Studded Belt and Gigantic Kitty

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I went through a studded belt phase back when the monthly old school Goth club opened. I first got one from Wal-Mart but it was so cheap my husband couldn’t handle it, so he got me this one for the following Christmas. Good man, making sure I live up to my own standards. ;)

Oddly enough, I never once wore a studded belt back in the old school days. But now I rather love it with these jeans. I don’t have a matching wrist band, so I settled for my favorite rhinestone ones.

This top from Body Central looks like a tank with a shrug, but it’s actually one piece.  Easy and fun!

Prometheus really liked today’s outfit, so he wanted to be in the photos. These really show how big male Maine Coons get. While Prometheus does have a little bit of fat that we’re trying to work off, most of his 21 pounds are just pure, healthy Maine Coon largeness (and lots of hair). Prometheus’ daddy was 26 pounds!

Say Hello to My Little Friend, Prometheus.

Coincidentally, I was wearing this same outfit the day we met Prometheus’ and Perseus’ breeder. The boys were just six weeks old at that time, and that day we made an appointment to go meet them two weeks later. Good memories… Someday soon I’ll blog the outfit I wore the day we met. :)

21 Pounds of Pure Kitty Goodness

No One is Perfect

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I intended to do another two-part “Day to Evening” post on Thursday and Friday this week, but yesterday I made quite an amusing mistake and did my entire photo shoot with my camera on zoom. This turned out to be okay, as I decided later in the morning that I really didn’t like how I had styled this dress for work after all. So I made some changes after work, and will just combine the day and evening looks into one post.

Daytime Look: FAIL

Here is the daytime look I originally came up with. Not too flattering, is it? Yeah, it’s supposed to be conservative for work, but this is a bit too shapeless for my taste. I wore this sweater in a similar way in this outfit post, but the form-fitting skirt balances it out better. It just didn’t work with the loose-fitting skirt on this empire-waist dress. The gathering on the dress doesn’t look right underneath the sweater either, and the scarf was too much combined with the corsage detail.

Daytime Look: WIN

And here is the daytime look with a few quick improvements. I think this shrug works much better. Also draping the scarf down the back makes it compete less with the details in the dress.

Evening Look

And finally, the dinner look. I removed the shrug and lace cami, and added sheer sleeves that used to be a shrug (I just cut them apart last night, so they still need some fine-tuning). I am wearing a necklace that my husband gave me which somewhat matches the bracelet. 

A Close-Up of the Evening Shoes

I replaced the work-friendly shoes with a taller platform. I don’t normally do the pointy toe, but these were sent to me by mistake and I found I kind of like them as a change of pace.

I probably wouldn't choose this dress for dinner on an evening when I had ample time to plan a fabulous outfit. But it works wonderfully for when I know I'll need a quick change after work.

Magic Hair Tutorial

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A couple of readers asked me to do a tutorial on my hair style in a recent Club Outfit post.  I actually created this look using a couple of very inexpensive hairpieces called Magic, made by EasiHair.

Magic Hairpiece by EasiHair

Magic hairpieces come on a plastic comb and have two wires covered in bits of hair, as shown in the photo to the right.  They can be purchased here for about $13 USD.   

I think I am required to state that I am not affiliated with EasiHair or Max Wigs in any way, nor am I being paid for this endorsement.  :)

1. Part your hair and put it up into two high ponytails. You can be pretty messy with this step (as I was), since the Magic hairpieces will cover much of your head when you are done. Just make sure the part is nice and straight (as I did not).

2. Twist the ponytails into buns and secure the buns with a few bobby pins. Again, messy is fine.

3. Twist the wires on each Magic hairpiece into a circular shape.

4. Insert the comb in front of the bun and slide it in until it’s secure underneath the bun.

5. Arrange the wires on the hairpiece until everything is sticking out just how you like it!

This is actually a classic Goth hairdo and can certainly be done with real hair. However, doing so requires a lot of teasing and hairspray. I have delicate hair, plus I strive for as much length as possible, so teasing is most definitely out of the question for me. Here’s a YouTube tutorial on big, Gothy teased hair (not affiliated with me in any way) if you want to give that method a try.

I hope my “Magic” secret will be useful to others who must also be gentle with their hair!

Please let me know any time you wish to see tutorials on any of my hair styles, makeup or DIY accessories/alterations.

Color Brigade: Plum, Baby Pink and Black

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I don’t know how it looks on your monitor, but this blouse is somewhere in between purple and magenta in real life. Although I don't know what to call it, I love this color! And I love that the top is so flowy and feminine. I just wish I could find camisoles/tanks with wider straps to wear under some of my sheer tops. Seems like those only come in rib knit, which I don’t like.

I paired the blouse with a simple a-line skirt and Mary Janes featuring a cute patent bow on the toe.

I must confess that I hit Amazon to look for some colorful accessories to help me out with Color Brigade.  I found silk chiffon scarves in 110 colors for $19 each.  I started by ordering the baby pink (seen here) and white.  They are so beautiful!!  I want about five more colors, at least.  Perhaps I will treat myself to a scarf a month.

Detail of the Metallic Threads

The shimmer in the blouse comes from some vertical metallic threads woven sporadically through the sheer fabric, as seen in the detail to the right.

Does anyone know of a good place to get tanks with wider straps that aren’t ribbed?

A Close-Up of Today’s Shoes

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Rule-Breaking Monday: Animal Print at Work

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Be sure to vote on my poll, located at the top right of my blog.  Your input will help me be the best blogger I can be!  :)

I normally am not into animal print. But when I saw several pieces at New York & Co. in black, white and gray, I felt pretty fuzzy inside because they reminded me of my two favorite kitties, Perseus and Prometheus. I really like that this print is a bit abstract, so I don’t feel so much like I’m trying to imitate any one particular animal. It has a bit of leopard and a bit of tiger and maybe even a bit of duck-billed platypus... Okay, forgive the bad humor: it's Monday, and it's early!!

I would like to say that I wore minimal accessories today for some profound reason, such as to let the print shine… But truthfully I was just running late and didn’t want to mix up my priorities again so soon (as I did in this post). So I opted for just these simple bracelets and for getting to work on time.

A Close-Up of Today's Shoes

Between the animalesque print, the super-flattering fit of this top and the strappy (and tall) heels, I feel a bit on the sexy side for work. But I guess that’s what rule breaking is all about!

What is your favorite color/style of animal print? Or do you not dig it at all?


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New Pants!

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As much as I love skirts, sometimes on weekends I just need something more practical for chores and errands.

I finally finished alterations on this pair of pants. After removing about 3” from the length and tapering the lower leg by about 2”, I’m pretty satisfied. This took me an hour and a half, which seems a bit ridiculous, and in the end I wish I had tapered them a bit more. The job is done, anyway!

Sitting like this just because I’m in pants and I can

My taste in pants usually runs slimmer and more form fitting, but I really needed some more comfortable pairs for busy days. While these may not win me a ton of Goth points, I think they will serve their purpose nicely!

A Close-Up of Today’s Simple Hair Style

 And Some Jewelry!

Target Sheath Dress; Evening Edition

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Thursday is Dinner Out night for us, since it marks the beginning of our weekends. Usually I either just go in my work clothes or I change into something completely different. Since I hoped this sheath dress would be versatile, I thought I’d try restyling it for a fun Day-to-Night outfit post.

I replaced the purple sweater shrug with this fishnet-like crocheted shrug. Instead of the pink flower pin, I used an identical black one. I swapped out the pink belt for the black ruffled one with rhinestone clasp, and the pink bracelets for more rhinestones. Add a rhinestone choker, satin headband, fishnets and my super-fun three-strap Mary Janes and it’s dinner time!

Check out my Daytime version of this dress in yesterday’s post.

Here's a close-up of the cool fold detail on the bodice of the dress. I like it even better in the all-black evening outfit!

I’m a Versatile Blogger!

I’ve been awarded the Versatile Blogger Award by Amy of The Ultimate Goth Guide. I think this is a nice way for bloggers to show their peers that they are appreciated. Thank you for thinking of me for this award, Amy!

UPDATE:  I also was honored with this award by Amunicia of All Black Everything.  Wow, it's a good day for me!  Thanks, Amunicia!!

UPDATE #2:  Ms Lou of The Neo-Victorian Parlour also chose me for the award.  Thank you, Ms. Lou!  Amy really got this ball rolling in the Goth blogging scene.  :)

With such an honor comes great responsibility, so here are the rules for recipients of this award:

• Thank and link the person who nominated you.
• Share seven random facts about yourself.
• Pass the award onto fifteen of your favorite bloggers.
• Contact your nominees to let them know about the award.

So, on to the fascinating facts about me…

1. My husband is my best friend.
2. I get really moody if I don’t go out dancing often enough. One good night on the dance floor with my own kind adjusts my attitude wonderfully. An off night at a club just makes me moodier.
3. I love meat. I’m an extremely healthy eater, and I consume my five+ servings of fruits and vegetables each day because it’s the right thing to do, but I hate every moment of it. If nutrition wasn’t a factor, I’d eat nothing but meat, bread and pie.
4. I can’t stand the smell of perfume.
5. My house isn’t decorated “Goth.” It’s more what I would describe as dark pseudo-modern Victorian. We don’t have black furniture, curtains, rugs or anything. Just the clothes are black. We do have a few gargoyles watching over us.
6. My dad and I went to Ireland for his 50th birthday. It was just the two of us, and we spent nearly three weeks there. It was one of the best times of my life. I’m hoping we'll go again for my 50th birthday… If he’s still mobile then. ;)
7. It’s really all about the kittens.

And now I'm going to break the rules.  Instead of calling it an award and asking for a return mention of thanks and the whole "pay it forward" thing, I'm just going to take a moment to mention a few non-fashion bloggers who are special to me. I can't see these bloggers following any of the rules above (they are all rebels), but they deserve some recognition because their blogs are awesome!  I truly look forward to reading each and every post by these talented people, and I hope you will too.

• CineRave by Radnelac
  I love movies. It's not my fault if most of them suck.
• Flummoxed by BettyZade
  Wisdom, idiocy, and a good dose of snark and ire; as seen by a 30-something, independent, free-thinking woman.
• Mental Pirate by Captain Morgan
  Honest takes on the music world, interviews with bands you may not be familiar with (or worship) and news that is worth noting.
• Wheels are Everything by My Husband :)
  Cool pictures of cool cars.

Target Does It Again

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This sheath dress was part of my recent fortuitous Target shopping trip, along with the awesome pencil skirts I talked about in this post.  This dress is surprisingly well made and is the perfect fit for work.  This is my first attempt at styling it, but what I really love is that it’s so basic and classic I could style it a dozen different ways and make it look totally different each time.  That is my goal, at least. 

Gratuitous Long Hair Shot

Today I started with some pastel pink accessories and a purple sweater shrug.  I guess I should have saved this for a Color Brigade post, but I could always use it later in a pinch.  :)  I rather like the way the light belt (Forever 21) draws attention to my waist.  The flower pin (New York & Co.) isn’t an exact color match, but it has a similar dusty pink tone.  The bracelets are also from Forever 21.  I ordered them online, and was disappointed to find when they arrived that they are plastic.  I should have guessed from the $2.80 price tag.  They don’t really match my pink glass pearl necklace as closely as I had hoped anyway, so the hunt continues.

There is a beautiful fold detail on the bodice of the dress, which you can see in the close-up below.  It’s so simple, but really adds a lot of class.

The Fold Detail

What is your favorite “basic” wardrobe piece that you find to be very versatile?

New Domain Name!

UPDATE:  New domain name is up and running (www.sophistiquenoir.com).  Old domain name still works as well (sophistiquenoir.blogspot.com), and I no longer seem to be getting the "redirect" message.  Cool!

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I've purchased a domain name and will be updating the blog tomorrow morning (Thursday).  Those of you who are following should automatically see my posts at the new address.  Any outside links to my blog will get a "redirect" message before they are transferred to the new address (which I don't really like, but Blogger doesn't give me a choice).

I apologize if the blog goes down at any time while the new settings are being put in place.  Any down time will be resolved quickly.

The new address will be www.sophistiquenoir.com!

Anyone who happens to be linking to me, could you be so kind as to update the address at your convenience so readers don't have to be annoyed with that dumb redirect message?  :)

Not Very Exciting, But I’m Okay With That.

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Fellow fashion blogger Joy commented on my outfit post yesterday and her suggestion reminded me that I had a pair of gray tights in the back of my hosiery drawer. After choosing today’s outfit and finding it a bit boring, I switched to those forgotten gray tights to add some monochromatic interest.

A Close-Up of Today’s Hair

My hair is in a messy side bun with a gray and black flower. The pendant is white gold, parts of which have been magically treated to make it dark gray, and has tiny white and black diamonds. This was a gift from my husband. I’m sad that I couldn’t get a clear close-up of the pendant. I need to take the time to do the jewelry close-ups before I put the jewelry on, because it’s too difficult to auto-focus with a remote control on such a tiny thing.

This top is made from a cool sheer fabric that has some striations in it. The bodice is lined so that just the sleeves appear sheer, and there’s a cute lettuce edge along the bottom. The two-layer sheer skirt has tiny vertical folds all over.

A Close-Up of Today’s Shoes

Yes, I have to describe the details of my outfit and let you use your imagination since I can’t get the close-ups right. :) You might be able to see some of the awesomeness if you click to enlarge the second photo and the hair detail photo.

Featured on Tattoo Tuesday

I've been featured today for Tattoo Tuesday at Emilina Sassperina's blog!  Check out my interview and stay tuned to her blog for future body modification posts every Tuesday.  Emilina also has a wonderful work in progress herself that I can't wait to see completed.

Thanks for including me, Emilina!!

Color Brigade: Pink and Yellow Rose Print, Eggplant and Black

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I found this dress in the Victoria’s Secret clearance catalog and I couldn’t resist the color.  It’s made from a jersey knit that is so nice and soft for a long day at work.  It sure is tough to keep the cat hair off of this one, though.

I don’t care too much for the front of the dress, which is a very wide open wrap requiring a camisole underneath.  It’s so wide that even safety pins won’t help, as they just cause it to gap somewhere else.  Even with the cami, it looks funny.  Like, “Why would they even make a dress that’s so open in the front?” funny (hence the clearance, I guess).  The dress has a built- scarf that ties at the neck, but even this fails to hide most of the cami.  Borrowing the belted scarf idea that is so popular with other fashion bloggers really solves this problem.  Of course, I still have the cami on too, just in case of scarf slippage!

Some days, I take 20 photos and barely like one enough to post.  Other days, I take 10 and love eight of them.  Go figure.

I wish I had worn natural stockings rather than black tights.  I think it would add a bit more class to such a “comfy-looking” outfit.  But then again, the black tights are more artsy.  


I’ll let my readers decide:  Should I change up the hosiery next time I wear this, or stick with the black?



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