#Or she’s wearing a hemmed old green trench coat

[teethbomb]

tumblr auto deleted my rant because they know I’m right

[daisys-gard3n]

Mariya Onuki

Namesake: Mariya Takeuchi (Singer), Taeko Onuki (Singer)

Age: 16

Birthday: April 8th, 1983 (Aries)

From: Tokyo, Japan

Part: Diamond is Unbreakable

Appearance: Long, dyed light blonde hair (originally light brown). Usually in a high ponytail, strands of hair laced through hair tie to make base of ponytail look like a five-petal flower. Floating choppy bang similar to young Suzi Q's, a black headband behind her bang. Brown eyes. Light skin. Multiple piercings in her ears.

Usually seen wearing Morioh High School uniform and blue loafers (ie: yukako's variant) but modified with a long skirt that reaches to her ankles. Top changes to long sleeves for colder seasons. Wears a long black trench coat that's open, reaches to the back of her calves, has gold and white words embroidered on the back and a large rose in gold on her back and a small gold rose on the left sleeve. The words say 'Family is a bond that cannot be broken' 'Loyalty rules them all' 'Protect those who would die protecting you' 'Trust is the knife that can be used for and against you' and 'May corruption fall to its knees and the just rise to the occasion'. It was her mother's old jacket. Wears a blue medical mask, either fully covering her mouth and nose or pulled behind her chin.

Casual wear is baggy and ripped olive green cargo jeans with a black belt, a red cropped satin tank top, chunky red trainers. Or a white t-shirt with a red basketball jersey layered on top with 'oh my god!' printed on the hem and sleeves (see: jotaro's jojo jacket), blue jean shorts, brown leather sandals, and a red bandanna with a bow tied into it in her hair.

Stand: Def Leppard

Takes the form of a large black panther with icy blue eyes. It attacks through the sound of its roars, it can roar to a loudness of up to 200 dB which can kill someone. Each level of dB it roars, the spots you would see on a regular leopard glow bright blue. It usually roars at around 120 dB repeatedly to cause temporary deafness to enemies. Its roars are very long range, the safest distance away from them would be around 20 meters and progressively getting closer would bring damage to one's ears. In situations where Mariya can't see, Def Leppard can roar and activate a special echolocation to determine the environment and sense people or things through motion and sound, thanks to its superior hearing.

An incredibly skilled hunter, Def Leppard is able to stalk and hunt enemies without being detected as long as it is in hiding. Its defence is severely lowered in open sight. Def Leppard is mostly a close range stand with only a range of around 6 meters. Its claws and teeth are as strong as iron, lunging at prey ruthlessly. However, it is more prone to getting injured since it has little defense when its caught or in the open area.

Destructive Power - A , Speed - A , Range - C , Stamina - D , Precision - B , Development Potential - B

Backstory + Plot: Born from two delinquent yankees fresh out of high school, Mariya held their delinquent values to heart. After witnessing her parents explosive personalities, it was bound to get her in trouble as she used to threaten and beat up mean but rather harmless kids in her pre-school and kindergarten classes. She got sent to the office pretty frequently, ranging from coming into class with outlandish yankee fashion to beating someone up, and her parents were always there saying that it's 'character-building'. Thanks to Mariya, pre-schools and elementary schools actually set up a suspension policy to punish her for getting into so much trouble all the time, making Mariya stay at home and do assigned homework instead of going to class. She spent most of her days alone when suspended because her father worked in a car factory and held down side jobs with landscaping and her mother worked as a shift manager at a restaurant and at a laundromat. But they would spend time with her whenever they were off so she wouldn't feel so alone, and Mariya appreciated that.

Mariya calmed down a bit throughout elementary school to avoid giving her parents so much grief, especially when their work picks up. Of course, she got into fights and was rewarded with no recess time in return. When she got into middle school, Mariya's mother passed down her old embroidered trench coat and her old metal bat (nicknamed 'Def Leppard' because she made some chicks go deaf after hitting them upside the head with it). Mariya was so moved and excited about this, she slept with them on and near her at all times. Making it her most treasured items.

Unsurprisingly, she joined a gang in middle school. She got into constant fights with rival gang members or those who talked smack about her 'family'. She used Def Leppard for more heinous fights, breaking noses and making people lose their hearing temporarily. Slowly, she got into more toxic things such as bullying other students for money, beating up members who did even the smallest of things that disrespected the leader of the gang, stealing out of stores for cigarettes and booze, hanging around older and more toxic crowds of gangs, and so on...One day, Mariya found her gang brutally stomping and beating on someone who apparently stole the gang leader's weapon when she really didn't. Mariya tried to get the leader to understand, but she had to watch that girl get brutally beaten into a coma. It took that for Mariya to wake up and realize what she had been doing around her middle school graduation. She wasn't upholding to her parent's codes when they were delinquents...She had become the corrupt she was taught to hate. Mariya ultimately apologized to those she wronged and eventually told the leader that she was leaving the gang, saying that she woke up and saw how twisted everyone was. Of course, she was beaten - but Mariya put up a fight. She came home covered in bruises, cuts, and bleeding from her nose and mouth, but smiling...She could finally see what was right.

She moved to Morioh after her father's job relocated. See saw this as a chance to start over and get rid of her toxic self in the past and to swear to protect those weaker than her and to strive for the truth. Dying her hair blonde from its former light brown to indicate her new start. On the first day of school, she found some upperclassmen picking on a freshmen, so she got in the way and told them to bug off - which caused a fight that she won. Although she was suspended for about a month. Once she got back to school, she befriended the freshmen who got picked on and the two of them have their daily school lives together in class and spending lunch together. However, she was walking home one day and got struck with the arrow thanks to Akira Otoishi. Making her pass out, somehow waking up in her house many hours later. There, she would find her stand had manifested and was resting near her metal bat. It caused her to freak out and learn that no one else can see this large panther, according to her father who busted in and said she was still seeing things from her dreams. Mariya was wary of it until she realize it really wanted to do no harm to her, in fact it listen to her every word. Since it was resting by her bad, she decided to name her stand 'Def Leppard'.

While Mariya was busy with her part time job, a newspaper route, she heard Koichi's faint scream for help almost 40 meters away. It caused her to drop her route and go to his voice, ending up in the villa of summer homes. Using Def Leppard to track Koichi's voice, she eventually ran up to the house Koichi was trapped in and proceeded to look inside the windows to see where he was. Koichi thought he was saved until Yukako interfered, allowing them to fight just before Koichi battled with Yukako. Mariya ended up bruised up, but she was able to make friends with Koichi, Okuyasu, and Josuke for her attempt of trying to save him. This is also where she learned the concept of 'stand users' and 'stands', since all three of the boys were also stand users. Afterwards, she is seen hanging around the three main boys alongside her friend, Miyabi Teru, in between classes, during lunch, and after school.

She was allowed to accompany Jotaro, Okuyasu, Josuke, and Koichi during the Red Hot Chili Peppers arc simply because her stand was proven to be useful to Jotaro in tracking the stand user of Chili Peppers. She had accompanied Okuyasu over to Joseph Joestar's boat as protection while Josuke and Koichi searched for Red Hot Chili Peppers. During the mishap between Akira and a Speedwagon Foundation worker, she wasn't much help because she equally had half a brain like Okuyasu and couldn't tell who was who. Finding out that Akira was the one who struck her with the arrow, Mariya thanked him for giving her such an amazing ability such as Def Leppard before temporarily making him go deaf as he was taken away as he cried he could no longer hear the sweet music he made. Ending her statement with "No one makes me knock out without getting something back tenfold."

She only appears in certain parts from here on: Such as in Shigechi's Harvest, where he came up to Mariya asking if she wanted to have a good time and proceeded to kick him away before going back to shopping. And only briefly meeting Rohan, developing a sour taste for him once she learned what he did to Koichi and Okuyasu and how he provoked Josuke. She can also be seen hanging out at Cinderella, usually getting her roots done since she had a discount there because of her mother. While she wasn't there for the death of Shigechi since she was out sick, she still felt somber and visited his grave out of respect for his life. Mariya only felt true anger against Yoshikage Kira when she learned that Aya died, fueling her passion to help the duwang gang search for him in order to avenge her relative.

During the July 15th arc, Mariya was only present for the fight against Super Fly and Enigma. Partially turning into patterned paper from Enigma's ability after revealing her nervous tick before Yuya came in.

During the final fight with Yoshikage Kira, she foolishly fights him blindly after she and Josuke learn about his true identity - wanting to get revenge for killing Aya and causing her mother and father so much grief. It caused her and Def Leppard to be badly injured for a while, in fear that her body might have been turned into a bomb just before Okuyasu is injured as well nd developing confusion that either of the two could be the next bomb. Josuke going into a frantic denial that both of his friends couldn't be dead. After Josuke defeats Yoshihiro Kira, Mariya just barely has enough strength left to tell Okuyasu that he needed to go and save Josuke before he gets injured. Def Leppard nearby being able to see that both Killer Queen and Stray Cat have combined in order to create a powerful stand that could easily defeat Josuke.

She appears just last second as Yoshikage was about to activate Bites the Dust again, bringing out Def Leppard to try and pounce on him before it was too late, however she wasn't fast enough. Only Jotaro's Star Platinum: The World's time stopping ability was able to get to him and aggressively beat him. Just before his head gets crushed by the ambulance.

Personality:

A headstrong young woman who is easy to anger, since she adopted the yankee attitude from an early age. However, is she extremely loyal to her friends and family and would do anything for them, such as when she willingly beat people for the gang leader she thought she was 'family' with and how she became blindsided with anger trying to fight Kira outright. She's also quick to anger when she sees people who were obviously being ganged up on or in dangerous situations, such as Teru being bullied by upperclassmen on the first day of school and Koichi being held hostage in the summer home by Yukako. It reminds her of what she used to do and she wants to make amends for it by being the good person she wants to be. The more angry she gets, the more dirty her mouth becomes and the more she adopts yankee mannerisms - such as severely trash talking Yukako the more pissed off she got at her.

She has a very big heart - she loves her parents dearly and even picked up on some side jobs so they wouldn't have to work as much as they did in Tokyo. She always stood by Teru's side, even when she got hit with a stand arrow and gained her ability. She lets Josuke and Okuyasu copy her homework when they forget to do it with the promise that they'll do a favor for her too. She rushes over to her friends side when she learns there was an enemy stand attacking them.

Even though she's trying to get rid of her bad behavior from the past, she still can't help but think with her fists first like Okuyasu thinking Mikitaka was a stand user.

An adrenaline junkie who gets bored easily - loves going on roller coaster rides, riding on her dad's bike through unfamiliar roads, and loves to have fun with her friends whenever she can. She also loves making new friends, realizing that Mikitaka was innocent she affectionately calls him 'freaky space guy'.

Despite her behavior - she's actually quite maiden-like when it comes to love. 100% pure love here. She gets flustered at the idea of holding hands with another guy, and gets so red even thinking about kissing one. She's the type to buy cheap shoujo manga and squeal over the romance happening. Mariya is quite the hopeless romantic, watching romance movie with her mom (the person she got it from) while her dad has to watch the dumpster fire while his wife and daughter squeal at cheesy romance scenes. She's happy to help other's romantic endeavors, such as Yukako with Koichi and eventually Teru with Okuyasu. Bringing up every romance cliche in the book and hoping it works out for them (it usually doesn't but sometimes it does). When she realizes she's in love with Josuke, Mariya gets so embarrassed even being around Josuke. One time, they shared and umbrella in the rain and she was so red from just being close to him. He one time put his gakuran over Mariya's shoulders and she could smell his scent, making her so embarrassed and hid her face into her hands.

She later on gets confused about her life. Asking her friends what they would be doing after high school since she hadn't decided yet. She freaks out that everyone will be moving on but her and she didn't know what to do, being reassured by Josuke that she just needed to take her time and find what she's good at and see if she can make that into a job. She's very concerned about her future, since she didn't want to rely on her parents forever and wanted to buy them a nice house one day.

Has a very positive outlook, otherwise. Telling people things will get better and she'll be there to help them out or how the flowers are getting watered when its raining. She looks at the silver lining of things when its going wrong and she's not angry or tired.

Theme: Pollyanna - Green Day

Fun Facts:

Mariya is actually Aya Tsuji's Niece on her Mother's side, although she never met her until she moved to Morioh and just finding out she was a stand user.

Her parents were yankees during the more 'tackier' era of its fashion, allowing her to like that style and thinking Josuke's haircut is cool and modern. - and will get angry at anyone who disses it with Josuke.

Actually ended up with Josuke after it turned out she was alive after the Yoshikage fight. In a private time where he was taking her home, he kissed her and said he was so worried she almost died. It's very cute and gushy to watch.

Becomes lovey-dovey to Josuke, even learning how to make cutesy bentos to make him flustered.

Her parents are pretty chill, but when it comes to their daughter they get over protective. Mrs. Onuki found out about what happened to Mariya after getting beat up by her former gang and went in there with just a purse full of bricks and beat everyone of the girls up. When a random guy in the shop was talking about how 'hot' his daughter was, Mr. Onuki took a steal pipe and whacked him upside the head. Although, Mrs. Onuki was very accepting of Josuke when he came over while Mr. Onuki proceeded to put on his old Bancho act from back in the day. They ended up liking him though.

An affinity for small and plush things - stuffed animals, tiny things, cute stationary, etc. When looking at her cat-themed stationary bag you would think it belonged to Teru when it actually belongs to Mariya.

Other than romance movies, Mariya loves horror movies.

Loves taking bubble baths, collects different soap flowers and bath bombs to make her experience lovely.

[suncityblues]

Former Ghosts

Dean/Cas fic  ~2k words, pretty fluffy/light  AO3 -> https://archiveofourown.org/works/27648394

On TV, hospital rooms are usually these clean, white places with a sunny window and a nice chair in the corner. A family member or loved one would be there, desperately pleading for forgiveness, or redemption, or something like that. The nurses are all hot 20 somethings and doctors take time to talk to the patient and their family in soothing, apologetic tones. By the end of the episode there is either a miraculous recovery or a heartbreaking death.

Dean knows this well, television practically raised him. So no matter how many times he ends up in one it’s still a bit of a disappointment to wake up sweaty and alone in a dark room with puke green walls on one side and a curtain separating another patient on the other. This time, his back hurts like hell and he wants to know where Sam is and what happened to those kids.

As usual, he ignores the disappointed part of him that wanted to have not woken up at all. He’s grown accustomed to that thought over the years, and it’s easy to shoo away, but not as easy as it used to be.

He tries to get up and make a run for it before an orderly notices he’s awake and starts questioning him about the health insurance he doesn’t have, but the moment Dean moves forward he’s overcome with a stab of pain that makes his vision go black in the middle. He lets out a sharp “paaah” sound that hurts his throat, and falls back into place. He feels nauseous and winded.

A heavyset woman in her 30’s comes into the room. “Hello,” she says kindly, “I saw your heart rate was up, do you know where you are?”

Dean shakes his head no.

“St. Sebastian Hospital” she answers, then: “Give me one moment, please.” Dean’s mouth is so dry he doesn’t think he could argue even if he wanted to. The woman pulls his medical chart off the back of his bed and checks it over.

“Mr, ah, Bolan, it seems like you were in a serious car accident and have been out for the last few days. You have a punctured kidney, and quite a few other injuries, you’re really lucky to be alive and recovering as well as you are,” the woman says. There’s a softly scolding tone in her voice. Dean wonders if she thinks he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt or something.

Dean nods at her, feigning repentance. He guesses his full name on her chart must be Marc Bolan, the rock star tragically deceased in a car crash. Good one, Sammy, though a bit on the nose.

Dean’s mouth is still dry so he gestures weakly at his throat. The nurse lightens up.

“I’ll have someone bring you some ice chips, and the attending physician will be in soon to get you up to speed on your recovery.” She points out a little red button attached to his bed, “If you need anything, press this, okay?”

Dean nods.

—

Dean spends the next few days in the hospital. He wants to leave as soon as Sam gets there in the morning but Sam insists he stay the full amount of time that the doctor recommended. He says something to Dean about the possibility of sepsis but Dean doesn’t really listen. He knows how to keep his wounds clean, he’s not some dumb kid.

Eventually Dean gets discharged back to the bunker with a handful of unpaid-for antibiotics and by the time he’s healthy enough to get to the bathroom by himself without blacking out, they get a call. After much hemming and hawing from Dean, Sam goes off to a hunt in Texas by himself. It scares the shit out of Dean to see his brother go alone but he puts on a brave face and pats Sam on the back, like it’s no big deal.

“Call if you need anything. Anything at all,” Dean tells him. Sam rolls his eyes but agrees.

Dean waits. And waits. And waits. And nothing bad happens. Sam comes home victorious. Dean knew he would.

And then Sam goes off by again. And comes back. And keeps doing it. And after a while Dean gets used to it, though he can’t help himself from feeling like the world is moving on without him.

—

Dean’s back still hurts. He feels like a burden to Sam, and to himself. He drinks beer with the dog and watches TV and eats chips, then goes to bed and gets up the next day and does the same thing. Sometimes he’ll help Sam out with research over the phone, and hates that these moments are the highlight of his day, sometimes week.

He tries not to think about Castiel, but almost immediately gives up and starts researching ways to get him back. When Sam is home, sometimes he asks what Dean is up to but Dean can’t bring himself to lie or to tell the whole truth.

“Looking for trouble,” Dean replies jokingly, and lets Sam assume this means Dean’s searching for a new case rather than researching ancient enochian summoning rituals. Because he knows what Sam would say. Cas sacrificed himself so they could win, and he’d want them to move forward. Cas would want them to be happy, and live good lives. Especially Dean.

But, Dean’s not entirely sure he wants to be happy, it would be a pretty foreign feeling after all this time. In fact, Dean’s not sure he wants anything, anymore. Except for Sam to be happy and Cas to be home, with him. He doesn’t think he’ll ever finish processing what Castiel had said to him the last time they had seen each other but Dean reserves the right to try.

Around the time Dean’s back wound is fully healed and he’s ready to start hunting again, Sam runs back into Eileen hunting an angry spirit outside Lafayette. They start spending more time together on the road. Dean is happy for them, though a little sad when Sam starts to move on.

But, the plus side is that this gives Dean extra time to do something very stupid and ill advised without his brother walking in on him.

—

He’s about halfway through the summoning ritual when the candles blow out on their own and Dean feels himself thrown backwards by an otherworldly gust of wind. It hurts badly but the live ram Dean was about to sacrifice seems relieved.

A man in a trench coat appears in the room with a very cross look on his face. The relief Dean feels when he sees Castiel is so powerful he almost needs to sit down.

“Did it work?” Dean asks. “Not even close,” Castiel replies, “You were about to summon a huge sea monster.”

Dean can’t stop himself from smiling anyway. The ram makes a grunting sound.

—

Castiel comes clean that he’d been saved by Jack, and instead of saying anything was waiting for Dean to die of old age and get to heaven, which Dean finds pretty insulting. “Time passes differently in heaven” Cas had said which sounded to Dean like a cop out.

He ignores the fact that, as usual, Sam is right. Dean is actually pretty great at ignoring Sam when he wants to.

“I wanted you to have a real life, Dean,” Cas had said irritatedly, “I wanted you to know happiness and freedom. Freedom from everything.”

Dean doesn’t like Castiel’s tone when he says the word, “everything” because he knows Cas is including himself in that. It pisses him off, in fact.

“So what?” Dean nearly shouts before collecting himself to grit out, “You get to say your peace and then leave? Just like that?” Dean doesn’t add “It’s not fair” but petulantly thinks it. He’s so mad he has to take a step back and breathe through his nose. It had never occurred to him Cas was back and simply didn’t want to see him, especially after what had happened. It stings.

Cas says nothing for a long moment, just levels a sad look at Dean that says the differences are insurmountable between them. That they’re wholly different creatures meant to be on different planes of existence and never meet on earth, and certainly never care for each other. They are, at best, to have a post-life cordial business relationship. Dean huffs. He steps closer to Cas, and Cas lets him.

“You know how I feel, Dean, but...” Cas finally starts but is cut off.

“Okay, well. Do you want to hear what I have to say?” Dean asks. Cas says nothing. Dean can feel himself choking up, which he hates.

“I want to say that I love you too, you know. Love you-love you. And I don’t wanna be here if you’re not around, and I don’t wanna get old without you. I got hurt, bad, after you were gone and I thought to myself: good, finally, this is how it’s supposed to be. Because if you were gone, I wanted to be gone too. I’ve been counting down my days since I was a kid, man.”

He doesn’t cry but his face is hot and scrunched up and he knows he looks like a mess. He doesn’t often let himself willingly experience these feelings, but they’re there. They’ve always been there. They’ve gotten so much worse without Castiel beside him.

Resigned, Castiel replies with absolutely no irony but a bit of pettiness, “Should I have not saved you from those vampire clowns, then? I’m sorry, Dean, I couldn’t help myself. I had hoped you’d be able to outlive John, at least.”

Of course, Dean thinks. Of course you don’t heal that easy from a punctured organ, but what’s a subtle bit of healing magic between friends? The hot air leaves him all at once and he feels empty.

“Cas” he says. He doesn't actually know where he’s going with this. He leans his face close to Castiel, so their foreheads and noses are touching. He is deeply relieved when Cas kisses him.

—

A few days later Sam is surprised to come home to a ram grazing outside the bunker, but not at all to find Castiel and Dean cuddled up on the couch watching movies.

“Welcome home,” he says.

[hidding-in-shadows]

Resbang 2019: hot for the teacher (chapter one)

Here is my piece for Resbang 2019! Chapters are going up every hour to finish it off and little a little room for antici------pation! When my lovely artist, ringochan, posts their art I will add the link for viewers! In the mean time, here you go!

Summary: Maka had always wanted to become someone who left their mark on the world; an inventor, a political leader, an author. She never thought her legacy would be educating eight-year-olds on how to read, multiply, and conduct experiments. Now, in her first year of teaching, Maka is realizing that being the top student in college is different from being an effective teacher in the classroom. And, it doesn’t help that her newly appointed co-teacher is annoyingly better than her. (And attractive.) As Maka struggles to push herself through the year and get through her perfectionism, her and her co-teacher, Soul, form a teaching bond that impresses even the snooty district personal. And themselves. Teacher/Elementary School AU. Warnings: sexual content, drinking, swearing, mental health, family/childhood trauma

Rated M Pairings: SoMa, SidxNyga, BlackStarxTsubaki

ffn link ao3 link

Chapter One below the cut!

She is up before the alarm goes off and she wonders if this is what first day jitters feels like even though it's not her first day. The kids don’t come for another week. It’s a mantra in her head, but her heart still flutters as she glances towards the outfit she had hanging on the closet door. Its a basic skirt and button down combo, but she’s beginning to doubt her choice. 

The beeping of the coffee machine pulls her away from the doubt and she shuffles out of the room. One cup of coffee later and she is deciding what cereal to eat. Chocolate bunnies or cinnamon bunnies? As she’s balancing the boxes in her hands, the familiar ringtone of my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, and they’re like, it’s better than --

"I thought you slept in until the last minute,” Maka decides on the chocolate shaped bunnies as she answers. A laugh crackles over the phone and she winced. Just because her mind decided to wake up at five in the morning didn’t mean she wasn’t affected by the sharpness of Blake’s … everything. “Seriously, Blake, what’s up?”

“Don’t sound so excited to talk to your best friend, Maka,” the familiar voice fills her ear as she presses the phone between shoulder and cheek, “I wanted to check on you. First day jitters?”

“Can that even happen if it isn’t my official first day?”

“Kids come next week, Maks, and this week is going to be filled with silly meetings and trainings. Don’t be so nervous.”

“Well you’re a natural,” Maka hunts for a spoon in the clean side of her sink, “and you’ve been there for three years.”

“Everyone starts somewhere,” something in the background muffles Blake’s voice, “and three years isn’t a lot of time.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Maka begins to move the cereal around in her bowl, making sure every chocolate bunny is covered in milk before taking a bite. “We have to be there at seven-thirty, right?”

“Yes ma’am,” she rolls her eyes at his tone, “anyways, I just wanted to check up on you. I know how nerves can be and I need to make sure my college buddy is ready for the big world.”

“I think I was ready before I even went to college, Blake. Remember, it was you who thought I was in my final internship.”

“Eh, the past is the past. I’m gonna go.” The call ends abruptly and Maka puckers her lips as she looks at the End Call screen. He was never good at goodbyes. 

She sighs as she looks at the chocolate bunnies floating in her milk. She stirs them around a bit and suddenly is being pulled back into her thoughts. 

She graduated, moved across the county, and got a job, all in the year. She thinks back to her first day of college, walking into her Introduction to Education class and snickering when Blake Star, a crazed looking frat boy, waved her down because he wanted to complement her trench coat. He had asked if she was the other speaker coming in for the freshman. 

He then continued to talk and talk about how his junior year was going and his professors. He even asked her questions before answering them himself. After a full five minutes of him holding a conversation with just himself, she slumped down next to him in the chair and nodded along. The look in his eyes when she stood up and introduced herself as a student in the class was priceless.

Something wraps a warm tail around her leg, breaking Maka from her train of thought. She looks down to see her cat, lithe and black, curling around her leg. Her yellow eyes pierce up towards Maka. Maka leans down to give her a scratch under her chin. 

“Lilith,” Maka sighs as she discards the rest of her cereal onto the growing pile of dishes in her sink, “I hope everything goes okay today. I mean, I’m sure there will be some boring meetings and a lot of paperwork but ... ,” Maka stops and laughs to herself a little bit, “I am venting to my cat. And now I am talking to myself. Teacher brain has already begun.” 

--

The cafeteria has tables folded and pushed to the side and there are rows of chairs for the morning meeting. She is the first one in the room, and there’s a distinct smell of cream cheese and coffee in the air from the complimentary snack table in the corner. Maka shifts the bag on her shoulder and debates if she should move toward the front or fall into the back.

Before she can make a decision, the doors to the cafeteria swing open and Blake comes in with a bellowing laugh and two others behind him. His hair is dyed a neon blue, matching one of the school colors, and his green eyes twinkle. He sports an old school shirt for DWMA, gym shorts, and beat up Nikes, but Maka didn’t expect anything else from the P.E. teacher.

“Maks!” He hollars her name even though she is only a few feet away from him, “always the early bird.”

“Good morning to you too, Blake,” she smiles and her grip on her bag strap lessens. She moves toward the small group. Blake’s smile grows some more and then he blinks as if realizing something before twisting to the two people behind him.

“Barret, Nyga, this is Maka Albarn, the new third grade teacher! She’s my friend I told you guys about.”

Behind Blake are two other people, one man who stands a good head and a half taller than Blake and a woman who is about Blake’s height. They man’s dreadlocks fall just past his ears and his eyes are dark and warm as he gives Maka a smile. His hand is rough in her own when he shakes it. He wears similar attire to Blake, and Maka guesses he is the other P.E. teacher.

“Sid Barret, but everyone really goes by last names here,” his voice is deep and friendly, “and this is Mira Nyga-Barret, my wife. I work with Star here as a P.E. coach and Nyga here is our lovely math coach for the school.”

“So you’ll be seeing me a lot,” Nyga speaks and her voice is strong, as strong as her deep blue eyes, “I’ve heard good things about you from Star and Dr. Mortimor. I look forward to working with you this year.”

“Likewise,” Maka smiles and shakes Nyga’s hand as well, “I’m excited to start my career here. It feels unreal getting my first year position at DWMA.”

“Well, there’s a reason we have Academy in the name,” Barret begins to move towards the chair,s “you’ll start to notice, though, that as bright as our kids are, there are some troubles because of home situations. It wasn’t a mistake when Dr. Mortimor placed the Academy here.”

“It’s important that all kids have access to arts and science,” Maka says as she settles down in one of the chairs. They were in the middle of the rows, a comfortable distance from the front. 

“We pride ourselves in it,” Nygas adjusts herself, smoothing her hands over the long, dark blue skirt she wears,“especially the arts. Every year our art teacher has created a statue with the graduating fifth grade class. They’re placed all around the school. Maybe Blake can give you an official tour so you can see everything.”

“She’ll want to see her classroom first,” Blake leans back on two legs of the chair, hands clasped behind his head, “besides, I think Dr. Mortimor or Ms. Leon will do the tour. They kinda run this place.”

The doors open again and more voices fill the cafeteria. Barret excuses himself to go talk to the group that just walked in as Nyga and Blake begin to get into a conversation about scheduling. Maka sits with her bag between her feet and begins to fiddle with a loose string at the hem of her sweater. Slowly, as the cafeteria becomes filled with staff members, Maka’s nerves begin to increase. There’s easily fifty people in the cafeteria now, mingling and roaming around. Some talk and laugh while others are scroll on their phones. Maka feels welcomed and shut out all at the same time -- no one has eyed her up and down, but also no one has come over to welcome her to the school. She tries to slow down the blooming feeling of anxiety in her chest. 

“Welcome, welcome,” a high voice purrs over the intercom system in the cafeteria and everyone begins to lower their voices, “welcome back teachers and staff members! We have a meeting at seven thirty in the cafeteria with bagels and coffee, complimentary from the PTA. Make sure to grab a snack, find a seat, and get ready for some icebreakers to start us off right for this new year!” 

“You must be the new third grade teacher,” the voice came from beside her and Maka jumps slightly as she turns to see a woman older than her standing there. Her blonde hair is cut short and choppy, and it holds a slight curl. She wears a black turtleneck and dark business pants, and Maka can tell from the look in her hazel eyes that this woman is judging her. 

“Yeah, I’m Maka Albarn,” she plasters her best real-looking-fake-smile on as she holds her hand out, “excited to be joining the team!”

The woman looks at Maka’s hand for a moment before reaching out and shaking it. Her long black nails tap against Maka’s skin. “Medusa Gorgon. I’m the other third grade teacher. I’m right next door to you.”

“So will you be my mentor?” Maka asks, letting her hand fall into her lap while Medusa raises a perfectly plucked eyebrow into a deep arch. “I mean, when I went to my new teacher orientation they told me --,”

“Wait, you’re a first year teacher?” Medusa points a finger towards Maka as if accusing her of something. Maka’s eyes go crossed for a moment as they track the nail. She looks back to Medusa. She simply nods with her tight smile and Medusa purses her lips before returning an equally tight smile. “Well, it looks like we’ll be working pretty closely. I’m going to have to guide you towards not screwing the kids up too bad this year.”

“Excuse me?”

“Maks!” Blake’s voice cuts through the tension that is beginning to build between the two teachers and they both look to see the man standing a few chairs away, hands on hips and stupid grin plastered to his face. “Come get some snacks. I can introduce you to some of the others!”

“Well, that’s my cue,” Maka stands and hoists her bag onto her shoulder. She gives Medusa another smile, “I look forward to working with you this year.”

“Likewise,” Medusa’s eyes trail over Maka one last time before she turns on a heel and goes towards the front of the cafeteria. There is a tight, eerie feeling in Maka’s belly, but she pushes it down and turns to join Blake at the bagel table.

“The Thompson Sisters,” Blake makes a wide arm gesture towards two women who look like they should be models instead of working in a school. 

The tall one has her hair down, long and straight, glossy in the fluorescent light. Her features are slightly accentuated with makeup and she smiles with her pink tinted lips. The outfit she wears looks like it has been pulled straight out of a teacher Instagram account; light washed high waisted jeans, a pale green button down blouse, and a slightly over large tan-and-brown plaid blazer. She’s tall and slim, but the heeled boots she wears make her even taller, closer to Barret’s height. 

The girl next to her is the total opposite, though equally stunning. Her face is round and her cheeks are dusted pink. Baby blue eyes sparkle under thick lashes and she has a bubbly smile as she reaches out for a hug. Her dress sways around her calves as she moves in and squeals as she squeezes Maka against her chest.

“Maka Albarn! Our new third grade teacher! I am so excited to work with you!” The bubbly woman’s voice matches her personality perfectly. 

"Star's told us a lot about you," the tall one smiles and it's blindingly beautiful. "I'm Elizabeth, but you can call me Liz. Patti is the one who goes by Ms. Thompson."

"Thanks for the warm welcome," Maka pulls back and blushes under their gaze, "and I hope it's all good things he’s told you."

"Well graduating top of your class with recommendations from almost all your professors is quite a sign," Liz waves her hand in the air, her pale pink nails manicured to perfection, "I may have peeked into your files online. I'm the family services and volunteer coordinator by the way. So you'll see me running around here."

"And I'm the school counselor," the other one, Patti Thompson, said. "I'll be coming in to talk to your kiddos during the school year. You'll hear from me a lot."

"Let's not overwhelm her just yet, girls," Blake clasps a hand on Maka’s shoulder and flashes his usual big, dumb grin, "the Doc should be in soon to start this thing off. Let's go back to our seats, Maks."

Maka settles back down with Blake next to her and Barret on the other side. It felt odd being between the two P.E. coaches, but something inside of Maka tells her she should stay as separated from Medusa as she can before the school year starts. The chattering in the cafeteria had begun to settle down and soon everyone was facing the stage, waiting for Dr. Mortimor to come out. The clock ticks and ticks, people whisper, and then finally the man steps out on stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” his voice is high and holds a playful tone. Dr. Mortimor is a tall man, towering on the stage, and he wears a crisp black suit with a pale blue shirt underneath it. His black hair is gelled back, hazel eyes sparkling behind a pair for wide, black rimmed glasses. His mustache is twisted at the ends, and Maka imagines his smile hidden behind it as if he were a cartoon character.

“Welcome back,” Dr. Mortimor continues with arms outstretched, “as you may have noticed, there are a few new faces around here! I want us to go around and introduce ourselves quickly, then we’ll get into our real icebreaker activity!”

Her heart pounds at the mention of an icebreaker activity, but Maka knew this would happen. She’s a teacher for goodness sakes, she designs icebreaker activities for a living. But, even as people introduce themselves and their jobs, along with something they did over the summer, Maka feels her heart sped up as her time comes closer and closer. The sentences she is going say repeat in her mind as everyone goes, and soon it’s Nyga’s turn, then Barrets, then hers.

“Good morning,” she smiles and silently curses at herself at the way her voice hitches, “I’m Maka Albarn. I’m the new third grade teacher. Something fun I did over the summer was get an apartment.”

“Where is it,” someone calls out.

“Grigori Gardens,” Maka wrings her hands in front of her, “and this is my first year teaching.”

Some people let out a congratulations and others give a simple clap. Maka pushes her flush down and nods at everyone before taking her seat. Blake springs up next to her and starts going off as Maka tries to breath and calm down her nerves. She was used to speaking in front of a group of five year olds, last year she spent the whole school year in a kindergarten class for her final internship. Standing in front of a bunch of adults was a totally different story. 

Once everyone had introduced themselves, they turned their chairs toward a large projector screen that was lowered above the stage.. 

“Time to do our quick icebreaker! Mrs. Leon will be passing around a slip of paper to everyone. I want you to do Two Truths and a Lie. Then we will go around and share with small groups with Life Boats! Directions are on the powerpoint let’s go-go-go!”

The man’s peppy personality did not match that of his outward appearance, and Maka noted that she might need to be extra-extroverted with the man. She receives her slip from Mrs. Leon, the assistant principal who had a dazzling smile and a perfectly tailored power suit. The activity is pretty simple and fun, she gets into three different groups and everyone laughs and guesses at what the truths are and what the lies are. She gets to meet a few other teachers; two fifth grade teachers, a resource teacher, and the art teacher that was mentioned before. Once the activity is over, a few details regarding the weeks schedule are given, then the teachers are dismissed to their rooms.

“I can show you your classroom,” Blake slaps his knees and jumps out of his seat, “and help you move stuff. We don’t have too much to do right now, plus, Barrett said he would be the ball-checker today and I just needed to clean up the office.”

“Thanks, Star,” Maka sighs as she stands, adjusting her bag on her shoulder, “I have a lot though, are you sure you’ve got time?”

“For you Maks, anything.”

--

“You really do have a lot of shit,” Blake huffs, a sweat breaking out across his forehead as he places the last box down. Maka nods and takes in the room. It is large and carpeted. When she walked in, she literally gasped. Looking into the class, there is a smartboard mounted to the left wall, then three, tall ceiling windows on the opposite wall to the door. Another door is diagonally across the room, an emergency escape. Then, the wall where the main entrance was was covered with a large whiteboard and two corkboards flanking it. There weren’t many corkboard spaces, and Maka knew she would have to figure out how to decorate them later, but everything is lovely.

There is even a large wall of cabinetry against the wall across from the smartboard and an island where a few laptops and tablets are piled up. Desks are scattered around the room, and various group tables. Three large bookshelves are in a corner and she already knows she is going to move them. Her boxes sat stacked near the entrance, piled high, along with furniture she had brought. 

“Well, I’m gonna head off now,” Blake wipes his forehead with the back of his hand, “let me know if you need anything, okay Maks?”

“You got it,” she smiles, “thanks again.”

He leaves and Maka ties her hair up tighter and gets to work. It’s hours of moving desks, humming to herself, and dusting things off. She hunts through all the cabinets, making piles of math, science, and reading resources and another pile of garbage. The desks are arranged into the center of the room and the book shelves are standing side-by-side against one of the tall windows when it’s all done. There’s decorations laying around, random piles that no one could deceiver, except for her. She is laying on the group carpet, sweaty and exhausted by the time five o’clock hits. And there’s still so much more to do. 

“Wow, you didn’t get much done did you?” a voice calls and Maka jumps, sitting straight up. She turns toward where the voice came from, a door that connects her classroom to the one next door, and sees Medusa Gorgon leaning on the door frame. 

“Yeah, I mean, I went through all the cabinets and piled some stuff up so I knew what to do with it tomorrow,” Maka stands up and brushes at her skirt, “what about you?”

“Oh, I’m all set,” Medusa looks at her nails, “student’s desks are arranged, set up the library, even got to laminate a handful of questions stems for my small groups.”

“Sound productive,” Maka leans back on her heels, “well, I think I am going to head out now, it’s getting late and I live pretty far still.”

“You’re going to leave it like this?” she raises a perfectly plucked eyebrow at the state of the room. “Well, I guess so, if you’re planning on coming early tomorrow.”

“I-I wasn’t,” Maka feels herself flush with frustration and embarrassment, “but I’m confident that everything will get done.”

“Cute,” Medusa’s tone is flat and she pushes off of the doorframe, “well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Have a good night,” the door slams as Maka says her goodbye and she feels herself scowl. Who knows how this will work out.

She takes one last look at her room, heart fluttering with excitement and nervousness. Her teammate may have some discouraging words, but Maka knew how she felt. Confident, sure, and down right ready for her own students.

[fictionalabyss]

Show me

Pairing : Gabe x Dragon!Reader. Dean, Sam, Cas

Word count : 1,497

Written for : @spnfluffbingo

Square : Wing fic

Warning : N/A

A/N : This was inspired 1000000% by @sorenmarie87 and her work, so please go check her out if you haven’t already. She’s my muse. This fic is for you, Darling.

Click here to read part 2 called Treasure.

SPN Fluff Bingo Masterlist.

“Come on, Sugar, let me see them.” Gabe followed you across the parking lot.

“See what?” Dean asked confused.

“No.”

“Show me yours and I'll show you mine?” Gabe wiggled his eyebrows.

Dean sat up straight in the pool chair he was lounging in. Why the motel even had them surrounding a pool that looked like it’d been empty for years, he didn't know, but there was a cool breeze that evening that paired nicely with his cold beer, so they were relaxing outside for a change. “What the hell is he talking about.”

“Sounds like he wants to see her breasts..” Sam mused.

“Wouldn't mind seeing them either, but why hound the girl?”

“He wishes to see her wings.” Cas glanced up from where he lay, as if tanning despite still wearing his suit and trench coat.

“What wings?” Dean looked past his brother, to the angel.

“Pleaseeee.” Gabe was on the ground, clinging to your ankle like a child so you couldn't walk away again.

“Alright, Jesus Christ!” He scrambled up as you grabbed the hem of your shirt and pulled it off, right there in the parking lot. Dean and Sam's eyes went wide when they saw you weren't wearing a bra under your shirt. “Happy?” you asked, turning your back to him to reveal tattooed wings on your back.

“I am.” Dean muttered, with a full view of your front. Sam nodded quietly.

“You know that's not what I'm talking about, Cupcake.” Gabe said quietly.

You growled at him and stormed past the boys, going for your motel room. Their eyes following you, Dean taking in the wings. “Did you know she had that?”

“Never seen her with anything less than a t-shirt before.” Sam answered quietly, in awe of the dragon like wings tattooed to your back. The door slammed shut, and a moment later, Gabe was opening it and walking through it as well. “Just show me.” he whined, door closing behind him.

Dean looked to Sam and then Cas. Sam shrugged, but Cas was laying back again with his eyes closed.

You sighed. “Please, Gabriel.. They don't know.” You turned and gave him a sad look. “And mine.. they aren't as beautiful as angel wings.”

“Show me.” he urged softly. “It's just us in here.”

“Sometimes I hate you.”

“You love me.” he smiled, watching as you sat in the middle of the bed, your back to him and the door and window behind him.

“Nope, I need to know.” Dean jumped up and hurried over towards the window. Finding a crack in the curtains he watched as you sat on the bed.

“You're such a perv.” Sam muttered to his brother as he looked in over his brothers head.

“You're one to talk..” Dean mumbled, and they watched.

With a sigh, you closed your eyes and concentrated.

The color and shading of your tattoo took on a more lifelike tone and a slight shimmer from the light. And slowly, it began to lift off your back, the two large tattooed wings began to unfurl and grow larger as your wings spread out behind you.

“Stunning.” Gabriel breathed out as he reached out.

“Don't.” you turned your head. “You know how intimate that is..”

“Oh I do, darling..” he moved around, ducking under a wing to view them from the front. “They're beautiful.. you're beautiful. Can I see your full form?”

“Don't push it.” you warned him.

He laughed, and as it rang in your ears, his own wings spread out, golden and almost as large as yours. “Promise is a promise.” you sighed and looked down. “What's wrong?”

“I wish mine were as beautiful as yours. Mine are.. scary.. dark..” You were cut off by a shiver that rolled through your whole body starting from your right wing. When you looked up, Gabriel was running his fingers over it.

“Brilliant with so much color in the light.” he pointed out, in awe of them, his fingers moving over scales towards your shoulder. “Blues, greens, purples.. all I've got is gold.” You blushed, your body warming and shivering again as he continued to run his fingers over your wings.

“Son of a bitch.” Dean's eyes were wide. “Shes’s-”

“A 148 year old dragon.” Cas answered from behind the brothers and they both turned. “Still a very young, by their life spans. Gabe has been infatuated with her for some time, really.”

“That's why he started showing up more the last few months.. she's been with us.” Cas nodded to Sam.

“How- why-” Dean couldn't get his thoughts straight. “But she-”

“Not everything is black and white, you taught me that.” Cas pointed out. “Not everything supernatural is a monster. I'm not. She's not.” he glanced to the window behind them. “She's killed her own kind for you.” Cas reminded him of how they had met you, when you saved Sam's life and instantly won over Dean.

Dean groaned. “What do we do?”

“Nothing.” Sam answered, earning a look from his brother. “Look, she's our friend, right? You called her family yourself, Dean.” Dean rolled his eyes. “She's obviously scared to tell us, we're hunters. So, we act like we don't know. Wait for her to be ready to tell us.”

Dean glanced back inside and sighed. “Yeah, whatever.”

It was going to be hard for Dean to pretend he didn't know. He could lie better than most, he had a lifetime of practice, but certain things he had trouble hiding, especially from those closest to him. And you were pretty damn close.

Dean had decided to start simple. Bring you breakfast. If he could handle breakfast, he could handle the rest of the day. And if not, well, at least they'd be in a public place, so fallout was limited.

Knocking on your door, there was no answer. Trying the knob, he found it unlocked. He glanced over at Sam and Cas who were coming out of the next room, Sam pulling on his jacket, then Dean pushed the door open.

“Sweetheart, we're going for breakfast, are you-” the words fell silent on his lips as he took in the sight before him

Gabriel had done something to the room, it was much larger inside than it should have been. It was about the size of five rooms, easily, and three stories high, with a night sky for a ceiling. The furniture was gone, just a pile of pillows and blankets almost like a nest covered the floor. Dean couldn't step inside if he wanted to. And smack in the center, was a sleeping dragon wrapped around the angel. The massive iridescent wings wrapped protectively around his sleeping form as he cuddled up to a tail.

“Guys… I can pretend I didn't know yesterday, but I can't unsee this…”

Sam glanced in, and your eyes shot open and your head came up. “Oh..” Sam breathed out.

In a panic, you changed back to your human form, naked and small in the massive room. Before anyone could do or say anything, Gabes wings wrapped around you. “It took me all night to get that comfortable.” he grumbled and you huddled in his wings trying to hide. “What do you two knuckleheads want?”

“We-” Dean licked his lips. “We wanted to know if you guys were joining us for breakfast..” You peeked out from Gabe’s wings, and he didn’t miss how scared you looked. “We’ll be waiting by the car while you get dressed.” He gave you a soft smile and shoved Sam out of the doorway so he could leave and close it behind him.

“Do you think they hate me?” You looked up at Gabe.

“No, my little sweet potato.” He shook his head. “I think, maybe, they might be a little hurt you didn’t tell them. But they love you.” He gave you a smile and you nodded. “Hey, you never answered me last night. What’s your favorite treasure?” You gave him an innocent smile, and he shivered feeling your fingers brush over his wings. “Ouch!” He yelped pulling back and you stood there rolling a single feather between your fingers.

“Angel feathers.” You smiled softly. “They’re rare, and I always wanted wings that beautiful… I think yours are my favorite.”

“Mine are my favorite too..” He muttered, shooting you a glare while he fussed over the wing. But he couldn’t help but smile at how you looked at that one feather of his, like it was the most precious thing in the world. “Alight, get dressed before dumb and dumber come back in.” He snapped his fingers and the room was how it should be, including your clothes on the floor.

“Gabe?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you. For making me open up, and for another feather.”

“Yeah yeah, just don’t yank it out next time.” He teased. “Or I’m taking a scale for my collection.”

“You don’t have one.” You chuckled.

“I’ll start one.” He threatened and pointed at you.

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[theadventuresofalexandjake]

The Adventures of Alex and Jake Book One: The Lone Wolf Chapter One - 3.4k~

Chapters available immediately on Patreon for $5+ Chapters available here and on AO3 one week later.

((READ IT HERE ON AO3))

Chapter Two >>

I often think about what it means to be legendary. When I was in elementary school, there was this kid who could shoot milk out of his eyes. Everyone then thought he was legendary. I can’t remember his name now, but I remember the deed, so maybe he was. Still, I don’t think that’s the type of legendary that means something.

Jake gave me this journal to write down everything that happens so that we might become legends one day. I’m not entirely sure what he means by that. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t mean the “milk coming out of your eye” type of legendary, but I don’t see how we can be anything more than that.

He’s a sixteen-year-old high school student who likes soccer and has a crush on my sister. I know he’s been through some difficult stuff; I found him in the woods outside of town when he was fifteen, bloody and near starvation. Clearly he has a story. Every werewolf does. But he didn’t give me this to write down his story. If he did, he would’ve told me what it was.

But I don’t think I’m supposed to write down my story either. I’m seventeen (no, sorry, I’m eighteen now. Do birthdays still count when you no longer age?), and I’ve never done anything legendary in my life. I think my father wanted me to. Ever since I was a kid I was told I was smart enough to do anything; to make millions and be successful and attribute it all to the wise teachings of my parents. That was a lot of pressure for a kid, and when I got into college I tried. I really did. But I choked.

They found me in my dorm bathtub, blood everywhere. I was supposed to die that day, but I didn’t. It was only three days later when the symptoms started that I realized what had happened. I became sensitive to light. I lost my appetite for food, but my thirst grew no matter how much water I drank. It was only when I almost attacked my sister Abigail, and she saw the fangs in my mouth that we figured out what I was.

Vampire.

That sounds pretty legendary, right? But I live in an apartment paid for by my father who has no idea what happened to me, writing freelance articles for online magazines, and I rarely go outside for anything. Me finding Jake in the woods had been a fluke. I finished the stash of blood my sister brings me too soon and grew thirsty. I went out into the woods to hunt an animal, and I found Jake instead. It’s honestly a miracle that I didn’t attack him, as bloody as he was.

He’s been living with me ever since, and I think he has the same expectations my father did. That I’m going to do something extraordinary one day.

I don’t know how to tell them that they’re wrong.

***

The ghost is Jake’s fault, naturally.

I’ve only just opened my eyes at ten in the evening to start my “day” when Jake suddenly accosts me. He jumps onto my bed and sticks his freckled face directly into mine. I can smell hamburgers on his breath. I turn away with a scowl.

“Alex! Wake up! That new club opened tonight. The Witching Hour. We gotta check it out!”

I pull the covers up over my head. “What is it about the past year that makes you think I’m the type of person to go to a club?”

Jake grabs my shoulder and shakes me. “You never go out. That’s why you should come with me tonight! It’ll be fun!”

“I doubt that very much.”

A pair of hands yanks the covers down from my face. Through strands of my dark hair, I glare at Jake, as he widens his bright blue eyes and pokes out his lower lip in a pout that I’ve never been able to refuse. With his soft white-gold curls and cheeks still slightly rounded from childhood, he looks like a freckled cherub. I know there’s mischief behind those wide eyes, but I find myself relenting before I can think better of it.

“Fine. Now get out of my room.”

Jake’s face brightens, and he beams at me. “You won’t regret this!”

“I already do.”

Unperturbed, Jake hops off my bed and bounds out the door. I lay in bed a few more minutes before sighing and pushing off the covers. Standing, I cross over to my closet, flinging it open and staring at the contents. Thanks to my father still paying rent and utilities on the apartment, I’ve been using the funds I get from my freelance work to expand my wardrobe. A rather impressive collection of clothes in black, dark purple, and burgundy greet me, and I contemplate what to wear before pulling together an outfit I deem club appropriate.

Jake smirks at me, as I make my way out of my room. “You really like to embrace the whole vampire thing, huh?”

I look down at my combat boots, ripped black jeans, studded belt, scooped neck burgundy shirt, and black trench coat. On my hands are fishnet fingerless gloves, and my eyeliner is dark and dramatic. I shrug. It’d been my aesthetic even before I was turned. I don’t see a reason to stop now. And hey, if you can’t escape it, flaunt it, right?

“What are you wearing?” I ask then, just noticing the ridiculous shirt Jake has on.

“It’s a doge!” Jake said happily, pulling on the hem to stretch it out and look down at it fondly.

“You’re seriously wearing a meme to a nightclub?”

“Why not?”

I shake my head and walk past him toward the door. “If anyone asks, I don’t know you.”

“But we’ll be arriving together!”

Ignoring this detail, I lead the way out of the apartment, making sure to lock it behind us. I slip the key into my pocket, making my way down the steps that would lead to the front door of the building. Jake bounces after me. I don’t know where he gets his energy, honestly. He’s already been awake all day. Shouldn’t he be ready to sleep after a full day of school and soccer practice?

“Hey, hey, look! It’s a squirrel!”

I grab the back of Jake’s windbreaker to keep him from darting after the creature. “Honestly, sometimes you’re worse than an actual dog,” I say, shaking my head.

“You’re just jealous because you can’t run after small adorable creatures.”

“Why would I want—”

“Hey, look! It’s Raphael!”

This time I stiffen, even as Jake runs forward to greet the young man walking down the sidewalk towards us. Raphael Mendez slows to a stop, an easy smile settling on his features, as he returns Jake’s greeting. When his dark eyes flit to me, however, his smile shifts into a smirk.

“Alex,” he says with a nod.

“Raphael,” I return flatly.

He only seems amused by this, which makes me hate him even more than I already do. One might think that I hate him because he’s the second-in-command of the werewolf gang Los Lobos Luna, but it’s not nearly that cliché. I hate him because he’s been an irritating thorn in my side ever since I took in Jake. He wants Jake for his pack, and he’s been doing everything in his power to manipulate Jake into agreeing. The only reason Jake hasn’t yet is because he knows the gang is into some pretty shady stuff, and he’s a good kid who doesn’t need to get corrupted by company like that.

Abigail says I don’t want Jake to join because then he’d be leaving me, but I’m not that sentimental.

“We’re heading to the new place that just opened up,” Jake is saying to Raphael.

“The Witching Hour? You know that place is haunted, right?” Raphael raises one black eyebrow, and he looks rather smug at the wide-eyed stare Jake gives him.

I roll my eyes. “There are no such thing as ghosts.”

They both turn to look at me.

“Says the vampire to the werewolves,” Jake says pointedly.

I stare off across the street, ignoring this, even as Jake turns back to Raphael.

“How do you know it’s haunted?” he asks.

“Strange stuff’s been happening ever since they started building the place,” Raphael says, sticking his hands into his tight skinny jeans. (Honestly. Why would a werewolf own skinny jeans? They’re just going to tear in half when he shifts. Wouldn’t it be more practical for them to wear giant baggy clothes? Whom is he trying to impress anyway?) “Workers falling off of catwalks, tools going missing, machines breaking down. The whole bit. Some even said they heard screaming, like a little girl was in pain.”

Jake’s enraptured. He leans in, and his bright blue eyes gleam almost green in the yellow light from the street lamps around us. He can’t honestly believe this. There has never been any evidence to suggest ghosts are real.

“Stories made up to make the place more interesting,” I say, stepping forward and taking hold of Jake’s elbow. “Come on, Jake.”

“But what if it’s true?” Jake asks, even as he allows me to pull him away from Raphael and further down the sidewalk.

“We can go home if you want,” I suggest, honestly hoping he’d take me up on that.

But Jake’s expression grows resolved, and I resign myself to a night at the club, as he straightens his shoulders and shakes his head.

“I ain’t afraid of no ghost!” he declares, before dissolving into giggles.

I release him and walk faster. Jake calls goodbye to Raphael before hurrying after me.

***

The Witching Hour looks like your typical city club built to appeal to the grunge and underground type of partier. The outside is shiny and new with darkened ceiling to floor windows spray-painted with neon colors that seem to glow. The sign has what looks like a full moon for the “O” in Hour, and the “G” in Witching is a black cat sitting with its back to the viewer and its tail curving. Rather on the nose, but I guess it’s what I expected. As we draw closer to the doors, I can hear the music pulsating from inside, causing the windows to vibrate with each drop of the bass.

The bouncer asks for ID, then stamps our hands, as we walk through the door. As he does, I can’t help but wonder what’ll happen once too many years have passed for me to match my ID picture. I can’t exactly hand someone my license in fifty years looking like I do now. Will I need to keep getting new IDs with different birthdates on them? Will I have to change my name and social security number every ten years? There was no way I could look older than maybe twenty-five with my current appearance. Could I pass for thirty?

As I’m stressing about this, I find myself suddenly in the center of the club. I didn’t even realize I was still following Jake. He’s thrashing around in front of me in some sort of dance move I don’t recognize. He looks ridiculous, honestly, and I can feel second-hand embarrassment squirm inside me. I take a couple steps away, not straying too far but not wanting to appear like I’m with him, either.

“Hey!”

A girl with long dark hair streaked with blue and red highlights grins at me, her teeth glowing in the black lights. She’s bouncing and swaying to the music, not quite on tempo, and her eyes look me up and down in a way that makes me distinctively uncomfortable.

“Are you a boy or a girl?” she asks, tilting closer to me in order to shout over the music.

I instinctively step back, resisting the urge to roll my eyes at the question. “Does it matter?”

“It might,” the girl says, winking this time.

I turn my gaze away to look for Jake, but I’ve lost him in the sea of writhing bodies. Almost immediately, my chest feels as though someone’s taken my ribcage and started squeezing. I turn away from the girl without answering her, scanning the area behind me, but there’s no sign of him anywhere.

“Who are you looking for?” The girl again, yelling in my ear.

I jerk away from her, bumping into a dancer behind me. It’s a taller guy, who grunts and shoves me back, sending me stumbling. My heart no longer beats, but if it did I know it’d be pounding rapidly. The music is too loud, and the air is humid with the smell of sweat and blood. I can hear heartbeats everywhere, disjointed rhythms that don’t match the music. There’s laughter and voices and colors, swirling, swirling, swirling . . .

And then everything goes black and silent.

Someone screams, which is followed by laughter. A few people groan and boo, and the DJ yells over the sound, informing us of a power outage. Everyone starts getting out their phones, using them for light, as they mill about and talk.

I still feel like I’m suffocating.

A hand grabs mine, and I almost scream. Almost. I catch it in my throat once I realize it’s only Jake, suddenly standing next to me. His curls are somewhat flattened, sticking to his freckled face with sweat. He smells like wet dog, but I honestly couldn’t care less in that moment.

“Alex!” he exclaims. “It’s the ghost!”

I scoff, glad to have something to focus on instead of my trembling hands. “It’s not the ghost. It’s just a power outage.”

“But it’s not even storming,” Jake says, shaking his head with wide eyes.

“A fuse could’ve blown. Wiring gone bad. There’s dozens of things that could’ve happened, Jake.”

“No, it’s a ghost. I can feel it.”

Almost as soon as he says this, there’s a flash of light near the ceiling. I glance up in time to see one of the black lights fall toward the floor. Without thinking, I dash over, shoving the two people standing beneath it. They shout in surprise and anger, but their eyes widen in horror, as the black light smashes onto the floor directly where they’d been standing.

“It’s the ghost!” someone yells.

Suddenly the club is a stampede, as people scream and rush toward the exits. Someone knocks into me, and I find myself falling. A foot stomps on my hand, and I grit my teeth against the pain, even as I force myself to my feet.

“Alex? Alex!”

I can hear Jake calling for me, but even as I stand, I can’t see him in the sea of escapees. Then suddenly he’s in front of me, grabbing my arms. The relief I feel is almost palpable.

“Come on,” I tell him, turning toward the doors. “We have to go.”

But Jake digs his heels in and doesn’t budge. He shakes his head. “We can’t go. We have to help.”

I stare at him. “Help? Everyone’s leaving.”

“Not them,” Jake says, shaking his head. He looks toward the ceiling, then, and I understand what he means with a sense of dread.

“No. Absolutely not. We’re not going ghost busting. We’re going home.”

Jake sets his jaw, his expression hardening in a look that I’ve come to know as his “stubborn glare.”

“You can go home if you want,” he says, releasing my arms. “But I’m staying.”

I glance longingly toward the doors. I didn’t even want to come to this stupid club. Am I really going to stay and help Jake find a ghost?

Groaning, I turn from the doors, peering up into the catwalks above the club’s dance floor. “Fine,” I say, shaking my head. “But I swear if we get our asses kicked by this thing, I’m holding you personally responsible.”

Jake has the audacity to laugh. “We’ll be fine,” he insists.

“You have no way of knowing that for sure.”

The club is nearly empty now, and even the DJ has disappeared. There’s a hum and then dim yellow lights come on. The backup generator, most likely. There are only a few people left aside from us, brave (or stupid) souls taking photos of the fallen light with their phones. One of them, a boy around Jake’s age with a stocky frame and a crew cut of brown hair, looks up and sees us. More specifically, he sees Jake. With a grin, he lifts his hand in a wave.

“Jake! Hey!”

Jake looks over, his expression brightening. I can hear the way his heart rate elevates, and a faint flush colors his cheeks, as he waves back. I frown.

“Who is that?”

“Brandon Reaper! He’s from my school,” Jake explains, as Brandon jogs his way over.

He has hazel eyes, and when he grins again, I notice he has dimples.

I hate him immediately.

“Hey, man, I didn’t know you were here,” Brandon says, as the two exchange an elaborate handshake. “Crazy about that light, huh?”

“Alex and I are gonna investigate,” Jake informs him, gesturing to me.

“Oh, hey,” Brandon says, holding his hand out to me. “Jake mentions you a lot. I gotta say, you look different than I pictured.”

I raise my eyebrows, not taking his hand. “How did you think I looked?”

Brandon shrugs, sticking his hands into the pockets of his jacket. It’s a letterman’s jacket, complete with the high school’s logo on the front. A sports man. Of course. Probably a football player, from the way he’s built. He’s not massive, though, so maybe he’s on the soccer team with Jake. Though I suppose he could be a quarterback.

“Jake mentioned you were gender-neutral and looked androgynous, so I guess I wasn’t expecting . . .” He gestures to me vaguely.

I reach up to touch the dark strands that rest against my shoulder self-consciously with a faint frown. “Not every androgynous person is white and five-foot-four with delicate features and a pixie cut,” I say with a little more snide than I’m necessarily proud of.

“No, yeah, for sure,” Brandon says quickly. “It’s cool, man. Er, dude. Uh . . .”

I sigh. “Look, I’m fine with any pronouns, just don’t expect me to conform to any gender stereotypes.”

“I call Alex ‘dude’ all the time,” Jake informs Brandon, laying his hand on his arm. “It’s fine.”

Brandon looks relieved. I just look at Jake’s hand, watching as it squeezes gently before falling away. An uncomfortable lump grows in my throat, and I clear my throat to get rid of it.

“Anyway, we were just leaving,” I say, tugging on Jake’s sleeve.

Jake pulls away from me. “No we weren’t. We were going to find the ghost!”

Brandon glances between us. “Ghost?”

“He thinks there’s a ghost,” I say, emphasizing how ridiculous I think this is.

“There is a ghost,” Jake insists, puffing out his chest. “I’ll prove it.”

He stalks toward the back of the club, then, where there’s a staircase leading up to the catwalk. Brandon looks over at me, but I keep my eyes on Jake, gritting my teeth and weighing the pros and cons.

“Are you two coming or what?” Jake lingers halfway up the stairs, calling over to us as he leans over the railing.

“Guess we’re going ghost hunting,” Brandon says with another grin before jogging to meet Jake.

I watch as Jake beams happily, and that lump returns. Only now it’s in my stomach, and it feels more like a heavy boulder pressing up against my lungs. Jake waves at Brandon, as he approaches, and the two of them speak briefly. I could hear them if I wanted to, but I find myself blocking them out.

I don’t like this. I don’t like any of it.

“Alex! Come on!”

Jake beckons to me, and I square my shoulders, making my way over to them. I might not like it, but I’m definitely not leaving Jake alone with Brandon. There’s something not right about that kid. He joined in a ghost hunt without batting an eye; like it was a natural thing most people did in an empty club at midnight.

He has to be up to something.

[project-runway-rankings]

Season 16 Episode 14- A Fitting Finale

This finale was one of my favorites in quite a few seasons.  I truly had no idea who was going to win, and I could see any of the four of the designers winning.  The last time that I could see any of the designers in the finale legitimately winning was way back in season 7 with Mila, Emilio and Seth Aaron.  I also believe that any of these collections is superior to every collection from the past twos seasons, with only Kelly and Erin’s coming close.

Do I agree with the winner?  Well you will have to see my rankings, but in short I think I would have been happy with any outcome. Onto the rankings:

4. Brandon

I loved the flamingo print and most of his silhouettes, but as a collection is was very one note.  There is a hint of teal/aqua in the flamingo print and I would have loved to see him use a really saturated form of the color like he did with the pink leather in a few looks.

This is my favorite look from his collection.  The leather shirt over the dress gives an interesting silhouette and layering effect.  The print works very well here because it was broken up and his styling is on point.

The play on the shirt construction on the skirt is fun, but it is starting to become an old and worn out trend.  The top is very Brandon in every way possible.

I love the shirt dress underneath.  For all of the menswear Brandon has done he never made a shirt dress until the finale which I found interesting.  The proportion of the vest to the dress is all wrong and the vest looks a bit tortured.  I also wish it was in a different fabric.

The top is a snooze fest and it needs to be a color far more different than the flamingo print.  I really like the skirt with the closures at the bottom and extreme asymmetrical hem.

I am still trying to figure out what is happening here and if I like it.  From the front it is a long coat dress but from the back it looks like a shirt over a dress.  I do like the ruffling along the hem and the you can see the gradient of the flamingo print because it such a long piece of fabric.

This look I love.  It is a simple shirt dress but the details make it special.  The oversize sleeves balance out the relative shortness of it from the front, but I also like that it is longer in the back.  I can take or leave the straps, but the don’t feel over superfluous here.

This piece lacks balance.  I like everything individually, it just so happens that everything draws your eye to her right thigh and not her upper body.  I’ve seen the shirt before in his collection so I would have likes something different on top to balance it out.  The bottom just looks messy.

That paper bag waster is still not working but I am glad he got rid of that tortured top from last week.  Too bad he just added a basic tank instead.  I like to imagine this look with an aqua/teal shirt like in his first look.  The waist down is great and I wish he did more pants in his collection.

This is my second favorite look of the collection.  I love the play on a paper doll dress, and I love the crispness of the leather juxtaposed with the flow and busyness of the dress underneath.  The proportions are right as well.

This is quite underwhelming as a finale piece.  From the back it gives his model a much better shape than the front.  Overall it’s just a bit bland and more of the same from his rest of his collection.

3. Ayana

It was tough to decide between 2nd and third place because I genuinely liked both collections.  Ayana ultimately came in 3rd for two reasons, repetitiveness and the fact that were a few looks I thought were wasted spots in her collection. In the end I truly thought the judges would award her the win because she really showed her modest aesthetic and probably would have done the most with the money.

I love this geometric lace and that she decided to make an entire look out of it.  The pants could be a bit more fitted and I don’t understand why she hs basically the same top on twice (I know one is a shirt and one is a jacket but still).  

I’m not well versed on hijab traditions but I think a hijab out of that lace on this look would have been killer.

I don’t need this hoodie at New York Fashion Week and I don’t understand it within the context of the collection.  the pants are essentially the same cut as the previous look but fabric blocking in a hexagonal pattern mimicking the lace was shows Ayana’s fabrication genius.

If she would have put this top with her pants from look 2, scrapped these velous pieces and created a new top and skirt combo I’d be happy.  The top is gorgeous and unabashedly Ayana.  The skirt is a throw away.  There isn’t much of a market for that length and that cut of skirt.

I sang the praises of this look last week and I will sing them again.  every single piece is gorgeous on its own and together they are even better. The lighting last week didn’t really show off the shine of the shirt which plays well the matte jacket and pants.  I love how loose the jacket is from the front yet it is still fitted in the back. J’dore.

I like this marginally better than when she showed it last week.  The greens are definitely popping more, but I still wish it was injected with even more color.  I think this model may be a few sizes smaller than her model last week and I think it definitely moves better on this one.  It’s just boring.

I love this look.  This is her fifth pant in six looks yet it is different than of them. This is a master class in proportions.  The ruffles on the sleeves hit in the right spot and the skirt hits at the right point on the thighs to lengthen the model while also making your eyes move around her body.

This is the only look in the collection where I can feel Ayana trying to make a modest look.  There is no reason to have pants on under this dress unless it is to create a modest look.  This is also just too much of this fabric, I think the shinier print would have worked better.

This is so luxurious.  I love the asymmetrical ruffles on her waist and thighs which make this special.  It is also her only jumpsuit which is impressive considering we live in a world of jumpsuits right now. (Though it may be a shirt and pants)

When Brandon said this looks like an amphibian I totally agreed.  Not only is it because of the fabric, but when it moved down the runway it reminded me of a newt swimming through the water.  What I’m saying is I loved it.

This may be the single best piece that ever walked down the runway.  There really is just nothing else to say because that says it all.

2. Margarita

Margarita’s collection came down to one thing, taste.  I love how she went full force into tropical island girl style and didn’t neuter her collection like others (Candice) have in the past.  From head to toe, beginning to end, this collection was a Margarita moment.

You know what you are getting from a collection when this looks turns the corner.  From print, to cut, to color, to the feathers this is a wow look without going over the top.  I love the sunglasses she designed as well.  I wish she used this blue throughout her collection more.

It felt a little odd to have the only gown in the collection be in the middle, but then again this also feels a bit like a cover up.  The print and color are vibrant and the up close beading detail is gorgeous.

The judges disliked the feathers but i am all about them.  She mixed all three of her prints in one look and it worked out fabulously.  The way she used the striped print from front to back is fabulous.

I agree with the judges, this is the one piece I could do without.  It does make her model look thin and tall, but it’s just a bit busy yet underwhelming at the same time.

Yes. Bitch. Work.  This look was a moment with a capital M.  the suit is gorgeous on its own and very flattering to Jazzmine, and the cover-up converts it into a cute part dress.  I could see a lot of girls wearing that as a dress on a summer day.

This is where I think the feathers go to far. Other than that I think this is pretty great.  the cut of the pants is sublime, it is not easy to line up that pattern like that across her thighs. I’m not sure how the top works and if it would fall off if the drapes came around front.

The dress I can live without but that bomber is the star.  I love it.

This may be my favorite piece in Margarita’s collection.  it is unabashedly latina in its silhouette and print, but the sheer skirt takes it from costume to fashion.  It’s a dramatic silhouette and different from the rest of her collection.

Honestly, this look was one of my favorites last week, but it is a bit of a low note in her collection as a whole.  The pants are still great, but the top is too heavy for the pants.  They have a sense of humor and he shirt is just to serious.

I love every piece here, but the problem is that this is not a finale piece.  I understand it in the context of the collection, but this is not a memorable final piece.  the trench is everything but the clothes underneath are just that, clothes.  I almost wish her bathing suit was the finale piece.

1. Kentaro

Was there any other option?  I guess the answer yes because every designer sent down a strong collection, but this was the most FASHION we have seen on this show since the Christian and Leanne back to back knock out collections of seasons 4 and 5.  There were a few low notes, but over all this collection hit all the right notes.  I’m glad that, like Margarita, Kentaro just went for it with reckless abandon.

If anyone ever asks you how to open a show, this is it.  The silhouette from behind the screen was breathtaking, if not a bit comme de garcons.  he would have gotten further away from that with a different sleeve length.

A wonderfully simple note. The painted/dyed leggings were perfect with the bagginess of the top, and the sleeves work better here than in look 1.

Made in one day, but that doesn’t mean that I can give it a pass.  The front is boring and the back is awful.

I love everything about this.  the cut out tee is a fresh note in the collection and I love the double sided pants.  They shouldn’t work but they do.

Kentaro showed a real color story through his collection and it looked almost like a Japanese ink painting, utilizing black, white and red.  The nudes are like the red bleeding into the rest of the collection.  This is such a simple dress but extremely well executed.  The proportions are perfect.

This dress sings.  It still have the proportion issue in the top from last week, but the concept is so strong and because the flaw isn’t egregious this ends up being on of the stars of his collection.

AB-SO-LUTELY! The note of red works perfectly in the context of the collection. Once again it is a bit Comme de Garcons however it is still very Kentaro and not a knock off.  The v is so low cut but the rest of her is so covered it works perfectly.  It is like this top was made for his model, it sits perfectly on her.  I want this.

I shouldn’t like this, but at the same time it is amazing.  I love the layering of the fabrics and it fits her like a glove.  It is a new silhouette for the collection but still remains part of the story.

We’re pretending this didn’t happen right?  He made a slip dress.  I’m surprised the judges didn’t mention this look (or his finale) at all during judging.

Because this finale look is everything I have ever wanted from project Runway.  It’s so odd and quirky yet hits a perfect note of sophistication.  For me this look won him the competition.

Not since season 3 has the show had 4 finalists who so clearly showed their point of view in stunning finale collections.  Faith restored in this show.

Winner: Kentaro

2nd, 3rd, 4th: Ayana, Brandon, Margarita

[mypersistentcuriosity-blog]

Style Stories: My Top 5 Wardrobe Staples

I’m a big believer in wardrobe essentials. Over the years and through the evolution of my own personal style, I’ve found several pieces that hit the mark time and time again. They’re easy in a rush, simple enough to accessorize a thousand ways, and the most interesting thing is that they’ve stuck around long enough to amass stories of their own.

It’s common knowledge that objects, scents, songs or places are links to the past. They seem to capture memories like a photo and connecting with them can lead you right back to a particular moment in your life, conjuring an entire scene in an instant. It seems a little silly to think of such a deeply mystifying notion in relation to style and fashion, but in my world the two concepts are intertwined. My personal style as it stands today is a reflection of who I am, where I’ve been, and the experiences that have shaped me. The clothing I wear is not just an outer shell, it’s rooted in the very heart of what makes me me, so it’s only natural that the pieces I rely on the most are both born from and contribute to my life story.

Without the backstories, my wardrobe essentials list wouldn’t exist. Just like a family heirloom or travel memento, the reasons I hang on to them are strongly influenced by the connection they have to my past and the possibilities for new experiences each time I wear them. Keep scrolling for the stories behind my top five staple pieces, illustrated with charming options from Asos!

When I was just starting to discover my personal style, my mother bought me a gigantic pink book about fashion. It was chock-full of fashion history and historical photographs and I would sit for hours just flipping through the pages, overwhelmed with inspiration as I closely studied the images. It was the photos of Christian Dior’s mid-1950s pencil line suits that made the pencil skirt a must-have for me. My first was a black and white pin dot number with matching belted peplum jacket. That suit was honestly my first step in defining my personal style and it quickly made the high-waisted pencil skirt a staple in my wardrobe. I have so many now and I feel like an old Hollywood movie star every time I wear them. The straight, close-fitting silhouette allows for plenty of styling options, but I often pair mine with sweaters or collared tops, always adding a belt to nip in the waist. They’re flattering for most body types and the added bonus is that they make you wiggle just like Marilyn Monroe in “Some Like It Hot” (which is all any girl could ask for really…). 

GET THE LOOK:

Navy Military Style Pencil Skirt

Pink Jacquard Pencil Skirt

Striped Pencil Skirt w/ Buckle

I’m not sure where it began, but I’ve always been a fan of cardigans. Maybe it was “Grease” or the countless black and white 1950s movies I saw as a child where sweaters and skirts were the uniforms of the day. Regardless, I count the cardigan as one of the things I can’t live without in my wardrobe. I love to wear them belted with my pencil skirts or tucked into a full circle skirt. They’re perfect for work if you’re like me and catch a chill easily, plus they’re easy to take from day to night just by unbuttoning one or two buttons and adding a statement necklace or bold earrings. One of my favorites is an ivory cardigan with beaded spiderwebs and ruffle trim. I wore it on my first Halloween with my boyfriend 6 years ago and I still wear it every chance I get (Halloween or not 😉).

GET THE LOOK:

Leopard Print Cardigan

V-Neck Cardigan w/ Ruffle Detail

“Leave it to Beaver” was one of my favorite shows growing up. I loved June Cleaver; she was the quintessential 1950s housewife, floating about in her signature shirtwaist dress and sensible heels. It was something about the combination of the masculine button-up collared bodice and the full skirt that just seemed ultra-feminine to me. Strangely enough, I found my first shirtdress right at the tail-end of my marriage on an ill-fated trip to Hawaii. My role as a housewife may have been coming to an end, but I felt just like June Cleaver when I looked at myself in the fitting room mirror. That little black shirtdress is something I’ll never part with. It gave me the confidence and strength I needed in my first job interview after my husband and I parted ways and it’s something I still wear whenever I know there’s a challenging day ahead of me. It’s one of simplest pieces of clothing I own, which makes it effortless when I’m in a hurry and it’s both chic and practical, which is the best of both worlds.

GET THE LOOK:

Playing Card Print Dress

Red Midi Shirtdress

It was this photo of a Jacques Fath “bell-line” design that launched my obsession with coats. I was determined to have a coat that I could twirl in just like the model in the photo. I still haven’t found one like it, but I’ve acquired quite the coat collection in place of it. I have a few favorites, but the one I reach for most often is a cream and black striped trench that I wear with literally everything. It’s not only eye-catching and garners a ton of compliments (a great ego boost on those miserable, frosty days 😉), but it was the first coat ever that fit me perfectly right off the rack. At five feet tall with a very petite frame, clothing has been both an intense love of mine and the bane of my existence. So even if I’m having a bad hair day or I’m not feeling confident in my outfit, I just top everything off with my favorite trench and all is well with the world.

GET THE LOOK:

Pink Faux Fur Coat

Light Pink Swing Coat w/ Zip Front

And last but not least, cigarette pants. These have been on my wishlist as far back as I can remember, perhaps ever since seeing this photo of Audrey Hepburn at a young age. However, it wasn’t until the days of watching “Mad Men” that I knew I needed them in my wardrobe for sure. Seeing Joan Holloway combine hers with a striped sweater and teased ponytail was all I needed to put me on the search for my perfect pair, which oddly enough I found in the sale section at Banana Republic shortly after watching that Season 2 episode. I can’t imagine a more ideal pant. The slim-fitting silhouette and ankle-kissing hem make it perfect for any outfit. They’re unobtrusive, playing the supportive role for whatever you choose to pair them with (unless they’re the main attraction like these), yet the way they hug the figure is undeniably alluring. They’re fetching with everything from oversized chunky sweaters to peplum tops or even a blazer for a sharp, work-appropriate look. I have quite a few pairs now in different colors, but that original black pair (my “Joan” pant) is undoubtedly one of the most versatile pieces in my wardrobe. 

GET THE LOOK:

White Ankle Tie Cigarette Pant

Green Hem Detail Cigarette Pant

Navy Tapered Pant w/ Tie Waist

[19agbrown]

1 Step At A Time

Series: 1 Step At A Time

Part: 1

Supernatural

Pairing: Dean x Cas (eventually)

Warnings: hinting at rape(but not actually going into complete detail) and that's about it for this chapter.

Hey guys. I said that for my 300 FOLLOWERS celebration that I would be doing a sort of throw back instead of doing a completely new fic. This fic was my first ever post on Tumblr, and when chapter 1 was posted, I didn't have any followers yet. So I thought that it would be cool to give it a second chance when I had 300 of them! I did some editing to it, and changed a couple things before posting it again, so I hope you guys like the changes. AND THANK YOU ALL SOOOOOO MUCH FOR FOLLOWING ME!!!!!!!!!

Aliza Elizabeth Nelson was sitting on a ratty old bar stool at the bar,(Pete's Place), cleaning shot glasses. Aliza was an 18-year-old girl who had been an orphan since her 10th birthday when a car crash killed her parents. Aliza herself had a long, thin scar down the left side of her face from that same crash. She'd been working as a waitress/dishwasher at Pete's Place ever since.

Aliza was just finishing wiping out her 16th shot glass, when 4 muscular men walked into the bar. 3 of them went to a table in the far corner while a blue-eyed man in a stained trench coat walked cautiously up to the bar. "3 beers and a whiskey." He told Aliza's boss, Pete. Pete grunted and took the 20-dollar-bill that the man held out to him.

Aliza sat down her shot glass, and loaded the order onto her tray. As she walked up to the table, she caught snatches of a most peculiar conversation. "Come on Dean, we broke into Hell! And we're on the run with a rebel Angel and Lucifer's Nephelem! You really think that it'll be hard for Asmodeus to find us?" Aliza peered curiously at the tall man who had spoken. Then a green-eyed, leather-clad man, she assumed Dean, replied heatedly, "If we don't want to be found, then yes. The 3 of us are more than capable of handling ourselves, and Jackie-boy is an added bonus! I mean, even IF they could, who in their right minds would dare track the Nephelem of a friggin ARC ANGEL!"

Aliza cleared her throat, making all 4 men jump. "3 beers and a whiskey." She said quietly as she placed the drinks onto the table. The tall man regarded her with suspicion. She gulped, for this was a man she did NOT want to cross, and retreated back to her creaky, old barstool.

10 minutes later, the 4 men got up and walked out. Aliza silently watched them leave. "They're much more attractive walking away. " Aliza mumbled. Aliza smiled up at the "last drink at 11:00" sign as she grabbed her purse. Her shift was over. Aliza rushed for the door, happy to be going home. She enthusiastically yelled over her shoulder, "See you tomorrow Pete!" Pete simply grunted in reply.

As she fast walked around the corner of the building, she ran smack into a drunk guy who had given her a hard time the night before. "Wha' ssssssaaaayyyyy way' gooooo bok ta ma plossss an' 'ave o' goooooood t' m Allayza?" He slurred. Aliza crinkled her nose at the smell of stale tobacco and liquor mixed with vomit that was wafting off of him. "Uh, not tonight, but thanks anyway." She tried to walk past him, but he put his arm out to stop her. "C'mon darlin' Izzzz 'nsist." He breathed into her face.

Aliza offered the man a guarded smile as she said, "Not tonight Bart, i have to go home." But Bart didn't seem to have heard her. Wearing a crooked smile, Bart reached out a steady hand, and grabbed Aliza's left boob, as he breathed, "Ya kno' ya wan' me."

Aliza slapped him across the face and took off running. She kicked off her high heels as she ran, so that they wouldn't hinder her getaway.

The drunken Bart stumble-ran after her with surprising speed. She ran as fast as she could, but she'd never been a fast runner, and the drunk (who had been a track runner in college) was fast gaining on her. As she ran across a road, she stumbled in a pothole and fell. The drunk was on top of her before she'd had time to get back up. "Don' woery darlin' ya goooonnna 'ove dis." He whispered in her ear.

Aliza begged and pleaded with Bart as his drunken hands tugged at the bottom of her skirt. Completely oblivious to her desperation, Bart lifted the hem of her skirt, and kissed the back of her neck, as his hand ran slowly up her thigh.

Aliza screamed as Bart began tugging down her lacy, blue underwear. Bart simply chuckled as she struggled against him. He slurred happily, "I 'ove me a fei'sty w'man."

How much time had passed, she didn't know. She laid on the rough pavement where Bart had left her when he was done. Her clothes, having gotten in his way, layed shredded on the pavement 4 feet to her left. Tears rained from her dark brown eyes in torrents, as she whispered into the chilly night air, "Why me? Why me?"

The injustice of it all overwhelmed her shock, and she sobbed and screamed into the night,"Why me! Why me!" Her body shook with racking sobs as she screamed, "Just let me die! Please God, just let me die! God, just kill me! Kill me!"

Though she didn't know it, about 15 miles away, an Angel heard her pleas, and began to guide a black '67 Impala to her.

THANK YOU ALL SOOO MUCH AGAIN FOR FOLLOWING ME, and part 2 of this is currently in the re-editing phase, but will be posted soon!

[hilaryhagerman]

Pregnant Amal Clooney dazzles in $5,400 red dress

She’s an incredibly smart human rights lawyer who gives the Duchess of Cambridge a run for her money when it comes to style clout. Oh, and she’s also married to George Clooney. 

From the office to the red carpet, and everywhere in between, we take a look at some of Amal Clooney’s best style moments. 

Let us know what you think by tweeting @YahooStyleCA! 

Ringing in spring in floral shoes

On March 29, the 39-year-old human rights lawyer gave a speech at London’s Chatham House addressing war crimes in Syria and Iraq. For the occasion, the soon-to-be mom of twins stepped out in a stunning crimson red vintage Dior dress that reportedly costs around $5,400 CAD. She kept her outerwear neutral with a $3,700 Balmain trench coat and finished the look off with a pair of $550 floral Oscar de la Renta pumps, which she’s worn before. (Photo via Splash News)

In New York

Leave it to Clooney to brighten up a dreary winter day. While walking to the UN in New York on March 9, she dazzled in a matching dress and coat combination, finished off with chic pumps and her signature shades. (Photo via Splash News)

Out and about in London

Photographed for the first time since the world found out her and husband George Clooney are expecting twins, Clooney looked stunning a a bright red coat, motorcycle boots and a simple grey dress. 

At LAX 

Talk about sophisticated yet comfy travel style! While jetting off with husband George Clooney, Amal opted for chic leather pants, a fun “Sunday” sweater and a neutral coat with fur detailing. Of course, the oversized look kept persistent pregnancy rumours afloat, but whether she’s expecting or not (and really, it’s not our business!), this travel look is all kinds of #StyleGoals. (Photo via Splash News)

At LAX

Clooney capped things off with a black hat and shoulder bag. (Photo via Splash News)

Premiere of ‘The White Helmets’

Amal Clooney certainly knows how to rock cold weather florals. While attending the premiere of the Netflix documentary “The White Helmets” in London, the gorgeous human rights lawyer stepped out in a chic floral sheath by Dolce & Gabbana. She paired the pretty frock with textured black tights and ankle boots, and wore her hair in loose waves. It’s not the first time she’s worn the dress, either -- she was also seen sporting it in October 2015. (Photo by Getty Images)

Date night with George Clooney

For a night out in Santa Monica, Clooney showed off her abs in a sexy black lace crop paired with jeans, studded Balenciaga sandals and a black jacket.

In stripes on the ‘Suburbicon’ set

At first glance, it looks like the outfit Amal wore to visit her husband on the set of “Suburbicon” is a striped maxi dress -- but it’s actually a lovely jumpsuit by Tome. Clooney let the jumpsuit do the talking, keeping the rest of her look neutral with Linda Farrow aviators, Jimmy Choo sandals and a crossbody bag. However, if you’re hoping to snap up this sweet outfit, it’s going to cost a pretty penny -- the jumpsuit alone retails for around $1,400 CAD. (Photos by Splash News)

On the set of ‘Suburbicon’ in Los Angeles

While visiting husband George on set of “Suburbicon,” which he is directing, Amal Clooney gave off some serious vintage vibes in a pair of Alice & Olivia embroidered flares and a mustard yellow long-sleeve top. (Photo by Splash News)

At Hollywood’s Night Under The Stars

Who says a night out at a Hollywood party has to involve a skintight dress and sky high heels? While attending Hollywood’s Night Under The Stars, Clooney combined comfy-looking printed silk palazzo pants with a shoulder-baring crop top. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for MPTF)

Hollywood’s Night Under The Stars

We love this comfy-chic look -- basically the equivalent of dressed up PJs. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for MPTF)

Printed pants

To keep things from looking too casual, Amal accessorized with daring drop earrings, bouncy curls and a smokey eye. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for MPTF)

In New York

Lady in red! Clooney was spotted in Manhatten looking stunning in a knee-length red wrap dress with tie-waist detailing and bell sleeves. She finished off the look with a classic black bag, her signature cat eye sunglasses and neutral pumps. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images)

Out and about in New York

Looking like a chic Wednesday Addams in a black and white Gucci dress with a Peter Pan collar and oversized red bow. (Photo by Alessio Botticelli/GC Images) 

Leaders’ Summit on Refugees at the U.N. General Assembly

A printed Alexander McQueen to the U.N. seems like a bold choice for the U.N., but the glamorous human rights lawyer totally makes it work. (Photo by Peter Foley - Pool/Getty Images)

Out and about in New York City

Clooney showed us how easy it is to mix patterns for the office in these checkered pants combined with a stunning brocade coat. To keep things from being too over-the-top, she kept her accessories neutral -- opting for pointed toe flats, a white carry all and cat eye sunnies. (Photo by Michael Stewart/GC Images)

Leaving their hotel in Rome

Umm...#travelwardrobegoals? While George went for our typical airport attire in a T-shirt and jeans, we seriously want to step up our travel style game after seeing Amal’s lace shirt dress. (Photo by Splash News)

A dinner date in Rome

For a dinner date with husband George Clooney, Amal kept things breezy with an asymmetrical striped dress with shirtsleeve detailing at the hem. (Photo by: Splash News)

Visiting the Vatican

For a trip to the Vatican, Amal channelled the Duchess of Cambridge in a navy lace shift dress. (Photo by: Splash News)

A night out in Rome

For a romantic night out, Amal opted for a flowing LBD with a jewelled belt. (Photo by: Mertino / Splash News)

Daytime stroll

The always fashionable lawyer kept things colourful in a stunning Valentino frock. (Photo by Splash News)

Cannes Film Festival

For the “Money Monster” premiere, Amal walked the red carpet alongside her husband in a pale yellow one-shouldered dress from Atelier Versace. (Photo by Getty Images)

Berlin Film Festival 

At the Berlin Film Festival premiere of “Hail, Caesar!” she showed off her red carpet prowess in a sparkly black Saint Laurent gown. (Photo by Camilla Morandi/Corbis via Getty Images)

‘Hail, Caesar!’ premiere

For the L.A. premiere of “Hail, Caesar!” Amal kept things flirty on the red carpet in an appliquéd Giambattista Valli minidress. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)

Press conference in London

This lawyer doesn’t just keep things chic on the red carpet -- she’s a shining example of how workwear can also be extremely fashionable. While attending a press conference in January, she looked fashionable and professional in a red suit with velvet trim. (Photo by Neil Mockford/Alex Huckle/GC Images)

Christmas party

No better time than the holiday season for metallics on metallics -- and no one knows that better than Amal! While attending Charlotte Tilbury’s Christmas party, she stunned in a silver brocade crop top and culottes combination, and finished things off with silver shoes. (Photo by Mark Robert Milan/GC Images)

‘Our Brand Is Crisis’ premiere

Looking pretty in pink in a shimmery Roland Mouret frock. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Out and about in Los Angeles

A simple shirt dress taken to the next level with button detailing and a colourful bag. (Photo by Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

In London

Not many could pull off a suede turquoise trench coat... but Amal manages to do it with ease. (Photo by SAV/GC Images)

Going to court

We’re really re-thinking our work attire right about now... (Photo by Neil Mockford/Alex Huckle/GC Images)

In New York City

Can’t go wrong with a shirt dress, especially in a beautiful cherry shade. (Photo by Michael Stewart/GC Images)

Out with George Clooney

A Kelly green frock and matching strappy sandals for a night out in New York. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images)

Casamigos Tequila launch

Wearing a Studio 54-esque gold minidress. (Photo by Iconic/GC Images)

Heading to the airport

We wear tights and an oversized sweatshirt for a flight, but Amal wears an incredibly stylish pantsuit. (Photo by Neil Mockford/Alex Huckle/GC Images)

At the Tokyo premiere of ‘Tomorrowland’

Channelling Belle in a curve-hugging gold gown. (Photo by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)

At the Tokyo airport

Again, taking airport style to the next level -- this time in a beautiful printed dress and Valentino wedges. (Photo by Jun Sato/GC Images)

‘Tomorrowland’ Los Angeles premiere

In a flouncy ‘80s-inspired pink and black dress. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/WireImage)

Met Gala

For the 2015 Met Gala, which was themed “China: Through The Looking Glass,” the human rights lawyers stunned in an intricate John Galliano for Maison Margiela gown. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Variety)

Dinner date

A floral dress with a splash of colour (and strappy heels, of course) is the perfect look for a date night out in New York. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images)

Visiting the ‘Money Monster’ set

While visiting the set of her husband’s film, Amal kept things casual in drainpipe jeans, Valentino wedges and a breezy floral top. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images)

Going for a coffee run at Columbia University

Definitely not your grandma’s matching skirt and jacket combination... (Photo by: Splash News)

In New York City

Seriously, workwear goals. We love how this blouse is taken to the next level with a snakeskin collar. (Photo by Getty Images)

Heading out for dinner

Those pants! That top! Amal is definitely not afraid to experiment when it comes to style. (Photo by XPX/Star Max/GC Images)

In New York

Leather leggings and a cream-coloured swing jacket make for the perfect cozy cold weather look. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)

72nd Annual Golden Globes

For her first major red carpet, Amal dazzled in vintage Yves Saint Laurent. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)

At Heathrow airport

In a chic grey and black dress with a nipped waist. (Photo by TGB / Splash News)

Wedding day

For the couple’s incredibly fashionable nuptials, Amal wore a custom-made Oscar de la Renta gown. (Photo courtesy Annie Leibovitz/Vogue)

In Venice

During the couple’s whirlwind trip to Venice to tie the knot in September, 2014, Amal stunned in a white pantsuit. (Photo by Ernesto Ruscio/GC Images)

In Venice

This Giambattista Valli dress that Amal wore on their wedding trip to Venice is still one of our favourite items she’s ever worn. (Photo by Ernesto Ruscio/GC Images)

Arriving in Venice

In a striped jumpsuit and carrying a hat box -- and looking like a modern day Jackie O. (Photo by PVS/GC Images)

Visiting Florence

A lovely printed dress for a trip to Florence. (Photo by Splash News)

At the Celebrity Fight Night gala in Florence

A strapless black satin number for a red carpet gala benefitting the Andrea Bocelli Foundation and the Muhammed Ali Parkinson Center. (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Celebrity Fight Night)

In Florence

A pretty pink day dress taken to the next level with mismatched shoes. (Photo by Splash News)

In New York City

A dressed down look with a black sweater, printed pants, a Balenciaga bag and patent leather shoes. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)

[asfeedin]

The Duchess Of Cambridge’s Fashion Style Analysed

If you were allowed to have a good old root around inside Kate Middleton‘s closet, how many fashion gems do you think you’d find? There’s a plethora of McQueen, sure. Boxes and boxes of nude L.K. Bennett courts, obviously. But the Duchess Of Cambridge is also really good at introducing us to niche new brands that we would never previously have heard of.

She’s the ultimate fashion diplomat, whose impeccable style choices have been known to build bridges between nations (remember when she tactically wore Canadian-born British designer Erdem to kick off her royal tour in Ottawa, or wore this dress in Poland?), and the Kate Middleton effect leads to an instant sell-out of any item she wears.

‘There is no question that Kate choosing to wear Reiss has impacted our brand,’ David Reiss, Founder and Managing Director of Reiss told us. ‘We have noticed a significant increase in terms of brand interest and awareness globally, strengthening existing markets and attracting attention in markets we are yet to enter.’

Getting Duchess Kate’s seal of approval is the ultimate honour for any fashion brand, but the impact her endorsement can have on small businesses in particular has been known to literally see tiny labels launch into fully fledged companies overnight.

‘I was so excited the first time I found out that the Duchess had chosen to wear one of our dresses,’ Natasha Rufus Isaacs, co-founder of ethical fashion label Beulah told us. ‘We were a relatively unknown and young label, and it definitely helped spread the word about us and the cause that we support.’

Find out more about Beulah, Reiss and all of Kate Middleton’s favourite high street and designer fashion brands below, plus shop our edit to recreate her wardrobe…

Kate Middleton wearing Ghost

For clap for carers in April 2020 (to show her support for the NHS working during the pandemic), Kate wore a blue floral dress by Ghost, the colour of which was also a nod to the NHS.

Shop now: IDRIS DRESS for £118.30 from GHOST

Kate Middleton wearing Alexander McQueen

Let’s start with the Duchess’s ultimate fashion go-to, shall we? Kate loves Sarah Burton’s designs at Alexander McQueen almost as much as she loves Wills. From that stunning lace wedding dress to an entire collection of chic, sharp dresses and occasion coats, Sarah always strikes a perfect balance between McQueen’s house hallmarks (extreme silhouettes, Victorian corsetry and dramatic presence) and Kate’s softer, approachable personality. Every time the pair collaborate, the resulting look is pitch perfect.

Shop now: ALEXANDER MCQUEEN draped sleeve asymmetric hem dress for £1,690 from FARFETCH

Kate Middleton wearing Monica Vinader

British jewellery Monica Vinader has been one of the Duchess’s go-to brands since 2014. She wore the label’s delicate crystal-studded Riva necklace and matching earrings, with a combined cost of £2,750, to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year gala at the National History Museum that year and has since modelled them on multiple engagements. On her tour of Canada in 2016, she accessorised with the brand’s more understated Siren Wire earrings in green onyx to match her emerald hued Dolce and Gabbana dress.

Monica Vinader Siren Wire Earrings, £115

Kate Middleton wearing Reiss

When Duchess Kate wore Reiss’s Shola dress to meet the Obamas in 2011 the impact on sales was instant. ‘The surge in web traffic following the release of the images caused our website to crash, David Reiss, Founder and Managing Director of Reiss told us. ‘The dress promptly sold out online when service was resumed.’ The Duchess’s wardrobe is full of Reiss’s classic dresses including the Nannette and the Trina – both of which also experienced the ‘Kate effect’ in full force when they too sold out in a fashion flash.

REISS Riana Dress, £195

Kate Middleton wearing L.K. Bennett

Oh those cream courts. Never has anyone ever been so faithful to a signature shoe. And yet they always look box fresh? We have reason to believe that Kate’s L.K. Bennett collection is housed a mini-wardrobe of its own and comprises of even more classic heels, a few pairs of showstopper sandals and a dozen or so boxes of stockpiled nude ‘Sledge’ pumps.

L.K. Bennett Stila Trench Patent Court Heels, £195

Kate Middleton wearing Temperley London

Both Middleton sisters love Alice Temperley’s eponymous line (Pippa has even been spotted on the designer’s London Fashion Week front row). And Alice equally loves them back. ‘[Kate is] a brilliant ambassador for British fashion,’ she has said of her regular client, who comes to her for red carpet drama and pretty lace day dresses alike.

Temperley London ivory crepe jumpsuit, £1,295 at Net-A-Porter

Kate Middleton wearing Jenny Packham

Another go-to for red carpet wow gowns and chic maternity ward nighties alike. True glam prevailed, though, when Jenny provided Duchess Kate with this stunning embellished gown for a red carpet-ready party in Hollywood. Does it get any more A-List?

Jenny Packham ombre sequin dress, £3,215 at Net-A-Porter

Kate Middleton wearing Le Chameau

Kate’s a country girl at heart and always goes to Le Chameau, manufacturer of the ‘world’s finest rubber boots’ for her, erm, wellies. A ‘maître bottier’ handcrafts each pair of the French heritage brand’s shoes. Because apparently Hunters are just too general public these days.

Le Chameau Women’s Vierzon Jersey Lined Boot, £135

Kate Middleton wearing Mulberry

A fan of the established Brit label since her uni days, Kate Middleton’s Mulberry bag collection includes a classic black Polly Push Lock and a bright pink Araline, which she once wore with yellow disco hot-pants (well you would, wouldn’t you?).

Mulberry Amberley Clucth Bag, £495

Kate Middleton wearing Emilia Wickstead

Kate regularly called upon the first lady of British couture while she was pregnant with Prince George, making sure that all of her maternity wear was tailor-made to the royal bump. Wickstead injects a lot of colour into the Duchess’s wardrobe too – we love the floral ensemble Kate wore in September 2019 to visit a garden.

Emilia Wickstead rose printed dress, £1,420 at MatchesFashion

Kate Middleton wearing Russell and Bromley

Kate’s £245 Russell and Bromley wedges have become one of her wardrobe staples. Her go-to styling choice when dressing up those J Brand drainpipes, she’s even played volleyball in the 4inch cork platforms. What a pro.

Russell & Bromley Candyfloss Peep-Toe Espadrilles, £145

Kate Middleton wearing Erdem

Clever Kate used her style to unite nations on her Canada tour in 2011, choosing a dress by Canadian-born British designer Erdem Moralioğlu on her first day in Ottawa. Every country (obviously) wanted to take some credit for that masterful use of lace.

Erdem Klya dress, £1,942 at 24S

Kate Middleton wearing Jimmy Choo

The Duchess’s party shoe of choice – usually something strappy, sky high and shimmering. Proper princess footwear? Now we’re talking. She wore these sequin pumps to a gala dinner at Somerset House in 2019.

Jimmy Choo Romy 85 pumps, £525 at FARFETCH

Kate Middleton wearing Beulah

Ethical fashion label Beulah use a portion of their profits to help victims of India’s sex trafficking trade. Kate’s helped to raise awareness of the brand and their work, wearing a few of their loose and lightweight dresses when she’s on tours in hot climates.

‘She’s a wonderful ambassador for British fashion and her support definitely raises awareness and recognition of the brand,’ Natasha Rufus Isaacs, co-founder of ethical fashion label Beulah told us. ‘A few of the press picked up on the charity angle on our business, that we help vulnerable and trafficked women and provide an alternative, sustainable livelihood. Raising awareness and funds for the cause is the heart of what we do here at Beulah.’

Beulah midi dress, £640

Kate Middleton wearing Max Mara

Lovely luxe coats are Italian mega-label Max Mara’s specialist subject. Kate’s got about 5 in her winter wardrobe – ideal investment pieces.

Max Mara Labbro cashmere Coat, £3,009.60 at Selfridges

Kate Middleton wearing Jaeger

The Duchess of Cambridge loves Jaeger dresses – from this sweet sunshine shirtdress on tour in the Solomon Islands, to the nautical number that she snapped up in the SS14 sale. Who said royalty couldn’t be thrifty?

Jaeger colour block dress, £175

Kate Middleton wearing Whistles

The Duchess Of Cambridge loves Whistles (here she is wearing their best-selling Carrie pleated skirt in 2011), however, the brand’s chief executive Jane Shepherdson says the ‘Kate effect’ on sales isn’t always as you might expect – thanks to her thriftiness. ‘She wore a blouse [in the royal engagement photos] which was actually from a few seasons ago, which we weren’t running,’ she said. ‘So in that instance, it raised profile certainly, but it didn’t do anything for sales.’

Whistles broderie dress, £111.75

Kate Middleton wearing Goat

Luxury label Goat just announced that their first stand-alone store will open in Mayfair this year – no doubt, in part, thanks to the ‘Kate effect’. Kate was spotted (but really, how could you miss her?) in this fuchsia frock on a visit to a London school.

Goat tea dress, £630

So, which items will you be picking up?

Happy shopping!

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London fashion week women S/S 2019 key Trends

London fashion week women S/S 2019 key Trends Barbra Aldina Tue, 09/18/2018 - 09:13

Nomadic generation, soft Romanticism and women empowerment is back at the London fashion week S/S 2019 show.

Alice Archer- Romanticism through flowers

Alice Archer- Romanticism through flowers

Alice Archer- Romanticism through flowers

Alice Archer- Romanticism through flowers

PreviousNext

For the London fashion week spring summer 2019 she brings a romantic collection, verging on sentimental, with a palette inspired by the vast blue sky, green fields and pink dress worn by the protagonist in Andrew Wyeth’s painting “Christina’s World,” and white, which appeared as broderie Anglais in long and short incarnations of a prairie dress embroidered with black-eyed Susans.

Archer’s flair for embroidery was also at work in stems of fluffy-headed yarrow that appeared throughout, beginning with a soft pink silk pantsuit that belted at the waist and includes a mint green kimono and in a pretty off-the-shoulder blush satin-tiered gown.

Alice Archer was inspired by the author’s rich descriptions of nature, which she channeled into a collection abloom with embroidered wildflowers in silhouettes that lightly hinted at the period during which the books were published.

Virginia bluebells looked lovely backed by blue cotton in a drawstring waist jumpsuit with a Pierrot collar, and the ice green trousers that came with a matching midriff-baring bodice top was a nice balance of innocence and sophistication.

The eveningwear, which is usually a standout, fell slightly short of the mark. The mint gown with a satin bodice and tulle skirt would have been better all in tulle, and the top of the lilac two-piece ensemble looked a bit rudimentary by comparison to Archer’s previous efforts.

Palmer Harding- Peplums and ruffles

Palmer Harding- Peplums and ruffles

Palmer Harding- Peplums and ruffles

Palmer Harding- Peplums and ruffles

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The design duo used dichotomies throughout the collection to reflect this type of twisted personality.

There were oversize, androgynous shirts with lingerie-inspired slip top peaking under; tailored jackets softened with ruffles and peplums, and harnesses layered over languid printed dresses.

“There’s some dangerous elements like harnesses but also ruffles to camouflage [her darker side],” added Harding.

Other highlights included ultra high-waisted trousers and structured jackets with large cargo pockets, that evoked a powerful, military-inspired image.

There was plenty to choose from in this collection, that was filled with easy-to-wear, everyday separates — but their brand’s strength continues to lie in their signature shirting and the skilfull ways they pull them apart and piece them back together.

Alexa Chung- Inspired by Travel

Alexa Chung- Inspired by Travel

Alexa Chung- Inspired by Travel

Alexa Chung- Inspired by Travel

Alexa Chung- Inspired by Travel

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Inspired by travel, she dreamed up her own travel company “A.C. World Travel Inc.” and transformed her show venue into an airport lounge. Models walked around the tricky-to-navigate arrivals and departure halls, sporting outfits that referenced “an array of incongruous destinations.”

There were businesswomen in smart ivory suits; girls ready to party post-flight in their crystal-embellished minidresses and others who put comfort first in logo tracksuits and printed pajamas.

There was also a whiff of the Mediterranean with a series of crocheted looks, accessorized with baskets and sparkly jelly shoes, as well as some safari references in the form of bandanas, large cargo pockets, and suede trenches.

There were plenty of desirable pieces, from the baby blue patent trenchcoats to the cute barely there slip dresses and Chung’s signature boiler suits, that ticked all the right trend boxes and will surely prove to be retail gold.

Burberry- Luxury and Modernity

Burberry- Luxury and Modernity- wide corset belt

Burberry- Luxury and Modernity

Burberry- Luxury and Modernity

Burberry- Luxury and Modernity

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The collection took in a sensual, old-world luxury for the London fashion week S/S 2019. You will find a soft leather pencil skirt, a lineup of pleated print skirts, proper pussy bow blouses and jackets threaded and tied with silk scarves. The look was a more street looks, a lace slips with long deconstructed sleeves and short, halter-top trench dresses worn with white socks and mary jane flats.

Tisci's favorite Bambi came on shirts and trenches while snippets of phrases from Shakespeare, along with punk, pop, and historical references appeared on T-shirts and jackets and coats.

He put a cool spin on the trench, slimming it down, cinching it with a thick leather corset belt for the opening look, or piercing its edges with little gold hoops or studs. Elsewhere, he added little built-in, button-front panels or a patchwork of silk scarves.

Overall, his women’s offer outshone the men’s, with the classic and tailored portions looking sleeker than the off-duty clothes, which took in a deer spotted shirt that wondered aloud “Why Did They Kill Bambi” and a lineup of roomy suits slashed T-shirts and animal-patterned trousers.

Perhaps the strength of Tisci’s more formalwear is an indication that street, by Tisci’s own admission, has gone too far. Interestingly, Tisci referred to the casual and street-tinged sections of the show as the “young parts.”

Victoria Beckham- Movement and relaxed

Victoria Beckham- Movement and relaxed

Victoria Beckham- Movement and relaxed

Victoria Beckham- Movement and relaxed

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For the collection, Tennant’s opening look for the London fashion week S/S 2019 was a languid, optic white suit, with an obi buckle belt setting up the tone for this collection that was all about ease, from the relaxed long dresses and trousers to the flat boots. no painful or twisted ankles here to the textured knits, which came as long wraparound dresses or were layered under tailored jackets.

Beckham said she wanted to play with contrasts, too, and to that end cinched a flowing white Greek goddess dress with a bright blue rope belt and slipped a pink one around the waist of a red ribbed skirt with a handkerchief hem.

Lace-edged slipdresses were layered over roomy, boyish flat-front trousers while delicate scalloped lacing peeked from the deep V-neck of a roomy black trouser suit.

The styles at the show were built for movement, which as a mother of four with a burgeoning business valued last year at 100 million pounds.

David Koma- drama. Peplum and Ruffles

David Koma- drama. Peplum and Ruffles

David Koma- drama. Peplum and Ruffles

David Koma- drama. Peplum and Ruffles

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Koma put his own, minimal, all-out sexy spin on the drama, ruffled skirts and polka dots associated with the dance, refining ruffles into structural peplums and translating dots into sheer spot mesh or shimmery plexi embellishments, which winked along the edges of shoulder seams, cutouts, and hemlines.

Carmen Amaya, the late Romani flamenco dancer who would wear trousers in her performances to emphasize movement, was the inspiration behind the lineup’s terrific trousers. Also calling to mind styles worn by matadors, they were cut high on the waist, with a soft flare created by split hems.

His palette, as always, was on the noir side, freshened by white and lilac. Pieces in neon yellow or bright green looked better head-to-toe rather than paired with or trimmed in black, which made those looks seem a bit labored.

A lineup of literally dazzling gowns, the first he has shown on the runway, looked great in ombré plexi chainmail that faded from green to platinum or from black through to violet and green.

Burberry

David Koma

Victoria Beckham

Palmer Harding

Alice Archer

Alexa Chung

London fashion week ss19

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Catwalk

London fashion week

The following blog post London fashion week women S/S 2019 key Trends was originally published to Blog

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MILAN | Prada redefines youthful elegance with psychedelic flair

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MILAN | Prada redefines youthful elegance with psychedelic flair

MILAN (AP) — Youthful designers injected energy into the third day Sunday of Milan Fashion Week menswear previews for next spring and summer.

While the topics of generational and creative change at some of the most-established Milan fashion houses were running in the background, young brands carved out their own space to grow by their own rules.

Some highlights from Sunday’s shows, including Milan mainstay Prada alongside younger brands Palm Angels, MSGM, Sunnei and Korean newcomers BESFXXK. ___

PRADA BASICS

Miuccia Prada says she was “trying to do elegant in a new young way” with her latest menswear collection.

At Prada, young does not translate to streetwear, even if there were sneakers. The new plastic square logo on nearly every garment, including the folded turtle neck, was strictly an ironic answer to prevailing trends.

Against previous intentions, elegant at Prada translated into sexy — i.e. short shorts for men — and at times playful — big stuffed aviator hats made for summer despite the decidedly wintery earflaps, mostly in Prada’s trademark black vinyl.

“I never pronounced sexy in my life. I never wanted Prada to be sexy,” but willingly embraced the notion as the rest of the fashion world seemed to resist sexiness in favor of boxy street looks, the designer said.

“You know I am a bit of a contrarian,” she said.

The looks amounted to basic mix and match, layer or not: Straight trousers, turtle necks, shirts and jackets, and the short-shorts, which Prada called “a miniskirt” for men. Materials included denim and suede. The colors were mostly neutrals.

There was a slightly psychedelic feel to daisy print shirts and fantastic scenes that conjured the animated film version of the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine.”

Underlining the message, Prada stripped the showroom bare, put clear plastic sheets on the wall and sat guests on inflatable clear cubes.

“Sometimes, it is good to go back to simple things,” she said. ____

PALM ANGELS: ITALIAN STREET WEAR

Francesco Ragazzi’s America-inspired street fashion brand, Palm Angels, had all the codes of the latest trends: neon flashes, thick-soled sneakers, short gym shorts, technical cargo pants.

But the 32-year-old designer underlined the luxury in the brand with details. The gym shorts were suede and had orange trim. Shorts and a baby blue top with puffy sleeves came with draw sting.

The footwear included cowboy boots painted with the Stars and Stripes, the perfect accompaniment to a jumpsuit in a bald eagle-American flag print.

A striped strap worn across the chest, apparently binding the upper arms, was an accessory, not part of the garment, as was made clear when a model sported one bare- chested. The looks were tagged as much as branded, with neon tags hanging from pockets. Tiny goggles with colored lenses added an urban edge. ___

VITAMIN INJECTION AT MSGM

Massimo Giorgetti’s MSGM collection for next spring and summer recalls his youthful 1980s summers in his native Adriatic coastal city of Rimini, a time, the designer said, when the beach crowds never abandoned their fashion sense.

And Giorgetti paid homage to classic looks of his adopted home in Milan, where he launched his MSGM brand eight years ago.

Giorgetti said he wanted to emphasize his Italian roots while also injecting a dose of 1980s energy. “It’s a show that recharges you,”Giorgetti said backstage.

The 41-year-old designer made the point quite literally, imitating colorful graphic logos from well-known Italian vitamin brands with the MSGM Milano logo on silky button-down shirts. There was a plethora of 1980s neon colors, bright florals and prints —from Manga volley-ball playing characters to Roger Minick photographs of tourists.

Rimini is celebrated in slouchy knitwear with the city’s name in rainbow colors, worn with striped denim shorts layered over longer boxers. But also in the tangerine shorts and lime green swimming briefs.

For Milan, there were tie-dye knits over colorful print thigh-baring short, jeans and color-block hoodies, and pin-striped suits with palm tree shadows and the band logo on the back. ____

SUNNEI

Designers Simone Rizzo and Loris Messina showed their Sunnei label against the backdrop of the Milan skyline as seen from the 31st floor of Gio Ponti’s famed Pirelli Tower. It was an aspirational location, reflected in the invitation that showed the tower from below in a faux smart-phone snap — the view the designers have from their studio.

But the sophisticated, architectural designs were a natural fit for Gio Ponte’s arched ceilings and geometrically tiled floors, and showed the designers have definitely arrived. The collection included for the first time women’s looks alongside the menswear, and the designers said they found a natural interplay.

“They speak the same language. For us, men and women change little. Unfortunately, we have to categorize it. But for us it is the same thing,” Rizzo said.

The looks were clean and sharp, with a focus on soft comfort. The color palate was soothing, from pale blue, sea green, cream and gray offset by orange and red.

Parachute pants worked for him and for her, paired with knit cropped tops for her or an oversized jersey hoodie for him.

Her transparent anorak with orange draw strings gave a sporty touch to an orange terry cloth dress with an asymmetrical hemline.

His anorak features a notched collar and doubles as a suit jacket with wide-legged cropped pants.

He wore a worn leather vest with utility pockets with loose jeans and a floppy brim hat, while she wore it with slim skirt with cargo pockets. He carried a large travel bag, hers was a rectangular purse, as the designers also presented a full range of accessories including wavy platform shoes and simple sneakers, sunglasses and headbands.

“It is the natural extension of the brand that we have always presented,” Rizzo said. “Our goal is not to change the mood for style from season to season, but to grow, expand the categories.” ___

SOUTH KOREAN NEWCOMERS UNVEIL BESFXXK BRAND South Korean newcomers to Milan, Jae Hyuk Lim and Bona Kim, unveiled their BESFXXK brand that mixes Japanese textiles with American street-styling from the 1980s and British tailoring.

The unusual name combines the notion of bespoke designs with a more irreverent street looks.

The 33-year-old designers aggressively deconstruct and recompose everyday garments for their combined menswear and womenswear collection, like sweatshirts and trench coats.

So a top for him is composed of a T-shirt and a jean jacket sewn together, while hers is a man’s collared shirt on one side and an angelic white woman’s shirt on the other. Trench coats feature asymmetrical hems. Or can be transformed into a skirt for her, the arms of it wrapped around the waist as a natural belt.

“It is not just a mix of two different elements, it is a mix of cultures,” Lim said. ___

This story has been amended to correct the spelling of Miuccia Prada’s name.

By COLLEEN BARRY by Associated Press

[hilaryhagerman]

Amal Clooney’s maternity style is already incredible

She’s an incredibly smart human rights lawyer who gives the Duchess of Cambridge a run for her money when it comes to style clout. Oh, and she’s also married to George Clooney. 

From the office to the red carpet, and everywhere in between, we take a look at some of Amal Clooney’s best style moments. 

Let us know what you think by tweeting @YahooStyleCA! 

Out and about in Paris

While heading out for a day in Paris, Clooney wooed us yet again with her impossibly chic maternity style. She combined a floral printed dress with a taupe embellished coat and finished things off with over-the-knee leather boots and sunglasses, of course. (Photo by Mehdi Taamallah/Nurphoto)

Arriving at The Ritz in Paris

If you’re a fan of Amal’s coordinted dress and coat, we’ve got some bad news -- the likelihood of you snapping one up is pretty slim. The 39-year-old stepped out on Feb. 25 in this vintage ‘60s look. Pregnant Amal Clooney and Georges Clooney seen arriving at the Ritz hotel in Paris, on February 25, 2017. (Photo by Mehdi Taamallah/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

At the 2017 Cesar Film Awards

We were heartbroken that this stylish pair didn’t walk the Oscars red carpet on Feb. 26  -- but luckily they indulged us by attending the Cesar Awards in Paris two days prior. While George looked dapper in a black suit and bowtie, Amal sparkled in a bump-hugging white Atelier Versace gown with an ombre feathered bottom. Perfection! (Photo by Rindoff/Charriau/Getty Images)

Out and about in London

Photographed for the first time since the world found out her and husband George Clooney are expecting twins, Clooney looked stunning a a bright red coat, motorcycle boots and a simple grey dress. 

At LAX 

Talk about sophisticated yet comfy travel style! While jetting off with husband George Clooney, Amal opted for chic leather pants, a fun “Sunday” sweater and a neutral coat with fur detailing. Of course, the oversized look kept persistent pregnancy rumours afloat, but whether she’s expecting or not (and really, it’s not our business!), this travel look is all kinds of #StyleGoals. (Photo via Splash News)

At LAX

Clooney capped things off with a black hat and shoulder bag. (Photo via Splash News)

Premiere of ‘The White Helmets’

Amal Clooney certainly knows how to rock cold weather florals. While attending the premiere of the Netflix documentary “The White Helmets” in London, the gorgeous human rights lawyer stepped out in a chic floral sheath by Dolce & Gabbana. She paired the pretty frock with textured black tights and ankle boots, and wore her hair in loose waves. It’s not the first time she’s worn the dress, either -- she was also seen sporting it in October 2015. (Photo by Getty Images)

Date night with George Clooney

For a night out in Santa Monica, Clooney showed off her abs in a sexy black lace crop paired with jeans, studded Balenciaga sandals and a black jacket.

In stripes on the ‘Suburbicon’ set

At first glance, it looks like the outfit Amal wore to visit her husband on the set of “Suburbicon” is a striped maxi dress -- but it’s actually a lovely jumpsuit by Tome. Clooney let the jumpsuit do the talking, keeping the rest of her look neutral with Linda Farrow aviators, Jimmy Choo sandals and a crossbody bag. However, if you’re hoping to snap up this sweet outfit, it’s going to cost a pretty penny -- the jumpsuit alone retails for around $1,400 CAD. (Photos by Splash News)

On the set of ‘Suburbicon’ in Los Angeles

While visiting husband George on set of “Suburbicon,” which he is directing, Amal Clooney gave off some serious vintage vibes in a pair of Alice & Olivia embroidered flares and a mustard yellow long-sleeve top. (Photo by Splash News)

At Hollywood’s Night Under The Stars

Who says a night out at a Hollywood party has to involve a skintight dress and sky high heels? While attending Hollywood’s Night Under The Stars, Clooney combined comfy-looking printed silk palazzo pants with a shoulder-baring crop top. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for MPTF)

Hollywood’s Night Under The Stars

We love this comfy-chic look -- basically the equivalent of dressed up PJs. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for MPTF)

Printed pants

To keep things from looking too casual, Amal accessorized with daring drop earrings, bouncy curls and a smokey eye. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for MPTF)

In New York

Lady in red! Clooney was spotted in Manhatten looking stunning in a knee-length red wrap dress with tie-waist detailing and bell sleeves. She finished off the look with a classic black bag, her signature cat eye sunglasses and neutral pumps. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images)

Out and about in New York

Looking like a chic Wednesday Addams in a black and white Gucci dress with a Peter Pan collar and oversized red bow. (Photo by Alessio Botticelli/GC Images) 

Leaders’ Summit on Refugees at the U.N. General Assembly

A printed Alexander McQueen to the U.N. seems like a bold choice for the U.N., but the glamorous human rights lawyer totally makes it work. (Photo by Peter Foley - Pool/Getty Images)

Out and about in New York City

Clooney showed us how easy it is to mix patterns for the office in these checkered pants combined with a stunning brocade coat. To keep things from being too over-the-top, she kept her accessories neutral -- opting for pointed toe flats, a white carry all and cat eye sunnies. (Photo by Michael Stewart/GC Images)

Leaving their hotel in Rome

Umm...#travelwardrobegoals? While George went for our typical airport attire in a T-shirt and jeans, we seriously want to step up our travel style game after seeing Amal’s lace shirt dress. (Photo by Splash News)

A dinner date in Rome

For a dinner date with husband George Clooney, Amal kept things breezy with an asymmetrical striped dress with shirtsleeve detailing at the hem. (Photo by: Splash News)

Visiting the Vatican

For a trip to the Vatican, Amal channelled the Duchess of Cambridge in a navy lace shift dress. (Photo by: Splash News)

A night out in Rome

For a romantic night out, Amal opted for a flowing LBD with a jewelled belt. (Photo by: Mertino / Splash News)

Daytime stroll

The always fashionable lawyer kept things colourful in a stunning Valentino frock. (Photo by Splash News)

Cannes Film Festival

For the “Money Monster” premiere, Amal walked the red carpet alongside her husband in a pale yellow one-shouldered dress from Atelier Versace. (Photo by Getty Images)

Berlin Film Festival 

At the Berlin Film Festival premiere of “Hail, Caesar!” she showed off her red carpet prowess in a sparkly black Saint Laurent gown. (Photo by Camilla Morandi/Corbis via Getty Images)

‘Hail, Caesar!’ premiere

For the L.A. premiere of “Hail, Caesar!” Amal kept things flirty on the red carpet in an appliquéd Giambattista Valli minidress. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)

Press conference in London

This lawyer doesn’t just keep things chic on the red carpet -- she’s a shining example of how workwear can also be extremely fashionable. While attending a press conference in January, she looked fashionable and professional in a red suit with velvet trim. (Photo by Neil Mockford/Alex Huckle/GC Images)

Christmas party

No better time than the holiday season for metallics on metallics -- and no one knows that better than Amal! While attending Charlotte Tilbury’s Christmas party, she stunned in a silver brocade crop top and culottes combination, and finished things off with silver shoes. (Photo by Mark Robert Milan/GC Images)

‘Our Brand Is Crisis’ premiere

Looking pretty in pink in a shimmery Roland Mouret frock. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Out and about in Los Angeles

A simple shirt dress taken to the next level with button detailing and a colourful bag. (Photo by Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

In London

Not many could pull off a suede turquoise trench coat... but Amal manages to do it with ease. (Photo by SAV/GC Images)

Going to court

We’re really re-thinking our work attire right about now... (Photo by Neil Mockford/Alex Huckle/GC Images)

In New York City

Can’t go wrong with a shirt dress, especially in a beautiful cherry shade. (Photo by Michael Stewart/GC Images)

Out with George Clooney

A Kelly green frock and matching strappy sandals for a night out in New York. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images)

Casamigos Tequila launch

Wearing a Studio 54-esque gold minidress. (Photo by Iconic/GC Images)

Heading to the airport

We wear tights and an oversized sweatshirt for a flight, but Amal wears an incredibly stylish pantsuit. (Photo by Neil Mockford/Alex Huckle/GC Images)

At the Tokyo premiere of ‘Tomorrowland’

Channelling Belle in a curve-hugging gold gown. (Photo by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)

At the Tokyo airport

Again, taking airport style to the next level -- this time in a beautiful printed dress and Valentino wedges. (Photo by Jun Sato/GC Images)

‘Tomorrowland’ Los Angeles premiere

In a flouncy ‘80s-inspired pink and black dress. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/WireImage)

Met Gala

For the 2015 Met Gala, which was themed “China: Through The Looking Glass,” the human rights lawyers stunned in an intricate John Galliano for Maison Margiela gown. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Variety)

Dinner date

A floral dress with a splash of colour (and strappy heels, of course) is the perfect look for a date night out in New York. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images)

Visiting the ‘Money Monster’ set

While visiting the set of her husband’s film, Amal kept things casual in drainpipe jeans, Valentino wedges and a breezy floral top. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images)

Going for a coffee run at Columbia University

Definitely not your grandma’s matching skirt and jacket combination... (Photo by: Splash News)

In New York City

Seriously, workwear goals. We love how this blouse is taken to the next level with a snakeskin collar. (Photo by Getty Images)

Heading out for dinner

Those pants! That top! Amal is definitely not afraid to experiment when it comes to style. (Photo by XPX/Star Max/GC Images)

In New York

Leather leggings and a cream-coloured swing jacket make for the perfect cozy cold weather look. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)

72nd Annual Golden Globes

For her first major red carpet, Amal dazzled in vintage Yves Saint Laurent. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)

At Heathrow airport

In a chic grey and black dress with a nipped waist. (Photo by TGB / Splash News)

Wedding day

For the couple’s incredibly fashionable nuptials, Amal wore a custom-made Oscar de la Renta gown. (Photo courtesy Annie Leibovitz/Vogue)

In Venice

During the couple’s whirlwind trip to Venice to tie the knot in September, 2014, Amal stunned in a white pantsuit. (Photo by Ernesto Ruscio/GC Images)

In Venice

This Giambattista Valli dress that Amal wore on their wedding trip to Venice is still one of our favourite items she’s ever worn. (Photo by Ernesto Ruscio/GC Images)

Arriving in Venice

In a striped jumpsuit and carrying a hat box -- and looking like a modern day Jackie O. (Photo by PVS/GC Images)

Visiting Florence

A lovely printed dress for a trip to Florence. (Photo by Splash News)

At the Celebrity Fight Night gala in Florence

A strapless black satin number for a red carpet gala benefitting the Andrea Bocelli Foundation and the Muhammed Ali Parkinson Center. (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Celebrity Fight Night)

In Florence

A pretty pink day dress taken to the next level with mismatched shoes. (Photo by Splash News)

In New York City

A dressed down look with a black sweater, printed pants, a Balenciaga bag and patent leather shoes. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)

Heading out to dinner in New York

Back when she was just George’s “rumoured girlfriend,” the pair headed out to dinner in New York looking cute in matching scarves. (Photo by Splash News)

[hilaryhagerman]

Amal Clooney’s maternity style is already incredible

She’s an incredibly smart human rights lawyer who gives the Duchess of Cambridge a run for her money when it comes to style clout. Oh, and she’s also married to George Clooney. 

From the office to the red carpet, and everywhere in between, we take a look at some of Amal Clooney’s best style moments. 

Let us know what you think by tweeting @YahooStyleCA! 

Out and about in Paris

While heading out for a day in Paris, Clooney wooed us yet again with her impossibly chic maternity style. She combined a floral printed dress with a taupe embellished coat and finished things off with over-the-knee leather boots and sunglasses, of course. (Photo by Mehdi Taamallah/Nurphoto)

Arriving at The Ritz in Paris

If you’re a fan of Amal’s coordinted dress and coat, we’ve got some bad news -- the likelihood of you snapping one up is pretty slim. The 39-year-old stepped out on Feb. 25 in this vintage ‘60s look. Pregnant Amal Clooney and Georges Clooney seen arriving at the Ritz hotel in Paris, on February 25, 2017. (Photo by Mehdi Taamallah/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

At the 2017 Cesar Film Awards

We were heartbroken that this stylish pair didn’t walk the Oscars red carpet on Feb. 26  -- but luckily they indulged us by attending the Cesar Awards in Paris two days prior. While George looked dapper in a black suit and bowtie, Amal sparkled in a bump-hugging white Atelier Versace gown with an ombre feathered bottom. Perfection! (Photo by Rindoff/Charriau/Getty Images)

Out and about in London

Photographed for the first time since the world found out her and husband George Clooney are expecting twins, Clooney looked stunning a a bright red coat, motorcycle boots and a simple grey dress. 

At LAX 

Talk about sophisticated yet comfy travel style! While jetting off with husband George Clooney, Amal opted for chic leather pants, a fun “Sunday” sweater and a neutral coat with fur detailing. Of course, the oversized look kept persistent pregnancy rumours afloat, but whether she’s expecting or not (and really, it’s not our business!), this travel look is all kinds of #StyleGoals. (Photo via Splash News)

At LAX

Clooney capped things off with a black hat and shoulder bag. (Photo via Splash News)

Premiere of ‘The White Helmets’

Amal Clooney certainly knows how to rock cold weather florals. While attending the premiere of the Netflix documentary “The White Helmets” in London, the gorgeous human rights lawyer stepped out in a chic floral sheath by Dolce & Gabbana. She paired the pretty frock with textured black tights and ankle boots, and wore her hair in loose waves. It’s not the first time she’s worn the dress, either -- she was also seen sporting it in October 2015. (Photo by Getty Images)

Date night with George Clooney

For a night out in Santa Monica, Clooney showed off her abs in a sexy black lace crop paired with jeans, studded Balenciaga sandals and a black jacket.

In stripes on the ‘Suburbicon’ set

At first glance, it looks like the outfit Amal wore to visit her husband on the set of “Suburbicon” is a striped maxi dress -- but it’s actually a lovely jumpsuit by Tome. Clooney let the jumpsuit do the talking, keeping the rest of her look neutral with Linda Farrow aviators, Jimmy Choo sandals and a crossbody bag. However, if you’re hoping to snap up this sweet outfit, it’s going to cost a pretty penny -- the jumpsuit alone retails for around $1,400 CAD. (Photos by Splash News)

On the set of ‘Suburbicon’ in Los Angeles

While visiting husband George on set of “Suburbicon,” which he is directing, Amal Clooney gave off some serious vintage vibes in a pair of Alice & Olivia embroidered flares and a mustard yellow long-sleeve top. (Photo by Splash News)

At Hollywood’s Night Under The Stars

Who says a night out at a Hollywood party has to involve a skintight dress and sky high heels? While attending Hollywood’s Night Under The Stars, Clooney combined comfy-looking printed silk palazzo pants with a shoulder-baring crop top. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for MPTF)

Hollywood’s Night Under The Stars

We love this comfy-chic look -- basically the equivalent of dressed up PJs. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for MPTF)

Printed pants

To keep things from looking too casual, Amal accessorized with daring drop earrings, bouncy curls and a smokey eye. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for MPTF)

In New York

Lady in red! Clooney was spotted in Manhatten looking stunning in a knee-length red wrap dress with tie-waist detailing and bell sleeves. She finished off the look with a classic black bag, her signature cat eye sunglasses and neutral pumps. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images)

Out and about in New York

Looking like a chic Wednesday Addams in a black and white Gucci dress with a Peter Pan collar and oversized red bow. (Photo by Alessio Botticelli/GC Images) 

Leaders’ Summit on Refugees at the U.N. General Assembly

A printed Alexander McQueen to the U.N. seems like a bold choice for the U.N., but the glamorous human rights lawyer totally makes it work. (Photo by Peter Foley - Pool/Getty Images)

Out and about in New York City

Clooney showed us how easy it is to mix patterns for the office in these checkered pants combined with a stunning brocade coat. To keep things from being too over-the-top, she kept her accessories neutral -- opting for pointed toe flats, a white carry all and cat eye sunnies. (Photo by Michael Stewart/GC Images)

Leaving their hotel in Rome

Umm...#travelwardrobegoals? While George went for our typical airport attire in a T-shirt and jeans, we seriously want to step up our travel style game after seeing Amal’s lace shirt dress. (Photo by Splash News)

A dinner date in Rome

For a dinner date with husband George Clooney, Amal kept things breezy with an asymmetrical striped dress with shirtsleeve detailing at the hem. (Photo by: Splash News)

Visiting the Vatican

For a trip to the Vatican, Amal channelled the Duchess of Cambridge in a navy lace shift dress. (Photo by: Splash News)

A night out in Rome

For a romantic night out, Amal opted for a flowing LBD with a jewelled belt. (Photo by: Mertino / Splash News)

Daytime stroll

The always fashionable lawyer kept things colourful in a stunning Valentino frock. (Photo by Splash News)

Cannes Film Festival

For the “Money Monster” premiere, Amal walked the red carpet alongside her husband in a pale yellow one-shouldered dress from Atelier Versace. (Photo by Getty Images)

Berlin Film Festival 

At the Berlin Film Festival premiere of “Hail, Caesar!” she showed off her red carpet prowess in a sparkly black Saint Laurent gown. (Photo by Camilla Morandi/Corbis via Getty Images)

‘Hail, Caesar!’ premiere

For the L.A. premiere of “Hail, Caesar!” Amal kept things flirty on the red carpet in an appliquéd Giambattista Valli minidress. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)

Press conference in London

This lawyer doesn’t just keep things chic on the red carpet -- she’s a shining example of how workwear can also be extremely fashionable. While attending a press conference in January, she looked fashionable and professional in a red suit with velvet trim. (Photo by Neil Mockford/Alex Huckle/GC Images)

Christmas party

No better time than the holiday season for metallics on metallics -- and no one knows that better than Amal! While attending Charlotte Tilbury’s Christmas party, she stunned in a silver brocade crop top and culottes combination, and finished things off with silver shoes. (Photo by Mark Robert Milan/GC Images)

‘Our Brand Is Crisis’ premiere

Looking pretty in pink in a shimmery Roland Mouret frock. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Out and about in Los Angeles

A simple shirt dress taken to the next level with button detailing and a colourful bag. (Photo by Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

In London

Not many could pull off a suede turquoise trench coat... but Amal manages to do it with ease. (Photo by SAV/GC Images)

Going to court

We’re really re-thinking our work attire right about now... (Photo by Neil Mockford/Alex Huckle/GC Images)

In New York City

Can’t go wrong with a shirt dress, especially in a beautiful cherry shade. (Photo by Michael Stewart/GC Images)

Out with George Clooney

A Kelly green frock and matching strappy sandals for a night out in New York. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images)

Casamigos Tequila launch

Wearing a Studio 54-esque gold minidress. (Photo by Iconic/GC Images)

Heading to the airport

We wear tights and an oversized sweatshirt for a flight, but Amal wears an incredibly stylish pantsuit. (Photo by Neil Mockford/Alex Huckle/GC Images)

At the Tokyo premiere of ‘Tomorrowland’

Channelling Belle in a curve-hugging gold gown. (Photo by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)

At the Tokyo airport

Again, taking airport style to the next level -- this time in a beautiful printed dress and Valentino wedges. (Photo by Jun Sato/GC Images)

‘Tomorrowland’ Los Angeles premiere

In a flouncy ‘80s-inspired pink and black dress. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/WireImage)

Met Gala

For the 2015 Met Gala, which was themed “China: Through The Looking Glass,” the human rights lawyers stunned in an intricate John Galliano for Maison Margiela gown. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Variety)

Dinner date

A floral dress with a splash of colour (and strappy heels, of course) is the perfect look for a date night out in New York. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images)

Visiting the ‘Money Monster’ set

While visiting the set of her husband’s film, Amal kept things casual in drainpipe jeans, Valentino wedges and a breezy floral top. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images)

Going for a coffee run at Columbia University

Definitely not your grandma’s matching skirt and jacket combination... (Photo by: Splash News)

In New York City

Seriously, workwear goals. We love how this blouse is taken to the next level with a snakeskin collar. (Photo by Getty Images)

Heading out for dinner

Those pants! That top! Amal is definitely not afraid to experiment when it comes to style. (Photo by XPX/Star Max/GC Images)

In New York

Leather leggings and a cream-coloured swing jacket make for the perfect cozy cold weather look. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)

72nd Annual Golden Globes

For her first major red carpet, Amal dazzled in vintage Yves Saint Laurent. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)

At Heathrow airport

In a chic grey and black dress with a nipped waist. (Photo by TGB / Splash News)

Wedding day

For the couple’s incredibly fashionable nuptials, Amal wore a custom-made Oscar de la Renta gown. (Photo courtesy Annie Leibovitz/Vogue)

In Venice

During the couple’s whirlwind trip to Venice to tie the knot in September, 2014, Amal stunned in a white pantsuit. (Photo by Ernesto Ruscio/GC Images)

In Venice

This Giambattista Valli dress that Amal wore on their wedding trip to Venice is still one of our favourite items she’s ever worn. (Photo by Ernesto Ruscio/GC Images)

Arriving in Venice

In a striped jumpsuit and carrying a hat box -- and looking like a modern day Jackie O. (Photo by PVS/GC Images)

Visiting Florence

A lovely printed dress for a trip to Florence. (Photo by Splash News)

At the Celebrity Fight Night gala in Florence

A strapless black satin number for a red carpet gala benefitting the Andrea Bocelli Foundation and the Muhammed Ali Parkinson Center. (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Celebrity Fight Night)

In Florence

A pretty pink day dress taken to the next level with mismatched shoes. (Photo by Splash News)

In New York City

A dressed down look with a black sweater, printed pants, a Balenciaga bag and patent leather shoes. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)

Heading out to dinner in New York

Back when she was just George’s “rumoured girlfriend,” the pair headed out to dinner in New York looking cute in matching scarves. (Photo by Splash News)