Placeholder Post

I'd like to write something, really I would. But I barely have time to get dressed right now. So consider this a placeholder for when I'm back with more daily CorpGoth outfits and maybe an interesting post or two!

What I'm wearing: Black, white, & grey dress, made by Donna | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Black perforated d'orsay flats, Target | Black bat necklace, Walgreens | Silver medallion earrings, random accessory store

Changes Are Afoot

Not saying anything yet, but I've got new stuff going on. Good stuff, just making me more busy than ever! We shall see where this leads to :)

What I'm wearing: Grey sheath dress, Target | Black & white floral cardigan, White House Black Market | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Silver-grey wedges, Anne Klein | Black bat necklace, Walgreens | Silver hoop earrings, random accessory store

Historical Gothic Horror on TV

It's kind of a cliche that goths watch horror movies and TV shows, but like most cliches, there's an element of truth in there. Mysteries, murders, vampires, ghosts, the supernatural, creepy crawly things -- these are as essential to the gothic aesthetic as black velvet, leather, punk music, and stompy boots. After all, "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Bauhaus was one of the goth scene's earliest anthems, and the song makes obvious references to classic horror films of the 1930s and gothic vampire literature of the 19th century before that.

Currently, television is giving us quite a selection of horror-themed dramas to choose from, along with the more typical movies (in theaters or streaming). I'm particularly interested in several series that have been set in historical periods, since that pushes all my buttons with the potential for gothic historical costumes and ambiance, plus dark spooky stories.

Over on Frock Flicks, I reviewed Penny Dreadful, a beautiful, elegant, and very deliciously dark serial available on Showtime and Amazon.com. The second season just started. I also reviewed the TV movie Lizzie Borden Took an Ax and the subsequent TV serial The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, playing on Lifetime and also on Netflix. This movie and series stars Christina Ricci of Addams Family fame and has one more episode airing next Sunday. It's not clear if there will be a season two.

I'm planning to review Salem, a fantasy-gothic series on WGN about 17th-century witches, and Ripper Street, a police procedural set in 19th-century London following Jack the Ripper; it was on the BBC and BBC America, and now it's available from Amazon.com.

What are your favorite shows in this genre I'm missing? What shows am I missing?

What I'm wearing: Black maxi-dress, Macy's | Burgundy peplum sweater, Anthropologie | Black & burgundy striped tights, We Love Colors | Beaded bat necklace, gift from friends

CorpGoth Status Report: Hair

I've never considered my hair to be one of my better features. It just doesn't do what I want. My hair has been either straight or wavy, never outright curly but often frizzy. I was born with super-dark, almost naturally black hair, and I've colored every shade of red, pink, and purple you can get into hair that dark. Of course, I've dyed my hair jet black mostly since that's the easiest shade to maintain. I've always worn my hair to at least shoulder length and usually longer, and any deviation has been horrible. My hair and I have maintained a state of somewhat peaceful coexistence over the years; I try not to abuse it too severely, and it tries not to make me look too terrible in photographs.

February 2013

So the prospect of losing all my hair during chemo didn't seem like that big of a deal at first. Since I've never been particularly happy with my hair, if it has to go, it goes. And it'll just grow back, it always does, no matter what it suffers.

Thus, in September 2013, during my first round of chemo for breast cancer, all my hair fell out. That was not particular traumatic, especially in light of all the other millions of ways I felt terrible because of chemo.

September 2013

After a while though, I started to feel ugly and old without hair. I could only get that glamorized "bald is beautiful" look if I put on a ton of makeup and wore earrings. When I woke up in the morning and looked in the bathroom mirror, a weird little old man looked back at me. I didn't recognize myself.

Of course, I wore hats and wigs, I'd stocked up in advance. The best was my punky pink-streaked wig that even my most conservative office finally accepted.

June 2014

But as my own hair grew back, wearing a wig became hot and itchy, especially through summer. Finally, in August 2014, my hair was long enough to not look horrific IMO at work without a wig.

August 2014

Growing out my hair from absolutely nothing to mid-back length is going to take longer than I realized. That's been pretty damn depressing and frustrating at times. My hair today is still shorter than I've ever cut it on purpose (aside from shaving one side or the back during college; even then, I always left part of it long). The texture is the cliche "chemo curls" -- coarser and frizzier than it used to be. Sometimes, with a whole lot of hair products, I can get this to look like I have genuinely curly hair (as I did for Halloween 2014 when I dressed up as Betty Boop). But most days, I try to tame the frizz into waves or straight hair.

May 2015

I guess my hair is as long as a ragged pixie cut now. It's not long enough to be a bob yet. I haven't gotten a haircut since it fell out -- I'm waiting for a little more growth so I can get a cut with some sort of style. Not that I have any clue how this could be styled. That's been my problem, I can't figure out how to style short hair. There's not much to work with.

I still don't really see me when I look in the mirror. My face is in there somewhere, but I don't look right. Someday *sigh*

Want to share a status report for May about hair?

1. Post to your blog between Monday, May 18 to Wednesday, May 20.
   
2. Include the following code in your post so the This Is CorpGoth Mid-Month Status Report graphic will display (if you're using Blogger or WordPress, switch to the 'HTML post' setting & then paste this code in):
   
   <a href="http://corpgoth.blogspot.com/search/label/corpgoth%20status%20report"><img border="0" src="http://www.trystancraft.com/corpgoth/corpgothstatusreport.jpg" /></a>
    
3.  Comment on below including your blog link.
    
4.  Read everyone else's reports via their links in the comments!

A Meme About the Bod

1a. Do you generally feel good-looking? (or sexy or handsome or beautiful or something good?)
Generally, yes. Especially on weekdays because I put care and thought into my work wardrobe (even tho' few people see me at the office!). Presenting a polished, professional-yet-artsy image is important to me. Then again, at home and on the weekends, I'm a total slob. Basically, my looks are tied to my clothes more than anything else.

1b. When do you feel good? Do particular things trigger that feeling?
It's all about the clothes! If I have a great outfit, things that go well together and easily (nothing pulling or fussy, everything flattering my shape), hair done, makeup, accessories, cool shoes, then I feel good in the looks dept.

2a. Do you often feel unattractive? (or ugly or something bad?)
When I'm schlumpy -- wearing frumpy clothes, hair is not behaving, no lipstick. I have to really love you if I let you see me like that!

2b. When do you feel bad? Do particular things trigger that feeling?
Random physical aches and pains (hi, 40s, fuck you very much), added to my long-term migraines, get me really irritated with my body. What triggers bad feelings? Stress, having to be too much of an adult, lack of sleep, nothing special.

3. What do you like about your body? (Examples: strength, abilities, the look of a particular body part)
My brain, of course! My hands, both what they can do and they look pretty neat. I think I have a particularly attractive chest, not just boobs, but the neck and decollete area. I love dresses and tops that show this off.

4. What don't you like about your body? (appearance or other aspects)
That I have to wear glasses and that contacts are all-but useless on me. Migraine brain. Face still gets acne like crazy. Frizzy hair that's still short. Weight fluctuations.

5. Would you consider plastic surgery?
Never! I've only had my body cut into for repairs, not enhancements. Don't even like the idea of LASIK -- I've heard horror stories, and why take chances on something that is not absolutely crucial to health?

6a. What would you realistically change about your body?
Keep dying those greys! And if I could actually drop 10lbs, that might be nice -- but it's not something I'm particularly working on.

6b. What would you unrealistically change about your body?
Be able to see properly without glasses. No migraines ever again. For cancer to definitely, positively, absolutely not come back.

7. Do you think you treat your body well?
Not so much. I am not a "body" person -- I'm very cerebral. Focusing on my body is difficult.

8. Do you think your body treats you well?
Nope. We are often at odds.

9. What kind of relationship do you have with your looks? With your body?
I might over-inflate my looks. I often think I'm super hot stuff -- I was especially like that when I was single. I was of the opinion that I could get any guy or gal I wanted, so I always tried. Came in handy sometimes, caused disappointment other times. As an old married lady, I'm less over-confident in that way, but I've done similar things when shopping. I'll grab inappropriate clothing, get into the dressing room, and am  bitterly disappointed when the item looks horrible on me.

10. Do you think the world sees you the same way you see yourself?
I can't really tell. Sometimes I think people are impressed by me and other times I think I'm a complete wallflower. I don't think I photograph well -- I can feel great and look in the mirror and think I look great, and then I see photos from that day and I look awful. So I wonder if that's how people really see me. Weird.


What I'm wearing: Grey knit dress, bought in London | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Silver-grey wedges, Anne Klein | Black & purple scissor medallion necklace, gift from Lisa | Silver & purple crystal earrings, gift from Lisa

Window Shopping

This probably frustrates ecommerce websites, but I love to stick things in online shopping carts and let them stay there for as long as possible, as long as the website will remember it, until I'm good and ready to buy. Days or weeks or a month ideally.

Amazon.com is the best for this. I always have a few things just sitting there, waiting. I'll add more things, remove others. I may buy nothing for months, then buy everything in the cart. Or I'll clear it all out and start over again. It's better than Pinterest because nobody can see and I don't have to setup a private board, plus I can tally up actual prices so I know how much it would cost if I were to buy.

Right now, I'm looking at a window-ledge seat thing for my kittens, some sewing accessories, and a folding table to use at SCA events. Boring practical stuff, but things I've been meaning to get for a while. Not sure if or when I'll buy any or all of them.

What are you window shopping for?


What I'm wearing: Pink print cardigan, Chadwicks | Black jeweled T-shirt, Macy's | Corduroy skirt, H&M | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Black ankle boots, Aldo | Pink & grey pearl necklace, Designs by Salamanca | Skull earrings, Walgreens

CorpGoth Status Report: Hair

Subject: How do you style your hair for the workday? Do you have a go-to 'do in the mornings? Are you required to tone it down for your office or does anything go in terms of color and cut? Share pix of your hairstyle or even give a tutorial in this month's report.

Due Date: Monday, May 18 to Wednesday, May20

How to File Your Report:

1. Post to your blog on or around the due dates.

2. Include the following code in your post so the This Is CorpGoth Mid-Month Status Report graphic will display (if you're using Blogger or WordPress, switch to the 'HTML post' setting & then paste this code in):

<a href="http://corpgoth.blogspot.com/search/label/corpgoth%20status%20report"><img border="0" src="http://www.trystancraft.com/corpgoth/corpgothstatusreport.jpg" /></a>

3. Comment on my Monday the 16th post including your blog link.

4. Read everyone else's reports via their links in the comments!