knowing that i'm ALWAYS red

When is the new episode of Sailor Moon going to air, you guys?! amirite?! What's a #boredhousewife supposed to do with her free time (ie evenings from 9-10pm) upinhere? Who even knows what Japanese programming schedules are like, in this day and age especially?

Luckily I thought of a perfect peach of a kindred spirit of entertainment to watch in the mean time. After all, the Sailor Scouts and the Heathers have more than a little in common, each a power group of gorgeous, sassy high-school girls who use their powers of cosmic and/or social persuasion to get ahead in the evil world around them, occasionally resorting to violence when necessary. 

Obviously, it's not entirely analogous; It's more like if Usagi et al had been recruited by scouts from the Negaverse, instead of talking cats from the Moon Kingdom. Or, like a reboot prequel series following Queen Beryl during her formative years back at Negamoon High (which is actually a pretty good idea…) So, yeah, it is a little different, but I think you see connection. And there's more than a passing resemblance between the dark, devil-may-care lotharios JD and Tuxedo Mask… Anyway, probably my favorite element shared by these two cliques is that each girl has her own signature color. I don't know why, but I've always loved that--all the way back to the Color Kids! It's like the personification of hue, but also it's such a cool way to establish the mood of a character. Because you can always pick apart color symbolism in a piece of  media (especially Heathers) but you don't really need to, because you can just use your eyes! It's sort of like what Schopenhauer said about sound and the will (but obviously, as it pertains to visual rather than auditory qualia);  you could think of countless ways to describe the feelings and references invoked by a color, or you could just take a look and feel it all at once. Do you know what I'm talking about?

So, which color would you choose?

Red?

yellow?

Green?

or blue? And, could you commit, like these people have? Sometimes I think I could… but I'd have to make up my mind about it first. So, really, I couldn't.

Something interesting I noticed watching this film the last time around is that Veronica only really embraces "her" color after Heather dies (#spoileralert) Before, she has little accents of blue in wardrobe of mostly black and grey; after the murder she's literally wearing it head to toe (thanks to some truly questionable hat choices). But even though she eventually owns her power color, she still claims the red scrunchie of true power in the end. It's all so subtle, but obvious. Red and blue is the best color rivalry of all time, and this film is a great example of it. It's like choosing between good and evil but you can never be sure which one is which. I wish I could explain it better but like I said, I'm pretty sure I don't actually have to! 

ladylike

I never thought of myself as a a skirt girl… or, I guess I always have been, but not exclusively. Then I started working with the Hasidic community last year, and would wear skirts around them out of respect (they never asked it of me) on an almost daily basis. Now I'm hooked! In fact, I wore jeans out the other night for the first time in weeks and immediately knew it was a mistake. Skirts are so much more comfortable and flattering on a ladyshape, in this author's opinion, and obviously far cooler in the summertime. Indeed, my love of skirting has rekindled my interest in fashion--you may remember I was largely unimpressed by both spring and fall collections last year. But it's because I forgot about my favorites, the off-seasons: Resort and Pre-Fall. For example, feast your eyes on all the slinky, mermaid-meets-flamenco skirts in Christopher Bailey's 2015 resort collection for Burberry: 

So fun, so flirty! A pencil skirt always looks great, and even maybe used to be my favorite. But, honestly?! Thanks in part to my time among the hasids, these days I'm keyed into a longer, looser silhouette. There's something so beguiling about a flowing skirt, some delightful examples of which are to be seen in Francisco Costa's pre-fall collection for Calvin Klein.

Love that regency waistline, all of the sudden. Sexy, but demure. And all those soft silvery greys are simultaneously cozy and ethereal--a pretty neat trick when you think about it. I think this waistline is about to be A Thing, if Vogue is any indication--see it imposed with gold and silver bands on the looks in my favorite editorial from the march issue (though I could do without the pinstripes…)

and then again in April, in an even dreamier spread staring Karlie Kloss: 

It's all so soft and floaty and feminine and comfy! And the perfect thing for a rainy day like today/the rest of my life. Best of all, it's an especially easy look to achieve on a budget, as I'm sure you'll find your own neighborhood thrift store as rife with "mom skirts" as mine. I wish we could all go shopping!!!!1

runway images via style.com; editoral images via vogue.com

No One is Promised a Tomorrow

Have you ever helped fund a Kickstarter? Well, now's your chance! My friend Rachel is planning to tour the western half of the country in order to connect with people close to her father, the late underground native american artist Jaye Allison Zamzrla, honoring his legacy by piecing together the disconnected stories of his past.  She will also be on the hunt for as yet unseen works by this "brilliant, underrated artist" who mainly worked in portraiture, capturing the likeness of native americans as well as himself. An artist in her own right, Rachel plans not only to collect any of her father's artwork that she finds along the way, but also to record the entire experience so that she might produce a documentary film of the journey. But time is running out--

"It has been increasingly difficult to stay in touch with the characters from Jaye's past, and as time slips away the risk of not having the opportunity to document his stories and art quickly advances. They are the key to unlocking the mysteries of this fabulous artist"

It sounds like such a beautiful and meaningful journey. I can relate to the feeling that the past is slipping away, and to the urge to learn about her family roots before it's too late. Obviously, it's the opportunity of a lifetime for our dear Rachel--if only she gets the funding she needs! Any and all donations are welcome and can be made by visiting her kickstarter page. While you're at it, check out the Zine that preludes and inspires this project, and check out the promotional film below:

Good luck you guys!!

scream moon tiara boomerang!

Today is the stateside premier of the new Sailor Moon series, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal. Maybe you didn't know this about me, but I'm a huge fan! It's a beautiful magical show about a charmingly clumsy, hapless teenaged girl who one day is beckoned by a wise and mystical talking cat into the magical parallel universe that exists all around her, one of shadowy figures and apparitions, which she is destined to rule as Princess of the Moon--if she could only find her allies and defeat the villain! It's Just like Harry Potter! 

Celebrating the the 20th anniversary of Naoko Takeuchi's original manga, the series promises to be a more faithful adaptation than the animated version that aired in the 90's (which, as I said before, I loved). I was especially excited to see the new theme song and transformation montages--they didn't disappoint! In particular, the lyrics to the new opening theme, "Moonpride," by Yasuharu Takanashi, were too good to be true… and worth transcribing myself to share with you:

moon pride

I want to support you

the tears rolling down my cheek

my eyes burning scarlet

someone is shouting love outloud

like a flash of lightning

no matter how dark it is

I know I'm not alone

moonlight shines upon us

we all have unshakable wills

we will fight on our own

without leaving our destiny to the prince

shiny make up 

we are gonna shine bright

under the starry sky

we are not helpless girls

who need men's protection

so… 

shiny make up

we are gonna fight

with power from the starry sky

a new legend begins right now

right here

la la pretty guardian

sailor moon!

I'd also recommend watching the Official Extended Trailer:

 I loved the first episode! Apart from the initial clues we are given towards Usagi's ultimate cosmic destiny, it features a classic early-series sailor moon plot line in which an evil, otherworldly vixen comes to steal human energy by brainwashing the people of tokyo with cheap tricks like 95% off jewelry sales, before ultimately crumbling into dust after being hit with one of Sailor Moon's accessories. 

You gotta check it out! And while we wait for the next episode to air, here are some more of my sailor-themed posts from the past, including who I'd cast if I were to produce a live-action adaptation; sailor-scout accessories; and some Usagi-esque fashion on the runway . 

Happy Scouting!