Warm and snuggly... it's time for a winter lookbook

So, like, is it wrong that in February, supposedly the middle of summer here in the southern hemisphere, I'm already planning my winter wardrobe? Cos I am. I think in part it's because summer this year has been truly terrible - it's never really gotten above around 25 degrees (Celsius, clearly), and I can count the number of times on both hands that I've actually been able to go out without a pair of leggings, and there've been multiple occasions where I've worn boots. Boots, in the middle of summer. Eff you, seasons.

In OTHER reasons-for-planning-winter-clothes-obsessively, it's because getting a winter wardrobe sorted means jumping on that shizz as soon as it drops instore, so the last couple of weeks have involved watching my favourite couple of stores' websites for their winter collection lookbooks with a HAWK EYE, and going so far as to ask "So, um, this leather pencil skirt, and this jacket, when will they be in please?" and maybe perhaps pencilling that date in my diary so I know when to go in and layby all of the things. Yes, it might be overkill, but come on. LEATHER PENCIL SKIRT. There is no way I'm missing out on that goodness.

So what does my winter wardrobe look like, thus far? Basically empty, but here are just a few amazing things that I'm counting my pennies and plotting for. Oh, you want a rundown of these pieces? Let's see. Everything's clickable to see larger versions, just bee tee doubleyew. So from the top, we have:

Ricochet: Leather pencil skirt (OHMYGOD YOU GUYS, LIKE, SERIOUSLY I WILL WEAR THE SHIT OUT OF THIS). Woolen merino draped dress with a low back, which I can see being excellent for work and for schlepping around (I do love Ricochet for this kind of stuff, I have to say. Nice clothes that I'm not afraid to lounge around in? That's a win in my books). [Possibly suede or shearling] black leather jacket with waterfall front - the salesgirl wasn't sure what it's made of and it's not instore yet, but assuming it's either leather or a very good imitation thereof, it seems like exactly the thing to sate my Rick Owens cravings without actually having to pony up two and a half grand for a RO piece. My lovely flatmate keeps giving me a Look for this (because Rick is sacred or somesuch and nobody should own knockoffs, I don't even know), but when a girl's going back to uni and thus onto part-time hours, what's she going to do? 

Miscellaneous jewellery: Flat silver knuckleduster ring from Meadowlark, which I basically have no real hope of owning, but it's in there nevertheless because maybe I'll win Lotto or something. Black-finish crow skull pendant, via Etsy, which I do own because my best friend is amazing and gets me fantastic Christmas presents. Black quartz Stone and Honey ring, via MFP, which I swear to God I will own at some point in the next two months. I'M WATCHING YOU, RING.

Kate Sylvester: So KS's winter collection is based on the film Secretary. Um. HOT. The best things I've seen thus far are these black merino studded 3/4 sleeve sweater and long-sleeved cardigan (cardigan shown in white because the photo detail was better). I need some new knitwear, including a plain-ish and warm cardigan, and these are so perfect. Plain but with spike studs around the collar? Um, yes please. In the middle is a sheer ink chiffon dress with a black buckled collar, which I would not wear straight over my undies, but which in person has a fantastic balance between edgy and demure. Below is a sheer chiffon blouse with black detailing, which I've included more for the outfit (leather pencil skirt in KS too, clearly I'm onto a good thing here) than for the blouse itself. I have two different kinds of sheer print fabric waiting to be turned into secretary blouses. One of them is ink-blue with an orange, pink and coral-red abstract planet print. AMAZE.

Miscellaneous pieces: I just received in the mail today this M6 for Maison Margiela knotted black wool dress, which is not my usual thing but is really rather fantastic in its drape/structure. And let's be honest, no lookbook of mine would ever be complete without a Deadly Ponies bag - black nubuck Mr Bone Mailman. I don't know whether I'll ever own it, but I wistfully hope that I do.

Scarves and boots: Because no winter collection would be complete without a variety of boots and layering neck-warmy bits. From the left, we have Ann Demeulemeester black riding boots, which oh golly swoon are beautiful but also like fifteen hundred dollars, so clearly I threw them in here based more on wishing than logic or sense. But they are SO BEAUTIFUL. Next are the black platform ankle boots with wooden heel, from Ultra Shoes. SUPRRISE. Remember the Ultra Shoes coordinate competition I posted about way back when? Yeah, I won. BOOYAH. So now I own these sexy beasts, and oh boy are they fun to wear. Five inches of beautiful black leather bootie lets me stand 5'10" and stalk around my office in the best of ways. Third in the boots-I-must-have lineup are the actual boots I'm planning on acquiring this winter, the Frye Veronica engineer boot in black leather/suede. Frye don't ship to NZ, is the only bastard thing, but nevertheless, I'm sure I'll be able to wangle it somehow with the power of the internet.

Scarf-wise, I love the idea of cowls this winter (because in the wind, long scarves that unwind at the faintest gust are a bastard and a half) and both of these (from KraeO on Etsy) are fantastic. The grey knitted chain cowl looks excellent for properly cold days, while the hand-dyed cotton cowl looks like it'll become the thing I live in through autumn.

*tear* It's SO BEAUTIFUL. God I love winter. Not so much for the cold and the wet, cos honestly I can kind of leave that (I'd be perfectly satisfied with cold, and if Wellington did cold dry snowy winters I would be a lot more pleased, but we can't have everything). No, what I love about winter is its layering options. And its boots. God do I love boots. I kind of maybe love them a little too much, because I have five pairs of boots currently in my stack-o-shoes, and am eyeing up two more for this winter. Heels might be fantastic, but a girl can never have too many pairs of boots.

Ruffled leather miniskirt: more versatile than you might think

So a wee while ago now, I decided, on somewhat of a whim, to buy a ruffled leather miniskirt from Ricochet. Well. It wasn't really a whim. I'd been contemplating it for a bit, going so far as to ask friends over drinks, "FRIENDS. SHOULD I BUY A LEATHER RUFFLED MINISKIRT, or jeans." Unanimously the answer was MINISKIRT but then the further addendum was a $200 price difference between a good pair of jeans and this skirt. 


AND THEN. AND THEN. My excellent friend from Pearls in Vinegar called me one Saturday afternoon to let me know that said skirt had been reduced from $330 (eesh, a little much to splash out on) to $130, and that she'd taken the opportunity of putting one on hold in my size. Clearly the universe was on my side regarding leather ruffled miniskirts and their place in my wardrobe. (Said excellent friend later took the opportunity to buy her very own leather ruffled miniskirt. She and I have Significant Wardrobe Overlap, which makes for careful pre-event coordination to avoid the terrible awful no-good faux pas of wearing the same item.)


So then I had this miniskirt. And I found myself wondering, "How do I even wear this thing? Is it a party-only thing?"

(Credit to Hyperbole and a Half)

And then I did.

One (one leather miniskirt! Muahahaha!): work-appropriate tailored

This is, I think, the most work-appropriate of my coordinations, involving a cute little Japanese floral cotton jacket belted over the skirt. The jacket is cut with a lovely flared peplum so it sits nicely over the ruffles of the skirt, and with a belt cinching in the waist, it's an excellent emphasising-the-hourglass style. If I worked in a more conservative jacket, I would probably amend this by switching the flat boots for classic black low-heeled court shoes, pull my hair back, and possibly add a black blouse underneath to hide my tattoos, but as it is, it's a lovely crisp look which de-emphasises the sexiness of the skirt while still allowing the leather miniskirt awesomeness to shine through. 

Details (click picture for larger version): Japanese-floral dobby-cotton jacket, DeVol clothing via Frutti. Leather ruffled miniskirt, Ricochet. Opaque tights, supermarket. Black suede boots, Mi Piaci. Black patent belt, Cue. Gold cuff bracelet, vintage via Trademe.

Two (two leather miniskirts! Muahahaha!): party drapery

For a party or going out, keeping the skirt demure isn't a problem, so I coordinated this with a loose singlet and a draped chiffon over-top. Also, a temporary-tattoo fingerstache, because I'm super cool like that. The singlet is actually super-long at the back, so I tucked it up into the waistband of my tights to stop it from showing under the hem (fashion is so hi-tech) and pulled it out from the waistband of the skirt so it fit loosely with a bit of a flash of black bra. I'm a classy, classy lady :P

Details (click picture for larger version): White singlet with black print, Glassons. Leather ruffled miniskirt, Ricochet. Opaque tights, supermarket. Black chiffon over-top, Glassons. Black ankle boots with wood heels, Number One Shoe Warehouse. Amethyst and acorn pendant, Madame Fancy Pants and Trademe. Fingerstache, temporary tattoo, gifted via Ikoiko.

Three (three leather miniskirts! Muahaha... okay I'm bored with this): girly prettiness

This was another work outfit, and I really like the contrast between this delicate, floaty silk/cotton blouse and the leather skirt. Again, in a more conservative workplace I'd probably add a tailored blazer over the top, and possibly switch out the boots for pumps. Also possibly black nail polish might not be appropriate. Sigh. This blouse is adorable, though - it's from Karen Walker, who normally I'm not a big fan of (she overcharges for things made-in-China and not particularly well-made or designed at that, and trades on her big name to do it) but this blouse I love. It's covered in ruffles and a cute little print of wee girls and boys, and I'm always and forever a sucker for a pussy-bow tie.

Details (click picture for larger view): Silk/cotton blouse, Karen Walker. Leather ruffled miniskirt, Ricochet. Black opaque tights, supermarket. Black/brown wedge ankle boots, Mi Piaci.

Four: casual floral comfy

Never let it be said that a leather miniskirt cannot be worn in a casual, comfortable errand-running outfit on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Pearls in Vinegar knows it, and I am totally down with this trend. In fact, because this skirt fits incredibly well over my waist and hips, throwing it on with a pair of tights or leggings, flat boots and a cute t-shirt is actually more comfortable than jeans. It doesn't ride down, it doesn't give me muffin-top, it doesn't have a seam up the inner-leg, and it doesn't wick rain up from the cuffs all the way to the knee (pro-tip: never wear jeans in the rain unless you're tucking them inside boots). You might recognise the print on this t-shirt - I also own a dress version in grey, because when I like a thing, I buy all of it.

Details (click picture for larger version): Black floral t-shirt, Kate Sylvester via Trademe. Leather ruffled miniskirt, Ricochet. Grey marle tights, Glassons. Black suede boots, Mi Piaci. Grey merino draped cardigan, Glassons.

Five: casual Friday cuteness

Why yes, I am coordinating a leather skirt with an adorable Peter-pan collar and pearls. It's how I roll. I probably wouldn't wear this as a normal work coordinate (it's not quite tailored and crisp enough) but for casual Friday it does just perfectly. No jeans-and-a-t-shirt in my casual Friday ensembles, thank you very much.

Details (click picture for larger version): Cream peter-pan collared top, Peter Alexander. Leather ruffled miniskirt, Ricochet. Black opaque tights, supermarket. Black suede boots, Mi Piaci. Gold cuff bracelet, vintage via Trademe. Cream glass pearls, vintage via Trademe.

So what, dear readers, have I learned from my foray into leather miniskirting glory? Apart from the fact that they are awesome, it really is that this skirt is really rather versatile for such a seemingly-niche item. With the addition of judicious tailored items, such as a crisp blazer or jacket, or a demure and pretty ruffled blouse, it becomes work-appropriate, while dressing down with a draped cardigan and t-shirt is remarkably easy. Also, opaque tights or leggings are an absolute must. Ricochet, I am impress.

My skirt has ears! Or, Maxi-skirts for maxi-win

I want to tell y'all a story, right. This story is about how you should Shamelessly Watch People All The Time And Steal Their Style. Yesterday I was standing at the bus stop, waiting for the bus (I see my frieeeeends oh wait no let's not), eating olive bread, and I saw a young woman in the near distance coming towards me. She was excellently dressed, in the tradition of Wellington High Fashion Black, and was wearing what appeared to be a pair of dropped crotch, draped, billowy black pantaloons. But in a good way! "JELUS," I thought, chewing my olive bread. "I BET THOSE ARE FROM ZAMBESI OR SOMETHING." And as she came closer, I shamelessly checked out her outfit, especially these awesome pants. And then I realised! That no! They were not pants at all, but a maxi-skirt, cunningly knotted at her knees to hitch it up into an interestingly draped below-the-knee hobble skirt. The same maxi-skirt that I owned, in fact. "Hmm," I thought. "Hmmm." And then I got up this morning and I cunningly knotted my maxi-skirt, and threw it on over leggings and a t-shirt with a loose cardigan for a casual Friday, and called it good.


So what, then, is the moral of this tale? The moral, dear readers, is that you should (as previously mentioned) Watch People and Steal Their Ideas. I watch people all the time. When I'm sitting on the bus, I keep an eye on what pedestrians are wearing. Sometimes, walking down the street, I will tell somebody that they look fantastic and then keep walking. Sometimes, confession (because I can be a wee bit of a giant bitch) I think "Oh honey no", and then I mentally pick apart what it was that didn't work. You can do this via the internet, of course, using style blogs like The Sartorialist or Hel Looks (awesome) and these are very cool because a helpful team of photographers and editors have already gone through and edited out all the boring people in suits/sweatpants/jeans-and-a-t-shirt, but keeping an eye on people In Your City is useful in a way that the internet kind of can't be, because you're much more likely to pick up, as I did, on somebody wearing a local chainstore item in a Really Fucking Cool way. And that is pretty awesome.


Details (click picture for larger version): Hawkshead moth print t-shirt, Kate Sylvester. Black chiffon maxi-skirt, Glassons. Black leggings, Glassons. Brown peep-toe wedge heels, Overland Shoes. Brown belt, Glassons. Black metal beads, Bling. Black cotton textured scarf, vintage gifted. Pink cardigan, Glassons.

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.

(Not so) daily outfit - Graduation day!

Okay, so I've been really terrible at posting recently. In my defence, I've been super busy working up to Graduation Day! Here in New Zealand we don't have high school graduation in cap and gown, only school prizegiving (where it's most common to wear the school uniform), so the full academic-dress-robes graduation is reserved for finishing university.

This was my second graduation - last year I graduated my BA and chose to wear a lolita dress under my robes (Baby's She is Sleeping dress in white, plus pink lace tights and black high heels). This year, I went for a white (well, cream) dress again, but chose a slightly more grown-up frock and a pair of really freaking awesome high heels. Because it's not every day you graduate a Law degree, and heck yes I was going to do it in hot pink and cream suede platform heels with pink rosettes on the toes!

Details (click picture for larger version): Cream lace paper-bag waist dress, Kate Sylvester. Hot pink and cream suede heels, Ultra Shoes. Cream pearl necklace, vintage via Trademe. Pearl brooch, vintage via Trademe, borrowed from my flatmate (this was excellent for keeping my robe hood in place). Academic robes and mortarboard, from my university.

Bonus: me and my baby sister! She's adorable, and see? My shoes, they are fabulous.

Daily outfit: grey floral with a prep school twist

This blouse comes with black grosgrain ribbon ties sewn into the collar, which is totally adorable, but black was a bit harsh for this outfit especially as I was wearing brown wedges and pink knee-high socks (not shown because I managed to cut my feet off in every shot, herp derp, but they're the same shoes as worn here). So instead I tucked the ties inside the dress and added a wee chartreuse velvet ribbon bow for a pop of colour. I love this dress, it's incredibly comfortable and the rose print is exactly my style.

Details (click picture for larger version): White elbow-sleeve collared blouse, Sylvester via Kate Sylvester. Grey floral knit-cotton dress, Kate Sylvester. Green velvet ribbon, sewing trim store. (Not in picture: Brown peep-toe wedge heels, Isabella Anselmi via Overland Shoes, and dusky pink lace-knit knee-socks, via EGL sales community.)

Daily outfit: cream and black and a print

I could hardly alter a skirt and not wear it out! This is a really good example of my non-lolita lolita outfits. Most of the elements are still there (demure blouse, lolita print skirt and petticoat, dainty shoes and a hair accessory) but they're not quite what you'd find in a usual lolita coordinate.

Details (click picture for larger version): Black silk chiffon blouse, Sylvester, via Kate Sylvester. Cream high-waisted shoppes-print skirt, Innocent World, via my alteration. Black/cream peep-toe heels, Magnini, via Ultra Shoes. Brooch, vintage, gifted. Cream chiffon rosette headband, Glassons.