• Home
  • About Me
  • Press
  • F.A.Q.
  • Store
  • Contact

The Lady Nerd

Geek Made Chic

Captain America Fitness

June 14, 2018 by The Lady Nerd 1 Comment

Although I will be the first to admit that I’m no fitness junkie, I do love activewear for comfort. Geek fashion giant Her Universe has teamed up with various stores over the recent years to to produce geeky activewear.  I first got hooked when HU collaborate with Kohl’s department store to release their first major activewear line just in time for the Captain America: Civil War movie release. The line was themed with the powerful figures of Captain America, Black Widow, and Iron Man. So of course, I had to go shuffle my little bum over to the nearest Kohl’s.

So shuffle over I did! After trying on every piece (and subsequently realizing that no, I didn’t have enough of a paycheck that week to buy EVERY piece. It was a tough choice, let me tell you…), I walked away with two Captain America outfits and one Black Widow outfit. For this post, I’m going to focus on one of those outfits and roll out the other two later.

This particular combination is a bit daring for me, but I’ve found it’s a very comfy combo to wear in the heat of Atlanta. The fabric is comfortable and the cuts of the pieces allow for full range of movement (but without the clothes moving too much for the dreaded wardrobe malfunction). The higher waisted shorts in combination with the sports bra puts a slight vintage feel on an otherwise very modern pattern.

Confession: I wear the Captain America outfits and the Black Widow pants a couple times a week. Yep. They’re totally my “activewear-as-everyday-wear-even-though-I’m-not-going-to-the-gym” clothes. They’re comfy. They’re geeky. They’re conversation starters. What’s not to love?

(While the colours have been retouched in these photos, my skin, body size, etc. have not been. So every bit of cellulite, scars, wrinkle, or bony/flabby part you see is all me.)

Photograph: Kyle Matthew Williams
Sports Bra: Her Universe
Shorts: Her Universe
Aviators: Target
Shoes: Naturalizer via DSW

Filed Under: Outfits Tagged With: activewear, captain america, civil war, geek fashion, her universe, her universe kohls, kohls

Casual Spider-girl

February 9, 2018 by The Lady Nerd 12 Comments

While visiting Disney Springs this summer, I happened upon a fun looking clothing collection for the release of the new Spider-Man: Homecoming film.

And then I saw it.

A women’s tank top with a cleverly designed crochet straps forming a web on the back. Right in the middle of the shirt was a circle shaped graphic that with the Spider-man mask overlaid on it was rather reminiscent of a basketball.

It was too perfect. The shirt just screams Mayday Parker, despite the “Spider-MAN” part on it. (For those who don’t know, May “Mayday” Parker, better known as Spider-girl, is Peter Parker’s daughter from an alternate universe. She’s a feisty, resourceful 90s gal with a love for basketball and fighting evildoers.) I paired it of 90s-style shorts from Forever 21, and my trusty Converse for a fun, casual geek summer outfit.

As luck would have it, I got to team up with the folks at Angle 3 Films to bust out this shoot. A match made in geeky heaven! I happened to need photos for my blog and Michael Rivera and David Hoang needed a project for their interns to cut their teeth on. Win-win!

spidergirl mayday parker spiderman fashion spidergirl outfit converse marvel style

Photograph: Michael Rivera
Tank Top: Disney Springs – TrenD store
Shorts: Forever 21 (not exact, but closest ones I could find)
Aviators: Target
Shoes: Converse via DSW

Filed Under: Outfits Tagged With: geek fashion, geek outfit, geekbounding, marvel fashion, marvel style, may parker, mayday parker, spider-man, spidergirl

Loungefly Star Wars Rebel Canto Bag Review

December 13, 2017 by The Lady Nerd 5 Comments

The post below contains affiliate links

Loungefly Last Jedi Bag

This is not a sponsored post.

For my first ever review on this blog, today I’m featuring another first – my first handbag purchase! (Or maybe I just wanted to see how many times I could write “first” in one sentence…English majors, forgive me.) I’ve always bought whatever cheap, basic black handbag I could find at Ross or TJ Maxx to satisfy my utilitarian needs. Despite being a fashionista cliche, I’ve never been into handbags. They’ve never caught my eye for anything past functional purpose.

Until now.

Now I’m a fashion cliche. NO REGRETS. Let’s take a closer look at this beauty, shall we?

Behold Loungefly’s Star Wars Rebel Canto Bag from their recent The Last Jedi line. Made from saffiano faux leather, this subtle geek chic bag features a polished design of elegant black and silvery gold usually reserved for Imperial styles (whoever made the decision to use Rebel symbols instead, you’re a mad genius and this Rebel loves you for it. The Imperials and First Order can’t have all the sleek chic fun!). Both sides feature a symmetrical quilted pattern with Star Wars themed metal plaque. Having a neutral palette, this bag pairs well with just about any outfit and functions well for both the everyday and formal.

Loungefly The Last Jedi BagThe Rebel Alliance metal plaques on the front and tab appear to be made out of a metal that in some lights looks silver and others, gold. (So it will go with both your cool and warm tone outfits!)

Fun Fact: The “Canto” in the title of this bag comes from the name of a new location in The Last Jedi called Canto Bight – a Star Wars version of Monte Carlo, with all the alien swank of a James Bond casino scene. (Being a lifelong lover all things spy, chic, and sci-fi, this has got me written All. Over. It. I can’t wait to see the scene!) Not all rebels are scruffy nerfherders, after all!

Loungefly The Last Jedi Bag Detail Loungefly The Last Jedi Bag RebelLoungefly The Last Jedi Bag RebelI was pleased to see that this bag is a medium size, approximately 13 inches wide by 10 inches high by 5.75 inches deep. It feels not too small nor too big, but just right. It can be carried by the handles by hand or at the elbow. Thankfully, it also has a removeable shoulder strap (I’m definitely a shoulder strap bag kind of gal) so there are multiple ways to wear this bag to your personal comfort level.

Loungefly The Last Jedi Bag Shoulder StrapFun Fact: The faux leather material this bag is made out of is known as “Saffiano” leather. The name refers to the crosshatch pattern that was pressed into the wax that coated the leather. It originated from a particular tannery in Italy and was an exclusive patent of Prada, but has now spread to many different countries and design houses. So this faux leather version is wonderful nod to those luxury lines.

Loungefly Star Wars Bag Saffiano LeatherMy only gripe with this bag comes with the interior design. The top is an open one, with one half-loop tab that magnetically clicks into place. This neither protects from the elements or makes the bag easy to get into as the tab hangs in a rather awkward space. Granted, this may be because I’m not used to this sort of closure, but from my purely subjective standpoint, I would’ve rather had a simple zipper to open and close the entire top.

Loungefly The Last Jedi Bag ClosureThe interior is divided into two sections with pockets on either side with a beautiful art deco X-Wing pattern (Another bonus for me as the X-Wing Starfighter is my favourite sci-fi spacecraft). The front has a convenient open pocket to slide your phone into while the back has a zippered pocket for any valuables. I have not yet tested the limits of how much can be put into the purse, but it’s perfectly suited for my minimalistic needs (although it does fit an Instax Mini camera as I discovered on a recent photoshoot!).

Loungefly The Last Jedi bag pockets Loungefly The Last Jedi BagCurrently, the bag retails at $70 USD, though Amazon has had some sales on it, but be quick! This bag has sold out once already (looks to be selling out fast again)! So keep checking back daily on the links below. Here’s where you can purchase it:

Star Wars Rebel Canto Bag – Amazon – $70.00 USD
Star Wars Rebel Canto Bag – Loungefly – $70.00 USD
Star Wars Rebel Canto Bag – Think Geek – $69.99 USD
There’s also a matching wallet!
Star Wars Rebel Canto Wallet – Amazon – $40.00 USD
Star Wars Rebel Canto Wallet – Loungefly – $40.00 USD


Fun Fact: All these pictures were taken with my phone, the Samsung Galaxy S7 because I left my camera with a friend doing auditions. Oops…But I am really amazed with the quality! Phone cameras have come so far.

Filed Under: Geek Couture Tagged With: geek bag, geek fashion, geek fashion bag, loungefly, loungefly bag, loungefly canto bag, loungefly purse, loungefly star wars, loungefly star wars purse, star wars, star wars bag, star wars canto, star wars canto bag, the last jedi, the last jedi bag, the last jedi canto, the last jedi purse

Everyday Rey

December 17, 2015 by The Lady Nerd 2 Comments

While I mainly lean towards the couture side of things with gown versions of popular characters, sometimes certain costumes are just better suited to casual wear. Such I feel is the case with Rey and her rugged, but simplistic looking outfit. So I drew up an outfit that would be easy to translate into regular 21st century everyday clothes.

Everyday Rey The Lady Nerd
Hair
A simple bun would do nicely! (Unless one wants to go for the gusto and do Rey’s 3-bun style, which I still have yet to figure out…)

Top
This style is a variation on the popular wrap shirt. I’ve seen this particular sleeveless variation often this summer (and kicking myself that I didn’t pick up a white one to dye). It would be ideal to find a top that has the look of two-in-one, but if you can only find the outer wrap top, just throw a tank top underneath it and voila! (And if you can’t find the top in the right sandy colour, try getting a white top and dyeing it to the right shade with RIT dye.)

Karen Kane Wrap TopKaren Kane Sleeveless Wrap Top

Calvin Klein Wrap TopCalvin Klein Bar Plaque Sleeveless Wrap Top

Belt

I didn’t think about it when drawing as I was going for a thicker banded bottom to the top, but it would entirely be appropriate to pair a brown leather belt with it at as well in reference to Rey’s costume.

Pants
I plan on just using the pants from my Rey costume, but thankfully her pants style is fairly easy to find (or find pants to alter). In the film they’re of a silk fabric, but any soft fabric should do for an everyday look. Alas, they’re out of season right now, but who knows you might get lucky in thrifting!

41zcWPAU7qL._UL1500_Top-EC 3/4 Pants

F21 culottesForever21 High-Waisted Pleated Culottes

Shoes
Since I have them (and they are SUPER comfy!), I’ll be using the Po-Zu Piper boots that were used in the film. But they can be a little steep in price for some, so here are a couple of cheaper alternatives…
50058891
Target Muk Luk’s Demi Boot

2337195_Gray_Multi
Kohl’s Madden Girl Jackmen Boots

Accessories
BB8 has to show up somewhere right? I think a necklace with be a nice touch in addition to either a leather cuff or any sort of brown material or bejeweled bracelet.

50096893Target BB8 Necklace

50094942BB8 stud earrings


s-l1600Multistrand Leather Bracelet

If you happen to put this outfit together, take a picture and send it to me! I’d love to see it. 🙂 Now all of this being said, I’m totally working on a couture gown version of Rey too….(predictable? Who, me?)

Filed Under: Art, Outfits Tagged With: geek fashion, geek outfit, leather, rey, star wars, star wars fashion, star wars rey, the force awakens

Back to the Future Couture

October 21, 2015 by The Lady Nerd Leave a Comment

Back to the Future 2015The day has arrived where the infamous Marty McFly appears from the past via the time-traveling DeLorean (from the 1989 film Back to the Future Part II for those not in the know). While posts online are all abuzz with the differences between what 2015 was supposed to look like versus the reality of now, I think there’s a lot to be said for how far we’ve come as a society for creativity. Sure, scientific advancements may not have us all on hoverboards, but there have been many advances in medicine and technology (hello smartphones!) that would still make Marty McFly ooo and aah.

The same, I believe, can be said of clothing design. While we don’t have self-tailoring jackets or immediate air dry, we are on the cusp of some very interesting 3D printed apparel. Not to mention more sophisticated design work than the um…’unique’ choices in the film of what 2015 clothing would look like.

Back to the Future 2015But I’d like to focus on the design aspect some more. Having studied a bit of fashion and costuming history, we have entered into an era where almost anything can be designed (and in most cases, made). With materials like worbla, neoprene, acrylic, etc. there’s more room for creative exploration by the average person. What was once relegated to Fashion Week-level couture designers, can now be made on a personal scale. How exciting!

One such exciting venue (near and dear to my heart, of course) is geek fashion design. Last year at the first annual Her Universe Geek Couture Fashion Show, geeks from all over the US creatively explored ideas of their favourite characters or fandoms in apparel form. But one such design (the winner, in fact) stood out as being perfectly appropriate for today.

Amy Beth Christenson designed and made the winning piece humorously titled, “Great Skirt, Marty!”

great-skirt-marty-runway“I knew I really wanted to do a ‘Back to the Future’ outfit ’cause it was huge for me growing up. It made a big impact on me and what I wanted to do growing up,” Christenson told HitFix in an interview. (She now is a senior concept designer and visual development artist for Lucasfilm Animation.)

In lieu of doing my own interview with Christenson (I thought of the idea too late), I thought I’d showcase what I could find of the making-of this fun outfit. For the fantastic DeLorean jacket, Christenson used a very lightweight marine vinyl that had a brushed metal, stainless steel appearance and was easy to work with. To make the “exhaust vents” on the back of the jacket, she hand-quilted upholstery batting and black spandex. (My fingers hurt just thinking about it!)

GreatSkirtMartysketchThe belt features the DeLorean logo and grill on the front and tail lights on the back. Christenson 3D printed the front belt piece in plastic after digitally building it using the program, Maya.

great-skirt-marty-belt-coverOn the back of the belt, each tail light was created by layering reflective aluminum tape, clear ribbed shelf liner, and colored light gels. A frame was then 3D printed with a flexible rubber so the belt could bend easily and not break. (It’s amazing how far we’ve come to be able to custom-make accessories like this. I’m still wrapping my head around non-fabric materials, myself.)

great-skirt-marty-belt-lightsAs any Back to the Future fan knows, dramatic fire trails spit out from behind the DeLorean leaves when it revs up to travel through time. Bet you can’t guess which part of the outfit that shows up in! Christenson bought a pair of Hue black tights and airbrushed them yellow, orange and red with fabric dye. (I wish I had known about airbrushing a pair of tights rather than using actual paint and a paintbrush. Oh those tights looked horrible…)

great-skirt-martyAnd last but not least, Christenson commissioned Johnna Joy Murch to make a few matching pieces of jewelry to go with the outfit. Murch created a 4 piece set of radiation hazard earrings, a barcode choker necklace, cuff bracelet with the Mr. Fusion logo, and clutch purse which featured the DeLorean’s futuristic barcode license plate.

great-skirt-marty-clutch-jewelry

What fantastic times we live in to be able to create these type of things! Although I’m still waiting on my hoverboard… *stamps foot*

Photos: Popsci.com, Amy Beth Christenson

Filed Under: Geek Couture Tagged With: amy beth christenson, back to the future, geek chic, geek couture, geek fashion, great skirt marty


Greetings programs! I'm Briana - artist, model, and avid costumer. Welcome to my little corner of the blogosphere.
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Categories

  • Art
  • Costumes
  • Geek Couture
  • Modeling
  • Outfits
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • April 2020
  • November 2019
  • July 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • August 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
The Lady Nerd
IFB

Copyright 2018. Briana Lamb. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2022 · Caroline Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in