It looks that way. We'll see how it does over the weekend. So far, the Hubby hasn't mentioned the "Halloween" color on my nails. 

Something I feel I have to point out....DK and Ashe have both said "make sure you're doing it not for just the look, or you will be a poser" (boiled down of course).  No (exessive) offense intended to DK and Ashe, but that seems a bit "duh" for someone like Penth.  It does matter if you're doing Goth, Skater, Preppie, Gansta, or whatever.  If you're doing it just for the style/appearance, you are a poser.

Now, Penth... something you need to invest in (and yes, it's an investment) is a REAL corset.  Not some piece of junk made with plastic boning; something with STEEL bones.  When I mean investment, we are talking at least $200.  Anything cheaper is not: (1) going to last and (2) can hurt you if you are wearing it for too long.  For the goth look, it is common to go with a black or red corset, but the general ban on color you see in a lot of the "goth fashion guides" is rediculous.  Jewel tones, royals (such as royal blue, purple, hunter green), faded pinks, ivory are all acceptable if you do them right.

For example,

A black high collar lace sheer shirt with this corset and a long-fitted skirt with a train-like back, in stilletto sandles with straps going around the calf.  (Or a Silver or black peasant's skirt, with combat boots)

A white poet's blouse (readily available at Goodwill) with this waist-cincher corset and mid-thigh or just above the knee leather skirt and long boots (just under the knee).

A great gothic clothing style is not limited to black, not in the slightest.  (In fact, in my opinion goths who are limited to the black with VERY little color need to learn how to use color to accent their style.)

I forgot to mention before, make sure it is custom built for your measurements.  A corset is NOT something you can buy off the rack.  It will cause harm if you do.

Remember, when you are talking about a corset, they are designed to REDUCE your visible size.  Most properly built corsets will reduce your waist by 3 to 6 inches.

Regarding the corset thing, there are a few things to know.

First, decide if you are wearing the corset as an accent, or if you are going to do serious waist training. The two things require different approaches. A serious waist training program is no joke, and you should know that there are potential health risks if done improperly, so DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST!!

Now then, for those not embarking on body modification but looking for a lovely figure enhancing accessory/foundation, off-the-rack (or off the peg for our UK friends) isn't always bad, but it is always the inferior choice. Custom made (bespoke or one-off) corsets are a bit more expensive, 10-40%, but are well worth every penny spent on them.

A properly fitted corset is not uncomfortable at all for long term wear. Because it is made to your unique measurements as to length and width and such, it will not pinch, poke, or squish you in uncomfy places. An off-the-rack corset is made to someone's idea of a general average of ratios according to waist size. so it may be too tall, too short, too loose on top or bottom, or may be way too tight somewhere else. Also, you will never be able to lace an off the rack corset properly unless you happen to match that manufacturer's "idealized" ratio set.

A properly laced corset is laced with one set of strings/laces/cord in a giant loop so that the long ends of the loop are in the center of the corset. When tightening, the corset is gradually tightened from the top and bottom to the center, where the ends are tied in a bow....NOT wrapped around the waist and tied, as this can rub holes in the corset, and also cause bruising at the waist. When properly fitted and tightened, the grommets on the back of the corset (or front, if you laced it that way) should be PARALLEL and even. The gap should never be wider or narrower at the top and waist, or bottom and waist. This puts undue stress both on the garment and on the body, causing all kinds of nasty side effects--like pinching! And if you have a good corset, with steel bones, the bones could snap and injure you!.  Also, the flesh that tends to bulge at the laces is unsightly (and uncomfortable), so a lace protector should either be a part of the corset, or placed under the laces before tightening. Properly fitted and properly laced, a good corset is a joy to wear. It supports your back, improves your posture, and slims the figure.

Another grand idea for corset wear is a corset liner. There are commercial versions made, but for short term wear, an old t-shirt cut off to make a long rectangle will work very well. The short side of the rectangle should be the same length as your corset height from bottom to top. It should be long enough to wrap all the way around you under the corset before tightening. A corset liner does a couple of things. It protects you from the corset rubbing your bare skin as you move. It also protects the corset from you! Corsets cannot be washed, only spot cleaned. Therefore, they need protection from sweat, skin oils and acids, and fabric wear from friction. A corset liner accomplishes all of these things easily and comfortably.

After wearing, a corset should be hung by the laces over a coat hanger, towel bar, or other horizontal bar or rod and allowed to air for at least two or three hours. I store mine in the closet hanging over coat hangers by the laces, but I understand others fold theirs up with muslin inside and out and store them in drawers. These methods ensure that there are no uneven stresses on the construction of the garment. A corset is a marvelous piece of engineering, but like all engineered constructions, they are designed to cope with specific stresses, and do poorly with stresses they weren't designed for.

Oh boy, I went and wrote another novel! Sorry for that, and I hope I gave you all some info you may not have had before. A wonderful source of additional info is the Long Island Staylace Association. Google them for their site which also has additional links to suppliers of bespoke corsets.

As always,
Black_Rose

*Busy taking notes.. 

My daughter likes that one too! She does "french" nails with black base and chrome silver tips. Looks very nice!
She can even get away with it for school, so that's a good thing!


As always,
Black_Rose

Penthesilea wrote on Feb 7^th, 2007 at 12:56am:


You know there is something that will help that...but, you may not want to use it.  Clear Epoxy Resin.  Put your polish on, then carefully apply the resin to just the painted nail.  Don't let it get on your skin, or you may have problems.

Penthesilea wrote on Jan 31^st, 2007 at 11:38pm:




Me too.

Boy do I wanna corset!

Perhaps the time has come...

I'll have to check them out. I don't want to spend a lot until I reach my "goal weight/size" but there might be something I could get now...

You can be a red-headed goth... or any color-haired goth, really.  Play up your make-up, and see what you think.  You could always get a black hair dye that washes out after a few times, so you'd know if you'd like it or not.

It's all about accessories.  Look around on the web and see what you find - not all goths have black hair... actually, some of the hottest ones are redheads and blondes. 

Red-headed goths are almost always the ones garnering the most attention, as far as I have seen. One of the tricks for makeup I have seen is to use a white base makeup with a green undertint to cancel out the ruddy glow many natural redheads have to their skin. This makes for a white-white-white face to decorate with black, red, purple and sapphire colors.


Black Rose

I picked up a new eyeliner yesterday and I was fooling with it last night. My glasses make my eye makeup hard to see so when I'm ready to be photographed, I'll leave my glasses off. I'm going to have to develop a steadier hand with the eyeliner though....