Unquiet
Things

This was initially written for Dirge Magazine in 2015. Dirge has since disappeared, but I hate the idea of my writing being homeless, so here it is for my own blog–which is probably where it belonged in the first place. 

IN THE AUTUMN AND WINTER MONTHS I am drawn to the somber quiet of cemeteries and graveyards – places that house the still, silent dead. I suppose as the afternoons grow darker and colder, so do my thoughts and mood – and as such, melancholic meanderings alongside spirits and shades are often the order of the day.

The mind tends to wander strange, surreal pathways during these wintry boneyard rambles, and yet one sometimes finds oneself contemplating such practical frivolities as fashion and fripperies whilst traversing between headstones. The thought, for example, that aside from all the dead folk beneath your feet, cemeteries are also full of fascinating sartorial inspiration: the curious gravestone iconography; the bleak, chilled color palette of concrete crypts, porcelain urns, and faded funeral bouquets; the varying textures of cracked stone, velvety moss, and the tangle of overgrown, interwoven vines.

Incorporating these solemn motifs into ensembles for cemetery strolls when you’ve got a case of the morbs would then seem a logical progression, would it not?

See below for a selection of crypt couture and funereal finery fit for early winter visits to even some of the world’s most famous cemeteries. Pack your bags for a whirlwind, worldwide cemetery tour, fashionable saddies and tapophiles!

Seriously, pack a lot of bags. I didn’t skimp on the accessories and accoutrements.

 

Highgate Cemetery, England

Private Practice Jacket $98 // Rag & Bone Distressed Skinny Jeans $255 // Commando camisole & briefs $70 // Michael Kors “Joanie” knee-high boots $295 // Halston Heritage suede tote $297.50 // Lipstick Queen “Black Tie Optional” $22 // Morph Knitwear Shapeshifter shawl $124 // Acanthus Vanitas pendant $390 // Bittersweets NY Memento Mori ring $1300 // KMRII “Estoc” belt $320 // LUSH Death & Decay perfume £30

 

Lutheran Saxon Cemetery, Transylvania

Dolce & Gabbana lace blouse $1875 // Alexander McQueen coat $5795 // Maticevski “Predator” skirt $1000 // Chantal Thomass hold up stockings $55.69 // Agent Provacateur bra $590 & panties $450 // Lancôme gel liner $25 // Saint Laurent lace up boots $524 // Charlotte Olympia suede bag $1195 // Eres + Maison Michel wide brim hat $970 // Christian Louboutin nail polish “Under Red” $45 // Antique black enamel bracelet $2450 // Gisele Ganne Mourning Blacking ring £210 //  CB I Hate Perfume “Winter 1972” $20-$100

Cimetière du Père Lachaise, Paris

Bolongaro Trevor Faded Snake parachute dress $92.56 // Theory “Virny” blazer $192 // Lonely Harper bra $75 & briefs $60 // Gareth Pugh “Runway” wedge boot $643 // Skull mask ring $200 // Pamela Love cross ring $250 // Luxirare wallet necklace $95 // MAC pigment “Softwash Grey” $31.50 // Bloodmilk Two of Swords Tarot earrings $200 // COMME des GARÇONS Silver Words fragrance $149.50

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