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Androgynous Silhouette

The element that I’ve always had as backup in any look I create is the androgynous silhouette. To me, this silhouette is just timeless and an absolute genius. Personally I think it’s because the androgynous silhouette draws me away from what people and society have made me think of myself. I am cis-female and I fully accept that and I also do love a cute look that hugs the waist just nice, and then there are times when I also just want to be, without having to think of the super-feminine aspect of a female-minded look. I do love elements of femininity especially in styling, but I look to keep edgier options in the mix too. It takes people off guard, and it takes me off guard too. Sometimes I get blown away by the looks I’ve created and I just love the balance of femininity and edgy that I was able to incorporate into my looks so far.

A lot of my so-called androgynous styling are inspired by gentlemen’s trousers hitched waist-high and secured with a leather belt. It’s feminine enough with the body-hugging, and yet because of the nature of the trousers and the belt, they make one think less of “feminine” and more of “that’s a new identity”. I like that these outfits make people think, and this is what I like doing when I create outfits, by sparking thought in others when they see something. I think this is what artists and creators go through when they’re creating something. In a way, fashion, clothing and styling are literally an art of their own, if enough thought is put in the work by the creator.

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Otherwise, Ensure There’s An Edge

And yet sometimes I just want to wear a dress, you know? Everyone knows that dresses are typically femininely styled because of the pulled-in waist, or the shortness of the skirt to bring attention to those beautiful legs. So here’s how I deal with dresses like this: I make sure that there’s an over edge feel to them. It could be that the colour of the dress is quite gothic, in heavy black, steel grey, dark maroon, whatever. Or it could be the silhouette of the dress itself that’s really sharp and strict, not bubbly like how a lot of teen-focused clothing is created.

One example is this dress by Alessandra Rich I found on net-a-porter.com. It’s the ruffled pleated silk midi dress. Although the black silk is pretty feminine, the black itself is pretty good on its own as an edgy element. Also, I love the bright white contrast of the collars against the black that exudes a Wednesday Addams kind of vibe. Absolutely love this look.

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Oversized Outerwear

Another way to elevate that edgy look is with oversized outerwear. I’m thinking oversized sweaters, oversized jackets, basically anything that could somehow create a padded-shoulder kind of look that gives the wearer a tough-looking exterior. When worn with sharper silhouettes, one could really pull off that sophisticated yet tough look just by balancing the bulk with the sharp lines. Some examples here are bomber jackets, oversized denim jackets (that also happen to have sturdy shape rather than slouchy), and clean, slightly oversized sweaters.

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Grunge-y Chunky Footwear

Chunky footwear is a typical staple in the grunge look, such as the combat boots. Doc Martens footwear have a place in the grunge wardrobe purely due to its use of leather in the footwear’s make. Leather is a tough kid’s fabric and definitely not for the faint-hearted (otherwise you could really faint in it, excuse the pun.) But what if you want to take a spin on the footwear section and not wear Doc Martens? I’m thinking Mary Jane shoes, but leather. Barely-there strappy heels, but with leather laces or cords. And especially in black, if you’re not ready to take a spin on wearing coloured leather. The chunky footwear itself will provide enough presence to the wearer even if they don’t say a thing. To me, that’s how powerful chunky, leather footwear are.

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Other Grunge-y Elements

Putting grunge-y elements alongside sophisticated elements is a definite spin on the two separate themes that the majority of people know of. By mixing these two genres of style together and balancing their elements or tilting the scales in favour of one element over the other is yet another level to this whole mixed-themes business. But to even start off the mixing process, a few key elements of the grunge look could help us channel that edgy look while we create our looks with a sophisticated base. Here are some grunge elements which I’ve noticed while looking at some outfits created by the online community:

• Denim jeans, ripped or not (or just denim in general)
• Leather belts (or just leather in general)
• Stripey prints
• Plaid prints
• Fishnet stockings (be careful with this one; might accidentally make you look like you’re wearing a costume than actual wearable clothes)
• Oversized tees
• Parka (the less worn clothing)
• Leather footwear or Doc Martens (as discussed above)
• Black and round John Lennon glasses
• Metal chains in silver

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Victorian-inspired Elements

With the well-known grunge elements listed out above, we’ve come to the part where I’d like to inject a bit of something else. Here, I’d like to specifically put the spotlight on Victorian-inspired elements, but particularly on feminine Victorian style. Under all that harsh sophistication and rebellious grunge feel, I personally feel the need to have a bit of femininity in my looks, even if just a bit. I know I mentioned androgynous silhouettes in the beginning, but I also feel that if I left out my identity, that is, femininity, I’d be doing a great injustice to myself. As for you, if you are pulled into a different kind of identity, whether it be in terms of gender or religion or whatever else, I’d like for you to keep that identity in your look. We can only truly be ourselves if we carry our identity proudly with us.

With that said, for those of you who identify with me on the part about femininity being a part of your identity, here’s why I singled out the Victorian style as being feminine, for all its controversial style techniques. I don’t know much about the Victorian age, but I’ve read enough to know that women during this age were either totally taken over by the patriarchal ideal that they are supposed to conform to, or they were so self-aware of their disadvantages to the point that they’ve decided that they would not stand any longer as just a body in the patriarchal system, but actually to start fighting in. This is probably when the seeds of feminism were planted.

In view of the Victorian woman’s grand dilemma, I personally saw the Victorian dress code as the start of fighting for oneself and one’s own identity. And because of this, I’ve sort of gave Victorian-inspired elements the meaning it has, that is, the coming out of one’s true self and in defence of it so that one remains true to oneself for as long as they can be.

From this, I have identified some elements in Victorian women’s fashion that I thought would be a nice touch, like a reminder, on one’s clothing. They are definitely pretty, but the meaning behind it carries considerable weight. To me, at least. Here they are:

• Ruffles
• Big skirts
• Cinched waists
• Floor-length dresses
• Steampunk leather booties
• Laces
• Gauzy fabric