Weekend Getaway: Adam Ant

This past weekend Derek and I took a weekend get-a-way to Cleveland, Ohio for some kitsch-tastic fun at Davide's Tropical Paradise (more about that in another blog), but mostly to see Adam Ant!

Derek is a huge fan and being the super fan that I am, I suggested we got dressed up for the show in our best Adam Ant-esque fashions. Turns out we both opted to wear clothing* that doesn't get much wear, but certainly got a lot of compliments and attention....very flattering! The funniest part for me was when we went to have a drink at Porco (Tiki lounge) before the show and got asked so many questions about our outfits. "Do you always dress this way?!!?!?!!?" and people forced hugs on me. I guess we made them happy...or they were just drunk. LOL! Needless to say I ordered a Navy Grog  as I was in a pirate-y state of mind. Mmmmmm!

*Derek's coat and shirt are by Shrine Clothing *My dress is by Shawna Hofmann, hat is from a costume store

Adam Ant was fabulous, the crowd was fabulous and we dance and sang our hearts out. I have to say, Adam looks very sexy in his leather pants. Me-OW!!!!!

Thank you for reading, until next time!

Outfits I've Been Rockin'

Hello friends! Just a few outfits I've been wearing over the last week and a half. I've been cold, so layering has been the number one theme in my mind. We've been having a weird weather with up's and down's in the temperature and I'm convinced that's why everyone around has been ill. I've had the sniffles for a month. UGH!

Anywho, I'm wearing some favorite basics like a button up collared shirt, drapey cardigan and my favorite 80s skirt. I love silver accessories as they really 'pop' against black, as well as boots with buckles. I can't get enough of the Western style double buckle belt, I have to tell myself that I doesn't need to be worn with every outfit. *Wink*

Hard to see, but I'm wearing gray tights. Ohhhh, so daring. (sarcasm) I know, I know. Once again silver accessories against black and this time I little gray thrown into the mix. I love shirt dresses, because I can wear a few layers underneath without creating bulk.  I also have to give my oversized 80s sweater a big shout out, as it's massive sleeves help to hide any lumps on my arms (the dress has buttons on the 3/4 length sleeves) that would be obvious with a more fitted sweater. One of the best thrift finds EVER!

My hair was acting so stupid on Wednesday and it was crazy windy out, so I threw it back into a messy ponytail and hairsprayed and teased until I felt I looked like a crazed 80s secretary. I also decided to wear some light blue eyeshadow to fit in with the look. Side note- I always have mixed emotions about wearing blue eyeshadow as it reminds me of my dancer days when my Mom would pile on the blue shadow for dance recitals...and the cream blush. AHHHH!!!

Everything is vintage/second hand except the gray & black draped open front sweater, belt and boots. There was so much static going on. So much. Maybe that's why my hair stayed up all day, the static electricity helped. Hahaha!!!

Thank you for reading, until next time!!

New Romantic

Julie Ann had hipped me to a documentary about the 80s band Spandeau Ballet that is on Netflix instant watch called, Soul Boys of the Western World. Naturally I had to check it out as I love 80s music and I am a lover of documentary's. This one did not disappoint! I have been reading a book about post punk music and the New Romantic's are included in some of the band's history's, so it was neat to learn more about Spandeau Ballet as I did not realize how hugely popular they were and are still today!

I was inspired by the band's early clothing and wanted to wear something ruffley (but warm) and choose my beret, as hats and accessories were very big for the New Romantics. Oh the fashion! How I love the fashion!

Wearing; white/black ruffle shirt (old, Lip Service), oversize cardigan (thrift), velvet beret (estate sale, vintage) earrings (80s, thrift), pins (Last Craft), jeggings (Target), pointed boots (Nasty Gal)

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Thank you for reading, until next time

A Little Nostalgia with Kate's Clothing

Though I tend to lean more towards 80s styling, but I am a 90s goth through and through. When I was a teenager I didn't care whether it was 100 degrees and humid, I would still wear my little velvet dresses like the Gothic London Velvet Dress by Iron Fist (c/o Kate's Clothing)

*Bra strap across the back not part of dress

My little 'summery' velvet dress was not as edgy or strappy, but I do love that the Gothic London Velvet Dress reminds me of my beloved mini velvet dresses I would find at mall stores like Rave and Merry Go Round. Well, reminds me in the sense of style, but not a comment on the quality.....the quality is great! Hehe!

I would also wear stockings like fishnets, combat boots and though my hair was much, much shorter than my hair is now, I wore a lot of cotton headbands. I also tried to pretend that I wasn't a melting goth. Hand. Staple. Forehead.

In my older age I tend to stay away from wearing velvet in the summer, but I have to say that this dress was very comfortable and breezy. I would wear this outfit to the club or later in the day when it cools down and I can't wait to pair this dress with leggings, jackets and tall boots when it's Autumn. 

Another thing I did as a teenager was dream of wearing beautiful gothic jewelry like the Villa Diodati Necklace (c/o Kate's Clothing) by Alchemy Gothic. I would go to Siren in Toronto (goth store-now defunct) and stare at displays of beautiful Alchemy Gothic necklaces, earrings and rings, dreaming of owning and wearing such splendor. Now that I have the means, I still don't take my wardrobe for granted as I have kept that budding young goth in my heart. The one who still gets excited to wear lovely adornments, especially when they have bats on them. *Wink*

A big thank you to Kate from Kate's Clothing for the lovely pieces and for helping me to walk down memory lane. Not only does Kate own Kate's Clothing, but she is also the designer of the brand Necessary Evil. Some new arrivals from Necessary Evil that caught my eye are; the Gothic Lydia Lace Drape Dress and the Gothic Hades Cross Leggings, which I think would look amazing paired together!

When you find something you love, be sure to use discount code MEAGAN10 at check out!

Thank you for reading, until next time!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Last Weeks Work Outfits

Pardon my lack of enthusiasm, I was feeling pretty down last Wednesday and was still reeling from (last) Monday's sewer estimates and roof repair. I got really down on Tuesday evening when my positivity about the house issues had a major down turn. I know everything will be OK, but adding to the list that we need a new roof sorta pushed me over the edge.

In fun news, a new tattoo piece was started last Tuesday by my friend Bryan and once it's finished I would love to show you. Seeing as I was healing a fresh leg tattoo, I wore mostly pants last week which resulted no photo worthy outfits. The outfit above is an example of pants/blouse/sweater combo I was rockin' to work.  

Wearing; a geometric print bow blouse (80s, thrift), black sweater I have been wearing all the time (thrift), pants (H&M), zebra print creepers (eBay), earrings (thrift), brooch (from Julie Ann), hair scarf (Sourpuss Clothing).

Saturday I was able to wear leggings as my thigh tattoo was healing nicely, so I opted to pair a t-shirt over a long sleeve shirt, tucked into my favorite black circle skirt by Steady Clothing. I like to wear belts to break up the black, so I added a studded belt that I picked up at the thrift store. I'm also wearing a Black Widow cardigan (old, Sourpuss Clothing), "Kiss My Woof Woof" Eddie Munster t-shirt (Rock Steady via Cats Like Us), faux pearl necklace (thrift), cameo earrings (Target?) and boots from 6pm.com.

I'm feeling a lot better this week and keep telling myself to just take one step at a time. *smile*

Thank you for reading, until next time!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Flesh For Lulu : 'Roman Candle'

Let me interrupt this fashion blog to talk about; 1)This video is amazing 2) Nick Marsh's hair and make up is amazing.

That is all.

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

A New Favorite Dress

I picked up this dress last week while thrift shopping for $2.50. Seeing as I'm a sucker for 'shapeless black things', collars and anything that reminds me of a nun, this dress came home with me. I love the fit of this vintage frock, but the material is super wrinkley even after I gave it a good ironing. 

Sorry to all the faded hair fans, but my mop got purpled this morning. Though I do like the grey-lavender on others, it's just too light for my liking as I like the more intense violet on myself. It just feels more 'me'. I'm also surprised every time I re-color my hair as to how much my sides have grown in from the mohawk, they have become nice full layers. Yay!

Wrinkle, wrinkle. Oh well. 

Like many Tuesday's, today was filled with grocery shopping, cleaning and doing a little treasure hunting. Now I'm going to crack open some clearance wine while I wait for dinner to finish baking.

Cheers!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Big 80s Sweater Casual

I gotta tell you I was pretty darn excited when I found this long 80s sweater mixed in with the dresses while I was thrift shopping. I had been scouring the internet for another oversized sweater to add to my wardrobe and (of course) I had no luck. This sweater had amazingly huge shoulder pads that I cut out, because I'm not THAT in love with the 80s....been there, done that. And I have to point out the wonderful cuffs and sleeves.

It also has pockets!

The older I get and the more curated my closet becomes, the more I realize I prefer second hand shopping. I don't know if it's the thrill of the hunt, or the unique pieces I find, but I just really enjoy a thrift shop/vintage shop more than most other retail. Grant it, shop small and shop local!

I have picked up a few things via eBay this month, some barkcloth items to add to my Tiki wardrobe and a velvet coat which I am looking forward to pairing with my lace dresses. 

In other news, this was the scene Friday morning. Derek is using an axe he found in our shed to hack at the ice. I told him he's been listening to too much Viking Metal. Haha!!!

I decided to tell Spring that it's okay to come soon, the plastic pink flamingos are sick of being hidden away. Our neighbors must think we're insane, but hopefully I at least gave them a little chuckle.

Time to get ready to go pick up a 60s chromcraft dining set that I've been dreaming about. It needs some TLC, but for the great price, we're up for the challenge!

Have a great weekend!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

My Favorite Skirt and Checkers

+checkered top: Voodoo Vixen +skirt: 80s thrift

+earrings: vintage 80s +atomic brooch: The Crave Yard

Another way I styled this checkered Voodoo Vixen top, with my favorite thrifted 80s skirt and my favorite lace back cardigan. 

Was trying to look cute...

then I made this face at Derek as he walked up the stairs. Hehe!

Thank you for reading!
XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Vintage Wishlist

+80s Grecian Style dress +Tiger Faux Fur Jacket

+Mod Ruffle dress +Layered Batwing dress

Just some vintage pieces I've been daydreaming about! The tiger jacket just screams, "Craaaaaaaaaamps style!"

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Pet Shop Boys

We went out to a Pet Shop Boys/Erasure/Yazoo club night on Friday. I wore this over-sized crushed velvet button up shirt, my hat, leggings and winklepicker boots. I only snapped a few photos before we headed out the door.

Wearing my favorite lipstick color, Medusa by NYX Cosmetics.

It was an early night as Derek had work the next day, but it was nice getting out of the house and seeing some friends. It's crazy how much I don't miss clubbing! 

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Oh, This Ugly Thing

I often feel bad for neglected and discarded clothing that I find while I thrift as I see the beauty and craftsmanship in clothing from bygone eras. I saw this sweater and found it to be quite pretty with all the knit details and loved how soft and warm the sweater felt, so it came home with me. 

I tried the sweater on with several things and in several combos and found it paired well with another questionable piece in my closet, this animal print dress. I have to admit collecting clothing for my closet in the 'I feel bad for it' is not the most ideal mindset, but I like to wear quirky things that make my creative style juices flow....and I like to be warm.

There have been some other interesting sweaters that have made their way into my winter wardrobe, so I'm discovering that another person's ugly sweater is my solution to staying warm. Haha!!!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

The Last Beat of My Heart : The Danse Society

Seeing as I picked up their record for a dollar on Sunday, I am sharing The Danse Society for Music Thursday.

Someone put up the whole record of Heaven is Waiting. Enjoy!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

The Last Beat of My Heart : Tears for Fears

Tears for Fears is one of my favorite 80s-era new wave bands. I grew up watching their music videos and still enjoy their music as much as when I was a wee thing.







Thank you for reading!
XOXO-Meagan Kyla

The Last Beat of My Heart : Ministry Live 1983

This is such an amazing 80s era Ministry live performance in Minneapolis, MI. I know Al Jourgensen doesn't like the early 80s version of Ministry, but I love everything about it!

Thank you for reading!
XOXO-Meagan Kyla

The Last Beat of My Heart : Robert Smith

My bosses gifted me this awesome magazine all about The Cure, which inspired this Music Thursday to feature two of Robert Smith other projects.

Siouxsie and the Banshees-Robert was the guitarist in the band from 1982-1984.


The Glove-Side project of both Steve Severin (Siouxsie and the Banshees) and Robert Smith released Blue Sunshine in 1983.

Just a little insight into Robert Smith's amazing musical career!

Thank you for reading!
XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Those 80s Earrings

I'm a big fan of wearing large earrings with short hair, so I've been on the hunt for bold 80s style earrings on my vintage shopping travels. Something about the geometric design of these $3 beauties made my heart skip a beat! Finding these earrings instantly made me regret passing up some brooches (of a similar style) on our last trip to Cleveland, Oh. Oh well, it's not the first time I've had to live with shopping regret.

I'm hoping I'll find some more crazy geometric earrings to add to the small collection. Ohh, I would love some gaudy leopard ones or zebra or glitter! Hahaha! 

Thank you for reading!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

The Last Beat of My Heart : Death in June

I was pretty damn excited last week when I ran out to my local record store to pick up a copy of Death in June's "Nada Plus" on vinyl. I'm a DIJ fan and though there is a lot of controversy surrounding Douglas P, I enjoy the music at face value rather than getting involved with the political view points that are neither self imposed by the band or by outside individuals.

This is a rare strange fan made (?) video to one of my favorite songs on the album.

Thank you for reading!
XOXO-Meagan Kyla

My Weekend Was Full of 80s Shirts

Thank you to everyone for your sweet comments about my last batty t-shirt outfit! I hope your weekend was filled with fun or relaxation or whatever makes you happy! I predicted that my weekend was going to be filled with friends, fun and Tiki and boy was I right! It was also filled with some radical 80s vintage shirts that sort of became a loose theme to this weekend's ensembles. 

I'm wearing an over-sized charcoal and white cross top that I picked up last week for $1.50 at my favorite thrift store. I love a good button-up shirt, so I couldn't resist! The top is a vintage size 14 and I usually go for a 10/12, but I thought, "what the heck, I'll make it work", and I think I did with my trusty walking shorts. This outfit was nice and breezy for the humid and hot weekend in Cleveland, Ohio. 

We were in Cleveland with our Tiki group to visit Porco Lounge & Tiki Room. *Wink*

On Sunday, a little tired mixed with a slight hangover brought us to my most favorite vintage warehouse, Sweet Lorain. I love the owner Red who always enthusiastically greets us while  looking for vintage treasures. I'm wearing a men's vintage shirt that I picked up at a sidewalk sale at Miss Josie's vintage in Buffalo. I love the shirt, but I realized after washing that it was missing a button at the bottom (no biggie) and had a rather large bleach stain on the front....d'oh! No problem, tied into a knot it went and paired with some cropped pants that I picked up (new with tags) for $5.50 while thrifting. I really am digging the Asian characters on the shirt!

These kitschy patterned cotton shirts saved me from sweltering in the hot/humid weather. I see a pattern emerging (get it, pattern...shirts. Heh. Heh), so I will be keeping my eyes open for more 80s-tastical summer wear. It makes me happy.

Wearing what you love, one article of clothing at a time. 

Thank you for reading!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Revenge of the 80s Dance Party

My friend Danielle and I threw an 80s dance party on Saturday the 18th in lieu of our regularly monthly 'dark dance' night (On the Wire) in order to have an excuse to turn the 80s-ness up to ELEVEN! 

Myself, Marie, Christian and Derek

The crowd was amazing, our dj friends did a fantastic job and it was a great time all around! People really love the 80s! The dance floor was packed all night and there were even a few sing-a-longs. Haha! We're not going to switch our regular monthly to just primarily 80s, but perhaps we'll throw 'Revenge of the 80s II' in the summer, you never know. *Wink*

I surprise dance-attacked Luke!

Myself, Emilie and Danielle

Dress is 80s vintage thrifted a while ago for $5, stole Derek's Cure pin (80s!) for a 'pop' of color.

I own some nice Sugarpill shadows that I never wear, so this was a good opportunity to put them to use! I just sort of put it on and hoped for the best, turned out pretty good for not really having a plan. 

Thank you to Danielle for taking the reigns with my camera and snapping all these photos. You can check out On the Wire Facebook by clicking on the link. Yay!

Thank you reading, I will leave you with one of my favorite songs that was played that night.

XOXO-Meagan Kyla