5! - "how to deal with the last Fallen Angel release"

Hello-hello !

I feel kind of nostalgic these days, so I guess it is time to bring back the "good oldies" ! Actually, I never knew if 5! was a "good" one ; it is the very first segment of the blog, but also the shortest - only one article ! And since I couldn't find any nice new way for what I want to express right now, maybe it is time to do some recycling...

5! was originally a column created for my selfish purposes. I give myself a challenge and try to solve it out through examples - let's say 5 outfits/versions for the same random theme/shop/whatever. I'd explain my process so you might find some handy tips to accommodate things your way. I don't pretend to know everything, and that my rambling state what has to be done. I want to give you here clues to challenge your creativity ; so feel free to comment, discuss, argue what you read !

I never buy straight form the shop when there is a release (unless it is limited in any manner) ; I'm quite greedy I must say, waiting for a potential sale ! Most of the time, it's frustrating me : I think there are some very good pieces coming out of the "basic" shops. That's mainly why I chose to work with the last Fallen Angel's release.

My mother used to be goth - like the true goth from the 80's - all she have left now are a bunch of studded things and black embroidered dresses. She always had this sharp sense of style, and thanks to that I always considered goth fashion as something very well though out and with some sort of sophistication in the process of composing an outfit. This last release tho seems to be experiencing a cold welcome : not goth enough according to some, too girlish for others. I must say, I don't really have an opinion here ; I think it kinda respect the goth vibe : there is some sort of a shy, distant, cold feeling about it playing with the ballerina (hello Black Swan) and the Victorian torn apart clothing.

Alright. So, let me show you what I've picked. Unfortunately, no good deal here ; there were all quite stardollarish expensive. The quality is quite good tho.

Batwing blush body : definitely the piece I wanted to put my hands on. The shape is very interesting and I love how the neckline looks (you know, plunging but not too revealing) ; I think it'll look great on layered outfits.

Lace detail swing dress : two things about it, the see-through details on the top part and this insane material game on the bottom. It looks so light and delicate !

High waisted polka dots pants : I'm fascinated by wide-leg pants, and I think that those ones are some very good ones. The fabric has a polka dot twist and there is no weird shape effect on the leg ; in a nutshell : a good funky staple.

Vail beanie : the popular item, although the vail seems tighten. Not sure about the beanie shape tho, but this is a good piece.

Sleeveless polka dot polo : the perfect layering material. The fabric has a very interesting pattern (not the pitch black that can be quickly boring to work with) and the shape allows it to be very versatile in its use.

But how can we use all of them ? 

Well, let me show you how I would style those items into five outfits.

1. Industrial ballerina

I think that the key here is to break the ballerina effect ; therefore, I chose the industrial vibe : hardware-like accessories and chunky elements. There is still one good side of the ballerina that should be nice to use here : the sleek effect. I chose black for those contrasting pieces and I linked the whole outfit with an it-bag, soft like a ballerina but bold with its chains.

2. Acceptable in the 80's

I love the new-wave style of this turtleneck, so I decided to exaggerate thing a little bit here. I identified the 80's trends that could be useful here and assembled them together : boxy shoulders, waxy fabric and chunky heels, and added some plastic-like accessories with a bright statement color. I think that the key to keep this outfit serious and not costume-like is to scale the color scheme used : no plain pitch black, but different intensities of black, and one hint of color to wake the look up !

3. Revolting sweetheart

Sometimes with an outfit, I want to make a character trait stand out instead of a look. Here, I chose "sassy", because this blush pink dress was everything but this ! I think that, to complete that kind of look, you have to pair it with A LOT of gold features, and play with material : I want to give that "opulence" vibe, as if the person was disappearing behind her beloved things, in a nutshell, as if she was swallowed - by her vanity eheh.

4. Give a damn

I like the instant-chic effect of those pants : black, almost silky and cute thanks to the dots. But I must admit, the first thing that popped into my mind while trying to build an outfit out of it was their sort of "gangster" vibe. That oversize side also screamed to be underlined ; so I decided to go wide on the outside and sleek on the inside (a pair of tank tops and a thin scarf), making sure to balance well the whole thing.

5. Madame Robot

OK, at this point, I must admit I was kind of annoyed to go on ; this column is taking me too long to elaborate. But, after all, this is its "true" first time, so it's ok if it's not perfect since the beginning, right ? jk. So, the last item was this beanie. That looks definitely like something you can see on all the cool girls' heads.. so I figured out, why not impersonate the coolest of the cool girls wearing this thing ? I'm obsessed with the series Mr. Robot these days, and I feel like this beanie would be perfect on Darlene's head. She is that free-spirit, free-minded person evolving in the shadows of the world (sigh, I know I have issues), so why not giving her the trendiest outfit in dark tones with a punk twist ? et voilà !

That's it !

So, what do you think ?

hope you enjoyed it,

cheers, 

M.