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Alternative Style: Get alternative style and fashion tips on goth, burlesque, retro and vintage, emo style, indie fashion, victorian style, steampunk, corsets, harajuku and more
Decora style 'Anna' lace trim skirt
Style focus: In a new Mookychick section, we scout around for interesting and cheap alternative fashion with squee appeal. This week: A cute pink lace trim skirt for £12 - perfect for decora japanese style!
View product : Decora style 'Anna' lace trim skirt
US UK dress sizes - clothing size conversion chart
Style: Clothing size conversion chart (US / UK / Europe / Japan) for dress sizes, bras and shoes. Never get caught out online shopping again.
A Darkened World for the Chocolate Girl: RomantiGoth style for dolls of colour
Style: As a woman of colour who prefers Evanescence to Lupe Fiasco, it's hard to find style tips and lifestyle ideas for bronzed beauties amongst the coveted society of paler lovelies. Yes, my black swans... I'm talking of being a part of the dark, beautiful world of Romantic Goth Style.
Read:: A Darkened World for the Chocolate Girl: RomantiGoth style for dolls of colour
Gothic Lolita wardrobe staples
Style: Gothic lolita fashion is a Japanese style that emulates Victorian dolls. These are your gothic lolita wardrobe staples to save money on gothic lolita style - everything from home-accessorised socks to petticoats to parasols...
The iconic history of our humble jeans
Style history 101: Aye, you no doubt know that jeans were working class uniforms before WW2. They'd have remained so had it not been for movie stylists. Jeans have defined movements from rock to hippy to punk... our history respects their humble origins and mighty style.
Dressing for your body type
Style: Mary Quant was one of the style pioneers of Swinging London - she introduced the bewildered world to not only patterned tights, not only Jean Shrimpton, not only the very concept of a high street fashion boutique... But also... the Mini! Mary Quant, we salute you!
Read:: Dressing for your body type
PZI jeans for curvy girls - jeans that fit!
Curvy girl style: PZI jeans are designed specially for plus-size girls or curvy girls with big bottoms. PZI are proud of making jeans that fit curves (including skinny jeans) with no gap at the waist. Mooky reviewer Duckie took her PZI jeans on a Real Woman Road Test.
Mary Quant's Mini skirt: A mini history
Style: Mary Quant was one of the style pioneers of Swinging London - she introduced the bewildered world to not only patterned tights, not only Jean Shrimpton, not only the very concept of a high street fashion boutique... But also... the Mini! Mary Quant, we salute you!
A mooky style guide to the synthetic aesthetic
Style: Are you tired of hemp? Bored with cotton and wondering what's cool about wool? Don't be thread-up (oh, ho ho! See what we did there?). Look to the edgier world of plastics. Not only can you save cows with fake leather, but recycle carrier bags too. Who knew synthetic fashion could be so... environmentally sound?
How to stay fashionable during the credit crunch
Style: Rather like the recession of the 1930s, people are dancing cares away in speakeasies and dreaming up ways to make their thrifty style look va-va-voom. Care for the contents of your closet, and this period of economic wilt should see your style and purse blossom.
Alternative maternity clothes - a style guide to being a Mooky Momma
Style: If you wear punky black, high heels or corsets, keeping your style in pregnancy can be a daunting task. But it's possible to locate cool maternity clothes (even maternity corsets!) and - shock horror - both maternity community boards and the high street will be kind to you...
Alternative maternity clothes - a style guide to being a Mooky Momma
Dealing with corset itch
Style: Fine, so you're wearing your corset... and you get the dreaded, notorious corset itch. Just a little one initially, but it spreads until you're in a creepy crawly challenge from 'I'm a Celebrity'. The ideal solution is to disrobe, but sadly you can't go whipping your corset off in most public spaces. Here's how to deal.
Retro pin-up girl hair - look like a Varga girl in 3 different ways!
Style: When you look at those retro Varga pin-up girls, don't worry that those perfect waves, sculpted ringlets and squeaky-clean locks would need a team of stylists. Sally Rebel shows you how to achieve three classic pin-up girl looks: The Natural, the Sophisticate and Victory Rolls.
Retro pin-up girl hair - look like a Varga girl in 3 different ways!
Japanese biker gangs - get the bosozoku style
Style: Bosozoku ("violent running gang") is a Japanese subculture associated with motorcycle gangs. At their worst they start weapons with sword and molotov cocktails, but mostly they're about style, noise and speed. We give you the bosozoku history and how-to fashion style.
How to be a hot sexy vegan - a guide to cool vegan fashion
Style: As a proud vegan who is usually spotted rocking skin tight vinyl and 6 inch pleather heels, Leah Ludlow is on a mission to turn being animal-friendly into a cool as well as compassionate stance.
A close-cropped history of alternative hair
What makes alternative hair so different? From dangerous bob cuts to mohawks now being sported by footballers, Anya Goy looks at the history of alternative hair, from its idealistic non-conformist roots (look! a pun!) to a future where subcultures are increasingly led by product and style rather than any beliefs. Read on. And chew your alternative hair with concentration as you do so.
How to look your best on camera
Everybody has a camera today. We use them to photograph memories, capture unique moments, capture ourselves and create artwork. There are times we want to look our best without the 'school photo' look, and think the pictures have come out great but find out later they're not what we expected. Here are some tips to look your best on camera no matter where you are.
A Guide to Gothic Weddings
Goths are usually very romantic at heart, so it's certainly not unheard of for goths to get married. In spite of occasional discrimination from vicars confusing gothic lifestyle with satanism, handfastings and blood devotion vows are now common enough that there's nothing to stop a gothic bride and groom adding official weight to their love in a way that holds some meaning for them.
A girl's guide to wearing corsets
Corsets make us feel beautiful and look striking but they really embody the phrase 'gilded cage'. Since the hourglass fantasy is confined by the back-aching reality, here is some advice on wearing corsets so you don't have to learn the hard way.
Decora - the kawaii Japanese style
The japanese style cult of decora is so sharply childlike and cute it's like biting into bubblegum and razor-flavoured ice cream that's been kept on the icy moon of Europa for a month. If you're not afraid to wear 16 bows in your hair and three pairs of socks at once, decora may be the style for you.
An instructional guide to steampunk style
Perhaps you've heard of steampunk but you're not quite sure what it is. Maybe you've never heard of steampunk, but have a yearning for both Victoriana and futuristic technology. Perhaps you thought you couldn't dream of cobbled streets and lace parasols AND surround yourself with all those nifty gadgets? Fear not - with steampunk style, there's actually room for both.
Choosing alternative glasses
It's sad but true - some of us have to hide our kohl-rimmed eyes behind glasses in order to watch indie films and perform other mookish deeds. Fear not! Not only do glasses make you look smarter, they also say something about your personality. This basic guide will aid you in choosing the right frames for your face, your style - and you.
Electroclash makeup for eyes - step by step
Striking eye makeup helps define the electroclash look. Courtney Brandabur takes you step by step through an electroclash eye makeup tutorial. With time and effort, you too can look like a sultry nu-skool jazz harlequin.
Eighties eye makeup tutorial
The eighties were a hugely creative period for makeup and the self-expression of the New Romantics influenced much of the electro look today. Esme shows you how to apply 3 shades of eyeshadow for a natty daytime eighties look. Peachy!
Body piercings - common piercings... from the other side of the needle
Body piercings are more than a chunk of metal stabbed into your body. Body piercing is an art form. There are so many unique and unusual ideas for how to get that chunk of metal stabbed into your body and (a) like the effect yourself, (b) have other people appreciate the look, and the work and thought that went into it. Excluding the ubiquitous ear piercing, let's look at the most common piercings...
What is Visual Kei?
Alternative style: Japan has been hugely influential in the past decade in terms of style, entertainment and music. Visual Kei is a punk/goth hybrid style based on J Rock bands like Devil Kitty and Luna Sea. Find out more about Visual Kei culture... and how to incorporate it into your dress style!
Eyeliner tips - how to apply eyeliner. Properly!
Makeup tips: Eyeliner. Stay! Good girl. Kathryn Hooper gives eyeliner tips on how to apply your eyeliner just right, never have it come off unless you want it to, and never shame yourself with squidgy smudgy eyes.
Learn how to apply bright colour eyeliner
Makeup tips: A bright colour eyeliner is a playful addition to your makeup box that accentuates your eyes and allows for a bit of creative expression. Mookychick readers give some of their tips for applying bright eyeliner without mess or fuss...
Guide to plus size indie fashion online
If you're a curvy lady, dressing well and creatively can be a foul nightmare. Here's a Mookychick guide to online plus-size fashion for indie, gothic, retro and generally style-conscious voluptuous vixens...
How to be an alternative model!
Mookychick helicoptered the fabulous Roswell Ivory, Anita De Bauch and Violet Magenta to a secret Swiss location for a summit meeting on how to become alternative models. We hope the time and effort these girls put into discussing the hows, do's and dont's of alternative modelling will help aspiring gals the world over...
Anita, Roswell and Violet tell you how to be an alternative model
Piercing care
A tattoo is usually for life, but a piercing is something you can keep or discard - and a piercing should be more about pleasure than pain. Pearl Riley takes you through the process, from choosing piercing studios and jewellery to surviving a piercing and caring for it afterwards. Forget crusty pus and sore red navels - make your piercing healthy and beautiful!
Falling in love with satin/lace chokers...
There comes a point where you decide the best way to emulate luxurious Victorian and Burlesque styles is to fall in love with quality and detail. Discover the perfect satin or lace choker for you and learn how to wear it and care for it. Who knows? One day it might become your family heirloom...
Raise your spirits with Energywear...
Every now and then something fun lands in the Mookychick inbox. We haven't performed cynical tests to see if Natalie's pretty Energywear clothing is TRULY infused with chi energy, but her vests and tees are sweet and cheap enough to buy even if they don't boost your lifepower. Find out more...
Glam rock your style
Sure, you love Marc Bolan, David Bowie, The New York Dolls and others, and you definitely love their style. But how to dress like that nowadays without looking weird? The lovely miss Kitty Moon shows you how to appropriate glam rock style without looking like a mad otter.
Alternative wigs and wig accessories
Sometimes you just get sick of the stuff growing out your head and no customisation is going to save it. If you're having a "what-the-hell-I'll-shave-it-all-off" moment, step away from the clippers for a second and buy yourself a new head of hair instead. Ladies (and Gentlemen), the wig is back...
Hanky panky - retro silk hankies
Hanky panky - retro silk hankies
Silk hankies are sweet, sexy and very romantic. Learn how to wear a sexy silk hanky in a modern style, a number of uses for your silk hanky, and how to speak privately with lovers through a subtle hanky code...
The art of coloured contact lenses
We give you six steps to choosing the perfect colour contact lenses for you - whether you want to be an indian princess with subtly tinted grey eyes or a full-blown alien vixen with costume contacts. It's said that eyes are the windows to a soul - so why not give your soul a teeny-tiny makeover?
Vintage handbags
Kitsch, retro and vintage handbags are objects worthy of lust. Ruby Mae James names her handbags like children. Find out more about where you can get kitsch, vintage and retro handbags - and about Ruby's super-charming obsession.
Curvy girl fashion tips
Curvy girl fashion tips
Somewhere in the past it was decided that girls over a size 12 aren't desirable. Wendy Withers tells you how to work your look if you're a big girl, and not be hemmed in by supposed style rules for big girls that, unlike corsets, are as ugly as they are constraining.
The art of corsetry
Initially invented by the father of the Modern Primitive art movement, corsets were an attempt to give women the 'ideal' figure. You can buy comortable modern corsets online today, but the early corsets were such an extreme form of bodyshaping that bodily organs would literally be dislodged from their resting places. From the past to the present, discover more about the art of the corset...
Calendar girls
What is fashion without glamour? Clothing is a statement, a reflection of individuality and sometimes can even be seen as art. The roaring twenties, flapper thirties, and even swinging sixties were a time of glittering larger than life Hollywood screen starlets with furs, jewels, and suave leading men. Even today, names such as Marilyn or Bettie send thrills down our spines. What better season than spring, a time of promise and renewal, to revive classic pinup style looks for the new generation?
Burlesque style
You've probably heard of the Burlesque revival even if you don't know what it is. Roswell Ivory tells you how to achieve the burlesque look through dress, accessories, hairstyling and - of course a certain flouncy yet ladylike attitude.
Electro Girl - a guide to electroclash style, makeup and lifestyle
Electroclash is a music scene that consumes the sounds, looks and superficial attitudes of the 80s then spits them out again through a warped mirror. In a celebration of the superficial, electro girls look unattainable yet easy, aloof yet sexually volcanic, and mix 80s, 70s and 90s style 'til it hurts. Here's how an electro girl gets her look...
An ode to cute pyjamas
Even if you sleep naked in your bed, and many of us do, there's still something about... a pair of pyjamas. The cuter the better. Debbie Read croons praises in honour of that most humble yet sublime of garments, the Cute Pyjama. All hail!
Give thanks to all most holy for the existence of pyjamas...
A Perfumed World
Scents aren't always produced by celebrity divas with too much money on their hands - they're also a cottage industry created with love and hard work by corset-makers and Lovecraft-lovers, with huge communities of fans behind them who swap scent bottles online like they're bubblegum cards. Not heard of BPAL, Possets or Blooddrop Clothing? Let E_Diva tell you more...
Make your own hair falls
When Roswell Ivory fell 20 feet while rock-climbing and lost half her hair and the skin on her head, she wore hair falls so she didn't have to shave her head and lose her social life. Gather round while she tells you how to make and apply your own hair falls, and how to wear them with maximum success...
Lolita Fashion - and Lolita Goth
Harajuku style isn't the only Japanese subculture fashion out there. Some girls are honing down their style to become Classic Lolitas or Lolita Goths, who carry gothic teddies and look like stylish victorian dolls...
Hair tips: Removing henna from hair
Henna is a natural, ethical and often beautiful option - but it's a permanent colour so once you've taken the step of putting henna in your hair it's hard to go back. Here are our tips for what to do if you have a henna-based hair disaster.
Harajuku Girls
You've probably seen Gwen Stefani's alien Japanese backing dancers, and heard her singing about 'Harajuku girls' all over her album. Anyone who makes it to Harajuku (a shopping district in Tokyo) is in for a treat because Harajuku fashion is unbelievable. Find out what the Harajuku girls are all about, and pick up some tips on how to work your style the Harajuki way.
When your old jeans die
It's a tough call having to say goodbye to your favourite jeans when they end up more hole than denim, but Amber McGown-Rules is a tough gal and can help you deal with the pain!
HOW TO WEAR A T-SHIRT
Ever since Frankie said we should relax, slogans on t-shirts have been moderately popular. But they are a potential fashion disaster if you get the wrong one. Worry no more, for here is the indispensable guide for anyone considering bearing their soul on their chest.
URBAN CAMOUFLAGE
Forget green, urban camouflage should really be all about the tramp sick. When's the last time you needed to blend into the jungle, missy?
Rubber Corsets and Rubber Care
Rubber. Even if we don't wear it, we can still drool over it. Rubber's moved on from basic black and red, found in sex shops. A well-made rubber item (made from supatex) can bring out femininity and beauty, and make a person think of other worlds, not dingy toilets with bad lighting.
Alternative Make-up Tips
There aren't really any style icons
out there to copy, and you might decide to try your hand at althernative and goth makeup because you want to be creative.
If so, here are some general tips to help you look
good when looking good most matters: when other
people see you.
Alternative hair dye tips
Dyeing your hair strong colours has its pitfalls but if you don't try, you'll never find out what they are - and the benefits, of having hair that makes you feel happy each and every morning - cannot be overestimated. Take the sting out of dyeing your hair at home.
Get alternative style and fashion tips on goth, burlesque, retro and vintage, emo style, indie, victorian style, steampunk, corsets, harajuku and more
