How to Bring Folklore into Everyday Fashion
What’s your favorite fairytale creature? I have a soft spot for swan maidens and selkies, but I also really like the classic unicorn myth. It’s interesting that we often think of unicorns in relation to European myths and legends, but there were depictions of unicorns in ancient Mesopotamian artworks and they appear in myths in India and China as well. I always like adding folklore inspired pieces into my wardrobe so I was quite excited to get this lovely unicorn sculpture necklace from Silver Lucy London. One of the easiest ways to add personality to your outfits or bring inspiration from a favorite myth or period of art is through jewellery. I’m always on the lookout for jewellery that reminds me of fairytales and the Pre-Raphaelites, so this necklace is just my cup of tea! If you’re a fan as well use my code aclotheshorse to get 20% off sculpture jewellery at Silver Lucy London.
Silver Lucy London specializes in sculpture jewellery that is incredibly realistic. One of the things I love about little sculptured pieces like this is that as I move and my necklace shifts throughout the day it doesn’t matter what side is facing forward; it looks stunning from all angles. Each piece is so detailed that months and months of work goes into every pendant to make them as realistic as possible. They have a wide variety of dog sculpture pendants and I have my fingers crossed that an Irish wolfhound will be on their list to design next! And their pieces are handmade in the United Kingdom!
As much as I’m not a minimalist when it comes to collecting clothing, most of my outfits are fairly minimal. I like rather simple dresses in natural colors and smaller jewelry, so what gives each look personality is all in the details. It’s choosing dresses with puffed sleeves and bits of insert lace, jewellery that mimics fairytales and my favorite elements from nature, and a flower crown or oversize hair bow never goes amiss either. I don’t think you need to wear a giant statement dress or the flashiest accessories to channel your interests, sometimes it’s a small piece that makes all the difference. It’s nice finding ways to bring your passions into your outfits because when you can wear something you love it means you get to carry that passion with you throughout your day wherever you go—bringing fairytales and unicorns wherever life takes you. P.S. Don’t forget to use my code aclotheshorse to get 20% off your order at Silver Lucy London.
old Free People dress & Silver Lucy London unicorn necklace
*pictures edited with presets Cloud & Warmth from my Summer Preset pack*
I've always liked vintage inspired dresses although I didn't start dressing in vintage inspired looks until I was in college. I think it started with all of the old films I grew up watching; I used to sit in front of the television with a sketchpad and try to draw out my favorite dresses from the films but change the colors to suit my preferences. It took me awhile to realize that I could dress that way in real life. Fashion, theatrical outfits, vintage inspired looks all seemed like things that belonged in movies and magazines and doodles--I didn't really know anyone who dressed that way in "real life" or how to make that style happen for myself. In college something finally clicked in my brain and I realized that I didn't have to be in a movie or posing for a magazine to dress creatively, I could wear those clothes going about my very ordinary life! In the last few years I feel as if my style has become even more classic and almost theatrical in a minimalist way as well--loads of long linen dresses in a variety of colors. They're easy pieces to wear, it's just one garment and you're out the door but they're also slightly statement making with the volume of the sleeves, length of the skirts, overall silhouette, etc. So some days I do opt for more simple vintage inspired looks: timeless polka dots and a silhouette that feels retro rather than antique! I feel like this outfit is so similar to those styles I first started to wear when I began dressing vintage. It's retro without being too dramatic.
Putting on this outfit felt familiar and fresh all at once. It took me back to my early days of thrift shopping and learning to recognize different decades and details--although this is from 
I shared a wee video from Kinbane Castle on my Tiktok recently and many comments talked about how they would love to have seen it back in the day and imagined a princess living here and coming back to find it destroyed...but Kinbane was never that sort of castle. It was built for defense and attacked and partially destroyed only a few years after it was built! Likely the only people to ever reside in Kinbane were soldiers positioned here to keep an outlook on the sea and give other areas warning by lighting signal fires when an attack was coming. Again, Dunluce has a few more romantic legends surrounding it (stories of doomed lovers!) because it was far larger and built to house clan and family. I've tried to find legends and stories from Kinbane, but other than a few tragic stories of attacks and subsequent deaths there doesn't seem to be much romance or magic in its history. Still there's a lot of "scope for the imagination" in this region and scene. We can all dream up our own legends for this wee castle and surrounding landscape. I'll keep looking for more local legends, maybe there is a story here just waiting to be discovered...
I'm always leery of doing posts on my favorite shops because inevitably I will forget one; it's easier just to link to pieces as I wear them as that's the most accurate representation of what I love to wear and where I like to shop. Case in point: when I made my post on ethical fashion I left out Voriagh, a lovely ethical brand based in Paris. Many of their clothes are made in a family workshop in Paris using French linen and other fabrics, while they also carry belts woven in Lithuania with traditional methods, and in the winter months, gloves and stoles from Ukraine, handknit by the victims of the war in Sarajevo. Talk about a shop that thoughtfully considers every item they produce and sell; when you buy these pieces you're not only getting a wonderful new item but you're also helping support so many communities. One of my favorite pieces is their apron dresses. I have 
