Lolita Blogpost Roundup: July 2017

I have to say, July was really filled with lolita blog posts that wee exactly the kind of thing I like to read! And I hope my readers enjoy these as much as I did ^__^

One dress, many ways! from RuffleCloud's Adventures
I do "one dress, three looks" posts all the time...but this has me beat at "one dress, thirteen looks"! I really, really love seeing compilations of outfits with a single main piece ^__^

/cgl/ Roundup: “Lolita books, films and series” from Raven Snow
CGL can be a bit of a cesspit sometimes, but sometimes it's also really great. And this blog post is a round up of one of the times it was great, where users shared lolita-appropriate media.

Traveling To Japan For 10 Days - Packing Challenge from Cupcake Kamisama's Lolita World
Oh you know I love hypothetical wardrobe scenarios! And this one is fabulous and you get to see all the clothes together, not just in a collage like I tend to do. This really makes me want to take a lolita trip! Not that I ever would, but still!

My Past Angelic Pretty Tea Party Outfits from Lolita Wonderland

This is a really cute outfit collection from one of my favourite lolita bloggers - her outfits for five different Angelic Pretty tea parties. I love seeing how people's style changes over time!

Lovely Little Lolita #8444 from Andrea Schewe Design

I’m sharing this post as I found it a nice little behind the scenes look at the development of the new Simplicity 8444 JSK and blouse pattern. However, I must say – please do not take me sharing this as an opportunity to go slag on this pattern designer. This is not the pattern that appears to have used items purchased at Rufflecon as patterns; the only “sin” of this one is that the samples were made using a lolita-designed fabric from Spoonflower, which is a perfectly reasonable, legally, and morally white thing to do. Personally, I was chuffed to see that either Andrea or someone at Simplicity actually sourced an appropriate sweet lolita fabric for this! I do understand that the individual who designed the fabric was a bit unhappy to see it used this way, but it is part of the terms of Spoonflower that designs can be used commercially, and if it had been my design I would have seen this as great publicity! I’m actually contemplating buying this pattern as I suck at pattern drafting or modifications and the JSK seems quite nice.

2017 New Year's Resolutions - Half Way Progress from Pastel Peggy
Yes, yes...I tend to enjoy reading posts that are similar to things I myself post! I know...but this was a good read! And as a bonus it has some pretty pictures ^__^

Choosing a Meet Venue from Luna Rain
Not that I think I'll be planning lolita meetups any time soon, but this was still a handy read about things to consider when choosing where to hold a meetup.

How to Order from Antique beasT from Buttcape
I share more than pretty posts here...this one is very informative! Sometimes trying to order from Japanese sites is a bit of a pain, so I thought this was great. I know nothing about Antique beasT as a brand (other than that they make the bat headdress) but I figured this would still probably be of interest to my readers so here we are.

Hold the Whole World Accused from Libby Peaches
Super! Colourful! Pirate! Lolita! Wow, just wow. Such pirate, many colour, so wow. In case you can't tell, I am super into the outfit(s) shared in this post, you should totally check it out!

52 Week Lolita Topic Challenge : How I First Found Out About Lolita from Crimson Reflections
I love finding out how people go into this fashion, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and remember how excited I was (and still am!) about lolita.

So those were the highlights that crossed my reading list in July! As usual, if you think there's a blog out there I may not know of, please drop me a link because I am always keen to check out new lolita content.

Apricot roses; L174 outfits

I love Bodyline's L174 JSK. It's such a nice fabric, and the design is fairly simple, yet a bit elegant (especially since I added the ruffle to the hem).

I actually wore this dress out recently, and so when I came to putting these outfits together I deliberately avoided redoing a variation of that coordinate. So one of my favourite combos with this dress, salmon pink, was out, but it was good as that stretched me to try a few different things.

For he first outfit I wanted to try adding a dark, vibrant red as a complementary colour, and overall I feel it worked rather well! I'm not 100% sure if the socks were the best choice, but I think they would work nicely worn. And if not it's an easy change to make the outfit wearable.

Next I wanted to try something a bit more casual and sweet-ish. Black and indoor photography are not a good combination by any stretch of the imagination, but I actually really liked this outfit, even if this photo is a bit shoddy. I think I may even wear this when spring or summer roll around - it would also look good with pink ankle socks I think.

Then for the last look I ran with ivory. This isn't particularly groundbreaking, but damn do I like it! Especially the mass of flowers for the hair, there is no such things as too many flowers in my opinion!

I have to say, for a dress that is kind of limited as far as colour goes, I can still get some good variety in outfits with this JSK as well as the tried and true combinations, and that makes me rather pleased!

Lolita 52: Parasols: Vital or frivolous?

Normally I try to be fairly neutral, especially in regards to topics where I’m not really engaged, but I have to say I come down on the frivolous side for this one. Parasols are gorgeous, and perhaps in some climates are incredibly helpful at coping with the weather. But by and large my opinion is that in lolita, a parasol is an optional accessory item and not a vital item by any stretch of the imagination.

The only reason I have photos of myself in lolita with parasols is because James and I own some as part of our overall model wardrobe. They’re not exclusively mine, nor were they purchased exclusively for us in lolita. And I only ever do use them for photoshoots anyway.

Speaking of parasols and photoshoots, here's a throwback to a shoot with my lovely James aka The Enthusiast. 

My neutral side does want to point out, however, that they’re not really frivolous, no more than anything else in this fashion. They can be cute or elegant, and are always lovely so if you want to carry a parasol you carry a parasol and you’ll look great while doing it! It’s just an aspect of lolita fashion that I don’t feel much need for and probably won’t explore myself, unless I suddenly start to wear lolita a whole lot more often.

My Lolita Wishlist

Most lolitas have dream dresses – main pieces they really want, actively hunt down, and will sometimes pay over retail price for. I am not one of these lolitas. There are a lot of items and prints I admire in this fashion, too many to name, really, but I don’t have any holy grail items. I have a few reasons for this; I like to buy my lolita items fairly cheaply if I’m buying secondhand and thus some things I quite like are beyond my budget, I don’t like the idea of locking myself into an idea of “this is what I really want” because I like to be surprised by all the wonderful pieces out there, and, quite frankly, nothing has ever made me fall quite so head over heels that I’m willing to change those things (though I’m not opposed to the idea).

However, if you’ve been here for a while you’ll know I have certain goals for perfecting my lolita wardrobe and in addition to that, I thought I would share my fairly vague lolita wishlist. How is it vague? you ask. Well, my wishlist is more for “types” rather than specific items…

Cherry or Strawberry JSK or OP in Black
With two skirts in this theme/colour scheme I just want one more piece to round out this little section of my wardrobe, because much as I love skirts I love JSKs and OPs more. I’m really not too fussed which print this is, and there have been a lot over the years! However, I think I’d prefer something with a big, bold print, and not too many fussy details, and I’d also rather it didn’t introduce any secondary themes (looking at you, Angelic Pretty, with your bunnies!) so it’s easier to work in with my wardrobe. Whether it’s strawberries or cherries I really don’t mind, but you know what would be awesome? A print with both!

Chocolate, Candy or Biscuit JSK in Brown or Ivory
Again, I have two pieces in this theme – my handmade chocolate underbust JSK and my Jam Paradise dress – and just want another one! I definitely want a JSK though – all the coordinating variety and none of the limitations of the other main piece cuts. And again similarly, there are a whole lot of different pieces in this theme that have been released, it’s just a matter of finding one that will fit my body and my budget. I’m also really chillaxed about what it is. Another chocolate bar print? Cool! Cookies? Also cool! How about just sweets? Very cool! On colour I’m also a bit flexible, I definitely want brown but given these kinds of prints tend to include brown in the design, I’m happy with an ivory as well. Of course, pinks and mints are really gorgeous in this theme, but I’d rather versatility for now.

Generic Sweet Print JSK in Black x Pink
I know it’s completely passé, but I really love bittersweet lolita. I was a teen when emo and scene where the dominant alternative fashions, and I love how bittersweet lolita is reminiscent of that aesthetic. It adds some edge to this fashion, without going all full on punk. And I love black x pink as a colour scheme. So, something that I’ve wanted to get for a while now is a black JSK with a generic pink pattern. And by generic, I pretty much mean bows. I just want something that is in the colours and style I love, but that isn’t locking me in thematically. And basically, in lolita that pretty much means bows. Or stripes, or dots, or gingham, I suppose. But probably not gingham.

Floral JSK in Spring Green
A few years ago Metamorphose released a dress I just died for. I’m not even quite sure why, but I love it. Then Innocent World did something similar, and then again this year I’ve fallen for an AP floral in a lovely light and bright green shade. After all this love I’ve realised that I do want a fresh green floral piece. I did previously own a Bodyline OP that satisfied my desire, but the fit was always a bit awkward and I wasn’t completely sold on the cut, so it’s now with a new owner. But I still sometimes wish I had kept it, flaws and all, so this is definitely something I am keeping my eyes peeled for.

Floral JSK or OP in Lavender
This is me being a bit frivolous, but I’d love to branch out into a new colour here. Much like I have a single sax blue floral, I’d like to have just one lavender piece. I don’t think pastels of any kind will ever become dominant in my wardrobe, but I would like to expand my colour palette further. And besides, if I get myself a nice lavender floral, Jurassic Party won’t be quite so lonely, and I won’t feel bad about getting matching lavender pieces!

Black Skirt
No pictures, because not that exiting, but I’ve mentioned before that I want to get or make a plain black skirt and that’s till true! Just something that’s cute, not too fussy, and easy to wear. Mostly this would probably end up being worn in casual coordinates, but hat’s awesome, because I know me and I’m more likely to wear casual than anything so why not introduce a piece into my that allows me to wear casual more often? I’ll probably end up making this piece, because I’m a bit cheap when it comes to non-prints, and especially skirts. JSKs are harder to make, but shirred skirts are easy as! I guess this will be a project the next time I get a week off work.

Gobelin Coat, Cape or Jacket
Have I ever mentioned how much I love gobelin? If not…I love gobelin! Oh my goodness, so gloriously almost-ugly, it’s just makes me happy. And so, I’d love to get myself a nice winter outerwear piece in floral gobelin fabric. To be honest, I’m daydreaming about making myself a fur trimmed cape, lined in something super warm so it’s actually practical, but that would be a make-it-myself affair, and I know it will take me a while do get around to it, so I’m keeping watch for an appropriate piece in case one pops up before I can get to sewing.

Of course, I’m likely to end up buying things that aren’t on this list as well, but these are the distinct items I am keeping an eye out for in the hopes of finding ones that fit my taste, size, and budget. What does you lolita wishlist look like?

By any other name; Anniversary Rose outfits

Oh Anniversary Rose, you are such a gorgeous print! This dress is one I fell in love with a long time ago, and I'm so glad I have it in my wardrobe.

However, the colours are almost impossible to match! It is so beautiful though, that even my matchy-matchy heart doesn't really care and just goes for it. So here are three outfits, featuring hardly anything that actually matches the colour of the print!

First I ran with something simple, summery, and sweet. I really love how this turned out and would 100% wear this. How great would it be for a picnic or something like that? Pink or white ankle socks would complete the look ^__^

Next I really wanted to combine this JSK with brown, and ended up with a bit of a mis-matched outfit that I really like. It's a bit of an oddball but I think it works; not sure why or how though!

For my third and final outfit I wanted to try something light, but not too neutral and pulled out the trusty salmon pieces...and I think it works really well! This outfit is just dreamy for me, I love it.

It's funny how that for a piece where I don't have anything to match it perfectly I can make so many outfits that I'm 100% happy with. Do you have any pieces like that in your lolita collection?

2017 Lolita Goals Update

I’m finding it hard to come to terms with the fact that 2017 is halfway over already. But it is, so I thought this was as good time to review my lolita goals for this year and see how I’ve gone so far.

As far as the wardrobe building side of things goes, I have achieved the following:

• Get an ivory short sleeve blouse (well, technically a cutsew but I’m counting it!)
• Replace long sleeved white blouse (though I’m keeping my eyes out for the perfect one)
• Get more wristcuffs in black, pink, and ivory (pink achieved!)
• Get a classic ivory bolero, most likely short sleeved (tick!)
• Get a more lolita-specific black long sleeve bolero (like the white blouse, it’s not perfect, but a definite improvement) 

After reflecting a bit further on my wardrobe, I've also realised that few things I had on my goal list I'm going to remove:

• Replace red wine suede shoes
• Replace salmon suede shoes
• Get a bonnet (or other statement headwear)
• Get an OTT blouse, probably in ivory

Mostly, my reasoning for this is that my suede shoes are adequate for the amount of times I actually wear lolita. They aren't the greatest shoes, but I may as well wear them till they die, even if that's only a couple of wears, before I look to replace them, otherwise I'm just buying things I don't really need. And then with the OTT pieces, similarly I don't actually need them, I just wanted them so I had something OTT in my wardrobe. However, if I have an event or photoshoot where I need them coming up, I'm sure I'll have time to buy them then. Of course, for all these items if I stumble across a great deal I will definitely snap it up, but otherwise they are off my wardrobe goal list.

Which means I have the following goals still to achieve:

• Get an a-line petticoat
• Modify or replace brown short sleeved bolero
• Get brand lace topped OTKs in white, black, and ivory
• Get more wristcuffs in black and ivory 
• Get better lavender headwear
• Get fawn fur boot-toppers to match my collars and beret

 All in all I think I’m doing pretty well on achieving the refinements to my wardrobe I decided I wanted to do this year! Five down, four removed, and six to go ^__^
   
Then in my second set of goals, relating to actually wearing lolita, I have done really well. I went to my first meetup and have already worn lolita more this year than last year. However, I haven’t yet done any lolita photoshoots (though I do have some ideas for concepts, and am probably going to do some in August) and I also haven’t worn my lolita items in casual or non-lolita outfits. However I have definitely gotten more use out of my lolita wardrobe this year, which I am very pleased with!

Overall I’m pleased with how the lolita portion of my life has gone this year, and I’m looking forward to more lolita fun in the second half of 2017!

Coordinates from April - June 2017

Another three months and another two lolita outfits. Not so great on quantity there, buts till, halfway through 2017 I've already worn lolita as much as a I did in 2016, and there have been a number of occasions where I've thought of wearing lolita, but decided against it. So I'm on the right track to wearing this lovely fashion more regularly!

I "wore" lolita once in April... and that's in quote marks because I thought up this outfit to wear while assisting James in a studio photoshoot, but on that morning the model cancelled due to a badly swollen jaw. But, having thought up the outfit I was bound and determined to try it on and see if it worked - and it did, which made me rather happy. So I dressed up, bummed around a little, and had James take photos for me. It still counts!

Skirt: Metamorphose "Patisserie Dream"

Headbow and bow bracelet: Angelic Pretty

Shoes: Bodyline

Everything else: Offbrand

I actually really, really loved how this turned out. I do think it really needed a necklace, and the big headbow looks a little odd without a fringe, but overall this outfit was super cute and made me really happy to wear.

I did go a little overboard on getting James to take photos (some of which you may have already seen on my instagram) but what else is one to do in an adorable outfit?

I also love my bracelets. As mentioned above the bow one is AP, paired with a bead bracelet made by a friend of mine, and my silver bracelet that James made works nicely with the outfit too. I mean, I wear it all the time, regardless of if it matches or not, but it's nice when it does match.

Then in May I had a chance to wear lolita actually properly when a friend invited me to a high tea for her birthday. We went to a lovely local place I've been to a few times before for a two hour high tea with bottomless teapots. We drank so. much. tea. And before I share my outfit I just have to share a shot of the food!

I wanted to wear lolita because what more appropriate time and place than for a high tea? I was tossing up between wearing florals or cherries, asked James and he voted florals so here we are! This was the first time I had actually worn this dress, so I was very pleased with my outfit choice.

JSK: Bodyline (with added ruffle)

Blouse: Lady Sloth

Socks: Metamorphose temps de fille

Everything else: Offbrand

I loved this outfit, it was cute and comfortable - my two favourite things!

So those are my outfits from the past three months. As I said at the start, it's not a lot of coordinates but I'm definitely pleased I'm getting a bit more wear out my wardrobe this year.