Anatomy Of A Look: Dark Romance F/W 2016

One of the looks that I've been completely obsessed over for Fall/Winter this year is the Dark Romance trend: it's moody glamour, it's brooding florals, it's nostalgic lace. Writing about it for Trend Blast got me fired up to give the look a try. There was just one problem though. One of the look's keys is a frothy, feminine blouse  - some variation of a lace and ruffle confection with elegant buttons or snippets of velvet or a high neck. Why would that be a problem? Well, I don't own one :).  I've been looking! But the right combination of silhouette, material, artistry and price just hasn't crossed my path yet *insert melodramatic Victorian pout*. Then again, I'm a creative gal and when a fashion idea burns in my brain, I don't give up on it easily. My first step was to see what I do have that fits the "lacy confection" genre. (A positive spin on things always helps! :)). I rejected the idea of a crocheted caramel cardigan or a lace tank. But I have a black crocheted pullover that has the right vibe. Scalloped edges give it a frothy quality and I layered it over an ivory cami to make the pattern stand out. The skinny jeans piece of the trend was 100 percent no problem. Got. It. Covered. :) Bt then I ran into two more hiccoughs. The weather was too cold to wear the open-weave sweater alone. I tried a traditional blazer, thinking it would have a classic, but it didn't create the vibe I was hoping for. Switching to a black band jacket worked nicely though, hearkening both to the military coat-feel and injecting a bit of attitude. Then, there was the whole shoe question. You would think a shoe connoisseur like myself would have hordes of lace-up booties to choose from...aaaaand ....no. It's another of those silhouettes I've loved certain pieces of, but haven't found the right one to collect yet. Super pointy be-crystalled pumps came off a bit too 2010, so I went with simple, classic black leather pumps. Sometimes the value of simplicity is in its ability to swing easily between various genres. Lastly, I needed baubletry: the requisite choker is also not something I am yet possessed of, so the DIY option was the only way to go. I considered using a black velvet ribbon I found, loved and collected for just such an occasion, but due to using the pumps instead of boots, I felt the look was missing a bit of the attitude that helped keep the trend styling modern and complex. I decided to use a subtly fierce hematite chain instead, which I anchored with a necklace shortener (mine is from Gump's) -a handy little device for jewelry aficionados that lets you do all kinds of fun things! (If you need a super-quick, budget-friendly option, try a safety pin). My final test of a look is always 1) does it have that certain je ne se quoi when it all comes together and 2) does it make me feel the way I envisioned it would. This combination ticked yes on both those questions, despite not being an exact representation of the trend. There's a certain satisfaction and gratification to being able to create the concept of a look, even without all the you-need-these-RIGHT-NOW!-pieces. I had so much fun wearing this look and feeling moodily romantic! :)