Sophistique Noir Monthly Theme: Black & White

What a great theme Victorian Kitty chose for this month! Who doesn't love the combo of black & white? And naturally, it comes down to stripes, because I have a ton of 'em in my wardrobe. I wish I had more black & white damask or other prints, but the stripes are overwhelming. But I did get to mix in my very favorite sweater in a black & white floral.

What kind of black & white do you wear?

What I'm wearing: Black & white floral sweater, White House Black Market | Black long-sleeve T-shirt, Old Navy | Black & white stripe skirt White House Black Market | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Black patent pumps, unknown brand | Black beaded cameo necklace, random accessory store | Black & white stripe bead earrings, Kohl's

Sophistique Noir Monthly Theme: Makeup

I nearly didn't join this theme because I don't do tutorials or anything clever with makeup. But I do love makeup, so I thought it was worth a quick post. Specifically, about my very favorite item of makeup: Lipstick!

I used to be so addicted to lippie that I wouldn't leave the house without wearing any. These days, I'm older and lazier, and I'll go to the grocery store or a doctor's appointment without lipstick. But nowhere else! A touch of lipstick (or, let's face it, full-on dark lipstick) is generally required before I feel acceptable for public appearances.

Lipsticks on my (very messy) dressing table.

Accordingly, I buy a lot of lipsticks. I love them! I'll buy drugstore brands (Revlon Colorstay is an old fave), but I have a special soft spot for Sephora's house brand and can't seem to leave the store without whatever's the newest dark berry or purple shade, even if it's only a teeny bit different than what I have at home. Consequently, I own over 30 lipstick tubes at the moment.

My go-to shade is Chanel's Vamp because it looks great and goes with every outfit, from casual to dressy. I also like to match my lipstick to my outfit, and I have bright red lippies that go with red clothes, pink lippies that go with hot pink clothes, and purple lippies that go with purple clothes. I usually wear a different lipstick each workday, so by the end of the week, I have 4 or 5 lipsticks collected in my purse.

Some related links:
My review of Make Up For Ever's Aqua Rouge (a super long-wearing lipstick)
My review of four high-end black lipsticks (not the crappy Halloween varieties!)

Oh How I Love Sweaters!

For Sophistique Noir's Monthly Theme of "sweaters" I thought I'd do a round-up of my faves.

First up, what I call 'the most expensive sweater' altho' at cost-per-wear, it's become quite affordable. From White House Black Market, I bought it full-price & haven't regretted it.

I'm also a huge fan to stripey sweaters. Very hard to resist! I have cardigans in black & white, purple & black, pink & white, & grey & white, & a pullover/jumper in black & grey.

 

Then there's my exact multiples -- I have a black & fuchsia version of this vintage-style puffed-sleeve cardigan that works well open or closed.

And while I have a huge drawer full of more sweaters, I'll leave you with my most recent acquisition -- bat / cat!

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

This probably isn't the type of "special occasion" most people would commemorate, but I had to. And coincidentally, Sophistique Noir's September theme came up, so why not join in?

Because of course I had to document my first of four chemo treatments. I wanted to dress up a bit, comfortable but gothy, not going to wear sloppy PJs or anything too lazy. I needed to look as good as I could to take on this thing.

Plus I incorporated some powerful symbols -- cat-print shoes for my kitty loves (past & present), a locket with a photo of me getting my literature degree from U.C. Berkeley (an important accomplishment in my life), key earrings I made (keys are a lucky symbol, opening doors, keys to success), a peace symbol stud earring (for my hippie past & pacifist nature), a ying-yang earring stud (for balance in life), & a female symbol earring (for the feminine power within). Also, my fave. lipstick evar & stripes because. they rock :)

What I'm wearing:
Black knit dress, Target
Black wool ruffled bolero sweater, Kohls
Black corset-style elastic belt, Torrid
Black & white vertically striped leggings, Torrid
Black & white cat-print wedge sneakers, PlasticLand
Black socks, unknown brand
Silver locket necklace, vintage
Pewter key earrings, made by me
Black & white flower hair pin, random accessory store
Chanel Vamp lipstick

Dylan Thomas --

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Selfie in the chemo chair -- so far, so good!

Sophistique Noir Monthly Theme: Vintage

I used to have & wear a lot of vintage clothing. In college, I worked at a second-hand clothing store, so I bought from the store's stock all the time. I had flirty little dresses, beaded sweaters, perky hats, & piles of jewelry. But over time, I've sold off the collection or it simply wore out

However, I do occasionally find vintage pieces I can wear for my costume events. They tend to be fragile, so I don't want to spend much money on the items, knowing I will only get one or two wears out of it before the item becomes a study piece. But it's fun to wear something with history.

In 2006, I wore this vintage 1930s dress to the Art Deco Society's Gatsby Picnic.

The same year, I wore this authentic 1914 evening gown to the Gala Ball at Costume College.

In everyday wear, I tend to only wear vintage jewelry, since clothing like this is either too extravagant for the office or just too delicate. But I love clothing with vintage styling details too.

 

Sophistique Noir Monthly Theme: Purple

March's theme from Sophistique Noir is SO perfect for me -- PURPLE!

I have a ton of purple clothes, shoes, scarves. jewelry, & makeup. I even painted our bedroom purple with a purple faux-finish border to coordinate with a purple hanging we bought in India, & most of our bedsheets are purple. I've made plenty of purple costumes in the past & am working on a few right now. I worked for 11 years at a company whose corporate color was purple. Amethyst (purple) is my birthstone. This was a perfectly easy theme for me :)

And I even had a new dress that I hadn't worn to work yet, so I decided to premiere it for this theme with some special purple accessories. Plus, below is a roundup of my favorite past purple outfits on the blog & a few of the aforementioned costume & home purple pieces.

What I'm wearing:
Purple knit dress, Land's End
Black tights, Calvin Klein
Purple velvet pumps with roses & ankle straps, Rocket Dog
Purple & black necklace with scissors medallion, made by Lisa
Silver & amethyst earrings, gift from family
Purple flower hair pin, random accessory store
Purple lipstick, Sephora house brand
Purple eyeliner, Nars

More purple!

• Unexpected Halloween costumes with bonus purple
• Spirit Day 2012
• Stepping back into the office with purple toes
• Purple silk & fiber snobbery
• Spirit Day 201
• Good fences make good ... purple tights
• In-progress design for my husband's next 18th-century suit
• 18th-century purple silk jacket
• Purple & black stripey polonaise
• Marquise de la Tour-Maubourgh
• Fairy-tale 18th-century pair
• Our master bedroom paint colors

Sophistique Noir Monthly Theme: Maxi Skirts

December's theme from Sophistique Noir is maxi skirts! I really do love this theme, even tho' it's troublesome for me. I adore the look of long, sleek maxis, but since I'm only 5'2", it can be hard to find maxi skirts that fit me correctly. Most of them are too long & drag on the ground -- no good. And it's a known fact that I hate hemming (yes, even tho' I can & do sew entire historical costumes :-). I've had to hunt around for petite-sized maxi skirts, which means I only own a couple, & I wear them a ton, all year round.

What I'm wearing:
Black & red stripe knit tank maxi dress, Target
Black ruched-sleeve cardigan, H&M
Black studded belt, Macys
Black tights, Calvin Klein
Black patent square-toed pumps, unknown brand, thrifted

Had to grab a quick snap while my husband & I were out seeing a friend's play, & I didn't get a chance to post until late in the weekend!

Sophistique Noir November Theme: Hosiery

This month's theme is a great one: Hosiery! From fishnets to stripeys to spiderweb tights, every goth gal loves some legwear. I have one & a half drawers full of different kinds of stockings, & I couldn't pick just one to feature, so here's a rundown of my faves.

1. Black tights by Calvin Klein -- These are my absolute favorite everyday hose. I buy a dozen, & they last two or three years before any pairs get holes, stretch out, or anything. Nearly indestructible. Plus, they come in a slightly wider range of sizes than most brands, meaning they fit my petite-plus self quite well. Call me one satisfied customer!

2. Colored tights -- I really like soft colors for tights. The purple & grey get worn most often because I think they add a sophisticated touch to an otherwise dark outfit. These ones are also a great contrast to an occasional pop of color.

 

3. Fishnets, especially colorful ones -- Black fishnets are classic & are even acceptable in many not-super-conservative workplaces now. But color fishnets are even better for work, imo, because they read less "sexy" & more "fun" & "hip." They're a little unexpected, yet they can blend in at the same time, if you choose shoes & skirt carefully.

4. Stripes -- Of course, I have stripey tights, tho' I don't tend to wear them to the office that much. I mostly save them for weekends & party time. But if I can tone them down in an outfit, the stripeys come to the office. I like 'em in lots of colors (sensing a theme here?) & even vertical.

5. Spiderweb tights -- Oh yes, the spiderwebs can work at work! They're subtly spooky.

6. Lace stockings -- I love lacy tights! But these seem to be the most prone to snagging, tearing, & generally not lasting very long. So I never have more than one pair available at a time, foo. But I'm always on the lookout for more, & they can't be very expensive because I know they'll rip up (even the pricey brands). Ah well, they are so pretty.

What is your favorite kind of hosiery? Best brands? Where do you shop? Let me know in the comments!

Someone Special

Sophistique Noir's theme this month is "someone special." It may be obvious, but I find it impossible to blog about anyone other than my beloved, my husband Thomas, for he is most special to me. I have dear, dear friends, & even our two cats are super-special, but Thomas is my best friend, my partner, my soulmate.

We've been together 20 years, married 12, we've had great ups & downs, we don't agree on everything, & we are constantly working on our relationship. But we care deeply about each other, & neither of us could imagine life without the other.

I always come back to these words I included in our wedding ceremony, paraphrased from the poet Rainer Maria Rilke:

A merging of two people is an impossibility, and where it seems to exist, it is a hemming-in, a mutual consent that robs one party or both parties of their fullest freedom and development. But once the realization is accepted that even between the closest people infinite distances exist, a marvelous living side-by-side can grow up for them, if they succeed in loving the expanse between them, which gives them the possibility of always seeing each other as a whole and before an immense sky.

That is, I believe, what we have. We are two unique wholes, different, separate, but sharing our lives completely & utterly together. That makes our relationship so terribly special to me.

And here we are at our wedding in 2000. We designed our outfits in a Victorian-gothic style & made them with the help of friends & family. They were taken by Erica Z. Connors, our professional photographer.

And then here we are doing what we love most -- travel. I'd only been to Canada before meeting Thomas, but together we have set foot on every continent including Antarctica. We're always planning another trip, whether to somewhere new or back to an old favorite haunt. And sometimes we combine my love of costume, our interest in history, & our passion for travel.

At a 16th-century manor house in England, 2010.

In New Zealand with the Remarkables mountains in the backgound, 2004.

In Florence, Italy, 2007.

At the Pergamon in Berlin, Germany, 2005.

At a cafe on Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy, during Carnevale, 2009.