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Wednesday 31 May 2017

Lolita Blogpost Roundup: May 2017

After being able to share such a wonderful collection of posts last month I'm pleased to do another roundup of lolita blog posts from May.


Lolita Brunch! from Neo Crystal
An adorable post about a lolita brunch with not many words but lots of lovely pictures! Ah pictures of lolitas just hanging out and being wonderfully cute always makes me happy.

What Would You Like To See Brands Do More Of? from Cupcake Kamisama's Lolita World
This post is a musing on what the author would (duh) like to see lolita brands do more of, a Lolita Blog Carnival prompt. I happen to agree with all the things she mentions!

Customising Shoes from Luna Rain
Shoes are a thing I hold very close to my heart, so this post was cool! Several different ways you could customise a pair of shoes are discussed, and I found it a helpful jump start to brainstorming shoe ideas. I mean, my personal solution to not having the right shoes is to go and buy more shoes, but still, this was a great read. And I have, actually, customised a pair of shoes myself so yeah ^__^

Lolita Canotier/Hat Making Guide from Fuwa-Fuwa-Fashion
Oh my goodness...floofy hat alert! I love fancy hats in lolita, despite not owning or having worn one, so this is a very cool tutorial, especially because it's for a proper hat (inasmuch as I know how hats are made) rather than a cardboard-based affair.

Fashion Show @ Madman Anime Festival from Adventures of a Drop Bear Lolita
I like blogs about fashion shows, cute outfits, and fellow Aussie lolitas, so this post was a perfect read for me!

Ouji and Aristocrat Sewing Patterns and Tutorials List from Buttcape
Buttcape is continuing to provide good resources for the boystyle community, this time with an epic list of tutorial and patterns. Makes me wish I had more time to sew!

Lolita as Formal Attire from Teacake Time Machine
This post is a nice little discussion on wearing lolita to formal occasions, and an example of an outfit the author wore to a baptism, which shows that lolita can be lolita and still pass muster at a variety of occasions.

101 Lolita Lifestyle Ideas from Vanilla Bear
The title of this post really says it all; it's a list of 101 lifestyle ideas for lolitas. I really enjoyed reading this - I don't intend to make my lifestyle more lolita but it's something nice to think about and read about.

Madillustration, Patisserie brooch line review from Poppy Noir
I am gradually falling in love with brooches, partially because of posts like this that share wonderful purchases! How adorable is the doughnut one?

Once again I’m chuffed that I got to feature a range of posts from lots of different bloggers! Some bloggers were initially on the list twice, but as the number of featured posts went up I decided I ought to limit it to one post per blogger, per month, otherwise this could get out of hand. And again, this is only some of the lolita posts I read this month so there’s a lot of good content out there to enjoy!

If you have a lolita blog, or know of one that I may not follow, feel free to drop me a link in the comments because there is no such thing as too many lolita blogs! And if a post of yours is featured here and you don’t want it to be, let me know and I’ll take it down.

Friday 26 May 2017

What would my wardrobe look like if I was an everyday lolita?

Or, more to the point, how would I change my existing wardrobe if I was going to try to wear lolita every day? As I’ve said in some previous recent posts, I feel my wardrobe is pretty perfect as-is. Of course, I’ll tweak it forever but currently it is versatile, cohesive and gives me a lot of options. If I were to guess how many fairly unique outfits I could get out of it I’d say I could get 5 looks that aren’t repetitive for each main piece on average, so with 24 main pieces that means I’ve got 120 outfits there. Then of course there’s little variations on each of those so really, with exactly what I have now I could easily (if my workplace allowed it and I actually lost enough weight to fit every single thing again) wear lolita every day for a year and not wear the same thing.

I find my wardrobe sort of spans three main categories as it is:
- Sweet lolita in black x pink and black x red with white in berry and candy themes
- Sweet lolita food themes in brown
- Floral classic primarily focusing on brown, ivory and beige, black, and shades of wine.

I do have a few outliers in colour and style but most of my wardrobe fits into those categories. However, not every piece I own is suitable for the simpler days of life. So, if the stars aligned and I were really to be an everyday lolita I would add the following to my wardrobe:

Five simple OPs
Probably three short sleeved and two long sleeved, these would either be solids, basic patterns (stripes, dots, etc.) or perhaps a couple of prints. These would probably mostly be very distinctly classic, maybe with one being sweet in black. The main key to these pieces is that they would be easy to wear (and launder!) for the time when I’d just want to throw something on and be done with it. Maybe one or two may even be cutsew dresses for bonus easy points. I think five is the minimum number of these that I would want – it means there are options and if I’m having a string of lazy days, or I’m sick, I’d  have enough options to get me through. Because OPs are the least versatile main piece option in lolita I wouldn’t really want to get any more than this though.

Simple, easy to wear, but still distinctly lolita.

Comfortable shoes
If I were to wear lolita all the time I would need some go-to comfy shoes. On top of what I already have I think these would need to be some adorable pink sneakers (for my beloved black x pink sweet lolita looks), a pair of brown flat oxfords for classic and some flat black boots, possibly a bit Victorian in style. I find that as I am now I tend to just stick to a few favourite pairs of shoes, despite owning many pairs, so I think these would cover all my bases quite well.

More cutsews
The textbook definition of casual lolita is a skirt and a cutsew, and I do like me some casual lolita, so I would definitely need to get my paws on more cutsews! Ultimately I’d probably want both a short and a long sleeved one in each white, ivory, and black, as well as a few other options – probably a brown one, something with a cute print for sweet looks, maybe a couple of unusual but still comfortable ones – on top of the ones I already own. I would have a lot of cutsews but hey, I wouldn’t be expanding my blouse collection much I don’t think because it’s pretty well rounded as is! These cutsew additions would be more to give me easy and comfortable options that I don’t currently have, but also don’t currently need.

I really have a thing for cutsews. The comfort of a t-shirt with the adorableness of lolita!

More full shirred skirts
Definitely a basic black one! I’m actually thinking of making or buying one anyway, because with trying to wear lolita more often I’m realising how much I like doing casual and I could do casual a lot more easily if I had a plain black skirt. But probably just a few more ones in simple prints – a brown tartan perhaps, a nice granny floral or two, something stripy, and maybe a border print or two just for variety. Not too many, because I still tend to prefer dresses to skirts, but some.

A gorgeous (but comfy!) skirt from indie brand Elegy Clothing.

Things for warmth and weather
Given that I don’t really wear lolita all that often I don’t have much in the way of cold weather gear. I have a black coat, a cream and a brown and cream fur trimmed hoodie jacket, a black and beige trim military jacket, and that’s all the really warm stuff I have that’s lolita appropriate. And my boleros (and Innocent World cape!) aren’t really warm – I’d say they are more autumn appropriate but not really up for winter. So I would need to stock up on another coat in brown for classic, as well as some warmer boleros and definitely some cardigans for casual cosiness. I would also need to get a waterproof parasol (or three, probably three) because no-one wants to be a wet lolita. Then I’d also need some things to layer underneath, like some fleecy bloomers, as well. This whole practicality section would probably be the biggest addition to my wardrobe, except perhaps the cutsews.

Lots of underthings
I’d need to up my petticoat collection to at least five (though probably more!), and make sure they are ones that fit me comfortably – if it’s going to be worn all day, every day, it had better have a comfortable waistband! Similarly, I’d want to up the bloomer collection to at least seven pairs, and as mentioned above perhaps some colder-weather specific ones as well. Lumping it under the underthings category I would also buy loads more basic legwear options – more ankle socks, plain OTKS, and coloured tights.

Though I don't think I'd get a petti quite as big as this MeLikesTea one...

Bigass bags
A big, practical (but still cute!) bag would be a must have. I’d want to get three in the end; white, black (though my new one is probably big enough to satisfy this) and brown. Quirky bags are great, but basics are necessary.

Some oddballs
Wearing lolita every day would get a bit repetitive, especially since I do have such a fairly distinct colour palette going on, so I would probably also want to get a few more unusual pieces just for when I feel like changing it up dramatically. I mean, as it is I would actually love to get a fresh spring green main piece and a lavender one (preferably both floral, because that’s just who I am) with a few accessory options to match. But much as I like what my wardrobe is and wouldn’t really change it, I feel that variety is important and I know I’d want to have a few more things that felt different.

A new release from Angelic Pretty that I adore...

I’d still go to the gym and do active things occasionally, what’s a lolita to do then? There’s not really any such thing as lolita active wear but I think a short, loose dress with leggings or a cute t-shirt with bloomers would be some adorable options there. Or just conventional active wear in cute colours – I’d probably go pink and purple. Cute loungwear is easy enough to come by, so I could lounge around the home in lolita inspired glory…or maybe I’d just buy more kigurumis! Lastly, I would need at least one "fuck it" outfit – something cheap and comfortable that could get ruined and I wouldn’t care. Probably a Bodyline OP, or a handmade skirt and offbrand blouse, something like that. And I think, with that, I’ve covered all my bases!

In finishing I do want to be clear that this is all just a hypothetical.  I will confess, my dream lifestyle is where I am a successful author and I wear lolita every work day for that while I write away in a pretty home office with lots of sunshine, tea, and cats. But even if that lifestyle comes to pass, I’d never get rid of my normal wardrobe. Firstly, I like variety (and pants!) and second I wouldn’t want to force myself into lolita, which is exactly what trying to wear it literally every day would be for me. However, it’s still fun to think about it and hey, if in a little while my dream lifestyle comes to fruition I would love to wear lolita as I work and when I do, I’ll definitely be implementing some of the things from this post.

What do you think of wearing lolita every day?

Saturday 20 May 2017

Lolita 52: The ways in which I fit the cliché & The ways in which I do not fit the cliché

Once again I am answering two Lolita 52 topics in a single post, because I don’t think there’s really enough content there for two separate posts. Before answering I want to clarify that I think there are two real clichés of lolita. The first is the “lifestyle lolita” stereotype of the elegant, dainty maiden. The second is the more modern cliché of the Japanophile who shops and spend her time online or at meets, who embodies the perhaps more realistic but no less inaccurate lolita lifestyle.

For both those clichés, I fit them in very limited ways:

  • I drink a lot of tea
  • I like books and reading
  • I sew
  • I keep a lolita blog
  • I am interested in  Japanese culture

A lovely stock photo of tea. Don't let this fool you tough, I drink my tea out of an Octoberfest stein.

Aaaand that’s it. Not really much of a thing there is it? I'm not even a huge anime fan, though I certainly like some.

Regarding not fitting the cliché, I really want to be pedantic and say that all of me does not fit the cliché, end of story but a few noteworthy (kind of) points are:

  • I’m very practical, and basically nothing in my life is lady-like or decorative 
  • I’m your stereotypical nerd (Computer games! Star Wars! Fantasy novels!)
  • I’m not particularly sociable
  • I'm rather filthy minded, as my boyfriend knows well

Most of my free time is spent in Tamriel lately.

So there you have a bit of me in a nutshell, and how I relate to the lolita cliché. Having said that though, I think basically anyone involved in this glorious subculture of ours could come up with a similar list of “I’m lolita in this way, and not in this way” and in the end, the only bit that really matters is that we wear and admire and enjoy these fabulous clothes.

Monday 15 May 2017

May 2017 auctions haul

Last week I got in another haul of cheap Yahoo Japan auction finds from Buyee. I’ll admit, most of this is a bit frivolous and most things were not on my goal list for this year, but hey, what is disposable income for if not disposing, am I right? To be honest though I am going to try and hold off on buy much more lolita for a while…though I’ve already pre-ordered something and if Metamorphose does mid-year special sets I may just have to get one.

Anyhow, enough talking about what I’m not going to buy, let’s take a look at what I did! Mostly I got a lot of black things…it was unintentional but kind of cool!


It started with socks - is anyone surprised? I saw this lot and given that I felt three out of five pairs (the brown, white, and floral ones) would be valuable wardrobe additions I just had to go for it. Even though they’re really the least versatile item and don’t really actually match any prints, I love the floral Innocent World ones the most. There’s just something about this style that I love and I really want/don’t want IW to release this style again – want because, well, I want them, but I really don’t need to drop big bucks on several more pairs of OTKS and that is exactly what would happen if these were rereleased in more colours I liked. Surprisingly, in the end I actually really like the BTSSB ribbon socks and the Crown Label ones as well, but am not a huge fan of the white ones! So some may end up in the for sale pile but I’m not quite sure yet which ones!


The second item I bought was another pair of OTKS. Don’t judge me! I thought these would be really useful with the subtle floral pattern; they’re simple but not too plain and give me another legwear option for my black floral pieces. And they’re Meta, so they’re comfortable and fit me well, though they're a tad short on me right now. There’s not too much more to say about these but I’m glad I got them.


Then I got this oldschool long sleeved Baby, the Stars Shine Bright blouse. I had wanted a new long sleeved white blouse, and though I didn’t really want something so oldschool it was fairly cheap, it’s fully shirred and I thought why not? I do have to say, I really adore the lace on old school pieces and when I think about it more, it is nice to have an oldschool blouse that fits (my other Baby one is an under-JSKs-only kind of fit right now) because it means that I can pull together properly oldschool looks if I want to. It is conformable and adorable and a good fit...except for the length! It's meant to be shirred around the bosom in a babydoll sort of style but for me the shirring ends awkwardly at the top of my boobs - not a good look! However, it will still be lovely under JSKs, which I tend to wear more of anyway, so it's good enough for now and my hunt for the perfect long sleeved white blouse will continue at a more leisurely pace.

But oh my goodness this stank so bad when I pulled it out. I’m exaggerating a little but I’m 99% sure it came from a smoker because it smelled pretty rank. And that’s noteworthy because that’s the first time this has happened to me with a secondhand purchase from Japan. Normally there is no smell, or a lovely smell, but here for once I got a bad one. Oh well, that’s what a laundry is for!


Next up I bought another pair of OTKS, ones that were actually on my 2016 wardrobe goals list – black with a neutral white pattern. To be honest I wasn’t overly excited about them though I did like the lacy pattern, which turned out to be good because when I got them it turned out there is pale blue/lavender in the print which does not go with my wardrobe at all. So these are definitely destined for the sale pile! I feel a bit silly too, because the colours did seem a bit bluish in the listing photos, but I didn’t think much of it because you can never really tell, so in a sense this one’s on me.


Then there was a cheap BTSSB cutsew in black with adorable polka dot ribbon details. I like how adorable this is and I have to say I am really developing a love of cutsews, as you may have noticed from posts of my purchases over the last year. Once I discovered they can sometimes fit, even at my current size, there has been no turning back! But what makes me sad is that though this fits around it is waaaaay to short for me - it fits like a crop top! And I don't want to hang onto this as an under-JSKs-only thing, because I have other tops that work well under JSKs, so since this can't be versatile it has no place in my wardrobe. Which is such a bummer, but oh well. My loss will be a shorter persons gain!


Speaking of cutsews my next item, the long sleeve Metamorphose Candy House cutsew, fits me like charm. I mean, it is a little too tight on the arms but overall it fits and it’s cute and I can wear it without having to lose any weight first! And it will only fit better as I get healthier. I may be developing a cutsew addiction… The only downside of this top is that the print is decidedly ivory. The colourway was black x ivory (or unbleached, I forget) but in photos it appeared a lot more like an offwhite, so I’m not sure how much use I’ll be able to get out of this after all. I’d definitely going to hang onto it for a while though, because I really want to try pairing it with my Patisserie Dream skirt and seeing what other outfits I can come up with using it.


The last item in my haul was this Angelic Pretty bag. It is exactly what I like in a bag (except for when I like frivolous bags) – it’s pretty but neutral and is a good size but not overly large. It is in very good condition as well, which I’m happy about.

So that’s my most recent haul! As I said, lots of black things, but I wear a lot of black. Have you received anything exciting in the mail recently?

Wednesday 10 May 2017

Shades of green; Handmade floral skirt outfits

I really get a kick out of doing these outfit posts with pieces I've made myself - it's a good feeling! This time around the outfits are with the green floral skirt I made in 2016. I also made a matching headbow for this skirt, which was a first for me, and I'm contemplating making some two ways bow clips to go with it as well and while I was putting these outfits together I found my headwear options quite limited, and other than the headbow I made and another one I own nothing matches!


And it's such a pretty, comfortable skirt that I want to give myself a few more coordinating options so I can wear it more!


I wasn't too excited about the outfits I came up with for this skirt last time I did flat lays for it (they're fine, just a little dull) so I wanted to try coordinating it with a new colour, and soft peach pink seemed a good choice. This would be worn with pink ankle socks as well, and I really like it. It's super casual, and super wearable, just how I like it!


Next I tried something a bit more typically lolita. This is where making a few little bows to match the skirt would be great, as having one of those on the fur collar would really help ti this look together. Or a forest green brooch of some kind, I suppose. I liked doing another lighter coloured look with this skirt.


For my last coordinate I tried going a bit cuter but I think I missed the mark a little, the socks are too bright. I think an ivory blouse and brown bolero would have made the OTKS work better, or alternatively I could have run with darker socks. Ah well, these flatlays are always a learning experience! And I learned that I can coordinate this skirt in a few more ways than I had initially thought ^__^

Friday 5 May 2017

Lolita 52: Fondest meet-up memory

Yet again this is going to be a short post because I have been to one meet-up ever, and that only recently; you can read my post about it here. My fondest memory of that day is just how nice everyone was! I’m not the best with names so I don’t quite remember who everyone was but I got random compliments (and gave a few!), one girl was super sweet in making sure I ate something at the lunch spread, and I spent a good portion of the event on a couch with a revolving collection of lolitas just getting to know everyone a bit. I know that’s a bit of a vague “fondest memory” but overall the community was quite friendly and that’s what really stood out to me at that meet.


To keep this post from being too ridiculously short, here’s another couple of photos of some of the bounty of clothes that were brought along by everyone that I didn’t put in my meet-up post.