Blazer (Zara - old, similar here), Dress (Tinley Road via Piperlime - old, similar here and here), Shoes (Zara - big time on sale now, similar here and here), Necklace (Nadri via Nordstrom, similar here)
Wearing leather is always fun, but wearing leather, lace-up heels, and spikes sounds a lot more fun, doesn't it?
It is.
Taylor Tomasi Hill, artistic director of Moda Operandi, street style slayer and crimson-haired fashion fairy, is a consistent and delightful source of stylistic inspiration for ladies far and wide (myself included). And this outfit of hers in particular managed to carve out a space in the nether regions of my mind and camp out in that spot since I first saw her in this look. So it was only a matter of time before some version of it made its way out of my subconscious and into my outfit rotation.
Only I took an ever-so-slightly more Star-Trek-the-Next-Generation-meets-S&M-mistress approach with this shoulder-padded, spike-bedazzled blazer. Wearing an outfit that is comprised of a few nods to dominatrix fashion during the daytime (and out in public) is easier than you may think, if you're into that kind of thing.
The important thing to remember is to not go over the top with it. There's a fine line between stylish so-and-so and BDSM streetwalker. Sure the leather dress is, well, leather, but the silhouette is clean and classic (a shift dress is one of the most flattering and versatile pieces a woman can own in any fabric), and even a tad sweet. And sure, the blazer is in fact spiked, but it's only a fraction of the whole piece that is armed and dangerous, and the cut of the blazer itself is slim and flattering, clean lines in a classic black with nary another spike in sight anywhere else. And the shoes, well the shoes are where you can do your thing, and that's not to say that these are necessarily ho-y—they're involved and eye-catching while still being straight-forward and chic—but it's on your feet where I feel like you have free reign to be a little bit more naughty at times and always more out-of-the-box.
Lastly, the fact that the entire outfit is one color—black at that—played out in different textures, means that you can have a little bit more fun with it. The monochromatic nature of the look keeps things from getting too out of hand, spikes and all, while still making a bold statement.
I say, use it. The next time you have an intense meeting scheduled with your boss, where you want to, I dunno, demand a raise, or do some heavy lifting in the upward management department, strap in, lace up, slap on some leather, throw on some spikes, and grab your whip.
