Review #19: F+F Blouses

I recently had to sell off a bunch of my lolita due to a mixture of things no longer fitting and me gaining a better understanding of what my lolita style actually is [long story short, much as I adore sweet, I can't really wear it] but the upside of that was having a bit of cash to reinvest in some new lolita. Since blouses are what I really lack, and they're also the thing I can't sew for myself, I placed a nice little F+F order.

Longer reviews are below, but in summary all the blouses are quite nice as far as fabric quality and construction goes. My photos aren't that great but fortunately the stock photos are very true in regards to colour and all other details. However, sizing is a bit inconsistent so read on if you are thinking of purchasing any of these blouses. For reference, my bust is currently 95cm and I've listed what F+F said the bust was for each piece.

TP00051 in Lady 80 [Bust 92cm]

This is a blouse I have lusted after since compiling my hypothetical steampunk lolita wardrobe. So I gave into temptation and here we are. I love it. It's made of F+F's standard poly-cotton, and I love all the laces on it. I'm not the hugest fan of the fabric on the collar, but it does look good despite being a bit shiny. The blouse has detachable waist ties, the jabot is attached with press studs, and the ribbon bow is attached to the jabot on a pin, so you can move it around as desired.

Fit wise this one runs large as it is a perfect fit on me. The sleeves are also a great length on me, not tending toward shortness like some Bodyline blouses. For reference there I am 169cm tall, so this is definitely a good sleeve length for taller lolitas! All in all, it's a lovely blouse and I am really glad I got it.

TP00123 in Lady 80 [Bust 98cm]

I really, really like sailor lolita, but I'm not really into navy. So this is perfect for me! The first thing I really noticed is that it is definitely a loose fitting blouse, like the website says. You need to look at the last couple of model stock photos on the website to really see with, but this is not a fitted blouse. It does, however, look great like that. It certainly gives it a more casual vibe, but I like that.

As far as fit on the bust goes this is fairly accurate - it's listed as fitting a 98cm bust and it fits well on me. It might not fit too well if you are smack bang on 98cm though, so if in doubt, maybe go a size up.The sleeve cuffs are also a bit tight, so make sure to check that measurement as well!

TP00103 in Lady 80 [Bust 96cm]

I already have this blouse in white, but since I lost weight it only fits with the corset lacing full tightened, so I tea-dyed it for a shoot. But I really liked it. For me, this is a perfect lolita blouse - cute but not OTT, and the ruffles around the neckline made it look great under JSKs despite not having a collar. So now I have one in black and one in white, though I only snapped a photo of the white on for this review  ^__^

I don't remember how accurate the fit was to the listed measurements last time [silly me didn't put that in the last review] but this time around they were a tad on the small size - these blouses are skin tight. It's good, especially as I intend to shrink down a bit more, but I would definitely recommend getting the larger size if you are hovering between sizes. The sleeve cuffs are tight on me as well and I had to get James to help me tug them off, so that may be something to keep an eye on as well.

As far as postage goes, these were all instant shipping items. I ordered on the 16th and they were shipped the same day. I received them on my doorstep on the 21st, which is pretty quick to my mind, especially over Christmas.

Extended hiatus announcement.

It's first thing in the morning for me, so please ignore the lame title of lameness.

Long story short, after having no internet from what turned out to be more than a week, I realised that I've run out of a bit of steam for this blog, so I'm indefinitely extending the hiatus. However, I'll still be answering comments and also posting clothing reviews, because I find them so helpful myself.

If you feel like keeping up with my photography, modelling and otherness, you can find me at the following sites:
Photography on facebook
Modelling on facebook
Tumblr of a bit of everything
Etsy store

Hope all my lovely readers are well, and I'll see you when I see you!

Announcing a temporary hiatus.

The time has come. I will be without internet for a week [hopefully not more!] as we switch providers, so other than this post, and my scheduled gratefulness post going up on Sunday you won't hear from me for a few days. I've been busy studying for my final uni exam so I haven't had a chance to schedule in new posts to go up over my absence so until we are back online, Roli out.

A tasty, fishy food by Roli and James

As any of my regular readers know, this is not a foody blog. But sometimes, I just have to share something tasty. And this, this is supremely tasty. And not just tasty, but really simple and pretty healthy too. Introducing our brand new baked veggie and salmon cakes!

This photo is terrible because, as usual, I ate my dinner then realised I was meant to take a photo so I camera phoned the leftovers in the dark kitchen. They don't look so creep-y yellow in real life, promise!

What you need:
2 carrots
1 large zucchini
1 big can of pink salmon, preferably in the 400-500g range.
2 eggs
1/2 cup breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup plain flour
Your favourite herbs and spices.

What to do:
0. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees celcius.
1. Grate the zucchini and carrots into a large mixing bowl.
2. Open the salmon can and drain out most most of the liquid. Add all the salmon to the mixing bowl.
3. Crack your eggs into a cup just to make sure they're fresh, then add them to the bowl as well.
4. Add the flour and breadcrumbs and sprinkle in whatever herbs you like. I think we used oregano, paprika, salt, pepper and a bit of minced garlic.
5. Make sure your hands are clean and get in there. Mix it all together thoroughly with your hands. It should be goopy, kind of the consistency of bread dough after kneading, but not. I'm bad with food analogies. Add more breadcrumbs/flour or another egg if you feel the mixture is too runny or too dry. It should stick together but be easily mould-able.
6. Line a baking tray and mould small handfuls of the mixture into flat-ish balls. Our mix made eight, but making them a bit smaller and ending up with around twelve is probably best.
7. Bake for 10-15 minutes and flip. The underside should be brown when you flip, if not, leave them in for a bit longer. Bake for another 10-15.
8. Serve and devour!

The great thing about these is that even though there is a lot of fish, they don't taste particularly fishy, and you're getting lots of good vegetables too! A few variations that you may want to try...
1. Use tuna instead of salmon.
2. Sub out the flour and breadcrumbs for mashed up sweet potato [about two medium sized ones should do it] and it's paleo ^__^
3. Add other vegetables like corn kernels to change up the texture.
4. Mix in a dash of sweet chilli sauce and some spring onions for a different flavour.

Let me know if you make these and if you liked them!

A Complete Steampunk Lolita Wardrobe for [just over] $500

It’s been a while since my last hypothetical wardrobe post but finally, I have designed one combining two of my abiding loves: lolita and steampunk! I will be honest though, and say that since a lot of the steampunk vibe comes from accessories this is really just a classic lolita wardrobe in a steampunk inspired colour scheme. Regardless, I really love it and I hope you do too!

To reiterate my usual spiel: my definition of a “complete” Lolita wardrobe is one that can yield you a pretty unique outfit every day for a week. Also as per usual, I do not include purses or accessories for two reasons. Firstly, everyone likes different things there and secondly, most girls already have something appropriate in each department. In this wardrobe in particular, what true steampunk fan doesn’t already have something coggy, some goggles or that ubiquitous octopus jewellery?

Now, on to the wardrobe breakdown!

1 OP, 1 JSK and 1 Skirt:

Again I’ve followed my usual mantra of one plain piece and two patterned ones. The solid coloured skirt from Bodyline [$53] is anything but plain in construction, and both the Bodyline OP [$47] and the Fan Plus Friend JSK [$82] have a nice balance of construction details and patterned fabrics.

1 Neutral Blouse with Detachable Sleeves:

This ivory Bodyline blouse [$47] even has a detachable jabot. Detachable everything!

1 Contrasting Blouse or Cutsew:

This lovely, detailed long sleeve blouse from Fan Plus Friend [$60] makes me drool a little on my keyboard every time I see it, so it was the natural choice for providing extra colour and detail in this wardrobe.

2 Outerwear:

Once again I’ve chosen something “structured” and something “pretty”.  Both from Bodyline, this time around the “structured” is the green sailor jacket [$27] and the “pretty” is the simple brown bolero [$20].

2 Headpieces:

Both headwear choices come from Fan Plus Friend: a standard headbow in ivory [$7] and a lovely brown bowler hat [$13],

2 Pairs of Shoes:

One day I should probably write a post about all my shoes, because maybe then I could truly manage to convey how amazing I think shoes are, and how much they impact an outfit. But for now, enjoy the two Bodyline choices in this wardrobe: ivory Oxfords [$33] and cute brown boots [$47].

5 Items of Legwear:

My usual line for legwear is one pair of solid colour tights and a patterned or printed pair, as well as three pairs of socks: a plain neutral knee high or OTK pair, a more interesting pair of knees highs and a pair of ankle socks. However, I couldn’t find a patterned knee high sock that worked with this wardrobe, so I picked two plain pairs from Fan Plus Friend [$3] in different colours instead. The plain tights are from eBay [$5] and the lovely printed pair are by Ophanim [$27] while the cute little ankle socks are Bodyline [$1].

1 Petticoat:

As always, I haven’t included an image of the petticoat because that would be irrelevant, but I am factoring in the price as no Lolita wardrobe is complete without a petticoat! I figure that $50 is a fairly reasonable average price.

Total Cost: $525

Well....that’s not too much over budget! ^__^

And now, my favourite part... sample outfits!

A very simple outfit that lets the details do the talking.

Again, a simple outfit, but this one is better for cooler climates!

A very toned down outfit that draws attention to the print on the JSK.

This is the "uber green" outfit ^__^

Lots of detail, textures and patterns make this outfit really eye-catching.

For some reason, this one makes me think of hunting parties in old movies...

I saved my favourite for last! I would so wear this for a steampunk photoshoot!

So there you have it! As you can see, there are still a lot of interesting combinations you could come up with using this simple three colour wardrobe ^__^

As always, if there’s a particular lolita style or theme or colour palette you’d like to see my budget version of, please leave a comment letting me know. And, if you liked this and feel like checking out the previous ones, I’ve done this kind of hypothetical wardrobe for sweet, classic, gothic, sailor and bittersweet lolita.

Two quick endnotes on pricing:

The prices I’ve listed are exclusive of shipping costs, because they vary depending on your location and Bodyline is notorious for spontaneous price changes, so who knows how long things will stay as I’ve written.

Creative lolita coords made easy.

Well, maybe not easy, but definitely easier! These are a few ideas I've had and a few things I do when trying to come up with nice and unique lolita coords.

Though before you read on, let it be said that there is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing tried-and-true combinations. White blouse and socks with a sweet lolita coord will always look nice and lots of brown in a classic outfit will always be fine ^__^

Forget the labels.
Something I find that can be limiting when trying to think of a new outfit is labels. If you're thinking of your new outfit as being "gothic" or "sweet" you can limit you thinking. Just put together things that you think would look nice and worry about what to cal it later. The substyles really only exist to make it easier to talk about things anyway, so making sure your outfit fits as specific substyle isn't an important starting point. Forget what to call your new, uber creative and wonderful coord, just make it!

Is it sweet? Is it punk-ish? No! It's a coord ^__^

Keep an inspiration folder.
I have a gigantic lolita coord inspiration folder. There are hundreds of awesome coords saved, and some are sorted into folders according to the main items I own [some, like the folder for my Bodyline red-and-white JSK remain empty, while the Silk Cherubims folder is rather full] for quick reference. I find that saving inspiring outfits, and especially outfits using pieces you own, is a great way of getting fresh ideas.

Of course, I'm not saying copy other people's outfits. You can if you really want, but to me a lot of the fun in lolita is being creative with the way you dress. Also, and I'm going to put this bit in bold because it really does matter that much; save all the pictures you want for your own reference but never, under any circumstances, share them online without consulting the person who originally took and owns the photo. Maybe I'm alone in feeling so strongly about it but people who just randomly post other people's pictures annoy me so much. Even when there's a disclaimer of "I don't own any photos on this blog" that still annoys me, because it's an acknowledgement that they're doing something wrong and don't care. As both a photographer and a model, I really object to people posting my work around without even asking. So please, be nice. Save and look at anything you want, but don't share it online ^__^

Learn to sew, or at least craft.
It's so much easier to finish of a coord exactly the way you want when you can make your own matching accessories, or even just make the whole outfit from scratch! And then you'll also have the added benefit of knowing that no-one else out there is wearing the exact same thing as you.

A floral headband I made, for sale here.

Sewing is actually fairly simple, especially if you're a practical or logical type of person. That lolita staple, the rectangle skirt, is incredibly easy and though following patterns can be a bit tricky sometimes you do get the hang of it. Sewing really is easy as pie, once you master the basics. Actually, easier than pie. Literally. I've tried pie making and sewing, and sewing is definitely easier...

Pick an item and make as many outfits as you can.
Recently [and extremely belatedly] I did the Lolita Blog Carnival "one piece, five looks" challenge and even though the dress I chose was super versatile since I could change underskirts I still found it challenging to come up with radically different outfits. But I really like the results! Especially the "punk" coord [pictured below] because even though it's something I'd never really wear out it was also something I'd never even thought of and now I do have thoughts in the back of my mind about how to layer print and non-print items. And of wearing my waistcoats more.

Just experimenting with your clothes, rather than only pulling them out when you're getting dressed to go out, can be a great way of seeing your wardrobe in a new way. You may also want to try working in some non-lolita items - personally, I have some lovely structured jackets that really look great with puffy lolita skirts. It's also a great way of seeing if anything in your wardrobe doesn't match and needs to go. If you can't make outfits you like with something, what's the point of keeping it?

Chill out a bit.
Come up with the coord and wear it out. Take an outfit shot if you want. And then don't worry about it. Unless you post that picture online of your wore the coord out with other lolitas, chances are no-one is going to notice that your shoes don't quite match the rest of your outfit, because in all likelihood anyone who saw you was so amazed by your poofiness they wouldn't have noticed if you were barefoot ^__^

Three lolita trends I love.

This post is [in the most loving way possible] an anti Lolita Blog Carnival post. Allow me to explain. Twice the topic for LBC bloggers has been "three lolita trends I could never get into" and each time it's come up I've loved reading everyone's thoughts - especially when some trends seem so prevalent and can-do-no-evil-ish it's refreshing to read about people not being into classical art prints or tea party shoes. So I thought maybe I'd blog on the topic. But then I realised that, even though there are plenty of lolita trends I don't want to touch with a barge pole, I'd rather make my own twist on the idea, and share three lolita trends I love.

The Resurgence of Old School

Black dresses with white lace. Giant platform shoes. Simple headdresses. Stripy socks. A tiny hint of bloomer underneath a skirt. That was the lolita I fell in love with, long ago on the internet! And I like that it's having a bit of a comeback lately, though with a bit of a modern twist.

A few ways I can think of off the top of my head to do old school with a modern vibe would be adding printed tights, coording a printed dress with old school accessories or wearing an old school style dress with a chiffon blouse and nice heels to make it a bit more elegant.

I whipped up this example to show how I think a modern old school coord could look. Everything is Bodyline, except for the Fan Plus Friend bonnet and the Ophanim printed tights.

Chiffon 

It's not really a trend, so shhh, but I really love the use of chiffon in lolita. Every so often someone releases a chiffon-y dress, so it's not really a new thing, but from my lurking it seems like chiffon blouses are more of a recent thing. And I love it. There's something so lovely and delicate about chiffon and other light fabrics that I think really compliments the lolita aesthetic.

Sugar Hearts...one of the few Angelic Pretty pieces I absolutely adore.

Book Prints

The bibliophile in me demands that I mention book prints. Just...that is all. Book prints are awesome. Deal with it.

One day, I will get my hands on this fabric...

Though, for anyone curious, three trends I'm really not into, lolita wise, are:
1. Flat shoes, because I think you need a heel or platform to balance out the giant skirt.
2. 99% of all wigs, be they colourful or natural. This is mostly because I feel they are fairly unnecessary because any hairstyle or colour can work with lolita, and because very few girls can wear a wig really naturally and well.
3. Pastel mess prints. That's not a proper term, but I'm talking about pastel prints on a pastel background which from a distance just look like a messy pastel blob.

What are some lolita trends you love?