LBC : Design an outfit for under $100 ( Official for 2013 )

Hello Lovelies~

 Yes It's true! After much hoping, the LBC has finally decided to do a few of our old posts again! I am so happy to be doing this topic again in an official Carnival capacity.

To celebrate our year anniversary, I decided to do a 'Dark Carnival' themed outfit!

 Let's start out as we mean to continue. This shirt is part of the 'Conncinous Crowns' Collection from the American Lolita Brand, Elegy.

Coming in at $55, it is the most expensive piece of our outfit. I chose this shirt because winter is approaching faster than expected this year and investing in one or two really good, versatile, neutral long sleeved shirts.

My favorite aspect of the shirt is the ruffles around the neck and cuffs. It's such a romantic look that can be mixed into Sweet, Gothic, and Classic outfits very easily.

 What I love most about Elegy as a designer is that she makes all of her clothes in inches! So this shirt can be made all the way up to a 50" bust.

You can order it HERE .

I paired this adorable top with a cute, but plain skirt from Forever 21 Plus. It's a bit shorter than I would normally recommend, but I feel it would look lovely with this top and I just love the peek-a-boo window on the thighs.

At $15.80, the Forget me not skater skirt is a must have for your winter wardrobe.

 Buy it HERE .

Printed tights have been The Thing for the past year and I don't see that trend dissipating any time soon. There is so much fun that can be added to an outfit with printed tights, but I couldn't find a pair I really liked with this outfit that fit my theme, but just when I was going to give up, 'Sock Dreams' made my dreams come true.

One side striped, the other side diamonds, These Harlequin tights are just the thing to add a bit of elegant whimsy to this look.

 Your can buy them HERE for $8.

OR for a look that screams 'Sexy and Classy' I would recommend these tights, also from 'Sock Dreams'.

These are $11, but well worth it! ( I like these more than the Harlequin ones myself. )

 Buy them HERE .

No outfit is complete without something fun in our hair, like the beautiful cherry on top for a fabulous sundae!


This "Gothic Victorian Circus Carnival Burlesque Black and White Striped Hair Clip Fascinator" from Hexotica on Etsy pushes the cost of my outfit over my $100 limit, but is so pretty!!!

It has Drama, Flare, Fun, and is the only thing I found in line with my outfit that wasn't a pair of boring hair bows.

 This hair piece is $38.43 . You can buy it HERE .

Let's Break it down.

Shirt          ~ $55.00
Skirt          ~ $15.80
Tights       ~  $ 8.00
Headdress ~ $38.43
-------------------------
Total            $117.23


So, all together my outfit comes out to $117. 23. Not bad! With the striped tights, this total ends up being $120.23.


 Again, I officially didn't make it under $100....Oh well!

 Thanks so much for reading and I hope you liked the outfit I created. Next week I'll be doing a 'No Price Limit' Gothic Carnival Outfit post, so make sure you come back from that!!

If you liked this post, please check out the other ladies from the LBC who have participated in this week's topic!

Lace a la Mode

The Silent Revival

Jess Cosmic Delight

Her Lumpiness 

Design an Outfit for Under $100 : Mermaid Theme

Hello Lovelies~

 A few months back I did a 'Outfit for under $100' post. I really enjoyed that post and for a while now I have been debating on doing another. So here it is, my next exciting 'Under $100' post!

With the re-release of 'The Little Mermaid' in theaters this fall, it seems that were once Unicorns were the Must Have hot trend in Mythical Creatures, now Mermaids are swimming in to take their place. Wearable swimming Mermaid tails a popping up all over the place and one doesn't need a beach to feel like a mermaid these days as long as you have a pool close by.

  I have loved mermaids since I was tiny. They have always fascinated me and 'The Little Mermaid' was watched so much in my house that I wore out my VHS and my mum had to get a second copy.

To say I was excited to scour my favorite handmade site for mermaid related items is a bit of an understatement. I really just had to go though my favorites and pick a few of my top items to share. ^_^

First, let's start with the main piece, it'll be what most see first and really sets the tone for this outfit. The last time I did something fancy. An outfit that could be worn to a party or out to a beautiful dinner, but this time I went more casual. A 'Dress me up, Dress me down' type outfit that can fit anyone's taste.

This shirt is from the Etsy shop owner ' Em & Sprout '.  I own the Kawaii Unicorn shirt from them and it's a grat shirt, so I would order from them again and Recommend them to anyone looking for a comfy cute Tee.

 This one is priced at $18.00 for 1X or 2X.

How cute is this hair clip? At $25, it's a bit pricy for what it is. But when you think about the time and effort it took to make this lovely hair piece, I can understand.

 This is made by the Etsy shop, 'CutieDynamite'. She has other interesting hair pieces that I would recommend for various different outfits if one were inclined to check them out.

Made by the Etsy shop, ' Blacktulipshop ', these earrings add a flirty fun element that can't be passed up for $7.

For those of us who don't think hinting at a theme is good enough. This necklace states it as bold as could be. 'Poison Tragic' made a very cute Laser cut Acrylic label necklace. I like the color. It's a frosty ice blue that speaks to me of the water.

$10 and one of these cute necklaces will add a bold statement as to the mythical creature what dwells in your heart.

What outfit is complete without a stunning set of nails?  These show stoppers are done by the Talented ' Lhouraii ', who can be found on Etsy under the same shop name. I've seen nails like this cost as much as $70 before, but at $28.35, these are a steal!

Now these nails aren't for everyone. They're a bit long. A bit claw like. Very me, but not for all, so I found a style that is a bit more tame. And can be done yourself on your own nails.

 I found this on Pinterest. It's not my tutorial and I don't own it. But I've done it before and it's so cool!

It reminds me of mermaid scales and beach waves. For a mermaid look, change the hot pink to a sea green color.


 Now I didn't include a skirt with this outfit because partly I couldn't find one anywhere I liked, on Etsy or other wise, but then I thought, Why not make the skirt yourself?

We've all seen the Tulle Tutu skirts that are all the rage and if you've looked into making them, they are actually quite cheap and easy to do. But what if you replaced the Tulle with Chiffon?

 My good friend Violet LeBeaux, who writes the blog 'Violet LeBeaux - Tales of Ingenue', did a tutorial on a Tulle Tutu skirt which I think would be easy to convert to a Chiffon material.

How to make a Tulle Tutu by Violet LeBeaux

 So let's add it all up...

Shirt        -- $18
Hair Clip --$25
Earrings  --$7
Nails      -- $28.35
Necklace --$10
________________

Total --- $ 88.35

YAY!!!  I made an outfit for under $100!!!

This leaves enough left over to make or buy a skirt you like that would complete this look.

 I hope you enjoyed this Outfit! maybe I'll do another one soon. I had so much fun putting this together!
 

Lolita Blog Carnival : Design an Outfit for Under $100

Hello Lovelies~

 I recently joined a fun new blogging circle called 'Lolita Blog Carnival' and each week we will be creating a fun and interesting post about a voted upon subject, then on a certain day, we will all post around the same time.

This weeks challenge was to create an outfit you could shop/buy right now, for under a hundred dollars. It was fun and interesting! I loved getting to show off some of the clothes I am always dreaming about, but the hardest part was keeping it under $100. I'll be honest, I didn't make it, my cord is over, but not by much, so lets jump right in and take a look at it ^_^ 

With the holiday season upon up, I thought I'd go with a dress that is both Lolita and good for fancy parties or family gatherings. I went with this beautiful black velvet dress from Infanta. It has all the elegance of a Hime Lolita outfit with all of the wow factor of a well done party dress. Even my unsupportive family can't find fault with it, thus, this is my recommendation to anyone trying to ease their family into accepting they fashion choices.

 PRICE: $81

Shop this dress HERE

I debated whether or not to do tights with this dress. It is fine when on it's own, but I figured it is going to be a cold winter and I wouldn't want my legs exposed to the elements, so tights it is!

 I chose these tights for their rose pattern and no other reason. I think the rose design will look really good with the embroidery on the dress and compliment the lace around the bottom well.

PRICE: $10

 Shop these tights HERE

Next let's talk shoes.

 In the winter flats and low heels aren't good. They keep you to close to the ground and practically invite water to soak your socks, or tights, or what have you. Most would just wear boots to circumvent this from happening, but  my solution to this is a higher chunk heel or a wedge.

The platform keeps you away from the cold and wet, while the open format still displays your whole leg.

 Leather is better in cold weather. ...Yes. I just did that.

When choosing shoes for snow or wet conditions, always go with a shoe that can be easily whipped down. Suede or velvet shoes are dazzling and fantastic, but Suede will ruin when water is applied and Velvet won't dry forever!

PRICE: $24

 Shop these shoes HERE



Ok! The basic outfit's final price tag is...........$115!

 Not terrible, but not under $100 either. So while I'm already over, let's add a last touch.


 This one is a bit different. I found it on Etsy and fell in love with the idea. I currently have her doing a statement piece for me for my own holiday outfits.

For a low price of $30 'Sweetmildred' will make you a custom floral hair accessory. Just send her a picture of the dress you'd like her to match.

 Below are a few examples of her work. Please note, these are her examples, not mine.

PRICE: $30 + shipping

 Shop for this HERE

I hope you liked my Cord. Make sure you check out all of the other wonderful outfits created by our participating members!


Her Lumpiness

F-Yeah Lolita

Parfaitdoll

Darkly Darling

Ramble Rori

Starry Dreams

A-Lace-Jail

Magic A la Mode

Puppenschloss