Gothic hairstyles, can curly hair look good with your gothic outfit?

Happy new year to everyone! I hope everyone is still commiting to their new year resolutions...Mine is to update this blog more often! (I think you would be happy of hearing that and probably thinking: "about time!" :p)
Anyway, one of my gothic readers was asking me tips for curly hair and I have been thinking and reached the conclusion that I must write a post about it. Does curly hair go with the Goth look? I straighten mine OR I go for the wavy 40s look. But what about the 100%curly hair?
When you think of Goth and then curly hair....what does it come straight to your mine?....Well, Helena Bonham Carter, wh0 is not a good reference because she is a clear example of how not to dress and on top of that, curly hair (which is already difficult to style, in my opinion) emphasizes even more her "tramp-y" look and it reinforces my theory that curly hair is not a very "gothic" look. It doesn't go with the sophistication and groomness that Goth requires and! very important, is a very warm and "virginal" look (if you think about it, Angels are always associated with blonde little curls) that is completely the opposite of the straight, sharp lines of black raven hair-do.

There are very differents ways to wear curly hair. You can give a romantic/mystic air to it by keeping it long and simple. This way, because of the weight, the curls will be very easy to manage and style and they tend to get bigger. However, prepare yourself to spend long time washing it, drying it and looking after it. It will be so long that the whole experience it might even take you to mystical levels!
This length doesn't tend to get as frizzy as shorter lenghts, however it dries much much easier so you will need to use conditioner in EVERY single washing and I would suggest you to get a very good leave-in serum to apply after every wash. (I like the one by Swartzkopf -a small pink tube, it is very creamy but not greasy). The spray formats don't work, so please, don't even consider buying one. I have tried them all and they are shite, it is like leaving your hair without nothing on it.


For all those corporate Goths or people who can't be arsed to spend an hour in the shower, there are other possibilities to keep the problem to the minimum. Either you can cut it simple (one whole lenght) to your shoulder (just above of it or a bit under BUT never finishing just on the shoulder or it will not fall gracefully because the bone is on the way)
A very good example of this look is the haircut that Michelle Pfeiffer has in Batman Returns, (the look is SO minimal, beginning of 90s, I know!) However, after over a decade, I still like it! Specially, the idea of wearing not soft make up but harsh-feline eyes which kills the cheesyness of the hair-do (I still think that this length could still look a bit early teenage)





Option B is to wear layers. If they are done properly, they will really revive any hair. You see, the problem of wearing one lenght hair (short or long) is that the curls tend to die on the roots (because they can't support the weight) so you look somehow stupid. The secret is to have very big layers (or you will end up looking like a mushroom with hair all over the place) always starting from just under the jar (this way, it's easier to keep under control because you can tie it all in a pony tail or keep it behind your ears with a nice pin).


After all these tips you must be thinking "okay, nice haircuts but I want to look more groomed and sophisticated, what else do I-ve got?"
Well, option A -the obvious one- is to re-shape your curls professionally, with rollers. That means curlying your hair again. (or you think all those fantastic curls you see on telly are natural? NOOOO! Even Andy Mcdowell has hers done professionally for those adverts. Those curls are too perfect, they don't exist). Obviously, what lots of people do, taking advantage that they can choose a new hairdo, they go for softer and bigger curls, resulting in a retro 1940s look or just very big waves. However, if you still want to keep your small curls, I would suggest a very nice up-do which, in my opinion, are much more impressive with curly hair. I Like the one that Eva Green has. She looks elegant, groomed and gorgeous!

crystal spider brooches

One of the very first things I started to play with was creating fimo spiders. I still love the idea and you wouldn't believe how far I-ve arrived! I-m very proud to show the last ones I-ve made. The crystal one has over 140 tiny crystal rhinestones I-ve incrustated one by one and then was finished with a layer of acrylic. It is for sale on my website (theblackwardrobe.com) for £15
here is the link: http://theblackwardrobe.com/product/big-spider-brooch-12

My flyers

Here are two pics of my flyers. I've forgotten to mention the artists names who made posible these beautiful pictures! (Here's the link, if you want to have a look)
http://the-black-wardrobe.blogspot.com/2008/10/black-widow-collection.html

Photography: Ian Mountain

Make-up: Laura Corcoran

Hair stylism: Rachel Flaherty

Please, have a look at my website and let me know what you think! My items are also availabe at the Rose and Anchor boutique, in Liverpool.

Steampunk, ever heard of it?

If you are into victorianesque, you might have already heard of Steampunk.

If you are into Jules Verne or any other "visionaire" work you might be a fanatic of it.

I had never heard of it until I reached, by curiosity, a myspace site, owned by "The Girls of Steampunk".

Steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often set inVictorian era, England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of "the path not taken" of such technology as dirigibles or analog computers; these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or a presumption of functionality.
Steampunk is often associated with cyberpunk and shares a similar fanbase and theme of rebellion, but developed as a separate movement (though both have considerable influence on each other). Apart from time period and level of technological development, the main difference between cyberpunk and steampunk is that steampunk settings usually tend to be less obviously dystopian (?? no idea what the context means) than cyberpunk, or lack dystopian elements entirely.
Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by individual craftpersons into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical "steampunk" style, and a number of visual and musical artists have been described as steampunk.

(text taken from Wikipedia) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk

"The Girls of Steampunk" (myspace) profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=379792284

Basically, in my opinion, Steampunk seems to be about giving a retro feel to objects, mainly digital/electronic. But not the usual 20th retro feel but victorian look. The best resume about Steampunk I've found so far is on thesteampunkhome.blogspot.com

"I believe that Steampunk is more than just brass and watchparts. It's finding a way to combine the past and the future in an aesthetic pleasing yet still punkish way. It's living a life that looks old-fashioned, yet speaks to the future. It's taking the detritus of our modern technological society and remaking it into useful things. Join me as I search for items for my house that combine the scientific romanticism of the Victorians with our real present and imagined future."

Siren evening gown

If you are looking for a "look-at-me" dress for this christmas or just for a very glamouours night. I think you might LOVE! this dress. It's been for sale on the boutique since last week and I think the retail price is around £95.

It's completely elastic. Made with jersey (medium thick, not see-through, 100%acrylic) and gorgeous european lace (from Nottingham), I don't where exactly from, as the mill has closed down so now this fabric has become a little treasure. The neck is finished with satin at the back, and the middle panel on the bust and waist is gathered. It is high-waisted with long puff sleeves.

Size? The same size as all my dresses, medium/large.

(87cms bust, 70cms waist, 95cms hips). But it stretches very widely so if you are slightly wider, don't worry because it would still fit you like a glove (that's the brilliant thing about elastic fabrics).

Here's the boutique address and phone number:
66 Wood st.

L1 4AQ-Liverpool

(0151 7073590)

"Gothic Britain", part3 - Spiders

My apologies for not having updated the blog for sooooo long. Well, I just hope there will still be any readers out there...

Well, I have a couple of very interesting pictures from Liverpool. Although they are very old pictures (from the summer) I thought that I should still show them.

As everyone knows, Liverpool is the city of culture, this year, so lots of different shows and attractions have been held over there, specially in the summer. Two of them were of a very arachnic nature!

My most prefered one is this beautiful massive! cobweb, as you can see on the first picture. It glows beautifully in the dark and the spider (which is on the center of it) changes its colours while glowing at the same time.

The second arachnic attraction was a very impressive yellow robot-spider that was as high as a hole building. This godzilla-like spider, was driven by a group of men on the top of the head. It walked down the main streets of Liverpool and then it dissappeared inside the Mersey tunnel. No-one has ever seen it again....

Vampira mini scultpure

I'm a fanatic of Vampira. So I was more than ecstatic when I found out about this little sculpture of her. The pics are amazing. They really captured the "cadaveric" aspect of the character.
Here's the link
http://zombigallery.home.mchsi.com/vampira.htm

The Black Widow Collection

Make-up and hairstyle tips....are you too pale for the usual make-up?

Lots of people got excited with the new make-up range, designed by red-head Nicola Roberts, from Girls Aloud. It was a matter of time that this woman will ditch the fake tan. (I´ve heard horror stories about fake tan: brown bed-sheets....water from the shower coming out completely brown, stains between toes and fingers, stains on clothes....Horrible!). I will never understand it. Specially in red-heads or freckled people. It just looks stupid. It´s so obvious that is fake and is not the natural tone of their skin. Besides, fake tan makes skin look older and it really emphasizes the wrinkles! So, be careful, ladies!

I´ve also noticed that since Nicola ditched her fake tan, she has updated her wardrobe, as well. Instead of opting for "super-sexy-I-think-I´m-Beyonce" foxy looks, she seams to adopt more classy and elegant ones, which I think is great. Also, She´s dyed her hair into a more red-dish tone which is been dyed into pink. She looks like a lady. A local version of Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchet.

If you are still desperate to find the range, here are some links:

http://www.jellypongpong.com/

http://www.asos.com/Dainty-Doll/Cat/pgecategory.aspx?cid=4788

Gothic hair-styles looks for the office

At some point, we all grow up and tend to distance ourselves from the teenage looks, I think you know where I´m getting to...Yes! Sophisticated grown up look or straight raven-hair do?

I´ve already spoken about the raven hair do (http://the-black-wardrobe.blogspot.com/2008/07/gothic-make-up-tips-alternative-to.html)

Some people like it (easy, sleek and simple) other people just find it boring and teenage. I am between both options, sometimes can look very sexy, when it´s done properly, otherwise, It makes me look like Monalisa. However, other times, it looks a bit dull and boring.

There´s a new trend that it´s been hitting for over a couple of years now, which is the intermix between Goth and Rockabilly (it sounds bizarre but they ´re somehow related, just look at fashion´s history books and you will know why). You can find the local versions of this interesting mix such as in "bobs" (yes, the Victoria´s Beckham hair do but in a sleek raven-black version) or in longer lengths with fringe (very Betty Page)

But the last branch or "evolution" that it has come out from the Gothic subculture is the retro-burlesque one. Sometimes, intermixed/blended with Rockabilly, as well!

I´m one of these people who strongly believe that ms. Von Teese was the one who started it all, back to her gothic days with Marilyn -teenage idol- Manson.

It´s a very classy, old Glamour look. Very high maintenance! Which makes not suitable for everyone but it has that intriguing dark feel to it that makes it irresistible for those girls who are in the alternative circles. It works very well on all hair colours but specially, with black! I think it really gives a bit of fresh hair to the sometimes dull, straight-raven hair-do, don´t you think?

New dress!

I'm thrilled to present one of the last looks I've just created. The satin shawl collar dress.

It's a three-quarter length dress with puff long sleeves. Satin shawl collar with pleats detailing on the sides. Feminine and flattering, it frames the neckline in a beautiful way as well as it emphasizes the dramatic shape of the shoulders. The highwaisted skirt hugs the figure and it elongates it. It's made with completely stretch lace. Hope you like it. It's for sale on my etsy shop!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15934296

All prices on Etsy are in dollars (because it´s an american website), so if you are in Europe and are interested in anything and want to pay in british pounds or Euros. Please, contact me!

My etsy.com shop

I'm thrilled to announce that my etsy shop is been opened for a while but it has had stock for sale since yesterday! Not all my collection is been posted yet, so please keep an eye on this blog and the etsy shop because I will post new items as long as I do them.
Please, have a look at it:
feedback is very welcome!

theblackwardrobe.etsy.com