[DAILY OUTFIT] Fighting Evil (Design) By The Moonlight

I can't believe I haven't touched my blog in a month! And it's not from lack of wanting or lack of ideas, just a slight lack of time and energy. I guess I should thank the universe, though, for the influx of graphic and web design jobs.

I've kept it pretty casual for the past few weeks as my work keeps me chained to my laptop. Apart from family and close friends, I haven't really gone out. I wonder if all freelancers hit this point where their work becomes their life and life becomes work. I'm trying to move past it.



I do have a few new articles of clothing, however, that I've picked up here and there. The melting lip effect on this shirt caught my eye on a recent trip to Wal-Mart. Their desire to keep up with trends is notable but they're oversaturated with animal print.

The necklace - an ode to my childhood - is based on Sailor Moon's transformation brooch. Oh how I've wanted to cosplay her (and Sailor Pluto and Sailor Uranus) but the necklace will have to do for now. With the Sailor Moon reboot in the works, there's more merchandise appearing at conventions and online. My collection (currently a hat, a necklace, two keychains and two plushies) might build up faster than I expected.

And In a Small Way, I Rejoined the Legion of Cosplayers at AnimeFest

These are pictures from AnimeFest weekend this past Labor Day (way late). I did my first cosplay in years, though, I'm not sure it really counts as it wasn't an anime character. I was Gaz from Invader Zim, partially because it was an inexpensive cosplay I could throw together in two days and partially because my friend Allison already had a Dib cosplay ready to go.

The dress, I bought at some discount store years ago. I ordered the striped tights and shirt from Ebay for under $10 for both. The boots were also bought on Ebay but months ago. Unlike some cosplayers, the hair is actually mine and took three hours to get that purple (and one week to wash out). Finally, her necklace was a craft project I undertook the night before. Never having worked with Sculpey glitter clay, I wish I had known it would take an hour to kneed, and that it picks up little pieces of dirt easily. However, the giant charm is still good after two months.

For those who don't know Invader Zim, our characters are brother and sister, and Dib foils alien Zim's (horribly laid out) plans to take over Earth. Not wanting to be left out, Alex bought a Zim hat. There are plans to actually make her a full on cosplay for future conventions which means I'm not retiring the Gaz outfit just yet. Plus, I liked the few times we got stopped for pictures (style blogger much? lol).

The appreciation wasn't one-sided, of course, as I was snapping a few cosplayers who caught my eye, mainly characters I like from various series, anime and not.

Ryoko from Tenchi Muyo	Elegant Harley Quinn from Batman
Dark Magician Girl from Yu-Gi-Oh!	Sailor Pluto & Sailor Uranus
Awesomely Done Beetlejuice Cast
Tony Stark, Girly Thor & Girly Loki	Seto Kaiba & Bakura also from Yu-Gi-Oh!

[WISHLIST WEDNESDAY] Trendy Bones! Wearing Your Inside on Your Outside

Check out this beautiful silk coat I saw over at StyleBizzare. It took designer Jamie Avis 4 days, 10 gel pens and a great mix of talent and patience.



Skulls have been a little trendy for over year, seeping past the alternative scene into mainstream. It's no surprise then that around the Halloween season, the rest of the human skeleton followed. The US is a little slow on the pickup, however, as skeleton tights appeared in street fashion for a while.

My go-to place to buy hosiery is Ebay - which can be great for pricing but suffer when it comes to quality. So for I'm 50-50 when it comes to hits and misses. But a few months ago, after seeing the street fashion pics, Ebay disappointed me with the lack of larger sized bone tights. Are there fashionable plus-sized girls on the other side of the world?



Their current selection hasn't changed in terms of sizing. I thought that if I waited closer to Halloween a few L-XL's would pop up but alas. For tights that would actually fit my size 14 ass, I had to turn to Halloween stores like Spirit. The website shows they carry larger sizes (yay!) but most are sold out (boo!). However, I haven't rechecked the store down the street from my apartment lately. The pink ones are pretty cool but I'm still leaning more towards the sheer ones in the middle.



Tights not your thing? Rib cage shirts have been around for a while (with or without tiny hearts) and recently took on more fashionable cuts. My sister (left) found her shoulder-cut-out, semi-sheer top on Ebay but when I searched, my best find was the middle picture in a S-M. I also like Hot Topic's colorful romantic take on the right.



Where else can bones be found? Other than inside your body where they belong... Necklaces and gloves are two other popular places. Just ask my girlfriend, who bought skeletal gloves from Party City and cut off the fingers (left). I've been meaning to do the same.

[TOP TUESDAY LIST] 8 Fashion Affirmations (Or My Style Manifesto)

It's been a while since I really sat down and wrote. I've had trouble putting pen to paper and making it flow. But I was recently inspired by Savage Garden's Affirmation to write my first blog in a couple of weeks.

A bit of a Style Manifesto, I wanted to define the scope of my personal style - and the style I admire - for this new blog.

1. I believe that no matter how trendy or conservative, classic, conventional or outrageous you dress - you will never please everyone. So don't try, dress how you feel, reflecting who you are/want to be. People will always have, and voice, their opinions but, in the end, your outfit is yours alone.
2. I believe in glitter and shiny accessories. I truly believe that they will brighten your mood as well as your outfit. I think everyone should own a sequined item of clothing and wear it any time of the day they please.
3. I believe in the color black and everything it represents: darkness, simplicity and edginess. It's chic and modern yet murky and full of secrets. And it goes with everything.
4. I believe you don't have to suffer for beauty and fashion. Sure waxing hurts from time to time and corsets can get uncomfortable but don't take it to an extreme. If high heels are hurting your knees, wear flats. If your diet is making you weak and hungry, stop it. If the Spanx is bothering your skin, take it off.
5. I believe in the "Right Outfit" and the power it has to make or break your day. There are certain clothes that fill us with more confidence than others. There are accessories that put a spring in our step. And I believe that you don't have to spend an hour picking it out - it will speak to you.
6. Like Audrey Hepburn, I believe in pink. It holds a promise of something tender and pretty - and I believe everyone needs that. I don't believe in it as a representation of femininity but it does have a certain softness. Sometimes our outfits, our lives and situations require softness.
7. I believe clothing is gender-less. I believe that girls in ties should not be fetishes and boys in skirts should not be revolutions. Hard lines, ethereal fabrics, bows and lace should be open to everyone, no matter gender or lack-there-of. I think the first step is to stop calling fashionable boys "effeminate" and "weird".
8. I believe that great style begins with creativity and a sense of adventure. All good things have started with experiments and accidents.

When it comes to fashion and style, what do you believe?

Betsey Johnson Spring/Summer 2013 Picture via Suicide Blonde

[DAILY OUTFIT] Working Hard for the Money, Mixing Spots, Stripes & CSS

I'm in Week 3 of my full-time freelancing and, like the Little Engine, chugging along. I'm still letting go of that 9-5, steady workload mentality, but I love doing graphic work. Though I figured web design would be my top seller, business cards have become my bread and butter (which is good because they are necessary for small businesses).

The bad thing about working at home, however, is you don't have to dress up to go in. I'm sure the sloppy freelancer stereotype lives on (see the Oatmeal's comic). Recently, I was building a construction company website and only saw the sun when I took Alex lunch. Technically pajamas would have been beyond acceptable.

But I dress up and tame my summer frizz in the morning as part of my motivation. There's always a chance a potential client will want to set up a meeting. The dressy ensemble below, however, was more for promoting my services in the area ( mostly apartment communities and restaurants).


Along with my re-crush of layered bangles, the netbook Alex's mom gave me has also become my Number 1 Accessory. It fits so easily in my purse and, coupled with my external drive, lets me make quick changes to my projects.

[STREET SNAP] Geeks Converge at the Bookstore and This Guy Knows How to Accessorize

Going out and partying on the weekend is so faux pas, right? Especially when you've fallen in love with a bookworm. Financial strains recently led us to spend Saturday night at Barnes & Nobles. I'm not really complaining - there are nights when I'd rather read manga and sip coffee than push past hot bodies and drink overpriced Vodka (I actually think that's this Friday).

If we had gone out dancing, I would have never seen Aaron, a local leather artisan, looking very much like a modern rogue. His impressive scale-mail (forearm) caught both mine and Alex's attention immediately. There was a pause before one of us asked, "Is he going to Scarborough Faire?"


Seeing him, however, made me realize how little men accessorize in contrast with geek men. Geeky guys are not afraid to enhance their style while representing the things they love. How else could those printed sweatbands become so popular?

If you would like to see more of Aaron's creations, you can check out his Scales of the Serpent Blog.

[GEEK OUT] Victorian Geek and Vampire Colors Inspire Fall Fashion

Sirius Black and the Green Goblin are back from the dead! ...And wearing geek-inspired Prada. Although it's not my "thing", I'm an admirer of the Steampunk style and fantasy. Alex, on the other hand, is quickly falling with the fiction and aesthetic - she might even dress up as soon as we have money to spend on the clothing and accessories. She is currently making a wishlist with Prada's new Fall menswear collection.


I love "what if" fiction - this one just happens to come with a wardrobe. The main Steampunk details to note in the collection are the circular glasses, high collars and, the double-breasted suit and vest. I foresee menswear getting more dapper as the fashion seasons pass, and this Steampunk-inspired collection is the perfect example that men need more choices.


The geekery continues with a follow up to my Top 8 Vampires post. After flipping through Marie Claire and Bazaar for the past two months, I noticed a trend in deep vampy reds and purples. In vampire fiction, the deep red, burgundies and plums have always been symbolic of the blood and luxury that is normally romanticized in the stories. Personally, I wouldn't mind a dozen women walking down the street with blood red lips and dark purple nails, or vice versa.

I've currently fallen in love with Essie's Devils' Advocate and wouldn't mind a lipstick to match.


Pictures via Design Taxi, We Heart it, Marie Claire August 2012 and Bazaar August 2012.

[TOP TUESDAY LIST] 8 Vampires With Bloody Awesome (& Inspirational) Style

Despite an obsession with vampires that started at an early age with books, I've never finished an Anne Rice novel. There are also so many vampire movies I have yet to watch (most of them from the 70's). But despite these looming truths, I still consider myself quite the vampire expert... and I have the lore books to back it up (LOL).

One aspect I love about vampires on screen, as opposed to in books, is seeing how the costume designers personify their age, attitude and overall style. Because anyone who has has been young and nearly immortal for a number of years has to have style (unless you're Bill Compton).

I recently went to see Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter and loved every minute of it. Apart from the premise of vampire hunter who becomes president, the action and cinematography make it a must see. The costumes were pretty much time pieces, though the vampires had some extra touches.

I've noticed this a lot in vampire films - everyone is dressed normally and for their time, but then the main vampires and hunters have outfits that stretch the imagination just a bit farther (for instance Anna Valerious of the Van Helsing movie). That's what a good vampire does - stretch your imagination a bit - and they couldn't do it without the right look.

These are my favorites:

1. Pam, True Blood
   She is the very definition of vampire chic, from her outfits to her attitude. Her style perfectly reflects the darkness that comes with being a vampire, and still manages to incorporate high fashion silhouettes and the color pink.
   
   
2. Spike, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
   His wardrobe never goes beyond the vampire's quintessential black and red, yet this defines his character. He starts off as just another evil vampire who has killed two slayers (wearing the trench from one as a trophy) but he grows to be more. And there's no enying how cool he looked in 70's punk.
   
   
3. Drusilla, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
   As Spike's girlfriend, she doesn't really compliment his vampiric simplicity. Rather her style is influenced by the Victorian era in which she was born.
   
   
4. Lestat, Queen of the Damned
   Although he spends most of the movie with almost no clothing, I love how his few outfits scream "Rockstar" and not "Vampire" - which is very much his tortured diva personality. Even in Interview with the Vampire, he was flamboyant.
   
   
5. Nora, We Are the Night
   This is a lesser known vampire movie that is on Netflix right now. Nora is the youngest of the vampire group and has that little sister vibe. Unlike the dark styles in the rest of the movie, hers is bright and reminds me of Japanese street fashion.
   
   
6. Danica Talos, Blade Trinity
   She is a crazy b*tc# if there ever was one but she managed to look so polished and yet keep her edge. It this balance that makes her a vampire style icon. I also really love her bangs-turned-fauxhawk.
   
   
7. Queen Sophie Anne, True Blood
   Another example that vampires don't only wear black, though I think the white and cream clothing was meant to reflect luxury. And as the Queen of Louisiana, she sure knew about luxury and polish.
   
   
8. Selene, Underworld
   Selene's style is even simpler than Spike's yet conveys everything you need to know about her: she's deadly, efficient and lurks in dark corners. Also, she is undead as I would find it difficult to breathe while wearing a corset and kicking ass. Would you consider her guns as accessories?
   
   

Pictures via Fan Pop & We Heart It