Goth/steampunk/rock chick/metal trousers advice

[BoffinMum]

As part of my official midlife crisis I am going back into singing (which I did for a living a really long time ago, but as a posh soprano of the breaking glass type), and seem to be subversively inching towards a kind of nerd folk metal as a genre. This all involves moving across from my current style of dress, which I would call "John Lewis Sale' but which my daughter calls scathingly "Connecticut Mom', towards a more exciting goth/steampunk/rock chick kind of look.

I have found a website called 'Attitude' and bought a daring hoodie with pentagrams on, bought a fake leather jacket and boots from H&M and bought a t-shirt with a mesh top bit to show off some flesh. All good so far. Now the perfect trousers to go with this would be skinny leather jeans with a few zips but unfortunately I am a big overweight, pear shaped, and about a size 18-20. Hence wearing skinny leather jeans would make my legs look like large parsnips in black bin bags, rather than the sexy babe thing I am after. Does anyone have any style workarounds for this sort of thing?

[calamaribanari]

Hmm.

Can you provide some images of the 'look'?

[CMOTDibbler]

Skinny black jeans and New Rock boots to balance your pear shape?

[BoffinMum]

This kind of thing

[BoffinMum]

Skinny jeans will probably make the upper thigh area look very bad, I think.

[Floisme]

Love the sound of your crisis

I think leather skinnies are absolutely pitiless on the thighs no matter what your shape. (I think it's the combination of skin tight and shiny.) What are your (lower) legs like? Would a knee length leather pencil or a tube skirt work?

[BoffinMum]

I got some professional photos done in honour of this. I tried to look hard and mean and very unlike the pretty pretty soprano girly girl of yesteryear. On seeing them, DH blurted out "Good God, you look like you've spent years on the Jack Daniels:.

Cheers DH.

[BoffinMum]

I have a slim waist and slim calves.

[BoffinMum]

Me normally

[WhirlwindHugs]

What about one of those 50s lindypop style dresses? But in black...

[Floisme]

Also I've been to a couple of steam punk fairs - purely for the clothes - and they always have interesting stuff as well as being very friendly. I'd recommend tracking one down. (That's if you've not already been.)

[Floisme]

If you have a slim waist then steam punk fairs have great corsets - but not worn in the usual highly sexualised way.

[WhirlwindHugs]

www.google.co.uk/search?q=plus+size+steampunk+trousers&safe=active&client=ms-android-om-lge&prmd=sivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiZvIvOgujSAhXGL8AKHfgqDssQ_AUICCgC&biw=360&bih=513#imgrc=zhsi1nZQxJtfBM:

Or would baggy work?

A long victorian style skirt might be cool too. Maybe with the hem pinned up.

[BoffinMum]

I really like wearing trousers.
What do we think of this?

[Floisme]

I like the bottom half but not so keen on the top personally.

steam punk corset dress

This is the kind of thing I've seen. Gives you a great shape and much kinder on the thighs than leather skinnies.

[MsUnderstanding]

Don't know much about steam punk but my inner goth is always drawn to the goth section (divided?) in my local H&M. Lots of ripped, asymmetric, sheer, faux leather. I tried on some half and half faux leather trousers but my thighs are more Beyoncé than Kate Moss.

[BoffinMum]

It was the bottom half I meant.
H & M have some surprisingly good things in, I thought.

[Floisme]

Have you got a goth shop? They also have interesting stuff and - in my experience anyway - always very welcoming.

[CrowyMcCrowFace]

'Goth is a lifestyle, not a trip to Mr Ben's' .

I'm a similar shape & lifelong goth.

I go with skinny jeans & big boots with long enough tops to cover my arse, or a fishtail skirt. Try dangerousFX or Spin Doctor for ideas!

[Floisme]

Sorry Crow. But they have such great shops

[CrowyMcCrowFace]

Nah, you're very welcome.

Unless you get yourself photographed for the Grauniad wafting around Whitby in the pissing rain in a Victorian polyester hovercraft outfit whilst the real goths are in t'pub in our Bauhaus t-shirts & jeans.

Then we reserve the right to mutter 'wanker' into our snakebite, obvs .

[EsmeWeatherwax]

EMP online are quite good for rock chick and goth wear. I'm round about the same size and prefer black skinned with big boots for balance, and a longer top.
http://m.emp.co.uk/?wtmc=sea.google.brand.emppukbranding.11478464796.emp%20online.e.m&gclid=CMLQ15SZ6NICFQcq0wodXNUPIg

[choppolata]

I've been wearing minis over leggings since the 80s, covers all manner of thigh horrors. Have you looked at the Kate's Clothing site? They have some nice skirts (not all mini) and their customer service is far better than Attitude Clothing who I will never buy from again.

[Sadik]

I love the idea of your transformation BoffinMum! I've just joined ska band who were desperate for a sax player & assured me that I didn't have to dress up if I didn't want to - but frankly, what is the point of having a midlife crisis and joining a band if you don't get to dress up

More practically, while I'm a massive fan of steampunk corsets as a party outfit that will cover for all ills, I'm not sure they'd be ideal for singing in. I've been eyeing up these punk-lite trousers on ebay - might something like that go with your hoodie/leather jacket combo?

[Sadik]

(Not intending to wear the punk trousers for ska-band wear, I should point out. In fact, suggestions for two-tone/ska appropriate outfits that would suit a 47 yr old woman very welcome . . .)

[Veronicat]

Sadik
My friend is a ska band and wears Tartan swing dresses and Tartan minis over leggings.