Round and Round the Carousel Ink

Like many females my age, the search for interesting, reasonably-priced leggings has become an epic quest. There aren’t a ton of options and the ones you run across are outrageously priced. As I googled and re-googled my search, I started becoming discouraged. I’m not a typical girl, I don’t follow trends and generally wear black shirts so I don’t have to figure out how things match. Yea, that kind of person. But when I started seeing these leggings popping up, I realized this was a perfectly comfortable, yet stylish way of flying my geek pride colors. I could wear these to work with a long sweater and get away with it. Oh, the exciting possibilities! My first thought when I saw the generally accepted prices were I could probably make these myself. I’m just that type of person. However quickly I realized I didn’t have time to design the fabric, print them, sew it, and wear them. By time I jumped through all the hoops, the fashion world would have moved on. On the other hand, I sure as heck wasn’t paying $80 for thin pieces of stretchy fabric.

This train of thought made me realize there are other independent artists available on Etsy. I took a chance on one shop and am very glad I did!  The shop is called Carousel Ink. They make a variety of items, such as scarves, mini dresses, skirts, and, of course, leggings. The products are screen-printed and the designs are magnificent. Everything in the shop has a strong fantasy-esque, steampunk vibe to it. According to the shop bio, there are three masterminds behind these stunning pieces of work. Autumn creates designs and handles fabrication, Martin adds the hand-drawn illustrations and Celena pieces everything together.

A few months ago, I purchased the Black Victorian City leggings. I have to say, they are by far the most comfortable leggings I own.  Besides the fact they are cottony and soft, they are also created using a "discharge" process which actually bleaches the design onto the fabric.  These leggings, in particular, are inkless.  So, no need to worry about the design fading, as it is actually a part of the fabric. And, by far, I get the most compliments from them. The pattern is stylish, intricate, and elegant. They are subtle since the design only goes to an inch or so past my knee. I usually try to wear them with ankle booties or low rise sneakers, so the full drawing is on display. When asked, I called them my Victorian London leggings. I look at them and just get the feeling of classic Sherlock Holmes.

Overall, I LOVE these leggings. I want to wear them everyday! I want them in every color to match every shirt I own… Is that too much to ask? Seriously, support our small time artists. When in doubt, give the small business a chance.

TL; DR: Go on Etsy. Search Carouselink. Fall in love with their steampunk style.