Pretty Colors-Double Post

Hi, all! Sorry to have been absent for so long, but I've had two papers and a presentation over the past week and caught a bad cold, so I haven't had the time or the energy to blog. I have been recording my outfits faithfully, though-so I'll try and do double outfit posts for the next couple of days to make up for it. Because I like doing things out of chronological order (Memento and Kill Bill are two of my favorite films, after all), I'll start with my outfit from yesterday:

Heart necklace-Arc Thrift

Ruffled chiffon shrug-Paper Bag Princess

Black microfiber tank-Wal-Mart

Black corset-Punk69

Handwarmers-Claires

Pink skirt-Paper Bag Princess

Patterned fishnets-The Warehouse

Chunky Mary Janes-The Warehouse

Terribly girly, isn't it? I must admit, I felt quite Goth Barbie-in the best possible way! I told myself when I came to NZ that I could make it on black, white, and red for three months, but dang it, the colors just keep a sneakin' in. I can't resist 'em! This skirt is actually so much more awesome than in the photo-it is a vivid, hot Barbie pink with a shimmery over-layer and a taffeta underskirt. It rustles when I walk. Words can't express how happy it makes me! 

Today, I did color a little more subdued:

Sword pendant-Asian Gifts

Black lace blouse-DAV Thrift

Underbust corset-vest-Fusion Federation

Green satin dress-Recycle Boutique

Black lace handwarmers-Forever 21

Black tights-Wal-Mart

Round-toed wedges-Recycle Boutique

Far more subdued than yesterday, but still elegant and fun! Again, the color of the dress just didn't photograph as nicely; in real life it is a much richer soft olive than the weird blue-y green that's showing here. It's a little big, hence my wearing it with the corset-when I get home and have my sewing machine again, I'll take it in to fit perfectly. It's a really nice heavy satin, and cut on the bias, so it moves beautifully. I really like this style of dress: multiple panels and gores, fitted in the bodice and full through the skirt. Plus, it was $4.50 (the $4.50 rack at Recycle Boutique will be the death of me in overweight baggage fees when I fly home), so I figured it was totally worth it. I missed you guys, and it's good to be back-tune in tomorrow for another double post!

Gothic Hijab

Gothic Hijab by jamiemf featuring lace up boots

Project D black evening dress
£375 - vanmildert.com

RED Valentino silk blouse
$273 - stylebop.com

Matthew Williamson sheer black blouse
£155 - josephm.com

Otis Maclain short skirt
£144 - farfetch.com

Erdem long maxi skirt
$569 - mytheresa.com

Alaïa
atelier-mayer.com

Dr. Martens lace up boots
$130 - infinityshoes.com

JustFabulous high heels
$80 - heels.com

Egyptian Mona Hijab Ties Violet
£4.99 - muslimbase.com

Lacy Last Days of Summer

It's fall here in Wellington, but it doesn't always feel that way. Some days, if I close my eyes, it feels just like Colorado in May-warm sunshine with a hint of chill in the air, but in a bracing way. Funny, the crossover between fall and spring! Today was one of those days; warm enough that I felt like I should take advantage of the weather while I could to wear some of my lighter clothes before it officially winterizes over here.

Beaded choker-Salvation Army

Black and white lace tank-Paper Bag Princess

Black ruffled vest-Recycle Boutique

Layered chiffon skirt-Salvation Army

Black tights-The Warehouse

Black wedges with silver flowers-Recycle Boutique

I wish the photo showed more detail on the skirt-it's totally gorgeous, black chiffon in three layers, and I love the way it moves when I walk. I may have to post a video of it someday, that's how gorgeous it is! I felt very elegant and sophisticated in this outfit-so of course I'll have to wear something fun and flippy tomorrow, because I don't want to turn entirely into a grown-up! At least not yet... :) 

Avengers Assemble!

So, I'm putting the geek in Geeky Goth Girl right here. I went to see The Avengers tonight, and it was amazing. Fashion first, then rapturous fangasms!

Black long-sleeved top-Salvation Army

Black corset-Punk69

Belt-Salvation Army

Fishnet handwarmers-CoinMax

PVC leggings-Cosmic

Lace-up boots-Target

I probably shouldn't have photographed myself next to Scarlett Johansson, as I can't hope to compete with her gorgeousness, but she did such a good job in the movie, I had to pay tribute. So, I had super-super high expectations for this movie. I'm definitely more of a D.C. than a Marvel girl, but that doesn't mean that I can't appreciate a first-rate movie no matter which company it comes from-and The Avengers is definitely first rate. I've enjoyed all the movies that lead up to it, particularly Thor and Captain America, but this one blew them out of the water. The acting was first-rate from all parties-Tom Hiddleston's Loki was chilling, Robert Downey Jr. had brilliantly snarky chemistry with pretty much everyone on screen (I sense a lot of Captain America/Iron Man slash fic in the offing), Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner were delectable together and separately, Chrises Evans and Hemsworth brought the right combination of earnestness and heroics, and Mark Ruffalo proved an admirable substitute for the absent Edward Norton. 

The action scenes were top-notch-having seen Joss's skill as a director on the relatively low-budget Serenity and his TV work, I always wondered what would happen if you gave him a lot of money, and the answer is awesomeness. From the opening sequence where Loki breaks into S.H.E.I.L.D headquarters and steals the Tessaract to the introductory scenes of all the characters to the battle sequences, The Avengers is full of amazing shots and sequences. As a film nerd, I was rather geeking out over the spectacular CG and gorgeously choreographed fight scenes. Being Joss Whedon-penned, the movie also had a lot of really funny moments, most of them courtesy of Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Hiddleston, but every actor brought it to the bantering dialogue that's part of Joss Whedon's signature style. A typical example:

Captain America: You're just a man in a suit. Take the suit away and what are you?

Iron Man: A billionaire genius playboy philanthropist.

There were several moments when the audience in the theater I was in was completely overcome with laughter-a lot more so than your typical superhero movie. Joss managed to strike just the right balance of pathos and humor, as he always does, and thus came away with a movie that was in turns funny, exciting, and touching. One of his strengths as a writer is the fractious family dynamic-the Scooby Gang on Buffy, the Angel Investigations team, the crew of Serenity, and the members of the Dollhouse all prove this admirably-and he brings these skills to play very well in The Avengers. They may disagree, they may not get each other-but when the chips are down, they'll fight for each other, and the Earth. And it's, as I've already said, awesome.

Plus, on the purely shallow side: You have Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, and Jeremy Renner all on screen being very pretty. In fact, my only complaint was that with that many gorgeous men, we only got one shirtless scene! I know Joss can do better with the fanservice. That aside, The Avengers is brilliant, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fast-paced adventure romps with great characters, brilliant villains, and lots of laughs. Geek on!

Corset-y Long-Skirt-Y Goodness, Two-For-One Edition

Sorry for my absence, I've been a busy bee lately! I didn't really have a specific theme in mind for this week, but by pure coincidence (and probably because the fall weather is finally showing its face here in Wellington and it's been chilly) my outfits yesterday and today both had a long skirt/corset in them, so I'm taking it and running:

Kimono-sleeved top-Paper Bag Princess

Red overbust corset-Punk69

Pleated chiffon skirt-Arc

Black boots-The Warehoue

Black arrow necklace-Arc

Black shrug-Paper Bag Princess

White tank top-Wal-Mart

Striped arm warmers-Artsmyths

Black corset-Punk69

Fishnet and satin skirt-Paper Bag Princess

Black boots-Ross

I've found that these make really good rainy-weather outfits-they look elegant and put together while allowing me to hide a multitude of tights and thermal leggings under them! I still can't get over the fact that May means I need to start dressing warmer-this reversed seasons thing is going to take me a while to get used to, that's for sure. And to think, when I go home (2 months and 5 days, time has flown!) I'll go from winter to dead summer...too strange. Good thing my vast wardrobe can accommodate all seasons with careful layering. :) Also, it's my Un-Birthday-6 months until the big 2-1!