While January turns most of the countryside to a bleak landscape of grey and browns, there is one magical wood near me that always stays green. The trees are towering evergreens only allowing the briefest glints of sunlight through, nearby there is a herd of fallow deer, and the woodland floor is carpeted in moss, ferns, and clovers. In winter I tend to stay very close to home; I can rarely be tempted further afield than what I can reach on foot when the weather is so cold and the days are so short, but this woodland is always worth the short drive. Wandering here is always like stepping into a fairyland, a little oasis where spring seems to always remain even in the bitterest months. I recently put on one of my folk inspired outfits and went looking for one of the few mushrooms I feel safe identifying--scarlet elf cups.
I'm so happy vintage-inspired bodices and corsets like this are becoming more popular because it's a style I love so much. They're really nice because they add so much personality to the simplest of outfits; I'm only wearing a white blouse and black skirt but with this bodice I feel like a someone in an old folktale (like the peasant that glimpses a passing fairy procession while out gathering herbs). This particular bodice is by CostureroReal. It's a lovely piece because of the unique print (and they carry other fun prints as well--tartans, vining leaves, stars, chestnuts, and florals), but also the fit--it has no boning so it's very comfortable, but it also laces in the back and front so the size is super customizable. CostureroReal also has very inclusive sizing with many of their pieces going up to a 2XL. They're also a a small women-owned company and I think their pricing is very affordable as well--definitely a brand to explore if you enjoy cottagecore fashions and fantasy inspired pieces. They have some more elaborate creations like mushroom bedecked hats, but also very wearable pieces like this bodice and gorgeous tartan skirts. 
I edited these pictures with the Elderberry Preset from my Dark Cottagecore Pack. It's my favorite pack of presets that I've ever designed and I have used it so often this winter! It was important to me to create presets that were kind to greens when editing because so often popular editing styles turn green to grey or brown and nature is so green so it always strikes me as a shame to destroy those lovely tones when editing--and my Dark Cottagecore Pack is on sale right now.
CONVERSATION