Sunday’s outfit is a franken-beast made all of my favorite things: enormous scarf, tight dress, big boots, black. Oh, black. I love you. There was a time a few years ago when I, after wearing black almost exclusively since my teenage days, decided to open my heart and my wardrobe to color. Like all hare-brained experiments this was fun at first. Of course it was – there was shopping and dressing up to be done! However, as my shelves gradually filled up with splashes of olive, burgundy and blue, I began to feel… Wrong, somehow.
I realized that regularly wearing anything outside of the gray-scale spectrum felt like wearing a costume, just as dyeing my hair anything other than blue makes me feel like I’m wearing a wig. Though I wasn’t thrilled – the concept of not being able to comfortably switch sartorial direction at will frustrated me – I’ve since come to accept and embrace my darque exterior anew. Expelled are the colorful closet invaders that had accumulated during my ill-advised experiment and the shelves are filled with shades of coal once again. All is well.
My most recent wardrobe-altering endeavor involved ridding myself of almost all thick platform shoes. Reason? I hate the way I walk in them. My usual walk is that of an agile man on a mission – whereas the massive clunker platforms with a flat sole slow me down and make me wobbly in a way I don’t appreciate. Big shoes are still my favorite, I’m just far more picky about the heel and platform shape these days.
Have you ever had a personal wardrobe revelation? How did it happen? Were you blown away by a heroine’s style at the movies, mesmerized by a stylish passerby or did it come to you in a fevered dream?
- Knit dress – Ross
- Sparkly black scarf – H & M
- Boots – Ralph Lauren “Oriana” Motorcycle boot
- Bag – Junior Drake
If I don’t buy those boots I will simply die.
Then, Sio, you must buy the boots and LIVE!
Last year, I had a similar situation with black. I gave in too, and only occasionally let purple join in and play. Feels a lot better.
I think my personal revelation was menswear-inspired shoes (still ladies’, so they fit properly). I used to be a strictly Converse type of girl, and then I bought my first pair of Winklepickers and fell in love. Now just about all the shoes I wear are black and shiny and look like they could belong to my friends’ dads. It’s fantastic. Most of my style icons are men, so I suppose it was inevitable.
Something else about platforms: you’ve always looked better without them. I dislike platforms because of what they do to the wearer’s body proportion and make locomotion stiff and, for the most part, graceless. For some reason, heels don’t perform the same unsavory mutations … but maybe that’s because it makes the legs look so sexy and they have to be pretty freakish to disrupt the gait. I’ve never seen a pair of platforms (outside of drag hysteria) that improved the wearer’s looks. So … I’m glad you’ve disposed of most of them. For me, this is very relieving news.
Wear what you like, but I like it better the closer your soles are to the ground. :)
Annie, I’m with you re: men’s fashion. I could never settle for either men’s or women’s – mixing it up is too much fun for me. One of my favorite pairs of shoes that I think you need: Fluevog’s Dame Agnes. I have a pair in black and they are incredible with trousers. And here’s one of my favorite outfits of all time which I think you might dig.
Horizonline, I actually like the visual distortion that comes with wearing high heels and platforms, but in the end it all comes down to grace. Shoes that don’t allow me to walk my walk don’t belong in my closets!
I bet Caravaggio would have a little spot of color for you.
I love the idea of an all-black wardrobe, and my closet is slowly being taken over by charcoal gray and black tops…
The part about any other color feeling like a wig makes perfect sense! I’ve had black hair on-and-off for several years, and the only other colors that feel “right” are shades of pink, purple, or blue.
I’ve had some advice from Knitzy Suicide on her blue process, what brands and shades to you use & suggest?
Whitney, check out this Blush Response post about which dye I use and how I maintain it!
Ever sense I was young I’ve found blacks and grays more comforting than color. Everyone I’ve known has tried to get me to incorporate bits of color into the depths of my closet.
Many times over the years I’ve tried random dashes of color, but every time I did so I felt uncomfortable. I can understand what you mean about it feeling like a costume. For some it just doesn’t belong in the wardrobe.
Personally I’ve been inspired by men in sleek form fitting suits, Aeon Flux, black leather boots, the future, and you.
I went through the same colour revelation myself.
Adding bits here and there, and even incorporating blue jeans. Nothing felt right though.
a nice cloudy shade is where i find comfort.
I will say that when i finally gave up wigs (per your advice) and dreaded my hair, i now feel that no matter how i’m dressed, i feel ‘me’.
Now to just have to deal with that dreaded “hippie” term. *shudder*
i adore the boots.
i’ve had my motorcycle boots for 3 years now,
they’re held together by safety pins
(broken buckles) but i love them anyway
as they’ve become my staple.
you make them look rather elegant though!
I think my very first fashion revelation was when I started listening to Rasputina. I puffed up my hair on both sides of my head, wore big skirts and layered tank tops, invested in sock dreams and wore a kickass pair of boots every day.
In college I got into gender bending, having discovered Tilda Swinton, Victor Victoria, and a kind of androgynous para-militant aesthetic. I wear black as a uniform, but I also possess a deep deep love for bright reds. These days I most often wear two sets of boots: one, a plain knee high black riding boot worn with military coats and visored hats, and two, a knee high pointy black boot with silver medalions on the ankles, perfect for slipping over skinny black jeans and wearing with cable knit sweaters and scarves.
And your walk is so not to be fucked with.
You know what I haven’t seen in a while? Your natural hair color. Interesting that you’d feel like electric blue was natural. You ARE an alien.
A few years ago I realized that pants are terrible and I never wore them again. I invested in skirts and dresses and stockings in varying thickness. It’s less cold in the winter than one would think it would be, and also not as impractical as it sounds.
I was the same way with black. I wore it all the time and my closet was covered in black. I gave in some years ago and started adding a lot of reds and grays and a pinch of green. It felt better and I like the little splash of color here and there. But I do love wearing black still so my outfits sometime end up all black with the occasional color. And your boots are to die for!! I have some very similar ones that I got ages ago. Since I don’t wear them very often they’re in almost perfect condition. Nice set of photos and outfit as always ;)
Dressing in all black comes about as naturally as looking like I could fit right in with the vegas strip’s bright lights. I think this is from my punk rock days.
The problem for me is when I try to make some sense of the color. If I don’t look like a neon gypsy and I try to work in a subtle color look it just doesn’t work. I feel lopsided. I’ve been trying to work this in since the start of summer since lighter clothes definitely help with the desert heat. I feel like I’m failing miserably.
As for platform shoes, the shoes need to roll a bit in the front and back so the gate of heel to toe doesn’t become frankenstein flat stomping. I have a pair of buffalo platform shoes that turn my usual locomotive piled high teacup gate into the frankenstein stomp and I hate it. They rarely are worn these days.
I’d love to have more time to dress and get ready. But with the photo job and constantly crawling around in my studio I can’t get too fancy looking. So I’m stuck with jeans/ t-shirts and things that allow for movement and dirtiness. xo
I’m with you Zo. I’ve also had a revelation which is part maturing and knowing what I am and part practical. I completely shy away from anything brighter than emerald green and can’t wear taller than 2″ heels to save my life. I find it satisfying not to wander around a store not targeted to me wondering “should I be wearing this for the sake of diversifying myself?” The answer is, thankfully, no. It’s awesome to have my uniform down ( currently almost anything at Oak spliced with shit hot boots).
Take comfort in the fact that while the masses clammer for the newest trends without a second thought why, we’ve got it down.
Great post.
I am the same with black. As a babybat I was more into colour alongside black, your usual purples and reds and blues. Then I went full-on Victoriana with it and was constantly in mourning gear. Since then I’ve been on and off with the BLACK OR NOTHING idea, experimenting with [small amounts of] neons and black etc. But I never felt right either. I went through a phase of buying pieces that were not black at all, from green to beige [yes, really, and I never wore the thing]. But I realised it was a waste because I wasn’t happy with myself whilst wearing them, I felt like I blended in – not that I need desperately to stand out, but still – in a bad way.
I mainly wear black with black or black with grey [I love grey!] or small splashes of white, or silver. Or you know, a subtle bit of colour that matches my eye shadow. Too much colour honestly doesn’t work for me, unless I am wearing a scarlet dress for an event or something. Not for everyday.
xx, Kitty
wardrobe revelation? probably the biggest one is that pants suck… i own about 1/2 a dozen pairs, all either pj bottoms or motorcycle gear; i wear skirts and/or dresses all the time; and if i am riding i usually have a skirt/dress stuffed in my bag to change into when i arrive
i also stopped wearing anything less than a 3″ rise heel but that’s more to do with my arthritis than style (although i’ve always preferred the way i look in heels and/or platforms, about 5 years ago i realized that walking hurt less when i was wearing high heels) – and yeah, i know about the problems associated w/ wearing heels all the time; i work out specifically to make sure i don’t damage myself and go barefoot at home
For a long time I tried to wear fashions that I liked instead of fashions that particularly suited my own look. From this, many years of horrible, cheap gothy clothing and bad make up ensued. One point I was looking at my myspace photos, and found that I generally looked so much better in vintagey thrift store finds than in the darker, latexy clothes I had spent so much money on. I still enjoy looking at people in more goth or dark fashion styles, I find them beautiful. I just feel more comfortable and beautiful in dresses found for $4 and skirts I made myself out of vintage curtains.
My revelation came when I realized that the one thing that usually made me cringe without fail was an ill-fitting outfit. I learned to take in my clothes. Since I have a somewhat atypical figure, this was a real revelation.
I also started experimenting with color recently after getting tired of the gothy look I’d had for so many years. Some of the more otherworldly elements remain, and still a lot of black, but I’m more open to accent colors, particularly jewel tones and dusky shades.
Come to think of it, the gothy look at clubs probably cemented the fit epiphany. Nothing like a girl in a corset that doesn’t fit, thinking it’s sexy when everyone else is wincing at her bisected boobs or at the gaping space between her chest and the corset boning.
I think my major revelition came in high school, when i discovered that black felt so much more right wear. And that i really dont care what people think of my outfits. My 2nd reveltion was when I started bleaching my hair white-not blonde, White! and dyeing the bottom length indigo .Although i may put some silver in it, its the happiest colour combo ive had. I want to look like a storm sky- white and silver of clouds, and the indigo of a night sky beyond them.
i had the same revelation as you with black. I started wearing black when i was 14, and around 19 i got bored that everything in my wardrobe looked the same, so i let in a few hints of colour – and like you, it felt wrong. once in a while i will wear white… but only if the rest of the outfit is black. I tend to my lack of colour with accessories now, such as coloured hair or nail polish.
I was a jeans and tshirt sorta girl, but as im settling in my early twenties im choosing clothes that are still black, but experiment with layering and different fabrics. However on most days i still put on black jeans and a black top, i only hope to accumulate a gold mine that exists in your wardrobe one day.
I try to live my fashion style like I try to dress the characters in my stories/flash fictions/etc. I spend a whole lot of time world building and putting together fashions for these speculations ends up being the most fun for me. I like all this gypsy meets cyberpunk meets post-apoc solider and trying to make it work for me is the most fun. I think it’s the only reason I ever talk about fashion, cause, I was never a nerd for clothing before.
I’m constantly compelled to Black/Red all the time and somtimes I really get annoyed by falling back on it. But at the same time, I’ve tried to wear more color options and I feel terrible in them. So really, mostly black with hits of red and white and grey are the only things that work for me.
One thing I don’t do though, which, I really think works for my style is I don’t wear heels. Ever. I have really bad ankle problems and I’ve never learned to walk in a pair. I basically live in boots or roman sandals, these days.
oh man I love your short curly hair here. It is making want to cut off my long locks but I know I’ll be angry with myself the day after I do something like that. My personal style revelation was that I hate navy blue and beige. Both my ultra conservative dressing parents wear those colours to death and it is my intent and purpose to never become as boring as them. Lol I love them dearly but I don’t want a wardrobe that lacks Spice. Also I have certain rules for styles I will not wear. I have bought things that go against these rules and low and behold I hardly ever wear them and when I do I don’t feel half as confident.
I also had a realization similar to you about heel height about a month ago. I used to wear heels everywhere and everyday but not only were something of them bloody painful they made me look less sexy because they were not easy to walk in. Since then I wear my bright yellow chucks everywhere.
I feel like my wardrobe is slowly turning to shades of gray. It’s all I’ve bought recently. I think it’s the bright hair – everything new goes with it. The colors I own feel garish.
I’ve got a pair of Vog Swirls I haven’t been able to work in (speaking of menswear)…
I like the gray-scale too. When I was a teenager all my closet was black, and the closet itself was black too. My mother didn’t like that at all, she said I couldn’t find anything that way and also she started to call me a widow. So I started to wear colour and, you know what, now that I’m almost on my thirties, I’m ready to go back to black. I think I need it. Viva la gray-scale! I like to be able to combine all my clothes and complements.
Sorry if my English is not good, I’m from Spain. I hope you did understand what I was trying to say.
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What do you think about a Style Dispatch with “Zoe’s eyewear”? I just loooove your glasses :)
and now I can’t wait to go to H&M and look for the same scarf, I absolutely adore it!
Loving the content so far!
I too have decided to opt out my platforms since they seem to make my “I’m on a mission (to get the hell out of here)” gait look like a shuffle of unsure stomps. Not to mention that my chiropractor admitted they do indeed look bad ass, but were more than likely at fault for my mysterious lower back pain. Especially my heavy ass New Rocks…which are unfortunately no longer daily wear even though they did make my commute into a full-fledged workout.
My wardrobe in my early teens started out as a base of black complimented by bright colors. Over the years the colors were gradually weeded out and replaced with dark shades of grey to what it is now. I’m more than content with this since experiments of straying from my uniform just don’t feel “right”. Though, it makes looking for particular articles a bit difficult, especially in suitcases as it’s just a big mass of black. I don’t mind but those waiting for me to get dressed usually aren’t too impressed ha!
Even though I only wear shades of black, the influence of my clothing varies from grungy punk to sophisticated goth. It’s definitely more versatile than some would assume.
How do you like the RL boots?
Are they comfortable enough for daily wear?
I’m looking for some hardy moto-style boots that my chiropractor won’t condemn and will hold up through atleast one rigid Canadian winter.
Great read, thanks!
I am a big fan of simple and classy pieces that are able to be played up with the proper accessories and shoes. Black is always a “yes” in my book… and gray… there is a lot of that going on in my closet these days. I have always gravitated back to those colors. I was at one point very much into red, but after coloring my hair purple, well… bright red didn’t really fit anymore. Burgundy sometimes, depending on my mood.
In terms of shoes, I have a weakness for boots in general. However, being vertically challenged (cough) I have embraced platform shoes and heels of numerous styles. They make me “normal height”. I have owned a pair of moto boots from Aldo for the last few years, but they’re not quite as streamlined as I would like them to be.
I’ve been experimenting with chunky sweaters and draping scarves a lot. I just need to use caution with certain materials since, as I mentioned, I am petite and I try my best not to look like a drowned hobo. I have a feeling I’m going to stick to grays, charcoals, and blacks for a while though.
Fantastic read! Thank you!
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RE: Platform shoes; I’ve found that if they are ankle length I tend to fall all over myself, but it I get knee-high ones with proper ankle support I’m golden.
My favorite platforms right now: http://www.rivithead.com/product_info.php/cPath/96/page/1/products_id/111?rvtheadID=jhec2s6282e15jp78qghdcdo24
I can run around in those as effectively as I can in my army boots :D
Actually, Z, I had a fashion revelation rather recently. I looked at my closet full of black, and I wanted color! COLOR, DAMMIT! While I appreciated the ease in which I could put together my black clothes, they all faded to different shades of dark dark grey. Not to mention this unshakeable label “goth” which just ate away at my fashion amazement.
Finally I opened my closet up to cremes, yellows, blues, reds, GREENS! Now I’m trying to amass enough accessories and staples to coordinate.
But just because I was used to jeans and tee shirts, doesn’t mean I’m not in love with long flowy skirts and western shirts. Instead of people looking at me and seeing black, they see me for the strange fashion lover I am!
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