So I guess I have been making various “How to wear the summer solstice” outfits over the years and posting them willy-nilly on the internet and social media, but I have not been properly gathering them up in a blog post afterward, like I typically do with my other How To Wear collections. Le whoopsie! So that’s what I am doing today.
With such curations, I might usually include a bit of preamble about whatever aesthetic aspect of the seasons linking them with this, that, or the other kindred sartorial elements, but today I will leave the connecting of those dots to you. I have bees to bother and cookies to think about baking (I probably won’t bake them, but I’ll think about it all day) and a mustard yellow tunic to wear, and such is the extent of my summer solstice practices. I am sneaking all of this in-between minutes of the workday, so I am doing my best with what I have to work with!
Click on each image to be whisked away to a page where you will find all of the items that comprise the ensemble. Please note that these were pieced together over the span of several years and many of these things are sold out or discontinued, but you can often find the same or similar items on resale sites. Also, my daydreams are opulent and not inexpensive, so yes–many of these things are stupidly pricey, I am well aware of that!
Summer Solstice 2024 (light & dark version)
Previous Summer Solstices…
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My fantastical, fabulous friends! I am so excited for Kjersti Faret’s Everyday Fantasy Clothing Collection, which she just launched on Kickstarter earlier this month–and I think you will be, too! I have long been a fan of the fierce, joyous, tender oddball sensiblilities manifesting in her art, which explores fascinating facets of art history, queerness, and the occult (read more about this in a previous interview with Kjersti)
…and now we can WEAR some of this artful magic!
The “Everyday Fantasy: Clothing Collection” is inspired by medieval art and fantasy worlds but made for daily life. A dress, tunic, leggings and cincher belt – each piece has been thoughtfully designed by artist Kjersti Faret, the creator behind Cat Coven. The clothing is made in LA and is available for all genders in sizes small – 5XL. Right now the campaign is live on Kickstarter, which ends October 1st.
Read further for Kjersti’s insights regarding the inspiration and process for this marvelous, and I will insist –MUCH-NEEDED– collection, and get a peek at all of the magical pieces that will be available!
I love dressing up in fantastical clothing (think Renaissance Faire) but most of it is impractical for everyday life. I took the designs I love and made them to suit modern wardrobes while still feeling playful. Most fabric is made from a machine-washable blend of linen and rayon, and everything has POCKETS! Also, when I usually see a beautiful laced-up dress, they’re just a solid color and I wanted to make it more whimsical with the prints. I want my clothing to be fun!
I put a lot of humor in my work and the art that gets me excited are things filled with silliness. Medieval manuscripts are my number one all-time favorite inspiration since they’re serious religious texts with silly doodles in the margins. These monks are spending the majority of their time crafting these, and yet the margins are filled with pooping monkeys or nuns picking dicks off a tree. To me, those manuscripts are the physical embodiment of “don’t take life too seriously.”
The “Tapestry” fabric pattern was inspired by various medieval tapestries and the classic “mille fleur” (“thousand flowers”) pattern that was popular in the middle ages and early Renaissance. I created some of my own creatures to add into the pattern based on other forms of historical art like manuscripts as well. While coloring the design I tried to imagine I was a weaver and what would translate well to graphic shapes in a textile. That’s what helped me choose colors and shapes, to keep it as authentic as I could to the source material.
The patterns were drawn on multiple pieces of computer paper with microns. To make the pattern repeat you have to shuffle the squares around as you draw so all the edges meet. Once the ink part was done, I scanned and stitched it in photoshop and added the color digitally.
The “Armor” pattern was inspired by decorative etchings on armor. A lot of the armor I looked at was “costume” armor, or armor that was worn for ceremonial events and was way too fancy to have actually been worn out on a battlefield. There are so many good examples in the Met’s Arms and Armor exhibit. None of it is a copy from historical references – I created my own filigree swirls and put in creatures that are nods to existing beings or my own imaginings. If you take a close look at this pattern it’s like a weird “where’s Waldo?” game. Little witches, toads, faces, and boobies are hidden throughout.
Being an art history nerd, I also named each piece after some of my favorite artists.
The Leonora Belt is named after surrealist Leonora Carrington. I love her work so much and think she would have enjoyed the sphinxes in the screen printed design.
The Edvard tunic is named after my favorite expressionist, Edvard Munch who you will know as the artist behind The Scream. A secondary layer to the name is that it’s a nod to Edward Teach A.K.A. Blackbeard, because inspirations for the shirt came from “pirate shirts”. By that I mean, shirts pirates usually wear in movies and television shows. It’s got a loose flowy fit that goes perfect with a belt and of course, has pockets.
The Artemisia Leggings are named after Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi, who I just love and wanted to name something after her. The leggings are made from recycled water bottles. They also have “chito sante” (organic biomass from crab and shrimp shells AKA food waste) impregnated on the fabric, which gives it anti-bacterial and moisture wicking properties. Side pockets are perfect for cell phones.
The Gunhild dress is named after someone nobody will recognize because it’s my own grandmother. She was an artist and art teacher who passed away in 2020, partly due to Covid. Without her encouragement in my early years, I wouldn’t be the artist I am today.
I love this dress because it looks like a princess dress but it’s actually comfortable and there is a practicality to it – the laces in the back are adjustable. If you gain or lose a few inches, the dress can be adjusted to your shape. And of course, pockets!
The inclusive sizing was really important to me. Right now the range is from small to 5XL, but if I continue doing clothes like this in the future I’d like to expand it further. A lot of brands (both small and large) barely go beyond 3X (and a lot of times they aren’t even true plus size measurements). I looked at other true plus-size brands to make sure we got the measurements right. As a very small business, I understand how expensive it can get to grade so many sizes. But at a certain point (for larger companies) it becomes a conscious choice to exclude larger bodies.
When it comes to how clothes fit, I personally dread it when I gain or lose a few pounds over the years because then my favorite pieces become too tight or too baggy. Each piece in this collection is meant to be forgiving. The leggings are stretchy and the laces on the bottom give a little extra room in your calf if you want. The dress has adjustable lacing, as does the Leonora belt. The tunic has a flowy, loose shape that can be worn as is or cinched with a belt. So while the prices are more expensive, it’s because they are made of high-quality materials and fair labor and are made to evolve with your body.
This collection is really an ode to art history and the craftspeople that came before me. So many artisans throughout history were anonymous or just lost to time. Printmakers, etchers, weavers, embroiderers, woodcarvers, engravers – these and more are all crafts that inspire me and require much time and dedication to become a master. Some of these I’ve tried myself so I know the patience required and how tedious the processes can be. A big project like this couldn’t have been created without many hands. I had a great production team and factories in LA that helped make this collection a reality.
All the chainmaille in these photos is hand woven by It Is Known, a women-owned small business in NYC. Get 10% off on Itisknown.net with code COVENXKNOWN10 until October 1, 2022.
An supernova disco ball dreamscape of lavish esotericism glitters across the Zuhair Murad Fall 2022 Couture this season, about which the designer notes, “I am really attached to this world, and I am curious to know about the future and about this world that is really mysterious and really old, you know. You don’t know if it’s true or not, or the meaning, and I love signs and symbols.” Well, that’s great, and this is gorgeous, but I am really just here for the surprise lobsters.
I was today-years-old when I discovered the otherworldly alien surreal and shadowy architecture of the ANCESTORS virtual couture collection from threeASFOUR. Created in collaboration with digital artist Shingo Everard, the collection “bridges the gap between the real and virtual worlds to create a new way of experiencing fashion and fashion ownership.” Taking inspiration from ancient and current technologies threeASFOUR has created a collection of virtual garments that leverage the power of VR, 3D printing, and couture techniques.
Note: I was listening to this song at the time I was gazing at these photos, and it made for a really, really perfect experience.
Author’s note: I wrote this tongue-firmly-in-cheek retrospective of cinematic “witchy” couture back in 2014 for Witch Women, a very cool zine from Tenebrous Kate’sHeretical Sexts imprint. This was 8 years ago and in some respects, my writing/tone/voice have changed a bit. Also, it’s probably a little dated. Just something to keep in mind, for whatever it’s worth!
Witches stirring cauldrons, stabbing voodoo dolls, ripping off their own faces – truly, depictions of witchy women getting down to business make for visually fantastic cinema fodder. Whether these celluloid incarnations take form as glamorous queens, amusing fairytale buffoons, or seemingly ordinary small-town housewives, there is something fantastically compelling about watching a film focusing on witches in the midst of ritual. Even more fabulous still, when one narrows that focus to examine their attire and costumery as it relates to those ritualistic actions and behaviors. From gilded enchantresses haunting one’s dreams to gothed-out teens experimenting with the occult , Hag Couture can encompass a wide range of aesthetics, but you must pay mind to what rites and ceremonies you pair with which styles for maximum results and wow-factor! Check out these witches most powerful and fashionable moments, plus tips for conjuring their wicked style.
You don’t always have to be dressed to the nines to draw down the moon! Here we have Mater Lacrimarium (Mother of Tears, Dario Agento, 2007) draped in a simple black cloak. When you consider her feats of violence, carnage and tearing an entire city apart, you truly appreciate the power in the idea that less is most definitely more. For a high-end, luxe approach, think the Yves Saint Laurent, Spring Summer capes of 2013 (you can ditch the rest of the ensemble for a sky-clad silhouette underneath.) For budget beauties, a king-size black cotton sheet set from Wal-Mart will do the trick. Bonus points if you get your partner tricked out in some avant-garde, deconstructed Junya Watanabe or Comme des Garcons. Complete this look with a spritz of Passage d’Enfer by L’Artisan.
In The Craft, a favorite for many who came into their magics in the 1990s, we see a coven of young women experimenting with witchcraft and reveling in their newfound powers. The look and feel of the film – Lace, leather, boots, crocheted sweaters, long dresses, gothic jewelry, and dark nails and lips – is so gloriously goth/grunge nineties, but the wardrobe could use a bit of an update for today’s aspiring acolytes. Young witches in for an evening of glamours and games of “light as a feather, stiff as a board” or out for an afternoon picnic with Manon should stock up on unique pieces from dark indie designers such as Ovate, Noctex, or Morph Knitwear, festoon themselves in supernatural jewels and psychic armor from Bloodmilk or mystical talismans from Burialground and scent their persons with a bit of Snake Oil fragrance oil from Black Alchemy Lab.
A decade before Fairuza Balk’s levitating pointy-toed boots creepily scraped across carpets, we were given the supernatural comedy, The Witches of Eastwick (1987), an exercise in magnificent 80’s excess. Big hair with full, luscious curls! Towering shoulder pads! Gold lamé! To keep in the spirit of costume designer Aggie Rodger’s thrifty methods for adorning these mousy housewives-turned-sexpot sorceresses, take a trip to a ritzy consignment shop and pick up some vintage Bob Mackie gowns for your next orgy with the devil, or perhaps a bold-printed frock from Oscar de la Renta or Christian Lacroix for a formal voodoo dolly poking with your gal pals. A dab of Lancôme’s earthy, spicy, musky Magie Noire will have you channeling Sukie, Alexandra, and Jane and should complete the ensemble nicely.
In the film adaptation of Ira Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby, Ruth Gordan as potty oldster Minnie Castevet is an absolute scream and a Williamsburg witch’s dream come true. Hop on that fixed gear bike you prefer over those lame broomsticks that you knew about before everyone else and hook yourself up with some ghastly thrifted shifts/shirtdresses the color of 1970’s Tupperware containers and with patterns favored by Floridian retirees in the 1940s. Finish the look with a bespoke head kerchief, some ironic clip-on earrings, and bright blue, vegan, cruelty-free eye shadow. Fragrance-wise, CB I Hate Perfume will offer the indie contempt you desperately cling to; Black March is a great pick for a vile scent that you will love because everyone else hates it. You are now ready to join your neighbors in drugging that poor, dumb housewife who moved in down the hall from you. She should be so lucky to have the devil’s baby! Let’s go make some dairy-free, ethically sourced, roofied-up chocolate mousse to move the cause along..
Barbara Steele as Lavinia Morley, the Black Witch of Greymarsh, in 1968’s The Curse of the Crimson Altar presents a stunning vision in green-skinned, gilt ram-horned decadence. At your next cult ceremony I see designs by Jean Paul Gaultier X Ellie Saab X chainmail crafted by your weird cousin’s LARPer boyfriend. I am not sure if this frock exists in nature, but what is witchcraft for if not personal sartorial gain, anyway? Pair with an exotic feathered and jeweled headdress from Miss G. Designs on Etsy. Scent with: DSH Cathedral or Etro Messe de Minuit -both fantastic options for a high priestess who has been mouldering in dreams for 300-plus years.
Even (or especially, depending,) without her face, Angelica Huston as Miss Ernst/ Grand High Witch in 1990’s The Witches is a study in marvelous contrasts. Swathed in long black lines but dripping in opulent baubles. Elbow-length gloves over filthy claws. A porcelain-skinned facade topped with a chic bob, masking a hideous beak. Transforming small, smelly children into mice and other vermin requires an elegant, timeless look and we can look to such masters as Valentino or Alexander McQueen for this; or, should you wish to update the outerwear for your human guise, perhaps give the clean yet still deliciously dark silhouettes of Rick Owens a try on for size. Accessorize with some blingy pieces by Tom Binns or Stephen Webster, mixed in with some creepier offerings from Delfina Delletrez and scent yourself with Serge Lutens Noire, a big & bold, dark & dusty perfume.
In Blood on Satan’s Claw we see Angel Blake, seventeenth-century teenage seductress and cult leader, getting her small village all riled up and making a ruckus for the devil. To summon the look of this willful nymphet sowing evil, spreading corruption, and conjuring hellbeasts, you need look no further than your tumblr dashboard -there you will find all of the high school pastel-goth, the pseudo-pagan inspiration you need. Think “pretty + pretty tough”. Wildfox Couture tee shirts, ombre hair, Limecrime makeup. Statement eyebrows courtesy myriad middle school youtube video how-tos. A DIY crown of thorns cobbled together from household rubbish and Pinterest tutorials. Acquolina’s Pink Sugar or MOR’s Marshmallow perfume hints at childish innocence while you work your fiercely budding evil wiles.
Let’s go somewhat family-friendly for a moment: In the year 1693 the Sanderson sisters, Winifred, Mary and Sarah, were executed for their unforgivable witchy crimes committed in Salem, Massachusetts. 300 years later they return in the 1993 film Hocus Pocus, where they should perhaps be persecuted for their unforgivable crimes against fashion! Should you, like the Sandersons, have only one night to boogie, launch a reign of terror, and perform a youth-spell to keep you looking forever young, get thee immediately to a seasonal Halloween costume store. Seriously, this is just one night, you don’t need to spend more than $20 for a shoddy faux-corset complete with ill-fitting attached polyester skirt to perform your bumbling spells and charms. Scent this Ren-Faire ratchet outfit with about any fragrance by Gucci. They’re all equally as tacky, but still fun.
The impossibly elegant Veronica Lake plays the role of ‘Jennifer’ in I Married A Witch, a 1942 romantic comedy described as “more oh-boy than occult” by New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther. Jennifer is a beautiful 17th-century witch who returns to life to torment stodgy politician Wallace Wooley, a descendant of her persecutor Jonathan Wooley, who had her burnt at the stake -and never has malice and a keen thirst for revenge looked so graceful and sophisticated! Next time you wish to beguile and bedevil, begin with the basics – a classic menswear-inspired ivory robe and pajamas set with bold stripes and contrasting trim from Ralph Lauren. Regarding accessories, I mean really. This is a love potion you’re preparing, right? The fewer articles of clothing and accoutrements to shed, the better off you’ll be! A drop or two of a teasing, seductive scent, though, can only help to sweeten the pot, and there could be no elixir more aromatic and potent than a timeless fragrance from the house of Guerlain: L’Heure Bleue whispers of refinement despite the fact that you might not be wearing anything underneath that robe!
Driven by jealous heartache and a monumental grudge, the immortal witch Angelique — “succubus of Satan”– Broussard wreaks chaos on generation upon generation of the Collins family in 2012’s Dark Shadows, a film adaption of the supernatural soap opera of the same name that ran from 1966 until 1971. Angelique, born of the poor servant class–but upwardly mobile in life thanks to an unholy alliance with the Dark Lord –has continually reinvented herself over the course of several hundred years and in 1972, she is a prosperous business woman in the town of Collinsport–and a snazzy dresser, to boot. To get a leg up on your rival firms and rekindle relations with your own 200-year-old vampire ex-lover – remember, first impressions count! A sharp pinstriped pantsuit with an asymmetric cut from Vivienne Westwood will seal the deal in the boardroom, and the Zayna Bayne leather harness underneath will leave nothing to the imagination in the bedroom. (In other words, you’re going to have lots of preternatural hate sex, okay?) In either case, accent with viciously spiked gold wrist cuffs from Pamela Love and scent with Tom Ford’s Black Orchid, a darkly fragrant anthem to slutty mean girls everywhere.
From transfigurations to telekinesis and from love spells to spicy sex magics, it’s abundantly clear that a well-stocked wardrobe is an essential final ingredient to a witch’s’ rituals and conjurings – and not just black capes and pointy hats, either! Keep your eyes on the runway for seasonal trends to incorporate into your sabbats and start a vision board with looks and pieces that you think might work for you. Be willing to take risks for the good of your craft! If that bold print jacket by Christopher Kane didn’t feel right last time you were tweaking your mind control skills, swap it out for a structured Fendi blazer. Are your dainty La Perla underthings not getting you noticed during the Great Rite? Up your oomph with some naughty scanties from Kiki de Montparnasse!
Be on the lookout for further cinematic sources of hag couture and wardrobe inspiration for stylish sorceresses: Allison Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer 1997-2003), Barbara Steele as Katia Vajda / Princess Asa Vajda (Black Sunday, 1977), Frances Conroy as Myrtle Snow and Angela Lange as Fiona Good and (American Horror Story: Coven, 2013), Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix LeStrange (Harry Potter movies, 2007+), Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens (Bewitched, 1964) Angela Lansbury as Miss Price (Bedknobs and Broomsticks, 1971) and Carice Van Houten (Black Death, 2010)
For the purposes of this ridiculous article then, the question is no longer one of alignment, “are you a good witch or a bad witch”, but rather of aesthetics: “are you a haute witch or a fug witch”?
Spirited Away
Bonus Material! This article was written 8 or so years, and in the time since there have appeared (or I became aware of or realized I had forgotten) several celluloid sorceresses that I would have liked to include in this list. Below you will find some additional witch + fragrance pairings with no further context and I will not be answering any questions!
P.S. I would only ever think to make pairings or recommendations based on scents that I have actually sniffed, so you can rest assured I did not just pick these willy-nilly off the internet or whatever.
You may have noticed that while the Haute Macabre Shop is still open for business, the long-running goth fashion and lifestyle blog has closed its doors. That’s okay! All things have their time, and I was privileged to have had the opportunity to contribute my writing in the form of essays, articles, and interviews for a while. It does make me a little sad though, that some of the sartorial ensembles I created for them over the years might be lost to the ether, so I thought I’d collect them all and give them a home at Unquiet Things.
Here are all of the ones that I could find, and as I unearth more, I will be sure to add them!
HOW TO WEAR THE STARLESS SEA
HOW TO WEAR UNSOLICITED JESUS ADVICE FROM AN INTERNET STRANGER
The Batsheva Resort 2022 collection is everything I want all the time. It’s all of my selves on each part of my timelines, and it makes my heart feel silly and gleeful, and somehow– seen.
Drab brown dresses? Check. Chaotic microfloral mod frocks? Check. Profoundly plush velvet? Check check! Dresses and pants, the best combo ever? Yes, we can check that too! So, so good.
And with regard to the models? I love this, too:
“Rather than hypothesize about how wearers might make a Batsheva ruffle dress or bow-trimmed trouser work in their life, [Batsheva] Hay put her garments to the test. With her photographer husband, Alexei Hay, she set up a booth in Washington Square Park and recruited people in the area to change into her resort 2022 pieces and model for her look book.
One went full Dovima in a strapless ’50s-style golden gown and kitten heels. Another just tossed an ivory dress coat over their regular clothes, coffee cup in hand. There are teen goths, lovers, sisters, NYU graduates, and passersby smiling throughout the look book, a total celebration of New York back in action.”
