I posted this picture on Instagram over the weekend and it seemed to get more likes than anything I’ve ever posted, which was very nice but also taught me a few things:

1. Getting your boyfriend to take a photo of you makes for a way more successful end result than a photo taken by gurning into your laptop camera. This is presumably why I’ve never been given a blogger book offer.

2. Giving the popular t-shirt that you’re wearing a credit might be a nice idea.

3. It’s by Heather Gabel (but it looks like it might have sold out – was that you guys?)

4. Sunshine makes your hair look good; giving your hairdresser a credit is also a good idea in this instance.

5. THANKS FAYE!

6. You guys are nuts.

Taking care of the monochrome side of things this week is Stampd, who I discovered when I saw this Champagne cap somewhere. It’s going to be the latest addition to my ‘you wish you were Eva Chen’ collection.

Other black and white items from Stampd which I’d quite enjoy ownin

Swimsuit; mug; beanie; shorts; jersey; badge

Isn’t everything just better in black and white?

The sexy cat gets a bad wrap as far as Halloween costumes go, but I don’t think it’s as bad as all that. Anyway, as I hurtle towards 30, I’m enjoying a renewed interest in the concept of sexy; not sure if it’s a mid-life crisis which will swiftly be followed by the purchase of an orange Lamborghini or if it’s the much-feted mystical confidence that you apparently develop when you finally start to feel ~at home in your body.

I have no Halloween plans this year (what kind of goth am I?), but if I was going out I might just dress as a sexy cat and sod the lot of you. Here’s my counsel for the defence of sexycat’s most common complaints;

1. It’s just an excuse to look slutty.

And? Elvira barely wore any clothes and she’s a boner-fide solid Halloween hero.

2. It’s not scary.

Neither is Carl the Ikea Monkey. Or baby North West. Or a sushi baby.

3. It’s unoriginal.

So is a Dia de los Muertos Catrina, Wayne and Garth, a Jeff Bridges Dude, Terry Richardson, a Lichtenstein lady and Heisenberg. Making a domestic pet look slutty is waaaay weirder than any of those things. Perverse, frankly.

[Topshop dress / Maison Michel ears / Topshop heels / Olympia Le Tan book]

[Meadham Kirchhoff; bat colony; Illamasqua Bat Lash; Giles/Stephen Jones; Topshop Green Ghoul Skirt; Miami bat infestation]

Gifts for overgrown goths

1. Maison Close Villa Satine Black Bra, £41, MeMe – a far more tasteful way to do black satin.

2. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, all good bookshops – can’t be a goth without reading the original gothic geezer. #geezer

3. Fuckin’ Slayer shirt, $21.99, Slayer store – Christmas day outfit.

4. Pentagram Socks, £3.50, Topshop – I know, I know. And yes, I changed the colour to fit my theme.

5.  Vancouver Flatforms, £45, ASOS – hologram platforms = party season New Rocks

6. Black clove fags, all good weirdo shops – to smoke out of the window on Christmas day.

7. Oversized Cross Charm Sleeper, £38, Maria Francesca Pepe – if I don’t get any MFP this Christmas I will sulk like the overgrown goth I am.

8. Black Hairslides, £4, COS – matte black hairgrips. So chic.

9. Black Tootbrush, £5, Paul Smith – do they sell black toothpaste?

10. Neroli Roll-On Perfume, £28, Diptyque – patchouli in a fancy bottle

11. Black Tweezers, £4, Topshop – nice to have things matching, innit?

12. Oxford Leather Address Book, £13.50, Heals – this is dead tasteful.

13. Salem Candle, $50, Modern Alchemy- because the scent is described as, ‘a ravenous bonfire’.

14. FML Notce Cards, $18, Terrapin Stationers – I’ve wanted these for ages, it just seems like it should be our time, you know? #FML

15. Manolo Globe, £39.99, Zara – it’s a black globe. A black globe!

I don’t image it’s news to anyone that I’m a big fan of Maria Francesca Pepe. It features crosses! And studs! And gold!

I’ve written about her a lot on the blog and I’ve now got two pieces of her jewellery which I’m dead pleased to own – and I intend to grow my collection… I decided at some point last year to try and be a bit more nice things, less often than cheap things, all the time and although I’m sure a lot of people would consider MFP’s jewellery trend-driven or of a certain moment, I’m a big fan girl and it does feel like stuff I’ll wear for a long time, if not ever. Just the right price to feel special, but not life-changing sums of money, you know?

Anyway – the Autumn/Winter 2012 lookbook is here and it features more of the same, so I’m happy. Particularly excited about the studded knuckleduster versions of my ring (above) and the cross charm bracelets. But there’s more!

The harness trend feels like a logical place for MFP to be – I don’t think I’ll have the legs for those ones any time in this lifetime, but I do like the chestpiece. I’ve still not invested in the harness thing, but it’s more because I’ve not really seen anything I like than me having any beef with them as an idea.

And, well, this is taking the harness to the nth degree really, isn’t it? Or a first step for MFP towards clothing. I proper love this cross dress, which even manages to be a bit flapper-y… right?

You’ll be able to see and shop the new collection online in September time. Can’t freaking wait.

The latest addition to my Maria Francesca Pepe collection. I love how this Instagram filter makes it look as though my skin is rotting – the perfect match to a bit of goth jewellery, eh?

This KISS-inspired Dressed to Kill shoot in V doesn’t have much in common with the album of the same, but it goes without saying that I dig it anyway. KISS makeup is always a winner, whether its worn by supermodels (Pauline Van Der Cruysse, Cate Underwood, Nikole Luna and Amanda Ware) or really cool drunk people.

Few other finds from Neffzone and Tumblr…

I still haven’t made it to the Village Bicycle shop over in that West London but Willa’s wall of crosses haunts my mind on a daily basis. A combination of this picture and a rogue necklace I found in Topshop (its not online, alas) sent me down an Etsy k-hole and I came out the other side with a full wishlist of turquoise crosses.

So many turquoise crosses on Etsy. Are turquoise crosses a thing? Apart from a really nice thing?

15 Wholesale Turquoise Crosses

Turquoise Cross Necklace

Chunky Turquoise Necklace

Chunky Aqua Necklace

Turquoise Cross Pendants

I’ve made it pretty clear how keen I am on Halloween and I think most of you know that I’m into Whistles too sooooo…. when they tweeted earlier about their new limited edition Halloween print it’s safe to say I was pretty excited. In fact, my phone lost its connection on the train just as I was trying to open the picture and my heart was PALPITATING as I tap-tapped away trying to open the above picture, which appears to be on a blouse.

Sold exclusively at Selfridges as part of the Dead Cool initiative this October, the print features bats and clouds and the spookiest kind of moon, the full moon. It’s limited edition, which isn’t such a problem, and £175, which is.

In other creepsville news, check out this other 1920s horror film gif I found: