How Black is Your Sole? Shoes for the Gothic Foot

I'm baaaaack!  Sorry for the April absence, but I just was not in a blogging mood.  Maybe it was because I turned 55, and almost no one sent me a card; then I realized that it was probably because most of my family members who used to send them are gone now.  My son and his girlfriend and my nephew did come and spend time with us, but even that was rather blah, for some reason.  They told me they had ordered a gift but it hadn't arrived yet, which was okay, I don't have a problem with that.  However, as of today I still don't have it, and have received no word that it has ever arrived.  Hmmmm...

Anyway, enough of that dreariness!!  Get back, E.A. Poe, no depressing stories from YOU today!  Today's post is about a great e-mail I received from a goth friend, Stella, who has kindly given me permission to share it with you, on the subject of goth shoes:

"I have issues finding shoes that are flat heeled, practical and gothy. Add in the problem of trying to keep  my feet dry (it's raining here alot) and I'm pretty frustrated. 

 

Bear in mind that because I've only been dressing "dark" for the last 2 - 3years,  and I tend to shop mainstream and charity shops, I don't have much experience with the old stand by "Doc Martin's ", and "New Rocks ".

 

What are your thoughts on the subject?  Do certain brands have a reputation for being more or less comfortable (for the elder goth market ). I'm fed up with mainstream style and shoddiness, and I'm wanting to invest in some high quality,  comfortable boots that are timeless (in a goth way)....and I would love to hear from someone else.  Thanks."

 

And here is my response:

 

"I love shoes, especially goth shoes!  I have been lucky three times with buying shoes online, but after that... phffffttt!!  I really don't recommend buying online shoes unless your feet are exactly a standard size, since you can't actually try them on and find out if they fit.  The three pairs I was lucky with are all somewhat extreme in style.  Two are a bit large for my feet (I wear size 8.5 and they are size 9), but I am able to make the boots (Anarchic by T.U.K.) work by using thick socks.  I believe the 4-inch platform creepers are Demonia.  The heeled lace-up shoes were harder as my feet would slide in them, so I had to buy inserts to put inside them to keep my feet in place; it worked, but they were never totally comfortable even then.  I did buy an adorable new pair of T.U.K. shoes with kitten heels online that were supposedly my size, but I finally gave up trying to make them comfortable enough to wear and got rid of them.  No more online shoe buys for me!

I've never had a pair of Doc Martens or New Rocks, so I can't comment on those, except that the ones I've seen in ads were rather expensive.  However, I've gotten a couple of pairs from my favorite thrift store (charity shop) that are soooo comfortable I may be buried in one of them!  But both have rather high heels and thick soles, so I can't drive in them.  The shorter of the two pairs is Kenneth Cole's "Reaction" -- very comfortable, but probably very expensive when new.  The taller pair is a brand called Glaze; I don't know anything about them, but they are made in China, so probably not very expensive.

Honestly, the best shoes I've found that are, in your words, "flat heeled, practical and gothy" were from Kohl's, a very mainstream department store.  They are actually boots, but they totally fit your three requirements, they are extremely comfortable, AND they keep my feet dry in the rain.  I just had the soles replaced, and told my shoe repair guy that I will keep bringing them in for repairs until they fall apart in his hands! 

Another store that I've been lucky at is Payless Shoe Source; unfortunately, they've closed a LOT of stores lately, and their styles change frequently, so you can't depend on them always having the 'right' ones."

 

Okay, readers, what advice can you give us??  What gothy shoes can you recommend, especially if you are an Eldergoth, or on your way to being one?  Our feet are in desperate need of your wisdom...

 

 

 

When are We "Too Old" to be Goth?

NEVER.  That's when.

Oh, please...  Did you REALLY think I'd agree with this?  I certainly hope not!  But WHY is it that so many people think that goth is just a "phase" some of us go through, like teen angst, menopause, or a midlife crisis, instead of seeing it as a lifestyle choice?  Maybe it's because so many of us seem to disappear as we get older, as we 'assimilate' into the boring mundane world because we feel that we have to choose between being ourselves and paying the rent.  It's an understandable reason, maybe, but it just should not have to be a choice between a rock and a hard place.

 In spite of that silly photo I posted in my March "I'm SO Goth...", I really do believe that one can be goth at any age.  But while most ElderGoths are only just starting the approach to that age at which we can no longer stave off the word "old", many of us are already nervous about it.  How should we dress? What style of makeup is best and won't make us look even older than we are?  And what about shoes?  Would somebody think of the shoes!!!

I've said before that once I reach 60, I plan to be dressing like a combination of Stevie Nicks and Morticia Addams.  Here are some pictures that I find extremely inspirational:

 I'd ditch the big bag she's holding (unless, of course, it's actually a suitcase!), and substitute a coffin bag instead.  (I wonder if those boots have orthopedic inserts???)



A bit too much jewelry for me, but I wouldn't wear that much NOW, either.  It's a great look, though!



50 shades of AWESOME!!!


  

50 shades of ELEGANT!!  (These ladies make Cruella DeVille's outfit look like a Goodwill castoff.)




Two goths contemplating the site of their eventual eternal rest...

The Birthday Massacre Show

Hi, there...  I haven't been posting much lately, mainly because I've been too exhausted both mentally and physically.  Spending half my weekends this year at my mom's house taking care of things was NOT easy.  Even though she's back home now, I've discovered that I apparently went into "Mom Mode" during the year, and because her mother never acted much like a mom, I think she is enjoying the feeling, even though I doubt she is actually conscious of it.  So now it's time to turn off the "Mom" button and get back to my normal "my child is now an adult and therefore I don't need to mother anyone" space.

So... Monday night I finally got to see a goth band live!  One of my favorites, The Birthday Massacre, was playing at Slim's in San Francisco.  I bought the tickets before Halloween, just to make sure I didn't back out due to anxiety, which has been a bad habit of mine that I've discussed in previous posts.  

The opening band was The Red Paintings, a group from Australia.  They were pretty good, we enjoyed them, and the lead singer was pretty funny between songs, although he dropped a slight overabundance of F-bombs.  They actually have local artists on stage with them, creating original artwork while they are playing; it was interesting to watch the art "grow" on stage!

The next band was called New Year's Day.  My mother always said that if you can't say anything nice, you shouldn't say anything at all, so I won't.  Except that the lead singer dropped even MORE F-bombs than the other guy, only she wasn't funny at all.

Then The Birthday Massacre came on.  Awesome show!!  They are just as good live as they are on their studio CDs.  And Chibi, the lead singer, is funny, lovely and gracious.  An added plus: NOT ONE F-bomb from her the entire time they were onstage.  The whole set was upbeat, and people were finally dancing, whereas most had not done so during the first two sets.  I wish they didn't live in Canada; apparently they last toured the U.S. a few years ago.  We need them here more often!!!  (Certainly more often than we need Justin Bieber...)

  The Birthday Massacre

I had a fantastic time!!  I danced through most of the first set, ALL of Birthday Massacre's set, and through a fair amount of the recorded music they played before and in between sets.  I was probably the most trad goth there, wearing a DIY-altered skeleton t-shirt, a floor-length black studded skirt, my 4-inch Demonia platforms, fishnets, and a long black velvet coat.  And as far as I could tell, I was the ONLY one there wearing a spiked collar!  Errrr, where did all the trad goths go???  We saw one or two people we've seen at Death Guild, but a LOT of the patrons didn't even look particularly goth, although many were wearing black.  And I couldn't see any platform boots, except for mine.  Oh, well, I didn't care, I was dressing for myself, anyway.  And no one could question my right to carry a Goth Card, heheh...  ;-)

Just writing this has improved my sucky mood immensely.  Now to get back to work; they expect me to do that here once in a while.  

Have a great week/weekend, and I plan on posting more of my regular stuff in the very near future.  Oh, and I was totally serious several posts back about learning to play the bass.  I finally found some music books for bass online and ordered them!  So very soon you may be hearing some truly odd noises on this blog...  ;-)

Wow, I'm a Scary Goth!!!

Well, I never thought THIS would happen, and I just had to share.

On Monday at work I wore my Misfits sweater from Hot Topic:



As I was opening the restroom door to leave, a coworker was walking up to the door to go in.  She looked at me, shrieked, and hopped backward!  Then she said my sweater startled her, and we both burst out laughing. 

I've worn this sweater to work several times, but never had a reaction like that!  Have you ever actually scared someone with what you were wearing (and it wasn't Halloween)???

Fairy Outfit for Work

My apologies for not posting anything since the 3rd.  I've been running around like a mad thing, working overtime and then cavorting madly about all night with my fans going home to do my laundry, then crawl into bed.  And I'm still going to Clearlake every other weekend to visit my mom in the nursing center and take care of her house and bills.  I'm hoping someday she will finally get to go home, and I won't have to do this forever.  Anyway...

A lovely friend in Wales sent me a box of gothic goodies a few years ago, and inside it there was a GORGEOUS purple/black tunic-style top with pointy bits trailing from the sleeves and hem, and lots of beads and sequins all over it.  (Think of Stevie Nicks as a fairy.)  I adore this top, but I haven't ever worn it because "I have nowhere to wear it".  Yesterday I thought to myself, SCREW this, I'm going to wear it to work!  So I did, with a pair of plain black leggings and a pair of black leather heeled booties with silver buckles.  I look like a Dark Fairy!  :-) 

Unfortunately, my throwaway camera is full, and I don't have a new one yet, so you'll have to wait for a photo.  But rest assured, I would do Stevie Nicks proud... 

In the meantime, here is a lovely picture of a fairy for your viewing pleasure!

Meetup Event: Goth Mall Crawl!

Yesterday our meetup group had our first Goth Mall Crawl.  I've never been a mall goth, and I was dying to find out what it was like!  No, seriously, I just thought it would be fun, and possibly nostalgic for anyone who had ever been a mall goth, only without all the angst.  Also I haven't been shopping with anyone besides Martin in ages, so it was perfect.

Anyway, while only four of us actually made it, we had a blast!  I knew both the others already, and one brought her 16-year-old daughter, who I have seen occasionally but haven't spent time with in a few years. We met at Hot Topic, and ended up spending probably an hour there, looking through everything (and I mean EVERY thing!) and trying things on.  I ended up with a bottle of awesome pink/blue spatter nail polish and two great pairs of shorts that had "Buy one, get one for $1" tags on them!  I was really lucky to find both in my size, as there was only one pair of each left, AND they were the only ones I liked. 

The Misfits shorts (I'm thinking of removing the back pockets so you can see the letters, it says "Misfits"):



The purple/black tie-dyed distressed shorts by LOVEsick, and the nail polish (which has a LOT more blue flecks in it than this pic does):

Then we had lunch, followed by a stroll around the rest of the donut-shaped mall.  I lost count of how many stores we actually went into; it really didn't matter because we were doing so much talking, anyway.  When we finally got back to Hot Topic, we'd been there for almost five hours... no wonder my feet hurt! 

The one thing we didn't do was take any pictures.  :-(  I guess we were too busy talking to care! 

Have you ever done the mall goth thing?  

An Outfit Post for 2014

I just came across some pictures taken in October/November 2013, and realized I hadn't posted them!  So here is an outfit post for you:

I love the spiderweb tights above, but they're not really tights so much as strings woven into a pattern, with nothing holding them together!  So I'm wearing a sheer pair of regular pantyhose under them to keep them "anchored" and prevent my toes from going right through them and rubbing to death on my shoes.  They look and feel much better this way.  (Shirt: Etsy; lace skirt: private LJ sale)

The black shredded pants have fishnet sewn behind the slits so it looks like I have tights on under them.  (Shirt: EcoThrift; Pants: Torrid; Studded belt: private LJ sale; Rose necklace: Etsy; Rosary necklace: Hot Topic)

Silly, I know, but it WAS October!!  (Shirt: K-Mart; Pants: Torrid; Skull socks: JoAnn Fabrics)

 

The last one is a closeup of the skull, so you can see that it's actually made of cats!!  And yes, it's navy not black.  (Shirt: Torrid; Pants: EcoThrift)

Birthday Vacation!!

Yesterday was my birthday, and I'm celebrating by taking this week off!  I had to go to Clearlake last weekend to clear out Grandma's house, so I felt I owed myself a break, and this was the perfect time.

Here's what I've done so far:

Monday I met with two goth friends and went thrift store shopping!  We had a GREAT time, and found some awesome deals.  I ended up with a black Punisher t-shirt, a red lace micromini skirt, a pair of red/black/white knee socks with skulls-and-crossbones on them, and a black shirt that's hard to describe but looks awesome; these are the things I can wear right away.  I also found a black t-shirt with a cat head and "Me-ow!" on it, which I put in my closet in the "I-need-to-lose-5-to-10-pounds-first" section.  Hey, you gotta have something to work towards, right??  ;-)  And I spent less than $20 on all of it. 

Tuesday was my birthday, woo-HOOO!!  I started out by going shopping at my favorite grocery store, Trader Joe's, and dancing through the isles to the song "Witch Doctor".  Then on to Jiffy Lube, where I gave my van a birthday present of an oil/fluid change, plus a new headlight (that I didn't know needed changing).  After that, I headed for Kohl's, as I had COUPONS!!  I found an awesome pair of boots, originally $79.99, that were on sale for $25.  Using my $10-off b-day coupon and my 15% off coupon, I ended up paying only $13.86!!  And that came of my b-day money, so I actually got them for free!  Thanks, Mom!  :-)  From Martin, I got the DVD of the new Vin Diesel movie, Riddick.  I am totally addicted to Riddick, heheheh...  We'll be watching that later today.  And then we had cake!  Since Martin's birthday was Saturday and I was in Clearlake, we had the one cake for both of us (we usually do that, anyway).

Today is Wednesday.  My son is coming over to hang out around 12:30 while his girlfriend is in class; when she gets out, we'll all go out to dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  I'll probably work in the garden as well, since it's really nice today.

Not sure what I'll be doing Thursday and Friday, but I'm sure I'll think of something!  ;-)

What do you do to celebrate your birthday???

When I'm 64: Thoughts about Dressing Goth after 60

Okay, I've been having lots of fun discovering my own personal goth style that looks good on me while not being "too young" for my age... but what happens when I get into my 60's??  Not many "SuperElderGoths" around to ask, so we'll all have to invent this one on our own.  How delightful!!  Not.

Right now, I'm leaning toward a mixture of Morticia Addams and Stevie Nicks -- you know, long and flowing, very elegant, with extravagant shoes. I recently picked up this awesome dress at Hot Topic, at 25% off! 

I think the bare leg look sucks with it, but I've got some patterned black tights that will look awesome, along with heels, of course.  (These boots are great for clubbing, but not for a professional or Morticia Addams look.  For Stevie, you would want platform boots and a huge chiffon scarf.)

However, recently I found this article called "Top 10 Items You're Too Old to Wear" that totally set me off... and NOT in a good way.  Are we living in "Logan's Run" here??  Some things I did agree with, totally or in part, but most of them are just absurd!  In a nutshell, here is what they say, and what I think of what they say (hey, who ARE "they", anyway???  Nobody I want to know!!):

1.  No message t-shirts after 30.

What, people over 30 have nothing to say?? Nope, guess we're too OLD to have anything worth saying.

2. No "too trendy" denim after 35.

This includes jeans with rhinestones or designs on the back pockets.  And we should only wear black or dark denim, no light colors.  Say WHAT??  Oh, that's right, we OLD PEOPLE have nothing to say.

3. No "costume shoes"  (impractical, wildly crazy shoes) after the mid-40's.

Sorry, I'm not turning my 4-inch Demonia platform Mary Janes over to Goodwill anytime soon.  Did Stevie give hers away??  Nope.  And I firmly believe that every woman should have at least ONE pair of fantastic shoes, preferably ones that she can walk in, but if not, oh well. 

4. No micro-mini skirts after 40.

I can't argue with this one too much, especially since most women under 40 don't look all that great in micro minis (you know, the kind that disappear when you sit down).  But if you've still got great legs and thighs, honey, I say flaunt 'em, regardless of your age!!

5. Nothing showing "excessive cleavage" after 50.

To my husband (and probably to most men), there's no such thing as "excessive cleavage" unless it's covered in wrinkles, so I'm not going to worry about this one too much.  If I don't want to see it, I won't be showing it, anyway.

6. No white ribbed-cotton tank tops after 40.

Wait, are they saying we shouldn't wear white, we shouldn't wear cotton, or we shouldn't wear tank tops??  Or maybe we shouldn't be wearing ribs...  ;-)

7. No hair gadgets after 30.

Geez!  I guess we're supposed to let our hair flap all over the place instead, or wear granny buns.  Next thing you know, we'll be told we aren't supposed to have HAIR after 30...  I know, let's all shave our heads, then it won't be a problem!!  Move over, Sade!!

8. No oversized, overly decorated hobo bags after 50.

I've never been fond of those bags, anyway.  But it seems to me that the older you get, the more stuff you need to haul around, like all those pills you have to take now, a fold-up cane, Ex-Lax, reading glasses, driving glasses, extra hearing aid batteries, extra false teeth, Depends, your will...

9. No cheap, unflattering underwear after 40.

Now this one I actually agree with!  But why wait until 40 to get good stuff that fits you properly??  Do that NOW, before you even need to worry about how it looks!  Then you won't feel like a fool when you realize that you do actually need bras (or other things) that cover things up, smooth things over, or hold things in.  I can't remember having cheap or unflattering underthings since I was a kid, and I intend to keep it that way!

10. No "loud accessories" after 35.

Two of the first things mentioned on the list are black nail polish and "goth-inspired studded belts". Do you want to hold them down while I bitch-slap them, or would you prefer to do the slapping?  Either way works for me.

************

Please notice that according to the article, no one over 50 should be wearing or carrying any of the above.  This means that at 60, I should dress like... who, Granny in "The Beverly Hillbillies"???  Somehow, I just can't see myself going along with that one.  Can you see yourself that way?  Nope, neither can I.

Now, here is MY advice for these self-styled "fashion advisors"... GET OVER YOURSELVES!  Real women wear what we want, when we want to and how we want to. If you don't feel comfortable wearing something, don't wear it, but stop trying to tell the rest of us what we can and cannot wear. 

Life is too short to be a dull white sheep; become the shiny black sheep you know you are!!

A Perfect Goth Shopping Day

Ever had one of those shopping days when you can do NO wrong??  Where everything you touch is exactly what you want/need AND it's on sale??  Well, that's what yesterday was for me!

In the afternoon I went on safari to the local mall.  I had a 15% off coupon for Kohl's in my pocket, and knew I wouldn't have time to use it before it expired if I didn't go then. I walked into Kohl's; the shoe section is right inside the door, so I started there.  Saw one pair, didn't like the color.  Then I saw these Croft and Barrow Ankle Boots, and they were ON SALE:

I found one pair in a size 9, which I grabbed.  I fluctuate between 8.5 and 9, depending on the cut.  They were a bit large but I could wear them.  However, for the next several minutes I rummaged through shoe boxes up and down the aisles until I found (ta-DAH!) a size 8.5 pair!  After making sure they were a perfect fit, I put the 9 box back and headed for the checkout counter.  There was only one person ahead of me in line (when does THAT ever happen???).  They were 40% off before I used the coupon, so I ended up getting a pair of $80 boots for just under $45 (including tax).  Number of different shoes tried on: one.  Total time in store: 20 minutes or less.  Happiness IS...

Then I stopped in Claire's, just to see if they had anything fun.  They have a small "goth" section near the door, but it wasn't very interesting.  However, just as I was about to leave I saw they still had some Halloween stuff near the back, and it was going for 75% off!  Needless to say, I plunged into the mass of teens, small girls and their moms, and headed for the Halloween rack.  Bingo!!  I scored a pair of dangly silver bat earrings, a package of 6 sparkly hair clips (two purple bats, two orange pumpkins, and two black spiders), a many-chained necklace covered with black and silver crosses and black skulls, and a card of colored clip-on fake-hair extensions.  They normally come 12 per card: three each of black/red, black/orange, and black/white; however, this card had 14 on it, and it was the last one, so I got one extra each of the red and orange ones.  The original prices ranged from $6.50 to $10.50, but my total (with tax) came to $9.01, so I got each for about $2!!  MORE happiness.

The coup d'etat came when we went to EcoThrift so Martin could look for a heat thingy for his miniatures (don't ask, I have NO idea).  Anyway, he found what he wanted, and I found a black long-sleeved top and two black long-sleeved sweaters.  Two of them were $25% off, so I ended up with all three for $5.97!!!  

Is there such a thing as too much shopping happiness?  I don't think so...  :-)

Bay Area Goth Meetup: Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

And another meetup group event, Dia de los Muertos at the San Jose Museum of Art!  Although we did have a good time, this would have been much more fun if 1) we'd actually been able to meet up with more of the members of our group, and 2) the museum was bigger.

Here are those of us who did actually meet up:





   

Cheryl's got skull-covered leggings, I've in my new sugar skull shirt and shredded pants, and Winter is wearing a skeleton dress and carrying a ribcage purse.  Very appropriate outfits, wouldn't you say?  ;-)

Here are a couple of lobby sculptures that were created (apparently) just for this event:

 

We heard from two other people who were coming later, but never met up with them.  It was MUCH too crowded to see anyone, and no one but us looked the least bit goth!  Winter and I had our black parasols, but it was too crowded to open them, and we were inside the museum, after all.

The museum is fairly small, it was extremely crowded, and a large chunk of the lobby was kept open for the dancing and band performances, so once those started it was difficult to move anywhere.  There was a table to decorate your own sugar skull, but the line was a mile long.  :-(  We did get to see the dancing up close, though, which was good (although they were VERY late getting started).  And we didn't have to be in the same room with the mariachi band to hear it!!

If you'd like to see more pics, check out Winter's blog post. 

And Yet A Third Outfit Post! (Will Wonders Never Cease?)

Yes, a lot of these outfits probably look similar.  Bear with me, I'm still learning.  :-)

Here is one that looked much better in person than it does on film.  Apparently Martin was feeling especially tall when he took this picture, as the angle makes me look a bit short and dumpy.  (Yes, I'm short, but I'm not dumpy.)  The top is from Torrid, and is now a bit too large for me, but the thin black belt makes it work.  The parasol is from Victorian Trading Co. ($30), and the cotton skirt with tiny vertical ruffles I found at EcoThrift (about $3).  The black plastic rose on a plastic chain is one of my favorite necklaces, and I got it on Etsy from JackieHatesYou for about $10.  Hair flower from a private sale on LJ, about $2.  The spiked sandals are from Payless Shoe Source (and YES, the spikes are really pointy, and if you hit yourself with them, they hurt).

This next top was one of my original "goth" Etsy purchases, and I plan on wearing it until it desintegrates!!  The design is made of rhinestones, which you can't really see in the pic.  The skirt is from Torrid; it's a size 16, but I was able to take a tuck in the waist so I can still wear it... until I lose another 5-10 pounds.  Some of those white rectangles are actually light gray (there's a little too much flash here!), so it looks more interesting in real life.

  The flowered design on this top is made with pale pink embroidery. The skirt is the one I wore to the DMV.

I'm not sure if I like this outfit, so I'm asking for your thoughts.  Is it too busy?  Too many different designs and/or textures between the top and tights?  I'm not liking at nearly as much as I did when I put it on...

For work, I seem to be dressing somewhere between Corp Goth and Academic Goth, with a touch of Stevie Nicks thrown in.  The weekends tend to be a combination of more casual and more daring.  After looking at all the different outfit pictures I've taken of myself, and going through my closet, and thinking about what styles I like and don't like, I have to ask myself:  How will my clothing style need to change as I get older, or does it need to change at all?
 
And I REALLY miss those shoes... ::sigh::

In Which I am TOTALLY Overwhelmed...

Yesterday when I got home from work, I found a HUGE box waiting for me.  I've been getting packages for the last two weeks, but they were all things I had actually ordered.  This wasn't.  It was from Canada, and when I saw the name of the sender, I was extremely surprised!  She is one of my penpals, but we have never met; she had mentioned in a recent letter that she had "a little something" she wanted to send me, but this box was HUGE!!  The customs tag on it said simply "Hat".  Well, of course, I had to tear the thing open, being extremely careful in the process, as I had NO idea what kind of "hat" would be in a box this big. 

Inside the HUGE box was another box... a Victorian Trading Co. hat box.  OMG!!!!!  And the MOST INCREDIBLE hat was inside...

The tag in the hat says "Hopeless Romantic Hat", and it certainly is that.  A circular black hat (straw, I think) swathed in dark red sateen and black lace, with some fall/winter flowers on the front, a black ostrich plume, black and red lace ribbons, and a couple of feet of black net hanging down the back. 

I WILL post a picture, I promise, but unfortunately I cannot find one of this hat on the Internet or VTC's online catalog to post now, and it will be a little while before the pictures in my camera can be developed.  

In the meantime, the generosity of this gift has reduced me to helpless gibbering.  Thank you SO MUCH, Lynne!!!  I want to go out and hug everyone in the world, just because!!  But instead of doing that (which isn't really practical, after all), I shall address the most important issue of all:  WHAT am I going to WEAR with this incredible hat?????

I definitely hear a shopping trip calling my name...

Another Outfit Post!

I'm saving these outfit posts for when I don't have anything more interesting to talk about...  ;-)

Here are a few more outfits mentioned in past posts.  This is what I wore to the Cemetery Fundraiser in July.  I thought that my Danse Macabre top from Etsy would be very appropriate, with dancing skeletons playing instruments across the front, and the victims dancing across the back; I topped it off with my Momento Mori pendant (the one on my icon).  It's hard to tell, but the skirt is black lace (Bane, it's the one I bought from you).  And those are my prized Anarchy boots; they cost me only $32 (including shipping!) on GothAuctions.com!

Next is my "new" skull-n-crossbones patterned sundress that I got for $1.48 at EcoThrift, worn with leggings ($2.74 with a Kohl's gift card), spiky sandals from Payless Shoe Source (with coupon) and a spiderweb-draped cross on a ribbon (private LJ sale, $2-$3).  The heart on the dress that's partly covered by my hand has a larger matching skull-n-crossbones on it.

And here is my most recent acquisition, a gray t-shirt with Death Raven singing lots of skulls instead of musical notes.  (Ravens may be officially considered "song birds", but they DO NOT sing... they croak.)  If you look VERY CLOSELY at the large skull, you'll see a child peeking out of each eye socket.  Each of the three smaller skulls also has a child with it.  The caption reads: "Death Raven sings sweet sweet songs of Death."  They only had this shirt in XL, but it turned out the perfect size for me to wear with leggings.

Until next time...

The Gothic Budget: Tips for Acquiring a Less Expensive Wardrobe

You actually have Sary Walrus to thank for this post.  She asked me if I had any tips for acquiring an inexpensive wardrobe, and what started as a short reply turned into... this rather long post!  While I can't guarantee the results will be inexpensive, it may help to make things less expensive.

Here are my tips, taken from personal experience:

1.  Learn to love thrift stores!  Find at least one that makes you feel good when you visit it and that seems to frequently have the kinds of things you want, and visit it once or twice a month. This works best when you go in "just to look", and don't have some very specific item(s) in mind.  Check ALL the size sections, not just your usual size.  I've found things that have been misplaced or sized larger or smaller than I usually wear that fit me perfectly.  (If you like it, try it on, even if it looks like it might not fit.)  And if something is damaged and it's not noted on the tag, ask if they'd be willing to mark it down a bit more.  Swap meets, garage sales and flea markets can also be great sources in this category; go early to get the best selection.

2.  Most of what I buy in "regular" stores is on sale, preferably clearance.  I also make use of the coupons from circulars and the gift cards that get sent in the mail from stores trying to boost their sales (like Kohl's does here on the West Coast since they started expanding). 

3.  I have a Victoria's Secret credit card, but the ONLY time I pick up new underthings is when they send me a coupon for a free pair (which is frequently!) and when I get a $10 gift card during my birthday month.  My lingerie drawer is overflowing, and most of it was free...  Awesome!!  I also make use of any Rewards program offered by stores I have credit cards with, like Torrid; between that and the coupons and birthday gift cards they send me, I frequently pay only a quarter to a third of the original price for brand new items.

4.  Catalogs can have great prices, but sizing and shipping can be a real problem.  I usually only buy jewelry and accessories from catalogs, but I've gotten some great deals.  For example, Victorian Trading Co. offers a $2.00 flat shipping rate on orders of any size once or twice a year, usually from August through October 31st; that's when I buy from them!  (It's noted on the catalog cover and on page 2 when this is offered.)  My incredible black lace parasol was $30 (not on sale), but with the low $2 flat rate shipping, I saved about $7 in shipping on my total order.  If you're buying clothing or furniture from them, this is the BEST POSSIBLE SALE you will ever get. 

5.  Private sales of used and unwanted new items in online communities like GothFash and GothMart on LiveJournal can land you some awesome stuff at very low prices.  You do have to have an account with LJ, but the basic account is free.  GothAuction.com is another good place for buying used items, and I've found that there are a LOT of sellers but not too many buyers there, so it's worth checking out.  Shops on Etsy.com have many unique items; they're not always inexpensive, but some sellers are open to trade or other deals.  It never hurts to ask; if you don't ask, the answer is always "No"!

6.  Commercial websites can be another good choice, if you're willing to take a chance.  GoodGoth.com offers "Mystery Bags" of clothes, shoes, legwear and jewelry for really low prices.  My experience is that they have some really crappy jewelry, but their legwear is excellent; I've gotten lovely thigh-his and tights in their Mystery Bags.  You don't get to choose anything but the size, but the price can be worth it. And don't forget to see if there's a "Deal of the Day" going on!

7.  If I DO pay full price for something, it's because it's AWESOME and perfect for me!  I found a Halloween-themed t-shirt yesterday at K-Mart that I LOVE, but it was in the juniors section.  They had only three left: a Small, a Medium, and a 2XL.  Needless to say, the two smaller ones I wouldn't even bother trying on, but the 2XL fits perfectly, and the fitted cut actually makes me look slimmer!  And while I did have to pay full price, it was only $15 which made it an even better deal.

8.  Impulse or comfort shopping is almost never a good idea.  The clothes I've bought when I was upset or not really in The Mood for shopping usually end up cluttering my closet and never being worn, mainly because I'm just grabbing things that don't really call to me, and that IS expensive.  Remember this motto:  If it doesn't BEG you to wear it, don't buy it, or get rid of it to make room for the things that do!

I hope this post is helpful.  May you all find the dark wardrobes of your dreams!!

OMG, An Actual Outfit Post!!

Several people have commented that they wanted to see some of the outfits I've mentioned in previous posts, so (FINALLY!) here are a few.  Sorry it took me so long, but I'm a technological dinosaur (would that make me a "technosaurus"??).  I use a "real" throwaway camera and have prints made, so I had to use up all the film and have it developed at Walgreen's.  Then it took three days for Martin to remember to scan the pics into our computer.  ::rolls eyes::

This one is what I wore when I got my driver's license renewed back in April.  The choker was a birthday gift from Martin.  The gloves were from a private sale on LJ, about $3.  Both the skirt and top are from EcoThrift, and probably cost me about $5 total:

And here is the green "batty" skirt that I made after reading Bane's post about making HER skirt (I not only used the same material, I used the same pattern, too!), with another $3 top from EcoThrift.  The shoes were from Torrid, and I LOVED them, but I literally wore them to death, and had to toss them in the trash last month.  :-(

And finally, here is a picture of me and Martin taken on our 13th anniversary:

Yes, that's the same two skirts I wore to the cemetery picnic (but here you can't see the red rosettes I sewed onto one side).  The white tulle skirt was free from a swap meet, the black velvet underskirt was a gift, and the top is the one from my driver's license pic.  The shoes are actually a deep red raw silk material, and were given to me by my boss, who bought them but never wore them.

It's amazing how my wardrobe has become so versatile AND inexpensive.  I love it!!!

More Goth on a Budget: GothFash & GothMart

One of the places that I've scored some of my best goth fashion finds is on LiveJournal.  In addition to the journals themselves, there are communities one can join, and two of these are GothFash and GothMart.  Basically, these communities allow members to post pics and prices of things they are selling, promoting  private sales between LJ members.  You don't have to be a member of either community to purchase things, but I believe you do have to have an account with LiveJournal in order to post comments and questions.  Fortunately, the basic account is free, so not a problem.  :-)

I've gotten some truly fantastic bargains on these sites, especially GothFash.  You do have to watch where members live, as some are in other countries, so the items might be cheap but the shipping deadly!  In addition to traditional goth fashion items, some members also offer items for those interested in lolita, visual kei, cosplay, etc.  You can also find makeup, magazines, CDs, DVDs, purses, collectibles, and other fascinating goodies.

Take advantage of this opportunity and check it out today.  Just don't buy any of the things I want, okay?  Thanks!  ;-)

The Pyramid Collection: Grimlies!!

I love getting catalogs from The Pyramid Collection.  I usually can't afford anything in them, but I still love looking through them.  Well, this time I found something that I just have to have.  That's all there is to it!

I've never heard of the Grimlies before, but when I saw these shoes, I fell in love with them!

The Grimlies Skull Mary Janes have 4" heels and a hidden 1" platform.  The skulls and crossbones are leatherette appliques, and the soles are vinyl.  It doesn't say in the catalog, but based on the closeup of the pic, I think the black outer part is material rather than leather. With shipping, they come to $92.00, so I will be saving my pennies! 

What kind of things do YOU just have to have, no matter what the price?

The Incredible Victorian Trading Company

Another catalog from Victorian Trading Company has arrived in the mail.  I LOOOOVE their catalogs!!  Not because I'm a Victorian goth (I'm not), and not because I buy lots of stuff from them (I can't afford most of it).  I love them because they are such a lovely fantasy for me.  Here are a few things that are on my current "wish list":

I ADORE this dress!!  Not sure if the geranium red color would flatter me, but I'd love the chance to see for myself!

I think this would be an awesome hat to wear to... well, many things.  And it's actually not too expensive.  Unfortunately, I just read in this post by Professor Z that this hat is of rather poor quality and fit.  Perhaps I could make my own version of it, hmmmmm...

The Tea Party hat comes in two colors, and I love BOTH of them!  Decisions, decisions...





Here are a few items I've bought from VTC, and my opinions of them on a scale of 1 to 5:

Cinnamon Apple Dipped Candles - They look and smell great... until you burn them.  Unfortunately, they don't smell at all while they're burning, they burn very unevenly with glops suddenly falling off, and the glitter on them makes lots of sparks, so you really don't DARE leave them unattended.  1/5  :-(

Black Battenberg Lace Parasol - I LOVE this parasol!  It keeps The Evil Sun away extremely well, while making you look lovely and elegant in the process.  Also comes in white.  5/5  :-D

Flocked Organza Candy Bags - These are 7" high, perfect to store not only candy, but also jewelry or tarot decks!  You get a set of three in the colors pictured.  I LOVE these wonderful bags, and plan to get more as needed.  5/5  :-)

What's YOUR favorite fantasy store or catalog?  I'd love to add to my collection of wishes!

Black Summer Shoes? Yes!!

Okay, it's summer (ick!), and The Evil Sun is going to be all over us.  But that doesn't mean we can't have cute gothy shoes and sandals as we cower under our sunscreen and parasols!  ;-)

Here is some great summer footwear from Payless Shoe Source, where I get a LOT of my shoes:

Brash Royalty Studded Flat Sling - $26.99




Brash Lady Vamp Sandal - $29.99




Lucca Ornament Sandal - On Sale $19.99 (Regularly $26.99)
(Comfort Plus by Predictions, also comes in wide widths)



Montego Bay Club Pepper Embellished Flip Flop
On Sale $19.99 (Regularly $24.99)




There's lots more, of course, but these are my personal picks.  In fact, I picked up the studded sandals at the mall on Sunday!  Only two pairs left, and ONE of them was my size!  How cool is that??  ;-)

Where do you find YOUR favorite shoes??