My Christmas present this year was NOT fashion-related at all! I got a white DS Lite, which will provide years of endless amusement in waiting lines, in between classes, on the train to work. I used to own DS, but I pawned it during a period of utter college poverty. Ramen > DS, right? I kept my game cartridges though, and I'm thrilled to have a new DS to enjoy my favorite games. No shame.  NERD BLOGGERS UNITE!

Happy New Year's, everyone! I hope MMXI bring you peace and love. xoxo

throughout the dark months of january and february

(bb dakota coat, second-hand tuk creepers)

I live in Chicago. It gets extremely cold in Chicago during the winter.

Thus, a reliable collection of warm coats is not only necessary, in subzero temperatures it's a lifesaver. When dealing with winters as harsh as ours, it's easy to forget about the design of the coat and just reach for the biggest, warmest ankle-length puffy coat in your closet. Sacrificing design for practicality seems to be the route for most Chicagoans...but I refuse to do this. I've made it a point to seek out coats that balance design without sacrificing warmth or layering possibilities. This wool BB Dakota coat accomplishes both tasks, plus it can be worn a few different ways for maximum styling prospects.

Too often, draped garments seem draped just for the sake of being draped. I mean, the drapes don't create any leading lines or flatter the figure in any quantifiable way. I like this coat because the draped fabric falls into geometric shapes - large triangles (above), small triangles (below), and diamond-shaped hemlines.

▲▲▲ EPIC SITH LORD/DRUID HOOD/////OOOOO00000oooo000†††
LOL vomit. I am an embarrassment to myself sometimes.

that awkward moment right before you hit "post" and get self-conscious about your full outfit photo...

...Yeah, that happened just now. So, instead of the full-outfit post that I had planned, I'll post the details and leave the rest to your imagination.

I'm really into Catholic vibes lately. Probably because I grew up Catholic, and a result, I still harbor a "healthy" reserve of Catholic guilt. Orange eyeshadow, greasy hair with finally-growing-out bangs, the perfect priest-inspired button down from American Apparel (actually, I got used from a hipster resale shop for $6, but that's just being nitpicky). That collar was just begging for my cannibalized F21 cross necklace. In the words of my dear friend Morgan, "I love it when being goth becomes trendy every few years or so, because I can stock up on black clothes and cross jewelry from Forever 21." Amen, sister.

My new Chloe' mall goth boots. Everyone refers to them as the Chloe' docs, but I totally get high school-era mall goth vibes from them. They remind me of those pleather Demonia boots from Hot Topic that were made with foam platforms and rubber spikes jutting out the sides - surely you remember! And if you're like me, you probably owned a pair. These boots will probably be worn with nostalgic goth references in mind. To look forward, you need to first look back.

universal noise of fucking (UNF)

I know I'm incredibly late to the party here, but Christopher Kane's Resort 2011 collection has me seriously contemplating which of my most prized possessions to hawk on eBay in order to afford just one piece. Nebula and stars and galaxies! Incredibly beautiful natural phenomena that seems too unreal to actually be real, that we'll never get to see or touch or travel to. In a way, Christopher Kane is making outer space real and tangible, bringing it down to Earth.

I've had an avid interest in space and astronomy (specifically, astrophysics) from the time I was a child and even considered studying astronomy before I left college. So this collection is more than just beautiful and covetable. It's deeply personal for me. It taps into one of my biggest interests and defining characteristics of my personality - my nerdiness, my love of science and math, and fascination with celestial physical law. Unfortunately, the price point for this collection is so far beyond my range, it might as well be on a different planet. Or star system. Or in another galaxy on the opposite side of a parallel universe. Sigh. Maybe in my dreams.

never-never

My new Preen dress, a hasty decision from The Outnet, which turned out to be good decision after all. Another addition to my long-sleeved bodycon dress collection (which, mind you, is small). The cutouts present just enough geometrical shapes to keep me interested, while the subtle not-floral lace provides textural sponteniety in all the right places. My necklace is my beloved mall goth rosary bauble from ~The Hot Topics~, I've had it since high school. Oh, the clasp is worn and the fake crystals have long since come unglued, by I still love it dearly. Every time I wear it, I remember more halcyon days of faux-rebelliousness against the seemingly institutionalized uniform of Abercrombie & Fitch at school. As a teen, I wasn't sure of myself in the slightest, but I had enough self-awareness to know that I was different. Wearing black became my way of insulating myself from the endless A&F clones who trolled the hallways while also allowing me to express some small part of who I was. I think that's why, in over 7 years since I've graduated, that I continue to wear black. It's protection and expression at the same time.

Ironically, wearing black is also social disassociation and social conformity as well...but perhaps that discussion is for a different time.

I thought this outfit, in keeping with the nostalgia theme, deserved my very 90s Miu Miu loafers. I bought them for $12 on ebay.


Note: I realize that my left hip looks like a Photoshop Disaster, but I assure you, it is not. It must just be an awkward camera angle and placement of my hand. I don't retouch my own body. It goes against all I try to stand for.

My new glorious Prada shoes. Curved heel madness. They are impossible to walk in, but that is right up the alley of my inner masochist.