Decent for Work, Even Though it’s Body Central

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I bought this cute dress from Body Central, planning to wear it to work. I didn’t know at the time that most of their dresses are much sluttier in person than they appear on the models in the catalog, but with this dress I got lucky.  The fit is just a bit relaxed (that must explain why it was massively discounted. ;)  ), and the neckline and length are appropriate for work, as long as I wear dark tights. I might not feel comfortable in this length at work with natural stockings, but opaque tights add some modesty.

My previous post, What I Wear to the Vet features the other BC dress I ordered at the same time that didn’t work out so well (until I modified it).

While this looks like a dress and a shrug, it’s actually one piece. This kind of dress makes it easy to look like you “put together” an outfit on a busy morning without really taking any time or thought. It came with a little satin bow stitched to the bodice but for more interest I pinned a polka dot bow on top. And since it was such a busy morning, I just added a few black bracelets and simple heels.

A Close-Up of Today's Shoes

I feel a little bit vintage but still adequately dark today.  I think I love this dress!!

Newport News Meets Moriticia Addams

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Both pieces of this outfit are from Newport News. I think this is a great example of just how Gothy you can get shopping selectively in mainstream stores and catalogs!

The fit and flare skirt needed some alterations in both length and width. I'd say Newport News (and Spiegel, the parent company) both have the most drastic variation in sizing of any clothing company I shop with. Sad, since they are my favorites!! Luckily they never seem to run too small, and too big can usually be fixed.

The boat-neck top has flared sleeves and a cool strappy detail covering the back, finished with a crocheted rosette. It used to be open beneath the straps but I didn't like that it required very special undergarments, which I don't find particularly comfortable unless it's just for the evening. I don't see myself wearing this top for the evening anyway, so I sewed in a nude layer and a sheer black layer to make the back totally opaque. Now it works with a regular bra and I can wear it all day long. This top went from being worn only once in about three years (backless) to being worn twice in the past month (opaque). Much more practical!

Not Actually a Spider Web Pattern, But Close Enough!

Oh, and I've had this floral cross pendant since high school! Not many things in my wardrobe or jewelry box have held my interest for that long.

Peasant Goth

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I ordered this dress from Newport News last summer, mainly because I loved the color. And it was on sale... And because it was long and flowy and looked comfortable. Which it is. But it has gotten little use so far, as I couldn't quite come to terms with the peasant style. It is perhaps a bit medieval for my tastes, with the smocked waist, tie-front bodice and gauzy fabric combined with a tiered skirt. Last night for some reason I suddenly found my heart set on wearing it. Giving it some thought this morning, I decided to go with shiny black accessories to bring some class into the peasant class. ;)

The time it took me to experiment with accessories this morning pretty much blew any chance of having time for a hair style, and my hair wasn't clean enough to wear down, so I hid it in a bun. Not a fun side bun or even a classy high bun – just a boring bun right smack in the back of my head. So please, world, just look at me from the front today!  Or from the chin down.

Other than the hair style, I am finding myself quite pleased with today's look. I'm sorry now that I didn't give the peasant dress a fair chance sooner!

Bloggers: Join Me for Red and Black Week

Sneak Preview!

June 5-10, 2011

I’ve been enjoying participating in various fashion blogger events, such as Color Brigade and Rule-Breaking Monday. There seems to be a shortage of Goth-related blogging events, so I thought I would start one up! My theme is Red & Black Week, since this is a pretty classic Gothic color combination.


To participate in Red and Black Week:

Each day (June 5-10), I will post my Red & Black outfit as well as a sign-up form. Add the icon to your Red & Black post for that day (it can be something you posted previously, as long as you go back and add the icon to the post). Then, come back to my blog and add a link to your post (direct link to your Red & Black post, not your blog’s home page) using the Mister Linky sign-up form on my post.

Your posts don’t have to be about fashion, but they do have to be "dark" and they must incorporate a red and black theme. Non-Goth blogs are welcome to participate, as long as the posts evoke an appropriately dark and/or classy aesthetic (red evening gown with black accessories would be awesome, for example, but a red and black football uniform would be not so much).

You don't have to participate every day of the event; feel free to just post once, twice or whatever you like!

Sneak Preview!

Posts that are linked up without including the icon will be removed, because it’s my blog and I said so. :)

Please share this invitation with any bloggers you know who might be interested!

Questions? E-mail me using the Contact Me page.


HTML for the icon:
<a href="http://www.sophistiquenoir.com/search/label/Red%20and%20Black%20Week"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX362Cvgh__wx6ELA6KyvHkZ13pXxBYfxSuDuhM2pAIVIg0bXRVRzU3unUB2qBXV8xUdi8ZGmCUWi2ci10IZkl99xvq-qeHN-CEkk0x3fLkOJJtOEexPLYeNvYAm3Q4OITYycRJieZAr8/s1600/red-black-week-icon.jpg" border="0"></a>

Yes, It's That Gray Top Again!

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I'm so excited today! I just found out that I won my first blog giveaway, over on Bloggery of a Goth Cat. The prize is a pinstripe skirt with a bustle. I've seen photos of her work on her site, and I’m really looking forward to seeing some of it in person!

I'm already getting into outfit post repeats. :) You've seen today's top before from one of my trips with Perseus to the vet specialist. Today I also wore it with pants, but tried to style it differently by dressing it up a bit. Rhinestones and silk scarves really do give things new life!

The necklace is a gift from my husband. Yes, he does love to buy me necklaces and I love him for it! This scarf is one of the Amazon finds I mentioned in a previous post. Today, someone at work called it a "Magic Ninja Scarf." Apparently it had something to do with my ability to ascend a concrete staircase relatively quietly. I'm still a little confused. ;)

Today's hair is just a simple, high bun with a gray hair flower. Buns are really the best I can do on most work days, as I have to be at work at 7:00 and usually I'm still in bed at 6:00!!

What is your favorite "I don't have time to do my hair" hairdo?

Socks With Heels, Gothy Weekend Version

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I wanted to do an uber-Gothy outfit post yesterday in honor of World Goth Day, but we were engrossed in a major home renovation project all weekend. I didn't even get to go out to a club. :( Our home is a huge priority for us, so it was worth it. Hopefully the timing will work out better next year! But since I didn't get to post all weekend, here's an outfit I had saved in the idea file.

Same crocheted socks as seen in my work outfit here, but in a fun Goth version!

The velvet blazer from Forever 21 is one of my favorite things, but as Forever 21 products are prone to do the velvet started fraying at a seam that runs around the middle. The fabric was actually tearing, so I couldn't think of a good way to fix it without the repair showing... Until I thought of lace. So I sewed some frilly lace along the offending seam, topped it with some fancy crocheted trim, and then did a matching treatment on the sleeves. Good as new. No, better than new! Too bad I didn't get a close-up. You guys are missing out.

Here's a shot of what I had on under the blazer. I love the frilly lace straps. Actually that's about the only thing that I really love about this top, so don't ask me why I wore it underneath something that hides its best feature. Of course, the blazer came off when we got home from our errands, so the lace straps got some exposure after all.

Forget About the Second Day…

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I wasn’t planning on doing an evening version of this outfit, as I couldn’t fathom any other way to style this blazer. But before leaving for Sushi Thursday, I threw on the casual fingerless gloves because I knew it would be chilly when the sun went down. The gloves didn’t go with the shoes I had on, so I changed to the casual Dr. Martens Mary Janes. Then the skirt didn’t go with the Mary Janes, so out came the black jeans. Next thing you know I have a whole new outfit, my sweet husband has to wait patiently for another photo session to be completed, and I need another line of lyrics from Military Fashion Show to use as a post title.

This photo was blurry, which any good designer knows is a cue to
throw out some cool ethereal effects to try and make it look intentional!

I don’t have too much to say about this outfit, except that after the sushi we went for pie (a rare occurrence for us) and the jeans didn’t seem to fit so well after! ;-D

Beauty Broke Down the Chains Somehow…

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Yes, I am sure that every Goth girl (the ones who like Synthpop, at least) who does a fashion blog post featuring a military-inspired style borrows a line from Military Fashion Show by And One. It may not be creative, but at least it saved me having to come up with a title today. :)

This adorable military-style blazer came from H&M. Personally, I’m a bit of a pacifist but do I like this style if it has a vintage flair. Check out the close-up to see the cool details on the lapels. The gunmetal-color buttons are a nice touch, too, rather than the silver-tone I usually see on this style blazer. The high-waist pencil skirt with ruched side panels is from Forever 21, and happens to be the only bottom I own that even comes close to working with this blazer!

I’ve been loyal to a certain line of Hue stockings for years now, as the fit, sheen and quality of this particular style is perfect for my tastes. However, they don’t offer a backseam variety, so I popped into Frederick's to buy this pair. They weren’t cheap: about $15. I took them out of the package today and to my dismay, I found that both stockings have random lines running up and down them! This is not intentional, as they are not striped stockings; these appear to be weak spots in the weave. I’ve seen this before in cheaper brands, but expected better in this price range. It’s SO tacky. You have to look closely in the enlarged shots to see the streaks, but I assure you they are glaring in person! I really didn’t have time to change this morning, but I will never wear these again. And I caution my readers not to buy stockings from Frederick’s!!

Can anyone recommend a high-quality brand of backseam stockings?  Or maybe I’ll stick with my beloved Hue stockings and get those adorable backseam tattoos…

And It’s STILL Sweater Season…

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I’ve been very critical about my work outfits lately, deeming none of them worthy of blogging. It’s just a phase I’m going through; it’s happened before and I know it will happen again. That’s fine, because these feelings help ward off any slight urges to become apathetic in my appearance. Usually these phases lead to me convince myself that there are no quality items in my closet and I go on a shopping binge, but I’m going to resist that this time. It’s time to learn to shop my closet with an objective eye rather than an emotional one!

A Close-Up of Today's Shoes

This blue-grey silk skirt is from Newport News. The sparkly black sweater is from a random mall store. I love the wide cuffs that give the lower arm some puffiness. The blue-grey beaded necklace is from Claire’s, years ago. Since it’s nearly summer and yet still 60 degrees outside, I thought I would go with the “unpredictable weather” theme by pairing a sweater with a lightweight skirt and open-toe shoes. I really like the contrast, especially since it breaks some established “fashion rules.” I guess I should have worn this on Rule-Breaking Monday!

Teeny Tiny Car Show

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Our Car: 1962 Chrysler Newport

Lately we've been picking and choosing our car shows. We used to go to the local shows nearly every Saturday in our little town, but these tiny shows get boring with the same few people and the same few cars, and the small-town mentality that causes half the people present to assume I am Wiccan (I am not)... Usually we now hold out for a grand show in L.A. We did decide to pop in to a local show last weekend to say a quick hello to the old crowd. Turns out that most people were leaving by the time we got there, as it was quite cold and extremely windy. But we had fun going for a drive, just the same.

The sleeves are made by me from inexpensive, stretchy swim suit lining.  I also made the choker - its just a length of fancy ribbon with a clasp attached in the back.  And the lace headband is homemade, from a length of stretchy, double scallop-edged lace sewn into a circle.  Ruched satin tank top and shrug are from random mall stores.

The lace skirt comes from Newport News. I really splurged on this skirt, as it was relatively expensive and I couldn't bring myself to wait for it to go on sale. I was delighted when it arrived. The fit is perfect, the lace isn't stretchy (stretch lace starts to look ratty so quickly in skirts, at least in my experience) and the matte finish makes it not too fancy for work. I was quite angry when the first time I wore it, I caught my wedding ring prongs in the lace and tore a tiny hole right in the middle of the front. It's barely noticeable, but I know it's there and it irritates me to no end. That's what I get for sitting with my hands demurely folded in my lap.  :)

Anyone else have a clothes-damaging tragedy they want share, to make me feel better?

Return of My Other Favorite Club

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During the recent L.A. Goth Club Upheaval, both of my two favorite clubs were displaced: the monthly Old School Goth club mentioned in this post, and a weekly Darkwave/Goth/Synthpop club that had been around for 15 years. Things really do have a way of correcting themselves, as they are now both back! We attended the re-opening of the latter this weekend at a new venue, which I think will be a big improvement. It always takes me a few nights to get used to a new dance floor, but this location really is far superior the old.

This corset is my one and only purchase (so far) from Timeless Trends. While I don’t love it quite as much as my Gallery Serpentine collection, it really is a close second and the prices are too amazing ($99 for most styles). The only issue I had with this corset is that I had to replace the lacing. It arrived with matte finish lacing, which was impossible to smoothly cinch down. It continually caught up on itself and tangled, or just wouldn’t slide through the grommets. Once I finally got it arranged, my shoulders hurt and the corset was incredibly uncomfortable. I don’t go for the two-person lacing method; I find that the thing can only be truly comfortable and properly adjusted by doing it myself, so this "sticky" lacing simply wasn’t going to work. I ordered some shiny nylon lacing and now this corset is wonderfully comfortable and easy to cinch.

The choker is by Alchemy Gothic. It features three dark purple enamel panels inset with purple crystals, and a wide velvet choker. Another birthday gift from the perfect man! He cheated a bit on this one, as he had seen me admiring it while on a shopping trip with friends in San Diego. I don’t know how he managed to find the same one online without even knowing the name; he’s just amazing like that.

Some Hair for You!

I thought it would be nice to give my Club Outfit photos a bit more ambiance. I’ll keep the Work Outfit photos natural and straightforward, but I really like the way these evoke the feel of a night at a Goth club. They look much more like what you would see if you walked in and saw me out on the dance floor. Except I’m not dancing, because still shots of dance moves always seem to look awkward.

After putting so much work into these photos, I’ve decided to enter one of them in Timeless Trends’ monthly corset photo contest. The winner gets a free TT corset, and I already have one picked out. So wish me luck!!

Tutorial - Black Star Sparkle Nails

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To my great delight, I have gone back to acrylic nails. I love long, nicely painted nails and just can’t achieve this naturally. I also like to have a little fun with polish combinations, rhinestones and other nail art.

Recently I played around with these cool plastic stars (as seen in one of my Club outfit posts), which I bought ages ago but decided not to bother with on my natural nails.

Here are the products I used:

• China Glaze Polish in “Avalanche” (a purple-grey shimmery color)
• Orly Nail Lacquer in “Tiara” (silver glitter in clear polish)
• Nail Art black holographic stars (purchased from Sally Beauty Supply)
• Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Top Coat

First, I applied two coats of the China Glaze “Avalanche.”

Next, I used a thin coat of the Orly “Tiara.” I didn’t want too much glitter, because I was hoping to let some of the purple-grey underneath show through.

The End Result

Now you have to act fast. I applied the stars while the silver glitter polish was still wet. I painted one nail at a time, and then applied the stars to that nail before moving on to paint the next. Star application definitely requires the use of tweezers. I do hope you have more steady hands than I do!!



Finally comes the Top Coat. I applied a thick layer (this stuff dries fast, even if you use a heavy hand). The stars are plastic and quite stiff, so they don’t conform to the curve of the nail very well. I found that the corners of some of the stars were still not totally encased in clear after the first coat, so I applied rather thick globs on top of each batch of stars, rather than re-coating the whole nail. This polish flows nicely, so once it dried the big glob blended it fairly well... Next time, I would do it the other way around (big glob first, then thick coat over whole nail) to get a smoother end result.

Hello, Summer? Are You There???

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This post went up yesterday (5/12) right before Blogger blew up.  When Blogger was finally back online, it had eaten this post and its comments.  Hence the re-post.  :)

The weather has been vacillating between about 85 degrees and stupidly cold here in sunny southern California. In spite of the fact that I'm pretty much an indoorsy kind of girl, I am also a fresh air kind of girl. When springtime comes around each year, I can't wait to open up all the windows and blow out the stale remnants of winter. Not to mention, the fresh air helps me feel reassured that our house isn't “catty” in spite of our super-clean routine. Lately we just can't win with the fresh air, since one day it's too hot and the next it's too cold. I'm pretty sure my sinuses aren't appreciating the confusion, either.

To get to the point, here's what a California girl has to wear to go buy groceries in mid-May (this was from last weekend). Ridiculous, isn't it! I don't entirely mind though, as Goths do tend to love layers and layers of flowing, luxurious garments. In July I'll be complaining that I'm sick of having bare shoulders. :) And yes, I wore two fleur de lis with this outfit. If I'm going to be freezing in May, I might as well feel like royalty while doing it!

You can't tell right now, but this dress from Newport News is strapless underneath all of the insulation. Just say the word, Mother Nature, and I'll drop the adorable, ruffled sweater and fingerless gloves and be ready for a nice warm weekend!

Perseus Hopes for Springtime, Too!

How's the weather in your area? I hope you are finding things more temperate than we are!

Grey Lace

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I bought this grey eyelash lace top from H&M on my recent shopping trip. Simple as it is, it is probably my favorite purchase for the day. The fabric looks like plain jersey knit but it’s very soft and a bit shiny in person. The delicate lace bodice and sleeves feel very vintage to me.

The tiered skirt is from Macy’s. I bought the beaded scarf while vacationing in London, but it’s from India. The lovely pendant is another gift from my husband. I think it was the first piece of jewelry he ever bought me, and it’s still my favorite.

The grey hair flowers are from Claire’s. As you might have noticed, my favorite hairstyle for work lately is a side bun with flowers. It’s soft and feminine, keeps my hair from tangling, and is low-maintenance all day long. I wear a hair net over the bun or little bits jump out and by the end of they day it looks like a chinchilla stuck to my head. A black hair net is virtually invisible and keeps me from having to re-do the bun mid-day.

I wonder why modern society rejects certain brilliant inventions from the past, such as the hair net? They really are not just for fast food employees… ;)