen Goth roots or b) cause some proper damage punching someone. (I'm not sure that I actually would - I don't want to get blood on my pretty things, after all.) They also have this lovely faceted pendant, which isn't quite what I think of when I hear "spikes" but the pointy jagged shapes totally work.
Spiked or studded detachable collars are also excellent for mixing it up a bit - this one is from Etsy, but they abound all over the internet, and you could even DIY one (with or without the shirt attached). I feel like this, layered over a floaty chiffon blouse, would create a fantastic hard-soft contrast. And at the seriously affordable end of the scale (and I don't mean "fashion magazine affordable", I mean "skip buying a coffee for two days") is this adorable Glassons studded hair clip. The hot pink is an excellent pop of girly colour in what can otherwise be quite a dark aesthetic, and at six bucks, it's the perfect "dip your toe in the water" option.
If you're up for more studs than just accessories, I feel like spiked shoes are an excellent way to get the look into your wardrobe without worrying that you're spending too much money on a studded blouse or dress. And because they're down a bit lower than your boss' line of sight, you could potentially get away with wearing a pair of spiked shoes to work (whereas a giant studded collar might be pushing the bounds of "acceptable work wear"). This is certainly what I plan to do with the black-on-black spiked pumps from Mi Piaci. I am totally aware that they are essentially knock-offs of the Louboutin heels I posted above, but a) they are significantly less than $1500 (especially with the discount voucher they thoughtfully mailed to me) and b) I can try them on in-store. So I am pretty okay with this.
The other heels here are the Kate Sylvester patent studded pumps, which are hot-secretary sex in shoe form, and Jeffrey Campbell Lita Spikes. I have a friend who owns the KS pumps and a friend who owns the Litas, and all I will say is that they are really, really lucky we don't have the same shoe size, because if we did, I cannot guarantee their shoes would be safe. And the Glassons stud slippers are both remarkably budget-friendly AND "schlepping around town on days when heels are too much" friendly, which makes them an awesome and quite frankly necessary shoe for my wardrobe. I get swooned by heels all the time, and flats really need more of a look-in. Oh Glassons, is there anything you can't do? (Answer: yes, make clothes using properly enough fabric, but for a cheapie chain store, they do what they do pretty damn well).
And now for the funnest part (seriously, it's the Most Fun):
Sarah's Super Important Event (a cocktail party/design world schmooze) had been red-lettered into her iPhone for months, but what to wear was a big dilemma. She wanted to look sleek and professional, of course, but also a little bit edgy. Her quandary was only exacerbated when she found a pair of Louboutin spiked stilettos, magically in her size and MARKED DOWN FIFTY PERCENT. Finally she came to the conclusion that a little black dress might be the standard, but it was the standard for a damn good reason, and when she found the Kate Sylvester slub-silk dress dress with a studded waistband, she was totally reconciled (bonus: POCKETS for her iPhone). She straightened her hair into an excellently sleek bob, drew on some perfect cats-eye liquid liner and a slick of red lipstick (to match the soles of her shoes, of course), and added her Meadowlark knuckleduster just for a bit more bling.
Mikki had long grown out of her teenage Goth phase, but show her a swatch of tartan and a few spikes, and it did still get her pulse going just a little bit faster. That said, though, this time around there were never going to be any Hot Topic tartan miniskirts, New Rock boots, or laddered stockings, even if she was going out to a grungy dive bar for Saturday-night drinks with a really hot guy. She'd learned some things in ten years, and one of those things was "high heeled boots and tight black jeans". She threw on a Ricochet black leather-trim jacket over her ruffled tartan blouse, added a detachable collar, and when she couldn't decide between her two spiked rings, gave up and wore them both. Pale foundation and black lipstick were definitely out, but smokey black eyeshadow was very firmly in, and all in all she not only took the hot guy home, but got to give fashion tips to the baby bats in the bathroom, so it was an excellent night all round.
Annabelle adored dressing prim-and-proper-secretary, but she also adored leather. Sadly, she thought, never the twain could meet. Until she found this Ricochet leather pencil skirt, that is, and that made everything better. After that, it was a very short step to give into the power of Kate Sylvester's studded merino sweater and patent high-heeled pumps (which really were totally sedate and professional, if you didn't look at the studs up the back...). The three-quarter sleeves of her sweater highlighted her favourite gold feather bracelet fantastically, and adding soft pink-and-grey eyeshadow and a slick of candy-pink lip gloss brought a bit of colour into her otherwise monochrome black. She was really very pleased with the result, especially because the next time she was at the other branch office for a meeting, she reduced the gorgeous lawyer girl she'd had her eye on for the last six months (and who wore the most beautifully tailored androgynous suits) to uncontrollable blushing. It was a most excellent outcome all round, she thought.
