Oh My Goth.

Something's happening.

Over two decades ago, from around 1985 until 1989(ish), I was Goth. It was tough, you know. I had curly hair, not that beautiful straight black hair (with those perfect bangs) that Goth girls are supposed to have, but I tried my best with the cards that nature (and puberty) dealt me. I wore my pointy-toed, multi-buckled boots and my velvet and my black EVERYTHING and my Siouxsie tee and my leather jacket. And I listened to all the bands you were supposed to listen to and I loved them. And I still do, even more so lately. Which is I feel like this is going to be My Goth Summer. I'm not sure if it's because I had a rather momentous birthday this year, or because I legally finalized the end of a very long-term, very important relationship, or just because something I love and have always loved--fashion-- is so damn cyclical, but somehow, in some weird way, this Goth-y shit is working its way back into my life. I thrifted a dark purple, washed silk skirt in a bordering-on-maxi length, but with a dramatic slit up one side and I think this piece is the one that perhaps sent me over that metaphorical edge, careering over the precipice (so much angst!) into some chasm of personal style history that I'm [weirdly] totally okay with falling into.

Case in point: I recently bought these:

 

Pointy toed fisherman sandals!

Kinda dark, right? I fully intend to wear them ALL SUMMER LONG. With long skirts (black, of course) and drapey tees. Or band tees (anyone wanna buy me a Bauhaus one?). 

I also just bought these. (I'm supposed to be saving money, by the way, but I had coveting these months before and then, on a whim, searched for them and lo and behold they were on hella sale. I had to. HAD. TO.)

HUH? I know. I didn't even wear Creepers (or in this case, Creepers knock offs made by BASS and that designer who will now be known as the sister of the guy who dates Lena Dunham) because they made my already Olive Oyl-esque legs look even skinnier. But now... who gives a shit? Not me, that's for sure. Anything to make me look skinnier is a-okay. Even a pair of floral-printed platform shoes I got on sale because (I'm assuming) no other sane person wants. 

And don't even get me started on my musical choices lately. Sure, I picked up the stoney/sunny pop tunes of Colleen Green today and I love them, just as much as I love the gently used copy of Gaucho (Steely Dan, y'all) I picked up a few weeks ago. But lately, my listening habits have been somewhat dominated by darker things. The aforementioned Siouxsie, but also Bauhaus, Joy Division, Sisters of Mercy... but also newer stuff (that maybe wouldn't be considered Goth, but it is to me). For instance: the following tasty lil' morsels:

Right?

VeraMeat

I received a Facebook invite this afternoon to a sort of shopping party in Beverly Hills at Vera Meat, a NY-based jeweler (whose last name is Balyura, not Meat) who designs really reasonably priced, charming little pieces and who I oddly just read about in Nylon a couple of weeks ago.

Since the party is this Friday in California, I declined (I'm no jet-setter, friends), but commented how much I wished I could make and it and, lo and behold, the friend who'd invited me said she could give me a generous "friends and family" discount. Twenty minutes and several Facebook direct messages later, I had bought two new rings.

I've been really into smaller, delicate rings lately--especially after my boyfriend bought me this little lovely over the holidays. This time, though, I wanted a couple of statement-making pieces to combine with  my signet ring and two others I like to wear: a small, twisted silver-and-gold band and a brass cast of my friend's stunning wedding ring.

Here's what I landed on (I was also in a bit of a rush, since I had told the aforementioned friend that we could leave for happy hour very, very soon).

I'm usually very much a cat person, yet none of the cat rings really spoke to me. However something about this kissing bunnies one did. It's cute, but not overly precious--well, not to me anyway.

Now, the second one is definitely not precious. Maybe it's because I've been in a hip-hop loving mood lately, or maybe it's just because I fancy myself street-tough sometimes (I'm not, but I think living in Brooklyn as a child makes it seem like maybe I could be?), but the instant I saw this dollar sign ring, I was already imaging how sick it would look with a blood-red matte manicure. And maybe a knuckle tattoo.

It's rad, right? Well, I think it is. Both rings are brass gold, which is fine with me, both price-wise and in terms of worrying about loss or damage. I'm not sure I'm the type that should own "nice" things. I tend to destroy stuff.

I'll update with photos once I receive my little treats. And thanks to me sweet friend, Elfee, for making it happen!

Blitz Kids

After watching one of my favorite Eurthymics videos this morning, I fell into an internet rabbit hole which led me to a great BBC documentary about the start of the New Romantic scene in late '70s London. Gender-benders and androgyny have always fascinated me, so obviously I found this super engrossing--not to mention the scene was the spark of inception for so many bands I love like The Human League, Culture Club, and Duran Duran. Plus, Bowie and Roxy Music were sort of the guiding light of this movement (can I call this a "movement"?) and that factors nicely into my own musical trifecta of Bowie/Bolan/Eno.

Magazines like i-D and The Face were started solely to document the status quo-shaking style that came out of the New Romantic scene. It gets a little sad at the end (think aging, rehabbed scenester in a cringe-worthy "comeback" performance), but otherwise it's really fascinating little piece on a period of music and fashion that I think still affects our culture today.

And here are a few videos from some of my favorite bands that the Biltz Kids era spawned.