Royal Underground, Or, I Just Can’t Help Myself
I swear to God, I want to not like these clothes. I tried, I really did. But I just cannot help myself. Ever heard of Royal Underground? It’s my secret sin. Yes, that’s right, I love a clothing line designed by NIKKI SIX. You heard me. Motley Crue’s Nikki Six. He and Kelly Gray of St. John founded the clothing line in 2006, originally for men, and subsequently expanded the collection to women’s wear.
My mind rebels against the idea of wearing anything designed by a member of Motley Crue, but honestly? One look at some of these pieces and my inner rocker chick screams to be released. I am hardly the most punk girl in existence. I went to LAW SCHOOL, for God’s sake. But really, some of the line is pretty great. They lean toward casual wear featuring graphic designs and a rocker edge, be it rhinestones or an artistically frayed hem and cuffs. The result is pieces that are surprisingly sophisticated and totally wearable. Since I’m coming out, here are some of my favorites.
A lot of the offerings for women come in the form of graphic tees like the adorable hoodie above. There’s a definite appeal to the dresses too, though:
A great easy summer dress with a little fun in the lacing
Check out the hand-bleached flower and rhinestone sparkle!
The menswear, their original stronghold, focuses on basic pieces with little touches that give them an edge, and also contain some great stuff.
A classic blazer...
... with an edge.
I also like this jacket, although I couldn’t get a postable picture of it. Both the men and women’s lines are on sale at Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus.
So, I’m still on a budget after the multiple visits of Em, but I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I will undoubtedly be wearing a skull t-shirt before June rolls around. Nikki Sixx, you win. I still ain’t buying any Motley Crue CDs, though.
I absolutely love Royal Underground!