We’ve talked about cultivating a dream style, aesthetic hoping, referencing, and developing a theme through out the last year on this blog. Now? What about pulling different things together intentionally to give a new narrative? Maybe mixing things from here and there to pull together a look that tells a unique story? See, when my brain is putting together a look there is a story forming, Sure, I know what each individual piece is, the style realm in which it came from and what drew me to it. Yes, those are all what drive us fashionably forward. I’m giving cottage core meets steampunk! I’m giving 90’s core and rave fairy! What if you were piecing these different styles together, but creating a scene? I’m not sure what the crossover of people who read this blog and Raja Gemini fans are, but let me tell you. Those worlds are about to merge. So Raja is one half of a Youtube series called Toot or Boot, and that show rates looks from the main stage of RuPauls drag race. You toot the look if you like it, boot it if you don’t. The way Raja goes about describing outfits is something that really resonates with me. Raja is telling you a story, if a look is really giving it they are just taking us on a journey to a new place. A new time!! Truly a moment. As someone who is primarily visual and is also really bad at remembering references on the spot, this is what my brain tends to do.
I’ve always been really into making story boards, collages, scrapbooks-whatever. Visuals, Visuals, Visuals. I love visuals. So when creating a Pinterest board or a style reference sheet I don’t want just “trad goth vibes” at the top. I want it to say “walking across the fog covered dance floor of an 80’s nightclub while blue monday is blasting” because in my head that’s creating a narrative that I’ll deep dive into. 80’s goth, 80’s/90’s leather and PVC, vampy goth, traditional goth, 80’s nightclub, ect. I want to create is something I also hope to embody when I wear the outfit. Victorian goth is fun! But wouldn’t you rather be like, oh? This outfit? I just really wanted to give the feeling of running through my dimly lit mansion, dust and spiderwebs kicking at the feet of my nightgown as I rush down the spiral staircase to see who is at my house at such an hour?! Crimson Peak meets vintage peignoir meets Hitchcock final girl. Paint the picture, live the picture? Is this all too much? Or exactly enough??
As previously mentioned about a million times through my internet presence this year, it has been rough so far this year. Well, actually! It’s kind of turning around. I’m thinking creatively again! Which really helped me get the old “let’s paint a scene with my clothes” kind of brain going again. Here is an outfit I put together last week and the narrative I was going for:
A fashionista vampire who has taken the decades of fashion they’ve lived through and pieces it all together. Or! A mysterious and vampy woman walks past you on the street, she smells faintly of fresh roses and the dirt they were pulled out of. Although it was a quick glance, you can’t seem to stop imaging her. You feel as if you’re seeing her at every turn. Clad in chains and rich velvets, the alluring mixture makes you double take, even when you’re just imagining her. Or!! yet again! 1940’s meets leather and lace goth, meets femme fatal, meets monster high fashion mom. There’s so many different roads in which fashion can take you! Why not try as many as you can! Right now my go to’s are: dark alluring feminine energy, velvets and lace (when is it not that, come on), closet full of forgotten religious relics, and classic Hollywood. Fashion is fun! Fashion let’s us embody a different part of ourselves and then allows us to take it off at the end of the day. If you’re planning a trip, a wedding, a special event, a trip to the grocery store or just a god damn instagram post!! Think of the narrative you want to present, embody and explore! it’s so much fun! Also! The makeup was totally 2010’s goth girl lips meets Tiffany from bride of Chucky. References from everywhere!!
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