Working Colour Into Your Wardrobe: Tips, Tricks & An Ode To Purple

It may not seem it by looking at the clothes I wear or even my blog but when someone asks me what my favourite colour is I don’t say black – I say burgundy.

When I first read about Sophistique Noirs love of the colour purple it made me think of my love of burgandy and of how these colours are often worked into darker wardrobes. So, below I’m going to be talking about how you can compliment all those tones of black with an edge of colour.

 My Ode To Purple Goth-fashion!

Guys, try not to hate my collage too much since I worked on it for six hours and nearly died of exhaustion because apparently I’m ridiculously bad at making these things. Hopefully, I’ll get better in the future.

Photograph of the beautifully dressed Goth women is by SoulStealer on Flickr Dress – Shoe – Necklace – Stockings

 Tips And Tricks 

• Colour makes it so much easier to diversify outfits and will always bring a different touch to an outfit you’ve worn a thousand times but it doesn’t have to be a huge change!
• When going with a bold colour try using it as a running theme throughout the outfit and accessories.
• Cyber Goth isn’t the only subculture of which to be inspired. Punk, Panda-Popare, Grunge, Kinderwhore are also notable for darker outfits with colours.
• Work colour into different textures, such as purple fishnets or a red chiffon scarf worn around your head.
• Wear sheer clothes or lace items over muted reds and purples.

Image by SoulStealer on Flickr

• Belts are great for separating different patterns and/or materials (for instance plaid and velvet) but are also good for adding giant pops of colour.
• Patterns with tinges of colour in them are brilliant when you aren’t used to colour. It gives a hint of colour but doesn’t overwhelm.
• Patterned, stripped or fishnet stockings!
• Jewellery with ruby, amethyst and jade tones work well with black and don’t take away that dark edge.
• The simplest and cheapest way to add pops of colour is in your make up! Try a bright purple lip or a heavy plum?

How do you add colour into your wardrobe? Or are you more of a black on black person, like myself? Also, be sure to check out Sophistique Noir’s monthly theme of purple!

November Theme: Hoisery

It’s no doubt that looking back over my blog I love stockings, socks, and their many variations but there is nothing I love more than some layered fishnets, ripped stockings and some stripes which in the past have been a big statement of mine. Unfortunately I haven’t worn my lovely layered loves (too many ‘l’s!) in a long time. But here are some pictures! I was really excited in participating but in all honesty I spent the day in my pajamas’s obsessing and reading The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes and now, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (after that branding off into the other original novels).

Anyway! Here are some old pictures of my lovely stockings that way I love them.

Those safety pins actually aren’t for decoration as much as physically holding the stockings together. :3

I might begin to wear the stockings a lot more during the summer as all of my fishnets and stripes are cropped for use with a garters anyway.

Best wishes,
-Sary.

Plus I can’t wait to see everyone else’s posts for Sophistique Noir’s monthly theme! Unlike rings and other such themes (of which I have none) this is a theme I can really stick my teeth into!

Outfit Post: Of someone that isn’t me!

This is of course for the Sophistique Noir’s challenge of Someone Special. Of course, while I love my boyfriend, he isn’t much of a fashion person, nor a picture person (he actually hates cameras). Instead I chose my four best friends and an outfit post from one of them! Mostly, because I could only track down one at the last minute. Also, since Sarah (the said friend) lives about ten hours away from me these are her own, photos. I’ve watermarked them just for safety purposes because I know I’ve had people steal my articles before.

These are my closest friends. The Sarah in mention is the one with
orange hair. Kaylie has her natural red hawk hidden away. The Xara in question is the artist I keep mentioning about making my banner. For the record this was taken mid winter when the sun was setting on our old favourite place that is being torn down for generic houses to be built across it.

Outfits!

Yes, she actually is that thin.

Looking at these pictures I feel as if my friend has grown up a lot while being away. I’m rather the mother of my group – it’s a constant joke but I have this need to look after my friends. Sarah has been my friend for eight years and I consider her my complete opposite.

Dress/jumper/shirt: Gifted.

Belt: JayJays (I don’t think they’re outside of Australia)

Leggings: EBay

Boots: EBay (Pretty sure they’re Demonia.)

Outfit: All Ebay. She lives in a pretty secluded town. Hehe!

I hope you enjoyed this post that was a little different than I would usually post.

Best wishes,

-Sary

My Goth Maintenance.

Link

 This is just a list of things I do to maintain my dark appearance. (I know, that sounds terribly, well, terrible but I couldn’t word it any other way). Obviously this list isn’t just “Goth” needs but general needs for those interesting in the same kinds of things.

• One a month I re-dye my hair, mostly the roots. Around the same amount of time I cute and shave my hair. The more often I shave my undercut the easier it is because it doesn’t blend as well with the rest of my hair. (For more in-depth information just check this video here!)
• Every few days I take the time out to clean my boots. Whether that’s between classes while being bored or before school, or such.
• Removing my make up used to be very tedious for me. Some like just to get in the shower and scrub it off but that usually ends up with a big mess of black across, down and around my face and neck, sometimes hands. First I wash my face is wash water. I try to wipe the resulting black mess off a bit more with a dry face-washer. The left overs are removed with make up remover. Lastly I splash some water on my face to get the remover off completely and put some moisturiser over my eyes to help discomfort from all that darn rubbing.
• I usually would go one week on and one off with nail painting as my nails are very temperamental and need re-charging time to regain oxygen and such. Though I don’t have the time lately. That tends to consist of cleaning my nails, cutting, filing, buffing, washing, moisturising and finally painting.
• Three times I day I take the time out to make my salt water mixture (article here explains what I’m talking about) and soak my nose piercing for ten minutes while watching my daily dose of Youtube subs.

This is what I do to maintain my ooky-spooky-ness (I honestly can’t describe this very well!). How about you? Do you take five minutes every morning to rub sun screen on your tattoo’s? Or change your piercing/hair weekly? Let me know, I’d love, love, love to hear about it.

Best wishes,
-SaryWalrus

Monthly Theme: How To Add A Touch of Flowers to a Dark Ensemble

Floral prints aren’t something that is typically considered totally Gawth but I’d have to disagree with this point. Flowers aren’t something that should be gawked at with disapproval it should be celebrated! Here are some tips to add a little bit of life to your afterlife outfit!

• Red roses are a romantic Goth’s stereotypical best friend. Of course there are more dark flowers than just this, be creative!
• Don’t forget lace! Good quality lace comes in all kinds of patterns. A common style being rose printed lace. It might be just what you need to spice up at jabot you’ve been working on, or add some simplistic elegance with some lace stockings in a flower pattern. Other idea’s include mourning veils, lace gloves, etc.
• A top-hat adorned with flowers! Must I add more?
• Flower hair-adornments. A metal comb with flower engravings sounds gorgeous and not too overwhelming.
• The Mexican Day of the Dead is typically represented with lots of colourful flowers. Typically marigolds, a type of flower, are used in honour of the dead.  Lots of jewellery contains this as well! I for one absolutely love Day of the Dead themed jewellery.

Best wishes,

-Sary Walrus

Link

DIY Tutorial: Victorian Cuffs

After reading Kamyria Magdalena Mourn‘s post on her creation of her lovely arm warmers here I was inspired to start some of my own heavily modified, of course, version. Just in time for Sophisticated Noir’s Monthly theme posts! I hope you enjoy. It’s a very simple tutorial, I’m very lazy, so nearly anyone can follow along and modify it as they please.

You will need:
-Some type of lace or fabric.
-Thread.
-A needle.
-Ribbon or elastic.
-Decorations.
-Buttons.
-Scizzors.
-A lighter or something that flames.

Random close up of my lace.

Step One:
Cut out your fabric of choice into four parts. All lengths should be three times your thickness (of any part of your hand), two should be your desired maximum length and two should be shorter than those. You’ll also want to cut your ribbon now. Cut it depending on whether you want to tie it, or to use buttons. Take the ends of the ribbon and run it other the flame. Be careful it may burn quickly! It will melt the tips and stop them from fraying.

Step Two:
Take your pieces of fabric and sew on the rough edge in a straight stick, it doesn’t have to be fancy. You might want to use black thread if you’re using black lace but you’ll be ruffling it anyway.

Pull along the thread and evenly distribute it. Make it so that it’s slightly shorter than your wrist measurement. (Otherwise you’ll have problems with the button.)

By now you should have something that looks a bit like this when laid flat together.

 Step Three:
 Sew the two didn’t length’s of fabric together with the ruffles as evenly distributed as possible. Then I pinned them to the ribbon. I think you honestly need something to pin them with, even if it’s just safety pins. Those ruffles mean business!

Pinned.

And stitched. Yes it’s horribly stitched.

 I used, I have no idea what the name of the stitch is. Generally just a typical stick by less frequently. When done well you shouldn’t be able to see it at all. Unless, like me, you randomly decided to sew this at one o’clock in the morning.

Step Four:
 If you’re going to use buttons you’ll need to cut your ribbon down to size. I cut the over lapping side down first and then placed the cuff on my wrist and pined the button where I wanted it. Then I cut the button hole. Remember the run the edges and the button hole over the flame. be EXTRA CAREFUL with the button hole. I ruined on of mine and had to sew it so it didn’t snap.Ribbon burns super fast.

Step Five:

 Sew up the edges from a fair, measured distance, from the button hole. Try it on and pin it in a place that it can be easily removed. Sew from there!

Step Six: 
Add any decoration you wish! Go crazy. I didn’t, because I’m lazy and I prefer a simpler look. I also hemmed my lace, because it’s open cut lace but that was only really because the bottom was way too long.

You’re done! Enjoy your new pair of cuffs!

My finished pair.

I hope you enjoyed. And check out that other version!

Best Wishes
-Sary

Movies of the Past Month.

There aren’t as many as I would have liked but alas, school.

My favourites were Sherlock Holmes, The Virgin Suicides and Benny and Joon!

Daria!

-Daria: Is It Collage Yet?
-Daria: Is It Fall Yet?
-The Hunger
-Pirates of the Carribean: Strange tides
-Sherlock Holmes
-The Virgin Suicides
-A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange. :3

-Sweatshop
-Benny and Joon
-Night of the Demons.
-When Good Ghouls Go Bad