Today I felt like some contrast: Black and white, Victorian lines with strong patterns.
Dress: eShakti
Leggings: Torrid
Boots: Chelsea Crew
Jewelry: April Cornell
Makeup: Face and eyes mostly Aromaleigh
Foundation, concealer, undereye, mascara–all standard
Contour–Insectarium Alucita
Eye shadows all discontinued–Aromaleigh Fume (metallic silver) and Moonlight (pale gray frost), Hard Candy Trash (dark gray)
Finishing powder—Glamoured Avena
Rouge discontinued—Brilliant Deductions Purple Shirt of Sex
Highlighter—Insectarium Diaphora
Lips discontinued–J.Cat Beauty Flash Metal Matte Metallic Sonic Boom
You might have noticed a couple of themes so far. Yes, I do like checks, plaids, and patterns traditionally considered “menswear,” and I like combining those with more traditionally femme influences like Victorianesque silhouettes, lace, and ruffles. While my own style overall is decidedly femme, I’ve always enjoyed playing around with contrasts like this and incorporating harder or more masculine elements. And I enjoy the strong contrast of black and white together, especially when there’s a pattern that’s really bold like in the leggings and the boots. Finally, I wanted to add some additional contrast with the metallic silver eye shadow and the metallic plum lip, contrasted with more subtle tones and finishes.
I also really like cameos. There’s something about the pattern in relief that appeals to my tactile side and my appreciation for both 18th and 19th century fashion. I particularly like the cameos in these pieces since they’re matte and single color. The matte aspect appeals to my tactile side again, while the single color is a contrast to a contrast—they’re going against the contrast in the boots and leggings. Plus it’s another iteration of the softer, more feminine jewelry with the menswear influences.
I don’t typically analyze the foundations of why I choose particular ensembles. I have a mental shorthand that says “I like this and this and this and this all together.” Spending many years collecting the types of pieces I like helps with that, as does a lot of time spent studying the fashion of various historical eras and a tendency to want to break things across strict period lines. I can look at one or two items and readily envision what else I have that would help achieve what I have in mind. It’s a weird skill set and not all that applicable to anything else. But I appreciate my weird skills.
Popcorn & Pretension 