#contemporary clothing

[nacht-durst]

2023 June

[mohindia]

Shop Floral Printed Dresses For Women That Made From Lined and Bamboo Cotton Silk Fabric From Moh India

Shop our Indo Western clothing collection featuring premium printed fabrics, fluid cuts, and the luxurious feel of bamboo cotton and linen from Moh India that enhances contemporary dresses for women

[woundgallery]

Louise Bourgeois, Self Portrait. 2007. Bronze with silver nitrate patina;

[life-imitates-art-far-more]

Alex Venezia (1993-) "Repose"

[femmefatalevibe]

what advice do you have for building a classy, dark energy, femme wardrobe on a budget?

I LOVE these expensive brands I see (YSL, Balenciaga, Jimmy Choo, etc.) but I'm trying to save money for more important things right now.

(plus I can't afford lots of super high end brands on a regular basis, as I'm sure most of us can't lol).

How can I "find dupes" for lack of a better term for these bougie brands I love, or what tips do you have for looking classy and highend on a budget (fashion wise anyway)?

Thanks xoxo

Hi love! I would say the main thing to do is pay attention to fabrics and stitching of garments.

Overall construction matters considerably more than the name on the tag when it comes to building a "high-end" wardrobe. Some fabrics to look for include: 100% cashmere, Pima/Supima cotton/organic cotton, merino wool, genuine leather, and/mulberry silk.

Pay attention to the stitching/buttons or accents on garments. Make sure there are no gaps or loose threads. Look for lined or double-lined items. Darker garments tend to look more expensive. Stick to neutral colors and classic silhouettes for a more "elevated" look.

Some more "affordable" brands (in the mostly $100-$300 range) I love include:

The Frankie Shop

Pixie Market

Massimo Dutti

Manière De Voir

Lilysilk

Reformation

Naadam

Sézane

GAP

Express (for bodysuits/trousers)

Banana Republic

Everlane (the Supima basic tops are great for the price)

Personally, my favorite way to save money on high-end clothes is to use sites like TheOutnet or YOOX and shop the sales sections of designer retailers like Farfetch, Luisa Via Roma, Saks, FWRD, etc. to get the same quality of clothing for less.

Hope this helps xx

[bhrm555]

Untitled 3 & 4 by Thota Vaikuntam

[andrewvehansen]

Behold My Beauty and Weep

This 36″ x 36″ quilt was made for the 2024 Brooklyn Quilters Guild fence show, which is entitled THE STORIES WE TELL: Folktales, Fantasy & Folly. I knew I wanted to do something similar to my O, Beware… quilt with some kind of creature staring out through scales or feathers, etc. While looking for images of feathered dragons, I became intrigued with illustrations of Quetzalcoatl from Mesoamerican…

[janasojka]

Embroidery on my mother's old clot.

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

gratitude list time I'll go first

[nacht-durst]

Walking somewhere nowhere

[miamaimania]

Defying Gravity: Namilia's Avant-Garde RTW Fall ‘17 Collection Challenges Conventional Fashion Norms. What boundaries would you push in the fashion world?

[woundgallery]

ANA MENDIETA, DOG, 1974, Lifetime black and white photograph, 20.3 x 25.4 cm, 8 x 10 ins paper size, 38.7 x 44.8 x 3.2 cm, 15 1/4 x 17 5/8 x 1 1/4 ins framed

[life-imitates-art-far-more]

Joseph Lorusso (1966-) "Cafe Couple"

[skullhaver]

Night, informal, wardrobe, makeup and alternative for Athren

This set of prompts truly is well-tailored (hah) to Athren's interests. And it gives me an excuse to share the art you created of him!

wardrobe: How big is your character’s wardrobe? Do they wear things threadbare, or can they afford new clothes often? Are they any good at mending and repairing their own clothing?

Prior to coming into a small fortune during the events of Dragon Heist, Athren's financial situation was like:

Food $200 Rent $800 Clothing $3,600 Books $150 someone who is good at the economy please help me budget this. my family is dying

He definitely spent way disproportionately above his means on both quantity and quality of clothes. Happily made sacrifices in other areas of his life in order to dress better. In his former life as a noble House servant in Menzoberranzan, not only did he have to spend all his working hours in a uniform, but his clothing choices during his non-working hours were heavily restricted by both his finances and his caste. Now that he's on the surface, getting to express himself through clothes is HUGE to him.

Athren likes having a lot of clothes, especially by the standard of renaissance fantasy pre-industrial-manufacturing. For him, clothes are an art collection. He never throws anything out. If something he wears frequently starts wearing thin, he'd mend, modify, or get it re-tailored into something new. For statement outfits (like the outrageous Sean Connery Highlander look worn to the Cassalanters' midsummer ball), it will have a place of honor in his closet forever as an art piece to display and enjoy.

He doesn't have the skill to make his own clothes, but he does know how to mend simple tears, replace buttons, etc. The kind of thing anybody who grows up poor or middle class would know. And he also knows a lot about maintaining clothing to keep things in excellent condition, although he is very happy to have enough money to pay other people to do his laundry these days. And I love watching YouTube videos about historical clothing, so I have definitely thought about how his clothes get washed.

I was having so much fun with these!! I'll put the rest under a readmore.

night: What does your OC wear to sleep? Do they have a favorite pair of PJs, or are they more the birthday suit type?

Going to take you through my thought process verbatim on this one.

Huh, never thought about this. Even sleeping/in reverie, he'd still want to feel luxurious. But he'd prioritize comfort, too. And what's physically comfortable would be something that's familiar to him. I wonder if spider silk is soft. It would be so funny if he used his Dragon Heist earnings for super special Underdark-imported spider silk pajamas. Hey isn't Rae's Dragon Heist PC Kiarhys from a merchant family specializing in textiles, with business operations both below and aboveground?

Something something I think there is a worldstate where Athren and Kiarhys meet via his quest for fancy pajamas.

makeup: Does your OC wear makeup? How often? What kind? Why do they wear makeup, and do they like it?

Rarely, but for special occasions or to coordinate with certain ensembles, sure. I'm quite partial to the way in The Mask of Mirrors men casually wear metallic eyeshadow/eyeliner sometimes. Also I think highlighter on his already nice cheekbones would be devastating. Davil should get to be quietly dazzled on a date where he sees Athren wear makeup for the first time.

informal: What’s your OC’s lazy-day look? How do they like to dress when they’re winding down?

Although I devote a lot of time to finding sumptuous Elizabethan outfit refs for Athren, the man does actually own regular, comfortable tunic-and-trouser renaissance fantasy staple clothes.

alternate: What would your OC’s alternate universe look be? If they’re a fantasy character, what’s their modern look?

The best way to capture Athren's sartorial sensibilities in a modern AU would be to put him in a semi-alternative fashion that looks flamboyant but still sharp. I'd dress him in the Black Dandy revival style. Some examples: The Iconic Dandy Wellington:

From Meet the Black Dandies:

[floatyhands]

Normal contemporary urban area that just happens to be Chinese: *exists*

1930s English-speaking newsreels narrator: OVER THERE THEY CLING TO ANCIENT UNCHANGING CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, WITH NO REGARDS TO PROGRESS AND MODERNITY

Context: (very illuminating video otherwise)