Dark Academia 3 - de vestibus agamus - the conversation continues

[highlandcoo]

Hello again to everyone from the last thread, and welcome to anyone who enjoys talking about this aesthetic .. and if you have photos to share even better!

Now that the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness is upon us, it might be time to start considering our autumn and winter wardrobes.

Last year as well as discussing leather lace-up boots, vintage handbags, antique brooches and many other desirable items, we pondered how to successfully pursue a DA aesthetic at work, at the theatre and generally out and about (without straying into Carry On Librarian territory, as one PP memorably commented)
I learned about the Wrong Shoe Concept, and the Third Thing Rule .. every day is a school day!

However DA is much more than clothes, and we also shared our favourite childhood books .. memories of robins leading us through gates into secret gardens, the fiery red-haired independence of Anne of Green Gables, and our longing to go to boarding school, get into scrapes and partake in midnight feasts.

Thanks to our erudite posters, we learned about romantic Scottish history exploits recorded in 18th century documents, and considered the injustice of male family members being able to lock up women whose emotions became inconvenient, as well as discussing many inspiring women both in RL and in film.

And we debated the most DA place we've ever visited .. Oxford and Edinburgh featured strongly; in fact there was a suggestion that a perfect place for our DA AGM would be The Witchery in Edinburgh ..

If curling up in a wing-backed chair in front of a log fire, with candles flickering, sipping tea from a china mug while reading Pride and Prejudice or A Room of One's Own sounds appealing, this thread might be for you. Or if you just like the clothes, that works too.

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. Ours was very quiet but perfect for us. Nice dinner nice wine and listening to records. I wore a purple paisley patterned long dress.
Today will be a quiet one. DH is meeting people this evening and DS is working tonight. I'm hoping to spend my evening with books, however I suspect I will get a call from DH to meet up.

I’m 42 and also a 12/14, but have the opposite proportions (my bottom half is the part I need to balance) so not sure how helpful this will be! I should also say I favour the more florid/romantic version of this look, rather than the look that leans more towards gothic - so big dresses, long coats and a beret brought down to earth with boots and chunky knits/tweed.

I avoid anything that is tight over my tummy/hips - so A line/flared skirts and dresses and dungarees rather than trousers. If something is really voluminous, I nip it in with a neater jumper/tank/jacket. Mostly I either wear a (warm) jumper or a coat/jacket - never both, as adds too much bulk. I really like a big scarf and think it can pull a look together, as well as hide my tummy (in my case).

I like:

Cabbages and Roses (everything)
Toast (skirts, dresses, knitwear)
Brora (skirts, dresses, knitwear)
Celtic and Co (kilts and boots)
The Well Worn (tartan dresses)
Damson Madder (tartan dresses)
Seasalt (cords, art teacher vibes)
Walker Slater (tweed)
Jack Murphy (tweed)
Eribe (knitwear)
Joanie (tea dresses)
Palava (dresses, knitwear)
Disturbia (gothic)
Sezane (blouses)
O Pioneers (liberty prints, knitwear)
By Soren (gilets)
Faune (floaty nighties as daywear)
Lucy and Yak (dungarees)
Bleu de Chauffe (bags)
Linen Naive (dresses, coats, capes - very florid)

@weareallcats that's really helpful, thanks- just got some skirts from disturbia and I'm off to browse Vinted for brora etc!

A darkling Happy New Year to you all!

@weareallcats that is splendid and dangerous list!

Felicitations to you all!

Today is my big wardrobe clear out! So far, I've lost 28lbs on Mounjaro and virtually all my clothes look too baggy and don't fit. It's going to be very cathartic as I have splurged on too many clothes these last few years and have four double wardrobes bursting at the seams.

So, it feels like I'm starting from scratch. Very exciting.

Today my DD said I looked like a lecturer in a university. I was wearing a wine cardigan from Fat Face with check trousers and laced up ankle boots.

Love it @Arraminta. Well done on the new you and your plans to embrace it. I do my annual clearvout on Imbolc (1 Feb) and am starting the preparations. I love a big clear out

Gosh it's been a very long time since I've seen anyone use Imboloc. How lovely.

I was very impressed at your friend's lack of bloodstains, and resolved to do better like my foremothers.

But then I read this, in the English Chronicle and Whitehall Evening Post of 12 May 1818.

DIED.
May 4, at Ramsgate, Jude Jackson, in consequence of the evil practice to which many females are addicted, that of picking the ear with a needle whilst at work. The young woman suffered for a few days the most dreadful pains.

<googles frantically>

Aha. Clearing out sounds a very good start to the spring.

Do you mark it Arriminta? I do with a big clear out and clean, opening all the windows and doors (to blow out the stale winter air and make space for the spring to come in). I go for a walk and look for the tiny early signs that spring isn’t far away then later get the fire on and plan a holiday - which is the closest I come to setting an intention. I don’t do the walk around the house 3 times part because I live in a semi 😆

No, I don't. But I have a life long interest in folklore/paganism/Wicca, after reading 'The Mists of Avalon' when I was about 13.

Feeling very DA today....
burgundy leggings and jumper with a dark grey plaid mini pinafore dress over the top and chunky black cardie.
Wore a long grey wool type coat and biker boots when I went out (with burgundy scarf and gloves of course!).

The dress is very short but I have a rule whereby the length doesnt matter if its over leggings!😄(dress also total bargain as was £1 in a Vinted bundle).

Oh very nice. Particularly at a bargain!

I'm very much a lurker here! But I just had to share a bargain.

I ordered a burgundy stork wrap jacket from One Hundred Stars. It was reduced from £145 to £36!

It arrived today and I love it! No link as it's sold out, but I'll try and post a screen shot

@henlake7 I like the sound of that get up. Good work!

@Kdubs1981 that wrap jacket is fabulous, what you going to put with it?

@MurdoMunro I'm not sure yet... (I might have to buy something

I like the look of it open and I have a nice black camisole to wear under it, but I'm thinking maybe black velvet trousers or even open over a simple dress. Honestly, I love it so much I'd wear it with my wide leg jeans!

I think it would be great with jeans. I have some wide leg chunky cords and was thinking your jacket would work with them, maybe a polo neck too. I’m getting a nod to the 1970s dark academia vibe here!

Ooh, yes! A polo neck would look fab. Thank you! Any more suggestions very welcome!

When anyone asks for suggestions I go blank then say ‘brooch’! I’m a big brooch fan, I have a crow on my coat, a distressed enamel on copper moon shaped one on my scarf, a bee on one of my bag straps… you get the drift. I like that brooches are used for messaging by many woman. The old queen had plenty to say with her’s and Lady Hale is my brooch style icon - her spider became an emblem of feminism and defiance and I’m all over that!

Actually, I do have a suggestion for your jacket partnering, a slouchy brown leather cross-body bag and some well worn brogues.

@Kdubs1981 Thanks for the link! I love 100 Stars stuff and I've just ordered a Ginger Jar dressing gown for half price - I already have the throwover and the scarf in the same print, plus a green cranes Rachel dress and a green dragon throwover.

Incidentally if anyone else is contemplating a Rachel dress, they are really lovely but an utter bastard to iron (and they do need ironing!).

Oh get you! You've got so many lovely things. I too have the storks Rachel dress in "cigar" a lovely brown/tan. But it is a BASTARD to iron. First time I wore it I had to take it to the dry cleaners for into ing as all the creases just came back! He said it was the worse thing ever to iron

Ginger jars is my favourite print - they say the background is grey but it's actually a dark grey-green - closely followed by storks. I have worn the dress to one wedding and will be wearing it to another in about a month!

I'm seriously wondering about getting a handheld steamer just for the dress - I used to be a more than competent dressmaker and I just can't work out the construction of it (mind you, these days sewing loops on teatowels is most of what I do sewing-wise).

We have a bank holiday in Ireland in February for St. Brigid's Day/Imbolc. The government introduced it after Covid. I really like the idea of opening the doors and windows to let spring in. I must look into more of the traditions.

I didn’t know that @NowInNovember , that’s a great date for a holiday. Y’know, if the dark academics wanted a saint then Brigid could be a serious contender.