My fashion sense clearly can't make up its damn mind

So these are outfits from two consecutive days.

Outfit the first: all of the black and drapey. Because a mass of black is kind of hard to photograph, I'm going to state here that I am wearing a skirt. It is an awesome black stretch cotton mini with leather panels on the sides, and I got it for all of $12 brand-new from Recycle Boutique. I am also wearing leggings, a camisole, boots and a drapey black silk blouse, because layers were where it was at yesterday. The boots, just by the way, are second-hand Ann Demeulemeester, and I am kind of ridiculously in love with them. They're similar to my knee-high black suede boots, in that they're flat and black and suede, but they have a fantastic amount of buckles and slouch and super-soft suede. Hooray for boots. (In December, because Wellington laughs at your idea of seasons.)

Details (click picture for larger version): Black skirt with leather panels, Sussan, via Recycle Boutique. Black silk blouse, Ricochet. Leggings, Glassons. Black suede ankle boots, Ann Demeulemeester, via Trademe. Amethyst pendant, via Trademe and Madame Fancy Pants.

And then there was today, wherein my fashion sense swung wildly from one apex of my personal style preference to the other. The one where all my love for twee and bows and ruffles and floral print still hides out, waiting to strike. And strike it did, in the form of a floral circle skirt, high heels with bows on, a pink, ruffled top which my flatmate has told me makes me look like "some kind of delicious strawberry dessert", and a curled high ponytail. I know, right.

Details (click picture for larger version): Pink ruffled top, Temt. Black floral circle skirt, handmade. Black tights, supermarket. Cream bow heels, Ultra Shoes. Lilac belt, Glassons.

It's a business dress! Or is it?

This is a new dress, one I've been working on for the last wee while (although I've had the fabric stashed since probably about this time last year? Who knows. A length of time). It's a pattern I've made before, with one twist - this version has a super-low scooped back and exposed zip, just to sex up the otherwise extremely conservative cut in the front. It has the nice side-effect of suddenly showing off another rather large tattoo to all my workmates, because that's how I roll. AND it has pockets. Pockets. The joy of a dress with pockets cannot be overstated.

I finished the dress this weekend, full of determination to wear it to work today. With these shoes and that belt. Of course, Wellington then had to put on the showery rain all day, so I had to wear sensible closed-toe shoes during my trip from home to work to avoid suede getting rained on (I hear it's not the greatest, hey), but you better believe I took these in in my Bag of Holding and changed into them once I was at work. When pink suede heels are in the offing, who could choose sensible shoes?

Details (click picture for larger version): Black/grey linen/wool-blend dress with scoop back, handmade. Black cotton leggings, Glassons. Pink/cream suede heels, Ultra Shoes. Black patent belt, Cue. Pearl strand, vintage via Trademe. Pink rose brooch, from EGL sales community. Tattoos, Dan at New Zealand Tattoo.

A surfeit of styles

World, I am shamefaced. An ENTIRE MONTH without posting once. Seriously, for shame. That said, though, I have been doing Things. Like what? I hear you ask. Weeeeeelllllll, I've been sewing a bit, and working, and hibernating as far away as possible from the cold and wet and wild that is the Wellington winter. Okay, confession, I've pretty much mostly been hibernating. Is Cold. Do Not Like. But finally the build-up of outfit snapshots just became far too much to ignore, so this post is a veritable bevy of outfits, all in vastly different styles. See Vanessa's exposed skin slowly disappear as the days grow ever colder! It's a fun game for all the family, or something.

Okay, I have been doing one other thing. Want a sneak preview? Of course you do. Okay then.

EEEE excitement! Yup, that's the beginnings of my Twinkle Mermaid-inspired half-sleeve right there. I've had more work since then - the frame is now nicely filled in with black - and I'll be starting colour in a couple more weeks. I may not wear lolita anymore, but dammit, that's no reason not to have awesomely pretty mermaids around!

This outfit, according to my photo timestamp, is all the way back from the 27th of May. That is SO LONG AGO, blog world. This outfit is also really super-gothic-black for me, which is a style I've recently been getting into a lot more. Wellington is kind of known for its citizens tending towards nothing but black, and I've always bucked that trend with colour (especially pastels) so it's a little bit weird to finally be doing the minimalistic Black Black Black thing. That said, this dress is amazing - it's a twist on a shirtdress, with button detailing down the sides, an uneven hem line, and SHIRT COLLARS FOR SLEEVES. Seriously, how cool is that?

Details (click picture for larger version): Black shirtdress, Company of Strangers via The Service Depot. Black tights, supermarket. Black suede boots, Mi Piaci. Black patent belt, Cue. Silver arrow pendant with crystal detail, Madame Fancy Pants.

From super-minimal to ultra-luxe and pretty! I wore this to work one day when I was a bit tired of casual dress and wanted to kick it up a notch. Sadly, this (at the beginning of June) was the last time I've been able to wear this blouse - I wanted to wear it today, but when the weather website says it's six degrees with windchill, that is not a day for short-sleeved silk chiffon. EVENTUALLY it will be spring and I will wear it again, OH YES.

Details (click picture for larger version): Black silk chiffon blouse, Sylvester via Kate Sylvester. Caramel/nude lace pencil skirt, Kate Sylvester. Black tights, supermarket. lack faux-leather studded platform ankle boots with wood heels, Number One Shoe Warehouse. Pearl strands, vintage via Trademe. 

Now we get to yesterday! This is one of my recent sewing projects - it's a lined double circle skirt with a black velveteen waistband and a satin bias-binding hem. DOUBLE circle skirt, yes - it's roughly six metres worth of grey Prince of Wales check merino wool suiting, with pleats at the waist. I adore this skirt unreasonably, even though hemming it was an exercise in patience and frustration (I think around 13 metres worth of hem, from memory...) The fabric was in my stash for years, and is the perfect weight for this skirt as it's heavy enough to drape but light enough to swoosh about marvelously as I walk. In addition, I have adorable new boots! The winter sales are on in full force at the moment, and with my tax return burning a hole in my pocket, I couldn't resist cute little ankle boots in brown/black leather ("little" is kind of a misnomer as they're 3.5" wedge heels - I can actually reach things on the top shelf of the pantry!) This outfit had my workmates calling me a schoolgirl, and made me feel like I ought to be wearing a beret and be in some French storybook.

Details (click picture for larger version): White elbow-sleeve collared blouse with black ribbon tie, Sylvester via Kate Sylvester. Black merino jersey-dress, Fred Perry. Grey merino check skirt, handmade. Black tights, supermarket. Brown/black wedge ankle boots, Mi Piaci. Victorian-girl necklace, gifted. Red lipstick, MAC Russian Red.

And finally, today's outfit! I've very recently been on a chiffon maxi-skirt kick - Glassons (which I guess would be very similar to Forever 21) has had a few really lovely-for-the-price varieties in, so as well as this long, gathered black chiffon version (which depending on the light is rather more transparent than in this photo), I also recently acquired a nutmeg-brown-with-black-waistband-and-knife-pleats option. ALL THE MAXI-SKIRTS. I've also, as you might be able to see here, satisfied (for now) my desire for raw crystal, in the form of this citrine pendant, as well as a similar version in amethyst. I am now (according to my somewhat snarky flatmate) well-protected against psychic attack! Regardless, I now have acceptable levels of shiny crystal pendanty things, although I'm still gearing up for a giant knuckleduster of a ring eventually.

Details (click picture for larger version): Black merino top with kimono-print sleeve detail, Frutti. Black chiffon maxi-skirt, Glassons. Black tights, supermarket. Black/brown wedge ankle boots, Mi Piaci. Brown belt, Glassons. Raw citrine pendant, Etsy.

Daily outfit: fifties satin and a cardi

Full confession: This isn't today's daily outfit, but one from a few days ago. Sorry! I played with curling my hair, which resulted in amusing bounce for all of half an hour and then the curls fell out. My hair, it does not really like to hold a curl. Sigh. 

In any case, this is a 50s-style party frock made from a vintage Vogue pattern and period vintage 50s floral-print satin. I adore it but it's a bit much to wear during the day as a work outfit all on its own, so adding a little belted cardigan over the top helps to tone down the PARTY SATIN aspect. The hem band of the dress is a silk/cotton blend and is the result of me having about half a metre too little fabric, but I actually love the contrasting detail it adds to the skirt (which is SUPER HUGE and floofy and fantastic).

Details (click picture for larger version): 50s floral-print satin dress, handmade, from a vintage pattern and fabric. Black cropped cardigan, Dotti. Cream cotton belt, vintage. Black/cream peep-toe heels, Magnini, via Ultra Shoes. 

Daily outfit: florals and linen and tan

After a really cold snap over the weekend, I'm reveling in what will probably be the last bit of sunshine for the next eight months. PEEP TOES AND BARE LEGS AHOY. A belted short-sleeved jacket over a pencil skirt feels very 40s to me, and is a nice pulled-together outfit for a late-summer workday.


Details (click picture for larger version): Japanese-floral dobby-cotton jacket, DeVol Clothing via Frutti. Grey linen pencil dress, handmade, from two vintage patterns. Brown faux-leather belt, Pagani. Brown peep-toe wedge heels, Isabella Anselmi via Overland Shoes. Pink natural/unshaped pearl necklace, gifted.