Calling all the Eccentric, Bohemian, Dark Academia types!

[LadyHenryofRawlinsonEnd]

Or 'Mad Art Teacher in Space', as a poster described herself in an archived MN style thread of old. I think it was about quirkiness, but many years ago now - thinking we need a new one?

Anyone wish to share pics, links, ideas, thoughts?

I love styles of the past, particularly the 20's mixed with a slight bit of soft, floaty 90's indie. I still wear long strappy indie dresses with my docs and a crochet cardi or scarf .
I don't do anything particularly wild to be honest, a fairly pared down version of bohemian with a passion for natural fabrics and floaty Japanese style dressing gowns in silk or embroidered cotton..

I'm 47, a painter (so wfh) and like to hover about in nature collecting twigs and weird stones. I should like to channel Gormenghast's Lady Fuschia (my more rustic side) or perhaps the fictional character Lolly Willows by Sylvia Townshend Warner (my 20's hermit bohemian side)...

I am currently urban based but dream of plans to escape to a small cottage surrounded by dusty books and too many plants like a character from an Iris Murdoch novel.
I'm not a hippy, exactly, but do prefer a bit more texture and creativity style wise. I also love people watching, but there seem to be less and less sub cultures or independent styles about these days.

I had a phase in my late 30's where I urged myself to conform to a very conventional, prescription-type wardrobe, (Breton tees, trench coat, 'current' jeans and expensive accessories like a cumbersome Mulberry bag - all shatteringly expensive) but quickly outgrew that

I can't locate much that I like in typical stores now, but do occasionally enjoy Toast or Plumo. I certainly don't stand out, but do prefer searching ebay, etc for unique, well made stuff, clothes that are very 'me' rather than dictated by passing trends. It is still quite difficult to source some items though, so would love to hear where others shop!

I also loved the Monty Don thread a while ago!

Anyone care to join me?

Can I ask you all what bags you buy to wear with your fab style?

I usually cycle @NegroniLover so I don't have a proper bag . When I need one I clean out the damp dog balls and leaves from this which is a shotgun cartridge bag hilariously.

This is such an interesting discussion - I think there are lots of subcultures within the dark academic look. For example, the things I love range from 1870s to about 1953 - but I don't do much colour (the jumper above is fluoro in comparison to most of my stuff) and I've realised that what unites them is a certain austerity/androgyny.

That means in can include both edgy/architectural and trad Japanese/Chinese shapes, and 40s/50s drab skirts/jumpers, and mannish loafers or brogues, trousers, button down collar shirt (Katherine Hepburn crossed with 80s retro?), what I think of as 'Parisian boyish' (Ines de la fressange crossed with Bella Freud) and also a kind of weird 'edwardian' /shaker/prairie/gaucho crossover look which is obviously made up in my head and I never actually wear but would love to. I was swooning at the riding clothes in The English for example - Emily Blunt wore an incredible pair of what I think are known as 'split skirts' which made me badly want to lose weight.

Annoyingly it is the weight which is preventing me from going full 'I will wear purple' in my middle age - I used to be slim and now I'm very much not.

On the other hand I don't really like 20s stuff, either shapes or jewel colours (though I did love Molly Parkin - does anyone remember her?) and although I think she's beautiful and lovely Helena Bonham Carter is perhaps a bit too Havisham now.

I have had short, androgynous hair for at least 15 years but I'm growing it because it's never quite done what I wanted - too fine for the 30s look I wanted. OH thinks I will be going more floaty but in fact I have a secret plan for a very austere Austrian circle plait thing Maybe even full Victorian scientist on both sides!

I am going to do some yoga and shed some pounds so I can have more options. In short, I plan for an increasingly extreme look as I age, which is much more in keeping with my aesthetic when I was younger.

Also on your puffa point @NegroniLover - I do wear puffa coats but only very extreme ones that have a Yojhi Yamamoto, deconstructed/abstracted traditionalism feel. I'm sure to others my look is quite random but there is a common thread!

Sorry - I am talking too much - but I've realised that the reason I love a long black oversized puffa is because of the orientalism of the more bohemian Edwardians - that baggy silhouette - and also a kind of Shaker/Japanese minimalism crossover. It's all about influences innit.

You sound really fabulous @WinterDeWinter !
I love a slight androgynous look myself & I'm v drawn to it on others too.
I love masculine tailoring in suits & I adore a tuxedo trousers suit!
However I'm also fatally drawn to velvet / embroidery too. Though I'm v fussy about them. I don't do ditzy floral but I am partial to botanical prints in certain cases.
I've spent a happy hour browsing Plumo this afternoon. I had not come across them before - I could so some v serious damage on there!
My look is also a total hybrid & prob doesn't make sense to anyone else looking at me but I good mostly so that's all that matters to me.
I am in my early 50s & 5ft 9". I'm currently a 14 & that's thr heaviest I've ever been. I agree that for me the extra weight impacts how & what I wear. I'm on a mission to lose it. I'd like to get back to a 10 or small 12. I've been slim all my life till the past 18mths & I don't like it

It's a work in progress.
In my 20s I work lots of things like moleskin jodhpurs & button spat like brown leather ankle boots (wish I still had them they were amazing) or tweed wool wide legged tailored trousers with fine knit tucked in. Quite Katherine Hepburn.
I'm too chunky for that look now but I have an amazing pair of Paul Smith bottle green wide leg trousers woth turn ups which I'm determined to slim into!
I'm v fond of brogues & mens style dress shoes & Chelsea boots too

I love that bag by the way & have had saddle bags myself before

Love this thread 😀

You sound fab too @NegroniLover !
On the spat boot thing - I got these for Christmas a few years ago and only wore them two or three times before my buggered-up foot (Morton's neuroma combined with the impact on my toes of Kensington Market extreme-point flats aged 14!) did for me and I moved to very wide shoes like Birkenstocks or (weirdly) some Tokyo designer x Nike mid-tops with my more Japanese stuff . I've got the boots on ebay now but inspired by this discussion I might hang on to them in the hope that I will find some very squishy insoles!

Keep them!!!

Love those boots & often have similar myself though I don't at the moment. I have suede plum Chelsea boots on the go for work.
I love some of the laced up boots on the memery site too

I wear a lot of Toast clothes. Love a lot of the fashion suggested on here.
My love is of long pinafore dresses and dm's.
I'm not sure what my style is apart from quirky.
I love anything that's slightly different.
I.love the lagon look but I'm afraid of it! I adore velvet. Recently bought a very quirky printed skirt from asda, bias cut that actually looks fab with a velvet dress I have layered over it and my platform Mary jane dm's.

*lagen

I'm the same as you in the sense I'm a 14 and feel its the heaviest I've been since my pregnancies.
I'm mid fifty and want to get back to being a 12.
Menopause has hit me hard.
The pandemic has not helped.

This sounds similar to my style too, most of the time anyway. I do wear some colour and pattern but have been more drawn to black mixed with interesting textures and fabrics like velvet and corduroy. I've just got this top in both colours for layering and love the lace collar.

www.johnlewis.com/noa-noa-laura-lace-trim-top/flint-stone/p109118469

That's really lovely! Fabulous price!

What's sizing like? Love the slate blue colour.

We used to have a Noa Noa shop in my city & at one stage I'd say 80% of my wardrobe was from there. I missed them terribly when they closed down

Aspiga and Daughters of India have some lovely things, lots of velvet or floaty frocks.

These are my current favourite going out boots

@ElectiveAffinities Thank you for the link. As you say, I’d rather buy something closer to home if possible. I’ll keep looking!
@NegroniLover I love those shoes! Sort of thing my Mum used to wear in the 70’s!
I’d also like to add my solidarity with those who wish to slim down. I spent most of my 20’s and 30’s as a size 8-10, I’m now 50 and more a 12-14 (erring more towards a 14 after Christmas indulgence!)

Sorry if it’s been mentioned before, but I can recommend Mod Shoes for the more retro, quirky look.

www.modshoes.co.uk/product-category/ladies/ladies-shoes/

That sounds lovley @neveradullmoment99. I am also a bit scared of lagenlook and of layering generally!

On which note, does anyone in their 50s remember wearing Maclaren/Westwood (for whom we should perhaps have a moment's silence) buffalo girls style, which sort of ran into a Dexy's Midnight Runners look? Lots of overskirts and underskirts, pinafores and boots...

Those going out boots are superb @NegroniLover. It's the updated heel which makes them so interesting - who by?

I didn't wear that look @WinterDeWinter but my friend did & she looked amazing! I was busy channelling Tilda Swinton at the end of Orlando!

The boots are by Whistles @WinterDeWinter ! They are the softest leather imaginable & I want them in the green too.
I wear whistles Asha boots as my day to day boots this year but I can't seen to link to them for some reason