Obscure Overture. Whimsical & Goth Fashion Blog

So, I must admit I went all *fangirl* when Jillian Venters of Gothic Charm School (and that book right in the previous post) said she'd be one of my fashion profiles. If there were more people around who dressed like her, I'd never get any blogging or writing done because I'd be so busy people-watching!

Anyway, as you can see, she's got such a marvelous style, so here she is, telling all about it...

Me: You have a really impressive wardrobe, full of unique stuff. How did you build it up? How long did it take?

Jillian: I suppose I've been building this particular incarnation of my wardrobe for 10 or 15 years now. I've been saying for ages and ages that my wardrobe is my hobby; I'm one of those people that treat window-shopping and rummaging through thrift stores as a sport, and thinks an evening spent hand-sewing while watching a Tim Burton movie is fun.

Me: How long have you been dressing in this specific style of goth (with the pink-and-black color scheme and Victorian outfits)? Have you experimented with other styles of Goth, or has this always been your favorite?

Jillian: The Victorian/antique influence in my style has been around for a bit over 15 years, and has just become more pronounced as time goes by. The pink & black color scheme *really* started taking hold about 10 years ago. I had some pink items in my closets before, but that was when I really started collecting garments and accessories in cupcake pink.
As for other styles of Goth, my late teens and early 20s were my batcave/deathrocker era. ENORMOUS back-combed hair, a tangle of necklaces, armloads of bracelets, and a motorcycle jacket were staples of my wardrobe then. (For Christmas one year, my parents gave me a case of AquaNet hairspray. I was a very happy Goth.)

Me: What are your inspirations for your outfits?

Jillian: Certain movies (such as Moulin Rouge, the Coppola version of Dracula, Beetlejuice, The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, Sweeney Todd, and Marie Antoinette, to name a few), classic Gothic paperback romances, vampire novels, various musicians (the music of Adam Ant, Siouxsie Sioux, My Chemical Romance - especially their look from The Black Parade-, Strawberry Switchblade, Jill Tracy, and Emilie Autumn have all inspired certain items of my wardrobe), Edward Gorey, the Addams Family, and Victorian fashions. Yes, all of those things (and more!) percolate in my brain as I put together outfits. ::grin::

Me:What's the weirdest reaction you've gotten from someone about your clothing?

Jillian: Probably the woman who looked me up and down, from my top hat to my pointy boots, clapped her hands, and asked "Oh, are you a chimney sweep?" Because surely chimney sweeps always walk around in petticoat-fluffed skirts and velvet jackets, don't they? I assumed she was trying to make a Mary Poppins reference and "chimney sweep" was the first thing that she could blurt out.

Me: What is your favorite place to shop? (Online stores count)

Jillian: Oh goodness! I love Retroscope Fashions (www.retroscopefashions.com), Clockwork Couture (www.clockworkcouture.com), and Lip Service (www.lip-service.com) for the "basics" of my wardrobe - full skirts, waistcoats, and such. But I really love the thrill of hunting in thrift stores for an item that I can alter into a one-of-a-kind piece.

Of course, if we're talking about favorite "money is no object" dream stores and designers, then I would go straight to Kambriel (www.kambriel.com) and Vecona (www.vecona.de), and to Fluevog (www.fluevog.com) for boots.

Me: Describe your favorite outfit or ideal dream outfit.

Jillian: One of my favorite outfits right now is a black knee-length ruffled skirt from Retroscope Fashions (worn over petticoats), with a black satin and lace "bustle" overskirt by Lovechild Boudoir over it; a high-collared black blouse with ruffles down the front, and either my black and white striped blazer that was custom-made for me by a dear friend, or my black and pink striped blazer that was an eBay find that went through a couple rounds of Rose Pink Rit. Black lace tights, black "babycake" boots from Fluevog, a sterling silver crow skull pendant on a choker of pink satin ribbon, and my black top hat with feathers.

I was lucky enough to end up with one of my dream outfits a few years ago! Kambriel made me a custom version of one of her Cabaret Bustle Jackets (http://www.kambriel.com/cabaret.html) in a fabric with wide ivory satin and black velvet stripes. To make it even more special, she edged each stripe on the fabric in pink embroidery, and added pink ribbon trim. I wore it over a custom version of the Scylla Bustle Skirt that had a bustle of black and pink lace trim. I wore it to the Vampire Masquerade Ball a few years ago, and it's one of the outfits I save for occasions when I need a show-stopper of an ensemble.

Me: Do you pay attention to trends at all, or do you think the gothic community has trends of its own?

Jillian: I pay attention to mainstream fashion trends so I can be aware of when the stores will be stocking things I might be interested in. Every time the fashion industry decides that Victorian touches or "dark romance" are hot, I stalk the sales and clearance racks! That's how I've found a lot of my lace blouses and military-styled jackets, actually ...

As for the gothic community having trends, oh, absolutely. While there are quintessential classic Goth looks, certain flavors wax and wane in popularity. Fo example, cybergoth was the big thing for a while, and there was lots of plastic tubing hair and UV-reactive trim on stretchy dresses. Victorian Goth (yay!) has been pretty strong for a while, but I've also been seeing a lot of Deathrock/early proto-Goth looks start to come around.

Me: Other than Cupcake Goth, has your clothing style earned you any odd nicknames?

Jillian: "The girl in the hat", mostly. Though I've also been called "Witchy" because of my fondness for stripey tights ...

Me: How long does it take you to put together an outfit in the morning and what thoughts go through your head as you pick out an outfit?

Jillian: I usually plan the next day's outfit while I'm taking a bath the night before or waiting to drift off to sleep! The thoughts that go through my head are a mish-mash of what media I've been consuming over the day (music, movies, books), what the weather is supposed to be (I'm currently pining for weather cool enough to let me wear velvet again), and what has been striking my fancy of late. There have been weeks when I've wanted to wear only striped jackets or skirts, and other times when I've craved nothing but military-style jackets with lots of buttons.

As for getting ready in the morning: including eating breakfast and drinking a pot of tea while I'm putting on my makeup, it takes me about an hour. I'm not exactly a morning person ...

Neither am I!
Thanks, Jillian!