Let's start with a confession: I very nearly didn’t take any lolita clothes with me to Japan in February. But in the end I packed some simpler, versatile items and I’m glad I did because I wore lolita twice!
My first lolita coord of 2020 was worn to go out in Harajuku. It’s a very simple outfit, but I liked working tiny bits of pink into the otherwise straightforward black x white outfit. Shirring Princess is an odd dress for me, I don’t really like it very much but it feels good every time I wear it!
JSK, OTKS & Bag: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright.
Bolero: Maxicimam
Shoes: Bodyline
Necklace: Angelic Pretty
Other accessories: Offbrand/MeLikesTea
We went to Harajuku Zooland this day to see all the cute animals, so have a couple of bonus pictures of adorable furry things!
Then when we were in Kyoto I decided to dress up to visit the Railway Museum. James bought me this Drug Honey hoodie earlier in the trip, and it’s one of my new favourite items of clothing. Can you believe that I was actually telling him not to buy it for me?! Good thing he didn’t listen ^__^
JSK, OTKS & Bag: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright.
Hoodie: Drug Honey
Shoes: Bodyline
Beret: Offbrand
Bow: MeLikesTea
James also took a shot of this coord with my new Instax camera! I’ve wanted an Instax for years and finally have one (I also may blog more about it in my Japan Highlights series, because there’s a bit of a story to getting it!) which is so much fun!
Once we came home we were meant to not do much for a while, but of course life had other plans and on March 7th James and I attended our first event with the Newcastle Steampunk Community - a tea duel! I had intended to wear a steampunky lolita coord, but didn’t quite like how everything was working so switched out my skirt for these overalls (another Japan purchase) and I honestly think it works as a casual ouji coord!
And I mean, even if my outfit could be argued to not be ouji at all, I was still going to share it because I also wanted to share James’s outfit! I love it when we dress up together and I think he makes a very handsome ouji accessory ^__^
My Coord
Overalls: Punyus
Blouse and beret: Offbrand
Socks: Angelic Pretty
Shoes: Bodyline
James’s Coord
Vest & shorts: Lyris Design
Shirt, tie & boots: Offbrand
Socks: Angelic Pretty
Speaking of shoes, my Bodyline ones finally gave up the ghost that day. RIP shoes, you were good to me for many years.
That was going to be it for the month, as I was keeping it quiet since I'm still recovering from the 2019 burnout. But then COVID-19 happened and at the end of March I found myself working from home. And I decided I was going to take full advantage of it and dress in lolita!
My first WFH outfit was pretty simple, but quite cute and made me feel all pumped up to get to work!
OP & Necklace: Lady Sloth Verrry Berry Picnic
Bolero: Banned
Socks: Angelic Pretty
Everything else: Offbrand/Taobao
After my first day of working from home I actually sat down with a list of my main pieces, sorted from last worn to most recently worn, and came up with an outfit for each of them. I'm not a morning person, so having the thinking part done beforehand helps me get ready! So at the start of my first full week for working from home, I wore a piece I hadn't worn yet at all - Queen Cat.
Cutsew: The Black Ribbon
OTKS: Metamorphose temps de fille
Everything else: Offbrand/Taobao
Again, it's a simple outfit, but I liked it well enough (though I eventually want to do something dramatic and OTT with this print!) and it was very satisfying to more this skirt from "never worn" to "most recently worn". It is a bit tight on the waist though, so I did change into my PJs after lunch (shhhh don't tell my manager!).
My last outfit for the month (but it was Tuesday, so mid-work week) was once again pretty casual, but definitely sweet this time and I loved it! Besides, I think we all know by now that casual I just how I do it ^__^
Cutsew & Headbow: Angelic Pretty
Everything else: Offbrand
I am really enjoying starting to wear lolita again, and it looks like I'll be wearing it a lot for a while due to the whole self-isolation thing. If this keeps up, I'll be sharing my next roundup quite a lot sooner than usual so stay tuned ^__^
You know, you have just overhauled your wardrobe to be the pieces that you like and want, and feel good in. And with the current situation as is, casual coordinates are not only practical, they're also becoming the norm again. I wonder whether these two things together reinvigorated your excitement about wearing lolita because what you enjoy most are simpler, casual coords. So it's no longer any kind of pressure, "I have to/should wear lolita", but simply "I want to wear these clothes that I have" and wearing them for no-one but yourself again.
ReplyDeleteI totally love the idea of not just listing items from most to least recently worn, but preparing a coord for each of them too. It's taking planning and preparedness to another level that I'm here for. And we stan a casual ouji - it's amazing how the level of casual that in lolita might tip it to no longer be lolita and just be a cute outfit, in ouji still works perfectly fine. Will you and James ever do an ouji lovers photoshoot? Just putting the idea out there... ;)
You make some very good points there! It has been nice to just...wear lolita. I don't have to be sociable or leave my house, but I have a reason to dress up.
DeletePre-prepared coords have really been lifesaving! I am a zombie in the mornings and if I didn't have this list I'd have given up already lol
I'm glad you agree with my ouji classification ^__^ And ooooh yes! Lovers shoot would be amazing! I just need to slim down so I look a bit more androgynous (too much boobs!) to satisfy my aesthetic desires.