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Thursday, May 19, 2016

A Letter From A Glamorous Eccentric...


Let's face it - to many people, if you are a card carrying glamorous eccentric, you are viewed as a threat in some way. Many people are especially afraid of individuals (particularly women) with a voice, with a mission, with a strong message, a certain steel-willed independence, and a strong mind. What an archaic pattern of thought! How terrible and tragic that this irrational fear continues to be perpetuated by many today, even by women themselves. For all those women who take pleasure in making fun of another woman's appearance - this applies to you. To every man who rates a woman on a scale of 1-10 and then criticizes her for being "too (fill in the blank)", this goes out to you. Who gave you permission to view any human being as an object of some kind, simply existing to fulfill your every whim, fantasy, and desire? I do not exist for your pleasure. My existence doesn't need your approval, please never mistake me for one of those girls who are trying to live just to please you.

Truth is, I'm much more preoccupied with plotting my future as a grande dame who carries a brass cobra topped walking stick, has pale lilac marcelle waves, shimmery jewel toned eyelids and vermillion lips, all while maintaining an electric charm tempered with a few assorted vices. Or I may transform into a maestra of mystery who wears black lace veils and mantilla combs out to the market with a glossy black corvid named Vronsky perched on my shoulder. Who knows? Only time will tell.

A glamorous eccentric puts on daily personal performances solely for their own pleasure - the opinions of others matter little.It is these little, secret rituals that give us life. I suppose this is why we baffle so many. Refusal to submit to the notion of seeking approval from others is a completely foreign concept to most. Those who adhere to the rules and confines of societal norms have yet to unshackle the imagination. They haven't mastered being a lone wolf and running wild. Most tragically, is that they haven't experienced the liberating feeling of an unwavering sense of self.

Originals - Marlene Dietrich!
Marlene Dietrich, Marchesa Casati, Hedy Lamarr, Ethel Granger, Mr. Pearl, Isabella Blow, Anna Piaggi, Rossy de Palma, Josephine Baker, Oscar Wilde, Johnny Depp, Lady Gaga, Daphne Guinness, John Galliano, Dita Von Teese - a glamorous eccentric is always in good company!

Why are so many people uncomfortable encountering a woman who takes charge of her own destiny? It truly baffles me. We claim to be a progressive society, yet largely, there are rules put in place to suppress and oppress the female sex. I refuse to be pigeon-holed into one category or another. I have always been sort of a chameleon - the most significant difference now is that I couldn't care less what others think of me, as opposed to when I was in my early twenties. Life is wasted if you perpetually try to please others. You lose the whole point of it. Don't waste your precious time or thoughts on those who constantly try to tame you, ridicule you, or discourage you. You will regret it, and regret is one thing you cannot erase.

There are few feelings more satisfying then knowing that you are being true to yourself - whether behind closed doors or out in public. I enjoy creating facades as an amusement, but to live life behind a mask due to insecurity or fear of what other think? Never. I know that I shock people from time to time, but it always makes me laugh - I suppose I don't allow many people to observe me in my natural habitat, and therefore when I reveal my true nature, it is startling to most. I enjoy the art of surprise. I relish engaging in a challenge. I love to battle social constrictions and watch the dusty walls of "normal" crumble. Boring, Never be boring. 
Boring is the kiss of death.


A life without passion is a life wasted. I've long described myself as a raconteuse whose aim is to manufacture a dreamlike aesthetic, every single day. I want to live la dolce vita...

Comrade Von Pussycat




Monday, May 16, 2016

On Corsets, Body Modification, and Fetishes


John Willie girls!

Why do I want to waist train, and what do I hope to achieve by waist-training? 

 From John Willie girls to famous courtesans such as La Belle Otero, I've been fascinated by the curvaceous female form and extreme silhouettes for quite some time. I have an hourglass fetish.
 I already have a decent hourglass shape to start with (38-27-38), however, I truly long for those "La Loren" proportions (38-24-38), they are just beautiful. I don't aim to ever reduce as dramatically as say, Polaire or Ethel Granger, I am not after the title of "tiniest waist ever". My body is my masterpiece, and I love to experiment with modification - whether that has been piercings, dying my hair, henna tattoos, or 8" high heels in the past. Yes, these modifications vary in intensity and effect, but they are still just that - modifications.
Starting at 27" - my natural waist measurement. This is a 22" steel-boned corset in an extreme curve silhouette.


Isn't it un-feminist to choose to corset train?

If you look through the history books and take note of the ever-changing female ideal, you will notice that bodies go in and out of fashion rather quickly. There is nothing more feminist than choosing which form you would like to take on - whether inspired by classical art, a literary figure, or avid intellectual. Inspiration is limitless. I find the current beauty standard of tan, tall (with an obligatory thigh gap), fake lips, fake boobs, contoured, stripper style ideal extremely insulting to my intellect and imagination. I don't like being told what to look like. I like to take pieces of history and fashion a story all my own. Corsets are not for everyone. I happen to enjoy the feeling of compression and control. I love fetishes. I love focusing on silhouette rather than sheer revelation - the idea of playing with shadows and light, protrusions and indentations... just as an artist would...it all fascinates me. Corset training is simply a form of body modification, much like wearing high heels (yes, those 6" Louboutins do force your foot into an extremely unnatural shape), wearing a push-up bra (look at how breast trends have changed in the past 100 years!), and is less extreme than plastic surgery and pregnancy. Yes, pregnancy. Did you know that pregnancy is one of the most extreme forms of body modification? In fact, the pregnant body shifts your internal organs and structure much more drastically than a corset ever could. Consider extreme body-building. Consider orthodontia. All body modifications.Those myths of rib removal? We each have what are called "floating" ribs, which are not attached directly to the breastbone and are actually designed to bend and shift according to the changes to your body in your lifetime. Corsets are not for everyone, and to some they may even seem cruel and grotesque, but to call them "un-feminist" is extremely ignorant.
Polaire

But doesn't it feel like a torture device?

Not at all. As I stated before, I like the feeling of compression and control, and I wear stiff girdles on a regular basis. Actually, a lot of people choose to wear corsets to perfect their posture and to relieve back pain. As long as you have a corset that fits your form perfectly, you will not be in pain. In fact, a corset should never hurt you and if it hurts, take it off immediately! It is so important to choose a properly fitting corset. When choosing a corset, you must be realistic and stick with a corset that is ideal for your own body shape. A more boyish figure would probably not be as comfortable as I am in an extreme silhouette corset. Squishability is also a huge factor - if you are more lean and muscular, there will be less room for creating shape and it may feel more restrictive. Above all else, always listen to your body! 

One more thing...

This is NOT a corset! These latex tubes that celebrities are toting as "waist trainers" do absolutely nothing for your figure and create a tubular shape. Please...just...no.

This is a corset:
"Vamp" corset by What Katie Did

Comrade Von Pussycat

Friday, May 13, 2016

Pretty enough...



Pretty enough to date, but not pretty enough to marry - or was it the other way around? Too pretty to marry, but good for a fling? I was too afraid to ask. Both answers would leave a bitter taste in my mouth. This is what it feels like to live in a man's world. I don't make the rules, and if I broke any, I was a social pariah. Rape culture. Patriarchy. Misogyny.