I post links: Harajuku Fashion Walk

TokyoFashion got some GREAT pictures of a Fashion Walk that happened on September 25.

Dolly kei! Mori! Lolita! Decora! Fairy kei! Gyaru! Is... Is that a Guro-Loli??! So! Awesome!

Does ANYONE on this side of the Pacific have this much fun with fashion? My Lord, what I'd give to have been there. Truly looks like an amazing time. And TF got some amazing individual street-style pics, too, but I don't want to steal any of their much-deserved thunder. Check it out, my loves! Observe and learn!

Ode to hats (a.k.a. Things Indy needs more of)

 OK, I started working on this post, and then the big hoop-dee-lah royal wedding happened today, so now I have even MORE fodder for my point: Click, die of sartorial glee.

Does Prince William's new mum-in-law know how to ROCK a hat, or what?

I've been on a massive hat kick lately. Buying, making, and decorating hats and fascinators has become my new pastime. I now have a gigantic wicker box and an oversized tote bag full of the things. You'd expect the wearing of these confections to be looked at somewhat strangely in Vincennes.

But in Indy? We're on the up-tick toward becoming quite the fashion-zone. And yet I barely even see enough fedoras! And besides, fedoras are EVERYWHERE now. Innovate, y'all! I hereby propose that we need to wear a lot more hats along the way.

My current passion is the bowler. Think of Sally Bowles, maybe Alex from A Clockwork Orange (one creepy fellow, but his sartorial wits were the ONE thing he had in the right place), oh, and this guy:

Oh, yes.

A fine affair, indeed. Rawr.

Give me one good reason why not. It's flattering, versatile for a range of ensembles from professional to flamboyant, and it can be decorated with a variety of colored bands, feathers, and such. Must HAVE one.\

I've already extolled the joys of a nice, big floppy straw hat in a previous post.

I also really like this new, steampunk-esque take on the classic tophat.

via Tom Banwell, available on Etsy. (this statement not endorsed by the hatmaker)

The tophat is such a classic. I've become enamored with the thought of creating all kinds of hatbands out of things not designed to be hatbands, ever since I saw this delightful picture:

Found via Antique_Dolly

I can't wait to get my own decorated hats, miniature-hats, and flower, feather, and lace fascinators onto people's heads. If you think you're not a hat-person, you probably just haven't found the right one(s) yet. Take care; it can become an addiction.

Personal style: Incorporating dolly kei elements into everyday

It's well established that I'm super-enamored with the Dolly Kei style tribe that's slowly establishing itself out of Tokyo and into the world at large. But I meet the same sticking-point, over and over, as I evangelize the fun of the style. "That looks AWESOME," they say, "But I don't think I could pull off something that out-there."

I submit my Easter ensemble for your consideration, my dear skeptics:

Black embellished tunic-style dress: Candie's, on clearance at Kohls.
Curtain tassel: $9 at Jo-Ann Fabrics
Hat: Thrifted and self-decorated with silk ribbon, hydrangeas and peonies.
Green jade earrings: A handmade gift from my fiance'
Not shown: sensible nude pumps

The dress is fantastic because it is oh so versatile, just like a LBD should be, but the detailing sets it apart from the average LBD. I almost wore an oversized white butterfly pendant, but even though it was huge, it just shrank into the lacy collar.

A curtain tassel adds interest, is easy to coordinate, and takes the whole thing from 2D to 3D. With a beaded black eveningwear top or dress, a black tassel is amazingly elegant. I've noticed tassel-style beaded necklaces popping up on jewelry-shop racks here and there, too.

You probably wouldn't wear *this* hat everyday, but a nice big straw hat is a breezy, fun option for spring and summer. I consider at least one sun hat a must-have. Go with a plain one, or a more modestly-sized cloche or fedora if the big brim seems too flamboyant for your taste. Hats are so versatile! You can accessorize with a ribbon, scarf, a nice brooch -- I have a leftover groom's lily boutonniere that I stick to my straw hats with some corsage pins.

Oh, and if you *do* want this hat, it will be coming up for sale online in a matter of weeks!

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.

Personal style shot: Dolly kei-ing it up!

In celebration of my excitement at seeing some dolly kei-inspired pieces at New York Fashion Week, I got into the dolly kei zone yesterday.

Blast and bother! My tights got twisted!

New shoes, new shoes, new shoes!

A few status updates: WOW, was I wrong about things going back to normal. A few setbacks on costumery have had us running ourselves ragged in the VU costume shop. It's all good though -- opening night is TONIGHT! So psyched! And, starting immediately after February 20, I'll have a little more time to focus on my own designs, on the blog, and on reading books and improving my fashion-sketching. Boy, do you not even WANT to know how bad THAT looks right now! It's only to be expected, though, from someone who's only been sketching for a couple of weeks at the most.

Have you RSVP'd for the next Indiana Fashionista Meetup Luncheon yet? Get to it! You don't want to miss this.

On the occupational front, JC Penney is out and Kohl's is in. JCP took back their job offer because I wasn't willing to train for work from 1 to 5 p.m. on a Tuesday, when they already knew that I have class 2 to 5 on Tuesdays. "Academics are the most important thing to us," the hiring manager at JCP said initially. No skin off me; I got an interview set up the very day they dropped the news on me. Not to mention they have lost themselves a worker who would have thrown herself into kicking butt at the job, providing killer customer service, and never fearing to get my hands a little dirty if it means learning more about the apparel retail business. Oh, and then there's the business they've lost from me, my family, and my friends who will take their dollars elsewhere now.

On more directly blog-related news, Midwest Fashion Week is coming up! I will probably only be able to make a personal appearance for one day, maybe two, but I am looking into sending Jared out for some stellar photo action.

And finally, since this semester's schedule is such that it's more difficult than I anticipated to get to Indianapolis to take pictures, you're going to see more street style posts from Jared in the spring. Summer will find me back behind the lens on a more regular basis. I'll be doing more article-type posts (a la the Gemma Teller article, which is still our most popular post since this blog's beginning), and more personal style shots! This blog's primary job is still to inspire and to document the street style of the real people of Indianapolis and surrounding areas. The method is just getting a little tweaking. Stay tuned, and as always, questions or comments can be sent via the Circle City Style Formspring, or emailed to leah@circlecitystyle.com or jared@circlecitystyle.com.

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!

Dolly Kei dress-up

I got a dress form! Courtesy of Indy Nikon Gal, I now have a new addition to my little family. Her name is Louise. We decided to take a little foray into dolly kei territory.