A long sleeve OP is one of those things that can be both freeing and restrictive. It’s great to have an easy option for days when you need to channel your energy elsewhere and don’t want to sacrifice on looks. At the same time, being frustrated at always wearing an OP in the same way is just as valid. This was the first long sleeve OP that I purchased, though due to it being a preorder I received it after I purchased another one, and despite both of them being the same thing on paper, I could not feel more different about the two. While the other one I feel that I’ve worn differently each time, this one seems like it has fallen victim to some sameyness. Currently even on cooler days it’s not quite cool enough to wear this, so hopefully I’ll be able to put together some outfits to inspire me to wear it differently once the season does get chilly enough to allow that.
Look 1: Golden Pupil
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| Angelic Pretty Twinkle Glitter Knit cardigan | Putumayo socks | Angelic Pretty Elegant Doll boots | Haruhi Clover headbow | Innocent World Original Crown Tassel 2-way clip |
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Book prints inevitably mean something inspired by schools, whether magical or not. This one I feel would look extra cute with a clip-on fringe, maybe even a blonde wig, and my gold frame glasses. Gold is a great way to lighten this print without detracting from the charm or the mystery that those dark hues have. If the double long sleeves will only work well together, I would definitely like to wear this out.
Look 2: Country Retreat
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| Violet Fane Antiquite tights | vintage hat | Sosic Shop heels | Violet Fane Violet’s Tea Room brooch | offbrand brooch | Enchantlic Enchantilly Queen Cat Secret Library ring |
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Whilst I don’t think this coord is quite in the cottagecore witch territory, I also don’t think it’s that far off from it? Considering that this is an all-over print, the outfit is rather casual. My intention was to work with the lighter colours as base and once I settled on these tights, the rest kind of came together naturally. It’s not spectacular, but perfectly wearable with that mismatched vintage twist. I probably wouldn’t wear it to a meetup, but would happily wear it to go out to the shops or for a stroll that ended up in a cosy cafe somewhere.
Look 3: Healer Witch
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| AatP Sheherazade headdress | Putomayo Celestial Light OTKs | Vivienne Westwood x Melissa Anglomania heels | Violet Fane Esoteric Shop brooch | Violet Fane The Apotheque brooch | offbrand earrings and bee ring | 4 Aces ring | Enchantlic Enchantilly Queen Cat Secret Library ring | Gravelvet Iridescent Princess necklace | vintage belt |
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I wanted to have a go at creating an outfit that was witchy without relying on a witch hat which I don’t own one. And although I now realise that I may have to cave in and simply get a witch hat, this is not the worst attempt. Instead of flying around on a broomstick, this witch has a cottage just outside the village which doubles up as her shop. People come to her to get herbs for stomach aches, bring their animals for her to heal, secretly get their fortunes read or buy a small charm for courage or love… The Gravelvet necklace makes for perfect crystals and with some tweaks, as well as extra decorative elements (maybe a leather pouch hanging off that belt), this could be a really fun outfit. For now, it’s the best I can do with that idea, though as always, feel free to make suggestions.
Look 4: The Headmistress
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| Atelier Boz Roland coat | Angelic Pretty Crown Ribbon OTKs | Deary heels | Cutie Creator headbow | Innocent World Original Crown Tassel clip | offbrand necklace and ring | Voodoodolly ring | Universal Studios wand |
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We had a star pupil, now time for the headmistress of that school. The sharp tailoring and clean lines of a Boz Roland makes me think of someone who is in charge, someone with authority. So although the collars of the two pieces aren’t working quite as I’d like them to and I would prefer a different headpiece (no idea what kind though), overall I am happy with how this look came out. Granted, the Roland is doing all of the heavy lifting in this coord, but I think it provides a nice contrast to the dark print.
My goals for these outfits was to not use the book necklace again (because every time that I’ve worn this dress so far was with that necklace) and to avoid using berets (because an OP and a beret is an easy look and I wanted to stretch myself). So although these four coords could definitely use some finishing touches, overall I am happy with how they came out. They give off the vibes that I wanted them to, which is what matters. Having said this, doing this post opened my eyes to how much I struggle with putting a different spin on this dress sometimes and it showed me some gaps in my wardrobe that I didn’t anticipate. And that’s also why doing these posts is great. As nice as it is to have some ready-made outfits in the bank to put on when there’s no time to plan something new, it’s also important to keep an open mind about what things we may be missing and whether they’re just for this one dress or in general.
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