Old School Gothic Thrift Flip!

Have you ever found Lolita items while thrifting? If you happen to wear proto or old school Lolita, there’s quite a bit of opportunity to play with offbrand items. Usually vintage items or things with a bit of room for a petticoat can work. Sometimes, they can require a bit of alteration, but many things have potential. Or if you’re lucky, you might just find something that’s nearly perfect~ 😉 I went thrifting with a friend, and surprisingly there was a vintage flea market happening that day. (TBH, the prices are a bit higher than your standard thrift, but still reasonable for the curation some vendors did.) It only happens once a month, so we were lucky to come at the right time!  

One vendor was selling some costume items and many unique pieces. One of these happened to be a gothic dress from The Pyramid Collection. My mind immediately jumped to VISIBLE and Marble’s designs, which are very similar in construction. I absolutely adore their pieces, and I knew that this dress had the same potential.

For a $34 dress, the fabric felt similar to cotton and had some embroidered details. The construction was good and the details on the sleeves were great.You can see the side-by-side comparison with my VISIBLE OP. They both are really short in the front, but the back is longer on the Pyramid Collection dress and there is a sweetheart neckline rather than a Peter Pan collar. Otherwise, they look to be very similar! 

Here it is tried on. Luckily it fits alright! Both of these dresses are really short on me, so I always wear an underskirt (also by VISIBLE). It’s not pictured here though~

Onto the next find! This is a simple patent leather purse with a metal clasp enclosure. For $15, it feels well made and totally gives old school vibes. Although it seems boring at first glance, a simple alteration can turn it into a gothic statement piece. 

So what did I end up doing with them? I always wanted a bag with a cross charm on the front, similar to this bag by Victorian Maiden. It’s a bit more classic and refined than I prefer, so I was glad that I was able to find a more chunky basic bag.

Victorian Lady Bag (2019)

Luckily, this is a super easy DIY! I ordered some charms from Aliexpress and just glued one onto it. Honestly, it really does look like a bag from an old school brand to me~

The Result

As for the dress, I was inspired by the iconic Marble set that has also been duped by Good Luck. I think the ribbon bows going across the bodice are so cute!

Good Luck Set

I also loved that this dress had a sweetheart neckline, but it was definitely missing some lace. I made myself a choker to add some interest to the neck area. It turned out so beautiful! 

The Result

I wore a long skirt under it to give it a more EGA look. With these small alterations, I think it actually looks quite different from the VISIBLE OP, even with their similarities! What do you think?

Hope this was a fun little post! Thanks for reading~

Valentine