Binge Watching RuPaul's Drag Race

This outfit was definitely inspired by Derek and I binge watching RuPaul's Drag Race. I was feeling fierce, hunty! We started watching the show when it first aired in 2010 and got really into it, but my interest faded around season 3 (even though I love Sharon Needles!), which I think was due to whatever was happening in my world at that time.

I really love the message that RuPaul spreads as well as the other queens, "If you can't love yourself, how the hell are you gonna love somebody else!". Very true Mama Ru, very true. 

Wearing; peplum jacket with faux leopard fur collar (thrift), bone hoop earrings (Martha Rotten, etsy), leopard cropped pants (Sourpuss Clothing), silver spiked bracelets (???), tall boots (Madden Girl, 6pm.com)

We've been staying home a lot and getting good use out of our Hulu and Netflix accounts. We've been picking one thing to do on the weekend and the rest of the time has been spent doing household projects....like putting bats on the wall. Hahaha!

I opted to leave the walls of my sewing studio blue as it's painted really well and I just wanted to go ahead and get the room together. My materials have been living in boxes for well over a year and I just wanted to get organized! So, Derek helped me to build a cutting table out of ikea desk parts and put up a accordion door that replaced the curtains I had hanging in the doorway. Our upstairs is a converted attic space, so regular doors weren't working for us, as we use the middle room as our master suite. When we had "regular" doors up, they just made the whole upstairs too closed off for our tastes.

Yeah. RuPual's Drag Race and home projects. I can't complain! I'll just Sissy That Walk all over the god damn house!!!!! *Wink*

Thank you for reading, until next time!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Inspiration : Front 242

I love Front 242. They are the band that got me into industrial/ebm, they were the glorious gateway drug. In fact, I was into industrial music before I even dove into the goth side of the musical spectrum. I used to stay up on Sunday nights tuning into a Canadian radio station, 102.1 CFNY listening to whatever Martian Streek (R.I.P) would broadcast. I was already into electronic music (techno/house/breaks) and knew bands like Depeche Mode, The Cure and INXS, but hearing Front 242 was like a religious experience!

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Unfortunately I missed Front 242 when they came to Buffalo in the early 00's and it was terribly upsetting! I hope someday to hear them live, so I can have a moment and cry all my makeup off. Hahahaa!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

What Inspires You?

Photo I took while visiting the Basilica in Buffalo, NY. 

Such a beautiful place.

I've been pondering about inspiration to keep the winter doldrums* away. Pondering what it is to be inspired and what makes up parts of who I am and what I like. I'm not looking to "find myself", just more of an exercise to remind myself that falling into a place of idleness often leads myself into a place of...well, getting a case of the meh's. Haha! 

Since I'm mostly a fashion focused blog, I often don't discuss other avenues of inspiration. I have talked here and there of my interests, so now when I'm feeling a bit disheartened at this time of the year, it is a great time to share.

Music

I don't think this comes too much of a surprise since I was sharing music on Thursdays. I am constantly listening to music, reading about music history and discovering new bands (or old bands that are new to me), or talking about music. I have my brother to thank for my love of various styles of music. With him being almost 10 years older than me and being a teenager in the 80s/90s, he introduced me to everything from; very early techno to new wave to hair metal and rap. I used to steal his cassette tapes all the time and just the other day he said, "I want my Depeche Mode tapes back". Those are long gone dear brother. Long gone.

Dance

I joke that it is the one thing I'm really good at, dancing. I love to dance and often dance all other the place. That is the one thing that I truly lose myself  into. I can get on the dance floor without caring who is watching or what my problems may be, I just move to the music. Yeah, it may seem corny, but it's always been therapeutic and I have to admit that is one thing I miss about being a club regular. 

My love of dance came from my Father. He put me into dance lessons at 4 years old as he is a dancer himself. I still remember the first time I saw my parents jitterbug at my Aunt Theresa's wedding. I was 7 and stood at the end of the dance floor with my mouth wide open. I had NEVER seen anyone dance like my parents, let alone seen my parent's move like that! My parents met at a nightclub, so naturally they both enjoy dancing together...even though my Mom gets annoyed since my Dad is a bit of a show-off. Haha!!!

Life, Death and Religion

Yep. I talk a lot, but I'm also very observant. I think it's due to all those years being so painfully shy and quiet that I like to observe people and are fascinated by their lives, thoughts and behaviors. This also includes my deep interest in the Victorians and how they lived, died and how they mourned (Memento Mori). Death and life go hand in hand and it inspires a lot of my thoughts, interests and inspires me. I am also a student of religion, not necessarily directed at one particular decree and/or label, but I have chosen my path based on my studies and from life experiences. If you had to twist my arm I would have called myself a Thelemite at one time, but now I would just consider myself a Pagan. I try to lead myself down a path of self learning in which I don't lean too far to the white or black, but try to live in balance between the two.  

These are just a few things that inspire me, so tell me, what inspires you? 

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

*I wrote this blog post weeks ago 

Swing Dance : Inspired by 80s Rockabilly

Hahaha!

A month has flown by since last month's swing dance, so (Sunday) it was time to get gussied up and put on our dancing shoes. Derek and I had been listening to The Stray Cats, The Polecats and The Rockats (80s neo-rockabilly!) all day, so our outfits reflected the time period in rockabilly that we both love.....fashion too! I really enjoy the '80s does the 50s' fashions, in fact I'm on the hunt for some dresses to wear to future dances.

I styled my pink polka dot dress by Living Dead Souls with a black button-up shirt over the dress, in which I tied in the front and added my awesome atomic pin by The Crave Yard, which was a gift from the lovely Miss Beth. 

My teased bouffant was held into place with the help of a black and pink zebra print bandana and I liked how the bold print and color tied into the big pink polka dots on the dress. I'm wearing a bronze lip color, black button earrings and my big plastic bow necklace. I feel kitsch-tastic!

Let's not forget about my date and dance partner! Dapper Derek is rockin' a leopard jacket that was a gift from me by Nine Deep from ebay. The jacket was bought a size too big, but then was taken to our favorite tailor who did an amazing job on the jacket. Derek is not an 'off the rack' sorta guy, so having a good tailor is key to his dapper dressing skills!

Besides the leopard jacket, Dere is wearing a short sleeve black button-up top in which he changed the buttons to pewter coffin buttons by Alchemy Gothic and an awesome cross bolo tie that we purchased at a Florida cowboy store some years ago. 

Here's my full outfit, hand craved purse by De Tiki

We had a great time and I'm looking forward to next month's dance, but boy are my knees sore! Hahahaha!

I'll leave you with an awesome video that is a great song and have some awesome 80s neo-rockabilly fashion. You know I love the 80s!

Thanks for reading!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Kitsch Picks : Inspired by the Egyptians

I've been seeing some labels like Widow Clothing using Egyptian influences on their garments and it has me excited. I've studied about Ancient Egyptian on my own and find their 'afterlife' rituals and meanings to be extremely intriguing.

Some symbols and their (loose) meaning:
Ankh: symbol of life, often seen in Egyptian tombs
Scarab beetle or the Scarabaeus sacer: transformation, renewal, and resurrection, also seen in funerary cult traditions.
Eye of Horus (also known as Eye of Ra): protection, health

Thank you for reading!
XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Hair Talk : My Hair Inspiration

I often find that people automatically call me 'deathrock' just based on my mohawk or death hawk (as some may call it) either of which I don't mind. Is the difference between a mohawk and a death hawk based on the  little 'dog ears' that I have or because I have a texturized teased mop? Who knows! My look is definitely inspired by the 80s batcave goth era, yet I don't like to limit myself.

I'll admit I swoon over big hair, vintage styled hair and New Wave hair do's. I have always been into trying different and dramatic things with my hair over the years, so at 31 having a mohawk just seems like the perfect fit for me. Besides, I personally think I look better in shorter styles.

Some of my hair inspirations:

(top) left to right: Siouxsie Sioux, 80s London gal

(bottom) left to right: Daniel Ash (Bauhaus), Awesomely 80s goths

Why can't I be the 4th member of Skinny Puppy?

Too awesome, look at that hair!

What are your hair inspirations? Are there any hair style you would love to try?

Thanks for reading!

XOXO-Meagan Kyla

Fashion Inspirations

I'm 31 and a product of the 80s. I remember a time before surfing the worldwide web, twitter, tumblr and facebook. I remember watching MTV in my upstairs neighbors apartment, staring into the flickering screen while bands like Poison, Adam and the Ants and Boy George assaulted my young tender mind. I remember my head banger neighbor showing me pictures of hair metal bands and trying to figure out if the pretty boys in makeup were indeed men. I remember sitting up on Sunday nights listening to a Toronto (Canada) radio station that broadcast their alternative radio show in which I heard Front 242 and Ministry for the first time. I remember running out to our local dirt mall and picking up a used My Life With the Thrill Kill Cult cassette tape because it had a hot Bettie Page on the cover, then running home to read the liner notes. My point is, I felt inspired by all these experiences, images, sounds and memories, it's pretty much made me the women behind the fashion blog.

I wanted to pay a little tribute to the people who have inspired me in terms of fashion, attitude and BIG HAIR (or lack there of).

Robert Smith of The Cure

I think this one is pretty self explanatory as Mr. Smith is one of my style icons. Not only does his lovely rat's nest make me have hair envy, but his voice makes me swoon like a little gothic school girl. The Cure is my favorite band, as I know some of you may have a special place in your heart for them as well. Oh, Robert *Sigh*

On the left: My 2010 Halloween costume dedicated to Siouxsie 

On the right: Miss Siouxsie Sioux

What can I say about Siouxsie, other than her style never ceased to amaze me. Her iconic eye makeup, crimped and teased hair, and edgy fashion choices make her my post-punk queen. Of course, I love her voice and commanding stage performances. Siouxsie, would you please Kiss Them For Me?

Yes, that is indeed Billy Idol. I know, this picture is HOT! With Billy's sneer, fist pumping and bleached blonde hair, has me doing the Rebel Yell. I freakin' LOVE his videos, his music, and it's nice to see him in some tight leather pants. *Wink* I used to wear my hair very similar to his at points in my life, my own regret is not dressing up as him for Halloween, that would have been so neat!

Miss Annie Lennox is my queen of androgyny. Seeing her wearing tailored mens suits with buzzed hair and leather gloves intrigued me. Her femininity and power were not based on being over sexualized like a lot of her peers during the 80s, and I enjoyed that was a wee girl. I think I have to thank her for making me love a well tailor blazer. 

Who are your style icons? 

I'll leave you with one of my favorite videos:

XOXO-Meagan Kyla