Socks to be me // Monthly theme post

Woah, Sophistiqué Noir threw a very interesting blogging challenge this time, and I barely even had the time to do anything! In the past I may have put quite a lot of effort into these theme posts, this time I took a few photos quickly as I have to concentrate on another design project again. And that's too bad, since the theme, hosiery, is quite close to my heart!

Since I only wear pants when exercising, I have quite a collection of hosiery. I don't wear fancy stuff daily because I'm good at ripping delicate stockings and tights, not to mention that I just bought several pairs of thick and warm tights for the winter... Instead, summer months are a real golden age to me since I get to wear short skirts and provocative stockings. That's probably the cornerstone of my style to begin with!

Because I really don't have so much time to spend on this post, I'm only showing off a few of my most favourite pieces or ways to wear hosiery. And they will be accompanied by some lyrics by Emilie Autumn, who is certainly quite a stocking idol for me (yet still I have never mimed her style...).

 I admit it; I'm not a very decent girl. My absolute number #1 trademark and cornerstone of my style in summertime is wearing certain overknee socks and a garter belt, with a short skirt so that they show. (Some evidence shows that I've been doing this ever since I was seventeen.) Although I own many socks and a few garter belts, I have certain favourite ones to be paired like this. It's comfortable for me, and good-looking. It's cool enough, yet covers the bruises I have. :D And I know; it looks either damn good or damn tasteless. I'm all for the first option. I may pair them with such casual clothes that I may not look particularly slutty. However, I know I can highlight the best part of my body by wearing those, a short skirt and high heels. Then my legs seem long, and people ignore all the flaws I have.

Very long socks with round holes all the way up! These are funny and quite eye-catching as well. (It was damn difficult to stand on my shoulders and take a photo though.)

Last but not least, some simple socks with vertical stripes. Long ago I was one of those who liked stockings with horizontal stripes, then I got a feeling they make my legs seem shorter. And well, not longer at least for sure. Vertical stripes are classy and quite easy to pair with some different patterns.

Welcome to the jungle // Monthly theme post

It's time to participate in Sophistiqué Noir's monthly theme campaign again. This time the theme is flowers!

At first I thought I wouldn't participate since a quick mental scan of my wardrobe implied I don't wear floral patterns or anything like that, but luckily, these theme posts are not necessarily about fashion, and although I've usually completed the challenges with clothes or accessories, I'm doing something different today.

I really had to think about the theme for a while though, at first I had a feeling that flowers barely touch me in any way... (Not saying I don't like them. I just don't have a green thumb or anything. You should see the poor DEAD cactus I have... My only plant. But it's dead, dead, dead.)

Then I actually paid some attention to the environment in which I'm living. I realized I'm surrounded by floral patterns, here and there in the decor in my apartment. A real garden, should I say, or no... These patterns don't make a coherent garden. I think I'm living in a wild jungle.

This is my wall. The biggest wall without windows or doors has such a lovely wallpaper. The opposite wall, which is smaller, has been painted brownish to match the general hue of that wallpaper. The other walls are white. I fell in love with the apartment instantly when I stepped inside for the first time since I love contrast walls and such, and have been wildly planning how to paint or paper walls in an apartment of my own, if I will ever buy one. Most rented flats are very boring, so I was delighted to find something this interesting. If I had got to choose a wallpaper by myself, I wouldn't probably have chosen such a pattern (though the hue is nice) but I'm happy with this one, it makes my apartment seem so cozy. Seriously, I haven't even put a single picture up on any of my walls because they aren't begging for something as much as blank white walls would be. Although this wall is empty of pictures, shelves and other such things, it looks so full. (And brown walls give me a false sense of being aboard a pirate ship.)

And this is my pendant lamp, the funny thing which was put in place probably four months after I had moved in. I didn't notice the lack of a lamp in summer (=it's never totally dark in Finland in the summer, not even in the middle of the night), but at some point in autumn it began to bother me... I wasn't quite sure what I wanted, so eventually I purchased a rice paper shade. I like its looks, but it's a bit impractical. I can only just walk under it without hitting my head in it (though depending on how my hair is, it'll touch it), but every now and then I manage to slam my hands at it when I'm stretching or something...

This is my carpet. I cannot remember if I've ever liked it, but I purchased it for my first apartment since I "needed a carpet, seriously". The pattern isn't too ugly, but not too pretty either. The carpet was cheap though (or then, probably free? I cannot remember for sure, I was purchasing furniture and the store couldn't deliver something on time, and I think I probably got the carpet for free then?). There are some details in the carpet which disturb me though, strange imperfections in the petals, or in the lines. Like the two bottom petals of the big red flower in the middle... I have been thinking of purchasing a new carpet ever since I moved, but I haven't yet found anything I want. And what is worst about this one... Once a hair, or a piece of dust falls on it, the carpet will swallow it for good! Seriously, it's a real pain to get all the hair and dust etc off it!

This is yet another detail in my decor which looked better in my old apartment. However, I'm still using the hanging storage pockets since they are practical. If there hadn't been something where to hang it already, I wouldn't probably have bothered to attach any nail or hook to the wall by myself. I don't like its looks so much anymore, but it's useful enough so it's hanging (on) there. In my old apartment I also had a strange "installation art piece" in one corner, which was basically a standing easel with that masque on top of it, and a small lamp attached to the frame of the easel. It looked fancy, at least compared with that masque hanging there with the storage pockets...

Last but not least, a flowery fan. You've probably seen it somewhere in my blog already. I rarely use it for its actual purpose. At the moment it's just sitting in my book shelf, folded, but if I figured out a nice way to put it somewhere, beautifully unfolded, I would do it. The bookshelf might still work, just have to try out something...

I'm extremely lazy when it comes to decorating my apartment. I have ideas, but I rarely realize them, and thus my apartment is probably a little wild without a coherent theme. At the moment I feel comfortable here at least, not constantly thinking that I'd be surrounded by ugliness. However, there's a lot to work on, I hope I can make some proper decor posts in the future, with some of my plans carried out. So long!

Monthly Homework Assignment: "I Forgot I Even Own This!"

I've been into blogging challenges lately, or perhaps I've merely been too lazy to come up with some topics of my own? Nah, not really, and this is only my second challenge this year.

Le Professeur Gothique urged us to delve into our wardrobes and find something we had probably forgotten we even own, or something we haven't worn in ages. Sounds interesting!



Some wannabe-creative photo editing included, since all these pieces are black, and there are no hues to see.

"And if one day she comes to you

Drink deeply from her words so wise

Take courage from her

As your prize

And say hello for me"

– Uriah Heep

These clothes are ten years old, and I've probably worn them last roughly eight years ago – cannot remember for sure though, but for so many years I didn't consider them my style, or... I'm not even sure why. Somehow, thinking of the days when I wore them, I can see a baby bat I probably still never was. After all, I don't consider myself an adult bat now.

Although the mesh bolero and the long skirt – which has a very long slit on the left side, up to the seam you can see at the hips – have nothing in common – except for the fact they were both purchased in Greece during the same vacation, I've mostly worn them together. At least I cannot remember ever wearing the bolero separately. The top I have in the lower photo is also a part of the original set, but it's been in use for all these years. The necklace, well... It was bought a few months after the clothes. I've tried to keep using it as well, and I actually wore it as a part of one slightly deathrock-inspired outfit about a month ago (I can probably post photos of this later). However, it took my neck several weeks to recover from that evening. :| I'm allergic to it, and I don't know why – it was supposed to be nickel-free.

The reason why I quoted Lady in Black for this outfit is that I got to hear such comments back then, ten years ago. Whether I was a lady is another thing...

For some time now, I've been considering wearing these clothes again. Haven't yet found an event which would have been screaming for some elegant gothic romance. And by the way, isn't the detail in the skirt nice? You cannot see it well, but there's a panel of different fabric, sewn asymmetrically, at the very top of the skirt. And some lace too!

"And we got no principles

And we got no innocence

We can't even think of a word that rhymes"

– Alice Cooper

Offering amusement with stupid expressions!

One dress can barely be considered an outfit, but anyway, I couldn't come up with shoes for this yet, and since the straps have some nice buckles on the back, I wouldn't want to hide them with a bolero or anything, and I wouldn't like to wear any top underneath, and well... I think it's a nice piece in its own right. I've only worn this once – when I graduated from high school, and hence the quote. And damn, I have no idea why I haven't worn this! Maybe because I opt for a corset so often when I'm about to party these days...

So yeah, such secrets in my closets. It was fun making this post anyway. :D And oh my – I've got so many new readers, I'm... surprised? Welcome aboard, everyone! So long!

Fears run rings – monthly theme post

It's time for another theme post campaign by Sophistiqué Noir! February is all about rings! Although I like rings, I don't have remarkably many to show off here. I've fallen victim to too many cheap rings in my life, and all those strangely brass colored pieces are barely worth photographing.

I have a few rings in everyday use, and a few which I wear whenever I remember to pick them up from my jewellery box. Anyway, I don't have fancy and huge rings because I'd probably find them impractical even if they were beautiful. I don't own any of these joint rings, and none of those meant for multiple fingers either. Some of them are very pretty, though. However, such rings which would best suit festive events don't usually end up in my collection, especially if they wouldn't look good with gloves. When dressing up, I prefer gloves to fancy rings. But now, onto my rings!

"Serpents and the tree"

– Waves Under Water

I think this ring is from some trip to Greece, but I cannot remember when I bought it – I've been to Greece so many times after all... This serpent looks best, in my humble opinion, when worn on the thumb. In fact thumb may be my favorite "ring finger", and I rarely wear anything on the actual ring fingers (especially in the left hand – I'm not engaged and wouldn't wear a ring there "for fun"; however, "self-defense" in a very tricky situation might be another thing).

"Stand your ground behind the times
and refuse to follow fashion"

– Skyclad

These two plain rings are my everyday pieces. However, diverging from the photo, I wear them in the right hand. I'd like to find similar plain rings for the rest of the fingers in that hand, and it wouldn't be difficult if I just popped to a jewellery store. Anyway, nowadays I only accept silver or stainless steel and not just some crappy... bronzecopperpewterglassshit with a silvery surface.

"Golstar come!
'Cause I can't resist here in this castle"

– Derdian

I'm quite sure I bought this one in Greece as well, but possibly not at the same time with the snake ring. In fact my preferred finger for this one is the thumb as well, unless I'm wearing it together with the snake one in the same hand.

That's it, I suppose. I only have a few rings worth wearing anyway. And apparently, rings are perfect for fingering when you're getting frustrated and need something to do. :D So long!

P.S: Good morning February! Today I realized it's no longer dark when I go to work in the morning! Spring's coming although it was –20°C.

Properly coated

I'm participating in another theme post by Sophistiqué Noir. This month's theme was outerwear, which isn't the easiest topic for me as I'm not satisfied with the jackets and coats I have. In fact I've been hunting for a proper winter coat for long, as well as an autumn/spring coat – but to no avail. I'm very picky; most of the coats and jackets sold in the regular clothes stores are too boring. When I move onto alternative fashion brands and their outerwear lines, the products are often too fancy; too full of mismatching details, cut in a way that doesn't flatter anyone, too edgy to be worn to work...

Thus, I'm not showing photos of my own clothes. Instead, I decided to draw a few rough sketches of the kind of jackets I'd like to find. (Stress on the word rough – I can draw better, yet maybe not fashion illustrations as I'm not a fashion designer.)

Steampunk and pirates inspired me a lot, but I had to tune down those styles in order to achieve designs which could go well with my many diverse outfits and especially work outfits. I know there are many stores which sell steampunk and pirate style outerwear, but most of those are, although very beautiful and nice, still too complex to suit my everyday style. It's a shame, but I would really need something more practical than what a stunning pirate-credible jacket with a fixed vest would be. Besides, I would need a winter coat for extreme weather after all (when it goes below zero in Fahrenheit too).

"Gather lords and ladies fair"

– Blackmore's Night

I might like a simple jacket with vertical stripes. And if it was in neutral colors, it would be easy to mix with colorful clothes and accessories (as if I wore such).

"Tilt the galley over for no emperor
nor chain will stand in my way!"

– Turisas

The drawing is barely flattering my idea, which I think is better than the sketch. I'm not sure what would be the best way to carry it out though; maybe a pirate ship embroidery somewhere in the hem, or with the right type of fabric it could be a print too.

"We’re the terror of the skies, but a danger to ourselves now"

– Abney Park

A simple jacket could be fancified with a leather harness.

"I stand here alone on the bow of the ship
counting the hours 'til I die"

– Alestorm

A few military/navy inspired details would be enough, without making the whole piece in such a style.

I wouldn't mind being directed to a good web store selling something nice that would be at least a bit in-keeping with my idea of a stylish jacket. However, the most important part would be warmth – I live in Finland after all, and I certainly need a winter coat with full lining and such. Suggestions are very welcome.

Cover your hands – monthly theme post

I decided to participate in Sophistiqué Noir's monthly theme post for once, maybe because the theme, gloves, is pure love. I love wearing gloves! Armwarmers too, yet I wear them much less these days than I did a few years ago. But I certainly like to add gloves to party outfits! Nowadays I rarely think gloves or armwarmers would suit my work outfits, but they're nice to wear on special occasions. However, for someone as glove-obsessed as me it's strange how boring I am when it comes to keeping my hands warm! I wear old, shabby mittens (yet I have a cute pair knitted by my mother) or something otherwise inelegant. Maybe I should seriously start looking for a pair of warm and stylish gloves for the upcoming winter? But now, let's take a look at what I found in my cache...

"Maybe that's why you don't see faces like mine every day"

– Emilie Autumn

Short, lacy gloves are most of the time light and easy to wear – even in the heat of the summer. They're elegant and still they can be used in a ragged rock outfit as well. Sadly, they are quite vulnerable to Velcro straps I have in some of my bags...

"Learning to fly, touching sky on my way"

– Stratovarius

These are very long armwarmers that can come up to close to the armpits. Most of the time I add them to those more ragged outfits, but I have worn them as a part of a more classic, simple outfit too. They've been to many gigs, and goth clubs in particular!

"Obsessions need to swell, a genius in his cell"

– Twilightning

Classic, long gloves are, well, classy. Such gloves made of silk or satin are usually quite expensive – mine are cheap, made of some... synthetic fibres? I'm not sure, but I bought them in a costume shop. The material may not be that elegant on a closer look, but nevertheless, the gloves work fine in an elegant clubbing outfit. I think they are my only gloves (that I wear for the looks) which actually cover the whole hand.

"I'm not your china doll, I'm not your geisha girl"

– Cristal Snow

I don't wear these armwarmers much anymore, they're quite old. I had them already in high school and used to love them back then. They can seem pretty, but they are a bit impractical. I would like to have similar ones which would be much longer.

"Or should I go and change my point of view for other ugly scenes"

– Alphaville

These are my newest gloves, and since they haven't yet been introduced here as a "new purchase", I will do it now. Fishnet gloves with a finger loop; nice and light to wear, yet I'll already have to repair one of the loops as it's very close to snapping. Perhaps I should stop writing and move on to sewing?

Gloves in general are probably the reason why I don't own that many bracelets. Of course they could be worn together, but I'm not used to that, and if I had to choose, I'd probably always go for nice gloves! Gloves, gloves, give me more gloves... So long!