AYWi30C #9 - As Gothic as You Can Go

And back to ‘this coord basically created itself, it’s that straightforward’. When looking at my wardrobe, it is very obvious that gothic lolita is my tertiary style. Whilst I have some pieces, I feel like I could probably create more diverse outfits with my singular pair of ouji shorts than with the gothic dresses, simply because of the accessories. Not that it bothers me: I know that I don’t wear gothic that often and I’m also not necessarily concerned with sticking to a strict gothic lolita label. I just put together outfits with the dresses I have. Sadly, it’s winter and true to gothic lolita’s nature, this coord is all black, so all of these photos are heavily edited to try to make things show up at least a little bit. Hope you enjoy these nonetheless.

| AatP Sugar Plum Fairy Princess JSK | Haenuli x I Do Declare blouse | Cutie Creator fishnets | VW x Melissa Anglomania heels | Voodoodolly ring | Enchanted Dreamwear necklace | Paulina Rose headband | offbrand hair clip and earrings |

This prompt asks to go as gothic as my wardrobe can physically stretch and this is probably it. It’s a very basic gothic lolita outfit, though at least it is recognisably gothic. Whilst it may be simple, this simplicity creates room to appreciate the finer details of this coordinate. Of course, if I had access to infinite resources, I would’ve swapped some pieces (e.g. an Antique Beast headdress is probably the most iconic gothic hair accessory). But given that I was working with what I own, I am not mad at this attempt and don’t think there are any doubts as to which substyle this outfit represents. That’s all that I really needed for this prompt.

The buttons may seem almost austere in style, yet that is precisely the kind of touch that really makes this blouse amazing.

Of course, a gothic look called for the ultimate goth blouse: the Haenuli x I Do Declare collaboration. This is a nightmare for flatlays as it never sits right because of these oversized sleeves, but it is just the most stunning thing when worn. Honestly, every time I put it on, I just want to lift my arms and play with the sleeves (which I’m sure you’ll see in the video). There isn’t much in it in terms of detail, the buttons are the only focus point besides these dramatic sleeves, which makes it perfect for gothic lolita as you’re not overdoing anything here. Quality over quantity (unless we talk about fabric quantity in these sleeves!).

I legit own tights almost exactly like these Cutie Creator ones from an adult store. And the only difference won't be noticeable when worn in lolita, so if I ever destroy these, I know where to find a replacement cheaper now.

Let’s get legwear out of the way quickly – yes, these are fishnet tights. Another item that was a nightmare to photograph because once they’re out of the packaging, they only look good worn. These particular ones are from Cutie Creator, though AP did similar ones and if you’re ever stuck for something like this, don’t be afraid to check out your local adult store (just trust me on this). Although not everyone is keen on the look of fishnets with lolita, to me if it’s going to work, then it’s definitely in a gothic coord. And with such a light and airy blouse, you don’t really want to weigh the look down with solid tights or socks. These are a better option than sheer black tights, as they still provide that bit of detail and feel more edgy than my black lace tights, which are still a touch more chunky in knit than these.

This pair was bought used with minor scuffs seen here - still a £30 pair of designer shoes, so I won't complain!

Truth be told, ever since I borrowed a pair of these iconic Vivienne Westwood x Melissa heels for the Myths of Our Own fashion show, I had to get my own pair. Luckily, if you stalk eBay patiently and are quick with bidding, you can get these within a £30-ish price range, which is not so bad for such amazing quality shoes. I wouldn’t mind owning these in a few more colours, although my shoe rack with no space left disagrees. Pro tip: if you’re after these, I recommend sizing up by half a size at least. I got mine exactly to my size and they fit a little too exactly too size. I could do with a bit more room and the straps can be tightened enough to wear them comfortably.

When you only use a couple of pieces, make each of them count.

Then we get to accessories. As I already mentioned, this look is simple and deliberately so. I find that with gothic, particularly when you’re not super well-versed in the style, it’s better to keep it simple than overdo it. So I stuck to the few bits that I am confident work with gothic without pulling it too far into classic lolita territory.

Two very different styles, yet they still work together in the outfit. And I love the tiny pearl in the headband, it's a great detail that adds to the pearls buttons on the dress and pearl beads on the necklace.

The floral pieces might otherwise be that accessory that takes the outfit away from gothic, but I feel like them being black is enough to prevent that. Roses are a common motif in gothic fashion, so as long as the colours are bold enough (black, wine/red, Moitie blue, white) I feel like this works. The clip is something I bought at my local burlesque show years ago and while orchids don’t exactly scream gothic, I like how this clip ends in a spike. Spikey things seem more edgy and therefore work for goth, right?

The great thing about this ring is tat the black and brassy gold are great for gothic, yet with the crown motif still work wel for classic outfits. And it feels very sturdy, no fears of accidentally damaging it when wearing.

This Voodoodolly ring is absolutely amazing! Despite its size, it doesn’t feel too heavy or out of balance and I like the chunky look. With a ring this size you really don’t need any more, which is perfect for someone like me who’s not really used to wearing them. I’d love to have more rings from Voodoodolly, but I won’t really commit to shipping, so hopefully they’ll be vending somewhere I can attend. As for the earrings, I can’t remember where I got them anymore. My instinct wants to say Primark, since that’s where a lot of my earrings are from, but they could just as easily be somewhere from AliExpress. They’re there just to pull in those roses a bit more into the coord, as well as to add a point of interest, given the hairstyle I went with for this coord.

If I ever had a guilty pleasure in this fashion, this necklace would be it.  Zero regrets though.

Ahh, this necklace. After literal years of saying that I don’t like crosses and wouldn’t get anything with them, I had to stumble upon this one at The Grand Embassy. It was literally calling out to me and the weak-willed person that I am, I gave in. I still stand by my opinion on crosses and don’t intend on getting any more, which probably makes this one even more special. The details on it are just too good not to be appreciated. And something about the white flowers adds a very romantic feel to it, which I am a sucker for.

It's a shame that the lace at the bodice hides those buttons most of the times, they are a great pop of subtle bling.

The most beautiful flocked velvet print I've ever seen.

You know a dress is hard to find details in when it takes you until taking this picture to realise that the tiny lace is mimicking the flocked velvet print at the hem.

This organza is very light and bouncy, but also reflects light so much. It's why even AatP themselves failed to take flattering stock pictures of this gorgeous dress

This dress is truly stunning and I wish that I could do it justice with pictures. Then again, even the stock photos didn’t do it justice, so I probably shouldn’t put that kind of pressure on myself either. Black flocked velvet on a layer of black organza with some gold glitter is never going to be easy to photograph, let alone in winter, so you’ll have to take my word on this. Hopefully those heavily edited pictures show at least a little bit of its glory.

The eyeshadows are mainly from Storybook Cosmetics' Wizardry and Witchcraft and Colourpop's Fame palettes, with a hint of Sugarpill's Love+ red eyeshadow. Lipstick and eyeliner are also from Colourpop.

Often what defines a coordinate as gothic are hair and makeup. You can wear clothes and accessories that are borderline classic, but as long as hair and makeup are distinctly gothic, they will complete the look. Truth be told, I have zero experience in gothic makeup, though despite looking for inspiration on Pinterest I still ended up freestyling this one. And I quite like it, it’s been a hot minute since I did such heavy eye makeup. Would love to add some dramatic eyelashes to complete this, but as I was already late that day and tried to get as much done with natural light, falsies were no good. As for hair, this is Miss Becky black wig from Dalao Home. The hair on it is so soft and as I had no idea on how to style it, I kept things simple by just pinning some side pieces at the back. But it’s black, that’s good enough for gothic, right?

Basically, this prompt's coordinate is the final form of the above two.
The left outfit is from May 2018 and the right one from February 2019.

As I already mentioned, gothic lolita is my tertiary style, so I there isn’t much variety in these looks. At least not yet. With this one I feel like I’ve finally reached that truest form of goth that I ever will with this dress. Also, inspired by the 1 Dress 4 Looks post, I want to try out some other things with this dress. I am yet to wear it with any kind of colour besides black, which feels like a crime. And whilst this may be my elegant gothic lolita dress, with a name like Sugar Plum Fairy Princess it can’t really be confined to just one substyle. It deserves some more princess-y/classic outings too.

Just like the coord created itself, so did the video. Usually I am on the lookout for the perfect background track to reflect the mood of the video and have at least a vague idea of what I want. This time it took me a bit longer to find that, but once I did I felt really stupid for not realising sooner that classical music should be my first point of call. Although I still had to supplement natural light with artificial, at least in movement those dress details are a bit more noticeable than in photographs, so definitely make sure to check this out alongside the post.

Do you have a tertiary style? Or one that you feel you wear only occasionally and can’t justify building a bigger wardrobe for? How do you go around coordinating those pieces without too much of a compromise? I am still coming to terms with the idea that if I want to pursue gothic (and in black too), then I may have to invest in a few more pieces. For now though I’m content to work with what I have until I’m in a better position to indulge in such purchases.