#the neckline trim and then all the beads that go over that

[immortalarizona]

“They say looks can kill, and I might try.” — Taylor Swift, “Vigilante Shit”

an outfit for my beloved Wanda if she ends up going to the 2024 Hellfire Gala (if there is one at all tbh)!! I wasn't personally a fan of her 2023 look, so I decided to try my hand at designing a look of my own despite knowing jack shit about fashion. design breakdown, inspiration photos, and just general rambling under the cut :)

main inspo:

top row: left by REEM ACRA, right by unknown

middle row: sketches by Kevin Wada

bottom row: garments by Zita Moldovan (website)

--

hehe, this is the part where I ramble about my design process!! I will confess, it took me four full sketches before I finally managed to purge the "high fantasy fairy queen dress" brainrot from my mind and arrive at a concept that actually felt like Wanda. given that as of her 2023 solo run, she's a self-employed business owner, a twist on a suit felt appropriate!! it's elegant, it's dramatic, it's sexy, it's powerful, and it's also a garment that, like, real people could wear?? which, I know this is a comic book and she also has magic, but, like. girl deserves a fit that's also reasonably comfortable. girl deserves pockets (I didn't showcase them, but the pants absolutely have humongous magic pockets.) talking fabric, I will confess that I really don't know much, but I picture the red fabric being pretty thick silk and the black fabric possibly being velvet? the shoes are beaded pretty much all over with the same crystal material as the crown.

as I continued to refine my concept, I looked to Kevin Wada's 2015 redesign for Wanda's last solo run for more inspiration. that's how I arrived at concepts such as the use of beaded accessories, floral embroidery, and especially the plunging neckline. I also knew I wanted to pay homage to Wanda's heritage without being stereotypical, so I decided to look to Zita Moldovan, a Romani designer whose site is linked above, to see how she incorporated her culture into her work. (as an aside, there's this other dress from her Romany Dreams collection that I would LOVE to draw Wanda in at some point, but that was not this project. maybe soon.) the dress I included in my (very, very trimmed down) inspo board was my primary reference as I drew the pattern for the pant part of the pantsuit. (I attempted multiple versions where the pattern was in color, but it wound up looking really muddy, so I opted for the slightly more subtle version you see here.) the pose for the final piece doesn't showcase the epaulette well (or the crown pin, which was another reference to the Kevin Wada design), so here's a bonus sketch that came out of the "design" part of this whole project that shows them both better:

anyone who has followed my art knows that I generally draw my Wanda with a high ponytail, but I decided to spice things up and draw her with a half-up like she has circa Uncanny Avengers #27 (this is when she and Jericho are being so very sweet together). the golden hoop earrings are another thing I carried over from my general Wanda design, and the makeup is just a quick thing I came up with on the fly. it's not the spiciest, I know, but I decided there was enough going on elsewhere that she didn't need a crazy makeup look as well. the full-finger ring is specifically a reference to her very first appearance in X-Men #4, where she calls upon her power by pointing her right index finger. I thought it would be cool to accentuate that finger as a result!!

and there you have it--a tribute to Kevin Wada and Zita Moldovan from an artist who knows nothing about fashion but does have severe enough blorbo brainrot to attempt to design an outfit regardless :D

shoutout to @jookpubstock for once again enabling my shenanigans :)

[eolewyn1010]

Downton Abbey Fashion 87 - evening dresses in 1925

Edith wears so much gold this season; of her 13 evening dresses, 8 are predominantly or only kept in golden shades. Farewell, lovely sage greens and corals and emeralds and peachy oranges. But let’s see what they do with it.

And right off the bat, the first one has to be one of my favorites. No idea what’s with the Crawleys and gold lamé this season, and I can’t deny that it’s suffering a bit from the baggy top effect, but I’m so in love with the beaded V halter and the way the golden lace drapes down the sides and then merges into the curlicues over the front. Also, lovely headband. Also-also, the return of Edith’s golden spiral arm brace, curiously, even though I associate that more with her romantic situations and her beau is not around here. Whatevs.

This is a lot more meh. Instead of drapey, it looks shapeless, and I don’t know about these big rose ornaments. They seem a little clunky and a little random. Sure, the dress sparkles and the red pairs well with the pale gold, but more and smaller roses without these huge drop frames might’ve worked better. Also, the neckline looks a tad sloppy, and I’m not sure I can blame Edith’s posture.

Only a seated shot of this one because she weirdly never wears it again after a dinner with Rosamund, but I like this dress, for one because I’m a sucker for this neckline, but also because this shade, while a bit more pink than is typical for Edith, bids her coral dresses farewell. It’s got delicate brown flower embroidery all over, she pairs it with orange beads, her hair looks fantastic – great look.

This is probably the least remarkable of her golden dresses of the season. It does have sequins and a zigzag hem and is apparently ideal for cuddling on the sofa, so I won’t complain too much; it just looks a little generic. And maybe a bit too shaped around her torso; this is still the mid-1920s.

See? I said I associate the spiral bracelet with Edith’s romance arcs, and there it is when she has her first kiss with Bertie. Also, remember how much time this show spent on telling us that this woman just barely makes the lower end of “plain”? Yeah, sure. We don’t see a lot of this dress because Edith soon puts her fancy coat over it, but the gold lamé is back and paired with a bright red, and also, I love her bejeweled headband.

The green jewel headband makes a return here and ties in nicely with the beading trim on her neckline. I quite like the wavy weave design; I’m not sure if I like the downward-curving element over her pelvis. It’s not an anachronistic element, just one that’s not to my taste. Lovely drapey skirt layers though.

Periwinkle bluuueee… will make my dreams come truuueeee… Or not, but this is quite a lovely shade, and it contrasts Edith’s hair color so well. Wish I could see more of the skirt embroidery, but as it is, I’m stuck with mostly silver squiggly lines and these almond shapes circling around her neckline. The plain skirt under layer makes this quite a long dress for 1920s styles, but Mary and Cora also wear ankle-length this season, so it’s not out of place. And Edith picks some simple, sparkly jewelry to go with the silver on her dress.

In a paler, more ivory-leaning shade of gold, this little beauty here is strewn with flower embroidery that accumulates to one big flower mass toward the hem. It’s a pretty simple deal, a sleeveless sheath as all the others, V neckline, and Edith unfortunately doesn’t serve me color contrasts via jewelry anymore, but I just think this flower theme is done so well here. Also, the bit of hip I can see there points at a bit of ruching or draping for the skirt.

And here’s the beauty of the season, the counterpart to Mary’s dress in a similar seafoam color combined with gold. I think Edith’s halter design with double shoulder straps looks more charming than Mary’s golden lace with the high neckline, but that’s really a matter of taste. Edith went for a paler shade of gold which has the upside that she can more easily integrate silver jewelry such as the necklace and this gorgeous jewel star headband. The pale gold also runs into subtly shimmering ornaments over her dress, and while the dress doesn’t seem to have the pretty flaring skirt Mary’s has, I gotta admit that I like the color better on Edith. It pairs so nicely with her hair.

Yet more gold; this dress comes with a more intense shade and a rose motif, and it’s nice enough. I like boat necklines, but the drop waist could have done without this beaded strand, and I don’t know how I feel about the horizontal stripes breaking the floral weave of the dress. Can we talk about Edith’s hair instead? I know I’m biased in favor of pretty curls, but yes, I like her do so much more than Mary’s, even though she braids her hair in at the back of her head instead of modernly chopping it off.

Invited to the Ritz by Rosamund to be tricked into a reconciliation dinner with Bertie… Edith inexplicably shows up as if she was planning on stealing the show and some hearts and not, you know, having dinner with her aunt. But who’s to complain when she shows up in shiny copper and the exact shade of green that pairs well with copper because that’s the color its patina has after a few years of oxidation. Carry on; I’m in love. The romance bracelet is back, the back cutout is nice, and I love that panel design, but it puts me up to the question why these side panels weren’t used to widen the dress to the typical 1920s loose drapery. Because, while this does still have the basically right devoid-of-curves boobless shape, it is tight enough to make me wonder if sitting down will be comfortable.

Edith brings back this color that doesn’t show up in my vocabulary, so I’ll just say it’s on the coral end of cranberry (don’t @ me). Also love this necklace that seems to imitate the exact shape of the beading around Edith’s neckline, but anyway, this is a very glittery dress with some extra floral motives and curlicues in silver, and then the skirt does this darling handkerchief draping, in double layers no less because we still need to bring in pale gold as a contrast point.

We’ll end as we started, in gold. While Mary also had an impressive golden dress this season, it was a very stark, glittering thing while Edith’s gold shades tend to wash out more, either toward the green end of the spectrum or, as here, a pale, silver- or beige-adjacent gold. Which I’m fine with; it suits her well. This dress is covered in subtle flower embroidery and framed with a little less subtle strips of beading and sequins down both sides, the skirt does these nice staggered layers of lace, the green jewel headband is back, and she adds a pair of cute art deco earrings to it.

[amaltheas-garden]

HOTD S1 Costumes Review:

Some thoughts on season 1 of HOTD's costumes since I'm bored and feel like complaining...

Starting w/ young Rhaenyra :)

...yeah there's literally nothing I could say that hasn't been said already. The internet tore this dress (rightfully) to shreds. It doesn't fit well, the material is all crinkled, the bust darts just look kinda off, the short sleeves make it look more dressed down and less "royal", and the red trim around the neckline and shoulders is just ugly. Which is a shame because the embroidered strip going down the dress is actually quite pretty, but we can't even see it in the show. 2/10.

Her dragon riding outfit on the other hand was amazing! The dragon scale shoulders, with the little metal beads layered throughout looked great, it fit properly, and looked fashionable while still being practical 10/10 no notes.

Words cannot begin to describe how much I hate this dress. The costume designer said they used silk for almost everything but look me in the eyes and tell me that isn't printed poly cotton from walmart. And don't even get me started on the sheer collar thing and the awful puffy sleeves it's giving amazon queen Elizabeth, which is a shame because the actual design for the dress was beautiful, with the dragon wing-esque collar, and the long flowy white sleeves. We were robbed!! 0/10.

Next is her funeral dress, which honestly might be my favorite young Rhaenyra look. I think in terms of color and silhouette, it's by far the most "Targaryen" look she wears. It's actually two pieces, with a black dress under a cape with the pointy shoulder bit. I adore the little white puffs on the sleeves, and the gold trim embroidery around the neckline is just chef's kiss perfection. The structured look to the cape is very reminiscent of Dany's seasons 7 and 8 looks which is a nice homage, and I love the bit of red just peeking out from the cape's underside. Honestly my only gripe is she didn't get more outfits like this 10/10.

...but sadly, the ugly dresses continue. I hate the fabric. I hate the sleeves. I hate the color. I hate the belt. I hate the string tying the sleeves to the dress. 1/10.

I don't even remember her wearing this but it came up on google when I was looking for pictures so I guess I'll include it. Ummmm... it's nice I guess? The main thing throwing it off is the fact that this is the only time we see this sleeve style, so it just looks a bit out of place. The fabric drape looks good, and all the embroidered bits really elevate it. 7/10.

Her nightgown only appears for like 2 seconds but it was so pretty and reminded me of a chemise a la reine :) 9/10.

YELLOW DRESS REDEMPTION!!! FINALLY!!! Beautiful fabric choice, elegant cut, feels like something a princess would wear. Love the addition of the red undersleeves, really makes the red in the main dress pop and the embroidery around the collar?!!?! Gorgeous. 9/10.

Her leather riding outfit has grown on me, I think the fit is great, and the cutout work is beautiful. Someone on twitter already pointed this out, but it does look eerily reminiscent of this wool coat from Armstreet, just desaturated. I wouldn't call it copying but the glaringly obvious similarities are a bit funny. 8/10.

Another amazing red and gold dress, this time leaning more into the red! I know so many cosplayers have scoured the internet looking for this fabric with no luck, but damn is it gorgeous!! Perfect silhouette (notice how it opts for simple princess seams w/ no weird bust darts!) and the gold dragon belt just sends it over the top. The coat she wears over it is also serving Targ royalty (finally), especially with the red velvet shoulders and collar, that give it that classic Targaryen shape. 10/10.

Her wedding dress might be the one I have the most mixed feelings on. It could have been a bit more fitted, and while I like the fabric, I think it needed more gold ornamentation to feel like a proper royal wedding dress for the crown princess and heir to the throne! Also, I really don't like the belt or the weird gold shoulder straps, they cheapen the overall look. Also, compared to the concept art, I wish they had gone for the solid gold belt, it would have added some much-needed contrast. The Targaryen/Velaryon split cloak however looks great. When I first saw her hair, it was definitely... striking. It doesn't look terrible, just maybe a bit too top heavy and squarish, while the concept art crown looked so much better. 7.5/10.

And of course I had to save the best for last. imo this is the best costume in the entire show. It has three main parts, with lots of accessories. There's the red dress, which actually has a deep v neckline, and is covered in embroidery on the front, the sleeve cuffs, and on the back near the neckline. Then there's the gold cape with zardozi trim all around it, and a separate black velvet piece on top embroidered on the front lapels with two golden dragons, and two more smaller ones on the back with a sunburst design around them. It's perfect. 100/10.

Really hope I didn't miss any but oh well... young Alicent is next :)

[wendydeglee]

Picture 1:

I've bought a beautiful blue velvet for the overdress. The underdress will be made from the leftover blue damask I used for my Ophelia gown. For the big sleeves I've found this off white fabric with silver. It's a bit too flashy for our liking (see left lower picture), so I'm going to tone it down by covering it with two layers of tulle (see left upper picture).

Picture 2:

I've been working on the damask undergown and it's now halfway finished. Most of the time was taken up by hand embroidering the flowers on the upper sleeves and the decorative trims which I forgot to photograph 😄.

Picture 3:

The underdress fits! Like mine I've made it shorter to save on fabric. The hand embroidered and beaded trims for the sleeves are also done. They just need to be pressed before I can sew them on the sleeves.

Picture 4:

And we have sleeves!!! They are still quite large for my daughter, but we've decided on this length keeping in mind that she'll probably grow a lot in the coming year.

The sleeves are made of a silvery white brocade with two layers of tulle over it to tone down the flashy silver pattern. The inside of the sleeves is still quite flashy and the brocade fabric wants to curl outside. So if I have time I may line the sleeves with either an offwhite taffeta or white cotton (depending on the amount I have of either in my stash). This will hopefully decrease the curling, but will at least tone down the fabric. But first I'm going to make the blue velvet overdress.

Picture 5:

I've started working on the overdress. It's just a simple two panel dress with a train in the back. Not visible in the picture, but I've sewn two ties in the sideseams. This dress is intentionally a bit too wide and too long for my daughter (It's more my size than hers) so she can grow into it.

I'm also planning the decoration of the neckline. I have a white/silver trim that matches the sleeve fabric, but it's not easy to curve it along the neckline without lots of pleats. It's looking a bit messy with all the pleats to be honest. I may just only use the small outer silver trims and embroider swirls between those.

Picture 6:

I don't think I've shared the pictures of the finished Arwen Requim dress for my daughter yet. Here it is, beautifully lit by the evening light.

Picture 7:

Details of the Arwen Requim dress.

[sheliesshattered]

I've been sewing so much that I keep forgetting to take pictures and post an update about my progress. In the last five days since my last post I have:

Hand-sewn the final hem for the overdress!

Sewn on the round flat beads at the wrists and the lacing points to the ends of the front laces!

There's one small adjustment I'd like to make to the neckline trim, and then do the beading on top of it if I get time, but for now I'm calling the overdress officially done. (Though certainly in need of a good ironing.)

With that checked off my list, it was time to turn my attention to the underdress -- in the two pics directly above, I had the underdress on the hanger with the overdress so I could mark how much length to remove from the neckline, armscye, and skirt hems.

Buuut since I also needed to cut some silk organza for the overlap flaps at center back of the underdress, I also took a small detour to make a little bag to carry all my stuff around at con:

It's lined with the same organza as the underdress is made of, and has pockets for my phone, card case, and purell, and a bit of space besides to carry other stuff like chapstick and whatever else. If I end up with time at the end of the month I might fancy up the drawstrings a bit, but eh the whole point was to have something simple that will hold my stuff and blend into my dress. (And then I pattern-matched on the side seams anyway because I have zero chill.)

With that out of the way, it was time to really focus on the underdress. I got those flaps for the center back cut out and sewn on, and all the raw edges finished since they tend to be a bit itchy. Once those were on I was able to mark out how much I wanted to remove from the neckline and armscyes so that they don't stick out under the overdress, trim those back and start handsewing them down. As of tonight the armscyes are done, and the neckline is trimmed and ironed into place (which was more of a pain than I thought, and took almost an hour all on its own) and the handsewing started:

That lowest part of the V is actually center back, and the darker section folds over to overlap with the other side. Once the neckline is all in place I'll tack down the pointy outer corner (and the matching one on the other side) to the edge of the neckline. This will keep the neckline nice and fitted, but let the center back section open freely so the whole thing goes on over my head easily. It'll also give a nice, opaque, no-skin-showing underlayer right beneath the back lacings of the overdress, without actually having any closures of its own.

Once the neckline is done and the back flaps tacked down, it'll be time to really finish up the seam finishes that I've been handsewing off and on since, oh March or so, lol. I have all of them finished to about hip level, and since the skirt seams all are straight, I'm hoping I'll be able to iron them in place and either handsew them much faster or just machine sew them, we'll see. Last thing for the underdress will be the hem for the skirt, but since the overdress's hem went fairly smoothly with fabric that is much more fiddly, I'm hoping that the hem for this one will go pretty quick, too.

There's one bit of construction that I need to do for the jewelry, and I need to finally actually style the wig, but I'm starting to feel close to the finish line for Rhaenyra. Like I said earlier, I would really love to get the beading at the neckline done too -- but not as much as I would like to have all my other costumes pulled together, so that will definitely be a late August thing, if I get to it at all.

Ideally I would like to have all of the underdress sewing done by Thursday or Friday so that I can shift gears and start working on sewing the shorts for my Harley Quinn mashup. I've got five four weeks and a couple of days to finish everything, so if I can spend one week on this underdress, one week on Harley Quinn, and one week on all the wig work (five in total), I'll still have two weeks and change roughly 10 days to get to all the various detail work that I've been putting off. I'll try to remember to take pictures and post updates as I make progress!

[ravendruid]

Be In My Eyes - Chapter 11

You can read the previous chapters here or on AO3. Summary: Vox Machina go out to drink and Keyleth and Vax get to know each other a bit more. Disclaimer: the legal drinking age in this AU is 18, and all characters are 18 or over.

Glorious was indeed an apt name for the bar. It was located in a nondescript small street not too far from campus where the dark brick buildings blended so well collectively during the night that Keyleth couldn’t distinguish between them. The only way she could tell of the bar’s existence was the faint purple aura that emanated from the wooden door, along with the sign hanging above it: a golden unicorn over a dark background and Glorious written above it, in equally gold, beautifully calligraphed lettering.  

Keyleth and Vax had walked side by side, trailing the group who already knew their way to the establishment even with their eyes closed. She couldn’t stop blushing from how handsome he looked. There wasn’t much difference in his clothes, Vax was still wearing all black and his leather jacket, and part of his hair was tied in a bun as the rest fell to his shoulders. But something about seeing him out in the dark of night made him look more mysterious and sexier. Keyleth, on the other hand, had tried to put a little more effort into her look, she was wearing a white mid-thigh skirt and a red long-sleeve top with a curved neckline, and she had traded her canvas sneakers for a pair of black high heels that she borrowed from Vex, which made her even taller than Vax. Pike had helped her do her hair – two braids that pulled from the front, along the sides of her head and tied into a tall ponytail that cascaded past her shoulders – and Vex had helped with the make-up, a light red and orange toned eyeshadow, dark eyeliner and mascara and a soft pink lipgloss. Keyleth definitely felt pretty – prettier than she had ever felt – and seeing the boys’ reactions when the girls left their bedroom was absolutely worth it.

Keyleth wasn’t sure what she expected when Vex opened the wooden door – she had never been to a bar before, which was already making her nervous – but a beaded curtain in different shades of purple, pink, and golden was not it. Her friends disappeared through the curtain into the purple glow and the thankfully not-so-loud music inside, and as Grog stepped in behind Pike, Keyleth took a deep breath, readying herself for what was about to come.

“Wait,” Vax held her wrist softly, pulling her closer to him. His eyes searched for hers, and she saw her anxiety mirrored in them. “You say the word, we go, got it?” His voice trembled in a whisper. Keyleth swallowed and nodded.

“Let’s just–” She sighed. “Let’s just give it a try. For them?”

“Yeah, let’s try to have fun.” They both nodded in agreement, and Keyleth stepped in.

The first thing Keyleth noticed was that the bar looked much bigger inside than the outside appeared to be and that the purple aura they had seen from underneath the door came from the faint purple glow of lights spread around the area. The room was filled with old wooden tables and booths whose black leather seats were worn yet not ripped, and each table had a bowl with what seemed to be floating purple candles and rose petals. The walls were adorned with various curtains and fabrics in diverse shades of purple, lilac, soft pinks, and golden accents. On the opposite side of the entrance was a wall displaying dozens of bottles behind a long wooden counter where a very handsome man in his mid-twenties with long, thick, coarse black hair tied into a ponytail stood, greeting everyone and serving drinks. Even his attire appeared to fit perfectly with the purple and gold theme of the bar. To Keyleth’s right was a set of doors – one marked as restrooms, and the other had an employees-only sign affixed to it – and to her left was a wooden staircase with deep purple carpet and golden trim, that led to a second floor, much to her surprise.

Her friends were already gathered around a booth in the farthest corner, so Keyleth looked back at Vax and nodded in their direction. Thankfully, the bar area didn’t have many people yet, but he still followed her like a shadow, with the tips of his fingers just briefly touching her back in reassurance as she traversed the tables. Keyleth sat on the bench between Pike, on her right, and Vax, on her left. Grog, the bulkiest of the group, had stolen a chair from another table and sat at the top with a grin, so thankfully, they weren’t too crowded in the booth. Keyleth couldn’t help but notice that Vax was pressed to her side, yet his touch was relaxing and comforting, even though she knew he must have been as anxious as she was. 

“Alright, first round’s on me,” Grog announced, getting up. 

“I would like a Margarita, please, Grog,” Vex asked.

“You know what I want, buddies.” Pike chuckled in her seat, winking at Vex.

“Right, a beer. I gotchu, Pikey.” Grog had taken out his phone and was avidly typing on it.

“I’ll take the usual, please.” Scanlan shuffled in his seat, avoiding eye contact with Pike, who sat right in front of him.

“A cospomolitan for Scanlan,” Grog smirked.

“It’s cosmopolitan, Grog,” Pike corrected with a chuckle, much to Scanlan’s embarrassment.

“I’ll take a Long Island Iced Tea, please,” Percy asked.

“Percy, we are here to get wasted, not to drink tea!” Grog complained.

“It is alcohol, Grog. I promise.” 

Grog looked at Pike and Vex, and when they nodded in confirmation, he shrugged and typed on his phone.

“How about you two?” He looked at Vax and Keyleth, who had been watching the entire thing like a game of tennis.

“I–I’ll take a soda,” Keyleth said.

“They don’t have sodas here, Keyleth.” Keyleth could tell from the deadpan look Grog gave her that he was obviously lying.

“O–oh?” 

“Grog, get Keyleth the same as me,” Vex said in a sultry tone. “Trust me, darling. You’ll love it.” She winked, and Keyleth’s face flushed.

“Alright, and you?” Grog turned to Vax eagerly.

“Sex on the beach, please,” Vax replied nonchalantly. 

“I’m sorry, what?” Grog asked, confused, looking around at everyone else chuckling in their seats.

“You heard me, big guy.” Vax smiled and winked at Grog. Keyleth joined the laughter as Grog, rarely embarrassed by anything, nodded with a blush spreading on his cheeks and turned away to the bar.

“I think you broke him, Vax.” Pike joked, and Vax chuckled in reply. 

Keyleth would not have considered Grog particularly dextrous, so she was surprised when he returned to the table a few minutes later, holding one tray of drinks in each hand, his tongue out in concentration. However, Keyleth was also scared because, as he set down both trays, she noticed the second tray was full of fourteen shot glasses, a salt shaker, and a plate with lime slices. 

“O-oh no,” Keyleth blushed as Vax handed her two shot glasses and her drink. 

“What?” Vex smirked at her from across the table. “Scared of a little Tequila shot?”

Keyleth widened her eyes at her and fumbled with her hands in her lap nervously.

“I can take one of yours,” Vax said, glaring at his sister, who raised an eyebrow at him. 

“No, it’s fine. I’m just not used to drinking much.” Keyleth took a sip of her drink, and the hairs of her arms rose at the same time that cold spread down her spine. Her throat felt warm and cold at the same time, and the bitterness of the drink made her shiver. “Oh, this is strong,” Keyleth cleared her throat, and Vex laughed.

“Oh, darling. We’re gonna have so much fun tonight,” Vex winked at Keyleth again, who tried to hide further back in her seat.

“Alright, you guys know the drill,” Pike called to their attention, grabbing a lime slice and setting it on one of her shot glasses. Keyleth observed as, one by one, her friends licked the back of their hands and poured salt over it, and then grabbed a slice of lime. She looked to her side, only to see Vax smiling at her as he licked the back of his hand with a shrug. 

“You don’t have to do it,” He reassured her, pouring salt where he had licked. 

“Yes, she does. Shut up, brother,” Vex complained. “You’ll be fine, Keyleth. We won’t let anything bad happen to you.” Vex offered a kind, honest smile, which made her feel better, so Keyleth copied her friends once Vax was done with the shaker, licking the back of her hand and pouring salt over it. 

“Vox Machina,” Grog shouted, raising his shot glass in the middle of the table, followed by everyone else. “Fuck. Shit. Up.” He screamed so loud that Keyleth looked around to see if anyone had heard them – a few people were looking at the group in amusement – and he brought the glass to his lips and drank the clear liquid at once, bringing the lime slice to his mouth right away to suck on it. 

“It’s easier if you don’t think about it,” Vax said in a whisper next to her, and Keyleth noticed his glass was still full. “Ready?” She nodded. Vax clinked his glass with hers, keeping eye contact, and, with a reassuring smile, he downed his drink at the same time she downed hers. 

Keyleth recognized the same flavor as the one in the tall glass Vex had ordered for her as the warmth spread down her throat. From the corner of her eye, she saw Vax was still looking at her, offering her a lime slice, which she took gladly and sucked the citric juices. That was a mistake. Keyleth shouldn’t have taken his offering. She thought the juices would somehow lessen the effect of the alcohol on her throat, but it did the opposite.

“Are you okay?” Pike asked, on the other side of her, as Keyleth coughed again.

“Yes,” She lied. She couldn’t tell if the short girl believed her because Vex was already up, pushing Percy to his feet with one hand and grabbing Scanlan with the other, who, in turn, was clutching Pike. 

“Let’s dance,” Vex shouted, grabbing her drinks and heading to the stairs. Pike, Grog, and Scanlan followed her immediately, both drinks in hand, but Percy stayed behind, sitting back on the bench in front of Keyleth and Vax. 

“I’m sorry, Vex-” Percy tried to apologize,

“I know my sister, Percival,” Vax took a sip of his drink. “You can go join them if you want. Keyleth and I will save the table.” 

Percy looked at Keyleth, who smiled reassuringly at him, and asked, “Will you be alright?”

“Yes, I will.” She blushed. She knew she would be as long as she was not left alone. 

“Just text me if you need anything, okay?” Percy grabbed her hand from the other side of the table, and Keyleth nodded. Percy followed the group up the stairs with one last glance at Vax, leaving his second shot glass behind on the table.

“Do you want to try my drink?” Vax asked, and Keyleth glanced at it nervously. “It’s sweet and fruity,” he added. She shrugged and leaned to take a sip. He was right, the alcohol was less noticeable, and it had a nice fruity taste.

“I like yours better,” Keyleth said, leaning back.

“Everyone loves sex on the beach,” Vax joked, wiggling his eyebrows at her, but Keyleth stared at him deadpan. “I-it’s the name-” Vax stuttered, obviously nervous, but she started laughing.

“I know. I was just teasing you.” She admitted, holding her stomach. Vax relaxed next to her, his body physically sagging against hers. 

“Here,” he slid his glass to her and took hers, taking a sip with a wince. “I fucking hate margaritas, but they are a cheap and easy way to get drunk.”

“Really?” Keyleth sipped on the fruity drink, much happier now. “Do you and Vex go out a lot?”

“We used to. There was a time when we would go out almost every week, and I hated every single time.”

“You’re a good brother,” Keyleth didn’t even have to ask why he went with Vex if he hated it so much. She knew Vax would do anything for his sister, even if it meant he would be miserable.

“Do you have siblings?” he asked, playing with the lime on the rim of his glass.

Keyleth tensed at the question and looked down at her lap. “Nope, only child.”

“Gods, you’re so lucky,” Vax bumped his shoulder against hers, and when she looked at him, he rolled his eyes, which made her chuckle. 

“Although my neighbor, Lia, has a son. He’s four, and he’s the sweetest boy ever. I’ve basically helped her raise him because his good-for-nothing father left her when he found out she was pregnant.”

“Hmm,” For some reason, Keyleth knew the unpleasant hum was not due to the drink Vax was sipping on. “I love douchebag fathers.” 

“Yeah, he was an ass. So I babysat that boy every day after school for four years. He’s like a little brother to me.” Keyleth’s heart clenched, thinking about the little boy’s green eyes filled with tears when she had to explain she was going away to college and wouldn’t be able to play with him after school every day anymore. He had cried all night cuddled with Keyleth, insisting he wanted to stay with her until she left but compromising with staying for the weekend.

“You okay?” Vax asked, clearly feeling her discomfort.

“Yeah, I was just thinking about him.”

“Tell me more about him,” He asked, bumping his shoulder to hers with a smile. 

Keyleth’s face opened in a smile as she told Vax about the little boy she had grown to love as her brother. They talked until the only liquid in their glasses was the water that melted from the ice cubes. Keyleth told Vax about the adventures they had together, how he was such a great helper in the garden, the cakes and desserts they baked every weekend, and how he was growing to be a fine gentleman who always offered to open the door for her, even when he could barely reach the handles.

Eventually, after almost an hour, Vex’ahlia came looking for them, outraged to see their shot glasses still standing full in front of them and taking the one Percy had left behind.

“You guys don’t have to stay here all night. There is enough room upstairs. Join us. And drink your shots!” She scolded them before she returned to the group. 

“I did promise I would have a drink with you,” Keyleth shrugged.

“You don’t have to,” Vax offered with a smile, but she was already licking the back of her hand. The second shot wasn’t as bad, maybe because she already knew what to expect, and it felt like it didn’t burn as much. 

“Let’s go dance, I guess?” 

Keyleth wasn’t sure if it had been the second shot or the fact that she had been sitting for a while, but as soon as she stood up, everything around her started spinning, and she felt like she was falling, straight into Vax’s arms, who had quickly realized what was happening.

“Are you alright?” He asked, concerned.

“Everything is spinning,” Keyleth closed her eyes and let her head fall onto his chest. Vax tightened the grip on her, holding her upright.

“You got up too fast after drinking. Just take a moment.”

“I think I’m okay now,” Keyleth pulled away after a minute, no longer feeling the room spinning around her. “Let’s go dance.” She said with a bashful smile, holding Vax’s arm tightly and pulling him towards the stairs. 

Keyleth felt a different kind of warmth inside, a low buzz in her navel that made her want to stay close to Vax. His arms felt stronger than before when he held her, his chest was more comfortable than the other times she had leaned into it, and his scent was even more intoxicating. Keyleth was not an experienced drinker, so she assumed that whatever those feelings were, they were due to the alcohol and that everything would return to normal the next day. She wasn’t worried about the chill that traveled down her spine when Vax placed one hand on the small of her back as they climbed up the stairs – Keyleth had felt that before with him – what worried her was the warmth she felt in her lower abdomen and the new tingling sensation between her thighs. 

[legendarysaniyah]

The Forgotten Tower [CHAPTER 23]

ᴀ ᴅɪꜱᴛᴀɴᴛ ᴀʟʟʏ

They continued to walk through the forests, hoping to find the relief that was once wrongfully taken.

-

“I am.. astounded by your words.. I really am.” The King of Utopia muttered, glaring at his best advisor, Francis Chamberlain. Sergeant Francis had a cold glare on his face, no emotion whatsoever. He just nodded quickly, before walking off, sneaking past the crowds of citizens willing to speak to their loyal King. “My King, what has happened to you?!” A few concerned mutters and cries of the crowds spread throughout the tense atmosphere in the village areas. “It is nothing, my reign has been chosen by God, and I shall be removed from this life by God only, not from a witch.” The King of Utopia declared, some of the villagers cheering and being extremely supportive for whatever the King was going through, even though they never knew exactly what he was up to.

Francis Chamberlain sighed in frustration, his eyes slightly tearing up over the thought of his dearest sister, who had been indirectly murdered by the cruel witch known as Duchess Helene of Flita. He shrugged the thought off, exhaling sharply as he quickly moved past the crowds and back to the palace. Back where he believed was safe. He wasn’t in such a good mood anymore, he was only bloodthirsty, seeking revenge on anyone who had such involvement with his youngest sister, anyone who dared to encounter the cold, frustrated witch hunter such as himself.

Within a few moments later, he was suddenly pushed back, stumbling backwards as he quickly leaned against a tree to regain his own balance. “Oh my goodness! I apologise!” A woman cried, she looked somewhere in her mid 30s, somewhere similar to Francis’ age. The woman had a pure, long white veil elegantly covering her hair and neckline, as well as beady ash grey eyes. “Don’t touch me! You witch!” Francis snarled, pulling out his dagger, pointing it right at her throat. The woman simply said nothing, her face etched with a nervous expression as a few beads of sweat cascaded down her tanned face. “I’m sorry..” The woman muttered softly, stepping back a little.

“Now just who… are you?” He asked curiously, his expression softening as he looked her directly in the eyes. She neatened her modest, emerald khaki coloured cotton gown with off white velvet trimmings. “My name is Mabel, Mabel Fitzgerald.” She mumbled quickly, innocently looking at Francis. He paused for a moment, struggling to look at the curiosity and innocence in her expression, her ash grey eyes cautiously focusing on his own eyes. “What title do you own? Or do you not own a title at all?” He asked, glaring at her, struggling to give her the same cold shoulder in which he does with every citizen of Utopia. He lowers his jewel encrusted dagger, curious to find out Mabel’s answer. “I am a viscountess.” She smiled brightly at him. His expression changes, slightly humiliated that she has a higher rank than he does. “Why.. why is that, may I ask?” Francis spoke. “Have you already found yourself a wealthy suitor?” He continued as he raised an eyebrow in curiosity, now focused on her. “No.. I just have a wealthy family.” She responds.

“Ah. I apologise for that, my lady.” Francis muttered under his breath. “Is your family… looking for a suitor, by any chance?” He asked, his face becoming extremely flustered as he looked at Mabel, her own smile fading as she took a few moments to comprehend what he had just said to her. “My parents have actually been looking for a suitor for me, I’ve never liked any of them,” She rambled to him, as he eagerly wanted to listen. ‘What am I even thinking?! A suitor for her?!’ The bewildered sergeant thought to himself, but he hesitated.

“If you’d like to… I’m always willing to meet you in the palace gardens.” Francis smiled back at her. “The palace gardens? I am not sure if I am allowed to go there, wouldn’t our King do something about that?” Mabel asked, interested in his offer. “As the King’s loyal advisor, I’ll gladly ask him to allow you to enter the palace gardens. Consider yourself welcome within the palace gates, my lady.” He reassured her. “For now I must be by the King’s side. I do not wish for Duchess Helene’s evil actions to overcome someone as kind as yourself.” Francis told her before quickly walking off. Mabel glanced back as she saw Francis walking off. “Well.. I’ll see you then.” She laughed quietly to herself, as she walked in the direction she was originally heading to.

Sergeant Francis covered his face in shame, sighing frustratedly as he headed back to the palace. He took one glance back to see that the Viscountess Mabel had left already. “Getting distracted, are we, Francis?” A voice spoke behind him, as the King emerged himself from the distracted crowds. Francis shuddered at the King’s ghastly figure, startled slightly. “Ah… that was nothing.” Francis scowled, slightly annoyed. “You are supposed to be looking for Duchess Helene of Flita. Not making a foolish attempt to flirt with a Viscountess. You should know that.” The King glared at Francis. Francis glared at the King back, with a cold, hard stare. “Why do you exactly want to murder Duchess Helene of Flita?! She is a witch, she may kill us by the second.” Francis hissed, his fists clenched, yet struggling not to lash out at his King.

“I know one thing for sure. Duchess Helene may be a witch, but she has regret, empathy, and guilt. I will not forgive her for what she has done… to my wife.” The King of Utopia muttered with a slight tone of bitterness and disgust laced in his voice. “Duchess Helene may feel regret, so if she really has a true heart, she will turn herself in as a witch, and shall be hung, drawn and quartered. I assume that… Ophelia was brutally murdered by Duchess Helene, so we have our strongest army of knights, cavalry and archers which will take down that cruel witch. She only has the ability to curse one person at a time, my dearest wife told me. She cannot take us all down. Not without a wound dug into her flesh.” The King scowled, muttering to himself.

“My wife had informed me that despite Helene being a witch, she is not as powerful as she thinks she is. I know that you can take her down, Francis. I want you to kill her. Kill her and anything else that tries to stop you from killing her.” The King of Utopia told the sergeant.

“Very well then.” Sergeant Francis replied. “Now, get on with what you are supposed to be doing. Don’t be off task. Do you understand?” The King snapped, his emotionless eyes glaring at his advisor. “... Yes. I understand.” Francis muttered, as they arrived at the palace, and took their separate ways within. “Oh, and make sure…” The King’s voice trailed off. “What?” Francis paused for a moment, glancing back at the King, who refused to look at him.

“Make sure you kill as many citizens as possible, any suspected… supporters of Helene. You’ll be given wealth in return, and I’m sure you’d want that.” The King spoke once more, before continuing to walk off.

[dltastudio]

A Guide to The Most Fashionable Women’s Dresses Trends

Every fashionista knows how important it is to know the current trends in the ever-changing fashion world of fashion. As we count down to the halfway mark of 2023, let's take a look at the hottest new styles in women's clothing. We are here to help you look your best no matter the occasion, from elegant luxury classy night out outfits to chic women’s going-out dresses.

Slip Dresses Have Ruled for Years In 2023, slip dresses will once again be crowned queen. This dress is simple yet attractive, making it a great investment and staple piece to any wardrobe. If you want to feel like a princess, go for a satin slip dress with lace trim. For a stylish and edgy style, layer it under a fitted blazer or wear it under a leather jacket. Put the finishing touch on your look with a pair of ankle boots or strappy sandals for an air of refined simplicity.

Accept the Grace: Exquisitely Stylish Attire of Luxury This year, we have seen traditional and refined ‘old money’ looks make a comeback with Sofia Richie being the ultimate muse. Elegance is in. Consider classic cuts, high-end materials, and meticulous finishing. For formal occasions, special events, or simply a night on the town, elegant luxury classy outfits are ideal. To emanate an aura of timelessness and elegance, choose nudes and neutrals, classic black and whites (very Chanel-esque) with a splash of rich colours to give your outfit an air of grandeur.

Dresses for Women to Release Their Inner Diva In 2023, we’ve also seen the revival of colour in women’s going out dresses and outfits. It’s all about bright, eye-catching hues like blazing pinks and reds, electrifying blue, and brilliant yellow. To inject some drama into your ensemble, try trying asymmetrical hemlines, deep V-necks, and slash openings. If you want to harness your inner diva and stand out from the crowd, don't be afraid to wear sequins, metallic materials, and vivid designs.

The Discreet Appeal of Feathers Dresses embellished with feathers exude a sense of grandeur and splendour in the year 2023. Hemlines, sleeves, and ornamental details are just some of the places where feathers are showing up in the latest runway collections. If you want to make a strong fashion statement, choose a dress with feather trimmings or a garment covered with feathers. We have seen feather’s in trend for a little while now but it seems that feathers are still here to stay.

Make a Statement A luxury cocktail dress is an absolute must-have for those special evenings and expensive occasions. Cocktail dresses in the year 2023 include eye-catching decorations, elaborate beading, and unique materials. This is the year of ‘overdressing’ (p.s. there is no such thing as over-dressing) and if you want to create an impact, choose a dress with attention-grabbing details like dramatic ruffles, puffy sleeves, or an unexpected cut. Particularly fashionable are metallic tones like silver, gold, and bronze, which bring out the glitz in any outfit. Wear a pair of eye-catching shoes and keep your accessories to a minimum to allow the focus to remain on your outfit.

Eco-Friendly Dresses Are Taking Off, Thanks to Sustainable Fashion In 2023, eco-friendly gowns are all the rage due to the fashion industry's growing interest in sustainability. These days, you can get gorgeous gowns that are also sustainable since designers are employing organic fabrics, repurposed materials, and eco-friendly dyes. You can look nice and do your part for the environment by purchasing items like ethically sourced silk and gowns made from recycled plastic bottles.

Tonnes of Fluffy Ruffles and Frills Ruffles and frills, formerly considered dated, are having a major moment in 2023. This style gives your garments more volume and motion, whether it's in the form of a flowing ruffle down the front of a dress or dainty frills embellishing the sleeves. If you're going for a fun and flirty style, go for dresses with ruffled necklines or tiered ruffle skirts. Ruffled gowns look especially lovely when dyed in pastels like lavender and blush and neutral colours for the ultimate feminine look.

Translucent Fabrics or Sheer Pleasures Dresses for ladies that include see-through textiles will be common in 2023. Dresses are becoming increasingly ethereal and enticing as designers add layers of sheer fabric such as tulle and organza. Dresses featuring transparent sleeves, sheer bodices, or sheer panels are a great way to reveal some flesh while still looking put together. Sheer fabrics with embellishments such as embroidery, lace appliques, or sequins make a bold fashion statement. ‍

Put on a Suit: Formal Pantsuits In 2023, dressy looks aren't reserved for only skirts and gowns—dressy pantsuits are all the rage as a chic and liberating alternative. For an elegant and confident appearance, select a fitted pantsuit in a lavish fabric, such as velvet or satin. Try out some emerald green or a rich plum if you want to stand out. Pantsuits can also come in the variety of cropped trousers or wide-leg trousers and options to suit your taste.

Our verdict? The fashion industry has presented us with a wide range of chic and on-trend clothing options for the year 2023. There is something for every fashion-conscious woman, from elegant luxury classy outfits to eye-catching going-out dresses. Explore eco-friendly and sustainable solutions while appreciating the timeless beauty of classic cuts.

Whatever your taste, you can be sure to find a way to make a statement that is uniquely you.

Shop DLTA Studios for your dose of the latest fashion looks and unforgettable outfits.

Source Url: https://www.dltastudios.com/articles/a-guide-to-the-most-fashionable-womens-dresses-trends-2023

[50calmadeuce]

Ch. 19: Planning

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Top Gun: Maverick world, trademarked by Paramount Pictures Corporation. I do not claim ownership of the characters and the world that I am borrowing.

The story and situation I am creating are a work of my imagination and I do not ascribe them to official story canon. This work is for entertainment only and is not a part of the storyline.

I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story, but I do hope it gives you happy thoughts.

These stories are my own, so please do not take them and use them for yourself without my permission. If you see them somewhere else, please let me know. :)

Monday morning was hectic. The first thing you did was drive to the wedding boutique Montgomery had texted Phoenix.

You fell in love with a lace fit and flare wedding dress that had a sexy, sheer bodice with a plunging, V neckline that was matched with a daringly low back. Sequined lace appliques added a touch of sparkle throughout the entire gown and an all-over embroidered net is placed underneath for subtle detailing. Lastly, there was delicate tonal beaded trim accents around the waist for the final embellishment.

"Y/N! That's gorgeous!" Phoenix exclaimed excitedly. "And it fits you perfectly!"

"I have to agree with your Maid of Honor," the young bridal attendant chimed in.

You grin happily. "Then it's settled!"

"And for your Maid of Honor?" the young attendant questioned.

You look at Phoenix. "I'm okay with you wearing your Navy dress uniform."

"I'll wear a dress if you want," Phoenix offered.

You turn back to the bridal attendant. "No. We're good. Just this."

"Great. Let's just get you out of that dress and then we'll discuss how you'll pay for it," the attendant said haughtily.

"Excuse me?" You question with a slightly annoyed tone.

"Well, this dress is $6,000. That's not exactly affordable on a Navy salary," the attendant replied snobbily.

"Holy shit," Phoenix said appalled.

Another attendant hurried over, whispered in the young attendant's ear, the girl turned ghostly white, and then walked away.

"My deepest apologies, Doctor Astor. Let's get this off of you and rung up."

You and Phoenix step out of Jake's Ford F-150 back at the ranch late that evening. You were able to find a floral boutique that did a nice arrangement for you, and you also found a place that was able to make a quick cake for you...after some pricing negotiations.

Phoenix grabs your dress, and you grab the shoes out of the truck and you both head to the house.

When you walk in, everyone is in the dining room playing a rowdy game of cards.

"Hey, darlin." Jake acknowledges you with a grin and a wink as he looks up from the deck of cards in his hands. "You find a dress?"

"Yes. How are things on your end?"

"Moms got the food all planned and Coyote and I got a nice outfit for Christian."

"Good. We'll be right back. We're going to put this stuff up."

Jake nods and you and Phoenix head to the bedroom.

"I still can't believe he's doing it. Never thought I'd see the day," Phoenix admits.

"He's not that bad."

"Ha! You've never had to fly with him."

You laugh as you walk into the closet to hang the dress up and hear the pitter patter of little feet.

"Ant Tosh!" Christian exclaims and Phoenix picks him up, tousling his dark hair and kissing him on the cheek.

"What's up little man?"

You step out of the closet.

Christian looks at you. "Mommy?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Yake my daddy?" he asks so sincerely that your heart melts.

You take a deep breath and sigh as Jake walks into the bedroom.

"Come here, little man," Jake says as he puts out his arms to Christian and Christian goes to him. "I'm not your real daddy, but I can be your step-daddy if that's what you want?"

Christian claps his hands excitedly. "Yes!"

Jake kisses Christian's cheek. "Okay. Now go find Lindsay and Lukas." He sets Christian on the floor and Christian takes off running out of the bedroom. "We're getting ready to start another card game. You ladies in?"

"Hell, yeah!" Phoenix exclaims and walks out of the bedroom.

You gaze into Jake's green eyes. "Yeah," you respond as your heart fills with more love for this man.

[shipcago]

My completely unnecessary in-depth analysis of what wedding dress Hailey would have worn had she decided to wear a dress when they got married

Disclaimer: this is solely based off my imagination and assumed preferences for Hailey. Also, If you don’t want to read, you can just skip to the bottom where I posted a picture of my final choice.

I fully accept that Hailey wearing a burgundy turtleneck and a black leather jacket while she and Jay have a courthouse wedding is pretty true to form for this pairing.

HOWEVER

The Upstead proposal had me scouring the internet for the perfect wedding dress for Hailey Anne Upton and I wanted to share my findings for those who might be interested.

Luckily neither of them are the big wedding types, so very small and very private (including a courthouse ceremony) were the only viable options in my mind. Didn’t matter if it was indoor or outdoor or if there was a running theme. Tastefully simple was always going to be the default. Or the decor brought to you by the local Justice of the Peace.

Didn’t matter.

But the thing that stalled me the most was probably the one thing that receives the most attention at any wedding, big or small.

The dress.

Luckily, I figured it would be the same kind of dress regardless of the venue considering small and simple was the way to go (in my mind). But there are so many factors when finding the right wedding dress, especially when it’s for a character who rarely wears a dress. (I think Hailey wore an LBD like one time for a case?) So relying on imagination is extremely important for this process.

That being said, here are a few things that I took into consideration:

Skirt length

Skirt shape

Sleeves

Bodice

Neckline

Material

Embellishments (including but not limited to lace, beading, sequins, border trims, fringe, ribbons, ruffles, pearls etc.)

Bonus round: the veil

So starting off with: the skirt

Hailey is not a ball gown girl. No full on princess skirt she has to squeeze through doorways, and nothing that requires layers. It’s way too much and she would have zero patience for it. So I’m thinking something sleek, fitted without being clingy, and drapes elegantly over her curves but doesn’t constrict. In short, nothing that requires a bridesmaid to help her when she needs to pee while wearing the dress.

No floor length (as much as I love a full length gown) and we are definitely not shooting for Vegas style with a mini skirt. Hard no.

That puts us at a safe middle ground midi (aka tea length), floating delicately around the calves. There's no fear of dragging on the ground or any issues that may be caused by a train. And on the opposite end of the spectrum, she doesn't have to worry about tugging her skirt down every 2 minutes so she’s not flashing everyone with the mini option.

All in all, while it is her wedding day, I still think Hailey would want the option that enables the most mobility.

Next order of business: Sleeves

I had the most difficult time with this one. Considering Hailey’s penchant for hoodies, sweaters and various long sleeve options with the occasional t-shirt, I thought this would be an easy choice. I was wrong.

I wasn’t seeing Hailey as a strapless or a halter style, and I just couldn’t get a good visual with anything ranging from a cap sleeve to a 3/4 to a long sleeve. Nothing was vibing. This is was one of those selections that I could not settle on until I had a proper visual of the rest of the dress. I surprised myself when the final choice was a spaghetti strapped option as I’m not usually a fan. But with the neckline I chose, it’s a wonderful pairing in my opinion.

Speaking of the neckline (and bodice):

This was my number 2 struggle just below the sleeves. And in order to decide sleeves, I had to figure this out.

For me, the neckline went hand in hand with the bodice. I definitely have a preference for a more structured look rather than a loose fit boho feel. But neither of those were really hitting home. I don’t see her wanting something too tight or anything with boning, but definitely not picturing anything going the formless route. So like the skirt, we’re going for a middle ground.

My conclusion? A slip dress. Not my usual choice, but I love the drapey look of it, especially when made with silk satin. It’s got a bit of a relaxed look with how the fabric sits loosely against the skin, but with just a slight nip in around the waist to give a sleek silhouette that would look GORGEOUS on Hailey.

And to complete that drapey look that I can’t seem to pry myself away from, a cowl neckline. Hailey’s doesn't seem the plunging neckline type, but this gives both coverage and cleavage, and is what ultimately led me to the conclusion of spaghetti straps.

A two for one - material and embellishments:

I pretty much gave it away in the last section, but after looking at a lot of wedding dress materials, I just can’t picture a lot of lace, sequins, ruffles etc. Like the wedding itself, I was picturing simple and tasteful. Ribbons and appliqué don’t seem like something Hailey would like or want to be concerned about. I think she’d rather go for something simple where no assembly is required. No complicated buttons or ribbons. Nothing she would need more than a mirror and possibly a helping hand with the zipper (preferably Jay’s but this is the wedding day and he is a traditional guy).

The selection for the type and shape of dress made this choice easy because a silk satin material seems to be the default for the slip dress look. It also cleared up the turmoil regarding embellishments, especially my vice grip on lace, since it honestly looks best with no embellishments at all.

Classy and sleek and just sexy enough with how it looks like it might glide right off Hailey's figure without the security of those thin straps. A nice sprinkling of temptation for Jay.

And last, the veil:

The one place I might’ve been able to get my fix of wedding lace. Short or long? Birdcage or cathedral? Maybe hanging down to the lower back? Then there's the question of borders. So many decisions for this one single piece. But after considering my options and the final selection of the dress, my choice was ultimately:

No veil.

I’m not necessarily going for a minimalist look, but I don’t think it’s an addition that’s needed. If anything, I think Hailey would have something like a sequined clip in her hair. Either for a loose updo (like a low bun that's loosely crown braided back with little wispy tendrils framing her face), a half up half down, or my favorite look: that signature deep side part. Throw in a light curl and clip to pull back one side and *chefs kiss* beautiful.

The final reveal:

I actually really like the shoes that the model wears with it as well. A white or nude heel would probably look best with the dress.

And the flowers? Even though I have a hard time picturing Hailey holding anything but Jay’s hands, I can see her having something like this gorgeous Magnolia bouquet. Simple and elegant like the rest of the outfit.

There you have it! Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk, especially if you actually read this entire post seeing as it has zero bearing on the show whatsoever. Either way, it was fun!

[writeblrfantasy]

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pax said he liked my clothing descriptions and i haven't been able stop thinking about that so i put together this compilation!! from acogs, brenin, oots, a short from gkbk i'm working on, and the farlingverse. i hope you love all of these because i'm super proud of all of them <3<3

taglists and ts under the cut

Katya is dressed in a brilliant red velvet gown whose floor length skirt trails behind her. Gold is embroidered onto the hem of the skirt and the bodice, supported by a thin red strap that curves around her neck. Her orange hair covers her shoulders in loose curls, two parts on either side pulled back from her face and secured with a ribbon on her head like always. She wears no jewelry on her pale, freckled skin, and the neckline of the gown teases her breasts.

In a few minutes, one huge golden ring will sit on her right middle finger. Nikolai pictures it now.

Beautiful and mighty, she’s sitting on the old throne of the temple, from when this was the palace and Aspiania was the capital. The fingers of her left hand curl over the white armrests, and she leans her head back onto the red cushion there. Green eyes dulled behind the wire frames of her spectacles have the power to freeze an empire, a whole world.

Nikolai is more interested in the drawn golden sword in her right hand.

~

Esme is wearing custom made robes in a beautiful mix of red, dark blue, and purple, with a sash and hems of shimmering gold. Embroidery of the sun and moon decorate patches in tiny patterns, stars covering every inch of them.

In traditional Tan style, they wrap around his shoulders and tie at his waist with the knot in the back, the sleeves loose and flared out at the wrists. They go down to his feet, covered in polished black boots. His black hair is sparkled with gold dust, but it’s forever too long and strands fall into his eyes.

He grins when he sees Laurent across the temple for the first time, dopey eyed, as Laurent’s soul evaporates from his body. It’s a remarkable testament to his self-restraint that he doesn’t cross the temple in three strides and tackle Esme to the ground.

~

Feryn looks truly like an angel, or a god, or grace incarnate. No veil covers her head, but her white hair hangs loose round her face. Cygnus was expecting curls, or a braid with flowers, or an updo with a diamond circlet wrapping her hair. But the reality is plain. And it’s beautiful.

She’s wearing cosmetics, he’s sure, but he can’t see them well. Her brown eyes just look a little brighter than normal, her lashes a little longer, her cheeks a little fuller. She smiles at him with warm eyes and pink lips.

Her gown is something he’s been looking forward to seeing and endlessly imagining ever since she and Lian got engaged. Like her hair, it’s much simpler than expected. The fabric is shiny like satin, the straps thin and the bodice plain like the gown Evan wore to her bridal shower.

Unlike Evan’s, the neckline dips, and the skirt of Feryn’s dress is slim. Feryn must be wearing shoes with tall heels, because Cygnus knows she isn’t naturally this tall. Or perhaps it’s just her posture, the straight back, the easy, content way she holds herself.

~

Feryn, who asked Cygnus to trust her when he asked what he would be wearing at the play, dresses him in bright red silk robes with drapes over the shoulders that blow out behind him. She says she had them made especially for tonight. Cygnus is rendered speechless, reminded of the luxury he lives as king. Feryn seems only pleased.

The shoulders and collar are decorated in sapphires and embroidered in gold. The robes don’t allow trousers to show that much, so he wears plain black. Feryn chooses polished black shoes with gold trim, and a red and gold clip for his hair.

When he looks in the mirror, he thinks he’s dressed for the most pristine play in the whole country, not Cherie’s little central company.

~

“Valerie—” Ruby begins, words dying in her throat as Cygnus holds up a hand. A rich sapphire ring adorns on his hand, and that’s not the only finery he’s wearing. His silk jacket of dark green is bejeweled with glittering gems and delicate piping. His boots are shinier than she’s ever seen them, and with his purple cloak and combed hair, he’s obviously going to meet someone important.

~

Like every other lady in the castle, Ruby allows Feryn to force her into nice clothes. She refuses the robes Feryn brought out, heavy red velvet, and chooses instead black breeches, a fine shirt, and an ornate jacket. The jacket is dull green, trimmed in gold and fastened with gleaming buttons. Ruby pulls on a new pair of black boots and actually gives some thought to her hair, after a moment permitting Feryn to braid it down her back. It’s all tedious to her, but she’ll endure it to keep poor Cygnus company.

~

“Come in,” came Alea’s voice at my first knock. I opened the door, watching Moureen muttering and fussing over Alea’s dress. The mix of sea greens and blues complimented her beautiful hair, some curls braided into a crown around her head, the rest lying around her shoulders. I couldn’t hold back a grin.

“What?” she asked.

“You look beautiful. I have something for you,” I said, bringing forth the box from behind my back and thrusting it into her hands. I motioned for her to open it.

“Oh, Bren, you didn’t have to—” She opened it, her mouth falling open. “Oh, my—” Alea turned and set the box down, picking up the jade and sapphire teardrop earrings that I’d bought her in the shop. It must’ve been the gods’ will for the dress and earrings to match perfectly, making her green eyes stand out. She looked every bit the duchess, every bit a queen.

~

Alea was in a stunning gold ballgown that glittered and shone when she moved. The skirt was embellished with pearls and diamonds, dripping and glittering. Her hair was up, a white flower hairpin keeping it out of her eyes. She smiled, and her green eyes looked even more beautiful than ever. I told her so. She laughed like she didn’t believe me.

~

More footsteps came to the door. I glanced up at Moureen, who was coming in with my freshly shined shoes. Thales hovered in the doorway in front of Lakus. I looked him over, taking in his bright blue jacket, adorned with gold trim and beading. The finished jacket looked much better now than it had during yesterday’s boring afternoon in the store. I found myself catching my breath.

He gave me a small smile. “You look good. The green, uh, looks good.”

I did something with my hands. “Thanks, I guess.” My jacket was well done. Light green and silver, pearl buttons and dark stitching. I chose the silver just to get on Lakus’s nerves, since I knew Danda couldn’t care less about whether people wore gold or not.

Lakus, by contrast, had bright, gaudy orange on. There was so much gold on him I could feel the money, and I grimaced, looking away from him after a glance.

~

Cerrick doesn’t recognize anyone else in the purples, reds, yellows, but he sees his man in the center of the pack in bright blue and green armor, cloak fluttering out behind him. his horse is gray, mottled with black spots, shorter than the rest. His sword is gleaming in his right hand, black gloves clutching the hilt like one born to it. His braid sticks out of his polished blue helmet, shining in the sun. Cerrick doesn’t care if Olin laughs at him for his reaction, he still curses softly under his breath.

Njord is beautiful.

The knights run a few casual circles around the stadium, waving to the crowd. Cerrick watches the crowd hand their knight of choice bracelets, charms, wreaths with fresh flowers braided into them.

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[eolewyn1010]

Downton Abbey Fashion 69 - evening dresses in 1924

Rose’s evening dresses really settle into the pastels this season, so much that I’m thrown for a loop on the two or three occasions when she goes for jewel tones instead. Twelve dresses, that’s fewer than Mary has but curiously more than Edith. Let’s see.

While the pastels fill most of the time, Rose begins and ends the season in blue. This first one is rather an example for the fancy sack look, but I like how the little sleeves are draped around her arms. It’s got a lot of beading all over it, wavy lines and curlicues shaping up to bigger ornamented areas on the sides.

Someone must’ve taken a look at this at some point and gone: “Rose in orange? This is wrong; she needs to wear soft pinks!” because we’ll get an accumulation of soft pinks soon after this. This one is mainly chiffon filled with tons and tons of tiny golden curlicues, framed in wide velvet trim on the skirt and the neckline. I quite like this despite the evident baggy top effect; both the neckline leaning a little toward a cowl and the split skirt have something structural going on, and there are those flowers added to her shoulder.

The lighting here makes me unsure of the color, but I hope it’s soft pink, because if not, it’s beige. And if this dress is beige, it really has nothing going for it. There’s a bit of embroidery, flower brambles I think, short sleeves with no interesting shape, and that’s it.

A bronze dress with tiny golden leaves all over, this is one of the few occasions where I kind of wish they had skipped the additional embroidery on the waist as it doesn’t really fit in there color-wise. Can’t tell you anything about the skirt because dinner table shots, but Rose likes this enough to wear it again as a married woman – which means it’s tiara time! And honestly, that tiara is adorable.

More lousy lighting, but try to believe me that the dress is green. In fact, it may be a green velvet, dappled in silver to match the silk satin under layer. The front has this weird almond-shaped stomach panel going on; I personally feel the back with that plunging V of silver folds looks more elegant, which isn’t a new concept regarding 1920s. They liked them their back designs.

Off to pinks. This one is a tad more on the salmon side, and it’s got these thin vertical beading lines all over, emphasizing the desired streamlined silhouette but curiously going into a bit of a curve on the sides of her waist, and then the drop waist line just gets a massive up in either silver or pale golden embroidery.

Took me a while to tell this one from the previous; with the same neckline and shoulder straps, an only slightly pinker shade of pink (which can easily be put down to lighting) and the same vertical beading lines, it doesn’t look a whole lot different until you look at the skirt. They always confuse me when they have two extremely similar items in their wardrobe; who does that? But to the skirt business: The beading here spreads out into a sort of fractal flower motif, and then she has these little ruffles sitting on her hips. It’s also tiara time again, and they really need to lay off the rose motif already. Her name is Rose and she likes pink; we get it.

Okay, no, they don’t need to lay off the rose motif here. This dress is stunning. This combination of pale gold sequins and auburn chiffon ruffle hem? Beautiful. Plus the chevron configuration is giving it some illusion of shaping that the 1920s cut doesn’t actually have. And then they do the usual thing, marking the drop waist not in terms of structure but only in decoration – and honestly this garland of flowers ends up looking so elegant. I love it, no notes.

Another peachy pink silk satin. I have conflicted feelings about this dress, in particular about its most striking element, the scalloped strap going over her throat from one shoulder to the other. On one hand, I’m cringing at imagining the sensation of wearing this; on the other, I think it looks really good. Rose also coordinated the scallop shape well with her jewelry; look at her bracelet. The sequin-and-pearls sun motif on the skirt is okay, a little clunky perhaps.

This dress is more on the pale golden side of peach, and it’s working with this turtle shell scales pattern, all of it in glittery beading. And yet more glitter as this silver zigzag band crosses in an X over the front and frames the skirt – I know the second shot is grainy and poorly-lit, but the movement in these skirt panels is beautiful. They also put a color-matching chiffon rose in her hair because Subtle Symbolism™, and while I’m tired of the latter, the look is very nice.

You know things are bad when an off-white outfit is a relief. Finally a different color scheme! Silver in this case, but Rose sticks with her glitter which seems to be a ton of rhinestones running in a sort of feather design to both sides of her top. I wish these cowards had gone full in and given her a real skullcap with dangly bits and all. Rebel Rose would totally have worn something extravagant like that. Ah well, the bejeweled hairnet is still something, and the earrings are cute. Fun fact: This silver dress is one of at least two clothing articles on Downton Abbey that previously made an appearance in the 2008 movie Easy Virtue, where Sarah Hurst wears it and it’s scandalously and period-untypically short. So perhaps the added chiffon layers underneath the skirt are there to cover Rose’s knees.

Rose ends the season like she started it, in blue, and I’m only now realizing that this is the culmination of her initial blue-red character color scheme. She hasn’t worn one single red dress over the entire season. Because in Julian Fellowes country, good character development is only when you get all of your adversity out of you and become a sweet, perfect little lady… Here’s hoping Rose will cause her father-in-law an aneurysm. Anyway, beaded golden lace layered over blue, the usual cut, simple jewelry. Why are these people not wearing sleeves on Christmas?

[ashbrea381writings]

Red-Eye to Destiny: Chapter 2, The Gala

Mari and Luka texted Damian as soon as they made it back to the house just outside of town. Upon receiving the return message, they promptly fell into bed and slept soundly until late into the morning. Lazily getting dressed for the day, the pair started unpacking their clothes, setting up for laundry and airing out coats that didn’t need washing but definitely needed some care. Going into her design studio, Mari checked on her dress that she’d completed before they left for the last few concerts before their holiday break. “Luka, why does your dad want us to go to this thing again?” Mari sighed, hanging the dress up to check for any last-second alterations she might want to make.

“It’s good networking. He’s hung out with the organizers a bunch and wanted us to meet them, plus tons of people are gonna be there. He said that one of the organizers has a bunch of sons who usually cause some scene or another so it’s usually pretty funny.” Luka walked into the room and rested his chin on top of her head. “Besides, it’ll be a chance to show off your skills to some people who might want to commission something.” “I suppose.” Mari leaned back into Luka for a moment before pulling away to pull out his suit. Mari had made Luka a custom Leather Tuxedo jacket with teal trim on the cuffs and lapels, a matching teal lining and a few silver studs on the collar. His pants were simple charcoal grey with teal lining on the pockets, and subtle teal stitchwork around the cuffs and waistband. His shirt was simple black with a teal pocket square and everything. “I’m still so impressed by you, Melody.” Luka sighed, pouring love into every word through their bond. Mari just giggled in response and ran her fingers over the seams in both his suit and her dress. The dress itself was a strapless, deep burgundy dress with black cherry blossoms embroidered and beaded in a sweeping shape from the hem to the bodice of the dress where it spread out to cover most of the bust in beautiful, 3d flowers made from thread and beads. A small bit of lace rose above the bodice and, when worn, would drape itself modestly over the top of the bust making the sweetheart neckline appear more conservative than it was. The skirt itself was more or less simple, full with the aforementioned flowers down the front in a curve before meeting the black velvet hem of the skirt. Secreted around the skirts where only Mari knew the openings, were several Kwami-sized pockets. “What does everyone think?” Mari asked the room, and all of the Kwami’s looked it over, giggling with delight over the pockets and giving their approval. “We won’t be able to take everyone, but other than Tikki and Sass, who wants to come with us?” Surprising Marinette and Luka, Plagg moved forward. “I know he can’t really wield me since we don’t mesh well, but do you think you could take the ring with you? I think I’m supposed to go.” “What do you mean Plagg? You haven’t wanted to be active other than saying hello and eating some camembert since Adrien decided he needed a break away from all this?” Marinette asked, raising an eyebrow at the Kwami. “Something is different. In you two, especially scales over there.” Plaggs eyes narrowed at Luka. “I think my kitten is in this city, and you two have met him.” Luka and Marinette grinned at each other before confusion took over their faces again. “But what does that have to do with the gala?” “I can do some recon if I’m there.” “Alright then, that’s one for me.” Mari laughed and put a little clip with a black cat on the end on the edge of one of the pockets. “There are 5 in total not counting Tikki, and Luka can only carry another two besides Sass.” In the end, it was decided that Mari would have Plagg, Mullo, Trixx, Pollen and Nooroo in addition to Tikki. Luka ended up with Wayzz, Duusu and Sass of course. The others weren’t interested in going to the party and would rather hang out in the box or around the house.

***

Damian sighed and ducked around a column to get a moment to himself cursing the nosy people at the party in various languages. In his brief moment to himself, he began to notice that he wasn’t just feeling his own annoyance. Frowning in concentration, he turned to scan the ballroom, spotting them near the stage, talking to Jagged Stone of all people. He focused on them, and tried to be heard by just them across the ballroom. ‘I didn’t know you would be here.’ Both Parisians jolted, and looked around, spotting him in his little hiding spot. ‘Is there a reason you’re hiding instead of saying hello?’ Damian could hear the amusement in Lukas' voice. Both of his soulmates looked away and just quietly stepped away from Jagged, making it look like they were talking amongst themselves. ‘Yes, people are too nosy for their own good and they will ask more questions than I am prepared to answer.’ ‘Damian, we owe nobody an explanation for saying hello.’ Marinette chided gently. ‘Besides, Luka and I have mastered the art of getting people to leave us alone with just a look.’ ‘If you say so. Give me a moment.’ Damian straightened his jacket and made it seem like he’d been adjusting his wardrobe as he left the pillar. “There you are, I wanted to introduce you to someone.” Damian held back a grimace and turned to his Father. “Those camping trips I take once and a while? This is the man I go with.” Incidentally, the person Bruce was pointing to was Jagged himself. “Hell of a time getting away for both of us, but SO worth the quiet.” Jagged grinned and held out his hand. “By camping, Brucie means we go to my cabin in the mountains and sit around the fire pit complaining about life. Pleasure to meet you at last, I’ve heard a lot of good things about you.” “Thank you sir, it’s nice to meet you.” Damian’s smile in return was a bit forced, but thankfully Mari and Luka came to the rescue. “Someone interesting, Jagged?” Marinette asked as they walked over. ‘How much do you want us to say, Damian?’ Marinette added silently, her eyes concerned over how stiff he was and how tightly he was holding his emotions. Damian relaxed slightly, his fake smile relaxing into something a little more neutral but real. ‘I am alright. I will explain to the others later, but perhaps if we can get a quiet moment with my Father?’ Both Luka and Marinette raised an eyebrow at the fact that he’d left out that he was a Wayne before but took it in stride. With little more than a glance between them, Luka put a gentle hand on Jaggeds arm, and pulled the man away, asking him a couple questions about the tour they’d just finished. The man was bewildered, but Luka and Marinette planned things behind his back all the time when they felt it necessary, so he didn’t do more than give Damian and Marinette a questioning look as he was led away. “That was.” Damian commented out loud, shaking his head. “Surprisingly easy for you two.” Marinette laughed, “We’d been working together before we knew, so it took little time to figure it out. Now, Luka pulled Jagged away so the three of us could have a private word.” She turned to Bruce, glancing around for listening ears. “We happened to be seated on the plane next to Damian and, well.” She gestured between them. “I’m afraid you will have to elaborate, Ms. Dupain Cheng.” Bruce narrowed his eyes at the two of them, his face visibly confused. “What she is referring to, Father, is that they are apparently my bonded.” Damian explained. “Both of them.” He added after a moment’s silence. ‘You will explain the work you did together?’ He asked Marinette silently. ‘Soon enough, it’s a rather long story.’ Marinette’s face didn’t even change when she answered, and she started talking to Bruce over the end of her own sentence. “Luka and I had known each other for years before we found out our bond, and we’d always known that there was supposed to be a third for us. However, as we were in Paris, and Damian was apparently here, that obviously made it so that we didn’t meet until on the airplane here.” “And how did you figure it out? Not that I’m not happy for you three, but I know my son, and he tends to be reluctant to even speak to strangers.” Bruce was fishing, and Damian knew it. Marinette seemed to be able to tell too, as she was unphased by his question. “Easy, he was exhausted and fell asleep on the plane leaning on Luka. When Luka needed to move and was panicking because he didn’t want to wake up Damian, he was obviously exhausted and seemed comfortable where he was, Damian responded to his silent monologue about the situation and Damian responded in kind.” Marinette giggled, mentally nudging him when she made an edit to preserve his dignity. ‘Thank you for not going into detail.’ Damian rolled his eyes and smirked. “I had thought I’d talked to him out loud, and promptly fell back to sleep, when they woke me again shortly before the flight was over, and informed me that I had not -in fact- spoken out loud.” He then surprised both his father and himself by reaching over to put a hand on Marinette’s shoulder. “They were kind enough to give me time to process and after I gave them my phone number, texted me only to give me theirs and let me process on my own after that.” “To be fair, we passed out and slept till almost noon after we texted you, so it wasn’t restraint on our parts, just that we were too tired to stay up anymore. Especially since we didn’t sleep on the plane.” Marinette laughed dryly. “That’s an eight hour flight.” Bruce commented in shock. “You two were awake the whole time?” “Well yes, we hadn’t been up all that long anyway, and with Damian sleeping against Luka, he wasn’t sure if Damian would be offended if he woke up to a sleeping man holding him. Luka’s a cuddler and even if Damian started it he didn’t want to do anything that would make him uncomfortable.” Marinette shrugged. “If he was uncomfortable, why did he not simply move me to not be leaning on him anymore?” Damian asked, having realized that the only time he’d been moved was when Luka got up for the bathroom. “One, the only discomfort he had was not something that moving you would have solved, and two, we did.” She sighed, shrugging. “Every time he shifted you to be sitting upright, you just grabbed onto his arm and put your head back on his shoulder. And when he had to get up he tried a little harder and you got grumpy, but when he sat back down you were right there again. You were practically in his lap.” “And how many people saw this?” Damian asked with an internal groan. “If it gets put on the internet, I will never hear the end of it from the heathens.” “I think Luka and I were the only ones to notice, most everyone else was asleep.” Marinette reassured him. ‘I do have a couple photos and plan on one of them being your profile pic on my phone later.’ This was added as a teasing whisper in his mind and he internally groaned again. Luka broke into the conversation, ‘You have two guys inbound, tall, one of them is slender but muscled, the other slightly shorter and stocky.’ He added a look at where they were and what they looked at. “Grayson, Todd, what did you want?” Damian asked dryly as soon as they stepped close enough for him to hear their footsteps. “How did you do that, Demon Spawn?” Todd demanded as all three people turned to face the men who’d walked up. Marinette stiffened at the nickname, obviously offended at the nickname. ‘It’s alright, he says it because he cares.’ Damian reassured her, sending soothing emotions to her and Luka who’d been walking over as this was said. “I don’t feel like answering that question right now, Todd, but why did you come over here, this was a private conversation.” “Why did you and B need a private word with Jagged’s niece?” Grayson asked, frowning and looking between Bruce and Damian like he could figure out their secret. “That’s a conversation for home, Dick.” Bruce sighed. “And that’s when we decide to tell you, but it’s just something we needed to talk about before moving forward.” He glanced at Luka over Marinette’s shoulder, nodding at him to acknowledge that he’d walked back up. “Can you please not call her his niece? It’s rather awkward at this point.” Luka commented, putting his arms around Marinette’s waist. “She’s my soulmate, he’s my dad, it’s weird, you know?” That caught everyone’s attention, including Damian. “Wait, you’re Jagged’s son?” Bruce sputtered, his face astounded. “The way he talked about you, I figured you were like ten. Not an adult that was touring with him. He also didn’t introduce you as his son.” “I know, I didn’t grow up with him. My mom raised me and my sister, I didn’t really have any contact with him until I was a teenager.” Luka shrugged, “Doesn’t make it any less weird when he calls my soulmate his niece.” “Excuse you, I claimed her before you two even met.” Jagged laughed loudly, causing half the ballroom to look to see who was being so loud. “I think that gives me the right to keep calling her that.” “It’s still weird.” Luka shot back, shaking his head and leaning into Marinette’s hair. ‘This is why I pulled him away, he’s so loud about everything that the whole ballroom would know if he’d been part of it. You said you’d get made fun of if certain people found out.’ Damian smirked, looking down slightly, ‘Thank you, Luka.’ “Anyway, Luka, Marinette, these are two of my other sons, Jagged I’m sure you remember Dick and Jason?” Bruce pointed to each one in turn. “Wait, why does Damian call them by other names then?” Marinette wrinkled her nose a bit, trying to figure it out. “Damian… Has his own way of doing things. I’m surprised he doesn’t call you two by your last names.” Bruce admitted. “We never told him them.” Luka shrugged calmly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Okay, I’m confused, how do you all know Damian?” Dick asked, crossing his arms as Tim came to investigate what was going on. “For the love of… Short answer, they met on the plane here, the rest of it we will talk about at a later time and place, when Damian wants to share. That is the end of it, go back to the party.” Bruce grunted at the boys, glaring at them in annoyance while keeping the rest of his face in a neutral expression that he’d practiced for years. “Alright, alright, we’re going.” Jason threw up his hands and grumbled about people being touchy as he walked away. “The one day he’s not in a grumpy mood he has to irritate the rest of us.” Damian clicked his tongue in irritation and shook his head as Dick and Tim also drifted away with shrugs and curious looks thrown at the Parisians. “Well, why don’t you guys enjoy the party, we can talk soon. After I’ve had a chance to wrangle the whole family into not bothering the heck out of Damian over everything.” Bruce gave a small, slightly sarcastic smile and then softened. “Glad things are good though. I’m happy for you.” He patted Damian on the shoulder and walked away to join Jagged who was now talking with a few women by the refreshment table. “So… I take it he approves?” Marinette asked. “Yeah, I think he does.” Damian had the urge to hug his soulmates, but he contented himself with sending as much warmth and happiness to them through the bond as he could.

[tintinwrites]

dollface | Mob Boss!Poe Dameron x Reader | Part Three

A/N: Thank you all for loving this fic. You get a lil bit of smut, as a treat ;) Special thanks to @thesefleshfailures​ and @damerondjarin​ for being the best helpers ever!

Rating: M

Warning: Smut. Naughty words. Fingering I think idk he touches the outer bits not the inner bits. Oral (M receiving).

Word count: 2,203, apparently!!

Summary: You and Poe cozy up in a darkened little corner on a little velvet couch in the speakeasy.

Part One | Part Two

GIF credit: I have no idea, but it’s not mine. If anyone knows who made this, please let me know!

Tags: @twomoonstwosuns​ @writefightandflightclub​ @fanfic-addict-98​ @bisexual-space-slut​ @brooklynsblurbs​ @yougottakeeponkeepinon​ @dogsandrocketsocks​ @himbopoes​ @agentpike​ @greengrassandcyansea​ @arkofblake​ @bunkybarnesbxtch​

                                       -----------------------------

The music was soft and low when Poe entered the speakeasy, most people sufficiently drunk enough to remember how nice it was to be in love as they danced together.

But of course he wasn’t paying much mind to them as he looked around the room for you, gaze falling on his usual seat which was apparently a good place for a young couple to neck like they weren’t around others.

He didn’t really mind very much although if you weren’t here and his seat was taken, how was he supposed to unwind from work?

Someone pressed into his back and he turned to find you standing there, smiling up at him and somehow looking even more beautiful than usual.

Your hair was all done up and your lips were painted his favorite color on you; your dress was made of satin or silk — he never really needed to learn the difference — and not only were its straps thin enough to show a scandalous amount of your collarbone and shoulders, but they lead down to a tantalizing V that showed the tops of your breasts. The pleated skirt flowed gracefully at your knees and he let his eyes rove over the delicate beading detail. All the way up to the trim on your neckline.

Definitely the trim.

He was looking at the trim.

You were smiling knowingly when he looked back up at your eyes.

“You let someone take my seat, dollface?” He pretended to pout, tugging you against him by your lovely hips.

“I reserved somewhere special for you tonight.” You ran your fingers over his lapels then pulled on them to drag him with you.

“Oh?” Not that you had to force him since he followed you like a puppy might follow its kid.

“A very special place,” you said softly and reached for his hand as you showed him what you were talking about.

It was a couch in a dimly lit corner of the club that not many people frequented, most people not giving it a glance if they even walked near it.

He raised an eyebrow, but let you lead him further in and gently push him down to sit on the plush velvet.

“I’ve been thinking...about that promise you made of putting your hand further up my dress next time.” You stood in between his knees, running your hands up his shoulders as you pushed his suit jacket off.

“I’ve been thinking about it, too.” His eyes remained on your every movement.

You sat down next to him with the side of your knee pressing into his thigh as you turned to slowly, gently roll his sleeves up like he always tended to do. Your nails ran down his right forearm once both were exposed, his hand twitching slightly as you stroked over the veins in his wrist then moved down his palm to the tips of his fingers.

You wanted each other enough that these simple, small touches drove you both wild, meeting gazes in pleased silence as you gripped his fingers in yours and lifted his hand to begin pressing kisses over it.

He tugged you forward and you yelped, your free hand going to his thigh to keep from falling into his lap, and you giggled softly as he placed passionate kisses up your arm.

His lips moved over your shoulder, across your collarbone, then trailed up your neck slowly; all gaiety seemed to fade as his tongue occasionally darted against the expanse of soft skin.

You moaned softly and let your head fall back slightly, your hand leaving his thigh to allow your fingers to dig into his slicked back curls.

The grip was used to tug his head back a moment later and press your lips firmly to his in what happened to be your first actual kiss; there were little pecks on hands or cheeks, but you had always shown him false demureness when he would aim for your lips and he never pressed you for anything further.

Now, with your unspoken permission of your lips moving eagerly against his, he pulled you against his body, not caring about the awkward, twisted angle as he slid his tongue into your mouth.

At some point you had climbed into his lap to straddle him, your deepened kiss easier now that neither of you were turning yourselves in odd directions to meet each other.

The kiss ended with soft gasps, followed by little kisses again and again as you finally sought your fill of each other after all the teasing and tension you were pretty sure was dragged on too long.

You would have thrown yourself at his feet the first time you met if you’d known simply kissing him would be this fun.

You unwound your hands from his hair, playing with his suspenders as you pulled away to look at him.

His curls were all mussed up now that you’d pulled on them, eyes dark with lust and his lips slightly swollen and colored with your lipstick shade from the passion of your kisses. “You’re beautiful.”

It was obvious by his raised brow that he was thinking of saying the same thing to you.

Really, how could he not find you absolutely gorgeous with your lipstick smudged because of him, your gaze soft and satisfied like you were on dope from his lips alone?

The two of you laughed in tandem from the sheer joy of kissing, pressing your heads together for a moment.

Your hips rolled hesitantly against his, eyeing him in case he didn’t want to and pleased to discover his head fell back and a little moan left his lips.

You wrapped your arms around his neck as his hands went to hold onto your hips, guiding you to grind yourself down into his hardening cock without shame; you found a rhythm of bucking your hips when he’d pull down on them, his own rutting up into yours every once in a while.

One of his hands moved up to pull down a strap of your dress, freeing one of your breasts which he eagerly groped.

When he put his grip on your hips once more, he leaned forward to gently suck on your nipple with his eyes on yours the whole time to make sure it was something you were okay with despite your moans.

It wasn’t long before you were squirming at the wetness between your legs, your current movements simply not enough to satisfy your pulsing clit, and you whispered, “I need you.”

“I’m all yours, dollface,” Poe’s own tone was in awe as he pulled away from your breast, perhaps over your wantonness or simply honored to be something you needed.

His fingertips slid down your hips until they touched the hem of your dress that was now rucked up around your thighs, pushing underneath the fabric.

The teasing smirk on his face turned to confusion when his hands didn’t meet your bloomers somewhere at your upper thighs and his jaw dropped the moment he passed your legs all the way up to your bare hips.

A gentle touch between your legs confirmed his suspicions that you weren’t wearing bloomers at all, his knuckles brushing over the hair there.

“You are naughty, kitten.” He stroked over your folds like he intended to get to know them closely.

“I had you in mind when I chose my outfit for tonight.” You shifted, pushing your hips out for him.

“You gonna show me where, baby? Huh?” His fingers pushed your folds apart easily to tease at your clit, rubbing over it experimentally.

He knew he found that sweet spot on you when your eyes fluttered shut and you let out a shaky, little moan, grinning at you widely.

“Is that it? Don’t hold anything back.” He loved watching you twitch in his arms at the sensations he was drawing from your already worked-up clit.

Your hips rocked forward with every stroke, needy for the friction, and he leaned forward to nibble at your neck when your head fell back.

Even without you touching his dick, he was still turned on enough to stay hard by simply watching your little reactions and listening to your sweet little sounds.

And you were clearly on your way to an orgasm quickly from rubbing on him like you did, your moans only getting louder by the second.

He groaned at your nails digging into the back of his neck.

“Poe...oh...I’m...I’m…”

You didn’t have to finish your sentence, not when you cried out softly and your hips were thrusting quickly against his touch, your cheek pressing into his head as you rode out your high with the most beautiful moans anyone ever made.

His fingers slid over your clit fast and hard until you whimpered and he knew you were a little too stimulated, his hand moving away to rest on one of your quivering thighs.

Overstimulating your cunt would definitely wait for when you weren’t in a club, when he had you in his bed with your perfect curls all over the place from how many times he’d laid with you.

He smiled at you kindly when you pulled away to look at him with satisfied eyes.

“Good, dollface?” He laughed loudly as you melted into him and pressed kisses over every bit of him that you could.

“I knew you’d be wonderful at this.” You looked at him.

There was that coquettish look again, your eyelashes batting as you slid off his lap to kneel on the floor between his open legs.

Any question of what you were doing didn’t need to be asked when you opened his pants and wrapped your hand around his hard cock to free it, stroking it.

He would have been perfectly satisfied with that, but you went the extra mile and wrapped those pretty lips around the tip of his cock.

You were drooling around him on purpose as you took him further into your mouth and he grabbed onto your hair tightly, moaning.

“You’re a good gal, you know that? Kinda bird I’d take down the fucking aisle…”

You looked up at him with teasing eyes that only turned him on all the more and he thrust into your mouth.

“I’m gonna take you back home with me tonight and I’m going to lick your cunt until you can’t come on my face anymore, okay? Would you like that?”

As if you couldn’t be any more of a dish to him, you moaned around him.

The vibrations made his hips jump, gripping tighter to your curls in pleasure as he let his head fall to the back of the couch and watched you.

“I’m not going to be able to get enough of you, am I? I’m goofy for you. I’m a fuckin’ goof.”

Your gaze softened at the admission that he was your sweetheart, that his emotions for you ran deeper than simply teasing interactions with a random woman in a speakeasy.

You sucked a little harder on him, gagging on him slightly when he pushed his hips forward again.

That was enough to send him toppling halfway over the edge, giving a deep cry as he looked down at you almost with desperation.

“I’m gonna...you...you need to get off or I’m gonna…” You stayed exactly where you were with an encouraging nod and he groaned.

He practically leaped off the metaphorical edge at the mere idea of you being willing to swallow his seed, his hips thrusting only slightly a few times as he came hard into your mouth, praise and words meant for dark clubs falling from his lips.

And you? You swallowed every last drop of him and all he did was fucking whine in absolute pleasure as you slowly slid off his cock.

Once he was down off his high, he grabbed onto your arms and yanked you up messily into his lap, kissing you hard as if your mouth hadn’t been on such a private place.

Your breast was still out of your dress and he tenderly pulled your strap back onto your shoulder as you gazed at him in adoration, snuggling yourself into him. “Did ya mean it?”

His eyes met yours, thumb rubbing the smudged lipstick off your skin that was most definitely on his cock now. “Hm?”

“All those nice things you were sayin’...” Now that you were no longer turned on or focused on his pleasure, you realized how some of the things he said were a bit more committed than others.

“Which ones?” He eyed you a little worriedly, watching you look almost shy as you fixed his pants.

“Taking me home,” you mumbled.

“I meant everything that I said, baby.” A finger moved under your chin to tilt your head up and let you know that he was leaving nothing of what he said out.

It was obvious you were trying to distance yourself from some of it, moving from his lap. “Then what are you waiting for, sap?”

There was something in your nervousness that made him smile, as if his words made you think similarly to him.

“Let’s go, dollface.”

[sheliesshattered]

Interior sleeve finishes:

Done!

Armscye facing:

Done!

Neckline facing and reinforcement for trim and beading:

Done!

Visibility from the outside:

NONE!

Pardon my excitement over finishing these finishings, but I'm just so glad to be done. All of these were fiddly, time-consuming handsewing, but now that they're done, all the interior finishes of the overdress are checked off my list. I still need to do the hem (probably very last step of the whole project), and the handsewing on the underdress seamlines are still ongoing, but this is still a huge section of the project done. Huzzah.

Someone on the Dragon Con discord mentioned the other day how much time cosplayers spend doing teeny tiny hand-stitches that no one else will ever see, because the whole point of them is to be invisible. The dimpling along the sleeve seam is just a little bit visible, even after ironing, but that's mostly down to the thickness of the flat-felled fabric there. But the neckline and armscye finishes are completely invisible, even from close up, which is exactly what I wanted. A lot of effort, but worth it.

With all the finishing (except the hem) done, it's finally finally time to move on to the trim portion of this project! The wide strip of organza to finish the neckline was measured to match the 1.5" trim that will be going along there, and that will have ~200 tiny garnet seed beads sewn on top. The red silk can be a little fragile feeling, so I wanted to be sure that the trim+beading would have plenty of support to grab onto.

Getting that trim placed and seamed together at center front and shoulder seams is going to be another tedious project, but I think getting that -- and the narrow trim that goes over the seamlines -- into place will really bring the dress into focus and make it look a lot more like the screen-used dress. The narrow trim is going to look something like this:

I need to play around with it a bit to figure out placement and technique, but I'm planning to anchor it to the interior vertical seam finishings if possible. It all needs to be handsewn, but the trim is so narrow that I think I'll either be able to do a single line of stitches, or a narrow zig-zag alternating between the sides. This trim is on nine of the ten seams (not center back, for some reason, but eh I'll match the show and skip that one) running from shoulder to floor, so even if the handsewing itself is fast, I've got a lot of ground to cover.

The narrow trim disappears under the wide neckline trim at center front and over the shoulders (a fact I used when drafting the shoulders waaaaay back in January, which is weird to think about now), so I may end up sewing on at least the upper edge of the wide trim before I do the trim for those five seams, just so I can position it correctly in relation to the bottom edge of the wide trim. I think I'll start with one of the underarm seams, though, until I have a good grasp on the technique for couching the narrow trim along the seamlines.

Besides getting started on the trim, this week I also want to keep hacking away at all the seam finishes for the underdress. This past week I was able to finish a stretch of one seam from waist to floor, and start on another one. It's another part of this project that is very slow and tedious work, but it would be even more fiddly if I tried to do it by machine, so I'm just going to keep at it little by little.

The only other thing I might try to tackle this week is sewing the hooks and eyes to the forearm opening of the sleeves. It's not hugely pressing, but I do want to have those in and functioning before I add this same narrow trim to the cuff of the sleeves. I still need to figure out what I want to do for the wide flat circular medallions? beads? trim? that are just above that. I think I might be able to replicate the ones on the show using the narrow trim, but if not I do have a couple of options bookmarked on Etsy.

And speaking of, this last week I also ordered the last piece of jewelry I need, and the bits for making the one thing that I haven't been able to find a good stand-in for also arrived. Jack has promised to help me with that, we just haven't gotten to it yet. I'll definitely post pics once that's done. There are a couple of other little bits -- lacing rings and aglets -- that I need to order for the decorative dragon-claw lacings on the front of the dress, but I my shopping list is definitely getting pretty short.

Not counting today, there are 86 days left until Dragon Con, basically just 12 weeks plus a couple of days for packing and last minute wig fussing and such. And I think I'm well on track to get this project done, including a little matching bag to carry all my con necessities around in.

Buuut I've also sourced all the bits I would need for the other cosplay I'm really excited about, including an alternative for the one piece I want to sew, in case I run out of time to sew it. And then there's the classic-and-comfy cosplay that I've been meaning to tackle for literal decades that would be fun to have for an easy Thursday evening cosplay, and ugh I just want to sew all the things!

OTOH, given that it's 12 weeks until Dragon Con, I'm also trying to get my sleep schedule under control again, and walk earlier (and longer) every morning, to prepare for all the walking that con entails. So I should probably wrap up this post, maybe do a little more handsewing on the underdress before bed, and make myself get some sleep. And hopefully not dream about working on cosplay again tonight, lol.

[mysewingadventures]

What did my ancestors actually wear?

I’ve been into historical fashion for a while now and have also been doing a lot of genealogy research about my own family. So while doing research for my costumes, I see all those beautiful gowns and dresses and can’t help but picture my own ancestors wearing them. But now I know better than that and no - they didn’t actually wear the typical western fashion trends of the past centuries.

While the only info I got about my family was from my Silesian grandma and can’t be sure to speak for everyone of my ancestors reaching back until the 1710s (which is how far my research has got me), but apparently, my grandma’s grandma, my great-great-grandma, only wore traditional Silesian costumes, and they were nothing like what I’ve learned from Fashion History.

This is a very new deep-dive for me, I’ve never ventured my way into more traditional folk costumes and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of info about them historically, but I’ve found some things I’d like to share anyways because while learning and knowing about stereotypical garments of a certain time is great, I find it highly interesting to know about my own culture as well.

The majority of my Polish family was from the Częstochowa/Opole area, and I’ve learned that traditional costumes varied even from one town to another, but I’ve found this beautiful postcard drawn by Maria Orłowska-Garbyś showing the Bytom Costume, which looks very similar to the "standard" or most widely spread Silesian costume, the Rozbark Costume.

I’ve found this same picture being labeled as Bytom and Rozbark so I’m gonna go ahead and guess that they were in fact the same costume or very similar, which makes sense as both cities lie very close to each other. So for the purpose of writing this, I’m going to be using them interchangeably (I’m not 100% sure if they’re the same thing though, so take what I’m saying with a grain of salt.)

The Silesian folk costume consisted of:

The undergarments:

A linen band with hooks in the front was worn on the bust in order to flatten it. I have no idea what this band might’ve looked like as I’ve searched the internet and found no pictures at all but I’m assuming maybe it’s about the size of regency stays? It’s described as belt/band though so I really have no clue.

Next up, a sort of sleeveless linen or silk shift was worn on top of that called lajbik (once again, unfortunately no pictures anywhere). To that, they sometimes sewed (or just wore on top) a bumpad to widen the hips and make the waist look smaller -

This one’s a classic, we know that one. It appears all the time when studying Historical Fashion that I almost feel like I don’t have to explain it.

Anyways, they would also sometimes sew the skirt to the shift or garter belts.

Let’s talk about the shirt, which would usually be a white blouse with puff sleeves and lace trims and would also have a big lace collar.

The skirt would be ankle length, big and pleated, light colors being used for younger women and darker colors for older women. The pockets were hidden within the pleats on either side and in the front, there would be a slit which was hidden by the apron worn on top of the skirt.

The apron now - the most colorful piece from this garment. It would cover the whole entire front of the skirt and being also pleated at the waist it was made in a very similar way. The typical floral pattern was not always printed silk but oftentimes it was painted on by hand, which is so fascinating to me. I knew this was a practice back in the days but to think that they actually sat down and painted every single flower on their apron is really really cool. This apron was worn over the final piece, a corset-like vest in usually either red, navy or black (and I guess green?), depending on the person’s age and what town they were from. I’ve found a Bytom version in blue and a Rozbark version in green so that might be the only difference between the two, I’m still trying to understand. The neckline and straps were made of a thick, decorative tape. Overall, this vest was a very decorative piece and wasn’t always worn, but then again, this list I wrote down features only one way of "styling" the outfit as there were many more alternatives and ways of wearing it, but I thought I’d devote my research to the most known version.

All of this then came together with a big flower crown and a huge ribbon in the back, as well as a (usually) red bead necklace.

Here you can see the Bytom version on the left and the Rozbark version on the right with all of its pieces labeled in Polish.

I’ve tried my best to translate some of the info from the Polish wikipedia site (the article is "Strój rozbarski", for some reason it’s not letting me add the link), so if you wanna know more about it (and know Polish) you can read that, it’s a much more detailed description!

Enjoy some more pictures I found:

The last picture is also a postcard by Maria Orłowska-Garbyś showing the Opole version of this costume. It looks slightly different with the cap instead of flowers and the sleeves are longer, that’s why I’m mentioning it! And the black and white photo, that’s more likely what people looked like on a daily basis, I’m assuming the more decorative pieces were added for special occasions.

On an unrelated side note, I’ve unfortunately had to stop the work on my stays for a while due to some issues but I’m hoping to be able to get back to it soon! (They’re almost done I wanna get them done asap). That’s also why I haven’t posted in so long, I’m sorry!