#well silk and cotton. would like to try linen in the summer.

[thenarrativefoil]

i found the exact same silk quilt i currently have, but it's less worn AND red and IT WAS ONLY $80 im head over heels holy fuck i've been looking for a new one going on three years now.

[greenandhazy]

I just queued up a post about sustainable fabrics and started to write something in the tags before realizing that it was drifting away from the point

but PSA: with the caveat that the most sustainable item of clothing is the one that's already in your closet, I would suggest that if you are someone who struggles with temperature regulation, you should seriously consider adding more linen and wool to your wardrobe. determining the "true" environmental impact of various fibers is v complicated, but for a start they both use significantly less water than conventional cotton, and imo the improvement they've had on my quality of life is well worth the substitution.

linen and wool are by far the best fabrics for temperature regulation--the former is lighter and more breathable than cotton and will keep you cooler in the summer, the latter is breathable but heavier and more insulating and will keep you warmer in the winter, even if it gets wet. (there's actually a saying among people who hike/do winter sports that "cotton kills" because you are more prone to hypothermia in cotton undergarments than in wool.) do not even get me started on linen/wool vs polyester.

this is something that I think is especially important given higher cost of heating lately, higher temperatures due to climate change, and the number of people who have health conditions or medications that make them sensitive to heat. this isn't to say that your clothing/bedding choices will compensate for a livable environment, but as someone who used to wake up 2-3 times a week sweating in synthetic sheets for four months of the year, and shiver in an inadequately heated room for another three, these little swaps can seriously make extreme temperatures a little more bearable.

that being said, wool and linen do tend to be more expensive, so if you're looking to get the most bang for your buck, I would recommend starting with:

linen sheets, even just a fitted sheet (some companies do sell them solo). overheating while sleeping is literally the worst.

linen pants, especially if you work in a job that doesn't allow you to wear shorts. linen shirts are also nice, but even cotton/poly shirts tend to be thinner than pants and might already be short-sleeved/you can roll up the sleeves, so the impact of pants will be more immediate.

a chunky wool sweater. avoid cashmere, and merino unless it has cables--these are very soft, lovely wools, but they're generally pretty light and made more for their softness than their insulation properties. for maximum warmth, you don't want a thin "office sweater," you want a "my Irish gran knit this in her cottage on the windy coast" sweater.

wool socks. these are more likely to keep you dry and warm if you're walking through slush or rain, in addition to just general walking-around-the-house warmth. for these I would say the type of wool matters a little less, generally because you do want socks that are somewhat lightweight so you can wear them in shoes. and just FYI you're also more likely to see wool socks blended with silk, nylon, or spandex for strength and elasticity, so don't drive yourself up the wall trying to find the mythical 100% wool sock. even hobby knitters tend to blend wool with something because of the amount of friction that wears on socks.

again! the most sustainable type of clothing is what you already own. but some of these are the kinds of small swaps you can definitely make over time, and you might find them genuinely helpful.

[abigailsfmp]

Fabric research

After creating my spec, i needed to start looking into different fabrics i can use to my garment as close to the spec as possible.

I already knew the colour scheme which made things slightly easier for me.

The under skirt - White

The panels - Black

The top skirt - Red

The corset - Red

The top - Red

Apart from the colour scheme, i also knew i needed the fabric for the top to be quite think and sturdy so the pin tucks would hold in place. The underskirt needed to be quite light and floaty, and the fabric for the waistband on the top skirt needed to be thicker and sturdier.

Fabric Research

Cotton Drill - Cotton Drill is a mid-weight cotton fabric with a crisp white base. The fabric is strong in construction without being heavy or rigid, making it extremely versatile for range of apparel and interiors applications.

Cotton drill is a really good option for me especially for the top of my garment. Being a stronger lightweight fabric means it would hold really well with the pin tucks but its not heavy or thick enough for it to fall down under its own weight.

Shirtings - Shirting fabric is a soft, plain fabric which is known to be quite easy to sew. It responds well to a variety of sewing techniques and isn't too expensive.

I think this would work nicely for my underskirt because it'll flow nicely and its super light making it easier to move about. The only thing id be worried about with this fabric is if it'll be see through or if it'll be able to hold all the panels because i'm not sure how strong it is as a fabric.

Velvet - Velvet is a type of woven fabric with a dense, even pile that gives it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word velvety means "smooth like velvet". Velvet was typically made from silk but today, velvet can be made from silk, linen, cotton, wool, synthetic fibers, silk-cotton blends, or synthetic-natural fiber blends.

Silk - Silt is known as one of the most luxurious fabrics of all time. Its cool for the summer but warm for the winter. Its a really durable, strong fabric but is lightweight and soft. While this would work perfectly for the underskirt of my garment, Silk is quite expensive so I will be trying to find some other fabric that would work well before buying anything expensive.

Digital Fabrics. (.). Cotton Drill. [Online]. digital fabrics. Available at: https://www.digitalfabrics.com.au/cotton-drill/#:~:text=The%20fabric%20is%20strong%20in,cushions%2C% [Accessed 15 April 2024]

silkbureau. (.). How to sew silk. [Online]. silkbureau. Available at: https://www.silkbureau.co.uk/how-to-sew-silk/#:~:text=Silk%20is%20strong%20but%20delicate,most%20lux [Accessed 15 April 2024]

emma one sock. (.). Shirtings. [Online]. emmaonesock sewing tutorials. Available at: https://www.emmaonesock.com/guides/shirtings.asp#:~:text=Shirting%20fabric%20is%20a%20soft,a%20varie [Accessed 15 April 2024].

[marmota-b]

Further thoughts:

Polyester, nylon etc are plastics. They don't breathe or wick away moisture well. Don't choose them for summer projects, especially not if you're prone to sweating and overheating.

Lighterweight breezy wovens are better in hot weather than skintight knits. Try switching from T-shirts and tank tops to natural fibre blouses / shirts, and thank me later. 😁

Personally, my sensory issues are precisely with the plastics (atopic ecsema, my skin is sensitive to their plastickyness). Usually they don't feel softer to me unless it's actually a plush fabric. Microfibre, rather than just polyester, and even then I'm obliged to be ashamed to say real fur feels better to me. Flipping and feeling through satin or gauzy garments in a thrift shop, I would always inevitably land on the rare actually silk one, or a rayon one. So it's not a universal truth that polyester's better for sensory reasons. Just like a cotton gauze and a cotton canvas are two very different things... fibre content does not tell you everything in this way. "Use fabrics you like" is the one universal truth when it comes to sensory issues! And another very good reason to shop in local shops or thrift shops, if you have access to any.

Also, because they're not good at breathing and wicking away moisture, the plastics are equally not great for really keeping you warm in cold weather, again, especially if you're prone to sweating. Speaking from personal experience here - they just make me warm and sweaty quickly, and then, being sweaty with my sweat trapped against my body, I quickly get cold again instead.

Wool is unbeatable in the cold. It's unfortunately pricey, but blends that are about 75-80% wool are a bit more affordable I think, and should still do the job wool is great at. (I actually have this experience with yarn and a RTW sweater and "pashmina" more than fabric, so, sorry, this is a bit of guesswork. The absolute best pashmina I have - lightweight yet amazingly warm - is one actually made of cashmere and silk, but that one was a gift. 😅)

Linen is unbeatable when it comes to being pleasant in summer. It tends to be rather stiff when new and slowly soften with wear and laundering. You can buy linen blends with viscose/rayon, which are (I think?) more afforable, soft and drapey right from the start, a bit less prone to wrinkling like there's no tomorrow, and still feel great.

I live in metric land. We don't use oz/sqyd, we use g/m2. And we don't shorten it to the weight unit only. For reference, I think quilting / craft cottons are somewhere in the 115-140 g/m2 range. Cotton twill in 160 g/m2 is the lighterweight version used for scrubs; for a more hardwearing version definitely go above c. 240 g/m2. - I'm currently a bit confused by "4 oz denim". 160 g/m2 is 4,7 oz and I wouldn't really call that a denim; plain old 4 oz is c. 135 g/m2, which is in plain old quilting cotton range, and I'd seriously hesitate to call a cotton twill in this weight anything approaching "denim". Having tried the conversions from oz, I'm... honestly baffled as to why it remains in use like this because it's a much larger unit than grams, and therefore must be quite clunky for differentiating between weights. Especially at the lower end, in lighterweight fabrics, I feel like it's all the decimal points that get left off that make all the difference.

Also, the reason silk uses different units may have something to do with the fact different fibres behave differently at the same weight, so it's not always the weight itself that tells you what to expect. Some fibres are "heavier", others are "lighter". Silk is a particularly lightweight fibre, so fabrics with a certain "hand" will be lighter than they would be in, say, cotton.

From all of the above, my personal rule of thumb for online fabric shopping is: rely on e-shops that tell you as many of the technical details as possible (exact fibre content in percentages, weight, preferably also specific weave / fabric type), rather than ones that just wax poetical about the fabric's properties. (The usual suspect is the word "silky", heh. That hides a multitude of sins.) The former know what they're doing, the latter are just trying to sell you something and may not be telling the full truth.

How to choose fabrics for projects (a list of advice and comments)

-Use your project to judge what fabric you want to use!  For instance, if you are making a summer shirt you should use a lighter material that has a texture like sheeting rather than flannel or wool.  If your pattern plans for stuff cut on a bias (sideways across the fabric), take that into account when you choose the fabric! 

-A lot of formal from-store patterns will suggest appropriate fabric types for that pattern.  Consider their advice, but feel free to discard it if you find a fabric you like better that will still work.  (Just make sure that the fabric will work!  You don’t want to end up with the equivalent of a swimsuit made of flannel!)

-Thick (like fleece), heavy (like heavy denim or canvas), very stretchy (like t-shirt jersey), or slippery (like polyester) fabrics are harder to work with.  It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use them, but you might want to get a little experience before you tackle them. 

-Choose fabrics that you can wash, and wash them before you use them!  Hanging to dry in a steamy bathroom will help a lot with wrinkles if you don’t have an iron. 

-Poly-fleece aside, choose fabrics that do NOT have polyester or other synthetics in them, in many cases the polyester is being used as a filler.  For instance, if you are making a shirt, look for your chosen weave (flannel, medium weights, twill ect) as 100% cotton, linen or even hemp. 

Polyester (and acrylic) are awesome materials - they make wrinkles fall out better and make fabrics softer.  And if you have sensory issues, you might decide that you want the blend or something pure polyester!  BUT polyester blends will tend to wear out faster.

(What I am trying to say is: choose the content of your fabric with intention and care.)

-Most fabric thickness is measured in oz/square yard.  2.6 oz/sqyd is the thinnest non-fuzzy fabric considered safe to wear or use in stuff like drapes without adding a fire retardant (thinner fabric is a fire hazard).  Some fabric mixes are considered safe too, you can look up the standards pretty easily if you are worried.  (Just be aware if your life needs to include a light gauze nighty!)

-Heavier fabrics will last longer before the fabric starts to disintegrate.  For instance, a 4 oz denim will be lighter and more flexible, but wear through much faster than a 10 or 12 oz denim.  (10-12 oz is the typical weight for older jeans, 5 oz jersey is a heavy t-shirt, most cotton sheeting is about 4 oz, plush sweatshirt knits can be 14-20 oz.)

-Silk is weird, its measured in “momme” (mm).

-If you can, support locally owned fabric shops!  They tend to have a better quality of fabric and people more knowledgeable if you need to ask questions. 

-Look for deals!  Thrift stores will often have both clothing and bedding you can pick apart and yardage from closed stores and people’s stashes.  Fabric stores will often have remnant piles and stuff (colors and patterns) that are discontinued.  By nature of my job I buy fabric by the bolt in plain white and then dye it - that is always also a possibility, too. 

Most importantly:

CHOOSE FABRIC YOU LIKE - Remember, you have to live with and like your completed project!

[arysstoreger]

Upgrade Your Wardrobe with Arysstore's Designer T-Shirts for Men

If you are tired of wearing the same old boring t-shirts every day, we have a wide selection of stylish and high-quality mens designer t-shirts that will make you stand out in any crowd. Whether you're looking for something casual shirts for men or more formal, Arysstore has it covered. So why settle for ordinary when you can look extraordinary? Check out our collection today and upgrade your wardrobe!

Men's Designer T-Shirts at Arysstore

Mens designer t-shirts are available at Arysstore, one of the leading online retailers. In addition to offering a wide variety of styles, sizes, and colors, Arysstore's t-shirts are also very affordable, which makes them an ideal choice for those who are on a budget. You're sure to upgrade your wardrobe with Arysstore's designer men's t-shirts. They're made with high quality materials and are designed to last.

T-shirts are available at Arysstore

Men can choose from a variety of T-shirts at Arysstore, from casual to dressy:

Our casual T-shirts come in a variety of colors and styles. Casual T-shirts are usually made of cotton or cotton blends and have a relaxed fit.

Our selection of dressy T-shirts is perfect for special occasions or nights out. They are usually made from higher quality materials like silk or linen and have a more fitted fit.

We offer a wide selection of tailored T-shirts in a variety of colors and styles. Tailored T-shirts are made to fit your body perfectly using higher quality materials like wool or cashmere.

Arysstore's designer t-shirts feature the following features

Whether you are looking for a casual t-shirt for the weekend or a dressier option for a night out, Arysstore has a wide selection of designer t-shirts that will upgrade your wardrobe. Our t-shirts are made from high-quality materials and come in a variety of stylish designs.

Our designer t-shirts have the following features:

The materials we use to make our t-shirts are of the highest quality, so you can rest assured that you're getting a well-made item. You'll find a variety of stylish designs to choose from, so you can find the perfect shirt for you. Comfortable: Our t-shirts are designed to provide a comfortable fit, so you'll feel good wearing them all day. Because we believe designer clothing shouldn't break the bank, we keep our prices affordable.

Style ideas for different occasions

Arysstore has a wide selection of designer t-shirts for men that are perfect for any occasion, whether it's a casual shirt for a weekend getaway or a formal shirt for a wedding.

A graphic tee can be worn with jeans and sneakers for a casual look. You can wear this when running errands, grabbing coffee with friends, or going to the gym. To achieve a dressier casual look, pair it with chinos or dark denim and loafers or Chelsea boots. Perfect for dinner dates, bar nights, and concerts.

For a more casual look, ditch the tie and roll up the sleeves. This is perfect for summer weddings and outdoor parties. Our button-down shirts can be paired with dress pants and dress shoes.

Choosing the Right Fit

Choosing the proper T-shirt is key for both style and comfort. To ensure you pick the perfect fit, consult a size chart - each brand varies. Additionally, enlist the help of a friend or salesperson if unsure of what cut would be most flattering on your figure. Remember that T-shirts may not suit every body type so don't be afraid to experiment and try out some new styles! Open yourself up to exploring and you'll soon find the right one!

Men's Apparel Online at Arysstore: Benefits

Buying men's clothing online from Arysstore has many benefits. You can choose from a wide variety of styles and sizes. You can also often find men's clothing online for a better price than you would in a store.

With so many options, you're sure to find the perfect shirt for your personal style when you shop for men's apparel online from Arysstore. With so many options, you'll be sure to find the perfect shirt. Whether you're looking for a casual tee at the weekend or a dressier shirt for work, Arysstore offers shirts in a variety of colors, patterns, and materials.

Men's clothing can be purchased online for many reasons, including finding better deals than you would in a brick-and-mortar store. Since online retailers compete so fiercely, they often offer discounts and coupons, so you can save money and still get high-quality clothing at the same time.

To conclude

Whether you're looking for a classic white t-shirt or a bold statement piece, Arysstore has designer t-shirts for men that will upgrade your wardrobe and give you confidence when you wear them. There is something for everyone at Arysstore, since there are so many styles, colors, and sizes available.

[sterlingcapricio]

FALL 2022 NEWEST TRENDS

 

Welcome to the world of fashion for Fall 2022! We've rounded up all the latest trends for all the fashionistas so you can stay on top of your style game.

  Women's Fall 2022 TRENDS

There's no denying that pink is the new black. If you're looking to update your wardrobe this season, don't let a fickle fling with nuetrals bring you down! The latest trends in colors are all about combinations that surprise—so if you've never worn orange before (or even if you have), now's the time to try it out! Floral patterns are making way for checks and polka dots as well; these prints are still very feminine but with a little more edge than their predecessors. And finally, boho style has been replaced by cool sport wear: think tights, leggings and sneakers paired with graphic tees or oversized sweatshirts.

If you're wondering what the future holds for color trends, it's all about wearable neutrals like black and white. Other than these essentials, we can't wait to see what designers have in store for us next season!

COLORS:

  COLOR TREND 1. PINK

Pink is the new black.

Pink is a feminine color that expresses confidence, sweetness and style. Pink can be used to make you look glamorous and yes more stylish. It has been proven that pink makes everything look better, from your living room to your wardrobe!

  COLOR TREND 2. ORANGE

Orange is also the new black.

Orange is a bright sensual color that will make your outfit standout in any crowd, and it's great for fall and winter. Orange looks amazing with brown, grey and navy.

PRINTS:

  PRINT TREND 1. FLORAL

Floral prints are a classic prints that never go out of style, and they're a great way to add color to your wardrobe. Floral prints can be used in many different ways: dresses, blouses, skirts, pants and tops. Floral prints are a great way to express your personality or add some fun to your wardrobe.

  PRINT TREND 2. CHECKS

Checks add some fun and personality to your wardrobe, without getting too crazy. Checkered patterns have been around since the ancient Romans, who wore them on their tunics and robes. They were popular in the Middle Ages, with knights sporting checks on their armor and cloaks.

Checks can be either square or rectangular, but they're always small rectangles (usually one inch by one inch).

STYLES:

   STYLE TREND 2. COOL SPORT WEAR

Cool Sport Wear is the most popular style trend this fall. The use of breathable fabrics, moisture wicking properties, and UV protection allows for great comfort and ease during all your activities.

Breathable Fabrics

Moisture Wicking Properties (Moisture Moving)

UV Protection

  STYLE TREND 3. '70s AND '80s INSPIRATION

In the 70s and 80s, fashion was a mix of punk, rock, disco and new wave. It was about being original and mixing high and low fashion. You could wear something that you bought at the local thrift store with a garment straight from Paris or Milan. If you're into this style, you'll probably love these trends:

Retro but modern: The major difference between retro and vintage is that retro is more modern than vintage. For example, if you dressed in '70s style for Halloween last year but it's not your thing anymore now, then don't worry! You can still use some of those clothes to dress up for Fall 2022 parties by simply giving them some updates like changing styles of shoes or adding jewelry pieces to make them look more contemporary instead of old fashioned (if that's what makes sense).

Mixed materials: Mixing prints together is one way to achieve this look but another very easy way would be combining different types of fabric together such as denim with silk chiffon or leather with velvet or linen mix together cotton prints/linen with wool blends etcetera...etcetera...and so on!

The Fall 2022 collections have autumn release dates, but many of them are featured looks that could easily wind up in any sunny spring or summer offering. There are so many different styles to choose from, but it’s important to find a look that suits your own personality. If you love something and can imagine yourself wearing it frequently, then go for it!

There are slinky dresses, party sequins and disco dancing essentials. The most "fall" thing about the runways is the sheer dominance of options. Sure, there are shearling and suede nods to chilly weather elegance, but it's the playful embellishments — the bows, the crystals, the paillettes — and the vibrant colors that were the sweet takeaways from Fall 2022 style this season. 

Photo by @Tanya Shulga & @ Rach Teo

[thewinedark]

Unique Dark Academia Fashion Ideas

By now I think we all know that silk shirts, oxfords, and old blazers are staples of Dark Academia fashion. Here are some ideas for fitting your wardrobe to the aesthetic that I haven’t seen a lot of. 

Tops

Silk button downs are great, but if you want something perhaps less fancy and simple, here are some ideas:

Cardigans. Specifically, tighter button down cardigans. While they are very similar to silk shirts, they aren’t quite as eye catching, and usually not as bright. I have a cream silk blend cardigan that I’ve been wearing under blazers instead of silk; it’s warmer, for one, and doesn’t make me feel so pretentious when my classmates are all in sweatpants.

Cotton. Especially for warmer months, a good cotton shirt looks great tucked in a pair of high waisted shorts or trousers. I would suggest one with buttons as an accent, to avoid it being too plain. You can also roll up the sleeves for peak “disgruntled professor/lawyer” look. 

Sweaters. I don’t just mean a black turtleneck here. Turtlenecks are of course great for winter and fall, but other sweaters are great also. I especially would suggest sweaters with interesting weaves or embroidery, as without the turtleneck they often need a little something extra to dress it up. There’s also the classic look of putting a button down underneath and pulling the collar out. For colors, jewel tones are always best in my opinion: deep reds, emerald greens, midnight blues. But you know yourself best, and if your hair looks great with cream, or light blue makes your eyes pop, go for it. Be sure to tuck over sized sweaters into your bottoms to avoid losing your figure. 

Bottoms

Bottoms are a little easier, as they’re usually not the statement piece of an outfit, especially in dark academia. Still, high waisted, pleated, 100% linen trousers are hard to find in thrift stores, so here’s some alternatives: 

Black jeans. Personally, I avoid low waisted pants like the plague. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find high waisted suit pants in thrift stores, especially ones with the tighter fit that I prefer. Often, I go for my pair of good quality, 100% cotton, extremely high waisted black skinny jeans instead. Avoid jeans with rips or that aren’t a uniform color. I definitely would suggest black if you’re going to wear jeans, though that may be my inherent dislike of blue jeans talking. 

High waisted pants of any kind. When it comes to tucking shirts in bottoms, you want a high waist. I can tuck the bulkiest of sweaters easily into my jeans, because they are high waisted and made of a thick material. Thin, flimsy material is hard to hide the lines of your tops in, and lower waisted pants often can’t hold the hem long before the top gets untucked. 

Skirts. I prefer more masculine clothing, but I do have quite a few skirts that I wear on occasion. And good lord, if they aren’t the most comfortable pieces of clothing I own. Specifically, long flowing skirts made out of 100% silk, cotton, or wool. Wool is great for winter months, and adds an extra layer of protection from the cold. Cotton and silk is best for the hot summer time, and if you’re having trouble with staying in dark academia fashion when you’re sweating out of your fingernails, consider skirts. A long skirt can dress up something like a t-shirt if you do it right. Sandals, a long breathable skirt, and a tied up or tucked in shirt is a great go-to when the sun is sucking away your soul. 

Shoes

I still don’t own a pair of oxfords. 

Boots. I’m a boot person. For dark academia, I would avoid taller boots; ankle boots or calf-length boots are the way to go. Go for leather, and tighter fits. A great way to pull your outfit together is to match your shoes and your belt or bag, and well as the hardware. If your belt is black with a silver buckle, go with black boots with silver accents. Try to avoid mixing metals (silver with bronze, etc.) if at all possible.

Ballet shoes. I don’t own any, but personally I think they’d be a great alternative to simple flats; especially if you lace the silk ribbons up your shins a bit. These are definitely best for summer months though, I would not recommend during the winter.

Accessories

A single accessory can completely change your outfit and aesthetic. Personally, some of my most used clothing pieces are not what you’d call dark academia. My go-to jacket is a bomber jacket with patches, and my usual boots are heavy Harley Davidson biker boots with metal caps. Here are some accessories that can turn your everyday outfit to something more dark academia-esque. 

Suspenders. I would recommend suspenders for everyone honestly. I was having trouble with a pair of trousers, because I needed to keep them high on my waist and tight to tuck in my shirt, but they had no belt loops. Suddenly I realized someone had solved the issue centuries ago, and used my suspenders. It worked perfectly, and also added a whole new level of dark academia to my outfit. I like using them in a subtle way though: under a jacket or blazer usually, that I might take off if it gets hot and just so happen to show off the suspenders underneath. Or, never even take the jacket off and just let people get subtle looks at them. Drawing attention to suspenders makes me feel like a douche for some reason; maybe it’s the images of fedora tipping that flood in. 

Satchel or book bag. I know this one is a staple, but listen. Buying leather satchel changed everything for my look. I might have a bomber jacket, skinny jeans, and biker boots but a satchel thrown over one shoulder shifts everything about my appearance. If you are able to buy one new, Amazon has some great options under $100 dollars. If not, keep your eye out whenever you go to the thrift store.

Hair accessories. Try silk ribbons. Pull your hair back with them, braid them into your hair, or use them as headbands. Learn how to braid metal cuffs into your hair if you’re up for a challenge.

Scarves. Scarves are such an easy way to dress up an outfit, as well as keep you warm. I would suggest long, silk scarves that have enough width that you can style it around your head/hair, which I think is a great look that also keeps your ears warm. Jewel tones are definitely suggested here, especially if you’re wearing all black it’s a great statement. 

Jewelry. If you’re religious, I would highly suggest jewelry with some sort of religious symbolism. Religious imagery is something I defiantly associate with dark academia. If you have any jewelry pieces that were passed down to you, try them. I like rings a lot, but for my right hand I cover all my finger with heavy steel rings that cover my knuckles (for punching purposes). On my left hand, I have rings from my family. I would again suggest not mixing metals, though it can look eclectic if that’s a look you like. 

That’s all I could think of at this moment, but feel free to add your own or message me!  Go forth and dress to make yourself confident, whatever that may look like. 

[onedivinemisfit]

During my recovery, this has been my biggest project, no kidding. I looked but couldn’t find Obi’s witcher!AU body template so I sketched some Bruxa!yuki designs instead. <w< I’ll finalize and colour them when I’m well, or so I hope, unless I forget XD

Pls forgive any mistakes I’m not 100% yet. ^^; 

Explanations below the cut~

AnS (c) Akizuki Sorata Witcher (c) Andrzej Sapkowski TW3 models (c) CDPR Art: Me

Disclaimer: I am not a tailor and as such all my opinions are based on preference and evt pushing rules in my favour XD

The main idea with her wardrobe was to underline that whatever she’s doing, Shirayuki is feminine, and wants to present feminine, hence the skirts and ribbons and embroidery. She’s also a person fond of utility, so belts, pockets, and layers that can be added or removed as she fancied, was also an important facet to add. But she’s also bruxae, monster species, so she’s got a few blind spots, so to speak, regarding what is and isn’t proper to wear in human society. But most of all, her clothes make it easy for her to use her bruxa powers to move around swiftly, silently, and with purpose

Around half of these were referenced from the witcher 3 game, with me picking my favourite garb, and what made more sense for her in different situations. 

1. Huntress Outfit - this one I made myself, using only some of the basic wardrobe notes from tw3. I’ve a softness for overdresses/kaftans with splits, especially if they’re combined with tights/buckskins. Shirayuki is a poor bruxa living in the woods outside a small human settlement, so she doesn’t have access to a tailor other than on market day, or when peddlers arrive, hence she often has to redesign old/too-small clothing for new purposes. Another point was to reinforce her sleeves, to make it easier to brush away branches and undergrowth, and adding the Skelligan waist shawl, a gift from her half-sister, as recurring themes.

2. Winter Outfit - another I made myself, because I was dying to design something that included a sheepskin jerkin. The waist shawl helps redefine the jerkin and give it a feminine twist, and the wrapped sleeves both reduce noise and keeps her cuffs from leaking precious warmth. The wool tunic could have been a dress, but I wanted to focus on showing off her fur-tucked winter boots and knitted long socks. Shirayuki probably knitted them herself.

3. High Summer Outfit - another self-made design. Made so as to underline her non-humanness, borrowing heavily from witcher elven aesthetics, with lots of exposed skin, crossed fabric, and asymmetrical cuts. This is what she wears when the weather *won’t* allow you to dress decently or you get purged by the sun, basically. Again, since Shirayuki’s often short of fabric, a lot of refashioning going on. 

4. Commoner Outfit - A very basic woman’s dress, very presentable, very respectable, especially since Shirayuki is trying to sell the lie that she’s a normal human woman. It’s her go-to outfit for visiting human settlements, or for performing simple chores around the house, such as cooking, sewing, or spinning. Things that keep her in or around her homestead, and not gallivanting in the woods at midnight looking for prey.

5. Relaxing Outfit - merely a dusty day dress pulled over her nightgown, for those chilly nights where Shirayuki doesn’t want to undress for bed until she’s halfway under the covers. When the chores are done and all that’s left to do is sip a cup of blood, read a book beside the hearth and wait for Ryuu to return from his late night wandering, she likes to shed all those layers and relax.

6. Throw-together Outfit - referenced from the game, almost entirely (Keira Metz’ witch model) - save the shoes and headband. After the loss of her home and her more presentable clothing thanks to witcher Obi (who will later admit that yes he does in fact owe her a new dress... and blouse... and apron...) this outfit was assembled through raiding an abandoned witch’s hut. Anything that could suffice as clothing, basically, even the old curtains. Shirayuki doesn’t personally care that some of her *assets* are pretty much on display, but she would like some linen anyway, the cotton does chafe a bit. Aside from the pearl necklace, nothing she’s wearing actually belonged to her in the first place.

7. Formal Commoner Outfit - reffed from the game, (Keira Metz’ second model) the shoes being the sole exception. A dress for special occassions, perhaps May Day, Equinox celebrations, etc. Not that Shirayuki often dared participate in such events, due to the amount of people who show up even in small villages to throw tankards together and dance around bonfires. But she does pilfer the dress from the abandoned witch’s hut anyway, thinking maybe, afterall, since it’s so pretty and it had matching sleeves to go with it... keeping it wasn’t such a dumb idea. 

8. Pants Outfit - reffed from the game (juggler npc) A cross between a traveler and a city dweller, a light-weight yet very elegant outfit for strolling in the human cities. The top is presentable enough that she doesn’t look poor as a pauper, while the pants give the impression of someone on the move, a stranger. It also provides the most comfortable riding experience, the few times she does ride, as she has no need for a lady’s saddle.

9. High-Class Outfit - reffed from the game/one of my favourite tw3 modders, (New Sorceress models by Roksa) I only added the shoes and circlet. When Zen has the dress made for her, it is by FAR the most expensive thing she’s ever worn. Not a single thread of the dress isn’t well-made, the dyes are the brightest and most even-coloured, and the silk is light as a touch on her skin. While the dress itself is a demure, feminine dream, what sets the ensemble apart are the dark cat’s eye gems, just hinting at Shirayuki’s darker secrets. They’re set in gold, for obvious, unspoken reasons, as she reacts to silver much like being set on fire...

10. Evening Outfit - reffed from the game, I just changed the necklace (Ida Eméan’s Gwent card art) another very expensive dress, but surprisingly one that Shirayuki tolerates better. No stiff, itchy velvet, no heavy damask, just sheer silk with gold thread (again for reasons obvious to a bruxa) some simple sleeves, and a chain of stones, no gilded jewellry that could empty a bank vault if sold to the right people. She probably takes a fancy to this dress while attempting to woo a certain witcher, which explains the understated beauty, the most daring of cuts, one that screams “look at me, only me” and the simple-at-a-glance design. Much like Shirayuki herself.

11. Skellige Outfit - inspired by the viking-esque game design for Skellige fashion, this dress is for when Shirayuki and her family stay in the Isles, following her sister’s suggestion. A dress that signifies the matron head of a household with its pewter clasps and apron, follows Skellige fashion demanding you wear a shawl with your clan colors (Shirayuki, although clan-less, was given one by Torou) and layers. And armguards. And a split overdress. To show that this is Shirayuki’s choice wear afterall. 

[halallifemagazine]

Top modest fashion trends you need to know about

Modest fashion video today I'm sharing 2021's top trends that are modest friendly that I have been wearing and loving for the last little while now I have been loving wearing possibly overkilling is oversized blazers and oversized suits now the silhouette we've been teased with it over the years but it is really back with a force and it is here to stay now this is of course classic and super super versatile because as we know now blazers can be dressed up or down I love pairing them with jeans.

I also love wearing it belted over a maxi skirt my favorite thing to actually do is to thrift vintage oversized blazers so you don't have to go into you know an expensive retailer and you can get really great ones for energy on that note the next fashion dream that you're going to want to try out and is super modest friendly is sustainability and classics of course never date sustainability is super important for our planet and vintage I don't know about you guys but I have been a vintage thrifting gal for as long as I can remember.

So an example of vintage and classics coming together is I recently bought this oversized um  white shirt it's actually a men's shirt and I wear it with absolutely everything I love it with jeans I love it with maxi skirts I even throw it over dresses and tie it maybe in the waist just to give my look a bit of extra dimension to give it more of an hourglass silhouette or just to make things a little bit more layered and interesting more and more brands consumers all of us we are realizing the importance of caring for our planet and so sustainability is key so whether you shop from locally ethically produced brands whether you shop vintage whether you do a clothing swap with your friends.

If you are shopping sustainably you are on the right track and of course back in the day a lot of clothing was a lot more modest friendly so you are more likely to find all the pieces that cover up a whole lot better a couple of months ago  I actually posted a video on what to look out for when you go thrifting so be sure to check that video out all of those items are also modest friendly and you can find them quite often in your favorite thrift store then the next trend is baby doll dresses and with that goes puffy sleeves I'm actually wearing kind of puffy sleeves today.

The Muslim clothing trends have always proved that fashion isn't all about showing off your body. The modest clothing lines promote the very fact that revealing the body isn't elegance, rather covering it up gracefully is. Modest fashion statements remind us that keeping your body a mystery may be a better thanks to carry yourself a la mode while keeping others puzzled. this is often the rationale why gowns and Abaya dresses are being so loved lately .

Hijab adds a way of completeness to each attire you wear. it's the most focus of an amazingly modest look. so as to impeccably define your style statement, you would like to settle on the right Hijab. the proper Hijab will cause you to look bold and delightful . you'll buy the simplest Hijabs from online stores that sell modest clothing.

Gone are the times when people searched for revealing tops and slimly cut dresses with short sleeves. the newest modest fashion trends have given a U-turn to those trends. lately , layered skirts and gowns with frilled and fluffy long sleeves are like ‘talk of the town’. Look gorgeously unique in elegant layered modest attires.

For what looks like an eternity, we’ve been expecting Summer 2021, and it appears that our patience has finally paid off! Summer has here, the skies have cleared, the sun is warming our skin softly, and most importantly , people are smiling again. we've to simply accept that we've all had some difficult times, but the summer will wash all of that away. Of course, as modest fashion devotees, we would like modest fashion to be present in our lives in the least times. This one is for you if you’re seeking for a few modest fashion ideas for summer evenings. Continue reading to find out about the most well liked evening dresses for Summer 2021.

ten ways to be modest and summer it's actually a misconception nowadays you have to look modest because you follow a certain religion it has a lot of other connotations but most importantly you do you t ese tips are for people who want to cover up a little bit in summer they don't necessarily like to show much skin it could be for religious purposes it could be because you don't want to affect your skin from the Sun being so exposed to the Sun you could be doing this for various reasons let's thank the who actually recommended and wanted to see this video and let's get started picking the right materials that goes for both seasons but natural fibers are always the better choice things like cotton linen and silk.

They are breathable and that's so much needed in summer when you wear materials like elastin and polyester usually they're cheaper because of there is a reason they have plastic in them which is bad for the environment as a one side but at the same time they're bad because they clog your skin and they make the sweat that your body produces smell bad that's why sometimes you would buy this chiffon like material from I don't know Primark and then you will wear the top and then you would smell yourself and you would smell that that just smells wrong and it's not because you're wearing not wearing deodorant it's because this material just makes you smell bad and hat's because it's not a natural fiber.

[jeongi]

fermata | myg (m)

↣ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 | composer!yoongi x pianist!reader

↣ 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 | 5.8k

↣ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞 | pianist au. smut. fluff. pwp.

↣ 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐱 | explicit language and sexual content. oral sex (f receiving), fingering, multiple orgasms, unprotected mirror sex (wrap ya dongs), choking, light dirty talk, marking, very soft soft soft yoongi.

↣ 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 | fer·ma·ta: from fermare, it means to stay or to stop. min yoongi teaches you exactly how to let go.

↣ 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | fermata

The audience is silent.

A soft gasp lingers throughout the auditorium air as the rumble of Paul de Senneville radiates underneath your fingertips. Your eyes are closed, hands memorized to the touch of each key, each note. 

It’s fascinating to see, at least it is to Min Yoongi. 

He watches from the row of seats just in front of the stage, awaiting his turn to perform next. His forefinger is pressed to his pout, his thumb resting just under his chin as his coal eyes sharpen towards your hands, breathing in every movement. He could name precisely each note you play, his tongue spelling them behind his teeth.  

Crescendo. Alla breve. Fermata.

Your body sways, fingers purposefully twiddling the keys as you hold the major chord. Hold, you tell yourself. You’ve practised this a million times and you’ll practice a million more when this performance is over. You are fully immersed with the song, the piano a second part of you as the last of Mariage D’amour comes close to reaching its final bar. Although Yoongi has seen you perform more times than he’s seen his own family, you’ve never once wavered his amazement. He remembers when he first saw your knack at the piano at four years old. And now you two were in university, too much of strangers on campus to have known each other your entire lives. He’s watched you grow, watched the way you’ve evolved from Big Ben to Liszt, La Campanella. Yet, you’ve never uttered more than five sentences to him.

You were meant to be rivals since childhood, forced into competitions that never seemed to simmer. However, you went on to become a piano prodigy, your fingers effortlessly gliding through the likes of Tchaikovsky and Chopin while Yoongi had become one of his own, of sorts— in composing. He could never really play anything exceptionally unless he had written the pieces himself. He’d almost say he was envious of you, seeing you so earnest with your love of classical piano and their composers. Even days he’d catch a glimpse of you not glued to a piano, you’d be reading about it. A true marvel you were to him. One thing Yoongi was sure of, no matter how many of these boring shows he’d have to sit through, your presence has always made them bearable. He’s never grown tired of watching you play. And when had you gotten so beautiful? He supposes you always have been.

As the vibrato of your last key echoes throughout the hall, there’s a beat of a pause. You twist your head to look out towards the sea of heads, shadowed away from the stage lights.  Resting your fingers atop your skirt, the crowd howls- a symphony of its own showering you with applause and whistles. You stand from the leather seat, smoothing out the pleats within the skirt of your black gown as you bow. The crowd cheers louder. You shift your body towards Soojin, your teacher and mentor since you were just three years old. She grins at you, a thousand-watt smile and palms relentless in their clapping as you bow to her in homage.

When you turn once again to the audience, your gaze is caught by the ones of dark feline eyes. Min Yoongi is clapping too, a quirk to his pink lips as he nods towards you in acknowledgment. You bow again, this time discreet and only to him. Your eyes gleam, twinkle against the stage lights when he returns a gummy smile.

As the announcer’s voice booms through the mic, you usher off the stage. The clack of your heels trace against the laminated stage floors as you walk towards the back door. Backstage, you are met with more squeals of delight. Your friend, Reina welcoming you with a dutiful squeeze of a hug.

“You were amazing!” She praises, fingers intertwining with yours after she pulls away from the embrace. “I mean— you’re always incredible but that one was just-”

“He sat front row.” You feel rose dust the apples of your cheeks from your statement, your teeth capturing your bottom lip as you coyly drop your head to your feet.

Reina staggers in her words. “He?”

“Min Yoongi,” you quip, lifting your head up when the announcer simultaneously says his name. You can see from the monitor backstage, Yoongi’s mop of icy white hair shifting as he situates himself on the stool you were just seated on. Surely, you’ve warmed it up for him, you muse. You’re tempted to join the crowd, to see the breadth of his talent in his composed pieces. That’s all Yoongi plays at these shows nowadays anyway. His own work is exquisite, like the scent of fresh linens or a bed of freshly fallen snow. Oh, how you would kill to play one of his own compositions.

Yoongi takes a moment’s pause, foot finding the pedal, arms adjusting the seat comfortably as the audience once again quiets with his arrival on stage. He starts without warning, the knead in his arms gliding over the keys in absolute sureness. His fingers are deft, light on the keys as he plays each chord lovingly, as if he were making love to the piano itself. You watch in awe from backstage, the pale blue dress shirt he’s wearing moving with every motion of his torso. His eyes are focused on the keys, the jerk in his body on beat with the pedal that rests underneath the sole of his dress shoe. He is far too beautiful.

“_____!” You hear from behind you and you are ripped away from the television screen. Soojin wears a beam, her perfectly white teeth displayed against the thin wrinkles that have formed on her face. She has gotten much old. “Dear, that was marvellous.” She graces her knuckle against the clouds of your cheek, her eyes crescents as she pulls you into a hug.

Resting her chin on your shoulder, she whispers carefully. “A little birdie told me Min Yoongi has a composition ready for you to perform at the Red Glove.” You freeze.

You pull away from her, eyes wide in shock as you’re met with an even broader smile. The Red Glove is an annual concert, exclusive to only invited guests and performers. It’s only broadcasted to the riches, a night of the finest champagne and wealthy attire. Only the most prestigious of artists get to perform and amongst them, you’ve been invited for the first time in your life.

“Min Yoongi?” You repeat, his name getting caught in your windpipe. You cough down the choke, clearing your throat afterwards before trying to speak again. “H-he wants me to play his song?”

Soojin’s smile never falters, the greys of her hair shimmering underneath the glow of the backstage ceiling lights. “Exclusively you.” You don’t know why you frown but you do.

“Why me?” Soojin’s thumb comes up to your forehead, smoothing out the creases as her perfect ringlets shake, she nods in glee.

“There’s no time for self-doubt, dear. His music is breathtaking and he’s chosen you to illustrate it.” She moves her hand to rest on your shoulder. “You’ve known each other your whole lives, this will look great for the tabloids as well.” You should have known part of the reason would be for show. That is how the Red Glove harbours acclaim after all. You and Yoongi have been depicted as enemies for years but little did they know the small crush you’ve harvested within those years. Perhaps it had started when he would refuse to play anything but his own composition, each piece unique to only him. You had fallen in love with every song.

Enemies to partners, you can already visualize the headlines in your head. Perhaps that’s the sole reason he wants you to play his song.

“No, no, it says to play with a rubato, you’re too stiff with it.” You tuck your fingers into your palms, making fists of mild frustration over the piano keys. Min Yoongi is leaned against the curve of the grand piano, his hands rested against the rim. He watches you carefully, eyes lidded and concentrated on your slumped figure. It’s not like you to get irritated like this but Yoongi has made you play this part over thirty times now- you know this because you’ve been counting. However, you’ve lost track of how many times he’s called your playing ‘stiff’. The small crush you had harboured over the years is beginning to wilt at the touch of his blunt tongue. He sighs and nods at your seat, a silent request to move over. You do as told.

“See here?” His tongue clings around his teeth in an adorable lisp and you find yourself leaning into him as he speaks. It takes away from the natural baritone that is his voice. Yoongi sounds like the finest of Egyptian silk, low and smooth, caressing every inch of your skin with a gentle thrum. You wonder how you’ve gone all these years without ever hearing it properly. He nods to himself, sucking in breaths through his teeth with each pause of his words.

When he points at the sheet of music stood on the rack, you’re seemingly too distracted to look. Distracted by him, observing how he talks in pouts and overly animated hand gestures- though, he touches his lips a lot right after, as if he’s overstepped boundaries by saying too much of what he’s feeling.

You watch the way he plays with his bottom lip with his second and third digit, then marvelling at the veins that run down his hands. You can smell the strawberry flavoured bubblegum on his breathe, mixed with the faintest scent of his musky cologne as he shifts to rest his hands on the keys.

The cotton-clothed shoulder of Yoongi’s left side presses against yours when he begins playing, and you feel every muscle within his arm flex and release as he plays his version. You think if this were your thirteen-year-old self, you’d be melting around his fingers like ice cream on a warm summer’s afternoon. Your younger self would squeal and dance around in her room, a toothy grin plastered on her face over the thought of Min Yoongi so flushed against you. Something tells you that it’d be no different than your current self now.

As Yoongi plays, the melody pours through the soundboard of the piano, ringing against the walls of the practice room. He talks in between breaks and you ogle blatantly, taking in the whole of him to the greatest of your capabilities. But when his words come to its end, you realize you hadn’t heard a single word he’d been saying.

“You’re doing great, I promise. You’re just a little…”

“Stiff,” you finish for him, fingertips raking over the tops of your thighs before you’re trailing up to the keyboard. Yoongi observes this motion carefully, midnight eyes focused on you once again. “I’ll have you know, I’ve won gold every competition I’ve played in,” you boast pridefully as you hold down a chord. You play the bar of notes you seemingly keep ‘messing up’, however; you’d argue that you aren’t messing up at all. You’ve played Yoongi’s composition perfectly for the last hour now.

“I know.” It’s as if Yoongi reads into you like an open book, his words grazing against you, akin to the beginning nips of autumn air. “You win because you play pieces exactly how they’re written.” You gulp when you feel his hand hover above yours. It’s when he encases it with his own that your gulp morphs into a hick within your throat. “But when’s the last time you let go, _____?”

Your head twists to the silver-haired boy, your eyes wide when you come to realize just how close he’s gotten.

“L-let go?” Usually so sure of yourself, the stutter in your words gives away just how wavered you’ve become. Yoongi’s gaze flicker to your lips and back to your eyes before he’s dabbing his bottom lip with his tongue. You mimic his motion, except you linger a beat too long on his pout and startle yourself when your fingers press down on the piano keys, playing a hellish symphony of stray notes. You jolt, swiftly moving your fingers to your lap as your head drops along with it. You feel a powder of blush flush over your cheeks and the soft eyes of Yoongi melt into a series of chuckles. When you look towards him once again, his shoulders are shaking, eyes squinted and a boyish gummy smile to accompany it.

You can’t help but giggle yourself, shaking your head out of whatever daze Min Yoongi has summoned within your mind. Although he does have pretty lips…

“Let this be your first lesson,” he points towards the sheet of music on the rack. “Play my composition in E minor.” You scoff, baffled by his request.

“Yoongi, that’ll sound horrible—”

“So what? Let go, _____.” When you meet his midnight gaze, they’re filled with a fruitful challenge. A glint of mirth twinkles somewhere amongst the utter darkness that swirls in his pupils. If he seeks a challenge, a challenge must come his way.

You straighten your spine, your hands in a practiced routine as they find purchase against the keys. You look towards the sheet of music, confident by now that you won’t even have to look at it from the amount of times that you’ve played today. Yoongi inquires you eagerly, poking the inside of his cheek with a swipe of his tongue.

You play the abomination as if it’s Beethoven’s sonatas, a charred mixture of tones ringing through your bones hard enough that you have to grit your teeth. It’s unbearable, something so disastrously played, you wonder how you’ve managed to pull it off. You don’t make it through the entire song, losing your way as the crash of your fingers frustratedly slam against the keys.

“I told you it’d sound horrible! I don’t understand how playing such a musical malfeasance will teach me how to let go, Yoongi.” You use quotations around the words “let go” because what was even meant by that phrase? You’ve let go plenty, he didn’t know you. Yoongi, on the other hand is focused on something else. It’s the first he’s heard his name roll off your tongue and it only stirs something deeper within him, edging him to wonder how it’d sound if you’d said it differently. Perhaps pinned underneath him and writhing in pure bliss.

“Is there something else you had in mind?” He questions and you hate that it’s a valid one.

I don’t know, maybe if you kissed me.

A silence engulfs the room in a thick blanket, and not the kind that’s been handmade by your grandmother from the finest of wool, no, this one is made from hay and porcupine quills.

You hadn’t just thought of this desire, you had uttered them out loud. Min Yoongi now knows you want him to kiss you.

Panic-stricken, you turn to look at him wide-eyed, ready to let the river of apologies splutter out of you as if you’re on stage during a poetry slam. But before the words can even come out, you catch a glimpse of a smile on Yoongi’s face. Lips quirked up to one side, his night-filled eyes are much too comforting for a time of such chagrin. He sucks air through his teeth and cocks his head to one side, his icy blonde bangs following suit to the movement.

“Is that so?” Oh god. You want to say out loud, making sure you don’t actually say it out loud. Yoongi’s gaze is far too kind, too warm as his smirk cracks slightly to show his teeth. He smiles, amused by your flustered presence and carefully chooses his next words. “I can’t deny that.” You pull yourself from the blaring siren in your head, all systems pausing as you match his friendly gaze. Is he serious?

“Very.” You’d spoken out loud again. You try squeezing your eyes shut, hoping maybe if you pretended to not see him, he would actually go away but then you feel it. His hand gently places itself over your own and a jolt of tingles dances through your veins. A simple touch as this should not make you feel so bothered but from Min Yoongi, you’re ready to drop to your knees already.

When you open your eyes again, hand crusted with his own, your gaze sharpens once again along the veins that run up the back of hand. His fingers are so long, ridged and slender. A very distinct feeling bubbles in your chest, floating down to an untouched temple you have not stepped foot in for weeks. Or had it been months?

Yoongi squeezes your hand with his own and you’re ripped away from lewd thoughts, attention focusing back onto his face. If Yoongi wanted you to let go, then you would.

You grasp courage, turning in your seat upon the stool until you’re straddling it. It’s an inner push that leans you forward until your lips are timidly pressed against his. As surprised as Yoongi is that you’ve kissed him first, a pang of slight disappointment hits him that you’ve beaten him in his own plans to do it first. Perhaps the competitive streak between the two of you had never quite simmered. He kisses you back, wholeheartedly, a thrum of flurries bubbling in his chest that he hadn’t quite expected to be there.

Yoongi’s lips are just as soft as you’d imagined them to be. Albeit they’re slightly chapped and coated in a thin layer of wax from his lip balm. You feel him smile into the kiss when you unwillingly moan, letting his hand move away from yours so it could travel up to your waist. With this motion, he briefly pulls away to twist in his seat so he’s facing you. He kisses you deeper now, leaning himself into you and you don’t hesitate to take more of him.

The familiar tingle in between your legs festers into a lustful daze. It grows when Yoongi begins to nudge the hand on your waist past the hem of your shirt to hesitantly grasp at the bare skin. He rubs small circles with his thumb, feeling the curve of your waist underneath his palms. To him, you feel like velvet smoke, as if you could disappear at any given moment. Your head only grows cloudier with every stroke of his thumb, and you gingerly place your hands on each of his shoulders as you scoot down the bench so you’re even closer.

Yoongi’s free hand meets the other side of your waist, giving a light squeeze that elicits a deep desire in you. It brings you greed, reminds you of the starved woman you’ve become- devoid of intimate touch. The words don’t even register with you as they spill.

“Touch me, Yoongi.” He groans at this, wholly satisfied with each syllable of the phrase your tongue carves in whimpers. He does not deny you of this request. The hand tucked under your shirt begins to roam up and down the curve of your waist and you gasp into his mouth when you feel a finger outline the underwire of your bra.

Your mouth parts, rendering leeway for Yoongi to delve his tongue against the flesh of your own. The utter intimacy of having someone’s tongue shoved into your mouth has your arms looping around his neck, pulling him closer until your knees touch. Yoongi nearly growls, hands sliding down to grasp at your hips. You yelp in surprise when he pulls your thighs over his, letting you circle your legs around his waist. You’re now straddling him of sorts, lips only parting for to garner air in your lungs.

For a moment, Yoongi unlatches his lips from yours to move to the skin just under your jaw. He licks the area before wrapping his lips around it, a gentle suction telling you that he’s leaving with more than just your saliva as a mark. You whimper at the feeling, his teeth lightly grazing as his mouth siphons your skin into a bruise. When he pulls away, he uses a thumb to skim over the bloom of purple that’s marked the skin of your length. He gives you a few more after that, a mismatch of purples and blues painted across your neck.

You’re not sure how you’ve gone from innocence to this, feeling the slight poke of something behind Yoongi’s jeans-clad crotch. Instinctively, you grind your hips against it, leaving Yoongi the one to whimper instead.

“You’re driving me crazy,” Yoongi gasps between each breath, feeling the quirk of your lips against his own.

“Then do something about it— ah!” Yoongi lifts himself off the stool and you along with it. Tightening his hold around your waist, your fingers thread into his white locks as your lips capture his once more.

When he places you on top of the keys of the piano, the char of dissonant chords ring through the practice room and you both giggle into each other. You kiss him harder, unravelling the arms around his neck to grip at the collar of his shirt. The large expanse of his hand roams up your side until he’s reached your shoulder. He smooths down your collar bone until he’s reached the base of your neck. With gentle urge, he wraps his hand around it, a mild possession that overtakes this action.

He leaves your mouth, feathering kisses to the corner of your lips, to the apple of your cheeks and then your nose. While he does this, a stray hand finds the zipper of your own pants.

“This is okay?” His voice has a gruff to it, the already bass of his tone, deepening with crave. When you look into his eyes, they’re as dark as black liquid, a gleam bouncing off of them from the sunlight seeping into the room. You nod, both sure of yourself and unsure if you’d really like your first time with Yoongi to be on a piano, in the practice room you both practically lived in since you were young. In some ways though, you’d almost say it’s too fitting.

With the hand remaining on your neck, Yoongi forces you off the piano and you follow as silently commanded of you. He’s gentle with his persuasion, your gaze watching him as he releases the hold around your neck to walk over to the lid prop that holds the lid of the piano up. Knocking down the prop, the lid gently drops, letting the smooth canvas of the piano top make a perfect surface for you to lay on. He nods over to it and you nervously walk to where he’s standing, bringing the piano stool along with you. Using it as a step, you hoist yourself onto the top of the piano, teeth tugging on your bottom lip as you wait for his next command.

“If I’m going to eat you out, I’d preferably like to do it with your pants off.” You swallow thickly. Looping your thumbs around the belt loop of your pants, you hike them down your legs. Along them, come your panties and soon enough you’re completely bare for the ice-haired boy. Laying back down on the black, glossed lid of the piano, you tentatively smooth out the hem of your shirt.

Yoongi regards you with caution, eyes glimmering in a prurient haze. Careful to spread your legs apart, your sex is glistening in arousal, saccharine full and ripe. His mouth waters at the sight.

“Beautiful,” he mumbles under his breath but the silence of the room lets the words echo effortless. You flush, impatience scathing in between your legs before you’re propping yourself up on your elbows. Yoongi is too preoccupied to note your anxiousness, his eyes pinned to your already soaked cunt.

“How long has it been?” He asks. “Since you’ve been touched?”

Your cheeks deepen in crimson and you feel the want to curl into yourself at your confession. “A few months, maybe?” You can’t precisely recall your last time either. You were far too drunk and the young lad, Hoseok had been equally intoxicated.

Yoongi hums in response, shaking his head in clear dissatisfaction. “Who would leave a pretty girl like you untouched?” You release a shaky breath in response.

Dragging the stool closer to him, he rests a knee on the leather covered cushion before spreading your legs wider apart. He nearly drools at the sight, your glossy slit encased in your outer labia. He very carefully uses his thumbs to unravel your glistening cunt, the touch already sending a shiver through your body.

“I reckon you wouldn’t,” you bite back and feel the rumble of Yoongi’s chuckle.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” With that, he dives in. Kissing the flesh of your inner thighs, Yoongi wastes no time in pleasuring you where you need it the most. The tip of his tongue glides up your sticky slit as his fingers pull apart your lips. You gasp, fingers immediately rushing to lace into his snow hair as he continues a rhythm of steady strokes up and down your folds.

You think you could come undone without him even touching your clit at the pace he’s going, fingers unable to have bedsheets to clutch against. Instead, you find the edge of the piano, gripping tightly until your knuckles turn white. As if on cue, Yoongi’s pointed tongue beams to your clit with an expert touch, leaving you to moan his name. He hums into your core, tongue idly circling over the sensitive bundle of nerves. The back of your head presses further into the lid of the piano, eyes squeezing shut as you focus on the feeling of Yoongi’s dutiful tongue.

It’s when he quickens the flick of his wet muscle over your throbbing clit that you feel a distinct growing something building against your abdomen. Your fingers clutch his hair tighter, the supple silk of his tongue running over your sensitivity with such determination, it has you squeezing your legs shut around his head.

Yoongi is moaning into you, your taste only what he had imagined in his dreams to be. He dabs at your clit with pointed flickers of his tongue, his first and second digit finding their way to your hole. You feel the rough, calloused pads of his fingers run over your folds, his tongue still relentless against you.

“Yoong-gi,” you choke out, the tedious build up of your impending undoing encasing you as Yoongi works his mouth against you. It’s when you feel the slip of his rough-edged fingers prod past your folds and sink into you that you completely lose your senses. The ridges of each digit curve against you until your walls are clenched tightly around him.

He curses under his breath, beginning a slow rhythm as each drag of his fingers work in coalition with his tongue. You writhe underneath his paler, taut arms that hold your legs apart, feeling a burning coil that wrings tighter with every stroke. When Yoongi quickens his pace on both his fingers and deft tongue, you find yourself shaking underneath him.

Your legs quiver, Yoongi’s name etched on your tongue as you edge closer to seeing white. With one more pump of his fingers and one more flicker of his tongue, you lose yourself against his mouth.

Voice clamouring, your legs stretch and freeze as you feel the familiar snap in your belly unravel until you’re mush underneath Yoongi’s hold. He’s relentless, continuing his motions as you tap against him in urgency when it becomes far too much to take.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, please, just fuck me, Yoongi,” you beg, breath hitching in your throat when Yoongi’s fingers pull out of you, along with the squelch of his mouth latched around your clit. You sit up, instantaneously, leaning forward to grab the collar of his shirt before pulling him in for a messy kiss.

When Yoongi pulls away, he wears a smirk. Cocking his head to the side, he regards your flushed cheeks and fucked out expression with anticipation. “You on the pill?”

You nod. As he helps you off the piano, he uses his knee to slide the stool closer for you to use as a step. You happily oblige, letting his hands grasp at the skin of your hips as he turns you over.

“Wanna watch you watch yourself, doll.” For a moment, you’re unsure of what Yoongi means but as you turn to lean against the side curve of the piano, you see the mirror that lets you see both your figures in its reflection.

“O-oh.” There is something so ravenously breathtaking about this sight, it has you push your hips out to Yoongi’s bulge. “You’re too clothed,” you frown, talking to him through your reflection in the mirror.

Yoongi laughs, a curt nod exemplifying his agreement to your statement. “Shake your shirt off too, I wanna see you completely bare for me, baby.” You can’t help but groan in response.

Coyly, you watch each other through the mirror as you strip off the remainder of your clothings. Yoongi’s eyes don’t stray a second away from you when you yank your shirt over your head. He sucks in a sharp breath, biting his bottom lip before rummaging his fingers through the white of his bangs.

“Beautiful,” he repeats from before, holding the base of his cock in one hand before stepping closer. You only see a glimpse of the pink tip, your mouth already watering as he urges you to lean over against the piano. “Let’s see how well you take me.”

Fuck.

Gripping your waist firmly with one hand, the other guides his cock to push past your folds. As he slides into you, you both moan. Every inch of his length is eagerly hugged by the comfort of your walls, inching him in until he’s reached the hilt. Yoongi is thick, his cock filling you with a cinch. He stills his hips for a moment, letting you adjust to him before he swivels his hips out of you and quickly pushes back in.

You arch your back into the feel of him, eyes fluttering to a close when he begins a steady rhythm.

“Eyes on the mirror, babe,” he gently urges, his voice a low gruff. You do as told, lifting your head to view your reflection in the long standing mirror in front of the both of you. How had you never noticed this mirror here before?

Yoongi rocks into you, slow drags growing into into fervour ones as he drags his nails down your sides. He doesn’t know whether to watch you being fucked by him or watch how your cunt eagerly swallows him as if you’ve been deprived for years. You’re so tight, Yoongi feels he can’t hold himself together for too long.

He quicken the rock of his hips, letting you push your hips back to meet his own. The sound of skin slapping echoes through the walls, Yoongi’s hips hastening in their motion. His fingers dig into your skin, sure to leave marks.

“Y-yoongi, that’s so fucking good,” you breathe out, watching the blonde of his bangs sway with the thrusts of his hips. Yoongi licks his lips and ruts his hips in and out of you, that familiar build up starting again.

“Yeah, baby? You like watching yourself getting fucked by me too? Fuck, look at you, so willing for my cock. Absolutely gorgeous.” If you weren’t already red from being fucked out, you’d flush even deeper just from his silky words.

You reach out behind you, finding the mass of Yoongi’s left thigh as you grip against it tightly. Yoongi uses one hand to let go of your waist, intertwining your fingers instead as he relentlessly gyrates his hips into you.

“Just like that— please, Yoongi, I’m going to come,” you whimper, dropping your head as his hips slam into you with heed. You can tell Yoongi is close from the way his hips grow less calculated, more sloppy in their motion. This angle grants him access to the very spot he knows will make you come undone. With a few more thrusts, the tip of his cock grinds harshly into the sweet spot just underneath the cap of your cervix and you shout his name as the tension in your abdomen releases for the second time.

Yoongi’s grunt follows, his hips now slapping harder, faster until he too feels himself splurging his hot seed into you. “Fuck!” He groans, continuing his movements as you both milk out your highs. When he stills himself inside you, he leans forward, his forehead hot against the curve of your spine. You’re both heaving breaths, the quiet space growing even more silent as the only noises that can be heard are your joined panting.

He kisses down your spine, slowly inching out of you and you wince in mild discomfort at the loss of friction from his girth. “You are…incredible,” Yoongi breathes, swiping his bangs away from his face as he helps you up. A dribble of your mixed cum seeps past your folds and drags down your legs, the sight only making him want to take you again and again, until your legs would give up.

You smile shyly at his words, your head clouded with your lingering high as you hold your weight against the side of the piano. You’d never been fucked like that before.

“You know…” you begin, words slurred from your orgasm. “I’ve always had a small crush on you.” You don’t suppose why you couldn’t tell him now, just after he’s fucked the living crap out of you. “Ever since…” You step forward, circling your arms around his neck as you beckon his lips closer to yours. “Ever since I heard your rendition of Beethoven’s Moonlight.” Yoongi smiles, a lopsided one at that as he firmly grasps the skin of your waist.

“Oh, yeah?” He tilts his head to one side. “I’ve had crush on you since watching you learn to play hot cross buns on the piano.” He kisses you mid-giggle, looping his arms around your torso as he pulls you in closer.

You think this is exactly how it was meant to happen between the two of you; you would always be brought together by the thread of your love for piano.

“Yoongi,” you breathe out as he pulls away. “Play with me.”

“Hm?” His brows furrow in clear bewilderment.

“At the Red Glove! We could compose a piece together and play it together.” By far, it was the greatest idea you’ve ever had, you reckon.

Yoongi displays a set of a gummy toothed grin, his shoulders shaking as he chuckles at your enthused state, completely butt-naked and in his arms.

“I’d love that,” he says.

a/n: so i went to a piano show the other day and this fic was born ksjfkdsjflk. im so sorry if i butchered piano terms, i literally did on the spot research and wrote this bc i was so inspired!!!! i hope you guys liked it!!!! this is my FIRST yoongi fic, can you believe ive put him off for this long???? please let me know what you think!!! i can’t wait to get started on his series for you guys!!

as always, im so in love with you and thank you so so so much for reading. that’s all i’ve ever wanted to do on this platform and the fact that you guys give me that freedom is!!! *chef’s kiss*

my dear @hobidreams helped me with the planning of this fic and with her constant love and support that always keeps me motivated to write. i love youuu bb (do i make ppl send you a piano keyboard emoji? hm? 🎹)

[professorpski]

Summer Ribbons Dress Vogue 1696

This pretty summer party dress makes the most of the 4 yards of ribbon that it used to hold up the bodice and acts as the shoulder straps. Originally issued in 1954, it comes in modern sewing pattern sizes and captures the delight that designer took in tiny waistlines and big skirts in the mid-1950s.  That look dated back to 1947 when Christian Dior made a splash with the New Look which reveled in sheer yardage. Big skirts and long ribbons were a luxury after years of war-time shortages, and remained popular through the mid-1950s. And here you can play with colors with your fabric and ribbon, either taking a strong contrast like the dark pink with black ribbons, or using a color from the print to harmonize

This pattern is marked “Easy” but it does have a zipper up the back. The rest of it is pretty easy. The skirt is gathered which is the most basic of skirt types (by the way, if gathers make your hipline simply enormous, try making pleats instead which is my go-to method). For the bodice, you create fabric tunnel to draw the 1.5 inch wide ribbon through. It would be well to have the ribbon tacked in place once you know where it needs to be, but it would be well to take out the ribbon if you intend to wash your dress. A crisp cotton would look nice and though cottons might need ironing, they are nice cool fabrics for a summer evening.

They recommend a the plain broadcloth, linen, and shantung which now comes in both synthetic and silk versions. They also recommend crepe, but only choose one of those if you want it to hand very closely to the body. To get the real 1950s effect, you needs something with crisp body.

You can find this at your local fabric store, or order this online here:  https://mccall.com/v1696

[mysewingadventures]

The Layers of an 18th Century Lady

Or, how to wear your Robe à la Française/Polonaise Hybrid properly (Part 1/2)

First off, we have the chemise, also called shift.

Admittedly too short (blame my poor math skills), it was typically made out of linen which kept you warm in winter and cool in summer. I used a very loosely weaved cotton which looks pretty identical to linen. Probably not ideal but this entire look is made from Ikea bedsheets so I didn’t have much choice there haha.

It is usually not fitted (except the length I suppose, oh well), as the neckline is gathered with a ribbon and made to fit.

Women would wear this as their first layer and sleep in it too. Wearing something under the rest of your clothing would have for one the benefit of keeping your clothes relatively clean for a long period of time. Fabrics were really expensive back then, especially silk which was very typically used for 18th century gowns. Keeping those clean and sweat-free was the goal. Another important reason why they wore something under the stays was comfort. You just didn’t want a rough and hard pair of stays to be on your bare skin, with all the boning in there. I keep seeing people wearing corsets on their bare skin and it hurts to see.

Next up, the pannier. The pannier and stays are technically interchangeable as layers, which ever one you prefer to put on first.

This one I have to admit, I didn’t make myself but bought it on Amazon. There are tutorials out there, though, if you’re wanting to make one. I considered it, but eventually decided to buy one to save myself some time. Anyways, these are so-called "pocket hoops", as they are, quite literally, pockets inside hoops?

The inside is empty and it has a little slit on top that fits your hand (ideally, the ones I got could potentially fit a child’s hand, maybe), so you can use it as pockets and hide all kinds of cool stuff in there 🤷🏻‍♀️

Next layer, finally, the stays.

I know, they’re looking a bit harsh there but this was literally the first thing I made (pretty much ever?) and they’re super comfortable! I’d always heard the worst stories about wearing corsets and I was scared to try it out but I was pleasantly surprised. As long as they’re well-fitted they stabilize you, give you a nice posture and feel like a warm hug. I’ll admit, because of some mistakes and nonexistent binding, some bones likes to poke my waist sometimes but it’s all good.

Next, we’ve got the first petticoat. Pretty much all skirts and petticoats were made by taking two rectangles, gathering one top side of each, sewing a band across the gathered side and sewing both rectangles to each other, but only about 2/3 up. This is important so you’ll have access to your pocket hoops later on.

So now you end up with 4 strings, two at the front and two at the back. As you can see in the second picture, I’ve already tied the back in the front, and now you’ll want to tie the front two bands in the back. First to the front and then to the back, or you won’t have proper access to your pockets! I also like to avoid making the ribbon in the middle, as you can see I’ve tied it a little off-center, simply because there are several layers to go on top and we want to keep the waist as smooth as possible.

Here you can see that you still have access to your pannier.

Next up, petticoat number 2. Same procedure.

It’s getting floofier already!

As I can only fit 10 pictures in one post, I’m making a part 2 of this and adding more to it! You can find it here.

[menswearmusings]

After You Buy All the Essentials, Then What? My Personal List Moving Forward

Switching focus from the urgent to the important is a vital practice in the business world. Have you ever worked somewhere where it’s clear that instead of thinking critically about the core of the organization’s mission for ways to grow and improve, the focus is instead on whatever the newest, shiniest idea is (or often, whatever the latest crisis is)?

I always had a sense of urgency about buying clothes, because my goal was to dress in cool tailoring every day of the week in ways that I would consider meaningfully different. But being constrained by a budget meant I had to think carefully about what I bought, so I wouldn’t end up with something because it was a great deal, only to discover I had very little use for it. So I created a list of clothes I wanted that I imagined would comprise a complete wardrobe (for my tastes and needs). That helped me stay focused on my goals when sale season started and there were so many awesome things to buy.

Now, though, having largely built that wardrobe I imagined, I tend to get distracted by the new, shiny thing much more. I’ll find some product on eBay or in a shop on sale and become obsessed with it, going back to look at it over and over again. Without that hit list of must-buys to bring myself back from the brink, I always have a creeping sense that whatever it is I end up actually purchasing is maybe the wrong choice for me and I should instead be saving that money for some other, better purchase down the road. I’ve picked all the low-hanging fruit, but I have no personal guidance for reaching higher.

So, in an effort to try and refocus myself on buying what I can consider important purchases—not just those with the urgency of desire—here’s my list of next must-haves.

(By the way, if you’re just starting out and want some help building a wardrobe from scratch, check out my “Guide to Building a Tailored Wardrobe.” In it, I explain just that—how to have the right mindset about buying clothes, plus specific advice for versatility in clothing. Check it out here.)

More cotton-linen trousers for summer

Since becoming a dad—but even before then—dress trousers in wool just don’t get much wear from me. Primarily that’s because pants need cleaning more often, and I hate dry cleaning bills. But it’s also because I prefer a silhouette that just doesn’t work with dress pants, at least in wool. Jeans or even chinos made of denim or cotton twill drape differently and thus can work in the tapered cut I prefer. My previously perfectly fitting flannel trousers with that ideal taper from Spier & Mackay are now too slim because my calves got too big. So I have to go fuller. I’m fine going with that in a drapey wool, but day to day I prefer a slimmer knee and slightly tapered opening at the hem.

This is why cotton-linen trousers exist. Cotton-linen seems to have that perfect balance of cotton’s stiffness with linen’s drape, so they hang well but are forgiving if the fit isn’t bespoke-perfect or your proportions make things difficult. Pure linen just doesn’t give off the vibe I’m looking for typically (it feels a little more louche the way it hangs and rumples than I as a person am). And other options like wool-silk-linen blends are beautiful and amazing (I’ll get those below), but what I like about cotton-linen is I can usually machine wash it myself to no ill effect. Currently I have one pair, so it’d be nice to get another 2-3 to rotate through (much as I have with flannel in the winter). My list would be: 

A second pair of off-white 

Tan / khaki

Deeper brown

Maybe a light blue or mid-navy

Options I have for buying these: Spier & Mackay’s dress trouser fit is still my best bet right now, and I’ve been told they’ll have a crop of 7 colors of cotton-linen trousers in mid-April. That said, I also just purchased some pairs from Brooks Brothers’ Red Fleece line that arrive soon, made from fabric by the same mill as Spier’s, for $37 a pair that might work, too.

A rotation of good chinos and a pair of light wash jeans that fit

Chinos are nice because they dress up or down pretty well (you can wear a tie with them without it being weird, unlike five-pocket pants, but on their own without a jacket they’re good too), and if you get them in the right fabric, they’re pretty hard-wearing.

Finding chinos that 1- don’t have stretch, 2- are made from material that’s a good mid-weight, and 3- fit the way I want is extremely difficult. You wouldn’t think so but man it’s hard to find good chinos. And finding good, faded jeans with similar qualities is likewise hard without spending $200+. That said, if I can find them, what would make my wardrobe happy would be chinos in:

Off-white

Stone

True khaki

Possibly a pair in fatigue, which is a good color when it’s too hot to wear a jacket

Options for chinos are tricky. I like the idea of what fellow menswear blogger Ian is doing with his new shop Lost Monarch; $125 is hefty for chinos, but I suppose if they fit really well and the fabric rules, the investment might be worth it. I also always forget about classic chino maker Bill’s Khakis, which was always hailed as having the highest quality back in my early Styleforum days. They introduced a number of slimmer fitting styles over the years and are still fairly easy to find on eBay. Spier & Mackay’s chinos are a great deal but each time I’ve tried them, the fit’s been off for me in some way or other. I might try them once again this spring. 

As for light wash jeans, I’ll be looking probably at American Eagle, Polo RL, Abercrombie, Banana Republic, and other mall brands. Much as I’d like to get some 3-Sixteens or even Naked and Famous, they’re hard to get ahold of where I live and trying jeans on is critical.

A dark navy blazer in both single and double breasted configurations

I have seasonally appropriate navy jackets—one is wool/cashmere for winter, and one is raw silk for summer—and last summer I added a dark blue double breasted jacket for summer as well. When I recently tried on No Man Walks Alone’s Sartoria Carrara jackettried on No Man Walks Alone’s Sartoria Carrara jacket, which was a dark navy twill, I remembered why dark navy jackets exist: they’re classy as heck. All my navy jackets are slightly lighter shades of navy, which is great, but a good, dark navy blazer brings some gravity to an outfit, looks great in the evening and dresses up very well for more formal occasions.

That said, it’s gotta be the right texture. Hopsack wool is a good option; I would also be interested in some kind of blend like wool-silk-linen or similar. I’m not a fan of mohair, so I wouldn’t do that, and the high twist fabrics are tricky because they tend to look fairly smooth, while I like a little more surface texture. Given how much I like my SuitSupply Jort blazer, I’m hoping they release a double breasted jacket that might fit the bill this spring/summer. As for single breasted, I really, really liked that NMWAxCarrara jacketNMWAxCarrara jacket, so something closer to a 3-season fabric from him would be amazing. Of course Spier & Mackay has staple hopsack wool blazers in both their Neapolitan cut and regular cut, which sold out quickly in my size.

A dark navy double breasted blazer by Ring Jacket (model 6) I tried on at The Armoury in New York City. Click the image to see the product page of this actual jacket at their site.

A pair or two of summer trousers in a nicer fabric

Cotton linen trousers and chinos are as dressy as I need them to be most of the time in my life, but it’s still nice to have a pair of classier dress trousers in summer for occasions that call for it. I’ve had gray hopsack and fresco in the past, but those were more corporate than I was looking for.

Summer is the time for levity in the color palette, so I really like the idea of a light or mid blue (maybe a petrol blue). Every time Greg at No Man Walks Alone does spring pre-orders for Rota, they offer these beautiful wool/silk/linen blend fabrics, including petrol blue in the past, and every time, I love how they look but always stopped short of ordering for various reasons. A sufficiently textured, interesting blend in a light gray would also be nice and would be better than a corporate looking fresco or tropical wool. In the swatches below, which were for this season’s Rota trouser made to order options, the blue and gray at the top hold appeal, and even that green at the bottom.

Swatches for Rita wool/silk/linen trousers From No Man Walks Alone.

Some dress shirts from Anglo-Italian

It feels like I’ve been banging on about this for years at this point, I know, but their reverse stripe OCBD is great and I need to just pull the trigger and buy it. But beyond that, Anglo’s house dress shirt model is essentially the perfect shirt: the collar shape is an ideal wide spread with no tie space and that isn’t too stiff; the fit is comfortable but not baggy; and the details are all there both quality and design-wise. The back shirring is maybe a bit out there for many people, but these shirts are meant to be worn under a jacket, which is how I’d wear them. I’d buy white first then probably their blue end-on-end and maybe the bengal stripe. They’re expensive at $175, but that’s less than other comparable Italian dress shirt companies like Finamore or Borrelli.

A couple additional pairs of suede shoes

I love suede for its versatility in dressing up or down. What I wear 95% of the time are snuff suede penny loafers, snuff suede chukkas and tan suede tassel loafers. I’m looking to get more dark brown suede, which, sorta like true dark navy blazers, brings some gravity to an outfit. My penny loafers have been through some rough times; I plan to resole them (which they badly need), but it’d be nice to have a pair that aren’t so beaten up. I prefer a sleeker last shape most of the time (not pointy, maybe almond shaped) to the round lasts you see from classic Ivy brands like Alden, which are more casual and carry a lot more of that Ivy feeling (something I’m always trying to temper with more rakish aesthetics). That said, a rounded loafer of some kind to wear strictly casually is something I’d like to get to help share the load with the other shoes. I’ve also been really into the split toe derby look the last year or so. I tried The Armoury’s on when I visited there in 2018, and really liked it. 

So, the list would be:

Dark brown suede penny loafers

Dark brown suede Chelsea boots

Brown suede split toe

Dark or mid-brown suede beef roll or similar more casual loafers

I’ve noticed that the most comfortable shoes I love wearing the most are all made by Allen Edmonds, so I’ll be looking at those for sure. The Sea Island in particular looks awesome for that casual loafer. Beckett Simonon has some suede boots and given how comfortable their shoes are, their Bolton Chelsea looks nice. Meermin of course is another option for suede boots, and they have a penny loafer that might fit the bill for me, too. Spier & Mackay’s shoe offerings look very good, including this suede penny loafer. And of course the Armoury’s split toe derby is the one I’m most looking at for that category as I’m sort of picky when it comes to split toe shoes.

So there’s my hit list moving forward. I’ve already deviated from it this season by purchasing an excellent but not-on-this-list jacket from Spier & Mackay in 100% linen by Sondrio in a mid-brown glen check pattern. It surprised me how much I loved it, so I’m letting myself deviate from the list, guilt-free. And at the end of the day, the clothing hobby is all about enjoying life anyhow, and what could be more important than than?

(Help support this site! If you buy stuff through my links, your clicks and purchases earn me a commission from many of the retailers I feature, and it helps me sustain this site—as well as my menswear habit ;-)  Thanks!)

Read more at Menswear Musings

[tbehartoo]

200 Follower Thank you

Once upon a time, I said hey I’m about to have 200 followers. That’s 199 more followers than I ever expected to have. Maybe I should show these people some appreciation for following my hodgepodge of a blog? I asked what would be considered a good Thank you and received a whopping one (1) reply to the possibilities I mentioned. This is a result of that poll. Please note: I will NEVER volunteer to do this again!

200 Head Canons from the various fandoms I’ve written fan fic for (Fairy Tail, Miraculous Ladybug, and Voltron: Legendary Defenders). Please note these are made up things from my very tired brain and not necessarily thought through or even complete ideas, though I did try to make them internally consistent there are no guarantees. They might contradict each other and most certainly will contradict canon. Please take everything with a grain of salt, and enjoy!

Erza Scarlet (Fairy Tail)

1-Erza only likes red fruits- strawberries, cherries, raspberries dragon fruit, apples, etc.. But they have to be red in color not other versions of the same kind of fruit. No black cherries, green apples, or the like- she can taste the difference even blindfolded.

2- Erza likes to go stargazing on summer nights, but can’t sit still for watching clouds.

3- Between missions she will occasionally try to write poetry. It does not go well

4- She has never told anyone about the poetry!

5- There is a small part of the space she uses for her requip items that contains the locked box with her writing journals. 

6- Erza and Mira like to go shopping together. The stores tremble in fear when the two are on a campaign to find the perfect outfit. One boutique has had to hire a couple of mercenaries at the door to give the staff sufficient time to brace for impact, whenever they have a sale and the girls are in town.

7- There is a cat colony near Fairy Hills and every single cat knows Erza. They are all feral cats, but they trust Erza to provide calming attention.

8- Two things Erza does in any new place is find the baths and find the gyms. 

9- She likes to go to different gyms to observe new fighting techniques, but she doesn’t like to be recognized so she always goes in disguise.

10- Every time she asks to be taught a new technique, there is one guy (you know that one guy) that feels he needs to mansplain things to her.

11- This man is always handed his ego on a silver platter with a side serving of crow. Sometimes quite painfully.

12- Erza was once invited to an underground gym by a woman she met at the baths. She was so surprised to find it was a group dedicated to learning to fight like the Great Titania. Most of the women had histories of being abused, but had been inspired by the leader of the Fairies to stand up for themselves and get safe. They then worked to make sure that others are safe on the streets of their city and in their homes. Erza actually broke down at learning of their strength and resilience. 

13- The only time she purposefully took off her disguise was for these women to thank them. She then spent the rest of the night helping them train.

14- Erza is demisexual which is why she fell so hard for Jellal as she had a strong connection to him. 

15- She continues to have fond feelings for Jellal, but is no longer romantically or sexually interested in him.

16- Erza doesn’t bother to tell others in her guild about her changed feelings for Jellal which means the girls are always trying to get them alone together whenever he’s in town.

17- Meredy once sneaked a sensory link between Erza and Jellal and herself to figure out what was going on with them. She never told anyone what she found out, but she worked at toning down the FT girls’ attempts at matchmaking. 

18- Erza works really hard to keep her strength in check. She has trained with Guildarts to get her control as finely tuned as it is.

19- Erza has yet to find a mode of transportation that is fast enough for her. It’s a pity that Magnolia doesn’t have jet propulsion or rockets.

20- Her favorite hot drink is cinnamon tea with a little sweetened condensed milk in it.

Lucy Heartfilia (Fairy Tail)

1- Lucy prefers the feel of cotton over silk, but she prefers the look of silk over cotton.

2- She has to invest in cotton, linen and woolen clothing as a member of Team Natsu since they don’t burn as easily as other materials.

3- Lucy has asked Levy to look for a fire retardant/ fire proofing spell to be able to use for both her clothing and her apartment.

4- Lucy was taught to crochet when she was a young girl. Though she doesn’t make the fine lace she was expected to produce as a child, she does use those skills to make tiny amigurumi mice for Happy.

5- Lucy also crochets scarves and hats every autumn for her friends. Often she makes a couple extra ones to donate to the local women’s shelter.

6- Aires likes to bring Lucy wool like thread/yarn from the spirit world for her to use in her projects.

7- Lucy likes to go fishing with Natsu and Happy.

8- She does not like catching fish with Natsu and Happy.

She like casting her rod and reeling it in, but she does NOT like baiting her hook or killing the fish. Natsu and Happy have no problems taking care of those things for her.

9- Lucy prefers moving rivers and creeks over still ponds and lakes.

10- She loves going to the beach to watch the waves break along the shore.

11- Lucy was taught how to steer a boat, well it was a yacht but why quibble over details?

12- She once claimed she was going to sail around the globe, but her father told her not to talk nonsense and then sold their boat to keep her from ever trying.

13- Lucy made friends with the birds in the garden and can whistle their calls almost as well as the birds themselves.

14- Lucy has always told herself stories. Even when she’s on a job with Team Natsu she’s often composing short stories as her day goes along.

15- Lucy hates the taste of truffle and will instantly distrust anyone who claims to like it.

16- She prefers to have short hair, but keeps hers long to be able to use the comb and brush set her mother used to use.

17- Lucy has two special silver hair pins that her mother gave her when she twelve. They belonged to her grandmother and her great-great-aunt. They get passed down to the next generation on the twelfth year after they have sparked. They always end up with a celestial mage.

18- Lucy’s understanding of celestial contracts is both modern and archaic. She is well aware of what is expected from a modern magic user, but she has been well taught in the lore of celestial beings. 

19- Most celestial spirits are pretty plain speaking with what they will, can, or won’t do. Some however, the eldest spirits, are very tricky and will find whatever loopholes through imprecise language they can to do what they can to be maliciously compliant. This is why, even though the elder spirits are more powerful than most of their siblings, they are rarely contracted with.

20- Lucy eventually has five contracts with elder Celestial Spirits. None of them have been able to twist out of their responsibilities to her.

Natsu Dragneel (Fairy Tail)

1- Natsu only flies off the handle so easily so that he has “legitimate” reasons for using his fire.

2- He has to eat a lot to have enough fuel for his fire.

3- He really just likes to eat and uses his fire so often so that he has room to eat more.

4- Natsu often lies awake at night trying to come up with good insults for Gray, Gajeel, and even Loki, though he rarely remembers them thus having to fall back on old and well used insults.

5- When Natsu does remember a new insult, he will rate the reaction on a scale of one to five and if it doesn’t get a four or a five he will drop using it.

6- One time he said something about Levy to Gajeel that was rated a ten and after he healed up, he never used that particular insult again.

7- Because of the sheer amount of energy that routinely flows through Natsu, he has a faster healing rate than most people, including dragon slayers, except Wendy. Wendy’s magic makes her quick to heal so that she can heal others.

8- Natsu has several potted succulents that he and Happy take care of whenever they are in town. 

9- Natsu talks to his plants and has named each one.

10- One time a new neighbor overwatered his plants while Natsu was ot of town, killing all of the plants.

11- The new neighbor was mortified and offered to buy replacements, but Natsu was offended. You don’t buy FAMILY MEMBERS they are FOUND!

12- Natsu and Happy took nothing but desert and costal assignments for a year to find new plants for their place. They even took a few over to the neighbor to teach them how to care for the very laid back plants.

13- Natsu isn’t dumb, he’s just simple. No need to be all stealthy when you can just flame broil a problem. Right?

14- Natsu likes to come in Lucy’s apartment through the window because she’s always good for a laugh when he does it.

15- Happy, and Natsu, likes to stay the night at Lucy’s place because she will read them a bedtime story.

16- Natsu’s favorite stories are about the constellations and the heroes that got put into the stars.

17- Happy’s favorite stories are about animals acting like humans, and who like to eat a lot. (Basically he likes Redwall stories, just those from Earthland)

18- Natsu hates the Pied Piper story because the kids didn’t help their lame friend go with them and Happy hates it because he scared all the rats away. Somehow the book with that story in it mysteriously burned to a crisp.

19- Natsu doesn’t have a favorite color. It changes every time someone asks.

20- When Natsu is really stressed Happy will curl up in his lap and start purring. When Happy is stressed, Natsu will raise his body temperature slightly and then hold Happy close until Happy feels like he can purr again.

Gray Fullbuster (Fairy Tail)

1- Gray doesn’t like the feel of most of his clothes touching his skin.

2- He only likes the feeling of heavy clothes touching him. Lightweight clothes bug him.

3- Gray prefers to take jobs that take him up in the mountains because it’s cooler there, and there tend to be less people he has to deal with.

4- Gray’s favorite place to vacation is the beach in the summer, but otherwise he prefers foothills in the spring for all their blooms, mountain slopes in the winter for the ice and snow, and mountain valleys in the autumn for the color change of the leaves.

5- While ice and snow don’t bother Gray, and even charge up his magic, he still prefers to come in and sit in front of a toasty fire with a warm beverage after being out in the snow.

6- One reason Gray doesn’t object to Natsu being around and being annoying is because he always has that portable space heater thing going after being cold when Natsu is around.

7- Gray experiments with poetry when he travels on his own. He never writes any of it down.

8- Gray is obscenely good with numbers and logic puzzles.

9- He’s been banned from many gambling establishments for exposing their crooked practices, even the ones that usually go unnoticed.

10- Gray kind of assumes that other people also see what he sees and doesn’t understand why he’s expected to spell everything out for the rest of Team Natsu.

11- Gray is slow to warm up to people. He’s been let down before, so once he considers you a his friend, he’s your friend for life.

12- People that really know Gray were surprised at how quickly he befriended Lucy. With most people Gray takes at least a year to even start acknowledging their existence.

13- Gray thinks Lucy is like a little sister that needs careful watching up until Tenrou.

14- After Tenrou, Gray thinks of Lucy as an equal that can and will kick his butt if he needs it.

15- Gray is not afraid of Erza, unless Natsu is involved.

16- Gray was once emotionally and verbally abused by a girlfriend, it’s what makes Juvia’s first behavior and love declarations so uncomfortable for him.

17- Gray will never admit that he’s jealous of Natsu and Gajeel���s exceed companions. But he does want to have his own flying cat occasionally.

18- Gray’s least favorite food is egg nog ice cream. He just doesn’t care for the flavor and you couldn’t get him to drink hot egg nog for love or money.

19- Gray’s preferred hot drink is Lapsang souchong tea. He likes the pine flavor in his tea cup.

20- One time Lucy, Erza, and Wendy invited Gray to accompany them to a fancy Hotel for afternoon tea. It was the only time he willingly wore a three piece suit!

Marinette Dupain-Cheng (Miraculous Ladybug)

1- Marinette likes to make lots of different kinds of pastries.

2- She only likes to actually eat a few types of pastry.

3- There are baked goods that she makes, but never eats because the textures give her the heebie jeebies. She knows other people love them so she’ll still make them.

4- Sabine, Marinette’s mom, was a martial artist of Chāquán. It is “a Chinese martial art that features graceful movements and some acrobatic aerial maneuvers. Chāquán also includes a large range of weapons.” Sabine was especially proficient in the use of the hookswords and the spear, which she has taught Marinette.

5- Sabine still goes over her forms every morning and young Marinette practices with her.

6- Marinette was fairly good at the acrobatic maneuvers until she hit puberty. Her mother often reassures Marinette that after she finishes her growth spurts she’ll be back to doing those moves again without messing up every third one.

7- Even though her father is an only child Marinette has dozens of “uncles” from around the world. Tom played on a rugby team in college and even was in the minor league for awhile. All of his team mates were made honorary uncles when Marinette was born. They get dozens of Christmas cards, letters, and emails to keep in touch.  

8- Marinette and Tom once did a tour of Europe only staying with his old teammates. They never had to find a hotel during the two weeks they traveled. They’ve had a fair few of them stay at their place in Paris, too.

9- Marinette often makes presents for her uncles, aunties, and cousins throughout the year, and receives small presents from them as well.

10- She was saving up for a trip to Australia and New Zealand for her sixteenth birthday, so that her family could visit with a couple of uncles in that part of the world, but suddenly Hawkmoth came up and now she’s not sure they will ever take that trip. 

11- She mentioned Chat Noir and Ladybug in an email to one of her ‘cousins’ in New Zealand who hadn’t heard of them, so she linked them to Alya’s Ladyblog telling her that this was really going on in Paris.

12- Two weeks later she got a video from them asking Mari to pass it along to Ladybug and Chat Noir. It showed their family and all their neighbors doing a haka for Paris and the heroes. They said it was to encourage the heroes to be strong and have courage in the face of Hawkmoth.

13- Mari cried when she saw the video as she knew what a big deal it was for them to do this for her. She asked for a translation of the words and was surprised to find it was actually written by her cousin’s grandfather, who was considered a great warrior chief, specifically for LB and CN.

14- Mari asked if only someone from her cousin’s tribe could perform that haka or if it would be considered appropriation for her and her friends to do it, too. She received another video that was an interview with the man who wrote it. He explained the tradition, the words, and showed exactly how each part should be performed. Then he gave all of Paris his blessing to do his haka for the heroes.

15- Marinette brought Alya over right away and showed her the videos. Alya promised to put both videos up right away. The traffic shut down the blog host’s servers!

16- Marinette invited this cousin’s family to visit during the summer to thank them for all that they did. During their visit an akuma attack happened. This family was delighted to suddenly have Ladybug calling the city to order and joining in as all across the capital young and old were preparing to dance strength and courage into being.

17- Marinette has noticed that her strength to stand up to Hawkmoth and perform her duties as Ladybug has increased dramatically ever since she, and the rest of Paris, has started doing the special haka.

18- Marinette likes to put youtube on autoplay and start on a random video when she’s trying to come up with a design and feels blocked. She stops it on the third and seventh video and then tries to come up with a design based on the video’s title.

19- Marinette has just started trying out needle felting and loves to make little felt mice for the animal shelter Chat Noir has endorsed.

20- Marinette has become the vice-president of the Chat Noir fan club at Francois- Dupont. Nino is the president.

Plagg and Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug)

1- Plagg watches  a video of camembert making on loop whenever he can get Adrien’s phone. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atOpLj-q5nA) [People in the comments are seriously convinced that Plagg would like this video!] 

2- Tikki likes to watch crafting videos and always makes sure to leave an encouraging comment on each one she watches.

3- Tikki prefers sweet things to eat, but she can recharge on almost any food. 

4- Plagg actually needs those fermented, slightly spoiled foods to recharge completely otherwise he’s acting on about half power.

5- Plagg wanted to explore Adrien’s house more, but Gabriel’s interest in Adrien’s ring has made him stick close to his boy.

6- Plagg spent the first month of being awake getting familiar with current events using Adrien’s phone. The invention of the computer has made him ridiculously happy.

7- Plagg may or may not have had something to do with a computer virus that infected the mansion’s protection protocol after Gabriel was akumatized. Now Adrien can get out of his room an time lockdown is initiated and doesn’t have to feel trapped in his room.

8- Tikki doesn’t sleep as much as Marinette does. She gets about an hour a night.

9- Tikki emits strong “sleep rays” when she sleeps to help her holders get to sleep. Her creative types can be overthinkers that need help dropping off. 

10- Tikki doesn’t need to sleep. Whenever creation is happening she is energized and really doesn’t need to rest. She’s the originator of “pulling an all nighter”

11- Tikki tends to get a surge of power at the equinoxes while Plagg receives more power at the solstices.

12- Tikki loved coming across this video of The HU and plays it as often as she can. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM8dCGIm6yc

13- Plagg found out about punk rock and now plays it as Adrien sleeps hoping that the messages of the music makes through that thick layer of “presentability” Gabriel has forced on Adrien. 

14- Tikki sometimes leaves Marinette’s purse to flit over and peek at Nathaniel’s progress on his drawings if the lesson is boring.

15- Plagg’s hearing is very sharp and his ears let him tune into conversations without moving much. He is careful to check into the class gossip, but also listens in to what’s happening in Mr. Damocles’ office and the teacher lounge.

16- Plagg listened in on Tom and Gorilla’s talking about Marinette and Adrien and snickers whenever he remembers Gorilla saying, “My money’s still on Marinette confessing first. Mine’s to dense to realize how far gone he already is. He might believe she likes him on their golden wedding anniversary.”

17- Even though Plagg can phase through matter he still has a healthy respect for Gorilla’s brute strength and doesn’t want to test if he’d be quick enough to dodge the big man in the even of an emergency.

18- Tikki spends many nights creating pictures of fractals using Marinette’s digital drawing tools.

19- Tikki may or may not be the cause of Marinette having more advanced capabilities digitally than any major studio on earth.

20- Tikki despises the nickname Sugarcube, but it is the best out of Plagg many, many tries so she puts up with it. Stinky Sock is the mildest nick name Tikki has ever called Plagg. 

20.B- Most of her other names for him would be considered unprintable, but they’re in dead languages so it’s probably safe for her to use them. 

20.C- Plagg tries not to mess up so badly that she uses the Babylonian curse on him.

20.D- Plagg can tell how angry Tikki is by what language she slips into. The older the language is, the more angry Tikki is.

Nino Lahiffe (Miraculous Ladybug)

1- Nino used to play percussion on everything he ever came in contact with until his uncle brought over a small hand drum for him to play. His parents called it ‘tapping’ when he was little.

2- The rule around the house was that he could only tap on the drum and not other parts of the house, when he was inside. Everything outside of the house was fair game.

3- Nino’s uncle came over every day to teach him the basics of playing his doumbek.

4- After a year of lessons, his uncle would take him to his weekly drum group where the more experienced drummers would teach little Nino drum tricks like rolls and pops.

5- By the time Nino was eight, he was a regular member of the drumming group and often went with them to play at weddings, parties, or other events. He was the cutest kid! When he was all decked out in traditional Moroccan garb playing smoking hot solos, he was often the source of viral videos.

6- In school he tried to join the band, but he was far too advanced for the beginning players and they didn’t have an advanced group for him to join.

7- The band teacher wanted to help him continue with his music so he showed Nino how to record and remix his own drumming.

8- The summer after that, he spent every day busking with a different member of the drum group to be able to afford his own recording equipment and programs.

9- The summer music money plus his share of the money for playing events with the drum group allowed him to be able to turn his room into basically a recording studio.

10- He soon became the group’s recorder which led to him also video taping performances.

11- The year before Stoneheart happens, the art teacher was able to teach Nino some basic film editing.

12- Nino’s tapping was one way for him to relieve his anxiety, the other way he tries to release it is through blowing bubbles as a kind of meditation.

13- It was hard for him to use his bubbles again after the Bubbler incident.

14- When Alya and Nino got locked in the cage at the zoo, it took all of ten seconds for Alya to figure out he didn’t actually have a crush on her. It took fifteen seconds for her to figure out it was Marinette he’d liked. He was really embarrassed about it.

15- However, after talking a lot about things they liked and disliked they found they really had a lot in common. Alya told Nino about Marinette’s crush on Adrien and Nino was upset for a moment, but then Alya made him laugh and he was suddenly thinking, “Marinette who?”

16- By the time they were out of the cage Nino was firmly in Alya’s corner for matchmaking Marinette with his friend Adrien.

17- Nino’s anxiety can get high during an akuma attack, unless he has someone to watch out for or protect, then he’s calm and collected. Which makes running after Alya toward the big scary monster the better choice for him during those moments. 

18- Nino was a natural at wielding the Turtle Miraculous as it played to his need to protect.

19- After being Carapace, battles in which he wasn’t called to be a protector of Paris were excruciating to watch even as he kept Alya from coming to harm. He craved using the Miraculous as it allowed him to care for more people at once.

20- Nino introduced Wayzz to both smooth jazz and rap music just to see what the kwami would do. He loved everything Nino threw at him! Wayzz requested a copy of Nino’s latest mixes and a song by Sade before he had to go back to the Guardian. Nino found an old iPod to give to the little godling who claimed it would be his most precious treasure. Nino couldn’t talk for a full five minutes as he was too embarrassed and proud to speak.

M. Gorilla (Miraculous Ladybug)

1- Gorilla and Tom played Rugby on the same team in college.

2- He often stops by the bakery after dropping Adrien off at school if he isn’t needed by M. Agreste immediately.

3- He’s convinced that Adrien is in love with Marinette, as are Tom and Sabine. It’s a topic of great interest and much discussion when he comes in, if there aren’t other customers around. Sabine and Gorilla have a bet on who will confess their feelings first. (Sabine’s money is on Adrien.)

4- Tom and Gorilla met their future spouses as they acted as bouncers at a local club on weekends all thorough their Junior and Senior years at university.

5- Sabine and Gorilla’s significant other, Jerome, were in a group of friends that frequented the night club regularly. Sabine dared her friend to get the cute bouncer’s phone number by the end of the night. After a few shots of liquid courage, he’d brazenly asked Tom for a date and his number, but Tom gently, and privately, told the young man he was straight. He then motioned for Gorilla to come over and introduced the two. The young man returned to the bar with two phone numbers: Gorilla’s for him and Tom’s for Sabine. 

6- Tom made the cake for Gorilla’s commitment ceremony, before same-sex marriage was legal in France. When Marinette was ten, he also made the wedding cake for Gorilla when he and Jerome were legally able to be married.

7- Jerome had a child from a previous relationship that he and Gorilla took care of for the first five years of the girl’s life. She was taken away when the girl’s mother claimed that Jerome wasn’t the father of the child. DNA tests proved he wasn’t. The mother tried to sue another man for child support, then took the girl and moved to another country.

8- Gorilla and Jerome were distraught to have their little girl taken from them. They tried to adopt another child, but they were denied and not even allowed to foster any children.  

9- Gorilla started working for the Agreste family shortly after he lost his daughter.

10- Emilie saw how angry he was over anyone that wasn’t an Agreste coming near Adrien and eventually got the story out of him over why he’d be so protective to keep people from potentially taking her son away. It was something she was very appreciative over. Gorilla considered her a friend after she went out of her way to find out about his heartbreak.

11- Gorilla is legally Adrien’s godfather. When Emilie heard what that woman had done to Gorilla she took Gorilla and Adrien to her lawyer and made Gorilla legally responsible for Adrien and any future children she may have regardless of his continuing employment by the Agreste family. Gabriel signed the papers without complaint, but didn’t actually read them carefully, or register exactly what he was signing..  

12- Gorilla worked for the DGSI, the French CIA, as an informant while playing rugby. It allowed him to travel for legitimate reasons and keep tabs on one of the players for the DGSI.

13- After university, Gorilla was recruited to become an agent. He was injured on an assignment and decided to retire to be an up and coming rocker’s body guard.

14- He and Jerome get invited backstage any time Jagged is in town to be able to catch up.

15- Gorilla really enjoyed doing his job as a bodyguard, but wanted to be home more with Jerome, especially after their little Marie was taken from them.

16- The DGSI came to Gorilla to ask if he’d be interested in working for them again as they look into the workings of one Gabriel Agreste and the Gabriel empire.

17- Gorilla was actually key in getting Nathalie in the door at Gabriel. She is also an informant gathering evidence on Gabriel Agreste.

18- Gorilla was speechless when their higher ups requested that he and Nathalie continue to aide Gabriel once he became a magical terrorist, they were interested in seeing the power of the moth Miraculous and what it could do. Nathalie complied willingly, but Gorilla refused to do anything that would put Adrien in trouble.

19- Gorilla despaired of Adrien ever figuring out how to give him the slip, and he was so proud when Adrien succeeded at eluding his tailing him through the Metro. Then he panicked because he just lost his child!

20- Gorilla is fully aware that Adrien is Chat Noir. He was the one to change the angle of the security cameras, and conveniently show Adrien their blind spot right outside his window. (Seriously, that boy needs all the help he can get.)

Pidge Gunderson/Katie Holt (Voltron: Legendary Defender)

1- Katie was introduced to Pokemon when she was very young.

2-For awhile all she managed to find were Pidgeys in her game. And she collected every one she could.

3- Matt laughed at her for this and nicknamed her “Pidge”.

4- Katie didn’t like his teasing and vowed to make her pidgeys the strongest she could to beat Matt’s team.

5- She eventually fulfilled that vow.

6- Later Pidge went on to collect and evolve almost every pokemon in the pokedex.

7- Matt never recovered from being beaten by a flock of pidgeot, and has refused to pick up the game ever since that time. Pidge considered that her greatest accomplishment until she infiltrated the Garrison.

8- Katie has loved robots ever since she watched the Iron Giant movie with her dad.

9- Katie first started building robots when she got a MeccaSpider Robot Kit for her sixth birthday. 

10- She was dissatisfied with how klunky the spider turned out to be and proceeded to borrow a few parts from something of Matt’s to make it work better. It’s ability to move as quickly and silently as a spider was not appreciated by all the inhabitants of her home. 

11- Katie has never grown out of her ability to see other uses for mechanical parts past their intended use, or for cannibalizing parts from anywhere she can get them.

12- While Katie likes to build robots, what she really adores is programming them. She hopes someday to make a small robot that can serve to help the physically disabled with everyday tasks.

13- Seeing her mother’s father struggle after he fell and broke his hip was what has spurred Katie on in her endeavor to build helper robots.

14- For all the squabbling and tattling that she and Matt engaged in, they were very good friends. When he left for the Garrison, and had to stay there, Katie cried every night for a month.

15- Katie hates to be in the middle of drama, but she loves to watch it unfold. She has been guilty of bringing snacks to watch Lance confront someone about a perceived slight.

16- Katie is a multishipper of fictional characters. When Hunk asked if she shipped Lance with any of the other cadets at the Garrison, she read him the riot act for shipping “real people”.

17- Pidge faked a crush for a whole week while in the Garrison when Lance wouldn’t stop pestering her about it. Then the female cadet showed up with a girlfriend and Lance tried to console Pidge about not having a shot since her “crush” was into girls. Pidge didn’t know how to feel about the entire situation and started telling Lance to “Zip it!” whenever he started up about Pidge needing a girlfriend.

18- Pidge finds the idea of “love at first sight” baffling and illogical, unless it’s a sweet piece of tech. Then she totally gets it. Her idea of a “sweet piece of tech” is not the same as Lance’s, but Hunk gets her.

19- Pidge is curious about everything! She likes to tinker with things to find out how they work as well as read about discoveries others have made.

20- Pidge finds sociology fascinating. People and cultures can be hard to understand, robots are nicer that way, but once she gets to meet so many other sentient beings, see their environments, and how they adapt to them- she thinks they are almost as awesome as the robots.

Hunk (Voltron: Legendary Defender)

1- Hunk’s grandmother (his father’s mother) was a chef at an upscale hotel. She’s the one that gave him his first lessons in cooking, knife skills, and developing one’s palate.

2- Hunk’s grandfather (his father’s father) was a fisherman who demonstrated traditional fishing techniques at their island’s living history museum three times a week once he’d retired. There was always plenty of fish to go around on those days.

3- Hunk’s other grandfather (his mother’s father) was an electrical engineer and worked for the county as lead engineer. He often had little models of circuits and old mother boards that he let Hunk tinker with and program.

4- His other grandmother (his mother’s mother) was the designated worrier of the family. She also had a lush garden that she tended daily. It was full of strange plants that often bore unusual fruits for the family to eat. 

5- Hunk learned to combine the strange fruits with the kitchen skills he had to make things his younger siblings would eat. Not every experiment turned out well, but he always tried to analyze what went wrong and strategize a better plan to execute his vision for the star ingredient.  

6- Hunk and his cousins often had “Bake offs” when they went to TiTi’s house for sleep overs. Hunk usually lost as baking was not his forte.

7- When he and his cousins did their own version of “Chopped” then Hunk usually won hands down. Especially when given a strange basket of ingredients to work with.

8- Hunk is highly anxious but working in the kitchen helps to calm him down. The rules for cooking are simple and there are few surprises he’s not prepared to deal with.

9- Hunk uses his cell phone to ease his anxiety about things in the kitchen. He always takes a photo with a time stamp when he leaves the kitchen. Also he has remote access to all appliances with alerts to let him know when everything is being used.

10- Hunk has installed cameras and view screens on every major appliance in his family’s homes so that if he starts to worry about them, he can check his phone to see what their status is.

11- The first time Hunk left something on in the Castle he realized he’d need to come up with the same kind of thing so he wouldn’t worry while on a mission.

12- The Castle had no clue what Hunk was doing, but eventually allowed Hunk and Pidge to install primitive sensors in the kitchen appliances (and the garbage disposal for some reason) but absolutely refused to allow remote activation of anything. Hunk had to be content with that.

13- Hunk has difficulty standing up for himself, but his anxiety has “Protective Mom” override mode. He will absolutely end someone messing with his friend or family member.

14- Hunk’s favorite color isn’t yellow, it’s orange. However he was drawn to the Yellow Lion because they both want to protect their friends and family.

15- The first night Hunk spent in the Castle of Lions he made sure to lock the door then proceeded to do a traditional siva tau in memory of his family whom he never expected to see again.

16- Hunk has composed a special siva tau that includes some of the people and places he’s been. It offers each of them encouragement to be strong, to trust in the goodness of others, and realize that they are not alone in the universe.

17- Hunk has performed his siva tau on only three occasions. Each time it was at the request of Allura for other groups that had lost their home planets. After each performance Hunk would have several people ask if he would teach them the dance.

18- After the defeat of the Galra, Hunk composed a second siva tau to celebrate the victory and also to mourn those who were lost to the conflict.

19- On the anniversary of this moment Hunk, his family, and any Paladin that is near will gather to celebrate. The evening always closes with the bon fire being stoked up and a performance of that second siva tau. 

20- At Hunk’s death there was a large crowd full of many species that honored his family and expressed their grief at his passing by performing Hunk’s first siva tau. It was said that the earth trembled as each foot/appendage touched down and the skies carried the sound of their voices all around the globe.  

[lolitain]

Choose A Right Lolita Dress to Be Slimmer In This Summer

Fashion has taken a high-road in today’s world. But the ethnicity of a traditional clothing fashion will always be alive. Amongst many cultures and fashion trends, we often get lost and cannot decide what to wear. Sometimes you want to keep it simple and sometimes you want to take up risks with trends. One of those famous fashion cultures constitutes of Lolita and a Lolita girl would understand this same more than any other person. Lolita is a name or a word which is used to express a girl with her own wilderness and adored beauty.

You will find some limited places where you can find such dresses. Lolitain has been making such pure Lolita conceptual attires for a long time and is selling worldwide now. First, they were limited to China but the strong upcoming of the trend took over a lot of hearts and now it is a leading brand making and offering styles of Cosplay Lolita dress, Classic Lolita, punk, sweet, aristocrat, gothic and so on. The styles are flexible and are made with the flexibility of fashion’s requirements. Lolitain provides you the assurance of cheap and cheerful pieces of dresses.

Lolitain and their promise

Best quality products are made as it always controls each link of clothing produced very strictly.

The service and shopping experience of the customers is undeniably remarkable.

The costing/prices are fair and reasonable. Honest pricing is given to the customers as their demands.

Top fashionable goods are guaranteed to you with a percent of 100.

The payment is streamlined and secured so you do not have to worry about anything.

Home delivering service is very quick.

Assurity is that the dresses will make you prettier and beautiful with a shining face.

Some Lolita dresses that you should try on once in your life

Vladimir Nabakov’s novel “Lolita” which was published in the year of 1955 started this beautiful era of contemporary. The western culture of Japanese society gave girls new freedom to show their own individuality.

Resistance-

These styles promote feminism in contrast to today’s sexualization. The outfits make a big difference as they show your originality and give you a radiant look. The outfits mentioned below will maintain you with a rigid escape from subcultures that are fashion-oriented. Young women will feel strong and sophisticated at the same time wearing these styles.

1. Black Chiffon Binding Strap Off-the-shoulder Classic Lolita Dress

https://www.lolitain.com/cute-black-sleeveless-bow-lolita-dress-p-305.html

It is made from the material of chiffon and comes under the style of classic Lolita. It makes you look very pretty and slimmer as its vibrant black color with the stitching work on your curves.

2. Black Chiffon Slim Stylish Gothic Lolita Long Sleeve Dress

https://www.lolitain.com/black-and-white-long-sleeves-stylish-cotton-gothic-lolita-dress-p-2019.html

The color is the same as presented in the picture, black and pure. The material is polyester and flows on your body very nicely. The style it comes under is gothic and makes a mark on people’s heart with the strong subtle look it has. The sleeves with ruffled cuffs broaden your shoulder and make your arms look thin.

3. *The Night Of Stars And Moon* JSK High Waist Gradient Classic Lolita Sleeveless Starry Sky Dress

https://www.lolitain.com/the-night-of-stars-and-moon-jsk-high-waist-gradient-classic-lolita-sleeveless-starry-sky-dress-p-7702.html

The stunning look of this dress makes you feel like you are actually within the moon and the stars and are dreaming like a princess. The high waist gives you a very good curve that enunciates your waist to make it look slimmer. It is made up of chiffon and comes under classic Lolita collection.

Gender and Sexuality-

The styles below will show your transition from a girl to a grown woman. The loss of innocence that will be assumed by wearing these pieces of Lolita dress collection will be valued by the people who will see you wearing these. Lolita always tries to perpetuate traditional ideals of feminism and present it with these ladylike dresses.

4. Crisp breast tea girl breasts small high waist toffee cotton candy lolita OP

https://www.lolitain.com/crisp-breast-tea-girl-breasts-small-high-waist-toffee-cotton-candy-lolita-op-p-5963.html

This dress has come forward pretty soon and is now being bought a lot. The toffee cotton candy sweet look it has is adorable. It is bought the most because girls claim that they see a big difference in their figure after they wear it. The materials it is made up from are chiffon, printed chiffon, small rose water-soluble lace, rayon, gauze, gauze lace, macaron pendant, and elastic cotton. Its adjustable bust, elastic back design, and rear waist detachable strap are some features that make it so alluring.

5. Alice In Wonderland Series OP Classic Lolita Long Sleeve Dress

https://www.lolitain.com/alice-in-wonderland-series-op-classic-lolita-long-sleeve-dress-p-7475.html

Alice in Wonderland is every girl’s dream. Once in a while, a girl does feel what if she was Alice and she traveled and experienced exactly what the same character did in the book. This dress is a childhood dream come true for those girls. It is a classic Lolita dress made with the silk linen material to give you the smooth look that will make your curves highlight.

6. Strawberry Witch Late Summer Concerto Lolita Sling Dress

https://www.lolitain.com/strawberry-witch-late-summer-concerto-lolita-sling-dress-p-6976.html

For some customers, this pretty dress has been a win in their hearts and minds. The chiffon fabric is very comfortable to wear and it can be worn in seasons of summer as well as spring. This classic Lolita collection dress also has some customized products like lace, accessories, etc. which comes with it depending upon the chosen variant of color and size. It is sleeveless, so it doesn’t hide your hands but gets the eye focus on your torso which looks thinner than before.

Lolita girl and her beauty

Lolita culture is now one of the most famous fashion cultures in the whole world. First, the Asian region had it and now the entire world has the opportunity to try something new and experience what every Lolita girl feels. The dresses are so perfect that you will fall in love with them the first time you wear one of these amazing pieces. So, basically, every single dress that you think of choosing will make you look slimmer because of the seaming, and the waist stitching that enhances your waists. You won’t ever be disappointed with any product as all of them are genuine and you have Lolitain’s guarantee.

[mingyoozi]

Wonwoo: Blood for Blood, Bloom for Bloom (pt. 4)

photo cred ©

[table of contents] I. II. III. IV.

Summary: honestly it’s just a lot of Tension™ and exposition. there isn’t much showing is mostly telling.

“Jieun,” You cry out. She’s nowhere to be seen, but you can hear her whimpering somewhere in the distance.

“Jieun,” You try again. “Please. I’m scared.”

It’s dark out, the only light radiating dimly from the torches posted on the castle walls. You don’t know how you made it this far beyond the gates without someone finding you and dragging you back, and nightfall had caught you off guard.

You hear a snarl and Jieun’s whimpers get louder. You whip your head around, catching a flash of white in the corner of your eye. The stench of decaying flesh and rotting blood beings to surround you, so you run. Somewhere along the way, you catch Jieun’s wrist in your hand, dragging her behind you. Jieun is usually the one doing the saving, but this time is different.

Your heart is racing and adrenaline is pumping through your veins by the time you reach the castle walls. There’s a small door to the side of the gate, barely big enough for a small child. Luckily, you and Jieun are both young children and smaller than average. You throw the door open and push Jieun into the darkness. It swings closed behind you and you latch it quickly, hearing scratches and hissing not even a second later.

“Vampires,” Jieun stutters. You nod your head.

The adrenaline leaves your body in the form of fat tears, and Jieun pulls you into her arms to comfort you.

“Thank you for saving me.”

-

It’s impossible to tell if it’s the bounce of the carriage over a bump in the crossroads, or the presence looming above you and shaking your shoulder that finally wakes you. Your eyes snap open as you sit up properly, as opposed to leaning on the wall of the car. You can feel a wetness on your cheek and you wipe it away, hoping that Wonwoo hadn’t already seen it.

“Are you alright?” He asks, pulling back to give you as much space as he can in the small carriage. Your legs are still touching.

You nod. “Quite.” You say. You adjust your skirt in your lap, spreading it a bit more evenly to keep your legs from getting too warm. It’s nearing the warm season and the sun’s gaze is becoming harder to tolerate, especially from a poorly ventilated wood carriage. “Where are we?”

Wonwoo’s brows furrow together in concern, but he doesn’t question you. “Less than an hour to Yingan, last I checked. Did you need to make a stop?”

You shake your head. You would love to stop for even a minute, just to stretch your legs, but the yearn to see Yingan again is stronger. You hope that your old room is still being cared for, and that the summer robes you left behind still fit you. Tears start to well in your eyes as your heart fills with longing. Jieun should be here with you.

“Y/N,” Wonwoo starts, sliding his hand across the carriage seat to encapsulate yours. “Please tell me what’s wrong.” 

“I just miss it.” You explain, the tightness in your chest building as you fight against your instinct to start sobbing. “I— I don’t think I can do this alone. Not without Jieun.”

“You have me. I won’t leave your side. Jieun is being taken care of by the best healers that Yingan and Hwangyeon have to offer.” He squeezes your hand and you nod. “Thank you for accompanying me. I know how painful it was for you to leave her side.”

You shut your eyes, trying to block out the mental images of Jieun’s body laying lifeless in her bed, with barely any colour in her cheeks. Wonwoo keeps a steady rhythm of squeezing your head and running a thumb over the back of your palm.

“You know,” You start, keeping your eyes closed. “Before we were sent to Hwangyeon, Jieun and I never saw eye to eye. She was so proper and I was her wily, untamed kid sister. But we always kept each other safe. I’d give anything to go back to that.”

Wonwoo nods, giving your hand one last squeeze as the carriage comes to a stop. The door opens on Wonwoo’s side.

“Your highness, we have arrived.”

-

Seungcheol, the oldest of your three triplet brothers, meets you with teary eyes and open arms. You hoist your skirt up to your knees and run towards him, leaving Wonwoo and the rest of your entourage at the doors.

“Graceful as always.” Seungcheol teases, holding you tight to his chest. He smells like the pine trees that surround the palace, like he always has. Like everything in Yingan does.

You let a watery giggle escape from your lips, letting down the guard that you didn’t know you’d been keeping in place since you left. Yingan was your childhood, full of memories and time that you would never get back. You relished in the feeling.

“My room? My silk robes?” You ask, your heart racing with excitement.

Seungcheol grins. “Everything is as you left it, duckling.” He says.

You dig an elbow into his gut as he lets you go. “I would imagine that all those years in Hwangyeon have transformed me into the beautiful swan.” You tease, and Seungcheol’s eyes twinkle with fondness and something close to sadness, but not quite.

“You’ll always be our little ugly duckling.” You hear from behind you.

You turn to find Jeonghan and Jisoo standing there, staring at you. They pull you into a hug, burying their faces into your hair. Jisoo pulls you towards your old room, leaving Seungcheol alone to greet his foreign guests. You sit in your room for a minute, ignoring Jeonghan’s instructions to change quickly, just letting yourself be alone with your memories.

Your books lay strewn across your desk, untouched. Seungcheol wasn’t lying when he said everything was as you left it; some of the books are still laying open to a dogeared page. You strip down to nothing but your dirtied shift, throwing the heavier overdress onto your bed. There’s a linen shift hanging off a cast iron hook beside your door that you assume is clean, given the fact that it smells better than the one you’re wearing currently.

On most days, before you left Yingan, you’d have a maid or two to help you dress in the morning. Now, staring at an armoire full of silk and cotton robes, your mind draws a blank. It’s too hot for an intricate, layered evening dress — similar to the one you’d been wearing before — so you settle for an embroidered silk robe that you’re just barely able to lace up by yourself.

“Fuck.” You mutter once you see yourself in a mirror. The light blue silk that had once draped loosely over your body as a young girl now sits as close to your skin as your shift does. It was the cold season when you’d left Yingan, and with your rapidly changing body nothing from the warm season fit properly when it was time to pack up your things.

“Y/N?” Wonwoo calls from the other side of the door with a knock. “May I come in?”

He doesn’t wait for a proper answer before he enters, taking your unamused grunt as more than enough permission. There isn’t a point in even attempting to hide the poorly fit robe from him.

“I don’t know what to wear.” You state, turning away from your mirror and back towards your armoire.

He closes the door behind him and takes a seat on your bed. He doesn’t answer, instead taking in your childhood bedroom with wide eyes. It’s different from your room in Hwangyeon. This room has personality, everything was made custom for you and every corner is full of your belongings.

“That robe is fine. It’s just me and your brothers. The advisors won’t even be—“ He starts to say, but he chokes on his words when you turn around.

You’ve laced the robe as tight as you possibly can, but the ends don’t come together, showing off the shadowing between your breasts and the sheerness of your undergarments. You’d need a second chemise to preserve your decency, but the heat won’t allow for it.

“This robe is scandalous. I look like I’m trying to attract the likes of Mingyu Kim. I’d rather wear my hunting clothes.” You say.

Wonwoo chuckles at the mention of Mingyu Kim and his loose morals, and the fact that Mingyu is already attracted to you regardless. He takes his own turn rifling through your armoire as you unlace your robe.

“Here,” He offers, pulling a light silk dress out for you.

You hesitate. “Wonwoo, this doesn’t lace in the front. You’ll have to help me.”

His cheeks turn pink, but he nods anyway. You decide that modesty would be useless at the moment, you’ve already been gone for too long. Without waiting for Wonwoo to turn away you shrug the robe off your shoulders. He helps you pull the dress over your head, blushing the entire time.

“A king that helps a lady get dressed is unheard of.” You mutter as he begins to lace up the back of your dress.

He smiles. “What kind of a king leaves a damsel in distress?” He says. Being addressed as a damsel in distress would usually offend you, but the way that Wonwoo says it so teasingly leaves your heart fluttering. He continues in complete silence, concentrating on weaving the ties properly.

“There you are,” He says when he’s finished tying the final knot. He uses his hold on you to turn you towards the mirror.

The dress sits awkwardly over your shift, wrinkling in areas where you should have more undergarments to shape your silhouette, but the allowance for extra undergarments is what leaves it fitting comfortably. His hands drag over your waist, smoothing out the fabric, but they linger.

“Is that alright?” He says, quietly in your ear. You spot the darkening of his eyes in the mirror and your breath catches in your throat.

“Yes, thank you.” You say, pulling away from him and hoping that he doesn’t notice how breathless you are. He is married, after all.

prev.     next.