It’s another freezing cold day in northern Minnesota, and we’re packing up to head out on the road in the morning.
I’m not going to lie, there’s a whole ‘lotta boxes that have come and gone over the last month, as I’ve been updating my wardrobe with a few new things.
So. Here’s a few more.
A Pirate Skirt with a Bustle Vibe + Funky Boho Tank
Since I have less F’s to give than I used to, this round of wardrobe updates went a little down the road to funky town, inspired by a recent purchase I made at a pirate shop in Port Townsend, Washington. Meaning that I liked the pirate skirt I bought so much, I decided to take a look at the pirate and steampunk duds on Amazon.
I’ve never seen a good bustle I didn’t love, so there were a lot of options, some of them a little too funky. Even for me. I ended ordering the black/grey and white/black versions of the Belle Poque’s ‘Striped Steampunk Gothic Victorian High Low Skirt Bustle Style’.
I absolutely love those keyword-packed names that the Amazon sellers use.
I had a little trouble with this skirt order because I’m a raving lunatic who tends to skim over things.
First, I really wanted the darker version (black with grey pinstripes), but I had it in my head that my bust measurement (49″) was actually my waist measurement. So I was looking at the size 4X which was only available in a white version with black pinstripes.
The one I wanted came in 3X, and so I ordered that one too. Just to try it. Thankfully, because while it does fit, it has a shirred back, so it’s super stretchy and really, the 2X might have been better.
The other ‘surprise’ — only because I can’t read and retain information — is that this is a high/lo skirt, which isn’t my favorite style. Nevertheless, I really love the skirt. AND the shirt that I’m wearing with it, which is also new, more on that below.
All in all, the skirt is really good quality costume stuff, perfectly fine for every day wear. I’ve cut off the giant butt bow, which is taking it too far, even for me. There are channels on the front where my legs are so I can hike up the skirt a little higher if I’m feeling sassy. I’m really in love this skirt, although will not lie. It took Jeff some coaxing to get on board. In fact, I think there’s still some coaxing needed, he thought it was a little out there….
Boho Tank
The grey tank is in that boho, made in India, heavily embroidered style that I always equate with farmers markets and Global Village, an import shop in Duluth, Minnesota, while I was growing up.
I found a specific vendor, Agan Traders, who sells through Amazon and all of the offerings have a fairly large size range — up to 4XL for some styles.
I love this style of garment, all the heavy embroidery and saturated colors make me happy, although over the years I’ve been continually frustrated with size options, so the few pieces I managed to find that fit were usually in pukey colors I didn’t love.
In fact, I just gave my mom a dusty rose skirt in this style which I snapped up at Goodwill because it fit, but… dusty rose isn’t my favorite color. I’m totally a hot pink girl.
I ordered one version of this shirt in the silver I’m wearing in the picture and one in purple, thinking I’d send one back. But I love the cut so much, I decided to keep both.
It’s not strange having two of the same shirts in different colors is it? No?
Hold on, I have one more order to place…
My Review — Pirate Skirt
4 stars (only taking off one star for quality – it’s very well made, but lacks stabilization at the waist, the ruffles are serge-finished — excellent, high end costume quality, but I’m looking for every day pirate wear)
Cost — $43.99, free shipping/returns on Amazon Prime for some sizes/colors
I ordered size 3XL Fabric — mid-weight cotton (skirt), poly (ruffles)
Order here — Belle Poque Striped Steampunk Gothic Victorian High Low Skirt Bustle Style
My Review — Boho Tank
5 stars
Cost — $32.95, free shipping/returns on Amazon Prime
I ordered size XL/1X Fabric — Rayon, embroidery, satin accent in center bodice and waist
Order here — Agan Traders 121 B Medieval Vintage Tank Top Blouse
90’s Floral Dress
The summer after high school, I met my friend Dan.
At first, we flirted (and fought) and when he headed to college in Seattle, I racked up hundreds of dollars on my mom’s calling card and decided to go visit him for Thanksgiving.
Dan was (and is) finely wired. Easy to stress out, he had grown up homeschooled and played piano in his worship band like an angel. A slightly neurotic angel.
I remember my trip to Seattle as fraught with tension. I don’t remember his major then, but he was going to a Bible college and arranged with me to stay in the dorms with a few girls. I was not Bible college material.
At the time, I had a favorite dress, thrifted, in a sort of batik print that was fairly shapeless, brown, and ended right above my knees. I wore it with a pair of rad floral fishnets and my favorite combat boots.
I loved that outfit. The tag on the dress said ‘make in Pakistan’ and I always called it my Pakistani maternity dress.
One of the bigger fights Dan and I had on that visit was over that outfit. I can’t remember the finer details, but I think he thought the fishnets were sinful, and while I could see his point with regular fishnets, the ones I had on were in a floral pattern, so they seemed much more pure to me. OK for a Bible college campus.
So you can imagine my PURE JOY when this adorable brown floral dress abruptly showed up as Prime-eligible last week, meaning I could get it before we left mom’s. The dress is from Mordenmiss, a new favorite Amazon vendor of mine (the black linen dress I posted last week was also Mordenmiss.) I think I’m doing an excellent job of recreating my Pakistani maternity dress and you better believe I’m on the lookout for floral fishnets.
Also, note, I decided I needed something a bit more substantial than Chacos and a bit less functional than sneakers with me on the road, I also ordered a pair of new 10 hold Docs which (thankfully) are wide enough for my extra-wide calves.
My Review — 90’s Mordenmiss Floral Dress
5 Stars
Cost — $39.00 — this is currently showing as shipping from the supplier again, so longer lead time, but still free shipping!
I ordered size XXL
Fabric — light weight cotton — reminds me of double gauze, although not sure that’s what it is. Washes up well.
Order here — Mordenmiss Women’s Flowers Floral Pleated Fall Casual Dress with Pockets
Gothic Corset Smocked Sleveless Embroidered Twirl Calf Dress
Have I mentioned how much II love the garment names on Amazon?
The final new purchase I’m sharing this week is this absolutely awesome dress from the same supplier as the Boho Tank I shared above.
I apparently love corset bodice dresses… I noticed that I featured an Ewa i Walla dress that looks almost the same as this one on a post I did last year about lagenlook and mori styles.
II really, really love this dress. I ordered one in red and one in purple, again, thinking I’d return one. I wasn’t 100% sure on the red color as that can be pretty hit or miss with my coloring and purple seems to always work with my odd hair.
I ended up loving the red, and my mom ended up loving the dress so much, she decided to keep the purple one. Which, after looking at these pictures, I kinda wish I’d decided to keep both of them for myself. #sonotagooddaughter.
The only downside to this dress is that I really should only handwash it and these garments (the tanks too) have a heavy dye smell — a lot like new jeans. I hung them out and washed them one at a time on the delicate cycle (breaking the ‘I should handwash’ rule within 24 hours of taking possession of the garments.) The smell’s much better after hanging out and washing.
My Review — Red Embroidered Dress
5 Stars
Cost — $46.95 — free shipping via Prime on some colors/sizes
I ordered size 2XL
Fabric — embroidered rayon with lace/net panels near the hem
Order here — Gothic Corset Smocked Sleveless Embroidered Twirl Calf Dress
So what’s in your online shopping bag?
This page DOES have affiliate links to Amazon! If you click and buy, I might get a bit of $$ in my account. One day, someday, that affiliate account will finally get to the $100 mark and pay out. Until then….
