Paper Couture - Silk Gypsy Dress

At Paper Couture, black is the new black and hopefully always will be. Honestly, no one does black quite the way Paper Couture does - warm and liquid and flowing. I've never had a dress from there that there weren't parts that could be used in all kinds of outfits and Silk Gypsy is no exception. If the full prim sleeves and deep v-neck of the blouse don't convince you, combined with the waist enhancing corset this outfit is worth well more than its weight in Lindens. Which isn't a lot - this dress is a bargain. At L$250, there's no reason that Silk Gypsy shouldn't be in every gal's inventory.

A single color offering like the rest of Paper Couture's line, Silk Gypsy comes with a blouse (shirt), corset (jacket), prim sleeves and three skirts, both scripted and unscripted (perfect for pictures) as well as a mesh layer (skirt) and glitch pants (pants). Obviously the top can be worn with many combinations of skirts, so I paired it with a comfy old pair of ragged jeans and soft boots and had a terrific, soft casual look - perfect for a relaxed evening out with friends (new or old). I was planning to change shoes when I switched to the full dress shot, but the first pose I hit looked perfect with the boots and gave it a more period look, so I kept them - though I can assure you the dress looks spectacular with just about any heel height and shoe style.

Discover why I hope nothing will ever replace black at the Paper Couture Main Store.

Top left:
Hair - BooN75 by BooN
Eyes - Transparency Shine Eyes (Clear Grey) by Glanz
Skin - Tasha 11 Portrait Skin (Tan) by Laqroki
Glasses - Arabesque by AIR
Top - Silk Gypsy by Paper Couture
Tattoo - Eternity Awaits by iNFLiCT
Nails - Deep Dream Collection by bijou
Belt - Song Bird Belt (Black) by Cubic Effect
Jeans - Sexy Ripped Jeans by Naima
Boots - Bot's Black by Storm Schmooz

Bottom right:

Hair - BooN75 by BooN
Eyes - Transparency Shine Eyes (Clear Grey) by Glanz
Skin - Tasha 11 Portrait Skin (Tan) by Laqroki
Tattoo - Eternity Awaits by iNFLiCT

Outfit - Silk Gypsy by Paper Couture
Boots - Bot's Black by Storm Schmooz

Paper Couture - Italian Black Jacket

I suppose that after more than 4 months, I should be more sophisticated and knowledgeable, but I'm still learning and finding things every day. Paper Couture has been on my "places to go shop" list forever and yet I'd never been until today. What a mistake on my part! As soon as I saw it, I knew that the Italian Black outfit was going to be amazing and it didn't disappoint.

With all the distinguishing features of a little black dress - you know, the ability to go anywhere and change gears with an accessory or pair of shoes - Italian Black deserves a place in every wardrobe. The outfit is composed of a three piece prim jacket that drapes across the shoulders and dips to reveal the burgundy bodice beneath. Subtle belting cinches the waistline and finishes with a burnished gold buckle above the beautifully textured mid thigh skirt. I'm not normally a fan of gloves, but the matching burgundy opera gloves absolutely finish this dress to perfection.

Fun and sexy enough for a night of clubbing, it is also a classic look for a night of dining and dancing. This is a standalone item, so only available in the black and burgundy combination, but the burgundy is such a perfect complement for the deep steely greys and blacks that the outfit will be a the top of your list for "clothes that always look just right". There don't appear to be any limitations with shoes so you can switch up the tone easily with footwear, though I preferred classic pumps and ankle boots - I can say that the black stockings that are included will get a lot of wear on their own because of the subtle shading. With the jacket making the neckline so eye-catching, limited the jewelry to earrings, which seemed to work quite well.

All in all, Italian Black would be a bargain at L$400 even if I hadn't thought to pair the three prim jacket with the Digit Darkes Relay for Life Twilight gown for a very formal evening look. The gown was a RFL Clothing Fair exclusive, but the jacket looks equally spectacular on many of my evening gowns and little black dresses that are still available - definitely experiment here.

Don't wait as long as I did, definitely visit Paper Couture at Barcola today.

Top left:
Outfit - Italian Black by Paper Couture
Shoes - Bitch Booties (Black/Black) by Stiletto Moody
Earrings - Floating Circles (Diamonds/Gold) by Earthstones

Center right:
Outfit - Italian Black by Paper Couture
Shoes - Verve (Black 2) by Maitreya
Earrings - Yin Yang (Red Jasper/Onyx) by Earthstones

Bottom left:
Gown - Twilight (RFL Exclusive) by Digit Darkes
Jacket - Italian Black by Paper Couture
Shoes - Verve (Black 2) by Maitreya
Earrings - Yin Yang (RFL Amethyst/Onyx) by Earthstones