I’m not a geek, but I married one. So this leather shrug probably has a deeper meaning for my husband. “They did a good job,” he says when I try it on for him. “A damn good job.”
The shrug in question is called the G-I-G Shrug, modeled after one worn by Major Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell. That’s right, anime. I’ve never seen Ghost in the Shell so I have to rely on my husband’s expertise on this – trust me, he …

Heather Rama learned to sew against her will. “My mom taught me to sew in 7th grade because I was going to fail home ec. She spent a very frustrating evening teaching me how to sew.” Out of failure springs success. High school brought about an interest in vintage. “I liked vintage clothing because it was made so differently from modern throw away clothes and it was so unique. Vintage was still relatively cheap then, so I would buy it and redesign it or cut …

I bought this coat in either 1999 or 2000. I will admit: I bought it from Hot Topic (for those that don’t know, Hot Topic is like the WalMart of goth and punk clothing, located in malls all across this country. Hot Topic is regarded as trendy and popular with 14 year olds – like Tim Burton’s Abercrombie & Fitch). However, I will say this about Hot Topic: they do carry some good brands (or at least they did when I used to shop there) like Lip …