Riot Gear: Post 003

Nothing like spending three days reeking emotional havoc on helpless victims in Cayo Industrial, wearing a child's dress, a ratty wig, toting an artificial severed head, and drenched in faux blood to make me yearn for my adult wardrobe. However as November came crashing down, and the Halloween decorations were already hurriedly replaced with the disgustingly cheery Christmas ones, I found myself  pleasantly at peace with Autumn. Usually, as November sets in, I find myself in a true funk, partially from post-haunt depression, and partially from simply the change of seasons. However, yesterday's weather brought an odd warmth with it, the colors were vibrant, the air was crisp but not too cold, which could only mean I had better take full advantage of the situation and bust out a light coat. After all, it is New England... and the icy hand of Winter is going to bitch-slap us in the face sooner than we're ready for.

Now, I'm  not entirely sure were my inspiration came from for this outfit. Perhaps I had encountered Joan Jett in my dreams the night before and I awoke with that growling "rocker chick" vibe, or maybe I just had an urge to wear pants. I love cute coats and jackets, and have a rather extensive selection in my wardrobe to date, and this is one that I've owned for a few years, but sadly must admit, I hardly wear. However, I fail to comprehend why since its actually quite comfortable and fairly stylish. I'm wondering if its because its a little on the "shiny" side for me, I tend to gravitate towards leather and faux leather if they have a matte finish to them. Regardless, I was compelled to put it on, and I think it was a wonderful piece to add. Now, I do have to note that the coat is a bit on the thin side, so I chose to wear a ballet shrug underneath it to add an additional layer for warmth. I understand that the shrug isn't  pictured very well, but its pretty strait forward: its black and only goes across the top of the back and shoulders, and it has long sleeves with existing thumb holes. I love long shirts with thumb holes, its a thing of mine. What I also loved about incorporating the shrug was I added a layer of warmth without having to add a bulky sweater underneath the sleek jacket. Which came into play nicely considering the striped shirt was also thin.

I have recently developed an obsession for scarves (as well as thigh high socks, but that's a different post...). I dug this one out of H & M's clearance bin last season and have been in love with it ever since. Rarely, do any colors besides gray, charcoal, and black make their way into my wardrobe, but if they do its usually purple or olive green. I do adore dark tones. The soft and fluffy texture of the scarf complimented well with the hardness of the coat and shoes. Though there is a bit of a snag in it from where it became caught on one of my earrings...

Skinny jeans. Some days I curse them, and believe I need Crisco in order to squeeze myself into them. On other days though, they can be very sexy in a subtle and sophisticated way. Like everything else, I am extremely picky about how I wear them: always tucked into boots. Slightly slouchy, mid-calf heeled boots always look good with slim fitted pants in my opinion. 

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Coat: New York & Company

Striped Shirt: Marshalls

Shrug (not pictured fully): Dancer's Warehouse

Scarf: H & M

Trousers: Roxy

Boots: Nina

All photos taken by Brittanny Taylor

 

perilous beauty - the sky's the limit

Nina Ricci’s Fall 2009 collection, which was helmed by designer Olivier Theyskens, had a little bit of everything. For example, there were a lot of really exquisite dresses with cinched waists and bulky shoulders, colorful throwback garments, lots and lots of glitter, and even some minor fetishism. 

However, what caught my attention about this collection was the array of ridiculous and horrific heelless shoes that some of us have come to know and hate. New York Magazine had this to say:

"Take a look at the heel-less, stilt-like shoes at Nina Ricci. Fabulously creative, right? The sky-high height combines platform and stilettos, adding about eleven inches to the already leggy models. And the careful detailing makes them even more distinctive (not that the shoes need it) — some feature laces, buckles, rhinestones, and satin. From what we can tell, not one model fell, which proves the theory that heel-less shoes are easy to walk in. Now that's the power of platforms. And gravity."

 

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In all honest opinion, I adore these shoes.  Of course, I've also been known to prance about in 9 inch platform boots at clubs and fashion shows. Hey, when you're 5 feet tall, you need to make it work somehow! Personally I'm a big fan of the plain ones (without the laces) but I can certainly appreciate the aesthetic quality they bring to the table... er... runway.  

Now, if only I could get my hands on a pair!