Wicked Whimsy

Posts Tagged ‘eye candy’

Feathers make everything better! These are effing gorgeous. I’m planning on DIYing a pair as soon as I find a suitable one…wish me luck. Then I can wear them and prance around and pretend I’m a cancan dancer or something, because HELLO, I have feathers on my feet!

…not that I’d do that.

These might be borderline tacky. I don’t know, and I don’t care. They are black and glossy and sparkly, and I want them. (I think I might be channeling Martin.)

Wedges & especially wedge boots seem to be everywhere this season; here’s two of my favorites:

Flashing Lights by Irregular Choice

These ankle boots, for lack of a better term, are gorgeous. I love the stud detailing & the huge heel. I’m not sure if I’d actually buy and wear them, if for no other reason than they seem to be only available through the IC site. Overseas shipping charges + unkind conversion rate = shoes to dream about, but not actually own! Surprisingly, this blogger says they’re comfortable. I had my doubts as I’ve not had very good luck in that area with Irregular Choice shoes in the past, but maybe they’re worth a try-on?

Jeffrey Campbell 99

The JC 99 is much more likely to actually come into my possession (if the stars ever align so that it’s in stock at the same time that I’m NOT broke!). The wedge is much more ankle-friendly at 3.5″ inches with a 1″ platform, and the price is a lot more wallet-friendly at $99. I’ve signed up at Solestruck to be emailed when they’re back in stock in my size – let’s all cross our fingers that’s at an opportune time for me!

With the onset of fall (although it’s beginning to look like fall will never hit Austin!), I always start looking at and lusting over boots. I’m not sure what it is in particular about boots, but they bring out the worst of my shoe fascination. Or the  best of it, if you want to talk about snagging things at a deep discount after obsessively watching them for weeks on end. What’s a girl to do? Obviously, show off all of my current boots wishlist to you, in hopes that you share my love and I feel less like a freak. And then we can all obsess together! Mua ha ha. The totally healthy way to handle things.

Cri de Coeur Jessica

Cri de Coeur shoes are high quality, handmade, and comfortable (aside from being vegan!). I love wrap-around strap details like this pair of booties has – but why are they velvet? Could there be a less practical material to make boots out of, really?! Sigh. With how much I hear it rains in Austin during winter, I’m not sure I can justify picking up a pair. I’ll probably go with their Estelle pump for the same wraparound detail, but in a more practical faux patent. If you live in a drier clime, check out Cow Jones Industrials (cutest store name EVAR) or Endless for a better sale price.

Apepazza Bologna

And Apepazza. You couldn’t come up with a more appealing name for this boot? What made you think of bologna?! Anyways, these boots aren’t cheap, but Apepazza is supposed to be good as far as comfort goes, and I love that they come in gray (plus have the same sort of wrap-around detail as the above booties).

Gee Wawa Larue

These booties are quite possibly the cutest thing ever. Mid-range heel? Check. Cut outs? Check. Beautiful gray shade? Check. Ribbon lacing? Check. Back zip? Check. (That’s another weird detail that always catches my eye.) I’ve never heard of the brand though, so I’m hesitant to spend that much money on a pair of their shoes. This will be a pair that will be obsessively watched with hopes of it going on end-of-season clearance.

Corso Como Gianna

And these. I’m saving for them as we speak/type/read. I actually want the far more practical black leather but they’re styled/shot very unflatteringly in those photos, I have a strong feeling they’ll look much better in person. I was looking for a go-to boot, something I could put on with almost anything and it would look great, that would still be comfortable enough to walk in for several hours. These are it. The heel is walkable (and hello, it’s Corso Como, which means comfy!), the bow adds the perfect touch of feminine elegance, and the drop above the bow elongates the leg . Or I could just say: WANT.

Budget Buys

The boots above too rich for your wallet at the moment? Here’s some super cute pairs that won’t break the bank:

Mossimo Velika

I’ve been looking for a pair of bootie-esque lace up shoes for months. The other day in Borders, I spotted a girl wearing these absolutely adorable shoes. She told me she got them at Target, and voila! Shoes found. They’re all man made materials (don’t look it, though!), but are comfortable and stable, judging from the reviews on the website and my quick walk up and down a few aisles in them. At that price, I’ll be picking one up now and then picking one up when they go on clearance for when the first pair wears out!

Bakers - Buttons

I love these boots. No, the peep toe won’t be practical for all of winter, but aren’t they cute? They’re like a sassy modern take on witchy Victorian boots. The reviews on the site say they’re comfortable, and at $60 (marked down from $90) you can afford to buy some great insoles (Superfeet, ahoy!) even if they aren’t.

Hot Kiss Shai

Last but not least, Shai by Hot Kiss rings in at $50, down from $60. Love the metal detailing.

If you’re looking for something in between, I have you covered too! DSW is not very blogger friendly, so I can’t embed pictures, but the SM Zesst is a super cute slouchy suede bootie that comes in several colors (black, brown, and taupe) and is marked down to $80 from $140. There’s also the Zigi Soho Valance ruffle boot, also in suede. It comes in black, brown, and a rich royal purple – just in case you’re looking for that perfect color accent! It’s $100, which isn’t too bad, especially considering it’s knee high and real suede.

There you have it! All of the boots that have been on my mind over the last few weeks. I feel much better after sharing. So, tell me dear reader, what boots (or shoes) have you been lusting over lately?

Light on links this week; heavy on eye candy!

Also, I just found this lovely jewelry at Sugar Mafia. About everything on the website is gorgeous, but these three are my favorites. Oh, the chandelier necklace. *drool

Hope you all had a great weekend and are having a fabulous Monday!

It all started when I saw the high waist Victorian plaid Steampunk skirt on SmashingDarling:

Do I even need to explain? No. I’ll just stare at the screen and drool.

So, then I looked up the designer’s website, and her ModelMayhem profile, and found even more goodies:

It’s a pretty perfect blend of whimsical Victorian fashion and punk influence. LOVE IT. She has an Etsy shop also!

In other news, Audi of Fashion for Nerds has finalled opened up an Etsy store with some of her gorgeous hats. And Winona at DaddyLikey is running a giveaway for a Shabby Apple dress. The dress in question isn’t something I’d wear, I don’t think, but I’m sure one of you would like it, no? And they have some other fantastic dresses, so be sure to take a look at their website.

Holy cow. I saw this bag at Exit 9 Emporium:

Which got me looking at the rest of their bags. And jeez. I can’t say “want” enough to cover it all.

The last two are my favorite, although I love the blue color. They’re pretty pricey compared to my normal handbag budget, but I’ve spent $40ish on my last…three or so purses? Just to have them fall apart after two or three months. Maybe it’s worth an “investment handbag” or whatever…hm.

The new VivaLaModa magazine is out, and it is definitely worth looking at! One of the designers featured is Bonzie, who’s a favorite of mine.

Love these neon cameos by KitschenSink!

Just discovered (via ads in the magazines I was flipping through) Leviticus Jewelry and I love it. Here’s my three favorite pieces:

draped death

winged key

pirate ships (silver)

Miss Elle over at Broke and Beautiful posted last week about her search for a new LBD…I immediately thought of her when I found this pattern (it even has pockets!). You can see some completed pictures of it at Pattern Review – if I end up buying it (seriously thinking about it) I’ll definitely post about how it turns out. I also found this skirt that I really like, I think I could probably construct something similar without the pattern, though.

Eclectic Eccentricity has some really cute things! (found, again, via a BUST ad) The combination of vintage bits and baubles with modern components results, in this case, in pretty romantic pieces that make me think of spring.

Winging My Way Back To You - White

Hand On Heart Monkey Necklace

This is cute, but it kind of reminds me of Mrs. Coulter’s golden monkey from His Dark Materials (which I reread over the last week…SO GOOD!) and thus, squicks me out a little bit.

Pieces Of Eight Trunk Necklace

Sew Much To Do Sewing Necklace

So cute…and so sold out. Much like the Pin All Your Hopes Vintage Brooch and the For One Night Only – Anchor Necklace.

Loving this photo shoot at Craftster. So awesome. (kind of NSFW)

Last but not least, I found this set of photos from the Circus Issue of Fashion156. (Can you tell I’ve had circus inspired fashion on the brain lately?)

So it’s been mentioned several times on the steamfashion community, and Doe Deere mentioned going to it, but I didn’t put two and two together until I saw the picture of Xenia in the photostream. And oh my gods, the outfits were GORGEOUS. Drool.

My favorites:

Blue hair FTW! God I miss mine. As soon as I can afford the bleach and hair dye (well, and it’s after the Easter get-together, trying to be nice to my grandpa…) my hair is SO magenta. And blue. And maybe purple. Maybe I can make it work this time?

Xenia!

I looooove how it looks like the front of her skirt is made of peacock feathers.

She looks like a gorgeous wood nymph, all ready to frolic!

And my absolute favorite…

I want that dress! Speaking of the dresses, several of them were done by Apatico – unfortunately the online shop isn’t up yet, but when it is, I’ll definitely be having a look.

In that vein (not really, but hey), I made a circus inspired Polyvore:

Ringleader – by declinedesigns on Polyvore.com

(That skirt? Now on my wist. As well as a silver mask from the same site.)

Oh, and Tatterdemalion Designs at ModelMayhem has some good circus-inspired eye candy as well. Enjoy!

Obviously, I would normally be doing several smaller posts with links interspersed but since I’ve been non-posting obviously that’s not an option! I have, however, been keeping track of things I did want to post about, so here’s a veritable smorgasboard of link deliciousness!

Ashe Mischief posted the first in a series called Curious About Corsets and I’m looking forward to reading the rest – there’s a lot of myths about corsets and informed consumers are always a good thing!

Guest post by Fay Grimm at Yes And Yes titled 5 Ways to Show Your Sewing Machine That You Love It – adorable! And yes, my sewing machines have names. Although I’m still working on naming the Rocketeer.

New blog to watch: The Demioselles. Definitely looking forward to reading what these ladies have to say, since standard sizing is a pretty sticky subject.

I don’t think I’ve posted about Clockwork Couture here before, but it is a fabulous new(ish) steampunk-themed clothing store. The woman who runs it, Donna Ricci, regularly posts on the steamfashion community and seems to be a super-sweet person, not to mention her dedication to getting cruelty-free products is admirable. They recently updated the store with several new items, many of which are ADORABLE.

Moulin Rouge Cabaret Thigh Highs

It is a LOT harder than you’d think to find a cute pair of vertically striped thigh highs! I’ve seen a few that were lacey in between the stripes, which is a good look but I’m so picky – these are a dead ringer for what I’ve been looking for.

Ladie's Ruffle Vest

Great layering piece, and I love the use of ruffles to add some feminity to something traditionally viewed as more menswear.

Ladie's Casual Cycling Capri Pants

I used to have a pair of plaid bondage pants – these capris remind me of them, except for a lot more, ya know, feminine. I love the dusty pink color with all of the buckles and etc…I really want a pair.

The jewelry section is definitely worth looking through too – there’s gems like the Absinthe Necklace, Compass & Keys Charm Necklace, and the Laboratory Chaterlaine. Want? Yes, please.

There was a fantastic post on Craftster, showing off clothes that a Swedish design student (see her website here) made in her fashion curriculum. Definitely worth checking out – great eye candy!

Also, a random site from an ad I found in BUST – B & Lu. VERY cute fashion, starting at a size 14. In fact, I kind of want half the things from the website. The testimonials are absolutely glowing as well, and it looks like they have good cause to me – affordable, cute fashion for bigger gals, I’m just wondering why I haven’t heard of them before!

That’s about it for now, although there is of course, more to come. In my laptop-lacking boredom, I took on an old-school papercraft project (which will be posted as soon as I get it all finished), which meant going through my huge stack of old magazines. I found a lot of stuff I’d found before and forgotten about, and just a lot of neat stuff, so I’ll be posting all of that too.