A feature on dolly kei and Hitomi Nomura!

They interviewed my she-ro! This video annoys me, because they keep calling Hitomi and her shop "Mori Girl" even though it's clearly Dolly Kei, a completely different style tribe altogether.

My heart still went pitter-patter when they interviewed her, though. God, I'm such a little fangirl.

Birthday shenanigans

OK, I try to avoid blatant vanity shots, but this outfit was just too good. The idea was to mix up contemporary goth with dolly kei. Today's my birthday (26, if you're keeping track), so why not mix two of my favorite things? We got a little silly. Well, you'll see that in a sec.

The dress is from Target. It's my favorite kind of LBD, because it's just so customizable! I don't remember where I got the tights. I've had them forever. I wore the dress over a thrifted black henley T, because it was FREEZING on this day! The gloves are thrifted, the armwarmers are so old I don't remember where I got them, the hat is from Hot Topic (Yeah, I know, shush), and we'll get to the necklaces in a little bit. And surely you recognize the Betsey Johnson belt.

Continuing with a mighty she-woman roar!

Closer up to show off the gloves.

And the necklaces! I love these. I made the tassel-bottle necklace. I thrifted this random bottle of flower seeds, and I bought one UGLY table runner to get the tassel. Good thing it was only two dollars. There's a little blue cross, a bit obscured by the tassel, that came from a necklace I got in, like, 7th grade.

The key is something I fell in love with at Cactus Flower in Bloomington.

I wore the hat backwards. The veil in front just seemed like a little much, and I LOVE the asymmetrical, swooping line created by the feathers.

Yeah, yeah, gothy-wothy, soul of doomy darkness, blah blah blah.

Finis!

IFB Links A La Mode

The results are in! Here are this week's top 20 blog posts, as voted by Independent Fashion Bloggers:

Antares: Alfa Scorpii: Mori girls style is an amazing street style trend, the mixture of ethnic, folk, lolita-style and others.

Awakened Aesthetic: Araks Yeramyan’s lingerie is both ethical and effortless.

Beyond Fabric: On Family History – Vintage Family Pics

Big Girl. Small Budget. Tiny Town.: Using the 12 Days of Christmas as style inspiration. A 12-verse song translated into 12 winter looks

Boheme Noir: 10 Ways to Wear Tartan & Plaid

Circle City Style: High Fashion in the Style of Gemma Teller

Dramatis Personae: If I were Another Girl… Inspired by Eastern European Boho Style

Fasshonaburu: Why is that most “Flatter Your Shape” articles will feature petite and curvy, yet rarely both in one person?

Fuyume: Is the rise of Asian models a fad?

The House in the Clouds: Shine your light on me: A reminder to all women that we are more beautiful and interesting collectively.

I’m the It Girl: Colour Trends S/S 2011: From Runway to H&M

Independent Fashion Bloggers: Setting Blogging Resolutions for the New Year

Liv Lux Magazine: How to Ease High Heel Foot Pain [Video]

Lust, Love, Lose: Lust- Maggie Matich’s Lavender Hair

Just B Blog: B Festive: Hair Tinsel the perfect holiday hair accessory!

Miss Vicki: Crossing the line between fetish and fashion

Modly Chic: Typical New Year’s Resolutions– Blogified.

MoMoMod: I’m bound to believe that Catherine’s definitive, effortless, and lady like style is perfect in its own right.

My Fashion Lust List: Fashion Related Health Problems

The Coveted: Snow boots for urban sludge

The Red Dot: Fashion Illustration therapy: review of three of the best fashion illustration blogs of the moment – Do they have influence on our style and looks?

Watch This Place: In a world where ‘shocking’ is no longer shocking, I consider whether the ‘rock-’n'-roll-bad-girl’ has lost her edge.

Inspiration International 1.0

It's common knowledge that I love Indianapolis, and while we aren't exactly the first place you'd point to on the map as a fashion Mecca, I believe in our little big city. I also believe in the glimmers of hope I keep seeing in the creative, arts, and fashion community.

Just the same, nobody's ever benefited from being too insular. With that in mind, I'm picking a few of my very favorite pictures from street-style blogs around the world. I went back several weeks to locate a selection that spoke to me. It was VERY difficult to narrow down only six! I hope you agree that these snaps inspire the onlooker to think about shape, color, pattern, texture, and attitude from a new angle.


Fall sunshine at Copenhagen StreetStyle





Volume FASHION STREET SNAP captures flair in a maxi skirt




The Sartorialist: On the Street....Viv, Milano

Stil in Berlin: Stil in New York: Alison

RID STREET SNAP - layered sweaters

THE STYLE SCOUT - London: Great Queen Street











































If you enjoy and/or find inspiration in what you see, please take the time to visit these hardworking fashion bloggers from all over the world. Go join me in thanking them for their good work.

Love and beauty always,

Leah