NAUGHTY NUN'S NIGHT OUT: CONFESSIONS ON A DANCE FLOOR

Apparently, church-inspired looks are going to be quite a biggie for next autumn/winter - which is not why I'm wearing this naughty nun's dress now, but still. A subtly opulent, yet very simple gothic look is one of the best ways to make use of a couple of rare and beautiful items in our wardrobes, as well as an excuse to take the current favourite Docs for a ride. I did just that this weekend, for a head-banging jump-around retro birthday party. And thus we arrive at today's burning questions and confessions. Where do you stand with trans-gender style twists? What would you be, and what would you wear at a Vicars & Tarts do?

It seems I can't resist a pure and demure look with a twist - especially if the real twist is not in the clothes but in the wearer. For one, I love to wear dressy men's stuff, from shirts, ties, smart suits and flat brogues to baroque military coats and jackets. At the same time, I've been known to be attracted to church-style clothes, often associated with feminine cuts, provided they are worn full-length, nipped-in, buttoned-up and billowing by A-list men in fantasy or period movies. And there - this is about how far I go in the realm of trans-gender dressing, (usually) quite easily explained by (almost) mainstream trends.

And that is exactly why a Vicars & Tarts party would be such a challenge for someone like me. As a girl, I would feel pressured to be purely and aggressively feminine, but I couldn't stand the lack of a masculine touch. Should I go as a classic priest? That wouldn't feel right either. Too much of an in-betweener? I would probably have to go dressed like I am in these pics - the perfect recipe for earning some exciting disapproval, something I tend to seek more often than not.

Confessions done, you can see how this nun's dress snapped up at River Island about a year ago can fit a girl's personal style, bridging the gap between feminine and masculine, opulent and demure.  

dress: River Island, faux fur bolero: Star by Julien Macdonald, biker boots: Dr Martens, bag: vintage

p.s. The baroque black and gold vintage leather bag doubles nicely as a makeshift rosary, but I do love cross pendants in all shapes and sizes... Still, you'd better save the whole church bit for fancy dress season, and don't forget the white nun's headpiece.

Contrast minidress by River Island

Vintage bag

Orin biker boots by Dr Martens