Pahl and I went to the Old Lyme Inn for their Alice themed afternoon tea in April 2024 as a reconnaissance mission to see if it would be a venue and theme my fashion club would be interested in. We had a blast last year, and as a result of my mission, I ended up hosting 2 other teas at the Old Lyme Inn while waiting for the Alice Tea theme to come up again. Last year I went as a interpretation of Alice with a white dress with a blue architectural print on it, the matching head bow, printed blue and white tights and a storm blue wool coat. Pahl was a version of the Mad Hatter. 

This year, when I presented the theme to my fashion club, Sarah R thought we should all go as different characters from the book, to make things interesting and creative. I knew that this year, I was going to change my tune. I would no longer be Alice, but instead I would be an interpretation of the White Rabbit. And I wasn't going in a dress either... I was going to don pantaloons, knee high socks, a waist cinching elaborate tail coat, and a medium size top hat.  

If you thought I had started planning this outfit months in advance--you are correct! The first piece I acquired was the tail coat from Chinese indie brand Immortal Thorn. I have an affinity for this style of diamond pattern, which is considered a harlequin style or sometimes referred to as rhombus pattern. The coat itself is white with gold lace and embroidery of different playing card suits. It's also lined with black and white diamond pattern. It is best worn with a stand collar blouse of various lengths. Just after I acquired the coat in December of 2024, I found that someone happened to be selling a black and white diamond pattern shirt from the brand Lady Sloth on Lace Market. The pantaloons also became available at around the same time, from someone who was selling them used in an international forum for the fashion I am a part of. By January 2025 I had the meat and potatoes of my outfit, but I still needed some accessories to complete the look. 

The boots I ordered in February and it took about a month for them to be made. They are a combination of white suede and scalloped lace cutouts and they do not have a zipper, so they do require some time to put on and lace up. The hat I had purchased in March from Chinese Indie brand Fox Cherry. It is a very versatile piece and comes with two additional attachments. It can get quite heavy, especially when worn to the side, so I only put on one of them. The bag is a very inexpensive clock over the shoulder bag, and it was still available in the white and gold---PERFECTION! The playing card socks that are white and gray I had ordered a few years ago to go with a different dress (that of course I've never worn them with), but they worked with the look. I have since acquired black and white diamond over the knee socks that will really pull this look together next time!

You could say Sarah H had been planning their outfit for even longer than I had with mine. They acquired the blue color way and matching apron and headdress of Japanese brand Metamorphose's "Wondercard" OP over a year ago, and they had been waiting for an occasion to wear it. Sarah wore a blonde wig, a white long sleeve cotton blouse, white and black striped tights and black platform mary janes. We matched really well with our playing card motif, so I asked Sarah F to snap this photo of us together. 

Jax started their coordinate with the purple color way of Magical Artefact JSK, also by Metamorphose. This print features black cats with gold lurex lace, gold buttons and charms and black ribbon. They wore a long sleeve black blouse under it and black tights with different colored cartoon style cat eyes on it. They also have a black fuzzy cat bag with orange eyes, and a pink furry cat ear head band, which also matches their shoes. 

Sarah R decided to style a few different brands together for a sweet style ouji look. The blouse and shorts she is wearing are from the Japanese brand Liz Liza. She is also wearing a waist coat, outer coat, and carrying a parasol from the Japanese brand Angelic Pretty. Gray striped and dotted over the knee socks and pink boots complete the look. 

I really like this photo that Sarah F took of them because not only do they look like the characters that they are representing, but they are also acting in character. Especially Sarah R as the Door Mouse. 10/10 for acting and looking the part!

And Pahl was the Mad Hatter, once again. In fact I made a comparison of every time he's dressed as the Mad Hatter, and ever single time, he wears these pants. He does change up his waist coat, tail coat, bow tie, shoes, and top hat. He's thinking of maybe trying to go as the March Hare next time we find ourselves at an Alice themed event, but he needs to make some rabbit ears and attach them to a top hat to pull that one off!

I honestly really enjoyed dressing up as a whole group with different characters. However, we did confuse OTHER tea attendees with our outfits, to the point that many people asked to take photos with us and had assumed that the inn hired us for the tea. At one point I had to just let someone know that we didn't work there and to ask permission before taking photos. If anyone, the White Rabbit should be able to act as the bouncer!

Back in early March of 2025, about the weekend after I went to the Doll Shop for Girls Day, Pahl and I went on an Afternoon Tea Adventure in Chicopee, Massachusetts. The Hampton County Hexenbruts were having a Witchy Alice in Wonderland themed tea party with an escape room and dance performance. I was intrigued on so many levels and was resolute in attending even though there wasn't a whole lot of information about the event. It turned out it was the very first time this event ever happened.  We learned about the tea party through a Steampunk group we are a part of, who has members that are both Steampunks and Hexenbruts. Hexenbrut is both a German dance group and a specific dance which originated with this group with the song, Schuttel Deinen Speck, "Shake your Booty" by German rapper Peter Fox.  This particular dance is loosely choreographed and Hexenbrut groups throughout the world perform it. We were lucky to see a live performance by the Hampton County Group at the conclusion of the tea event. And what was also great was that if you knew the dance and had your own broom (or something broom-like), you could also perform the dance with the troupe because it is universally the same thing throughout the world. Unfortunately it was maybe the second time I'd seen it performed ever and I had never learned it officially, so I was simply enjoying the performance. 

Every table was uniquely decorated with a time piece, a teapot, flowers, unique tea settings and a little goodie bag. There were plenty of specifically Alice in Wonderland themed teas to choose from and lots of tea sandwiches and sweets to eat. In fact they had a lot of leftovers and encouraged us to go up for seconds and thirds. It was AMAZING in that aspect as Afternoon Teas are not normally a gastronomically filling endeavor.

We only knew two other people who attended this event--Alan Kendzior and Kit Catlett, who both took amazing photos, for which I sourced throughout this blog post. We met them at other Steampunk events in the past so we all sat together for the tea. Kit also tried to help Pahl and I solve the puzzles in the escape room, but we were pretty much lost with the second puzzle with the cipher. There were 3 additional puzzles afterwards and well, we didn't get those either. It was a very hard escape room! But luckily it wasn't a serious one and if you had to leave early, you could without an issue. 

Now this was the second Alice in Wonderland themed tea I have attended, but the first one with a Witchy twist. I was excited to put my creativity to good use. I decided to start the outfit with the Gloomth Pink Cotton Maid dress with the original "Cake" artwork matching apron. The dress is innocent enough, but the Apron shows a woman wearing a bonnet with cloven feet about to cut a layered cake, while a skeletal figure (also wearing a dress and a bonnet) and several wrist watches waits in anticipation. It's morbid and weird, and kinda witchy. To drive home the witchy aspects, I added black and white striped tights with lavender scrunch socks at the base. Then I decided to make it a little punk. I added lavender and black mary janes that have spikes, a duo belted waist belt with excess rivets, a coffin shaped necklace with a real spiderweb in it, a headband with a black bow and additionally unnecessary but visually exciting rivets and charms, and a lavender bat shaped bag with spiderweb embroidery on it. Did I need to add lavender to this outfit? NOPE. Did I? Absolutely. 

Pahl likes to go to these events as the Mad Hatter. He's got it down. He started with these striped linen pants, and added his paisley earth toned waistcoat over a white blouse. He is wearing his brown oxfords and a dark brown leather top hat with embossed tentacles and hidden eyes. A blue octopus bow tie and a green velvet tailcoat complete his look along with other eye and octopus rings. He's the Mad Steampunk Hatter this time. 

I loved Kit's outfit as the Queen of Hearts. All of her outfit was completely modified by herself. She had made most of the costume a few years ago for a similarly themed Steampunk event, but added the sash, diamond arm pattern, and the ruff recently when she acquired Valentines themed fabric on sale at a fabric store. I am always inspired when people make an outfit from scratch out of many different materials. I hope to be able to do this someday myself!

"The secret, Alice, is to surround yourself with people who make your heart smile. It's then, only then, that you'll find Wonderland"-The Mad Hatter. I would definitely say that the energy in the room was amazing and everyone was having a splendid time. The costumes other people made/wore were so incredibly creative too--I felt that my coordinate while carefully planned was simple in comparison. That's why for my next Alice themed tea (in April 2025), I made sure to dress up as a different character other than Alice. Between Steampunk, EGL fashion, and any other local tea place that has monthly themes, we are sure to run into more opportunities to reuse and rework our Wonderland outfits or generate new ideas completely as this is a theme we adore and apparently other people do too!

Earlier this year, I had an idea to have a meetup at Calling All Dolls in Cobalt, CT. Calling All Dolls is a unique doll retailer who also specializes in doll restoration. The owner has dolls and doll accessories that are not available in most stores. There is an extensive collection not only of American Girl dolls and their accessories, but also antique dolls, vintage dolls, clothing (a lot of which the owner makes herself), rag dolls, and character dolls. Pre-owned dolls are also available at a discounted price. 

When I asked the community what time of year we should have this meeting, Sarah said that we should have it in March, to commemorate the Japanese holiday Hinamatsuri. Hinamatsuri, also called Dolls Day or Girls Day is celebrated every year on March 3. It celebrates the health and happiness of young girls and women. Families put out elaborate dolls that represent the emperor/empress and their attendants to help attract heath, wealth, and happiness to their daughters. Dango, a Japanese dumpling made of rice flour and glutinous rice flour is a popular dessert served on this day. If you've ever seen a food emoji with 3 balls on a skewer that are pink, white, and green, that's dango. This dessert is often served with some kind of sweetener like sugar, red bean paste, syrup, or other sweeteners. 

For the meeting coordinate suggestion, it was simply, wear colors that you associate with wealth, health/happiness, or anything that makes you feel especially happy. I split the meeting into two parts. First we would go to the doll shop, and then we would go out to ION Restaurant for Sunday brunch in Middletown. It's Only Natural is 100% vegan, but you would never know--the food is so good!!!

Pixie and I got to the Doll Shop first. It was an exceptionally cold and windy day for March, so we decided to get in as soon as possible and hope that Morgan and Sarah just rang the door bell when they arrived. The shop is packed from ceiling to floor with dolls. Let me show you!

Calling All Dolls was part shop, part museum. Renee, the owner told us about several restoration projects and all about the shop. It was fascinating. Sarah found that some of the doll clothes that Renee made actually fit her Kumya Pochette (small bear bag from Baby the Stars Shine Bright), so she got it some bloomers to wear that match dresses she already owns for it. To note though, do not wear a significant petticoat while in this shop. I must have knocked over something at least 4 times just by turning my body very slowly and carefully. 

For Hinamatsuri, I really wanted to call in the ideas of health and wealth, so I incorporated gold and green into my coordinate. I also am wearing pieces from several different brands mixed together. I started with the Shirring Princess JSK in Ivory from Baby The Stars Shine Bright. This is a very famous Japanese brand that creates beautiful sweet style dresses. Most of the time, my bust measurements are too large for this brand without alteration, but the Shirring Princess has plenty of stretch! My version is a much older model (from 2007?) that did not come with a detachable waist bow. There were matching waist ties, but I purchased it used, and they did not come with it. Then I layered a blouse from the Miss Point demon hunter series that has gold embroidery along the buttons as well as gold wrist buttons on the arm cuffs under the Shirring Princess JSK. To add length to the JSK, I wore a cotton underskirt from Miss Point as well. Over all of this, I wore the Nocturne Tulle Cardigan from Atelier Pierrot in the green color way. I had other ideas for my head piece and shoes, but when the weather was below freezing with windchill, I threw on an ivory beret and velvet brown and ivory booties. (Originally I was going to repeat the ivory/gold again in my headpiece and shoes, but the weather was just so uncooperative. In fact, my beret even blew off my head when we walked to the restaurant!)

Morgan and Sarah didn't make it to the restaurant, but it's okay, because we had Marisa and Caro join us for brunch. It's Only Natural Restaurant was a recommendation from Marisa. She goes to it frequently and had lots of good suggestions on what to order from the menu. 

I had such a fun time celebrating the health and wealth of my fashion community around the holiday of Hinamatsuri. It was such an incredibly good idea and I am glad I got input as well from other community members as far as the where and when. I don't own any dolls myself, but I was really inspired by Sarah's bag, so I ordered a posable teddy bear bag that is large enough to wear doll clothes. This bag will appear at a future meeting, so be on the look out for her!

For Valentine's Day this year, we really went all out. The local Romanian restaurant, Transilvania, was having a special Vampire Masquerade themed Valentine's Day menu along with a live band playing popular monster music as well as jazz inspired dance macabre. If you remember our Nosferatu fits from January, this gave us a second opportunity to dress like vampires and have a good time. 

To show we were a vampire couple, we made sure we both wore purple and black. This dress is from the Japanese brand Atelier Pierrot. It had been on my wish list since I knew it existed, but I wasn't so sure if they made it in my size. It turns out that this design, the Bustle Corset JSK was so incredibly popular, the brand released it in a series of three additional plus sizes. I knew from the very beginning that I wanted the purple color way as well. (There's a joke that purple is the overseas favorite, because what the brand has found is that almost everyone who buys the purple color way does not live in Japan).  Was it possible for me to find the Bustle Corset JSK used in the purple color way in Size 2 in a price I could afford? Luck hit me mid August when I was browsing Lace Market (a used marketplace for EGL clothing and accessories) and someone had a reduced price simply because their body size was going to change and needed it desperately out of their closet. It may have been delivered in a beat up cardboard box inside of a trash bag, but it was absolutely the real deal and included the matching underskirt.

The Bustle Corset JSK is pretty lux. It is made of shantung and ruffled chiffon, with a bodice featuring original Atelier Pierrot designed lace. The fish tail skirt has bustles on both the front and back of the skirt. The back has shirring as well as a corset ribbon lacing, for the perfect fit no matter what your body type is. 

I am also wearing a blouse that I purchased from Atelier Pierrot. This blouse is simply called Shirring Princess Sleeve Blouse, and it's usually always available in a few color ways on their website. It is the most popular off the shoulder blouse that they sell and pretty much goes with everything they design. It includes a double lace collar, shirring from the front and back collar to the waist (and on the sleeves), and dramatic princess sleeves that spread in a fan shape. I had to pre-order the black blouse in October (because it was out of stock) and it came in December 2024.  It's definitely a great blouse. I would love to get another one in the bordeaux, navy, or beige at some point, but used, preferably. 

The headdress I'm wearing is a customized gothic rectangle piece from Junvyette on Etsy. I added bat hair clips on top of the satin black bows for the vampire theme. I am also wearing black and white lace printed tights and black pointy boots with silver buckles. The jewelry is silver and red or silver and gray/black. And of course I had to wear a masquerade mask. I tend to pick the lightweight fabric ones that allow you to wear your spectacles over or under it, if you're crafty enough at application.

Pahl is wearing a lightweight pair of black trousers with a black blouse, black lightweight waist coat with silver buttons, black heavier weight tail coat with silver buttons, and a black wool cloak that he has tied to one side to act like Dracula's cape. He is wearing black leather riding boots as well as a purple silk cravat that cleverly matches the shantung fabric on my dress. (The cravat was another birthday gift from me. I was hoping it would match my dress and I was very happy that it did!!) And of course he is wearing a mask! This one is something he bought and I believe it is a metal mask. There are only a few pictures of him wearing it as well, simply because we were at a restaurant and he couldn't eat with it on!

Pahl has a tradition of making Valentine Day cards for each other. Even though I'm an artist as well, I didn't go to an ivy league graduate school for Painting like Pahl did, so I always try to do something a little outside of the box. You can tell Pahl's card is masterfully designed and took him several hours to add line work, painting and other small details. I decided to put my tiny adult hands to good use and make swan origami where it is made of as single piece of paper. The archway that they are floating under is three hearts. I went way back into my elementary school art supplies to pull out the oil pastels and doilies to accent the rest of the card. It's relatively simple looking, but the origami was somewhat complicated with many steps and many small folds. I was proud of myself for also making it 3D and something that could lay flat in the card or be displayed open. 

I had bemoaned the fact that I was just about finished with the pound and a half chocolate bar that my friend had picked up at Trader Joes for our Christmas party in early December 2024, so Pahl made it his mission to fill up my chocolate stash. The chocolate inside the metal Godiva tin did not last long...but the rest of these bars (in order of darkness right to left), certainly have. As of the time of this entry, April 2025, I still have 3 of the bars left. 

I had so much fun dressing up, going out to dinner, and dancing to a live band for a little while. I hope the restaurant continues to put on fun themed events like this one! And I noticed that in general people that happen to be at the same place/event have also noticed that our outfits are real clothes---not just costumes!  We get a lot of questions about where we acquire things, so don't be afraid to ask if I somehow don't write about it here. 

Pahl and I had such a wonderful time at the Frost Moon Feast last year, we decided we really wanted to go again. The Frost Moon Feast is a dinner theater event where the cast of characters represent a noble fae court and its attendants that come out during the winter months. This year the main differences were that it was at a completely different venue, and instead of having us solve riddles and small games individually or at our tables, we were all invited to solve a murder mystery within the cast. Luckily, the cast was the SAME as last year, and they had pamphlets this time that gave information about each character. We were only slightly less clueless, and mostly interacted with the same character all night, and did not successfully solve the mystery completely. It's hard when you're just having such a wonderful time spending time with friends old and new at your own table!

The first friend I found at the event was Aletta. I met her while going on past Steampunk club adventures. She had come to the Frost Moon Feast with another friend. Aletta was inspired by Nordic style fashion when she selected her outfit for the feast. We must have been thinking the same thing when we thought Frost and Moon = Royal Blue and White. I really like the attention to detail in her accessories like the beaded crown, necklace, and drinking horn hanging from her belt.  

Another friend that ended up sitting with us was Nicole and her husband Josh. Nicole I had met previously when she attended my Chocolate Factory Tour and Tasting meet up last year. Nicole is super crafty. She makes all of her own clothes, from EGL fits like at the chocolate factory to this stunning lace and beaded over dress/ skirt. It was so nice to see her and catch up with her! She apparently knew the cast of the dinner theater very well, and probably knew the whole story line, but deftly concealed it from the rest of us so we had to figure it out (or not) on our own!

And we can't forget Mike and Colleen! They were the only two people we knew at the Frost Moon Feast last year! Mike wore a similar outfit as last year and Colleen whipped this one up for herself apparently last minute. Another crafty friend, I'll say!  (I tried to make a dress like this in high school and by the time I was ready to go back into, I was a completely different sized person). Also, apparently Colleen is the only one who can look at the camera while someone is taking a group photo. Mike was about to say something, I'm looking at Colleen, and Pahl is lost in a wonderful daydream. 

I put a tremendous amount of thought into my outfit for the Frost Moon Feast this year. Pahl had initially said to "wear the same thing as last year" as it was a more Renaissance themed dress, but I like to change things up between years so that I remember things better. I wanted to bust out my custom sized Surface Spell Nocturne Brocade Puff Sleeve Dress. I had ordered this dress in March of 2024, and guess when it arrived...AUGUST. It's made of a heavy weight lined black brocade with beautiful royal blue shimmer embroidery at the skirt as well as black beaded pearls all around the neckline as well as the bottom of the skirt. The back has a corset style tie in the same royal blue color. 

I easily could have coordinated it with black and gold and called it a day, but I didn't. I have been collecting a capsule wardrobe of black, blue, and white items, specifically in gothic styles, and I had to add some white for the winter theme of this event. So first I ordered a new headdress from chinese indie brand Fox Cherry. The one I ordered has small white rams horns wrapped with royal blue ribbon, blue roses, a small silver crown decorated with pearl accents at the top as well as hanging down over the top of the head. There is also a white veil with silver and gold stars.  To repeat the white and blue again twice over, I added fingerless white gloves with royal blue lacing and white tights with a blue criss cross flower design. The jewelry I am wearing is vintage costume jewelry with "gold" metal and "sapphire" stones. 

I wanted to look a little otherworldly, so I did my eye makeup in cool blue and silver colors, my face highlight as a cool shimmer, and my lipstick as a dark purple (a combination of a cool medium pink and a dark blue shimmer). I finished my look with Strangecvlt Coven boots in black with silver buckles. I suppose I have other shoes that would have worked, but the forecast was threatening a real snow storm and I didn't want to wear something that might be hard to walk through snow in. 

Pahl wore a full suit of armor. Wait didn't he wear a full suit of armor last year? Yes, he has more than one suit of armor. He is wearing lightweight chainmail under a red and black tunic that he embroidered himself. It is a red rabbit leaping!  He is also wearing shoulder epaulets as well as the neck armor and leg armor. I am certain it took him much longer to get dressed than it took me!  In fact, I helped make sure the cape still moved under the armor and got the shoulder armor to attach to the neck armor. I even carried in his helmet at the door. I am a  princess squire in training!  

I especially loved the sound of Pahl going up the stairs. So much metal clanking! He could not sneak up on you!

The lighting inside the venue was exceptionally dark in most places, and I had to use every ounce of Photoshop magic I possess to even get this much exposure. It's not perfect, but at least he's no longer a knight in the shadows!

I think it's obvious at this point that we have a lot of fun at the Frost Moon Feast regardless of our ability to follow the story line or solve the puzzles or murder mystery. The feast is always excellent and as I continue to attend I am sure I will know more and more people! We look forward to the event again every winter. What will I wear next year? Not sure yet, but you can count on Pahl to be a Knight. 

The second time we dressed up in January 2025 was to attend the Winter Lantern Festival held at Lyman Orchards. The Winter Lantern Festival was a celebration for the Chinese Lunar New Year. Not only were there beautifully designed intricate but also large sculptural lanterns and walkways to pass through, but there was also entertainment from an acrobat troupe as well as live music. I knew it was something I wanted to attend and opened up to a meeting with my fashion community. A few people bowed out last minute...I mean 18 degrees Fahrenheit with a windchill is just not comfortable, even with thermals, thick wool and polyester fabrics, and strategically placed Hot Hands in your shoes. Jax was the only brave soul outside of Pahl and I. They had an adorable sweet style outfit on with a matching gingerbread house back pack. I wish I remembered more of their outfit, but it was so cold and I only have this one picture of all of us and well...it looks good for scale purposes, but the details are lost.  

We learned our lesson about surviving in the cold outside at the Mystic Aquarium Home for the Holidays event in December, so we made sure we got ourselves hot beverages right away. At Lyman Orchards, you could get shots of alcohol added, but we had ours plain. It was a really excellent hot chocolate that cooled down way too fast. We decided to walk over to the entertainment tent before doing the official walkabout while we were waiting for Jax to arrive. 

You had to follow a lit up path with different robots and when you got to this sculpture of the woman with wavy hair, you hung a right. This brought you up to the back side of the 1741 Pub & Grill, which we had attended a Bridgerton themed Brunch at the year before. However, we were still outside the entire time. They did have some gas fire places to stand around, upon which we huddled around near the performance stage. The acrobats were really impressive. First a woman dressed in a panda onesie came out and did various balancing on a see-saw barrel while stacking bowls on her head. Then the clowns came out and did various stacking and spinning of plates. Each performer took turns a few times, but the entire act must have been a good 15-20 minutes. I loved it and was so impressed that they were even performing at all in the cold with the wind. They noticed my admiration and insisted that I take this cute bunny balloon as a souvenir.

They gave balloon swords to the children, but they insisted that I should take the tired bunny star wand. They didn't offer one to Jax or Pahl. I still have it and it's March. It's still fine and has all its air. It must be a magic wand. 

After the performances, we decided to go on the lantern walk together. This was pretty much a field with the most intricate and largest fantastical sculptures. There was a foam square walkway all around the perimeter. I briefly attempted to go off trail to try to stand closer to this frost fairy whom I loved so much, but there was a ton of ice and mud and holes in an uneven field, and I almost tripped and landed on my face somewhere near some electrical cords. 

Pahl was going for a more tailored version of the captain look he had when we went to Mystic Aquarium, (the big difference is that he shaved). This time he wore a deep navy and black waist coat, black jeans, black shoes, and a black tail coat. He is wearing a purple paisley cravat, another one of the birthday gifts I gave him. 

​I am debuting a deep blue velvet dress from Canadian designer Gloomth. Gloomth coins itself as "Victorian Grunge" and "Modern Mourning Attire", and this is the first of three designs that I own from the brand to appear in this blog. This dress in fact, was my Christmas gift from Pahl. You never need to worry about finding me a gift. I'll tell you exactly what I want and expect you to buy it for me. This is the "Dauphine" Blue Velvet Gothic Party Dress and what I love about Gloomth designs is not only the piece itself, but the various ways that she styles each piece. Each dress will have at least 20 different photos and poses with different models and accessories. 

As far as my own accessories I am wearing the blue, silver and pearl Luxmira eye necklacewith dangling blue and silver heart made and designed by Minori (who is a Japanese fashion designer and model). I found the earrings at a thrift store and I had the hat custom made on Etsy for me last year. It looks gray or white sometimes, but it's actually off white with light brown and black streaks. It is fully lined with fleece and is faux fur. I get a lot of compliments on it wherever I go and due to its height, it helps keep in heat very well. I was also wearing thermals and lined boots, but that was more of a survival choice rather than a fashionable one.

It was a novel idea to try to dress up to go to an outdoor winter lantern festival, but if I were to do it again, I'd definitely follow the lead of the acrobat and start with my fleece parakeet animal onesie as my base layer and add leg warmers, a heavy coat, and a hat. It was a really fun event, but I kind of wish it had been like 20 degrees warmer. 38 degrees Fahrenheit would have been amazing. But it was very much winter in Connecticut and that just doesn't happen until late spring. 

Now to be honest, I'm not really a horror movie kind of person. But Nosferatu hits different for me. Nosferatu (the Romanian word for vampire), is based on Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula.  The two stories share many similarities, such as a vampire who becomes obsessed with a person and terrorizes their family, the setting of a crumbling castle in the Carpathian mountains, and a vampire traveling by ship to a new home.  However, in Nosferatu, Dracula is known as Orlok, and Orlok is rather susceptible to sunlight, while Dracula is only weakened by it. 

There have been 3 film adaptations of Nosferatu so far. First, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922) the original silent film directed by F.W. Murnau. Then, Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) directed by Werner Herzog that combines Nosferatu and Dracula. And lastly, Nosferatu (2024) which is a remake written and directed by Robert Eggers and was released on Christmas Day in December 2024.  Nowadays, I feel like we are lucky if a movie is in theater for a month! We saw it as soon as we could after the release date, which turned out to be on Pahl's birthday in January. 

Pahl loves to dress like a vampire. It is one of his specialized looks. He had a completely different outfit planned to go see Nosferatu in, but then I got him this dead head moth bolo tie and belt buckle set for his birthday and he had to change almost his entire outfit to wear them! Of course you need a certain collar on a shirt to wear a bolo tie, and he had to wear a waist coat that did not cover the tie nor the belt buckle. He kept his fit in all black so that the silver metal of the tie and buckle would really stand out. 

Now of course I had to wear EGL fashion. Transilvania Moonlight by Chinese indie brand Krad Lanrete was the absolutely perfect choice for a nod to the movie. The Transilvania Moonlight JSK features a high waist, partial shirring, corset lacing in the back, as well as imagery of castles, roses, crosses, trees, churches/cathedrals, staircases, angels, bats, moons, and coffins. The black over skirt is attached and adds to the spooky feeling. I paired it with the Atelier Pierrot Shirring Princess Sleeve Blouse in Black. This blouse is pretty iconic for gothic EGL fashion. The black is always going out of stock and is hard to acquire used. So I bought it in October during a pre-order and luckily received it in December! You would think that the princess sleeves get in the way, but they never do. They always look great, and if you do need to do a task like the dishes or something, you can stuff them into the shirred sleeve parts. Very stretchy, very versatile. I am also wearing a headdress that I had custom made from an American Etsy seller named Junyvette. Junvyette specializes in made to order gothic headdresses.  Another amazing part of my outfit is my stained glass coffin rosary necklace from American brand Neant Glass.  These necklaces are very popular with those who wear the Gothic style. Neant Glass is even a partnered vendor with Japanese brand Atelier Pierrot. Despite my geographical proximity to the maker of Neant Glass pieces, they always seem to sell out rather quickly (like within minutes) of a drop. However, I got really lucky on small business Saturday and was one of 17 people to nab a special set. The seller also made our set a surprise, but we could send her photos of our Instagram page to get a feel for what would go with our coordinates. As I understand it, this was one of her tamer looking pieces, and she was very happy to find the right person to wear it!  (Again--proving I'm a select horror film lady). 

I paired it with patterned tights and my trusty coven boots from Strangecvlt. I didn't wear makeup this time...we were going to the movie theater...who was going to see it anyway? I've seen every Nosferatu movie and I really enjoyed Egger's version for the gorgeous costumes, drawn out atmosphere, and character development.  A lot of people complained about how Nosferatu looks in this version, but if you've ever seen a drawing of Vlad the Impaler, there is definitely a resemblance with the mustache and the furs. 

Honestly I was just so happy that it wasn't TOO SCARY for me to watch it in the theater. We made sure it was a matinee anyway. It was just so fun to dress up for the film. I had never really done that before and it was also fun to finally debut my "LEGIT GOTH EGL" pieces and accessories together for the first time. So if you're not a horror movie person, but find yourself somehow okay with the vampire genre and really like fashion, then this movie is for you!

The second meeting I attended in December 2024 was put on by the local Steampunk group at the Shoreline Trolley Museum.  Now if you've been following the blog for a few years, you'll know I got a private trolley for my fashion group in the off-season just when they started putting up the station decorations in mid-November of 2023. During the month of December, the museum is nicely decked out for the Christmas holiday before they close for the winter season.  In Sprague station, you can see a moving train above your head with Santa and gifts in it in the station, a giant red mailbox that contains letters for Santa, and a couple of Christmas trees. The line stops are also decorated as well as every trolley housed in the barns. It is truly a site to see the museum lit up for Christmas!  And the perfect time to dress up for photos too! The plan was to meet in the late morning, take some photos at the station and attend a trolley ride and tour together at noon.  

Now for this meeting, the steam punks didn't say what we had to wear. They encouraged Christmas theme, but Pahl and I decided to do something completely different. I styled myself as an "airship captain" and he was my "first mate". My outfit is also EGL fashion, but it is the more masculine side of it. Ouji, pronounced "O-G", is the Japanese word for prince. It is considered to be "a blend of youthful exuberance and Victorian sophistication", according to Sunica Design.  Even though it is considered to be "boy-style", it is not restricted to any gender.  A full ouji ensemble includes unique details such as asymmetrical cut shirts, waist coats in single and double-breasted styles, dress pants, pocket watches, monocles, ties, hats, and canes. I've seen all of these accents used in Steampunk style outfits, so I thought it would be the perfect event to debut my ouji style!

However, my ouji outfit has a distinct feeling that it is military inspired, but from what origin? The Princess Chronicles~The Stars Change Sleeveless Ouji Fashion Coat is a long black tunic with asymmetrical fasteners at the collar in a Chinese Hanfu style, with distinctive black on black embroidery at center of the chest and below the knee. I also purchased most of the pieces from The Stars Change series including the asymmetrical black blouse with the metal buttons and mutton sleeves, the embroidered adjustable trousers, the one shoulder waist belt, and the matching wool hat.  Additionally I am wearing a short blonde wig, a long prince like coat, and black combat boots. 

Hanfu is a style of clothing that Chinese people wore during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE). The central principles of Hanfu are modesty, respect for tradition, and harmony. The design and structure of the clothing reflect the ideals of Confucianism. In Confucian philosophy, the clothing you wore expressed your role in society. The loose and flowing garments symbolized tranquility and balance, in harmony with nature and society. Hanfu also played an important role in one's social status. The material, color, and embellishments of the garment were regulated by social hierarchy. Emperors, nobles, and scholars wore specially designed hanfu, while commoners wore simpler versions. 

Historically, the color black was associated with the cyclical nature of life. It embodies the essence of water, flowing and adapting, symbolizing mystery, depth, and the unexplored realms of the Universe. Black can also exude an essence of martial valor and refined elegance. I imagine that when Chinese indie brand Princess Chronicles designed this coordinate, that they were thinking of someone wearing it who was brave but also interested in exploring the unknown. 

Pahl had built or upcycled many accessories in his first mate outfit. The stun gun was once a soldering gun. His jet pack was once a vintage vacuum cleaner. His leather aviator coat has an asymmetrical closure to one side. Snow googles and a fin on an otherwise leather helmet. Utilitarian black cargo pants and tall black leather boots. Black fingerless leather gloves and a black belt with a metal atomic symbol as a fastener. While I steered us towards the unknown, like meeting up with new people we never met before, he had my back like a true rocketeer, even if it was just talking to new people and trying to remember their names!

My robes truly were long and flowing, and I felt very balanced in my all black han substyle of ouji EGL. Again, I seem to be the only person who bothers to bring an umbrella with them to a meeting. It just happens to work that my umbrella is a black and red pagoda style that effortlessly matches my outfit!

Overall we had such a fun time! There were so many new faces for us, it was hard to keep everyone straight. I did run into a couple that I have been attending a regency style dance class with, so I spent most of my time getting to know them better while on the trolley ride itself. Everyone else had very appropriate Christmas colors and Victorian inspired styles, and ours were just not exactly that; you might say we were the real punks of the meeting! Regardless, the trolley volunteers/personnel thanked everyone profusely for dressing up, because I'm sure it made things more fun for the other random folks and families riding the same trolley as us. 

Danielle, Sarah, Jax, Margot, and Colleen

In December of 2024, I participated in two dress up activities that other people planned. The first one was a meeting that Jax planned at Mystic Aquarium (in Mystic, CT) during their "Home for the Holidays" holiday lights extravaganza. The event features holiday-themed lights, live animals, multiple photo opportunities and special guests select evenings between Thanksgiving through New Years.  

I knew it was going to be cold outside, but I had somehow forgotten in the (more than two decades since I visited this particular aquarium) that a good portion of it is all outside. I would say most of the lighted walkways and multiple photo opportunities were located outside between the cafe and the inside gallery. In fact, even the entrance dome is technically outside, as are the habitats with the beluga whales and the seals. 

Jax told us to dress winter holiday theme and or an aquatic theme for the meeting. I went with Classic EGL Christmas. To stay warm, I paired a wool lined red and green tartan skirt from Miss Point, with the fleece lined Time Memory ~ Elegant Lolita Slim Fit Mutton Sleeve Blouse, which I then topped with the Ode to Joy~ Winter Velvet Vest  in blackish green (also from Miss Point). I wore Christmas themed tights, but you can hardly see the pattern because my skirt is so long. I was originally going to wear gold tea party shoes, but the temperature was far too cold for that so I wore thick wool boot socks and teal dyed thinsulate lined leather boots. I also made sure to sew the rogue gold button back on my super old bright red wool coat I rescued from Burlington Coat Factory about 16 years ago. The Elegant Striped Top Hat (also from Miss Point) kept my head surprisingly warm in 28 degrees Fahrenheit weather. For my bag, I brought my Christmas bear bag with me. It doesn't quite fit the rest of the Classic elements in my outfit, but I had talked to Sarah before the meeting, and we both brought stuffed animal bags decked out for the holiday in solidarity. 

Sarah continued the tartan with their babydoll tartan dress from the Japanese brand Baby the Stars Shine Bright. This kind of dress is what I would consider to be a highly iconic old school style. Old school style is characterized by an emphasis on construction, high quality materials, and patterns made with lace and ribbon design. Sarah paired the dress with a short black coat, white under the knee socks, and black platform mary janes. They also have a white heart shaped bag from Baby the Stars Shine Bright and are wearing fluffy white ear muffs that seem to be connecting a white and red rectangle headdress. Everything is carefully matched and balanced between color and styling. 

Jax made their own dress from a pattern they had drafted from scratch. They specifically chose a Grinch themed fabric because they knew the guest of the evening we planned to attend was the "Holiday Grouch". I love the different lace that they used in their dress from the thinner lace at the bodice and middle of the skirt to the "falling star" lace at the hem of the skirt. They added a wine red and white fur cape and matched this expertly with white tights and wine red shoes. 

While you could say that Jax, Sarah, and I each exemplified the Christmas holiday in some capacity with our chosen colors of the evening, Margot and Colleen went for the more muted colors I would associate with winter in general. I really like the shiny star over blouse Margot added to her outfit. It reminded me of the twinkling lights we were observing and the magic of the holiday season.  Colleen managed not only to wear white and blue that remind me of fresh winter snow and the sky during a 4:00 pm sunset, but also her dress and matching head bow are aquatic themed! 

How could I forget my Sea Captain of the evening? Pahl tried to dress warmly with a wool coat over his waist coat and blouse and black denim. He made sure to wear a thick cravat, leather gloves, and a wool sea captains hat. He even kept himself a little scruffy in his facial hair just for the look! Unfortunately decisions had to be made between looking cool and feeling too cold, so right up here in the entrance is the last time you get to see his full regalia before he had to close his coat up to stay warm. 

Overall, I would say it is a very unique family friendly event. It is nice to go on the outside walk and observe the lights and interact with the outside animals a little bit as well as warming up in the inside gallery. If it's your first visit to the aquarium ever, I probably wouldn't recommend it, as you don't actually get to see all of the animals and to be honest, it's a little disorienting going at night in the cold than during the day if you are not familiar with the place (like I apparently wasn't). Luckily Jax and Margot used to volunteer there in the past, and I learned so many fun facts about the animals from them as well as following their lead through the outside and inside environments. If you are interested in attending, and want to save on ticket prices, look during the end of October for discount tickets. 

One of the long standing wardrobe goals I started building for myself in 2024 was specifically a black, white and medium blue/dark blue gothic/punk style capsule wardrobe. I was inspired by the Japanese gothic EGL brand Moi Meme Moitie, whose designs are primarily in white, black, and a deep klein blue, (lovingly referred to as Moitie blue by EGL fashion enthusiasts). You can purchase Moitie items from anywhere in the world using Wunderwelt Fleur.

Silent Moon is the name of a specific design that Moi Meme Moitie has released several times over the years. It primarily has come out as an OP (one piece dress), but there is an earlier release of a JSK and a skirt that exists. There are also matching over the knee socks and accessories for this print. The dress is made of a crepe fabric suitable for all seasons. It is short sleeve, has full shirring in the bust and waist, elasticized cuffs. and is fully lined. The print on the bottom portion of the dress is mainly a series of different gothic cathedrals with crosses at the peak of every roof, with trees and birds flying in the background and a full moon surrounded by clouds in the sky. 

A lot of people in my fashion community happen to own a version of this dress, so I decided to make a meeting in November 2024 where anyone who owned this dress was to meet up at Grove Street Cemetery in New Haven, CT wearing it. If they didn't have the dress, they could wear any combination of black, white, or dark blue, but I preferred they make it gothic or classic style as we were meeting at a cemetery. 

As I am partial to planning events that include some form of education, art, and history, of course Grove Street Cemetery was on the top of my list to have a Gothic photoshoot at. Grove Street Cemetery, which opened as a burial ground in 1796, is the oldest cemetery in the nation designed as a "city of the dead", with named avenues and cross streets. It is a National Historic Landmark, and is the first chartered burial ground in the United States and the first to be arranged in family lots. Within the cemetery are the markers or plots of most early residents of New Haven, including Eli Whitney, Noah Webster, Walter Camp, Roger Sherman, fourteen Yale presidents, and hundreds of other faculty members, alumni, and campus luminaries. The cemetery serves as resting place for many historically important figures, and a number of its tombstones date back to the 1600's. In addition to a collection of specimen trees, the entrance has an architecturally prominent Egyptian Revival Gateway facing High Street. 

​Clearly the cemetery has something for everyone! Even if you don't know anything about history, you can enjoy the many varieties of trees and bushes that were cultivated there. As soon as you get past the gateway, there are folks jogging as well as other folks walking their well behaved canines around the place. It's a cemetery...but also a public respite from the hustle and bustle of Grove St and the surrounding city streets in that area. And despite all of the historical figures and extensive family plots within, people are still being buried there today! 

Leo's favorite brand is Moi Meme Moitie and they have been collecting pieces from it for years. Leo is wearing the black version of the Silent Moon OP with a white printed design. They also have the matching Silent Moon Over the Knee Socks as well as the printed satchel bag. They are wearing two different cross necklaces, I believe both of them are also from Moi Meme Moitie. The large one is actually silver with blue jewels. Leo wore a white princess sleeve stand collar blouse from Atelier Pierrot underneath their dress (as it was starting to get a little cooler outside). Gothic matte black heels and a black fascinator completed their look. They went the extra mile and put on some very gothic makeup with a pale complexion, dark blue eyes and deep brownish red lipstick. 

When I saw that Wunderwelt had a used version of the white version of Silent Moon with the blue print, I had to have it. It was also less expensive, because there is supposedly a stain somewhere (that I've never found) than it would be if I had purchased it brand new. I paired it with a three-quarter princess sleeve stand collar blouse from the Chinese Indie brand Yilia. Yilia makes basic colored blouses in almost every collar/sleeve type/ length you might need to complete an outfit, and I highly recommend them if you're just starting out. I've used this same blouse across all EGL styles now (between sweet, classic, and gothic). The white of the blouse is somehow more of warm white compared to the cool white of the dress, so despite also mixing additional blue and black into my coordinate, I had to mix different whites. I added a rectangular headdress from Atelier Pierrot that happens to be made of both cool and warm white ribbons and lace. 

To repeat the blue, I am wearing a pair of over the knee ribbon socks also from Moi Meme Moitie. I custom ordered white lace gloves with blue crossing ribbons on Etsy, because I knew the sleeves on the blouse that I owned were not actually long sleeve. Now you can't see this in this particular photo, but I had to take out the blue ribbon waist tie from the dress. It was...not long enough for me to tie it around my waist. Instead I swapped it out completely and added a black waist belt I got in a different set. To repeat the black again, I am wearing a rosary inspired choker that is black and silver as well as the Bondora~Cross Punk High Platform Shoes in black that also have silver cross charms that hang from them. 

Like Leo, I also used complexion makeup that was paler than my actual skin, and did a darker look around my eyes with a dark reddish purple lipstick. 

Barbara went full classic victorian goth all in black for her coordinate. She is wearing a long sleeve victorian style blouse that she paired with a high waisted long skirt. Her accessories include a necklace of pearls, a cameo necklace, a spider pin with a pearl detail, silver bracelets and rings, a big black mourning hat with a veil hanging down in the front, and of course exquisitely applied makeup.  Her ankle brace matches the look well, but the New Balance sneakers are definitely a functional/safety choice. We always encourage safety in footwear, especially at meetings that require a lot of walking!

When two or more people wear the same dress at a meeting, it is considered a form of twinning. I just absolutely love how Leo and I are contrasting versions of one another. I have just about as much black in my coordinate as they have in white in theirs. 

In some photos you will also see me wearing a prince style black coat with silver buttons. It was getting a bit cold as it was November. Luckily Kaitlyn, Leo's friend who also came to the meet dressed in alt gothic fashion was extremely generous in holding our accessories and helping us take photos during our visit. I put some of the photos in black and white because I thought the lighting added a hint of a story and good memories. 

All in all it was a gorgeous day and we really lucked out on the weather. Traffic and parking around the cemetery was a bit stressful as Yale had a very large event at their athletic center up the street, so most of Grove Street was filled up. Technically we could have parked in the cemetery itself, but I wasn't sure how many people were going to go and there are only so many drivable "streets" within the cemetery as most of them are actually just walking paths. 

It was so much fun to just dress up for a specific theme in a specific location. I might do something like this annually, but pick different historical cemeteries throughout the state. You can certainly depend on anywhere in New England to have a good old cemetery, but Grove Street Cemetery is certainly unique due to its 425+ and counting years of interred residents!