It's Just Shoes

There's no other reason for this post except these shoes. I'd always wanted some kind of open-front laced or buckled shoe like this and had considered many varieties, from expensive Fluevogs to the cheapo Pleaser Bordello shoes.

Then these American Duchess ones came along. The sizing of this brand can be off for me; they tend to run narrow, and my foot is wide. But this style compensates. Plus, the curved heel is quite walkable.

What I'm wearing: Black & white stripe knit jacket, Marshalls | Black T-shirt, Target | Black skirt, NY & Company | Hot pink tights, Hue | Black tango boots, American Duchess | Silver skull earrings, random accessory store

50% Less Makeup, 70% More Tweets

I've gotten really lazy about wearing makeup recently. Not that I ever wore a ton of makeup to work. My standard office-face routine used to be just eyes and lips. I'd wear black eyeliner, a touch of eyeshadow, and dark lipstick. Maybe once every couple of weeks I'd wear a light bit of foundation and powder, usually to cover up especially dark under-eye circles or an annoying blemish.

Well, since starting this job with the longer commute, I've been skipping the eye makeup more and more often. I probably wear eyeliner once a week, and eye shadow is just a shadow of a memory. That said, I'm loving the heck out of the Benefit They're Real Push-Up Eyeliner I bought a few months ago. It's cat-eye liner for dummies. It's all about the tip. The 'push-up' thing is actually a bit annoying because it doesn't always push up enough or a consistent amount of liner, but once you get it going (usually on a finger or a tissue), wow, it's great. That shaped tip draws perfect cat-eyes every time, as long, thick, and catty as you want. The stuff also has major lasting power. So much so that I had to buy Benefit's accompanying They're Real Remover to get the stuff off (my usual makeup remover required too much elbow grease, and rubbing one's eyes ain't nice).

Of course, I'm mostly wearing this on the weekends because I can't be arsed to tart up my eyes at the crack of dawn before going to work. Ah well.

What I apparently can be arsed to do is jump on Twitter. I'm slow to the bandwagon by a half-decade, I know. But it's not like I wasn't busy with every other thing online already. Are any of you on Twitter? Please follow me at ThisIsCorpGoth and chat me up! I'll still be blogging, but since December is super-freaky-busy for me, I may tweet more than blog because 140 characters is easier to fit in between stuff.

Also, due to my crazy month, there won't be another Mid-Month Status Report until January. Hey, you've all got holidays or maybe just weather to slog through too, right?

What I'm wearing: Grey sheath dress, Target | Black ruffled bolero sweater, Kohl's | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Silver grey wedge heels, Anne Klein | Black bat necklace, Walgreens | Silver & onyx earrings, bought in India

Wandering Around the Web

• If you're in the New York area, mark this on your calender: Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire, October 21, 2014–February 1, 2015, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. On October 31st, check out "Death Becomes You," a special program as part of this exhibit, featuring dramatic readings of Edgar Allen Poe, an illusionist, costumed performers, and more.
• Offbeat Home has a much-needed open letter to the fashion industry, re: plus-size representation. The comments section well worth reading too.
• I found The Everyday Goth's review of the Restyle bag she bought very helpful. I've looked at their bags and purses longingly but really wondered about the quality. I love it when people give careful, detailed product reviews like this!
• FastCompany reported on the exact amount of time you should work each day. It's not 8 hours straight -- Quick, someone tell our bosses! I will say that this article reminds me why I'm more productive when I can work from home & take more breaks away from the computer (which I can't now, foo).
• My sewing machine can do embroidery & I've used it for costume projects, but I still haven't done any everyday clothing embellishment. Well, seeing Madame Mari Mortem's first shot at using Urban Threads embroidery patterns with her machine has totally convinced me! Fabulous work.
• This NPR analysis is a brilliant read about a story written in 1957 about 1912, describing how to build cultural panic. Perfectly suitable to yesterday, today, or tomorrow, showing how nothing changes.
• Finally, do keep checking in on my Halloween for Sale 2014 Pinterest board -- I've been adding more goodies as I find them, plus stuff keeps going on sale as Halloween gets closer.

CorpGoth Guide to Black Eyeliners

Black eyeliner is a staple of every goth's makeup arsenal, & for CorpGoths it's crucial to have a reliable black eyeliner that stays put for a full workday. I've tried dozens upon dozens of eyeliners over the years, & while I don't know that I've found the One True Black Eyeliner, I have my favorites.

Last year, I had an eye infection that the doctor thought was pink eye, so I threw out all my old eyeliners & mascaras & decided to replace them (turned out to be a totally different problem & I didn't need to dispose of the makeup, but oh well). Fashion mags often advise to replace your eye makeup every 6 months, but I've never done that. I simply replace it when I use it up or if anything smells funny or the consistency changes. That seems like a better indicator of product usability (not to mention, more affordable).

The first black eyeliner I ever loved was Wet 'n Wild, & I used it for about two decades with success. The hard waxiness keeps it from smudging, & it's really difficult to beat that drugstore price. But as I got older, the hardness of the pencil became a drawback on the increasingly delicate skin around my eyes. Don't want to develop crow's feet.

I then messed around with many eyeliners, of both drugstore and department store variety before settling down with Benefit's BadGal Eyeliner. It has been my workday black liner for years now. This one is waterproof (mostly) & just soft enough for a smooth line. I hardly ever use the smudging sponge tip on the opposite side tho'.

While I like BadGal for daytime, I want something more dramatic for evening looks -- a liquid liner or, because I'm a bit inept, a felt-tip liquid liner. I'd been using some Sephora varieties, which were OK, but not great. So I headed back to the big ol' makeup store for advice.

One of the salesperson's first recommendations for a great waterproof, smudge-proof, budge-proof eyeliner was the Nars Stylo felt-tip liner. Wow, this is a winner! It goes on very wet & takes an extra few seconds to dry (close your eyes & wait, it's worth it), then it does.not.move all day. You could probably draw curliques on your face a la Sandman's Death, run through lawn sprinklers, & this stuff wouldn't come off (not that I've tried that). You must use a makeup remover, but a gentle one is fine, & only then does this liner come off. Wow. This is now my evening, special effects, or long-day eyeliner.

Between Benefit's BadGal & Nars Stylo, I don't think you'll go wrong. One soft daytime liner, one liquid-style anything-goes liner, both in classic black. Btw, these are not advertisements & I don't receive anything from these companies -- I'm just sharing my experiences. I'd love to hear yours!

What's your favorite black eyeliner?

Touch of Red With Bonus Nail Review

What's black & white & red all over? Not a newspaper (anyone remember those?) & not exactly this outfit really. Still, I like the tiny pop of red the shoes & necklace add.

The nails, however, are a failure. Sure, they look good enough, but I heartily do not recommend this product, the Sephora by Opi Trend Tips nail appliques (this specific style is called "Ornate").  I put them on last night around 5pm, & they were already peeling off this morning. Undoubtedly, this is due to the poor packaging & instructions & overall ineffective quality of the product.

I've used the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips before (pictured here & here), & I love them. So I had a clue on how to apply this sort of nail applique. However, the Sally Hansen version comes with a two-sided buffer & an cuticle stick. You lightly buff your nails before applying the polish strip so the nail bed is prepped, then you use the stick to press the applique down around your cuticles & gently tear the excess bits of the strip away. Finally, you use the rough side of the buffer to smooth the nail tip & seal the end, which also removes last bits of excess applique. All of this creates a tight bond between your nail & the applique.

But the Sephora version doesn't come with any of these tools, nor do the instructions recommend those detailed steps. It's difficult to create a firm application, even though I had some of the tools myself. The Sephora appliques also tear more easily & just don't seem to stick that well.

Verdict: Save your money! At $12 versus about $8 for Sally Hansen, skip Sephora. Go to the drugstore if you want wacky patterned nails.

I'm stripping these off my fingers tonight -- that is, the ones that haven't already peeled off.

What I'm wearing:
Black & white damask-print top, Spiegel | Black skirt with lace trim, NY & Company | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Red Chinese-fabric flats, Shoe Metro | Black beaded necklace with red Murano glass heart, made by me | Gunmetal hoop earrings, random accessory store

 

CorpGoth Guide to High-End Black Lipsticks

Around Halloween, the BabyBat's fancy turns to black lipstick. Admit it, we've all done it, we've gone to the drugstore or the Halloween outlets that pop up everywhere and bought a tube of Wet 'n Wild (or worse, the generic) black lipstick and tried it out.

That waxy, hard, horrible tasting/smelling so-called lipstick leaves an ashen grey smear on our lips and we toss it in the trash, finally understanding why friends don't let friends dress as The Crow. And as the years pass, we begin to think the black lipsticks are just another of those childish rites of passage, certainly nothing fit for mature, sensible goth gals and boys.

However, in the past few years, several of the high-end makeup lines have come out with black and almost-black lipsticks that are of much better quality than the Halloween lippies of yore. These lipsticks are as moist and rich as you'd expect for a $20 tube, and the colors are quite nice.

Here are my reviews.

MAC Cosmetics Lipstick, Cremesheen Black Night (possibly discontinued; look at Nordstroms and other department-store makeup counters if MAC stores don't carry it) -- The lightest black lipstick of the bunch. Has a touch of shimmer. This one does go true black, but I think it looks best layered over another color, such as a dark pink or burgundy for a blackened cherry look.

Illamasqua Lipstick, Pristine (matte black) -- Very matte finish in a true, solid black lipstick. This gives a classy look to the old goth cliche, nicely adult yet edgy. A winner if you want a sharp, matte look. $22.

Make Up For Ever Professional Lipstick, #50 (satin black) -- A bit creamier than the Illamasqua but also a true, solid black. The satin finish isn't exactly shimmery but it's not the flat, matte of Pristine. This one stains a little bit. $19.

Sephora Rouge Cream Lipstick, Bewitch Me 24 (deepest cool grape) -- Actually, I'm not positive of the shade because in the stores, Sephora's house brand lippies don't have names, just numbers. My tube has the number 816-211A on it, and the color appears to be a brownish purple with shimmer. Don't let this fool you! It goes on as a rich, dark black with the barest hint of brown, like dried blood. And like all of Sephora's Rouge Cream line, it's smooth and silky with a satiny finish. If you can find this shade, it's a great, creamy black lipstick, and the most affordable of the bunch at $12.

While my photos aren't the best, you do get the idea that the differences between these lipstick shades are subtle, at best. The biggest choice is whether you want matte or satin/creamy finish

These colors -- like most makeup colors -- won't be available forever, so stock up if you like the look, or just want to avoid the memory of those nasty BabyBat experiments. I don't recommend wearing black lipstick to the office, but it can be fun on the weekends with simple eye makeup and an elegant outfit.

Related link:  A Review of MAC’s Black Lipsticks from Gothic Charm School.

Unexpectedly Last

I didn't plan it, but this is my last outfit worn to the office in 2010. I thought I'd be going into the office on Wednesday & then working from home on Thursday; we have Friday off, along with all of next week. But this afternoon, my supervisor came by & said there was no need for me to come in tomorrow if I didn't want to. Turned out everyone else in our department was working from home or on vacation already!

What I'm wearing:
Black lace jacket, Macy's
Black long-sleeve T-shirt, Old Navy
Dark grey jeans, Calvin Klein
Black pointy boots with buckle accents, Baker's Shoes
Pale pink glass bib necklace, Forever 21
Black Victorian-esque dangly earrings, random accessory store
Dark cherry lipstick, Sephora

These are the jeans I ended up buying on my recent quest, & I give them a solid "thumbs up." Very comfortable & attractive. No gaping at the waist, & they don't feel quite as short as I initially thought (tho' I still wouldn't wear them with little flats).

This evening, I received the additional jeans I ordered from Macy's online. The "worn black" wash CKs are awesome! Same fit as the ones pictured here, almost true black, plus there are black studs along the front & back pockets for a nice, punky touch. Love them!!! Unfortunately, the Calvin "skinny" jeans were all a failure. Same size as the above, but apparently it's not just the legs that are skinny -- I couldn't zip 'em up. Ugh.

The Levis were the right length, nice cut, & a rich, true black, but not the right size. I think I just misremembered from what I tried on in the store (fingers crossed). If the Levis 512s are available online, I'll try the next size up. All of these jeans were in the $30 to $50 price range, most were on sale, & I consider this a perfectly reasonable price for jeans that fit. Especially black jeans!

Not totally satisfied with this outfit. For one, I need to replace the buttons on this jacket. They're cheap, ugly plastic. With all the holiday crafting I'm doing, I didn't want to lose the jacket in my sewing room, so I hung it up in the closet immediately. Thus, I forgot about changing the buttons & then thought, hey, cute jacket I haven't worn! Oh well. I'll get to that little project next week, when I'm off work. I plan to blog a little bit more then, maybe even some casual outfits. We shall see...

The Quest for Black Jeans

This isn't exactly CorpGoth, but it's goth-ish &, well, I want to rant about it!

This weekend, I attempted, for the billionth time, to find black jeans that fit me. And, for the billionth time, I failed. Firstly, black jeans are a rare species. While it would be a casual goth wardrobe staple, it's not something you can find easily in many stores. They're a trend that goes in & out of style in the mainstream. Secondly, I am what might be politely phrased as a "specialty" size. Petite plus size. I'm 5'2" & currently wear something around a U.S. women's 12-16 in pants.

Much has been written about the issue of vanity sizing -- how companies make clothes in smaller number sizes to supposedly flatter consumers. And every savvy shopper knows that different brands have their own fit models, which dictates a specific (& basically, completely random) size & shape standard for each brand. Fashion lines targeted towards juniors with slimmer hips & bust such as H&M will run smaller than, say, lines such as Talbots targeted towards older women with more pronounced curves.

Add petite sizing into the mix, & everything goes haywire. Some brands think "petite" means "chop a few inches off the pant leg & arms" while others miniaturize the entire garment, as if petite women were child-size versions of adult women. Even when they cut length off, different brands shorten by different amounts. The petite-focused blog Alternations Needed has a wealth of information in the Petite Fit Guide section & Adventures in Alterations that explain exactly how standard size garments (including juniors & typical petites) differ in accurate fit from petite women's bodies. Unfortunately, that site is aimed more at small petites, those who wear sizes at the 0 end of the range. I suspect one of my thighs might fit into a size 0 waist trouser. *sigh*

So with this background, you know a little about my lifelong quest for black jeans that fit. Not sure why I tried again today, guess the mood just struck. Here are some reviews of places & brands, which may or may not be applicable or useful to others...

Where the black jeans are & aren't right now:
Usually, Gap jeans fit me great. The "curvy" cut & "ankle" length accommodate my pant size & my inseam length. However, they don't carry black or even a very dark wash right now. Around September this year, Gap did have lots of black jeans online. BUT, the same size that fit me in the store did not fit when I bought them online! Lots of people complained on the website of the same thing. Wtf, Gap?

Old Navy pants -- not jeans -- often fit, but petites are very hard to find in the store. It's easier to order them online. I did find petite dark wash (not exactly black) jeans in the store, but the "short" length was perhaps 3" to 4" too long for me. How is that short?

I thought I'd give Torrid a try because the store specializes in plus sizes & edgy, hip trends. Well, I liked a lot of what I saw, & the sizes were close to fitting, but the pants were all too long by a 3" or 4". Yeah, I sew, but I hate hemming pants more than anything in the world. Also, you cannot hem jeans without them looking dorky, imnsho. I just won't do it. Rolling jeans is out of the question -- it simply reinforces the fact that I'm short. No thanks.

I didn't even bother with the super-trendy stores like True Religion, Lucky, & Guess. Maybe I'm stereotyping, but they don't seem like the kind of places that sell to people over size 8. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong because I honestly will pay big money if I could find black jeans that fit my big ass & little waist!

So, on to Macy's petites department, my usual best-bet for things that fit. I know I'll find a wide selection of both in-house brands & fancy labels, plus great sales. I tried on absolutely everything in that section even close to my size in a dark wash, from grey to black. One critique: Unfair of Macy's to put petites jeans on racks high on the wall! My arms & shoulder were aching from reaching up so high.

Style & Co. is my least favourite brand for jeans. I have one pair in a dark grey wash that I've been wearing for years, but I kind of hate them. They're a bit too high-waisted or maybe it's that my waist is a bit slim but my hips are wide -- whatever, they tend to sag on me & it's very irritating! My blue jeans from the Gap don't fit so poorly. But I can still wear the Style & Co. jeans with longer tops or jackets & that doesn't show. Just feels annoying. I tried on the latest incarnations of solid black jeans from this brand, & *gag* even worse. Very mom jeans, high-waisted, plus 3" too long.

Not Your Daughter's Jeans were interesting -- lots of pretty embellished black jeans. But they were insanely overpriced, starting at $100, for very stretchy jeans that were all rather high-waisted. Felt a tad mom jeans-ish in the waist. The length was an inch too long -- would have been ok with heels or heeled boots. If they had been less pricey, I might have gotten a pair just for kicks, since they were super-black.

DNKY were also an one-inch-too-long length. Apparently, "petite" means you're 5'3". Couldn't find a size that worked well for me though, & they were a very dark blue-black wash not true black.

Ralph Lauren jeans were about 2" too long & I couldn't find a good size. But I did like the straight-leg cut. Couldn't tell about the rise though. Nice, sold true black (better be, for $100!).

Calvin Klein jeans fit like a glove, very comfortable but not too stretchy. However, they're maybe an inch shorter than I would ideally want! *eye rolls* If you are 5 foot tall, these would probably look super-chic, because I love jeans & trousers that just hit the floor without dragging. The darkest I could find that fit me was a dark grey, & they were on sale for $30, so I bought them. I think they'll look good with black buckled boots (of which I have many). Just looked a little odd with the flats I wore today.

I looked online later & found more in a solid black wash with a supposedly slightly longer inseam (29", when the ones I bought measure 27"). We shall see! The great thing about ordering online from Macy's is that I can return them to the stores in person, thus saving shipping fees.

Levi's had decent length. Just that inch too long. I didn't like the boot-cut jeans, they felt a little too wide, more like bell-bottoms, & I couldn't find skinny jeans or straight-cut in my size. But the sizes seemed about right otherwise, had a more mid-level rise, it was just the leg shape that didn't appeal. I did find the skinny black Levi's in my size online, so that's another TBD.

Anyone else found black jeans they love? Any petites &/or plus size jeans recommendations? I'll wear colors other than black in jeans if the fit is fab!

We Love Colors review

I'm kind of on a roll with colors. It was great to hear everyone's input about Gothic Color Theory, thank you!

Since I was wearing new tights yesterday, I thought I should give them a review. A lot of people love We Love Colors & rightly so.  The company focuses on one thing & does it well -- it sells tights in literally a rainbow of colors. If you want to match a specific color, that's where you go, & if you just want to spice up your wardrobe, there's no easier place to shop. Goths, take note: We Love Colors sells black or white stripey tights with pretty much any contrast color. You can also get stripey knee-highs in the same huge variety of colors. Shopping with them is easy & usually quite fast.

So far, so good. Where it all breaks down is size. Which, to be fair, isn't a problem exclusive to We Love Colors. Many hosiery manufacturers / brands have limited size ranges, which can be a problem for those of us in the petite or plus size ends of the spectrum (even worse for me, who straddles both!). As noted previously in this blog, I've found my Holy Grail of Black Tights in the Calvin Klein size B/C which is stretchy enough to not sag at the ankles but generous enough to not pinch or roll at the waist. I had hoped We Love Colors might deliver the goods when it came to stripey tights, but alas, no such luck...

I bought three pairs of plus-size stripeys & have worn two, on very different occasions. And they're ok, but not great. (Fwiw, I have plenty of experience with the "one size" variety. They are a bitch to get around my waist, & they start to roll down throughout the day.) The design of the plus-size tights is a bit odd -- the tights have two seams up the back (you really have to wear them with these seams in the back; uncomfortable the other way round). It's as if a large gusset was added to expand the rear instead of making the panty of the tights larger. Feels funny, not horrible, but noticeable. The tights do sag a little bit at the ankles on me too. The sag is, I'm sure, because of the fiber content as much as due to the overall length. If someday I can find a cotton/spandex blend stripey tight, I will gladly pay extra for it!

Other than the stripeys, We Love Colors has colored tights in a 1/2 or 1/2/3 & plus-size ranges. It's just the stripes & patterns that are one-size or plus-size only. Bummer, because I want to wear funky tights too! A few high-end brands like my beloved Calvin offer textured tights in more subtle sizes (I have CK black ribbed & lace tights), but patterns with color are hard to find.

A lot of goths adore Sock Dreams, but I didn't have luck with the stripey plus-size knee-high sock/tights I ordered a couple years ago. Of course, their stock changes frequently & they have many more styles I could try...

Do you like to wear patterned or stripey tights? Do you have favourite brands & stores? Tell me all about it!