I’ve got a bone to pick. This Anarchy torn skull shirt (above) is punk-cute beyond words, but it has two major shortcomings. h.NAOTO’s online English store lists the tee at $123 and stamps it with the scarlet letters: SOLD OUT.

Remember that ditty: “the head bone’s connected to the… shoulder bone”? Surely I remember enough from AP Biology to make a DIY version!

You’ll recall that I’ve embarked on a major spring cleaning. I found a ratty long-sleeve black sweater that was a cast-off from my older cousin. As with my Punk Loli project, I cut off the sleeves and made two rows of giant holes down the front. Appropriately, I slipped my “ribcage” over a Roca t-shirt that announces “I Will Not Lose.” (I picked up the shirt for free at the Magic tradeshow in Vegas.)

I bloodied the outfit with unmatched red and white striped socks, and Lolita-fied it with a Betsey Johnson vintage skirt ($10) puffed out by a petticoat. The miniature hat with lace and ribbon tendrils is by Spider.

I safety-pinned my Hell Kitty VooDoo Baby to my sleeve (the red matches my lips and knee socks). A plastic children’s necklace forms a bracelet. The fraying sweater material works well with this look, don’t you think? My mom said I looked like I was dead – and I took that as the ultimate compliment!

h.NAOTO Anarchy also offers this cheerfully morbid shirt, described in “Engrish” as: “Skull ripped open to say hi!” Dig the extra-long sleeves, which you can push up or leave dangling.

I cackled in the face of the shirt’s $110 price tag and Sold Out status. I dragged a ribbed black sweater from the depths of my closet (it’s so old that the label has vanished). Tore out a skull face. Slit the arms from the elbows downward. I kept the outfit simple with an H&M skirt, Victorian ankle boots, and polka-dot leggings from the streets of Hong Kong.

Now I’ve got literal skeletons in my closet to keep the figurative ones company. ( Just ribbing. Hur hur hur! )

My neon t-shirt (worn under the sweater) is – believe it or not – HYOMA. He’s the kawaii mascot of Masahiro Nakagawa’s infamous Tokyo shop and avantgarde brand, 20471120 (as seen in Fruits). The t-shirt is from a Hong Kong boutique; it’s one of my proudest finds.

I have one more money-saving DIY project up my (ripped) sleeves… next time, we’re taking on Black Peace Now!