Nodame Cantabile inspired: experiment (ix)
15 May 2008- "Kuroki: She's cute, honest, cheerful and gentle... she also dresses up nicely, and such politeness when she speaks...
Masumi (furious): She is insensitive! She wears the same clothes for several days, she's not clean, she's a weird girl, AITSU! She always wears dresses because it is easy to change... and that Keigo, it's to hide her country dialect! She always steals other people's food, shampoos her hair once every three days, and her room is full of trash!"
The inspiration for this outfit comes from Nodame Cantabile, a crazy Japanese manga, anime + live action drama on classical music. The lead character Noda Megumi (otherwise known as Nodame) has a decided penchant for plaid (especially big checks), dresses, layering her dresses over turtlenecks then pairing it off with boots, and carrying music-related accessories such as the by now rather famous
piano keyboard tote,
treble clef brooch, and
treble clef tote.
Here I've taken a leaf out of her book and layered a turtleneck beneath my checkered dress, completing the look with laced up Lolitaesque boots that are not quite Nodame but I don't aspire to be a carbon copy, after all.
brown turtleneck with ruffled folds - Hong Kong
black & red tartan dress - made by mum
To stand out from the usual plaid dresses, my mother arranged the tartan
cloth diagonally before sewing to create a pseudo argyle pattern.
black & gold dog ring - Lilian Vernon, gift from youngest aunt
brown laced up wedge boots - thrifted
Nodame's choice of turtlenecks usually includes special points of interest like bubble sleeves, frilly edges, and buttons down the side of the neck. Here is a close up of the lovely ruffled folds around the neck of mine. There is also equally gorgeous detailing at the bottom of the body, which unfortunately, is presently hiding beneath the dress so you can't see them. Alternative shot
here.
Nodame appears to own only two pairs of boots-one brown, one black. Both have low, thick heels; they are not very high, neither are they stiletto or kitten heels for the very essential fact of the sort of person Nodame is: lazy, a little rough, and I daresay, lacking in womanly qualities (though she does indeed always appears in dresses and skirts). She is often seen running about, legs and arms everywhere.
These are my Lolitaesque boots, which don't quite fit and wrinkle at the ankles from the zips and the bulk. They are not Nodame at all except for the fact that with the wedge stack, I can probably still afford to run about helter-skelter like she does :)
Nodame seldom wears accessories, other than the occasional brooch (so far I have only identified a treble clef brooch and a cherry brooch in her wardrobe). She never wears rings at all. I guess this has to do with the fact that she's a pianist. Rings will probably hinder her finger movements.
I haven't added a brooch to my outfit because I prefer rings :) Since both the dress and top are complicated enough, any accessory to complement the outfit should be kept small and simple. This ring is not my style, but the combination of black and gold goes well with the rest of the ensemble.
Lace: from fairy angel to femme fatale
11 April 2008- Girly lace eyelets, the very embodiment of purity and innocence, is quite another thing altogether when tempered by seductive black. In the colour of the queen of the night, lace personifies allure, mystery and temptation. All it takes for such a dramatic transformation from an angel to its antithesis is the same piece in a different colour. Come twenty-nine, when I finally outgrow the stage of wearing white peekaboo lace, I shall give my lacy garments a new lease of life by dyeing them a grown-up, sexy black.
In the meantime, bringing the two opposites together in an outfit can make a surprisingly impressive, not to mention arresting, combination. The ever stylish
Blair Waldorf juxtaposes innocence together with sexiness in a striking, memorable ensemble of white lacy dress unexpectedly paired with black lacy tights. Sounds like an overwhelming case of too many hands spoiling the broth, yet it works just right. As for my own interpretation of the theme, I have chosen a more subtle direction by kicking on white heels with lacy cutouts to contrast with the black eyelets at the panel of my dress. This I top off by injecting a bit of fun into the ensemble with my choice of accessories and purple stockings. God is in the details, indeed.
black mini dress with eyelet lace panel - Chinatown
purple stockings over navy stockings - Hong Kong & FEP respectively
black acrylic diamond silhouette ring last worn
here - Fredflare + personalised
'i lost my dog' earrings made from computer parts - Chillipadi
black bow in hair last worn
here - gift from fourth aunt
white shoes with exquisite cutouts and scallop edges - August Ryan
On hindsight, I probably should not have bought this dress. It is too
short to wear out without some form of cover-up underneath.
This is my favourite pair of shoes. To me, it is as much a masterful piece of artwork as it is a pair of shoes. Behold the pretty lace-like cutouts as well as the scallop edges bordering the shoe-upper. More shots
here.
I lost my dog... but he's actually just a ear away :)
First the keyboard, now bits and pieces from the motherboard. Designed and made from beads and computer parts by the duo at Chillipadi, this is one of my most beloved pairs of earrings. The dangling chain on each side represents the broken leash between dog and owner.
I wear my bow clip slanted, just above my left ear, to hold back as much hair as possible. The brownness of my tresses are no hair dye, I assure you. They are this colour because they have been burnt (yes, burnt) by the close proximity of the hair dryer every night.