A-Z Of Reasons To Recover: D Is For Dancing The Night (And Your Troubles) Away

Today’s blog post comes to you in the form of good ol’ procrastination for the author is most certainly avoiding her impending doom and would prefer to ignore the fact that she has an English Language exam tomorrow instead of facing the facts head on. I will protest that the anxiety was too much for me to bear and I simply had to step away from the study in order to cleanse my mind of any negativity and just chill for a bit. Of course, it is the truth.

Apt…but learn how to spell “pronounced”…

I can honestly say that I have never dreaded an exam quite so much as I am dreading this one tomorrow. But that’s no matter because do you know what? I have something to look forward to. I, granny-ish as I am, have made plans to celebrate the completion of said atrocity. I, Niamh Lundy, am going out. THE HERMIT IS LEAVING THE HOUSE.

Apologies for the meme invasion.

Granted, no alcohol will be consumed. Granted, I’ll probably get muscular pain and cramps 30 minutes into the evening. Granted, chances are I will be tucked up in bed before midnight, completely exhausted. But no feat is ever too small. The very fact that I am excited about heading out partying in celebration or commiseration of my exam only makes me more grateful that I have chosen this path to recovery, this path leading me in the right direction to achieving one of my goals of just having a normal student life and acting like your average young person. I received a taster of this lifestyle before (in a time and place which involved masking my age to sneak into nightclubs somewhat illegally…but we shall say no more about it) and I have missed it so. I finally feel that the wheels are in motion for its return. You know what they say: slow and steady always wins the race.

It is also only right that I take this moment to acknowledge my gratitude for best friends, whose patience is bewildering and humbling. I don’t know if I could be bothered with being as welcoming to someone who has spent the past six months or so locked in her own shell, refusing to even grace society with the simplest of outings. I merely had to mention a desire to get out and they were immediately supportive. I’m not entirely sure if they really do care about me or if they just love the drink (I jest). Either way, I am so unbelievably thankful for their constant encouragement and I am forever indebted to them.

I suppose one’s head better return to the books but it would be criminal of me to publish a post on this sad day without taking a moment to issue my condolences to the family and friends of one of the greatest icons of androgyny, eccentricity and fearlessness. King Bowie, despite all of my efforts, I have yet to fully emulate the gusto with which you lived your life and embraced your originality. I can only hope that one day I achieve your bravery. RIP angel.

I leave my parting words up to our dearly departed prince. I will not go in for deep, raw emotion…instead, I allow Bowie to lead himself and my blog post out in a manner which I think he would have approved of:

 

How appropriate.

-Niamhy xx

My January Lookbook!

For the past two weeks every time I closed my eyes in an attempt to drift off into The Land of Nod, I could hear a small distant voice crying out to me, “Come back…come back to me…” I have concluded that this little voice was that of this little bloggy-wog. Either that or I really need to make an appointment with a specialist.

Anyway…HONEYYYYY, I’M HOOOOOOOME!

So as a homecoming gift (please do detect the sarcasm in this statement), I decided I would entitle my blog to a little glimpse of the author. Aren’t you all lucky (once again: sarcasm)? Having attempted to take some time out each day whilst in London to capture a little snapshot of my outfit for that day, I have created an extremely amateur lookbook of what I wore over my birthday week, both in The Big Smoke and in the comfort of my beautiful wee Belfast. I hope you enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I have the oddest shaped legs known to man. Please, no hate.

OUTFIT ONE

Denim jacket: vintage

Charcoal turtleneck: Zara

Grey bobble sweatshirt: Topman

Leather-look skinny trousers: Topshop

Dr. Martens: Schuh

Early mornings, long delays in the airport and lengthy treks to find my apartment got me channeling my inner John Bender with a grungy, ‘rebellious teen’ look. Kinda smells like teen spirit to me.

OUTFIT TWO

Jumper dress: Urban Outfitters

Black turtleneck: H&M

Flecked tweed shorts (worn underneath: Topshop

Twelve solid hours of exploring the city COMPLETELY ON-FOOT had Niamhy feeling a bit worse-for-wear by about 10pm. Sleepy bunny. But I did get the ‘typical tourist’ photo I so desperately longed for. So it was all worth it. ONE OF THE BEST DAYS EVER.

The aforementioned tourist-y shot…

Coat: Urban Outfitters

Telephone box: property of London

OUTFIT THREE

I must admit, day three was my birthday and in my excitement of finally achieving my lifelong dream of witnessing The Phantom of the Opera on the Her Majesty’s Theatre stage, posy photos of my outfit were forgotten in an ecstatic, excited haze. But please enjoy this photo of me looking like a foetus-faced chubby cherub having a deranged fan-girl moment:

Dress: MINKPINK

OUTFIT FOUR

Black lace blouse: Urban Renewal

Bralet: Urban Outfitters

Satin palazzo pants: H&M

Boogie-boogie time for Niamhy back in beautiful, beautiful Belfast! And it wouldn’t be my birthday without an insane pair of shoes perfectly capable of causing a fatality…but don’t we love them?

Shoes: Privileged for Schuh

And just for you lovely readers, I have a before and after feature of me before I left the comfort of my home and a few hours later when I was considerably…ahem…happier. Here’s the before:

And…um…here’s the…eh…after. Let’s play a game of spot the difference, shall we? Pouts vs. smiles, anyone?

OUTFIT FIVE

Dress: Topshop (HOW ADORABLE IS THIS DRESS?)

Shoes: Schuh

It is tradition for my mother and I to attend at least one ballet per year (me having been a ballet dancer for seven years) and this year was no exception. This is what I wore to a performance of The Nutcracker by the Russian State Ballet of Siberia at the Grand Opera House, Belfast. In an attempt to get the perfect shot of my outfit, I managed to take three standard photos, none of which equated to my idea of perfection…but here, have them anyway:

So basically…yeah. That’s y’all up-to-date with what I wore for an entire week in the month of January. Who knows…maybe this monthly lookbook idea will become a regular feature of the blog. Either that or I will die of embarrassment at having posted so many wannabe-model photos of myself on the internet and will never write an article on this blog (or any other form of social media, for that matter) ever again. Only time will tell.

-Niamhy xx

(Special Birthday) Saturday Sock-Hops With HPF!

It’s my birthday on Tuesday. Without giving too much away (for my age is a thing of international intrigue and debate), I’ll tell you a little secret…it’s a big one. A massively big one. It’s a very important birthday indeedy.

And so, to celebrate this milestone in my life, tomorrow morning I shall be heading from one big smoke to an even bigger big smoke. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, tomorrow morning I WILL BE LOSING MY LONDON VIRGINITY. Bring. It. On.

There is really only one anthem which would be appropriate for such a monumental event. If you haven’t already guessed what it is yet…well, you’re a silly billy, to be very honest with you.

(Mr. Strummer’s red shirt and the way he wears it certainly is something to write home about, isn’t it?)

Anyway, it’s a, “Cheerio!” from me, peeps! See you on the other side, when I will be older but certainly not any wiser!

-Niamhy xx

Saturday Sock-Hops With HPF!

The first official sock-up of 2015! CAN I GET A “HELL YEAH”?!

It was a fight to the death in my mind between Mazzy Star’s ‘Fade Into You’ and Nina Simone’s ‘I Put A Spell On You’.

‘Twas a fine competition.

But Mazzy won the mental conflict by a hair’s breath.

Enjoy, lovely peeps! May Hope Sandoval serve you well as the perfect style icon for the long, long, long year ahead. I wish I could wear braids in my hair…and I’ve got to get my hands on a sheer top with thumb cutouts like that…

PS-how rad is that guitarist? The one with the black, flowing waves of hair cascading over his chiselled face? Gentlemen, he can be your style icon of 2015. You should all take a leaf out of his book. Or a few leaves.

-Niamhy xx

How To Goth Up The Festive Season’s Go-To Sequinned Mini!

The struggle is real. The struggle of the Goth girl trying to maintain the courage of her convictions yet attempting to not look too morbid to be confused for attending a close relative’s funeral when, in actual fact, she is actually about to attend the party of the year: the work Christmas party. As I said: THE STRUGGLE IS REAL.

It would seem that this Christmas’ must-have party item is the sequinned mini. It is the ultimate statement piece. Everywhere you go, there they are, frolicking the night (and their life…and their heels) away in the middle of the dancefloor: the personified disco balls. The very definition of garishness.

Having previously been an avid defender of simplicity and hater of the all-over glitter sensation that is AW14’s sequinned mini, I must admit, over the past week I have begun to grow a little jealous. I must admit, over the past week I have begun to desire a dress which captures every glimmer of light as a shimmy away in a vodka-induced frenzy. I must admit, over the past week I have begun to covet a sequinned mini.

And so, the search began. The ultimate search. The search for the Holy Grail of Autumn-Winter 2014.

Thus, here lies the final resting place of my conclusion. After a week of ceaseless scouring, I have decided upon my top five statement dresses suitable for the Goth girl unwilling to conform to the layman’s vision of mainstream normality (all of which I rather conveniently found on ASOS). Let us begin…

1) Sequin Swing Dress with Collar and Cuffs

Wednesday Addams called. She wants her dress back.

2) Motel Sally Mae T-Shirt Dress in All Over Sequin

The Little Mermaid called. She wants her dress back.

3) Goldie Outsider Dress With Sequin Detail

Tinkerbell called. She wants her dress back.

4) ASOS Premium Sequin Mini Dress

Poison Ivy called. She wants her dress back.

5) Little White Lies Sequin T-Shirt Dress With Mesh Back

Dear reader, you’ll be glad to hear that my comparisons have run dry. This dress is yours. You can keep this one.

Of course, no outfit is complete without the perfect statement accessories. However, considering the vitality of these wicked dresses, I would recommend keeping your decorative trinkets as simplistic as possible. You don’t want to be giving any acquaintances a migraine simply because they dared to stare. I’m loving:

1) ASOS PATCH IT UP Platforms

Nothing completes an outfit more than a pair of velvet burlesque heels, I’ll tell you that for free.

2) Plastic Clutch Bag

 

Back-to-school meets Gothic chic.

And the finishing touch. The icing on the cake. Actually, the cherry on top of the icing…

3) Urbancode Faux Fur Coat

You know what? My parents have spent a lot of time complaining about the fact that I haven’t indicated what I would fancy for Christmas. Perhaps I should just direct them to this blog. Now, that’s an idea.

Tally-ho, folks!

-Niamhy xx

Saturday Sock-Hops with HPF!

It’s that day of the week again.

Tonight, it is not I, The High Priestess, who is out dancing the night away…oh no. It is, in fact, MY MOTHER who is out painting the town red, while I sit at home studying. Who knows…maybe in a few hours I’ll find myself being really adventurous. So much so that I might even watch The Polar Express, just to get me into the festive spirit. I am the very definition of ‘wild’.

This week’s Saturday night favourite perfectly captures my sentiments towards this current situation.

No-one does the oh-so-chic exposed-nipple look quite like my dearly beloved Mozza does. Now I’m sorely tempted to accessorize my next outfit with a pocket bouquet. And not one soul on this earth can stop me.

-Niamhy xx

Saturday Sock-Hops with HPF!

It’s Saturday night and do you know what that means here at High Priestess Fashion? BOOGIE-NIGHT!

So whether you’re dressing up in your glad-rags and heading out for a night on the town or cosying up in your PJs for a night of endlessly flicking through countless music channels playing the same guilty pleasures, let Niamh get the party started with this punk/horror rock classic…

Now, go off, have a good time and leave me alone to ponder the two most important questions in life right now:

1) How many blisters did Lux Interior have on his tongue after every performance with all those suggestive acts on the microphone?

2) How did he get those trousers on?

Toodle-pip, kitties!

-Niamhy xx

Back To Basics With Jeffy B…

No-one rocks a basic white tee quite like (my) Jeff Buckley. No-one. He can never be matched. No-one can ever contest him. He is the grand supreme wearer of basic white tees. There’s no point in anyone else even trying.

I have no more words. No more words are necessary. This is basically all I wanted to say tonight. It’s a Saturday. Go out and have a boogie. My Jeff and I command you to do so.

Toodles!

-Niamhy xx