Morticia-Inspired Black

Hello everyone!

It's been a while since I've done an outfit post, but I'm back with a new style to try!

Since it is October, I want to experiment with darker colors, and how to make them interesting, since most of my Fall/Winter fashion in past years has been quite boring with darker colors, or obnoxiously pastel.

I'm going to try and make simple outfits with dark colors into my own style.

Let's check out my first attempt, shall we?

Details from the top down:

Necklace: Betsey Johnson

Top: Thrifted

Dress: Topshop

Ring: Local artisan from Dallas

I watched The Addams Family recently, and I was inspired by Morticia's wardrobe.  She makes wearing all black look so fashionable and simple!  My problem with black in the past has been that I just look like a shapeless blob of boring.  In looking at Morticia and through my own closet, I've noticed that playing with textures is necessary when wearing all black, or mostly dark colors.  Using the top with lace sleeves, I created a point of interest in my outfit, even though it's only one color.  The A-line hem of the dress makes for a flattering shape as well, complimenting the tightness of the sleeves and the top of the dress.  

In the interest of keeping this outfit classy with a bit of edge, I kept the jewelry minimal.  The necklace brings a pop of color to the outfit, and since it's red, it fits in with the Morticia inspired theme, since the only color she wears is the red on her nails and lips.  The combination of black and red always makes me think of vampires, which is fun for October, since all I can really think about is Halloween.

xD

The ring is something I've been wearing often lately, since it goes with almost every outfit I put together.  I felt that with the lace on my arms, my hand needed some embellishment as well.  

And as you can see, I now have blue hair!

I had some leftover purple dye from when I had lilac pieces in my hair over the Summer, but without diluting it with conditioner at all, the color turns out a cobalt blue!  It's not what I expected, but I like it a lot, and I think it'll help me experiment more with darker colors.  It goes well with my pink clothes too. ^^

I hope you enjoyed this outfit post, and I have some more fun stuff for you coming up soon!

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time!

xoxo

Martha

Outfit: Pastel Batty Girl

Hello again lovelies!

Another outfit post for you!

I think Mondays are pretty good days for postings, right?  I prep 'em on the weekend, then post 'em Monday morning!

Hopefully Monday postings will make your day a little brighter. ^^

Anyway, this outfit was inspired by all of the pastel spooky pixels I've seen on tumblr lately.  I love spooky-cute stuff!

Let's go!

Details from the top down:

Skull Ribbon Clips: Target

Sailor Moon Earrings: hobbit.town Jewelry

Jacket: Pinkly Ever After

Seifuku Top: Bodyline

Bow Ring: Love Culture

Shorts: Savers

Bat Tights: Holley Tea Time

Shoes: Bodyline

First off, I'd like to apologize for the lighting.  I have plenty of space in this area of my apartment to take full body outfit shots, but the lighting is definitely not the best.  I'm playing around with my tripod in different areas of my humble abode to make sure I get the best lighting possible, so don't be alarmed if the location for these shots changes in the next few posts!

So for this coordinate, I wanted to look like one of the bats on my tights.  A bit silly, but lots of fun!  The bat itself is lavender, so my lavender seifuku top worked perfectly!  The fact that it's also white fits in with the melty moons, eyeballs, bones, and such on my tights.  The pink jacket fits with the background of the tights, so I had a good color balance on top and bottom.  There was a bit of black in the outlines of the designs on the tights, so I paired everything with my favorite black high waist shorts.  The dark color and cut of the shorts also created a nice body shape and contrast to the light colors in my outfit.  For shoes, I went with my Bodyline ribbon shoes.  These are one of my favorite pairs of shoes because they're so comfortable.  Seriously, they're my most comfortable pair of stylish shoes that I own.  I think I'll have to get them in black as well. xD

As far as accessories go, I just wanted to use things that fit in with the color scheme of the outfit, so the pink bow ring and my pink and purple sailor moon earrings did the job.  The entire outfit itself is pretty loud, so I didn't want to pile on the jewelry.  

To top it all off, I tried to style my hair to look like bat wings.  I tied it up in twin tails and teased it to give it more shape.  Unfortunately, a big rainstorm hit after class that day, so by the time I took these photos, my hair had fallen considerably.  But all was not lost, as I had my super cute skull ribbons in!  I bought them in the dollar section at Target during the Halloween season, but I haven't worn them much in the past couple of years since they didn't seem to go with anything in my closet.  I was digging through my hair accessory bin (yes, bin) right before I had to run out the door, and at the bottom I saw these and knew they would work wonders with this coordinate.  

The many layers in this outfit kept me warm on a chilly Autumn day, and I was a little drop of color in the otherwise gray, gloomy day.  I had great fun sporting this look around campus, and the receptionist at the Student Service Center said I looked like a pink, fuzzy bunny!  Not exactly what I was going for, but pink fuzzy bunnies are super cute so it's still an awesome compliment!

I hope you enjoyed this post, and I'll have plenty more outfit posts to show you in the coming weeks!

If you like what you read, please consider following me here on Google or on Bloglovin!  I definitely appreciate your support.

Thank you so much for reading, and I'll see you next time!

xoxo

Martha

Outfit: First Day Of School!

Hello lovelies!

I'm back with another outfit post!  Now that I'm all settled into my apartment in Illinois, you'll be seeing photos taken in a different environment.  The lighting in this apartment is slightly orange in some places, so I'll do my best to keep it as bright as possible!

On Monday I started my final year in University, so it was my last first day of school!

Crazy, huh?

It's strange to think about.  Once I finish up and graduate, I'll have been in school for 17 years of my life.  It's going to be quite a change going from school and joining the workforce, but I have until May to get as much as I can out of my last year of school, and I'm ready to learn a lot and then bust out of the gates, guns blazing!

Anyway, all the sentimental stuff aside, I knew I wanted to wear at least part of my seifuku on Monday since it's a school uniform, and I thought it would be a nice way to start the year.  Unfortunately, it was incredibly hot that day, and that seifuku is all synthetic so it doesn't breathe.  I couldn't wear the entire uniform, but I did wear the top!

Without further ado, let's get on to the photos, shall we?

Details from the top down:

Hello Kitty Headband: Target

Rose Hair Clips: H&M

Sailor Moon Earrings: hobbit.town Jewelry

Seifuku Top: Bodyline

Starfish Ring: Chicago Toy Fair

High Waist Shorts: Savers

I'm sorry for these photos being mirror shots, but I took these before I went out the door for my 8am class!  It's not bad at all really if you get some sleep and a nice cup of tea or coffee after you wake up.

Anyway, I thought this outfit was nice and simple, but still a lot of fun and kind of quirky.  If you've been reading for a while, you'll probably recognize the Hello Kitty headband that I got in the dollar section of Target.  I almost didn't wear it, but I didn't think the rose clips were quite enough on their own.  Speaking of the rose clips, aren't they darling?  I haven't worn them too often, and the last time I did was when I put my hair up while wearing my Ko-Furisode Kimono over a year ago, so I'm glad I found another way to coordinate them!  

The seifuku top from Bodyline should also be familiar if you've been reading my blog for a while, since it's a versatile piece that I like to pair with various things.  I think it's perfect to wear with high waist shorts since it has a short length, and shows just a peek of tummy.  The shorts are another DIY project.  I bought some high waist jeans from Savers for a few bucks, measured and cut off the legs, rolled them up, and voila!  Cheap, cute, high waist shorts!  I like the dark wash of these shorts, and I think it gives a nice balance with all of the pastel colors (read: PINK) in the rest of the outfit.  

The last main pieces of this coordinate are my favorite hobbit.town Jewelry Sailor Moon earrings, and my starfish ring!  The Sailor Moon earrings have been in most of my coordinates since I bought them in June.  If you'd like to read about them and the awesome shop they came from, check out my review here!

The starfish ring was a gift from a friend's mother when we took an adventure to the Chicago Toy Fair a couple years back.  It was unexpected and so kind!  Thank you so much Mama L!  She bought her daughter (my friend Micki) a panda ring, and the pink starfish for me since black is Micki's favorite color and pink is mine.  I'm not even sure if Micki still has her ring, but I like to put this with casual coordinates because it's fun and a nice conversation starter.

In the spirit of keeping it simple, that's it for my back to school outfit!

I hope you enjoyed this post and keep on the lookout for more outfit posts and fun stuff ahead!

The next post will be my August favorites in a few days, and I have a lot of awesome recommendations for y'all!

Thank you so much for reading, and I'll see you next time!

xoxo

Martha

Outfit: Dreamy Casual

Hello lovely readers!

I'm back with another outfit post, but it's much different than the last one, much more like my usual pastel-colored fare.  I went out with my mom to try a Berlin style kepap (that's how it's spelled auf Deutsch) place here in Austin called Verts, and I wanted to wear something comfortable, but still bright and fun.  

Let's get to it!

Details from the top down:

Sailor Moon Cap: Bought from an Anime Convention

Sailor Moon Earrings: hobbit.town Jewelry

Necklace: Thrift Shop

Tank Top: Forever 21

Shorts: Forever 21

Floral Sneakers: Target

Cute, casual, and comfortable was the name of the game for this outfit!  First off, I know I've featured my Sailor Moon cap on here a lot, but I don't think I've ever given y'all a good close up of it!  That problem was fixed today!  In that close up shot, you can see Sailor Moon and her brooch surrounded by pink stars.  I've had this cap for two years now, and it's stayed in great condition!  Next are the earrings from hobbit.town jewelry that I've been wearing non-stop, they go with just about everything in my closet!  The necklace is new to the blog, as I found it while thrift shopping with my grandmother recently.  I'm a sucker for chunky, plastic jewelry, and anything resembling crystals!  

Fun fact, the tank top here is actually a nightgown!  A trick I like to use while shopping is finding cute tops in the pajama section!  You can buy nightgowns in smaller sizes and use them as tank tops or tunics, or you can just wear pajama shirts without their matching bottoms!  If it's basic cotton with a fun design, people can't tell the difference unless you're wearing the matching set.  The good thing about finding cute things in the pajama section is that they're usually cheaper than the printed T-shirts in the regular sections!  Take a trip into the pajama section of your favorite store and see what you can find!  I was attracted to the pastel colors and the ethereal design of the top, so I snatched it up fast!

The shorts are your basic denim, but they're incredibly stretchy and soft, making them great for days when you feel like you need a little extra comfort.  I bought these shorts about two or three years ago I think.  I haven't been able to find any more shorts at Forever 21 in this type of fabric recently, which is a shame, because things that are cute and comfortable are the best!

Last but not least are my favorite floral sneakers from Target.  When it's warm out, I wear them constantly.  They're incredibly comfortable, yet super sweet because of the delicate pink floral pattern on them.  They have the look of Keds but were a lot cheaper, and they fit my feet better too.  Keds are made for people with long, narrow feet, and since my feet are wide, they don't fit me well.  I was pleased that I could find a similar style without having awkward gaps at the sides.

That's it for today, y'all!

I hope you enjoyed this post, and please look forward to more in the future!

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in my next post!

xoxo

Martha

Outfit: Black Dress for Burlesque

Hello dahlings!

It's been a long time since I've done an outfit post, but I'm excited to announce that my outfit posts will now be in higher quality from now on!

I recently acquired a new camera and tripod, so I'll be able to take full outfit photos in much better quality than on my cell phone!  You can see some examples of how the photos look on this camera in my July Favorites post since I took some product photos to test it out.  It's a Nikon Coolpix L830 if you're curious.

I'm trying to find a good way to adjust lighting, cropping, and adding text without compromising the quality of the photos, so please bear with me as I play with some different editing tools!

Anyway, let's get on to the outfit, shall we?

Details:

Dress:  Thrift Shop 

Pearls:  Gift from my Grandmother

Heels:  Thrift Shop (originally Forever 21)

Hair Flower:  Urban Outfitters

So last Saturday I went to the Hotter than Hell Burlesque show at the Stateside Theatre at the Paramount, and I wanted a classy yet sexy look to wear while in attendance.  The day before the show, I went over to my Grandmother's house for a visit, and she had picked up this black dress at a thrift shop and wanted me to try it on.  Luckily, the dress fit perfectly!  I was so excited, because the last time I wore a little black dress was in high school!  This is a bit more grown up than the dress I had back then, and I couldn't be more pleased.  The backless cut makes it playful and sexy, while it being almost knee length in the front keeps it from showing too much.  Needless to say I felt pretty hot when I was walking into the theatre!

I bought the leopard print heels from Savers a few months ago, but I hadn't had a chance to wear them anywhere, but I thought a burlesque show was a perfect time to wear animal print!  The heels aren't sky-high, but they have just enough to emphasize the build of my legs and to make me feel confident.  Since the dress is a simple black, playing with fun accessories is key to making this outfit!  Speaking of which, the flower in my hair is actually a headband.  I found it in a set in Urban Outfitters a few years back on sale, and hadn't worn it recently because as a headband it just didn't sit right on my head.  While I was digging though my accessory box I saw it and decided to use it again.  I put my hair up in a bun, wrapped the band around it, secured the flower with a couple of bobby pins and boom!  Instant new hair accessory.  Nothing better than shopping in your own closet, right?  It's free!  To top off the outfit, I put on my favorite pearl necklace.  Black dresses and pearls are a timeless combination that you can wear anywhere!

For make-up, I decided to use the burlesque dancers as inspiration and did a black cat eye with false lashes and a red lip!  It had been a long time since I'd worn falsies, so some more practice with eyeliner application over them is needed.  But I was pleased with how it turned out.  And I do believe this is the first proper photo set on my blog of my new hair cut!  I quite like it!  I feel confident enough now to play with different up-dos and hairstyles since I have the bangs and front layers to control my face shape.  Hopefully I can get more creative with my hair!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this outfit post, and I'll be back with more soon!

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in my next post!

xoxo

Martha

June Fashion!

Hello all you lovely people!

It's been a while since I've done a proper outfit post on here, but I have been keeping up with my favorite outfits this month!  So, I've decided to do a post on my favorite fashion in June.  This includes the colorful fashion I usually wear, and some new things I decided to try.

Let's go!

I wore the above outfit to an album release party at Spider House.  Pojo the Idealist (who I went to high school with and acted in plays with) released his second album, Love, this month, and it's great!  I'm so glad I was able to go and support his newest release.  Anyway, my theme for the above outfit was Space Babe! XD  Nothing says space babe like a galaxy unicorn top, right?  Here's the rundown:

Top:  Wal Mart

Ring:  A gift--from a local artisan in Austin I believe

Ribbon:  Holley Tea Time

Eye Jewels:  JoAnn's

I liked playing with the make up for this look.  I went for sharp, dark eyebrows, thick black eyeliner, and of course the jewels!  I also tried something new with my hair.  I took the shorter layers, twisted them, and pinned them to the side.  That alone gave me the poof I wanted on top, but it looked unfinished, so I braided it and added a ribbon.  I thought it was fun and whimsical, so I kept it!  I also like how the pink in my hair goes with the purple and blue of the galaxy print.

Side note, I don't shop at Wal Mart anymore because I don't support the way they treat their employees.  It's awful. T__T

This next outfit was just for a day running errands...but I wanted to look cute anyway.  XD  Here's the details:

Top:  Target

Shorts:  Macy's

Shoes:  Dr. Martens via Zappos

Bunny Ring:  Kira Kira Entertainment Shop

Bracelets:  Dollar Store

I like the combination of black and pink, so that's what I went for in this look.  I'm so incredibly excited about those Dr. Martens sneakers, they're so in-your-face and fashionable, but still super comfortable.  I also like that this top has a bit of a high-low effect so I can show off just a bit of tummy without it being a full crop top.  For make up, I played with the pink and black theme by putting pink eye shadow on the outer half of my eyes, and a grey shimmer on the inner half, blending well.  I then put my thick black liner on top of it, and did the dark arched brows as well.  This time, instead of leaving the lips neutral, I put on a magenta color using my Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick.  

 

This next outfit is one I wore at Texas Comicon once our Kira Kira Maids concert was over on Saturday!  We went back to the hotel room quickly to change, then worked our booth and took turns wandering around.  I didn't want to wear a cosplay because it was HOT, but I wanted to be wacky, cute, and have some character swag at the same time.  So, here's the rundown!

Domo-kun Crop Top:  H&M

Shorts:  Target

Ribbon:  Pinkly Ever After

Kitty Pin:  Sweet Spirits

Bangle:  Dear by Amanda Bynes

Sailor Moon Earrings:  Hobbit Town Jewelry

Glasses:  Rue21

While I was packing for this trip, I thought domo-kun would be perfect to bring along, and because it was so hot that weekend, the fact that it was a crop top was a plus!  I'm still trying to figure out how to pose in crop tops because they're not something I'm used to wearing quite yet.  Ah well, practice makes perfect!  Anyway, the top is super comfy and soft, as well as super cute!  Looking at the photos now, I'm not sure the shorts go too well with the pink on domo-kun, but there are worse things that could happen.  Anyway, I was happy to make use of my Sweet Spirits Suzy Cat brooch again, and wear it with my Sailor Moon Earrings that I got at the convention!  I'll be doing a review of Hobbit Town Jewelry in another post, so stay tuned for details!

My make up here is the make up I had on for the show:  Black eyeliner, super fluffy lashes, and BRIGHT WHITE highlight under the eyes, as well as purple eye jewels.  I could've gone without the glasses, but I put on so much highlight that at a close range I was afraid it would scare people, so the glasses balanced it out a bit. XD  And they're just super cute, right?  As far as hair goes, it had flattened out considerably after the show because of all of the dancing, so I threw it into a side ponytail and put on my Pinkly Ever After Princess Crystal Ribbon!  Perfect! Those ribbons served me well that weekend, since I wore one every day of the convention!

I apologize for the lighting in the close up pictures being so orange!  I'm still figuring out how to take good photos in hotel bathrooms...

 

This last outfit is by far the simplest, but sometimes you need to have those simple days.  Here's the details:

Dress:  Forever 21

Necklace and Earrings:  Thrifted

That's it! XD  Besides the sneakers which you can't see.  I'll be working on taking good full body photos soon so these fashion posts can improve!  Anyway, I wore this to see Silence the Musical, presented by Doctuh Mistuh productions at the Salvage Vanguard Theatre here in Austin.  I wanted to go with something comfortable and classy for the theatre.  This dress from Forever 21 has been one of my standbys for the past few years since it's comfortable, cute, and can be dressed up or down for any occasion.  

I also went for simpler make up here, using a brownish black eyeliner and a gold/beige shimmery highlight under the eyes (which will be featured in my June Favorites post)!  I did a gradient lip using my Covergirl Hot Passion lipstick on the inside of my lips.  

As you can see in the last two outfits, I added purple to my hair!  I wanted to try something a little different, and I've always loved the combination of lavender and pink!  I think I'll keep this color combination for a while since I like it a lot.  For the purple I used N Rage's Purple Plum and diluted it with a whole lot of conditioner!  It's more of a blue based purple than a red based purple, but it works for me!

Whew!  I hope y'all enjoyed my fashion rundown for June, and are looking forward to more fashion posts in July!  I still have my June Favorites to post, a review on Hobbit Town Jewelry like I mentioned above, and a a haul with a discussion on sizes at one of my favorite stores. ;)

Thanks so much for reading, and I'll see you in my next post!

xoxo

Martha

Outfit: Academy Girl

Hey there honey bears!

It's been a while!  Life has been pretty crazy with a whole bunch of rehearsals, performances, and HOMEWORK!  And while the homework won't stop since exams are coming up, I've done my last ensemble performances of the year!  YAY!

So!  I have another outfit post for you!  This one was inspired by school fashion in anime, particularly those fancy Academies and boarding schools you see in Shoujo titles.

Let's go!

Note:  I apologize for the streaky mirror...I tried cleaning it with a Mr. Clean magic eraser but WOW it didn't work.  Back to good old Windex!

Details:

Turtleneck:  Thrift Shop (Originally Ralph Lauren)

Skirt:  Bodyline

Necklace:  Charming Charlie's

The goal for this outfit was to be simple, stylish, and cute!  I personally like the cream turtleneck paired with the skirt.  The color combination is one of my favorites, yet the clean cut style of both pieces reflects that academy type look I was going for.

Usually when I put together an outfit based off of anime style, I add a whole bunch of accessories and make up to play up the animation factor, but since students of these institutions are supposed to be clean cut, I decided to go with a pendant necklace and minimal make up.  I like that the pendant necklace is simple, but it's still big enough to be seen from a distance and has great sparkle!

I wore this outfit on the last day of choir tour a couple of weeks ago, and it was still very comfortable to wear on the long bus ride back to campus.  Fashion and comfort together is always A+!  

I hope you enjoyed this outfit, and look forward to new posts!  I received a bunch of new items in the mail, so I have some shop reviews coming your way very soon!

What's your favorite anime Academy?  Would you wear their uniform?  Let me know in the comment section!

Thanks so much for reading, and I'll see you in my next post!

xoxo

Martha

Outfit: Hello Kitty and Glasses Girl

Hey there honey bears!  I've got another outfit post for ya, full of cute and pink!

I put this together because I got some fun floral glasses at Rue21, and I wanted a quirky outfit to go with them.  Let's go!

Details:

Hello Kitty Shirt:  Target

Floral Glasses:  Rue21

Hello Kitty X Tsuji Nozomi Necklace:  Kittywood Designs

Floral Hair Tie:  Scünci 

Hello Kitty Cupcake Ring:  Sam Moon

Bunny Ring:  Kira Kira Entertainment Shop (link coming soon!)

When I saw these glasses at the mall I thought of all of the nerdy Hello Kitty merchandise and knew I wanted to put together a coordinate with them.  Usually all of the merchandise is red and white...but knowing me I had to do it in pink! xP  I like how the glasses are big and squarish, so it gives a rather quirky look, and I added the floral hair bit on the top for extra spunk.  I also love the rings together, isn't the bunny ring just the cutest!?  It's a new favorite of mine.  It was a rainy day when I wore this so I just wore jeans and pink sneakers on the bottom, so I didn't bother to include those in the photos.  The top half is way more fun!

For make up, I did the same look as I did in my First of Spring outfit post:  foundation, pink blush, gold eye shadow with a brown blended at the edges, and some mascara.  Instead of wearing lipstick this time though, I just chose to wear a lip balm.  It's a Minnie Mouse lip balm from Lipsmackers if you'd like to know.  I always love their stuff, cute and practical, with just a little bit of shine!

I thought this outfit was a fun one, and I hope you think so too!  I think glasses are a fun way to accessorize, even if you don't have a prescription!  I'm near sighted though, so I had to wear my contacts under these. XD

That's all for today, but I'm afraid there won't be any new posts over the weekend since I'm going on Choir Tour with my University.  But once I get back, frequent posting will continue as usual, and I promise, it won't be an outfit post next time!  I know I have a few MusiCutes to write up!

Have a good weekend, and I'll see you in my next post!

xoxo

Martha