Style, Fashion, and Costume, v. 2012
Continued from a diverting but ancient thread launched in 2009.
Date: January 3, 2012
Categories: Life, The Universe, Things We like
Thursday, 25 April 2024
Life, the universe, pies, hot-pink bunnies, world domination, and everything
Continued from a diverting but ancient thread launched in 2009.
Date: January 3, 2012
Categories: Life, The Universe, Things We like
Huzzah!
Reposting, since my last post probably won’t get seen on the old thread.
I have been making ALL THE FINGERLESS GLOVES as presents. And just for funzies I made myself a pair that’s elbow length. In a lovely shade of very bright lemon/lime, with teal and grey stripes. Nom. I’m kind of in love with them.
I’m going to make myself a pair of legwarmers at some point, too.
Just ordered another dress off of Modcloth, it’s got stripes and a kerchief hem. I really hope it fits/is long enough/etc. I also got some green over-the-knee socks that I think will go well with it. Maybe if it comes before Saturday I can wear it into DC for the concert! Meeeeep!
And when I go back to school I’m not going to be on the paint crew anymore, so I can dress up every day instead of just the weekends! So I can work on my forever resolution to dress creatively.
Ooh fingerless gloves. One can never have too many.
I really should start wearing my cat ear headband again. I made it in late September/early October and wore it quite frequently for a a couple of months.
Eee. I got a bunch of pretty things for Christmas–scarves and legwarmers and earrings and such–and I’m terribly excited to wear them. Other than that, however, I must admit that I’ve been wearing nothing more than jeans and a t-shirt for the past couple weeks. Because I’m lazy and want to sleep in more and hunting up clothing that is more interesting is so much effort and also my skirts need to be ironed but I keep forgetting until morning. Clearly I need to force myself to get up earlier…
First post?
Duct tape has become a big part of my everyday attire of late. I’m still trying to figure out how to make a fedora though.
I am currently wearing velvet blazer No. 2 (which is navy) and a blue ruffly shirt and grey pants.
I like blazers. Also socks.
1- Fingerless gloves! I should really knit more of those.
4- I’m reminded of Paperclip’s duct tape fedora. He said that he made it by modeling it around a real fedora and making several layers. Be warned, though: his is actually quite heavy. Heavier than a normal fedora, at least.
I wear a trenchcoat… well, technically it’s not really a trenchcoat but more of an overcoat that comes down to about the knees. I have yet to find one that fits all my requirements. *is exorbitantly nitpicky*
Also, shoelaces. I got some really fun ones for Christmas that are basically elastic spirals all coiled up. And in neon green. I currently have one in my right shoe. The left one has a normal bright orange lace.
And I finished knitting my poncho! I didn’t finish it off very nicely and it’s a bit off but it’s finished! And I can wear it!
And I have a Doctor Who t-shirt now! I wore it today- it has little checkboxes with “Single” and “Taken” and the third one (which is checked off) says “Waiting for a mad man with a box”. I know it’s rather obscure, but it’s kind of my own way of poking fun at my obsessive Doctor Who fangirling. Nobody got the reference, though, except for my two best friends, who groaned and rolled their eyes and pretended not to know me.
Honestly, I like dressing up (for concerts and such) even though the general opinion seems to be “Urg, why do I have to wear dress clothes for {insert event here}? It’s such a pain, and {event organizer} is such a {cake}. I just want to {offensive action} en.” But honestly I like dressing up for special occasions.
Also, socks. Most of my plain white gym socks are tie-dyed by now. I like really long black and gray socks. The ones I’m wearing right now have white dots on them. They’re brand new; I got them as a Christmas gift.
I completely agree with you on the formal dress thing! My concert dress is long and made of black velvet, and has elbow-length sleeves and a cool skirt that sort of flooshes outward when I twirl.
That’s what my friends did when I wore my Doctor Who shirts! High five!
I like dressing up for social events too. (Any excuse to be in costume!) How do you tie-dye socks? It seems like you wouldn’t be able to tie them up cause they are so small. Knee socks are the best. *excited brandishing of socks* Also, congratulations on the completion of your poncho! What color is it? What sort of yarn? I’ve always wanted to be able to knit because my best friend is a handwork goddess, but I’m hopelessly pitiful. I’ll stick with crochet. Your shoelaces sound really awesome.
I usually just bunch them up with rubber bands and spatter them in dye. There’s not a lot of patterns you can do, but it creates a nice effect.
Selenium! If you link me to the snood you were talking about on the last thread, I might be able to knit it for you.
I don’t know what a snood is, but saying the word ‘snood’ is inexplicably fun.
Oh, Choklit Orange, you are far, far too kind. You really don’t have to, you know! ♥
It’s disappeared from the Jack Wills website but I managed to find other photos by Googling; I’ll send you the links. The pattern is quite complicated, and I’m not sure how detailed-ly you’re able to knit.
Anyway, I have yet to visit the new Hong Kong store.
Oh, so that’s what a snood is. I had to google it. Snood. Snood snood snood.
Yep. Snood snood snood. It’s basically a scarf. I like scarves.
Today I am wearing a red skirt with an uneven hemline, a dyed light burnt orange shirtdress with silkscreened owls, purple socks, brown and red shoes with concentric rings of leather on the toes, a brown and orange skein-or-yarn-scarf, a browny-purple newsboy cap, and a calf-length purple suede coat that weighs 5.3 pounds.
The worst thing about ordering clothes is waiting for them to come in and thinking about the events that you want to wear them for that you won’t be able to because they’re not even shipped yet.
TORTURE.
So it turns out I can knit little squids. And make them into hair clips. And pins. And hats. And keychains.
Want one?
Aw, that sounds cute.
DAWWWWW…I do ever so want one!
OH HECK YES.
Today: Denim dress with flared skirt, black v-neck sweater, wool woven scarf with intricate red and gold designs, black cabled tights, shoes yet to be determined… Black cloche hat, almost certainly.
Yesterday I got my ears pierced! Properly, with a needle instead of a gun. AND he said don’t twist them, which is exactly opposite of what they said last time I pierced my ears, when I was thirteen and they didn’t heal for an entire year. Or touch them at all, in fact. And I’m sensitive to nickel, grr. But in any case, I have shiny new holes in my ears!
My cousin pierced my ears with a sewing needle. That was not a good day.
While my friend was at camp this summer, she and the other junior counselors pierced another (male) JC’s ears with a thumb tack (to do the piercing), an orange (to stick the tack into on the other side), frozen snickers from the camp store (to numb the ears), and hand sanitizer (because that made this sanitary, obviously).
*covers ears and hides under desk* Your friends are resourceful. I’ve had my ears pierced three times (in the same place, because they kept healing over). The second time, my cousin did it, and he dunked the needle in hot tea to sterilize it, held a popsicle to my ear, and stuck a chunk of apple behind it to catch the needle.
Wow…I only got my ears pierced at Claire’s. You guys are so…exotic. *feels safer*
Getting my ears pierced was how I found out I faint whenever a needle gets stuck in me. It’s really inconvenient when I’m getting shots or blood drawn. It’s also really inconvenient because I want to get a tattoo one day, and it’ll be hard to get if I’m collapsing all over the place.
On the other hand, you collapse, they finish the tattoo with you being more still than you would be otherwise, you wake up afterwards without going through as much pain!
“Didn’t he notice you were upside down?”
“He was drunk, too. C’mon, Fred, you know it’s not a proper tattoo unless no one can remember how it got there.” — Nobby Nobbs
What kind of tattoo do you want to get?
Me too, though I’ve heard Claire’s is unsafe too. Doesn’t sound as bad as other people at camp/your cousin doing it, though.
Well, the first time I was too young to remember it (at my grandmother’s insistence. It’s an Indian thing- get the kid’s ears pierced early so you can traumatize their ears later with lots of very heavy jewelry); the third time I was smart enough to go to a clean-looking shop in Singapore. That time was actually the most painful, though, because they put this disinfectant on afterward that stung.
Yep, I got mine pierced at Claire’s, too… boring. *also feels safer* I’ve heard Claire’s is not the best, and my ears are sensitive now, but really that might be genetic. Besides, it’s better than what your cousin did. I would have run away screaming if anyone tried to do that to me.
The first time I got my ears pierced it was in some stand in a mall, and it took a year before I realized that my ears were never going to heal. I was never sure though if it was the methods employed at the mall strand or if I just have a sensitivity to nickel.
I got my ears pierced at a hair salon. They used a gun, and it didn’t hurt at all. I didn’t think my ears were going to be okay, but, strangely, I had no problems. The place I got them pierced at was very nice, though. And they gave me a bottle of ear stuff that made them not itch and hurt, so that was cool.
I got mine pierced at the end of April with a needle, too! I soaked them in salt water and washed them gently with soap in the shower, which worked really well.
Yep! I swab them with salt water like twice a day. They’re still healing, of course, so they’re really itchy and I can’t touch them! It’s frustrating.
I know this kind of body mutilation is mainstream in our culture. But speaking personally, the idea of letting someone else drive a spike through my body makes me queasy.
That’s why I’ve never gotten mine pierced.
I feel the same way.
Yeah, I sort of felt like that for a long time. And then somehow I stopped thinking that for long enough to allow it to happen.
Yeah, I hate needles so much I could never get the two piercings required for earrings, much less a tattoo.
Besides, bodily mutilation is sooo mainstream now. Ancient cultures did it before it was cool. *hair flip*
It’s only a wee thin spike.
Usually I do get pretty queasy about needles and sharp things and flesh, and piercings in places where they could hook on things and pull make me feel nervous just looking at them, but I guess I’ve been brainwashed by society enough to be okay with holes in my ears. Tattoos, though no doubt painful, don’t freak me out either, but I don’t plan on getting one in the near future as it could jeopardize a (quite unlikely) career as an actress. Also, everyone has tattoos these days. It’s cooler to not have one. -is a hipster-
I am wearing a dark red ruffled skirt, grey striped socks, a grey button down shirt, and a black sweater. I have bought a green fedora today! It is very nice and dapper.
Wow, everyone is so so super stylish! I’m wearing…uh…jeans and a sweater. But I’m also wearing a hat that I knit! It has dark green and light green and brown stripes. And it matches my green sweater. And colorful wool socks; can’t really go wrong there.
Fiddler (1): Fingerless gloves yes. I got a pair of gloves for Christmas with that little flap-mitten-thing (one for the thumb, too!), but I’m definitely going to track down a pattern so I can make them myself. So good.
Choklit Orange (10): Knit squids! How do you do it?
oxlin (12): Ooooh green fedora!
YAY FOR NEW CLOTHES.
Being the model of restraint, I am, of course, wearing the new things today instead of waiting. To be fair though we’re meeting up with a friend, so that’s justification for dressing up, right? Right.
So, today I’m wearing a knit black and off-white striped dress with a kerchief hem, a grey cropped vest, grey tights under green over-the-knee socks that have a kind of lacy pattern, and brown lace-up boots that have a red zipper in the back (these are my favorite boots and I wear them with EVERYTHING because they are THE MOST PERFECT). I also am going to wear the long fingerless gloves I made that come up to my elbows. They’re a super bright yellow/green with teal and grey stripes. A white shell carved in the shape of a flower on a black cord is my necklace.
I’m also probably going to braid my dreads and tuck them up.
Today, I’m wearing my new socks with blueish purplish tips and and grey and swallow decorated rest of sock over black long underwear. I’m wearing my grey corduroy skirt, my dark red button down shirt, a new green tie with a pretty design on it, a black vest with four pockets and a dark red silk back, and my new green fedora. Whee!
Today I’m in the country, where it’s kind of cold and style is not vitally important (I haven’t washed my hair in like…four days and it doesn’t even matter). I am wearing black tights, brightly colored handknit socks, a charcoal skirt with tan, green, and red detail, a teal longsleeve tee, and a green sweater. Also Xtra Tufs because I am just that cool.
I had a revelation today.
While wearing the outfit I described above and carrying a tote bag (emblazoned with the name of an obscure magazine) full of yarn for crochet in one hand and a tofurkey pizza in the other, I realized.
I think I might be a hipster.
I have a friend with a mustache. And a mustache tattooed on his finger.
And I actually think it’s cool.
WHAT IS TO BECOME OF MEEEE?!?!?!?!
17- It’s OK. We have resources here.
Looking back on the old thread, apparently I only took seven dresses to college!? That’s crazy.
I’m so tired of my wardrobe being in two different places. I went to my mother’s studio yesterday and found a whole BOX of dresses that I haven’t seen in ages and it is crushing to not be able to take them all back with me but UGH I am already super stressed trying to figure out how to bring all my stuff that I have here home with me. It’s so sad to think that it could be years upon years before all my clothes are reunited in one place.
Do I take my clothes too seriously? I think I might…
oh SAAAAMME, i definitely sympathize!
i wasn’t expecting it to be hot over winter break so i didn’t bring any of my shorts/spring-y dresses back with me and then lo and behold it is 85 degrees outside -_-
I got my hair cut a bit shorter! Just to make it more of an even length. It’s all wavy and swishy now.
*peeks head into thread*
I felt like sharing that I finally got an overcoat. It’s not a great one, as the forty dollar price tag can attest to, but it’s better than my previous, nonexistent one. It’s single-breasted (I’d’ve preferred double-breasted), four buttons. I found that wearing a suit and overcoat whilst driving makes one feel like a very classy driver. I think I need a fedora now too–something with a moderate pinch, a decently sized brim, and a thinnish band. Of course, I’d never have an occasion to wear it. Curse modern fashion trends.
Who says you need an occasion to wear a fedora?
I’m not a hipster. I have class.
Come to think of it, I think I figured out a while ago why I have any sense of class at all. I think it comes from playing piano in various ritzy, high-class settings filled with rich people and expensive wine. I always felt out of place being around such wealthy people, but I had to dress and act as though it was my natural setting. Art galleries, country clubs, exclusive shopping centers–I would never normally go to places like that, but because I play the piano well and my conservatory was adamant about having their students play in public as much as possible, there I was.
Anyway, I’m not a hipster who wears a fedora with skinny jeans and an ironic t-shirt. Even most symphony concerts don’t have the necessary level of dressiness for wearing a suit and hat.
I’m not a hipster at all, but I wear a fedora. Fedoras are more classy not less.
I really don’t care for it.
Er? Huh? I thought you said you wanted one.
Well never mind then. I happen to think mine is cool and dapper but if you think I’m low class for it, so be it.
I like them when worn with a full suit to an appropriate locale. And don’t put words in my mouth, I never said anyone was low-class for what they wore. I’m somewhat taken aback you would accuse me of that.
Mm. I think they can look particularly dapper worn with a full suit, but I enjoy wearing mine on its own too. It adds a touch of dapper to any outfit! (That it matches, it is green after all.)
Woo! *high fives* I wear an overcoat, too. And our jazz ensemble has been lobbying for fedoras since last September.
21 – Sounds nice. Also, if I were you, I’d wear the fedora and coat all the time regardless.
Speaking of coats, I’ll be needing an actual coat next year since it actually gets cold in Providence. I really have absolutely no idea what I’m looking for. Anyone have any ideas?
Hair dye. I’ve been considering dying my hair lately (could prooooobably get away with it, parent-wise, provided I talked it over with them first). It’s medium-to-dark brown at the top, and a lot lighter at the bottom- but if there’s sunlight on it, sometimes it looks red. Curly, side-parted, and about two thirds of the way to elbow length. Ideas?
To what colour are you thinking of dyeing it?
I don’t have a specific color in mind; I was thinking of going for some sort of different look, but I was wondering what MBers would suggest.
If you’re going for non-natural colors I’ve had good experiences with Splat dye.
Good meaning that it stayed colored for like a year.
Noooo but your hair is so preeeettttttyyyyyy don’t do anything to it Purple! I feel like that’s a good colour on you, for some reason. Heh.
Purple? Purple tips I could do. Maybe I’ll do that.
I got new rainboots! They are black leather and fancy. I wore them to school today because it was raining. They go awesomely with my overcoat.
Today I wore my green fedora, a purple v-neck sweater, a grey striped shirt, a green tie, my green cordoroy pants, and purple socks.
Today: Green fedora, plain grey pants (straight leg), white tree of gondor t-shirt, dad’s old pendleton wool shirt
I got pretty vintage dresses. And a little hood thing and a newer dress and a skirt and sweaters.
Spirt week…
Fictional chracters…WHO CAN I BE? HELP!
AAAAAAAAAARRRGGGGGGHHHHHH
Twilight Sparkle?
I needle-felted a unicorn onto a pink sweater, and a squid onto a purple one. My life is complete.
I’m jealous.
I’ve always wanted to learn how to needle-felt… But I’ve got no idea where to start.
Well, first you need the right equipment:
Wool roving (which is basically dyed, wool fluff that hasn’t been spun into yarn, which you can usually find at a good yarn store)
Felting needles (these are barbed and somewhat scary-looking, and not fun to stab yourself with)
A felting mat – this can be a 2 inch thick block of foam, or a specially made one, but either way works.This is so you don’t damage your needles by stabbing them into a table.
For this kind of needle-felting, you also need some kind of wool garment to felt designs onto.
So! Begin by sketching out the desired design (squid, unicorn, Kokopelli, etc.) onto the woolly item of your choice.
Then, put it onto the felting mat (if it’s a sweater, you have to slide the mat inside it so that you don’t end up felting the sweater onto itself).
Begin putting strands of roving where you want them, and stabbing them into place with the needle. The fibers will begin to compact and bind with the fibers of the wool fabric.
Continue until you have finished with your design and the wool roving feels firm and/or you have developed serious wrist pain from repeated stabbing motions.
Hope this helps!
I recently bought a new dress-tunic thing. I will wear it with jeans and not leggings. It’s really soft and nice shades of blue and gray.
I made a fox-hat for my mom! It turned out really well, for my first hat with ear-flaps, and ears, and suchlike.
It’s a lovely peachy orange, with tassels at the end of the flaps, and adorable (if I do say so myself) ears.
I don’t think I have enough orange yarn to make myself another complete hat like it, so I’m going to make one with brightly colored stripes (blues, greens, oranges, etc.) and lime green ears. This one was the Fox Hat, the next will be the Acid Fox Hat. Mwahahaha.
I’m looking forward to it.
SFTDP
Work on the Acid Fox hat has begun.
Why am I doing this I mean really I have to study and read books and I don’t even have time on the weekend because it is tech and then tech rehearsals and I am out of underwear (not to mention attractive clothes) and need to do laundry.
BUT OBVIOUSLY THE ACID FOX HAT IS MORE IMPORTANT.
SFTTP
The Acid Fox hat is mostly done, I just need to sew the inner and outer ears together and then attach them to the hat, which I’ll probably do tomorrow morning.
I think this was the fastest I’ve made a hat–it took ~4.5 hours.
That I probably should have spent on other things, but WHATEVER.
I have an acid fox hat.
And it is lovely.
Fiddler, I like the sound of that hat! What makes it an “acid” fox hat?
I have acquired a rather fantastical shirt. It has sleeves that reach all the way to the base of my fingers, with a hole in each sleeve to slip my thumbs through. Built-in fingerless gloves. Also, it’s TARDIS blue. I have dubbed it my Gallifrey shirt.
Which makes me wonder: Does anybody else assign nicknames to their clothes? I nickname some. Some labels are obvious (Griffin shirt has a griffin on it) and others aren’t (Talking Garden dress.)
“Acid Fox” sounds like a band.
34 (CP) It’s an acid fox because it’s blue, lime green and orange stripes with marbled grey ears, instead of being the color that normal foxes are.
Re: Naming clothes: I don’t usually call my clothes anything other than “the blue dress with buttons”, “the brown striped shirt”, “the shirt with the butt-ruffle”, etc. But I have one pair of pants that I refer to as The Trousers. They’re straight-cut linen pants that have brown and dark brown pinstripes, and they are glorious.
Yesterday I wore grey jeans, a black tank top, and my acid fox hat. It was lovely. I was in play practice all day, and the rest of the cast kept stealing the hat, two of them have asked me to make them similar ones, too.
Today I’m wearing a pair of jeans that’s kind of disintegrating (there are large holes in the knees and a few weak spots other places), a grey tank top, and a creamy-colored button-down that has brown, tan, and pale green stripes.
I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about a pair of socks in my life. They are dark purple over-the-knee socks and they thrill me spectacularly.
Acid fox hat?! WANTWANTWANT. The most impressive thing I’ve ever knitted was…something rectangular of indeterminate purpose.
36 (Bubbles)~ I got green over-the-knee socks not too long ago and I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL, BRO. I kind of can’t wait until it’s summer and I can wear them with shorts and look all classy/casual, because they’re this lurvely lacy patern….
Today: light denim shorts over grey tights, brown lace-up boots, green v-neck t-shirt, acid fox hat. Then because it’s actually decided to be a little cooler than the past few days, on top of that I’ve layered a grey wool sweater (cardigan) and my tan jacket with the flappy tails and lots of silver buttons.
I swear I am winning friends and influencing people with this hat. Like really. It’s absolutely absurd, but I looooove it.
If I sent in a picture would anyone want to see it?
Wait, wait, wait a second. This thread is so cool. How has this thread not been in my life before?
I wish I had something interesting to add though, something other than “RIGHT NOW I AM WEARING JEANS AND A T-SHIRT AND I NEED A SHOWER”. I swear I’m not this boring all the time. Maybe I will copy down my “clothes I want” list here, which is actually a physically existing list in the back of my sketchbook:
– Velvet pants (velvet anything)
– Galaxy leggings
– ’50s sweaters (’50s anything)
– Silk scarves
– Collars
– Vests. all the vests (this is verbatim)
And then there are all the links to etsy vintage sellers I’ve squirreled away in my favorites, auugh too much materialism somebody help me
I have a bowler hat now. I got it a couple weeks ago at a costume shop, but it’s a real bowler. I wear it everywhere and with everything, with my superexplosive hair over one eye, and kind of look like a burlesque performer. Oh, and I also have a pair of rather badly-made black fingerless gloves which I wear everywhere also. I mean, I have so few really interesting items of clothing that I like to wear the ones I do have as much as possible.
At the moment, I am wearing:
Skirt I made, patterned with pocketwatches
Brown shirt which (not ashamed to admit this) is actually a men’s small I got at an outdoorsy shop for $3–my dad, carpenter, has a bunch of work shirts like this, except this one fits me
Black leggings
These awesome shoes I got that are made by the Birkenstock company but I’m not actually sure if they’re Birkenstocks because what is a Birkenstock, anyway? But they are so comfy, and they have a pattern of little flowers all over them, and I love them.
Top hat with steampunk goggles
Jean jacket (yeah, it doesn’t really go but I was cold and it still works)
I haven’t been really putting a lot of thought into my clothing recently, but I felt like I should wear the goggles out in public, so I did. …That was a lot of fun.
So I spent most of last night looking at multicultural steampunk outfits. DO WANT. And I think I learned something about history as well.
Today I wore a tiered denim skirt, a blue shirt, a shell necklace, a brown scarf, and makeup, which is a rare enough event that it warrants mentioning.
Okay, let me spin you a little yarn (barely a pun intended).
So a few weeks ago, I bought a cream-colored “infinity” circle scarf. It was cute, I wanted to splurge on it, and so I bought it.
And I’m in love with it.
Is it possible to be in love with an article of clothing? I don’t know, but at the moment I’m leaning towards the “yes” side of the question. And I wound up wearing it to bed last night, either because I just forgot to take it off or subconscious me slipped it in before I hopped under the covers. I didn’t even notice I was wearing it.
The scarf is taking over my life. What’s going to happen when it gets warm and I can’t wear it any more? Sad day for the scarf. And for all the outfits that I can now make look hipster because of the scarf.
Also, I got new TOMS, and I love them. They’re grey with cream stripes along the side and hemp weaving along and under the sole.
It is very possible. I have a bright pink shirt and a black hat. I have not gone out in public without the hat since I got it.
Heehee that’s MY hat.
And I’m wearing your hat right now. :3
So. Outfit:
-This purple and white striped dress
-Purple knee socks
-Sun pendant
-Purple converse
-Pink headband
-Pink fuzzy fingerless gloves made from an old sweater
I wanted to be color-coordinated, so I tried it, and it works. I don’t know.
I recently got a coat. It is wonderful. It comes down to my knees and is flower patterned.
Clothing is exciting.
Anyone else wear socks from LittleMissMatched?
Not that exact brand, but I do enjoy mismatched socks!
It’s an odd feeling to be wearing shorts again after like two years of being too self-conscious about my legs. I may get over-the-knee socks to go with them.
Huh, so, today I acquired eyeliner, lip gloss, and some kind of foundation, all of which combined make me look like a sparkly raccoon with a skin condition. The raccoon part is the real problem, because no matter how many makeup tutorials I watch (I even watched the ones not featuring Hank Green), I end up looking either very sad, or like someone’s punched me in the eye.
Is this normal? I think I’m doing it wrong.
When that happens to me it’s generally because bits of it have crumbled off(I use it in pencil/crayon form), or my undereyes and eyelids are a weird colour due to sleep deprivation.
Looking good in more than a little foundation is hard.
I’m really no expert, but maybe this’ll help:
1) Less foundation. I’m a big fan of liquid foundation because you can just dab it on quickly with your fingers and blend it in easily with the rest of your face, so you don’t have to cover everything and it’s easier to spread thinly. If you have oily skin, you can just sprinkle some power on your cheeks afterwards to set it and make it less shiny. You don’t want to cover your entire face: you just want to make it roughly the same shade, so a thin coating is good enough.
2) Blush. It may be a pain to find the right shade, but that’s what makes you look less like a raccoon: it adds color and defines your cheekbones, so your face gets a shape again. I’d risk a trip to a department store and have one of the makeup counter ladies find you the right shade- Bobbi Brown has some very nice casual ones that look natural, though they can be expensive. They can also give you tips on how to apply it. I usually use the scrunch method: you smile so wide that your cheeks are all scrunched up, then put blush on whatever sticks out and some all the way back to the side of your face. Then blend it with your fingers. It sounds weird but works. Or just find an online tutorial.
3) Less eyeliner. Try only putting eyeliner on your upper eye-lid, on the boarder to your eyelashes so that it’s almost invisible.
4) Some light/white eyeshadow without glitter. In very, very much moderation in the corner of your eye and in your crease. I would only use this if your eyelids look purple-ish or noticeably darker than the rest of your skin. It’s also worth swabbing them with make-up remover first, in case some eyeliner residue is darkening them. Don’t put it on all the way down to the eyeliner, or you risk looking like a zebra.
5) Some make-up brands have special foundation makeup types that are supposed to erase the circles under your eyes, but it’s generally the higher-end types aimed at older women (my mother owns some, which is steal borrow from time to time). You can usually cheat a tiny bit with liquid foundation, but don’t try to cake it on: it won’t work. There are some spot-concealers that are more solid and might work, but you’ll need a lighter shade then your usual foundation.
6) SLEEP helps get rid of dark circles under your eyes and makes your skin look vastly better/smoother and shinier. Dark circles could also be caused by iron deprivation, especially if they’re noticeably worse once a month.
7) A different shade of eyeliner. Black is a cold color: you might be better off with dark brown or navy blue, depending on your skin tone. Again, the makeup counter is your best friend. Find a way to try some different shades out before you buy.
8) Find an eyeliner (and later on perhaps eyeshadow and mascara) that don’t slowly crumble and dust your face in black. I have to use liquid/gel eyeliners because I have very sensitive eyes, so I generally bite the bullet and buy an expensive gel eyeliner (which lasts about 2 years or so before it starts crumbling).
9) Lighter, more casual lipgloss. Victorias Secret has a light pink, barely sparkly type in those bins in front of the checkout that costs about 5$, give or take. This is usually more of a danger with lipstick, but darker colors make you and your skin look more washed out by contrast.
Thanks so much! I shall experiment with what you’ve suggested, then.
I really want to dye my hair again — the blue /still/ hasn’t completely faded from the end of March, so dark blue again most likely. I have to order the dye online though and find someone at home to help dye it because it’s so expensive going to a salon and they actually do a worse job than finding a friend to help
also I’m working on/just finished a bunch of things
most notable is my rocketship skirt
it’s about mid-calf length, the pattern is mostly rocketships, with a band at the bottom of swirly blue stars and a waistband at the top which is swirly stars again with a blue ribbon that’s really long and which ties in a giant bow to hold the skirt up
my favorite part is how I bought only a yard of the rocketship fabric and used it all and had no leftover fabric
I just hope it holds up well to washing though, wore it once and haven’t tried washing it yet
other projects:
converting old and very ripped up jeans into a skirt — this one I have to figure out how to make a lining for it, the jeans skirt part is still very fitted and it ended up cut a little weird, so that’s a challenge to match a lining to. I bought a fabric remnant that should serve as a lining and cover all the parts where there are holes in unseemly places (it’s white with geometric teal flowers), but I’ll probably have to make a pattern and not just do it by eye.
making a purple skirt for a friend — just finally got to do another fitting yesterday, now I have to figure out how to sew based on the pinning I did then. I don’t often make things for other people, I usually tailor things to myself as I make them.
I have two yards of this incredibly beautiful teal silk, in one yard remnant chunks, and I don’t know what to do with them — I know that they deserve to be made into something, but on the other hand I kind of just want to stare at them forever and never ruin them
I need to make more SCA-appropriate clothes but I lack materials and I get distracted every time I go to the fabric store
I love being home and having a sewing machine and being able to go to the fabric store basically whenever I want. Hopefully I’ll be able to go when I’m at school next year and I did buy a mini-sewing machine for there, but I haven’t tested it yet…
Awesome! Especially the rocketship skirt!
I have a rainbow polka-dot skirt.
I’m really happy.
if you don’t like reading about body measurements, you should avoid this post, not sure I need to trigger warning for that here but it never hurts to be courteous
I’ve spent the last couple of days searching for clothes that look like they are from the future. I think it would be cool to be from the future.
Unfortunately, everyone in the future is tiny, I guess? My 42″ bust and hips /maybe/ fit into the XL or XXL sizes for clothes on places like cyberdog or cryoflesh or plastikwrap (yes these are actual names for places that sell future clothes, I know they sound kind of made up) and everything there is really expensive anyway. I tried looking at modcloth too, but everything there that’s kind of futuristic is also backless and I don’t know how I am supposed to wear a backless dress without being unseemly — see previous remark about 42″ bust.
I’m going to go to a couple thrift store type places tomorrow, hopefully they’ll have something (preferably with lots of pockets) that I can wear or modify into something I like.
So I went to the mall today with a friend of mine. It is a peculiar fact hat while I am not excessively fond of shopping, I don’t mind it as much as her. We spent half the time making sarcastic comments to each other anyways. And trying on practically every hat in the store. I really liked this one cloche….
Anyhow, it was mostly window shopping. I saw this one Doctor Whoves t-shirt and took a picture of it, because i know this guy who’s a fan of MLP and Dr Who. Also, I found out my size in men’s pants today. I’ve wanted a pair of cargo pants for ages now, but I couldn’t find any in the women’s section. So I went hinting in the men’s section, and found a pair that fit. The guy’s sizing system is foreign, but makes so much sense at the same time.
Anyhow, I eventually found a pair of cargo pants in the women’s section, and they were cheaper, so that’s what I’ve got. One thing off my wish list.
Oh yeah, I’m making a clothing wish list.
It doesn’t count as a double post if it’s done weeks apart.
So today I ended up going through my closet and trying stuff on to see what did and didn’t fit, see what I wanted to get rid of, etc. I am a packrat like no other, so I didn’t get rid of much–like maybe four pieces of clothing. Which is, yeah, a big deal by my standards.
I have, however, succeeding in impressing myself with the breadth of my wardrobe. I’ve got so many things in there that I never wear–have never worn–but can’t bear to get rid of. I mean, I have no idea what I will ever wear that sheer white poet’s shirt with. Or the red, embroidered poncho. Or the camelhair sweater-thing.
…Actually, I might take that poncho to college with me. Just because i know it’s the type of thing people would comment on. And of course, some things I fell in love with all over again. Others I’m just waiting for the right time and place and weather to wear it to.
(Seriously. So many clothes.)
This is a very silly thing to be posting about, but what the heck. I have a sudden desire to acquire a pair of brogues. I don’t even know if they’d look good on me, I don’t even know if I’ll ever buy one. But it’s something to think about anyway.
*googles brogues*
Oh. I want some too.
They’re nice. My dad has a pair.
I’m supposed to wear an “LBD,” which I’m given to understand is a little black dress, to two events this coming week. Is it possible to get one that is, um, not little? I personally am just really uncomfortable wearing things above knee length (but all of the modest-er dresses I’ve found are enormous or oddly shaped, or covered in unfortunate fringe).
So, yep. Does anyone have advice on purchasing modest dresses and/or modifying hideous modest dresses to make them at least slightly fashionable?
Also, I was issued an invitation to an event that specified “formal casual.” That sounds like a made-up thing to me.
A Google search for “little black dress below knee” will give you lots of options.
I don’t know if there’s one near you, but the American Cancer society has so-called “Discovery Shops”. In snazzier areas, there’s usually at least one rack with secondhand formal dresses for about 30-60$. If you find an inexpensive one that’s slightly too large, having it modified should be pretty inexpensive and you get the perfect dress for roughly the same price you’d pay elsewhere. Just make sure the dress isn’t faded. (The money also goes to support the ACS).
Target has a fair number of black dresses of varying degrees of hideousness.
You could try a black shirt and skirt/pants. If it’s a skirt I doubt anyone will notice. If anyone cares about you wearing pants instead of a dress (unless it’s something like an all-female group and everyone else is wearing a dress) they are probably jerks.
Do you have a moderately sized mall nearby? When I was in high school performing ensembles that required all black but were mostly male and didn’t provide women much dressing advice, I would look at every store in the mall and then pick the least awful thing of all the stores. But I’m kind of obsessive sometimes and you might not have enough time for that.
On modifying dresses yourself:
-Generally, fitting your torso to a dress which does not fit it is pretty difficult — there are several different ways of making something that is too large smaller, and it depends on garment type, and basically you should leave this to a professional unless you’re very confident and have a clear plan of action.
-For making things which are hideous less so: See how critical to the garment the hideousness is before you buy it. A couple rhinestones/bows sewn on can be removed without much trouble. Glued rhinestones or sequins probably will leave a lasting mark. Fringe that’s sewn in probably will look bad if you try to cut it off, fringe that’s only on the bottom hem probably can be removed if it’s rehemmed after the fringe is removed.
If you’re feeling ambitious, you could always try making your own black dress. Strapless is easiest to make, but if you’re not comfortable wearing a strapless dress for whatever you’re doing, don’t plan to wear/make one for whatever event it is. Straps can be tricky to get right. I’ve made a black dress which is essentially Elizabethan corset pattern (without subtracting the 2-4 inches for tightlacing, without boning, with making two reflections of the pattern for both sides and combining them into one so there isn’t a seam down the front) + gored skirt + zipper down the back. You can find tutorials for all the parts of that online.
Get some boots so everyone will notice the boots, not the dress.
Wow, thank you, everyone.
Robert- None that I can get in the next few days, though. Unfortunately. There was one at JC Penny’s that I thought looked perfect, but there’s no JC Penny’s near my house.
Bookgirl- I found a Discovery Shop that I can bike to, thanks! I may go there tomorrow.
Lizzie- Ugh, yes. All of my performance dresses up until now have come from the little kids’ section of Target.
Dodec- Thanks for taking the time to type all that out! Also, your advice is extremely helpful. The problem with most of the dresses is fringe that is difficult to remove, but you’ve given me a sundress-modifying idea.
Prussia- Yes. Boots. I need snazzy ones.
I played an audition in a target dress yesterday. Mostly because I forgot to pick up my slacks from the dry cleaner, but still.
I think you all should know that I now own a knee-length turquoise corduroy trenchcoat.
That is all.
HOW AND WHERE AND CAN I HAVE ONE TOO
*prods thread with a stick*
Today I went to school dressed as Rose Lalonde, to general approval. Also, I am trying to become a lolita. We’ll see how that goes.
Wore my psychedelic jumpsuit and platforms to orchestra today.
The general reaction was “yeah, 80s!!” and “you look cute!” although one girl snidely informed me it was a bit late for homecoming.
Come back to life, thread!
I haven’t posted here since freshman year, wow. Since then my fashion has evolved in directions no one should be too surprised by. I’ve gone from “hippie” to “hipster”, and in particular I’ve turned into the type of hipster that frequents the town my college is in (and also my college’s own brand of hipster), which is a more rustic-influenced and less urban version of the well known vinyl-toting, immaculately unkempt type. Around here we like to do that, but with a bit more real dirt and old-timey feel.
I’ve also acquired a deep love for the jeans + flannel + vest + hiking boots combo, and if I actually cut my hair off during the summer when I get back in the fall people who don’t know me might question my preferred pronouns, or assume I’m super gay. I’m pretty sure I’m okay with both of those options.
However, with my recent purchase of hairspray I’m also getting drawn to the button-ups + jeans + boots + fancy hair look, or even vintage-y dress and fancy hair look, we’ll see what happens with that. Kind of hard-femme inspired vintage/hipster. I aspire to be a feminine James Dean, but I don’t think I could ever be cool enough to actually pull it off.
(Today I had skinny jeans, orange/brown oxfords, hair up with a bandana in a ’50s kind of hairdo, and button-up. This evening’s smells are hairspray, cheap beer, cigarette, and fresh air. It’s delicious.)
I’ve found a shirt, a skirt, and a pair of pants that I really want from a Certain Website. The shirt would go with both the skirt and bottom, and all I think would fit in well with my existing wardrobe too, and are things that I’ve needed before. If I got all three it’d cost $150 though (I’ve got a 10% discount). I made $130 a few weeks ago, and had thought about using it for some clothes, but….ugh I’m such a cheapskate. I also still feel like I need to get better about getting rid of stuff I don’t wear to justify getting more clothes.
So today I like my outfit.
I’m wearing some new blue grey tights (because one always needs more tights, apparently), a blue/indigo skirt that is a bit past knee length and is swirly if I twirl, a tanktop that is sort of rust/copper colored but too small at the boob part now to be worn without… a shirt that is mysteriously too short to be worn without a tanktop. It has some Van Gogh paintings on it and I got it as a souvenir when I was in Paris in 2005 (I posted to the Gaboomba from Paris at least once.)
“Is it Rainbow Bright Day at school?”
“All the boys will be too distracted to get any work done.”
“Who are you all gussied up for? Are you going on a date?”
– The Parent*Storms when I wear dresses, bright colors, or anything outside of my normal shirts and jeans
But I’m wearing shorts and pink tights today because it’s the 10th anniversary of Mean Girls and also a Wednesday.
so how does one go about developing a taste in clothing? I love my clothes but feel perpetually inadequate in them.
My clothes are really loose-fitting, and usually thrifted. I wear a lot of t-shirts. (My best one: the shirt that says “God bless America everyone.” Also I have a couple Doctor Who shirts.) I also wear a lot of dark / neutral pants, because they match everything. (I’ve been wearing more skirts lately, though.) Mainly I go for comfortable.
but when I’m around my Peer Group I feel really insecure about the clothes I wear; it seems that they are without exception better-dressed than I am, and wear tighter clothes and more jewelry. What should I do about this, is what I’m asking? Should I try to develop a taste in clothes? (and if so HOW?) Should I just try to be less insecure about my current taste? WHAT IS FASHION WHAT IS ANYTHING, in other words.
As far as I’ve determined, taste in clothing isn’t so much about wearing clothes that are fashionable as it is about feeling like you look good. If you have the rare gift of feeling pretty regardless of what you wear, you’re lucky. Most people don’t. I can’t give any advice on developing that kind of body-oriented self-confidence, because I’m really bad at it myself.
So for any given style (mine is usually longish, colorful skirts and solid-colored tops), you can figure out ways to dress it up or down to suit the occasion/how you want to look, or what image you want to project. I have several long-sleeved tops in similar styles (read: Old Navy had a sale and I bought five shirts in black and navy blue), and five or six knee-length skirts in assorted patterns. Those are a good baseline, because I can mix-and-match them and generally end up with a respectable-looking outfit for school that I feel comfortable and vaguely stylish wearing. (One good thing about long skirts is that very nice ones are often available at thrift stores.)
Basically, for me this is about looking as good as possible with minimal effort, because I am lazy. However, you can definitely find ways to look more formal (a blazer with a t-shirt and pants is quite snappy!) or add jewelry if you want to be decorative.
I’m not suggesting that you should dress based on feelings of inadequacy! Looking good often makes you feel good, though; a pretty dress can get you through a very bad day. Fashion trends change rapidly and I don’t recommend trying to stay on top of them- rather, wear clothes that make you feel both comfortable and attractive when possible, figure out what kind of clothes they are (fabrics? colors? leg/sleeve styles? patterns? necklines? lengths?), and wear those kinds of clothes when possible, or try to buy clothes only in styles you like and think you’ll wear for a long time when you go shopping.
tl;dr I’m not particularly qualified to answer this question; you are!
Look at what people are wearing a lot, and decide what you think looks good and what you think looks bad. See if you can categorize what you think looks good. Figure out what types of stores sell that type of things. It’s easier to do it one piece of clothing at a time than all at once. Try on things that you wouldn’t necessarily think you’d wear and see if they look good. Get someone you trust to take you shopping.
What Lizzie and Choc said, and a few additional notes:
I wouldn’t start wearing tighter clothes if you don’t feel comfortable in them. If you want to easing into more clingy stuff, you could try layering- for example, a loose crop top (the t-shirt type) with a tank top underneath. In the end, it’s mostly about finding clothes which flatter your body type, which boils down to trying as many different things as you can find until you get a feel for it.
As for jewelry, if you feel like trying some (and have pierced ears), there are usually fairly cheap starter sets of 4-8 pairs of small earrings you can experiment with. Bracelets are also fairly versatile- I’d stay away from necklaces at first because they’re harder to match and won’t go as well with the shirt’s you’ve already got.
A last guideline: it’s all about balance. If you’re wearing a loose top, pair it with tighter jeans. A funky skirt goes with a neutral shirt, etc…
-Stuff that seems vaguely fashionable where I live that you might like:
1) Layering the crop-tops trick- if you can sew, you can adapt your own out of thrift stuff.
2) Maxi/long-skirts. Pair them with an un-patterned, not too loose top (balance!). Also good to try dangly earrings with, if you like them.
3) Sleeveless blouses. Usually not too tight, lots of different styles and work well with the dark/neutral pants you already have.
4) Long sheer/semi-sheer, flowy shirts over pain tank tops & aforementioned pants. For bonus points, add earrings or bracelet. (Not necessarily the latest fashion, but what lazy me does to turn boring tank with boring pants into an “outfit”).
Otherwise, try to just have fun with it
As the other gals said–style’s mostly liking what you’re wearing. I agree that the best way to learn what you like on yourself is to go try on a bunch of stuff! Experiment. Experiment some more. Clothes shopping is often annoying, but answers’ll come to you. Some things to consider:
If you think you’ve figured out your clothing size–you probably haven’t, quite. Which size is right varies by brand and where the piece of clothing clings to you.
If there are particular parts of your body you like, try to draw attention to them. Like your neck, or collarbone, or cleavage? You’ll want a neckline that highlights it.
Don’t buy clothes just because you want some. Wait until you find something you like.
If you’re not comfortable, there’s no point.
If you see a person in the flesh you think looks fabulous, ask where they got what they’re wearing; you may find you like the sources.
Having someone you have a good relationship with go with you is really helpful.
If you think developing a taste in clothes will help you feel better about yourself, go for it! If you decide you don’t want to, that’s fine, too.
I can’t give you advice about how to do that, because it’s not something I’ve ever bothered with, but as for jewelry–if you can find stuff you like that’s comfortable enough you don’t have to take it off, you’ll have nice things to wear that don’t require you to do anything, ever. I got a few bracelets as gifts once that I just never stopped wearing because I’m lazy and they’re pretty cool, and I get complimented on them sometimes even though I’ve just ignored them since the first time I put them on. Well, I guess I do take them off when I go swimming, which isn’t very often. And that’s it.
My college-student-during-finals-week tip: Pick separate clothes that will look good together. Half my wardrobe is black or grey or blue — while this can make it hard to find specific clothes, because I leave them in a pile instead of sorting, this also makes it much easier to find matching clothes without effort.
(but seriously. I mostly wear skirts and leggings and t-shirts from old math competitions, so I am not the best judge of fashion, but what little sense I have is taken from careful study of what other people seem to wear often, with modification for what I have/what is comfortable to wear/what suits my body type)