DIY: Heart Pasties

You need -

• Paper
• Scissors 
• Craft Foam
• Crystals
• Super glue
• Paper clip/hair clips

Step 1 

Make yourself a template for the pastie from the paper; I drew around the top of a beer glass and shaped it into a heart from there, but the size will be individual to you. Make you cut a slit up to the centre, and check how well it fits in the mirror.

Step 2

Trace the outline of the template onto your foam sheet, and cut around it. 

Step 3

Fold one side over the other, and glue it in place; hold in place with a pin or paper clip. 

Step 4

Bedazzle. 

Lining the inside can be an additional step, which is best if you're performing with them (i.e. you're sticking them on with glue), but you won't need to if using double sided tape. Happy Valentine's Day. ❤






Fiona C.

Obsession: Phryne Fisher

Happy belated winter solstice, everyone! Are we enjoying the marginally longer day today? I've definitely got the new year feeling strong, even if I'm several days early by Gregorian standards.

I've made good again this year on my belief that winter is for hibernating and productivity, and now that all my Christmas preparation is out the way I have time to binge on some pop culture and start Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. One season in and I'm furious that I was so slow to pick up on this gem, but I'd explode if I didn't share the feelings on here; there's a reason I've been raving about it to anyone who stops moving for long enough.

Set in 1920s Melbourne, the show is the latest in a grand tradition of period sleuths solving baffling murders, and whilst it can be a bit over the top it's very charming in doing so. Lord knows I love a lady detective, and Phryne Fisher is no exception - she's the image of a twenties transgressive flapper, who flies planes, wears trousers, and benignly schools all the men around her - all whilst holding a mother-of-pearl revolver and looking utterly flawless. Truly, an inspiration for us all.

And can we talk about her wardrobe? I know I'm keen for art deco, but I've been salivating over every single shot of her hair pieces - not to mention her coats. Having now looked into this, the costume team used a mix of reproduction wear, vintage, and specially made pieces to create about 120 costumes for the show, and a new goal for my own closet. It's sumptuously decadent to the point of being unreal, but it makes for great inspiration.

Given this is the last post before Christmas, I hope all my readers have a great time over the holidays, regardless of what your plans are - rest, recuperate, and I'll see you for An Honest Drug's retrospective just before the new year!

Do you have any on-screen idols who you'd love to have the wardrobe of? Any things you're keen to do over the holidays? Let me know in the comments below!





Fiona C.

Why I dress the way I dress

I'm returned from the highlands, readers, fresh and prepared for life again. It's good to be back; I feel energized and ready to take on projects, so watch this space.

I was featured in the inaugural edition of Qoive, an online fashion magazine, earlier in the week, and it's very humbling to appear alongside other significantly bigger bloggers. I was posed the question, 'how do you describe your style?', and it was actually a very interesting exercise in self analysis. From gender to privilege to your taste in films, I think it's really important to dissect how you relate to the world around you, even if it's only to put the pieces back together, the same as before, safely at the end. I gave the article the following quote about how I relate to the clothes I choose to wear -

"I see my clothing choices as being influenced by the eighties, the early twentieth century, modernism, and futurism, depending on what day of the week it is; a limited colour palette does not equal limited options. It reflects a fierceness within me, whether I’m wearing my grandmother’s pearls or a patch-covered jacket I fished out of a pile in Amsterdam, and a complete rejection of looking passably normal. It’s your mother’s style, but put through a meat grinder."

The way a person dresses and interacts with what they put on their body tells you a lot about them. Black is a blank canvas for me to play my influences and ideas across, wherever that takes me, and clothing - inherited, found, created, destroyed - has served as a means both conscious and unconscious to express alienation from normality. Neil Gaiman, in the wake of Terry Pratchett's passing, posted an old article he wrote about the driving anger behind his fellow author's work, and though it would be egotistical to compare myself to its subject it was intensely relatable; the artist Eliza Gauger describes the key to art making as being a 'berserker state' of compulsive need, and it's this fierce energy that makes me get dressed in the morning. Then, of course, post it online.

I want to know; what makes you dress the way you do? What prompts you to curate your appearance? Please, let me know - I'd be very interested to find out. 





Fiona C.

Style: Cosmic Pioneer

Ah, personal fashion posts. How I've missed thee. As much fun as it is doing shopping picks and talking about gigs, I made this blog to post my own style, and I've not done so in a long time.

I received these Alien Botany leggings by Zoetica to commemorate surviving my teenage years and making twenty, and they've become the intergalactic cosmonaut equivalent of blue jeans - by which I mean they're worn constantly, with everything. I have a few criticisms - they were very late in arriving, and the pattern does not match up properly at the inner leg seam - but ultimately I am extremely happy with these, and always get compliments on them.

Lots of things are in motion right now. I've moved flats, started work on some exciting blogging collaborations (watch this space), made a lot of art, and am considering starting selling some of it online; new ground is being broken every day.

Stay strong and fruitful, followers!



Fiona C.



What have you been up to recently? Do you have any clothing items that are in constant rotation? Let me know below!

Fashion Inspiration: Welcome To Night Vale

Like a collective hallucination from the minds of conspiracy theorists worldwide, Welcome to Night Vale emerged out of the depths of Tumblr to storm the iTunes charts. A podcast in the form of a spoof local radio show from the imaginary desert town of Night Vale, it features everything from hooded figures to angels in a place where every conspiracy theory is true.

I've been suffering from an addiction to the show for some time now, and purchased tickets to see them in Edinburgh tomorrow; to deal with my excitement, I've spent my time organising Welcome To Night Vale inspired outfits on Polyvore. Creating outfits on a Night Vale theme has been popular for a while now, and The Everyday Goth released her suggestions for gothic Night Vale fashion this summer(she's apparently quicker at finishing posts than myself), but I thought that I'd add my suggestions to the mix.

WTNV: Violetta by anhonestdrug featuring Lipstick Queen

Station Intern
Cecil's sweater-vests have been adopted as unofficial canon by the fandom, but I wanted to experiment more with the look; this is probably what I'd wear for a casual nod to the show. The occult, purple, eyes, and tentacles all feature prominently, but I feel like this is a little bit different from most of the inspiration sets out there.

WTNV: Hooded figures by anhonestdrug featuring Kat Von D

Hooded Figures
The Hooded Figures, associated with the dog park (and stealing babies), are a gift to nu-goth and the ninja goth trend; harem pants, flowing dresses, unnatural heels and oversized hoods. Though it's a very androgynous look, I've also included a more hip-hop inspired outfit - I love that conventional rappers like Jay Z and Kanye West are taking an interest in dark fashion, and fully support black goths using aspects of black culture in their style. Ben also suggested quite astutely that if you're a fan of Victorian goth, long, black lace veils would be an interesting take on this inspiration.

WTNV: Americana by anhonestdrug featuring southwestern home decor

Americana gone wrong

One of the main themes in Night Vale is normal American culture, but gone horribly, horribly wrong - this ties in with the absurd creepy humour of the serious, as normal is made creepy and creepy is made hilarious. Here, I've taken inspiration from recurring characters Old Woman Josie, John Peters (you know, the farmer?) and others for this set.


Has anyone else seen the Night Vale live shows, or listens to the podcast? I'm so excited for tomorrow!



Fee

The Bionic Life

What do you know? After running an article on real-life bionic girl Viktoria Modesta some weeks ago, this week I not only found one article on Haute Macabre about interesting prostheses - or even two - but three. They've also covered The Alternative Limb Project, which I mentioned in my last post.

Prosthetics are exciting. Rather than the traditional model of disability, where your potential is seen as reduced (however untrue), prosthetics carry the possibility of your flaw becoming an asset; you are more than before. From the cellist to the fashion model, this new generation of prosthetics allow the incorporation of one's interests and visions into the very fabric of one's body.

Prosthetics are personally exciting to me also because there is a chance that these developments will significantly improve the lives of my future patients. Despite my rhapsodising, amputation is a serious and upsetting event for most patients, and not to be taken lightly. These developments, however, offer a means of making the road to recovery just a little bit easier.




Fee

Sophistique Noir's Monthly theme: Black and White

We wear a lot of black. We've been wearing black since the eighties. Hence, in the same way that friends and family are surprised and compliment me when I wear anything that doesn't make me look like I jumped in a coal bunker, the alternative fashion community is increasingly stirring to the sound of what could arguably considered our antithesis: white.

Lady Amaranth, photographed by Kestrel Photography.

The Mutant Stomp Friends correctly marked white as the colour of the year back in January, but it's been invading dark fashion as well; I first noticed this on instagram, with the stunning Torture Gardens' penchant for ghostly victorian frocks, but it's showing elsewhere; on the other end of the scale, pastel goth has been rocking this since its inception. I'm hesitant to call this a trend, as we've been playing with the concept through 'Ice Goth' for years - hell, Ra was rocking it back in 2012. Perhaps I'm just waking up to how common it really is?

Patience Kingsley of @Torturegardens.

We dark fashion fans like white for the same reasons we like black; whilst black has obvious funereal and occult connotations (as well as being the colour of fashion designers), white is associated with purity and the ethereal side of death. Its religious use at communion and weddings lends it an unearthly quality, which works well in horror.

Image from tumblr: source unknown. Harness by Creepyyeha. 

 In some ways, white is almost more indulgent than wearing all black; it takes balls to wear an ivory dress for an entire day. It also makes you stand out more - lots of people can wear all black, but white really turns heads. White can alternately lend a crispness or softness, but it's when it's paired in harmony with black that, for dark fashion, it really comes into its own; a leather harness, dark lipstick or other signifiers of your normal style can really make an otherwise bleached outfit. I anticipate most outfit posts on this month's black and white theme will be predominantly black with white touches, so I figure this is a nice alternative suggestion.

Ghost Bones by anhonestdrug featuring white hair clips

Me? I think white is lovely, and there's a wonderful clean optimism about it... but then my gaze drifts back to my wardrobe, and I just want to take out my velvets and my silks and my leather, rub my face into their fabric and drown in a Fitzgerald-esque pile of luxurious decadence. I am haunted by black. 

Plus, it hides stains far better. 

Fiona C.

Personal Style: Dry Your Eyes

The results are in; for those not living in the UK or keeping up with its news, Scotland voted in their referendum on independence on thursday, and the vote was a no. I've been a yes supporter for a long time, and I was gutted; this issue means a lot, and I spent a fair chunk of the morning crying. Between this and a backlog of work, I've not had time for blogging. 

I took these photos maybe two weeks ago, but due to my disaster of a schedule haven't posted them until now. I'm a big fan of this jumper with everything in my wardrobe, but Dundee has been surprisingly warm and unsuitable for autumnal clothing, so it's been relegated to the top shelf for now. Maxis are also a favourite, and I've since picked up a skirt to sit beside this dress. 

When I was taking these photos, I could hear high pitched bird noises, and found that some pigeons seemed to be stuck behind a girder attached to the wall. I took pity on them and called the SSPCA, but when they arrived and called me apparently the pigeons had left and it must have been a nest I'd heard. Oops. 

I'm still feeling low post-result, but it not time to give up; 45% of Scotland is not happy, and I have to dry my eyes and join in. Yesterday was a day for mourning, but today we demand our politicians prove their accountability and give us our powers. Then, next generation, we try again. 

Fiona

P.s. I realise both my header and sidebar have gone down, and I apologise for this. This is clearly my fault for being a useless coder and will try and fix it today. (Edit: header is fixed, and I'll do the sidebar later today!)

Improbable longing: Silver leotard

Source.

First on my list of 'items so ridiculous I shouldn't want them, but really, really do'. Hell, if body suits are a thing, then why can't I wear a dance leotard out?

I've been planning my halloween costume recently (more on this come the end of October), and found this in my search for something I could modify. I take aesthetic delight in it beyond its role as a costume piece, and dream of using it as an actual part of my wardrobe in the way (IN)DECOROUS TASTE found that nude body suits are an absurdly practical staple. Polo necks have been surging through my wardrobe over the past half year and conquering ground as they go, and silver has been my go to accent for some time now. Though really, I would get it in black as well.

I'd probably wear this on a night out with big hair, a cropped jacket and obnoxious heels, because even if I wear it seriously doing so is still a crazy performance. Spaceman inspiration? I can't get enough.




Fee

Modelling: Viktoria Modesta Moskalova

Source. 

Disabled models - visible or hidden disability - are a rare sight on the catwalk, but what about a model who is not only open about her prosthesis, but fully embraces it?

Meet Viktoria Modesta Moskalova; this Latvian-born, London-based musician and model is in her words a literal 'bionic girl', wearing a prosthetic leg as the result of long term health problems. Rather than let this stop her from modelling, Viktoria makes it a key feature of her image, wearing Swarovski embellished and industrial-esque prosthetics in what is probably the most perfect 'fuck you' to the ableist nature of the modelling industry I've ever seen. If I had a girl crush, she would be it.

Source. 

Though her roots lie in London's underground fetish and alternative scene, Modesta has famously performed at the 2012 Paralympics closing ceremony, and has been featured in Bizarre, Skin Two, iD and Wonderland, as well as major newspapers such as the Times. As if that's not enough, she also DJs, hosts clubs, fashion events and collaborates with designers on both fashion and prosthetics, often producing a merging of the two. She represents a kind of frank and self-directed sexuality which is usually denied to disabled people, in her modelling - which she was involved in even before her amputation - as well as her own personal style and confidence.

Found on tumblr. 

Unlike the news articles which often talk of her 'overcoming adversity' she is relentlessly positive about her prosthesis, describing how it has 'added' to her and treating it as a fashion accessory, and believes her success "has been attributed to hard work and general determination in life – and not my limbs, real or not". She's also delighted to act as a conduit for the discussion of disabled beauty, however, though not personally identifying as such, stating of her performances, “It was really fascinating watching people’s reactions because most of them were speechless."


Though perhaps a future of widespread, voluntary body augmentation is still confined to science fiction, Modesta certainly challenges perceptions about disability and beauty.


Like this article? Follow An Honest Drug on Facebook or Bloglovin for more fierce and fearless art, fashion, and music!



Fee

Tutorial: DIY Pentacle Hoop Earrings

It's been a little quiet on the crafting front, as I've been busy with work and too tired in the evenings to make myself do much. However, I've been wanting to feature more DIY projects on An Honest Drug, and even more wanting to encourage everyone else to get into crafting as well.

Not having pierced ears, other than a few ear cuffs I don't really wear a lot of earrings; outside of a few select places it's difficult to get clip on earrings and some styles aren't possible to make. Nonetheless, a few weeks ago I saw a DIY on Mooky Chick for pentagram earrings, which have been incredibly popular recently. However, I didn't want to use wool, and so devised a means of making my own pair - and just for you, followers, I turned it into a tutorial!

Wardrobe Feature: DIY Vintage Winks

What do you know? I managed to pull together a wardrobe feature. Apologies that it's five days late, but writing and photographing for a post in two days was more than I could take.

Some time during the past academic year, I picked up some winklepickers from a charity shop - true winks, unlike my others (which I love regardless). Being favoured for donation by women who got them in the eighties, Dundonian charity shops have a lot of them, and though most aren't to my tastes I knew that if I waited patiently a pair in my size would show up. As predicted, after a year of keeping an eye out a pair eventually did - and, as charity shop winklepickers go, they were rather ugly.

Still, given the difficulty I have finding shoes that actually fit (and these do!), how long I'd waited and the £5 price tag, in the bag they went. The only true winklepickers I've seen new online are sold by RetroShu on ebay (no returns), Demonia (reportedly terrible quality) and Underground (expensive to the point of ridicule), so these were a golden ticket fluttering from the sky. Like a resourceful make-doer, I planned on cutting them down to ankle height and adding straps to make them them more to my taste. They then promptly sat stagnating for several months at the back of my wardrobe, because for all my optimism, am I really going to be proactive enough to do all that?

I finally pulled them out of their incubation this week and considered them. The length isn't a particularly easy one to work with, but they've surprisingly grown on me; if I could add something to form a visual break to the zip they would look far better. Two skinny belts later and I'm actually excited to wear them out now.

I sometimes wonder about people complaining that they never see anything in charity shops. It's a different state of mind from normal shopping; most are overpicked nowadays, but for all the charity shop tips on adapting and repairing and reconsidering, the most valuable tool you can have is patience.

Has anyone else found any gems in second hand shops recently? Revived something that's been lurking in the back of your wardrobe?



Fee

Beacon Collection by Warby Parker

A fact I don't actually think I've shared on this blog: I wear glasses. Not particularly often, as my prescription isn't very strong, and I live in constant fear of losing them. Spectacles are grossly over-expensive. I tend to dislike eyewear brands for this reason, but I'll make an exception for Warby Parker; combined with their generous home try-on option and actually reasonable pricing, their 'Buy a Pair, Give a Pair' campaign has seen them train over 18,000 men and women to provide prescription eyeglasses, and have helped provide over one million glasses in developing countries. Also, their eyewear is quite attractive.

Garret glasses.

Warby Parker contacted me to asking if I could help spread news about the release of their new Beacon Collection, which they state is inspired by 'impromptu, can't-duplicate-them all-nighters'; this, combined with the more vintage shapes, is probably aimed at the glasses wearing Portland set, but the frames are distinctly wearable and will appeal to a far wider audience.

Ingram sunglasses.

If I sound flippant, please forgive me; I am incredibly honored that Warby Parker wanted my blog as one of a select few to get the news out, and the eyeglasses are gorgeous. The very clear and well thought out concepts of the collection is replicated in the individual design of the frame styles; I like the creativity in colour choice, and would love to try styling these into my own aesthetic; measurements, a virtual try on option and suggestions on what face shapes they would suit are also included as well as the home try on to overcome the limitations of online shopping. It was hard picking my favourites.

Alas, I really don't need new glasses. But I can still look wistfully.

McKee glasses (also available in a clear colourless finish, which I adore).

The full Beacon Collection can be found here on the Warby Parker site; all opinions are my own, images provided by Warby Parker. Is anyone else a fan of Warby Parker? Any style you would you consider getting?



Fee

The Occult Trend: Non-Religious Symbols for the Secular

EDIT: I wrote this article running late for a deadline, and the end result I was unhappy with as it failed to convey the points I was trying to discuss properly; I've since overhauled it completely, though I've left the two first comments below (made below I updated the article) for posterity.

I find the current trend in alternative cultures for occult symbolism interesting; though it originates from loftier concepts of alchemy and witchcraft, it has brought fashion brands and symbols such as the St. Peter's Cross and the Sigil of Baphomet which were once derided as too 'mall goth' and intentionally provocative to wear back into popularity. From Blood Milk's dark romanticism to Killstar's pop culture blend, companies are joining in on this enthusiasm and drawing on paganism, ancient Egypt, western esotericism and witchcraft in their inspirations.

This most recent trend is just the newest in a long history of Goth borrowing from religious and spiritual movements; ankhs and crosses have become something of a cliché within the subculture. As far as I've seen the general consensus seems to be that practitioners are happy with this when done respectfully, but I know several bloggers who have stated that they don't personally feel comfortable doing so when they don't believe in the spiritual beliefs the symbol represents - indeed, many of my non-goth friends feel similar, either because they follow a religion of their own or just don't want to. There's a lot valid reasons for not wanting to adopt symbols representative of beliefs; I wear a lot of religious iconography quite happily (primarily the cross, the ankh and pentagrams, amongst others), but inaccurate usage of symbols (such as all the clothing with pentagrams and 'hail satan' slapped next to them) peeves me, as the designer has clearly not done their research, and considering this is another lens through which we view these cultures I think it's important to get them right.

So for those who have made the decision to avoid religious and spiritual iconography but still like aspects of the occult trend, I've compiled a list of alternative suggestions below -

Source one, two, three, four and five (which I've lost).

Consumerist Wants: Pay Day Dreams

We always want what we can't have, and right now that means clothes. I'm currently working full time doing manual labour, so wearing anything other than old t shirts and shorts is a far off dream. The plus side to this, however, is that I now have cash to buy all the impractical PVC pencil skirts and hats that I could possibly want, and considering everyone seems to be posting their summer wish lists I thought that I might share mine.

Large brimmed sun hat

This one is from Topshop, but quite honestly it's not big enough. I need a brim that looks more like an umbrella. It feels like I can't find a plain black sun hat in this style anywhere, which coupled with my rather sizeable head circumference means this seems far more difficult than it needs to be. Suggestions are definitely welcome!

 

Restyle leather harness

I'm currently on the fence about whether or not I should just make this, but as I don't have the tools or skills necessary to work with leather I'm a little unsure. It's a really nice style, however, and I could clip/pin chiffon panels to it to make a DIY version of this Gypsy Warrior skirt. Also on the buckled front, I desperately need a few new black belts (I'd particularly like one with O rings on it), but I haven't seen anything like what I'm looking for.

 

Missguided Mircia PVC Pencil Skirt in Black

That's a lie. I also want it in silver, so I can do space goth. And maybe baby pink. Basically I will take all of the colours they make.

Kimono

Man, this is an original one. I'm not really regarding this as top of my list right now, but I'm after a few more drapey kimonos now that they're being stocked. Sadly, most of the kimonos I've seen don't have sleeves to my taste; I'm awfully picky about this, and would prefer a larger sleeve more like a traditional kimono (though my knowledge of Japanese traditional clothing is very basic, so correct me if wrong).


The list is actually smaller than I thought it was going to be, as with my summer 100 DIY challenge (which sadly hasn't been seeing much action recently) I've been really evaluating about what I should be buying and what I really don't need to (plus, I should really be using my wages to foot the bill for so many projects). Some of the DIY projects I'm keen to do are a clear PVC skater skirt, a decorated backpack and finishing my hand muff, as well as several sigil type artworks based on scots faerytales. So whilst I may not get to wear all of my fancy clothes yet, my sewing machine will be whirring away and my pencils worn to stubs by September.


All images from sites linked to above. Are you saving up for anything currently? Are there any craft projects you'd really like to see? Let me know below!





Fee

How to remove pilling

I was somewhat unsure of the necessity of this post; I assume most others have their lives far more under control than I, but after seeing a much reblogged tumblr post bemoaning this issue I realised that I should never really overestimate the human race, particularly when someone like me can not only write a blog and actually get followers, but can also get into medical school.

I suffer from the unfortunate curse of loving wool, cottons and jersey fabrics, which have the bad luck of looking like this after a couple of wears –

This is known as pilling, or bobbling. It’s my personal hell. The day I finally learned how to get rid of them was a jump in my quality of life the size of which hasn't been seen in Glasgow since the city introduced a proper plumbing system in the 19th century. It’s for this reason that I’m posting my solution here, lest anyone still be suffering.

A bic razor, drawn lightly across the fabric, is your knight in shining armour. Be careful you don’t press too hard and damage your fabric, and if you want to be fancy you can get one of these things, but it’s relatively idiot proof. There’s various other pieces of advice floating about on the internet regarding how to remove them, such as Velcro rollers, duct tape and scissors (eek!), but this is my favourite.

A word about pilling –

Pilling happens when loose fibres work their way out of fabric as a result of wearing and form balls on the surface. Some fabrics are more likely to do so than others, and certain sites (such as cuffs, under the arms or where it rubs other items of clothing) are more susceptible than others.


As ever, prevention is better than having to deal with it, and there are effective measures that you can take; turning fabrics inside out when washing is the best known one, but the process of washing itself can produce pills, so treat fabrics delicately, wash by hand where you can and avoid dryers.

Hoping this helps!





Fee

Brand: House of Widow

So Lip Service makes some pretty sweet clothing under its spin off label, House of Widow. Who knew?

I tend to associate the brand - perhaps unfairly, as they've improved a lot - with the worst of nineties goth, predisposed to an overabundance of corset lacing, chains, zips and straps (usually poorly placed), and I've slagged them off - not directed at their account, I should stress - a few times on twitter. Nonetheless, this line has me intrigued. The inspirations and styles are very current, with lots of draped black and occult symbols, and not unattractively priced for those who can't afford the designer versions.

I realize that I'm about a year behind on this, but I've not seen any of this stuff in my local Glasgow goth shops - why, I don't know, as it would be devoured (by me, mainly). Maybe because it doesn't look obviously goth enough? I'd like the Glaswegian alternative shops to stock more current goth fashions, as love it though I may Cyber has had the same horrendous pin-striped trenches for as long as I can remember.

Though I do understand them moving away from the goth aesthetic and towards fashion more attractive to metal and hipster lovers (got to go where the money goes), and that they have an onus to provide fashion that you can't get on the high street - which, to be fair, House of Widow wouldn't be out of place in - but personally I'm getting a little fatigued with sifting through the same old Hellbunny dresses. Maybe moving with the times would be a good thing.

All images sourced from the House of Widow website. Do you own anything from House of Widow? Do you find it frustrating not seeing more up to date trends in your alternative shops? 



Fee

Wearing: Esoteric Geometry

Over the past few months I've been really good with upholding my commitment to ethical fashion; most of my recent purchases have been from M&S and Noctex (both with stellar records). As a child of Scottish socialism, improving worker's conditions is very important to me, as well as supporting local independent designers (though, as previously mentioned, this isn't necessarily possible for everyone).

However, for all my gripes with it fast fashion is very tempting, and I was eyeing this jumper for a good few weeks before getting it on sale (huzzah!). The design is gorgeous, probably inspired by the occult trend (which I'm a raging fan of) and slots in smoothly with the rest of my wardrobe. It's a little bit like a tarot card - something I've been practicing reading recently - and also geometrical Islamic art. I like the environmental policies H&M have been implementing, but the conditions in their factories leaves much to be desired. Nonetheless, if there's any change in fashion it helps to support it, and an occasional lapse can be excused.

Design: Zoetica Ebb and Alien Botany

Hortus Scarf.

I wouldn't normally re-share content I first saw on another blog, but I'm such distress that I simply have to. Haute Macabre recently published an article on Zoetica Ebb's (formerly of Coilhouse and many other beautiful projects) new foray into design, Alien Botany. And readers, these items are the most beautiful items of clothing I've ever seen.

Desiderium Leggings.

The exquisite agony I'm experiencing is only heightened by the fact that they're USA (not checked shipping) and my need to wait before buying anything new. And whilst I love the colour scheme she's chosen (combined with the subject matter, I can definitely get behind these pastels), I'm not certain how well it would fit into my all black wardrobe. Oh, and I can't own all of them.

Ah well. Beauty before sense, I suppose.




Fee



Red and Black Week 2014, Day 3: Secretariat

Day three of Red and Black Week, and I have my first outfit post - perhaps surprising for someone who blogs frequently on personal fashion. As previously mentioned I don't have an awful lot of red in my wardrobe, which I'm considering changing for next year, but I have made one purchase since I last participated.

Foolishly, I got this skirt in preparation for university in the summer last year; it's far too tight to run for the bus in, and probably a little too femme fatale for patients. I wore it on the day these photographs were taken to a vintage fair with some members of the swing society, and ended up trying to dance rock and roll in it - trying being the operative word. I love it nonetheless, and really want more pencil skirts.

The concept of the femme fatale is an interesting one to me, partially because I've been studying Blade Runner; is her dangerous sexuality empowering or misogynistic? Blade Runner exposes the fallacy of the femme fatale in the character Rachael, and her vulnerability in the neo-noir dystopia makes her one of my favourite characters. For some reason the pairing of this skirt and blouse (very appropriate for the red, white and black theme today) also reminds me of Mia Wallace from Pulp Fiction, who is another supposed femme fatale who diverges from the archetype.

Who else is taking part in Red and Black Week? What's your feelings regarding femme fatales, or indeed pencil skirts? Let me know in the comments!

Fee