DARK LADY FT. AMAZON FASHION

We spent a cozy fall weekend up in New Hampshire a few weekends ago, and it was our first foray back into truly cold weather. It definitely prepared me for the dropping temps we’re now having in New York, and also allowed me to get a little exercise in with styling nighttime attire for sub-40 degrees. This look was inspired by Shakespeare’s Dark Lady—a female figure I just recently learned about while reading about the Bard. The Dark Lady is the woman who’s described in many of Shakespeare’s sonnets—and it’s unclear who she is, where she’s from, and what really her real relationship was to him (or, if she even existed at all). Her predominant feature: dark, wiry hair as described in Sonnet 130: “If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head,” he wrote. If we can learn anything from Shakespeare’s Dark Lady— it’s that the pair had quite a tumultuous relationship; sometimes he describes her lovingly, and other times, it sounds like mockery. Either way, she’s shrouded in mystery, and that was what inspired me to create this look.

Styling going out clothes in cold weather is hard— so a little trick I like to lean on is pairing a fun blouse or tank top over a black turtleneck. I started with this Free People Under It All Bodysuit in Black (which by the way, is one of my favorite items I own in my winter wardrobe). Next, I added this cute Leopard Print Bell Sleeved Blouse over top from Amazon Fashion. Fair warning, the brown is a lot more * red * in person, so keep that in mind of you purchase. It added a cool layer of texture on top that’s fun and a little flirty without being overly girly. Next, I paired them both with my favorite Abercrombie High Rise 90s Jeans and a Black Velvet Bow.

“My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare.”

[Sonnet 130]

Cheers, xx -A.Martine

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