STYLE: Sportswear Elegance

When it first came around I swore to high heaven that I didn't get athleisure, in the same way that I didn't get normcore or why some people really love putting olives in their mouths. I liked it on other people certainly (Ivania Carpio of LOVE AESTHETICS comes to mind), but I always thought that I just didn't do the kind of casual that it seems to embody. However, it somehow managed to slink into my wardrobe nonetheless, the same way brothel creepers, 90s looks, and all those other trends I swore that I'd never wear did.

It started off when I decided to get my exercise by walking to university everyday, a 40 minute trek which my usual boots and brogues rapidly proved not to be up to the challenge of. Enter a pair of innocent looking sketchers, black and white to match the rest of my wardrobe. I started to like the unexpected twist they added to my outfits, and they made me think of health goth trends as well as  some of Rick Owens' stuff. It's definitely goth if it looks like Rick Owens, right? (I was already weakening.)

The second nail in the coffin came in the form of a bomber jacket which my local swing dance society started selling back in spring. I'm not usually one for screen-printed merchandise, but it was retro, non-threatening, and displayed a little society pride. What harm could it do?

I ended up wearing it everywhere for about two weeks straight. Turns out sport influences can get dangerously addictive.

This recent change of heart also has a more practical benefit; I'm constantly on the go, and sportswear as everyday wear means the way I dress matches my lifestyle. Obviously I can't totally cut out the overdresser in me, and I got this dress in a New Look sale about a year ago and first wore it with these trainers for dinner in Budapest, adding the jacket when I got back. It's got some strong Bardot vibes, which call for cat's eyes, but paring it with trainers means I can wear it more casually (and thus more often, the goal of everyone who doesn't like cutting down on clothes).  Remember the awkward days when I used to wear Victoriana casually? God, me neither.

-

I know that this isn't s relevant to the topic of the post, but I'd like to say thanks to those of you who commented on my last post about my difficulties with blogging. It was touching knowing that people out there are willing to stick with my online exercise in vanity through thick and thin, and just getting it out there got a lot of my frustrations off my chest. 

Anyway, with that said, is anyone else liking the athleisure trend? Has anyone tried something that they didn't originally like and change their mind? Let me know below!

     

STYLE: Work to Play

My time whilst at uni can grossly be split into two main areas - working, and dancing. As a medical student with the expectation of dressing professionally several days a week, I've never really fallen into the classic student trap of t-shirts and jogging bottoms - which is unfortunate sometimes, but does mean I put more effort into what I wear.

I usually don't have the time to change from smarter day wear into dance appropriate clothes, but it's never really been an issue; there's a lot of common ground between my vintage inspired work wardrobe and my 1940s swing looks, so changing up the accessories is all it takes. I've worn this look several times already to the new summer job I've just started (usually with a full vest underneath), and it's been a staple for dancing for ages now. Both the shoes and the shorts were found totally by chance in two separate sales, and the whole thing definitely nods towards my interests in the early 20th century without being too much for for the work environment.

Apologies for the slight lateness of this post - what with the post-dissertation crash and fresh employment, if I'm honest I'm feeling pretty wiped out right now. As great as it is to post weekly, I think a two week schedule is more reasonable for me - therefore, An Honest Drug will now be posting fortnightly.

How do you guys deal with work to play transitions? Have you found anything in the sales recently? Let me know below!

     

CONSUMERISM: Backpacks

Sorry for the brief hiatus, followers - I was working on a dissertation, which I'm really proud to say is now finished! It was a joy to write (except for the bits where I wanted to pull my hair out), but I really needed time off once it was completed; we should be back to normal now.

It wasn't until February when I was dragging a heavy tote across Edinburgh that I realized how much difference backpacks make; asymmetrical weight distribution, such as when you're carrying a handbag, is a nightmare for generating shoulder and back tension - the last thing I want when I'm heading to a three day dance workshop.

There's still a perception that rucksacks don't look good, to which I say - bullshit. There's plenty dedicated minds in fashion out there designing things that made me totally renounce the satchel cause. From cheap as chips drawstring bags like this hologram one - an easy DIY if you're in the mood - to the premium but absolutely stunning Solid Gray architectural pack, there's something for every style and budget.

Breezing around hands-free looks far better than uncomfortably wedging a tote under my armpit anyway.

Hologram drawstring bag - [x]  |  Asos Clean Boxy Backpack - [x]

Asos Leather Backpack - [x]  |  Solid Gray Backpack - [x]

Do you have any favourite bag style? Any recent style revelations? Let me know below!

     

STYLE: Spring Favourites

A quick note: as you may have noticed, I'm posting a lot more regularly now; I'm happy to announce that An Honest Drug will feature a new post every Wednesday! I'm not certain how this is going to go, but I'm enjoying writing again, so let's continue in the spirit of Miss Addams herself.

My kingdom for a pussybow blouse. I've become obsessed with accumulating as many of these as possible, as they're the only sleeved tops I actually like wearing (90% of my wardrobe is vests and tank tops) - everything else just irritates the hell out of me. I was actually going to put a waist belt over the top of the whole thing, but nothing ended up looking right? Draped silhouette it is!

This outfit is full of things I've been totally unable to stop wearing; the blouse, my wife brimmed hat and these DIY Quartz hoops. I've had awful luck with earrings over the past year; I lost half of my favourite pair of vintage clip ons at a party, one of a pair of moon earrings I made on the way to coffee with a friend, and one of these. Thankfully, though I haven't found the right materials (yet) to remake the moon earrings, I managed to whip up a new set of these, and I've been wearing them constantly since spring started - apparently Spring really makes me want to wear pink? I think it's the cherry blossom.


My daily outfits feature a lot of similar looks to this, and it's nice to have a uniform. I feel like the Internet is grossly oversaturated with the witch aesthetic now, which I partially blame on brands trying to cash in... But I still like it. It's a more grown up and refreshing take on goth, and the occult is an area I really enjoy researching - so those elements appeal to me. Plus, there's a lot of variability in the silhouettes and looks within it; I don't get bored.

How do you feel about the popularity of witchy styles? Is there anything you're really enjoying wearing right now? Comment and let me know below!

     

STYLE: Vintage Florals

Gosh, I haven't posted an outfit in five months. As a fashion blogger, that's surreal - you must have thought that I stopped wearing clothes. I finally decided this week, after months of camera frustration, that for taking pictures maybe I should just use my perfectly acceptable god damn phone instead; magically, the lack of light was no longer an issue, the photos looked better, and everything went ten times smoother. Sometimes the easy route is the best. 

I haven't shown a vintage look on here in even longer; they do sit somewhat incongruously next to the rest of my very black wardrobe, but given how much time I spend Lindy hopping (and how much I love vintage) it's a division I don't mind. This gorgeous 1940s inspired floral playsuit seems particularly appropriate given the recent Spring Equinox; I leapt at it in a new look sale with the plan of wearing it to dance workshop socials, but quickly realized my mistake of not checking the tag. Never wear polyester at over 200 beats per minute. 

I do get wear out of it however, even if it's still a little cool for bare legs. It's not very goth of me, but I love Spring - it gives me so much energy after sleepy, wet winters, and a drive to get outside and get moving.

How is everyone else finding the change in seasons? Do you have any clothing that you ended up wearing for different reasons than you bought it? Let me know below!

Fiona C. 

CONSUMERISM: Pin Me Up

Inner Decay: Ecstasy of St Teresa pin - [link]  Punky Pins: Black Moon pin - [link]
Little Whip: Trois pins - [link] Wasted Effort: Mystical Pyramid pin - [link]

God knows I've been sticking patches on my jackets since I first knew what punk was, but pins? I could make my own badges. Why on earth would I go buy pins?

Turns out lots of reasons. It feels almost silly to do a shopping feature on such a tiny accessory, but they have a very charming retro vibe, and I've been noticing a lot more cute and covetable pins popping up on my radar of late. And where there's cute there's weird, and where there's weird there's all black versions for the chromatically challenged. A lot of these shops also have other great accessories, and honorable mentions go out to Inner Decay's Medusa and Wormhole patches, as well as Little Whip's very NSFW Try Me Shirt and Punky Pin's Death's Head Moth pin,which I sadly didn't have space for up there.


Are there any pins you want out there? Any other unusual accessories you like? Let me know below!





Fiona C.

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.

Happy Samhain 2015!

Like the dead, I rise to write again. What kind of goth wouldn't post on All Hallow's, anyway?

Samhain (or Samhuinn) is the Gaelic festival to mark the end of harvest and the beginning of the darker months; as with all transitions, it's an open threshold, where the boundaries between worlds are thin as paper - which has both benefits and dangers. I'm going down to Edinburgh to join in with the pagan celebrations this evening, and to remember departed loved ones (coincidentally, my gran's birthday would have been tomorrow. I clearly got the witch gene from someone). I might even dook for apples!

Though I've really missed posting on here, I've found it difficult to find a suitable place to take pictures in my new flat (in part due to the fading light), and thus despite wearing a lot of on-point outfits I've not been able to chronicle them. I'm loving this split skirt, however, and my brother got me one amazing hat for my birthday.

So I hope that, regardless of how you're celebrating - or even if you're not! - you stay safe and happy, and your winter is even better than your autumn. Here at An Honest Drug, I've got a lot of exciting things lined up, including the blog's first interview, so stick around for that.

And if you're out after dark, make sure you look scary enough to frighten the monsters!





Fiona C.