The Home Depot:
Bright orange signs and gruff clientele
Does it not sound like Goth Loli hell?
Not so, not so! The home improvement retailer is, believe it or not, one of my top five places for DIY fashion inspiration. Every big box is teeming with strange and wonderful doodads meant for home repair. But in the hands of a DIY dresser, these materials can be transformed into fanciful (yet inexpensive) cyber/Gothic fashion statements.
I found the spray paint and marked my turf on the testing ground. (I admit I'm no Banksy.) Satisfied, I explored each aisle and took pictures of items that might be tweaked into accessories. Metal tubing can be worn as a belt, silver hose clamps are potential rings, strands of silver chain can be sewn onto clothing for Punk/Goth flair...
I decided to make a spiky armband from $5 worth of black wire and silver chain. I cut a few pieces of the wire and twisted them around the longest segment for a barbed wire effect (above). I wound the wire and chain unevenly around my lower arm and secured the ends. Voila - the perfect accessory for a kodona (boystyle Lolita) look!
Hairband: a blue cloth belt
Corset top: Spider (from Hong Kong)
Striped pants: Maggie
Sandals: Bravo Browns
Here's a closeup of my hair, which I swept to the side and tied. The crown pendant is actually a keychain, which I strung with black ribbon.Dress: Viola Per Donna
Crown necklace: made from a Bossini key chain
What other Goth/Punk/Loli accessories can be constructed from home repair materials?
