So many of these posts start with: I wanted to do X for a long time, and then X showed up wth this dress/outfit and I knew it was perfect. This is true in all cases, I am full of ideas, most of them half-formed (or half-baked), and they just need that little spark to ignite into full blown sets. This is perhaps why I vary so much in my shoots, even though I like to think of myself as primarily a vintage blogger.
So, The Gothic Shop asked me if I’d style a shooting around this Burleska dress, and for a change, I didn’t exactly know what it is I wanted to do. I had several ideas milling around, and as I thought about each one, it wasn’t just what I wanted, or it seemed too obvious, too done. This lacy corset dress had so many ways it could have been styled- a delicate princess, ophelia style, or a wild west theme for a tongue in cheek Saloon set, but in the end, the Steampunk idea won.
This was in great part due to the fact I’ve wanted to do a shoot with my Basset hound for a long time now. I’ve been her human for the past 6 years. She is the biggest drama queen dog I ever met, and I used to live with poodles! She is also incredibly stubborn and higly opinionated. But she is also the sweetest, kindest and gentlest creature I ever had the fortune of meeting, and taught me so much patience and diplomacy (yelling at a Basset Hound has no effect, and the harder you pull, the harder they will push back, but they are bribeable). I am endlessly thankful to Daria, the set mistress/hound wrangler who stood next to the camera dangling dog treats to get the hound to look in the right direction.
And so, this idea was born, a brand new character I hope I get the chance to play around with again. A steampunk dirigible captain on vacation, with a bottle of good wine, a pile of books to read, and her first mate by her side. I listened to a bunch of Abney Park while prepping this shoot too, to make sure I get the feeling just right. They are a really awesome Steampunk band, and you should totally go listen to them right now!
The dress itself is sooo cute and pretty! It’s a corset dress, so that means I get some tightlacing in it, which is, of course, always figure flattering (Know those 5 kg you always say you want to lose? Well, with a corset, you can save yourself the most probably needless diet! ), but what really got me was the cream lace. So much soft and lace and soft tulle! The slight padding on the hips was also a super cute detail which served to enhance the waist and give you a Victorian/burlesque style look. The back features satin laces, which held firm and didn’t undo, but then again, I prefer to tie a double knot anyway, and a hidden zipper for the skirt part.
The jewellery also came from The Gothic Shop, and was made by Alchemy Gothic, one of my favourite brands I already wrote about previously. This is from their steampunk range, which offers some really impressive pieces.
this is by no means an everyday outfit, but I already have special plans for it, and my favourite SF convention!
Until next time
xoxo