Tartan: few other patterns can lay claim to such a storied history, whether declaring allegiance to a Scottish clan or the subversive spirit of ‘77. It’s a burst of color all lined up in an orderly appearance, fun to slice up and serve as accessories or separates.

A black dress is broken up with a bright red Royal Stewart cincher, made even more fetching by that tilted crisscross going on in the front. From Vio Gemini Designs.

Usually you see druid hoods in black or earthtones, but here, the plaid sweeps all somberness away and ushers the wearer off to Fae School. From Malam.

A kissclasp clutch tones things down into neutrals, lending a retro vibe and much versatility in what you can pair it with. And it’s cute! From Red Ruby Rose.

The racy print is captured within the boundaries of a glass pendant, cooled off into snow-queen turquoise and a vibrant counterpoint to a no-nonsense power blouse. From Rachel Elliott Glassworks.

Yay for people who see shapeless old coats and make red flannel bunnies out of them! From Jen Ham.

It might not sound like the most glamorous fashion term in the world, what with its fussy, often lobster-printed connotations of protecting one’s shirt from dribbles of butter. But throw away the functionality and the bib turns bold and loud, an expanse of canvas to be decorated with a multitude of elements, from clusters of fabric flowers to falls of chainmail. It is an excellent piece to throw on top of an all-black outfit for the all-important pop of color – or, it can bring sparkling contrast to the humbleness of a t-shirt and jeans outfit.

Let’s start with the classically pretty. Venice lace is something that’s been wrapped around the neck in a choker shape for quite some time, but recently it’s been slipping down the collarbones to hang like a soft, oversized modern Victorian pendant. Here, it’s set off nicely with the draping hardware of gunmetal chains. From the Bee’s Knees Boutique.

And speaking of Victorian updates, some interesting things have happened to the ascot as well. Instead of tiers of lace, we have an incredibly versatile pile of loops and hanging bits that can be tied six ways to Sunday. From Necklush.

This is one of those necklaces that will draw curious eyes trying to figure out what it’s made of – a simple black and gold zipper, made labyrinthine. From Off The Chain Jewels.

An organic form emerges from silicone rubber, playing between natural and industrial for a cerebral, striking piece. From Nervous System.

Pretty fierce, eh? It’s actually three necklaces piled together, but it does result in a pretty menacing cravat, made from chandeliers and leather. From Meredith’s Eyes.

So this week’s post was originally supposed to be “gothic t-shirts.” Combing Etsy for beautiful, haunting imagery, hopefully printed onto babydoll t-shirts, making for the world’s most glamorous machine-washable loungewear when paired with the bellydance pants of last week. Instead, I got distracted by horror-themed silliness and eerie interpretations of perfectly innocent imagery. Which are good for a raised eyebrow at yoga class.

When I first moved to Brooklyn, I was thinking about getting one of those iconic I Heart New York t-shirts in black to cut into a tank and corset up the sides. Then I found this, and it expressed my feelings about my new home so much more viscerally. The seller is a sweetheart, too. From Evolution Now.

The sentiment seems intended to calm. However, this is the age of “once it’s out on the internet, you can’t take it back!” – one weapon traded for another. The menacing capital letters don’t help. From Medium Control Design Co.

The Cult of the Party Van has pulled up at the gates of the castle, and has come for your goths. From Rad Robot.

The happy, wise, earthtoned icon of indie design, rendered dark and sinister and red as blood. From RC Tees.

And something for the kids! From Junco Partner.

The aughts, the recently bygone era of fried blondes and rhinestoning everything to death, did manage to burp out a few good fashionwise things while they were going on. One of them is Tribal Fusion’s influence on the humble jazz pant, once the province of dancewear catalogs, now exploded into a wide range of lovely permuations, good for anchoring a tribaret outfit with a sparkling booty showcase, or throwing on a pair of cotton bellbottoms for looking cute during Errand Day. The elastic/drawstring waistbands that don’t require zips or hooks to fasten, and the frequent use of machine-washable materials, make them ideal for the comf-minded glamourpuss.

Tiers of ruffles descend down a totally funky silhouette. They also come in black. From Chacabraka.

These “Sugar Britches” volumize the knee with petticoat-like volume, and they’d probably double well as an underlayer to a long skirt. They, too, come in black. By From The Fig Tree.

Disclaimer: I was having the hardest time finding black lace bloomers that wouldn’t make my legs look like a pair of frilly porkchops – I bought a pair of these but customized as black capris, and they turned out fab. She also does lace-topped garter pants if you’d like your costume to involve flashing some thigh. From Creaturre.

The ruffles scream for dancing around like an utter loon, eased by openings in the front to make sure you don’t trip over yourself in your ecstasy. From Nakara Style.

Cotton pants are raised to headturning heights with the addition of lace-trimmed ruffles – this shop is loaded with similarly-slathered gothic bellydance goodies. (The lace capris are a separate item and not included in the listing, but do illustrate the layering possibilities nicely.) From Dark Fusion Boutique.

Polymer – it’s long had connotations of mushrooms, hempen cords to hang them on, and all manner of hippieness. But it’s the intent, not the medium, that ultimately matters, and here’s some jewelers putting a more nefarious sculpt on things.

Here’s a pendant perfect for a doll collector, who doesn’t have to leave all her companions behind when getting dressed for the evening – this dollface cameo brings a flapper along for the ride. From Moniee’s Art Doll Shop.

A glass vial is encased in black clay and winged with silver mica, ready for love powders, medications, or “other tiny dry items” to be kept close to one’s person. From Olga Ayala Handicrafts.

Etched fleurons, stitches, curling inlaid wires, damned if I can see where the polymer is in this piece but it’s still pretty cool. From Myithilien.

Taking a break from the usual renderings in fantasy pewter, dragon wings are spread across the tiles of a choker like tiny fragments of stained glass. From The Sage Arts.

And speaking of fantasy pewter, this reminds me of one of my favorite necklaces that sadly got lost over the years, a very 80’s silver witch’s hand where each fingernail was a red gemstone. Here’s a more flesh-and-blood version that’s just as wicked. From Pearl Moon Arts.

Black lace: it’s boudoir. It’s bad-girl. It’s vintage. It’s 80’s tawdry. It’s can-can. It’s totally gawth. One thing it definitely is: as potent as bare flesh in the turning of heads.

Black lace skitters around this dress in both a lovely fuschia overlay and on its own to princess-puff the arms and let the cleavage peek from behind dark flowers – a coquettish alternative to the ubiquitous (and tiresome) plunge neckline. From Frenchie Stiles.

It’s just a white lace slipdress gussied up with a wrap of pleated black lace, but damn, it falls just so. The rose corsage is a perfect finishing touch. From More Is More.

A Victoria’s Secret bustier gets an upgrade of pleated ruffle trim all over the place, and yes, that sweet little cameo collar is part of the deal. And it’s on sale, too. From Cabana Vintage.

These cuffs were inspired by the upcoming Tim Burton Alice flick, and suggest the tiers of a very dark teaparty cake. They also come in a mitt length, and in white, too. From Opal Moon Designs.

A slinky, body-hugging starlet gown, if said starlet drank a lot of blood on her way up the food chain. There’s also a couple of shorter, sleeveless sizes if this is just too much gown for you. From Mange La Mode.