Friday evening saw me in a costume contest for my major, wearing simply what I own. I didn’t win anything, but I had a lot of fun!

Now now, I know what you’re thinking. “Goth isn’t a costume!” However, Halloween is where whimsy and theatricality are their best. Why not play it up in your wardrobe? Of course I’d wear extravagant outfits like this more often if I could. And yet, I’d lose 2-3 hours in my day taking care of it all. The hair pieces, the make-up, putting the outfit together, making sure everything sticks and works? It’s not easy. For those of you who can commit that time to your looks, I bow to you, because I love to dress from my imagination, and I’d love more opportunities to do so.

With that out of the way, here’s my outfit breakdown:

Make-Up: MAC fluidline blacktrack eyeliner, MAC studiofix foundation, Covergirl blue eye shadow palette, Hot Topic palette, Palladio blush, Urban Decay lip stain, MAC Ruby Woo lipstick, Clinique lavender eye shadow, Clinique black eye shadow, Palladio mascara
Clothes: RetroScope Fashions long bustle skirt, Bodyline (Japanese brand) jacket, Tripp NYC bodice (underneath), In the Starlight petticoat, Hand-made petticoat purchased from EGL Sales, Forever 21 purple stockings
Accessories: Hot Topic Octopus Necklace, miniature top hat***see end of post, Forever 21 shawl/scarf, headscarf (to cover my hair color), misc. silvery bangles from Forever 21, lace fingerless gloves (not pictured)
Shoes: Dexter brand from Payless Shoe Source
Hair: Handmade dread falls and tracks. They are pinned and tied in. These are made by me, with yarn. They are very easy to make!

Here is a close-up of the make-up and a better shot of the octopus necklace/dreads.

Washable Wear:

One thing I feel really, really strongly about and try to adhere to with 95% of my wardrobe is this: Find clothes that are washable. Especially mainstay pieces that you wear time and time again. Every item that I am wearing in the above photos are hand or machine washable. This saves time and money. From my experience, well-made, affordable clothing that is washable will also tend to be very durable. You want your clothes to last a long time, and you want to be able to keep them clean.

For damage control, consider this: even some “dry clean only” items are hand washable. Most people in the US have at least a few pieces that are considered non-washable. To find out if your fabric is water-friendly, test a small area that’s not visible. Try it on the thread and on the fabric and see what it does. Generally, natural fibers can be gently washed in cold water—perhaps it is listed as dry-clean-only to maintain its shape, or its particular dye. Some items are dry clean only because they use different types of thread that shrink easily when washed with more traditional methods. Some items disintegrate. There are many other reasons for dry-clean-only, as well. When you can, do your research before you touch any delicate, expensive, sensitive items to water. I always cross-check before I take the plunge with pieces I want to wear another day. The last thing you or I want is something ruined.

As a side note, unrelated: Both photographers from the last couple events/shoots I did have been busy or have had no access to the internet. I have photos, and I have done recent relevant modeling work. I just can’t show it to you. I apologize! However, I don’t hold it against them, and neither should you. They will surface eventually.

***This hat is a cheap replica of GypsyLadyHats beautiful work. I bought it when I was browsing the mall and didn’t realize at the time that this particular company or supplier ripped off a hard working independent artist. I couldn’t return it due to damage that occurred in transit home, so I decided to keep it. I wear it now with a veil wrapped around it, and I may do more to it so that it echoes her work less. But, if you see something and you know it’s a cheap rip-off, don’t buy it. Credit the artist. The hats she creates are investments; they’re affordable when you consider that they are all hand made, and above all, they are gorgeous, original designs.