Damask, that timeless pattern of elegant scrollwork, is a design theme that will never die. Dipped into again and again by the more glamour-minded eras, it’s currently enjoying major popularity on the accessories and housewares circuits, typically sliced from its baroque habitat to add a pop of energy to an otherwise minimalist milieu. In fashion, the place to put it would be the handbag.

This camera bag conceals the goods behind a chic mod scarf of a cover flap. From Gypsy Rose Handbags.

Damask takes on a darker form in this wallet, which fastens with an antique skeleton key. From Urban Heirlooms.

A kissclasp fastening is the perfect topping to this cheeky little NeoVictorian bag. From Bits and Purses.

Moving into the more practical realm, proof that laptop sleeves need not be dull affairs. Also, a more modern-nouveau take on damask’s classic swirliness. From Janine King Designs.

Lavender decadence is captured in the slim form of an evening clutch. From Kailo Chic.

Rampaging squiggles, tangled hair, graduated blossoms all in a pretty row: such were the hallmarks of art nouveau, the style in vogue during the Edwardian era at the turn of the 20th century. It captured nature in the stylized lines of adornment and architecture, which today breaks free of its late-Victorian ancestry to tangle with the promiscuous movements of steampunk and urban tribal. This refinement of wildness, to have it come bursting forth in intricate ways, is a perfect direction for those who crave more sophistication in their jewelry boxes, but loath to part with cherished feral tastes.

An organic form softens one edge of a rectangle with what could be the break of a wave, or the tendrils of a plant, enshrining the soul of nouveau in a very simple, striking piece. From Valerie Tyler Designs.

Bronze doesn’t always play well with silver, but it certainly does here in this filigree-embellished key. From Rose Dead.

Floral swirling disrupts this otherwise very proper Victorian necklace with asymmetrical brassiness. It’s not often you see both aesthetics worked together in the same piece, and they complement each other fabulously. From PenelliBelle.

This seller refashions antique silverware into rings and pendants, elevating housewares into elegant jewels. I just bought one of her necklaces, and I think it’s awesome that one of the most headturning pieces in my jewelry collection is a butter knife. From Woods Edge Jewelry Studio.

This vial jumps straight into nouveau’s fae heart, surrounding a glass bottle with swoops and swirls of resin clay, vintage rhinestones, and bits of brass, topping it all off with a chained cork. And it comes filled with the dewdrops of citrine beads. From PlumeVine.

The shrug: an awesome little accessory often overshadowed by the rage for the perfect handbag or pair of shoes. These tiny little jackets are fantastic for increasing wardrobe versatility, where one simple black strappy dress can go Victorian, cabaret, or fetish just from changing up the shoulders and sleeves. It can also offer a little extra warmth in formal settings that might have the air conditioning tuned a little too high.

Four kinds of black lace make up this bolero, for a subtle pattern clash of wild florals.
The pleated ruffle around the collar makes for a nice dramatic finish. From Messages of Passion by Angelika Liv.

The sleeves of a medieval noblewoman, done up in the organic cotton of today. Practical, and at the same time, the kind of thing that’s hard to keep from dancing around in. From Ella Phante Phashion.

This metallic purple and spandex confection brings to mind the wild costuming of professional daredevils. Or the formfitting stagewear of 70’s glitterglam. Whatever it ends up being worn to, it will indeed be memorable. It’s also OOAK, so move it if you want it. From EyeScream Industries.

The tulle wrap that ties behind the back is a popular design on Etsy, and this one takes the retro staple of polka dots out of the realm of solid fabrics, going for a sheer organza that turns them into champagne bubbles. From French Sugar Vintage.

Black satin is broken up by light green organza on the puff sleeves and high pleated collar, a good look for both wicked stepmothers and absinthe fairies who don’t mess around. From Black Norns.

I’ve evolved a bit of an accessorization philosophy as of late, which happened while cleaning out my jewelry collection: earrings and bracelets can be purely shiny and frivolous and there just because they look pleasing, but necklaces, which are close to the face, and rings, which decorate the hardworking hands, should have some kind of aesthetic thought behind them. Whether reflecting the current state of your soul, or putting forth a clever arrangement of elements, these pieces are better if they’ve got some personality going on in them. Think about how many knuckles have gotten magic markered ever since Meatloaf Hot Patootied his way through The Rocky Horror Picture Show – it’s now in lowbrow vogue to get one’s most heartfelt sentiments tattooed there.

If your rings are mostly just gemstone cabochons or silver bands, throwing in one or two weird pieces makes for an intriguing mix of beautiful and bizarre. Or sometimes one ring is all you need, if it’s a big flashy attention-getter. This week, some possibilities to make elegant little sculptures out of your hands.

This ring was cast from a bit of handmade Victorian lace, ending up as a distressed band of sterling silver. This would go well alongside the aforementioned cabochons for a note of lovely melancholy. From The Black Spot Books.

The iconic spider of classic bats’n'cobwebs goth is wired up in Czech glass beads to stretch out over the entire hand. Add one slinky black cocktail gown, and you’re set. From The Family Jewels.

The baroque detailing of the old-fashioned lock has been stripped away, leaving a minimalist, modern silver outline. From A.N. Original Jewelry.

This spike ring looks as if someone sharpened a LeMarchand box and set it in a place for wielding completely different kinds of damage. From ErikaD4ResinCurves.

This skull ring was crafted with protection and alternate identities in mind, but also makes for a tiny horror-movie nest of tubes and intestines. From Gufobardo.

Bustles are still pretty much the province of Goth Victorian ensembles of lacy excess – there aren’t many other fashion genres so dead-set on wielding a massive amount of fabric towards a very specific part of one’s anatomy. And that’s the majority of the search results on Etsy as well, although the interesting mutations of ruffled fanny packs and bloomers have made their way into the search results. This week, it’s all about the ass!

A pillow for the posterior is head-turning enough, the tassels of fringe will grab the eyesight of all within vicinity and refuse to let go. From Lestat Couture.

This tie-on number ensures instant fluffybutt with eighteen meters of black lace. From ArtepArt.

If punk ‘tocks are more to your liking, a tartan skirt is lifted to reveal a layer of ruffles in the back. From Pinar Eris.

For a more psy look, the bustle is scaled back into a ruched belt to throw some texture on top of a skirt or flared pants. From Marian Alexander.

The rump of a tattered goth ballerina is captured in a fishtailed tutu skirt, right down to a dramatic Swan-Lake-from-hell red overlay in the back. From Perry Style.

So we’re beginning the slide into hotter weather, and while the gloves don’t come off, the fingers do. Mitts and cuffs and all the various derivatives thereof are a good way to add just an extra touch of warmth when the evenings still hold a little chill, blowing up the decoration of a bracelet all over the wrist and further up the arm. The little lacy ones are great with sweet little minidresses, the cotton ones glam up t-shirts and tanks, and when conjured up from leather, are metal as hell.

Fabric-blocked armwarmers have become a staple of the urban tribal bellydancer’s wardrobe, stacking lace and velvet and whatever else glimmers from the scrap bin into a patchworked elbow glove of sorts. This purple pair is from Little Gallery.

A silver floral print on black stretch velvet hearkens back to 90’s goth in a most teaparty-on-the-tombstones way. From Zen and Coffee Designs.

Corset lacing, lace ruffles framing the fingers, pops of red and purple and blue, it was hard to pick a representative image from this shop because there’s a lot of good Victorian-vampire-lolita handwear in it. From Estylissimo.

I thought that the art of screenprinted chaos had all but died in the aughts. I am THRILLED to find it on Etsy. The All-Seeing Eye, Baphomet, and vintage crypto-zoological sea creatures appear not just on gauntlets but t-shirts, too. From Ordo Atra Serpentis.

This is a replica of the stud-soaked so-evil-it’s-got-not-one-but-TWO-pentagrams gauntlet Nikki Sixx wore during the heyday of Shout at the Devil – go look at the reference pic in the listing to see what an exacting job this seller did. From The Leather Architect.