Around Your Wardrobe in 30 Coordinates - A Retrospective

It is the end of an era - I have completed all the AYWI30C flatlays! To stave off my sadness, I thought it would be nice to take a bit of a retrospective look at the challenge and share a few thoughts. 

I first posted the list of prompts in February 2018, a little over three years ago. I've been working my way through them ever since, not keeping to any particular schedule. Since I started I've moved house, gotten married, adopted a second cat, and gone through some many personal ups and downs that it's kind of dizzying to think of. And through it all...I was going around my wardrobe in a series of flatlays.

First up in this retrospective, I wanted to share the coords that I absolutely love. These are the ones that I want to wear! Not included are ones that I loved, but have already worn a variation of ^__^

It's so out of my comfort zone, and that's why I've come to love it.

Matching set? Bonnet? Yes please!

I have a burning need for OTT classic and lately I'm really into lighter coords too.

But I still love black-based sweet, and this "traditional" coord is #goals.

Black and white with a pop of colour, I have a mighty need.

And since this did take me so long to complete, let us take off our hats to coords made with main pieces that I no longer own.

I wanted the funds more than I wanted to hang on to this dress until I fit it.

I realised that while I adore this print I don't love the cut on my body.

Again, the lure of money now vs. being able to wear this eventually won out.

A combo of "too small" and "soo short" and "I don't think I'll wear it much" led to goodbye. 

I also used two skirts that are currently in my "to sell" pile, but things migrate back and forth from there so I'm not including them ^__^

I'm so happy to have come up with this challenge, and to have completed it. I could talk even more about everything, but I think I probably did that enough throughout the series. To see every post in this series, click here, and for now, let's close this chapter of my blog...and go onward to new blogging adventures!

AYWI30C #30: To suit a certain make-up look

 And here we are, the last flatlay of this series. I hope you enjoyed these posts as much as I did.

This last look is designed to match a certain make-up look, and this look of mine form a few years ago is what I had in mind:

Photo by The Enthusiast. 

I tried to make this look very doll-like, and took it as an opportunity to use my Innocent World bonnet. With flowers of course, because is it really me if there's no flowers?

In keeping with the doll-like theming, I decided to use the matching OTKS for the dress, and my simplest black shoes. I enjoyed this sort of old-school styling (chunky platforms and a bonnet) combined with a distinctly modern dress.

I kept the rest of the styling mostly simple,. with just a ribbon choker for a necklace and my pink heart bag...once again, this coord highlights my lack of a black handbag!

But something I really enjoyed with this look is that other than said handbag, I steered clear of coordinating with pink (or at least, not much pink)...which is not common for me! It's pretty difficult actually, but I really enjoyed the result.

Overall, I just loved this look.  It's dressy without being OTT, interesting without being overwhelming. And, like with many other outfits as part of this series - I wouldn't have gotten to this place without this prompt.

And with that,  I am done! I will be posting a retrospective of this series in a little while but for now let me just say - I hope you enjoyed it, because I certainly did!

Coordinates from March 2021

So March was just...hectic. Work was stressful, there were like three bits of family drama going on, I got my tubes tied and took like a week and a half to feel normal after that and all in all, I was super close to burnout all month. 

But in the end I did still wear some of the clothes that bring me joy ^__^

My state was hit by severe rain and flooding towards the end of the month, and I worked from home for two days because of it. So I got back on the "wear lolita to WFH" trend again (though, complete honesty, first WFH day I stayed in my PJs).

JSK: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright Shirring Princess

Kimono: Vintage

Socks: Handmade

Shoes: Bodyline

Everything else: Taobao/offbrand

It was so fun to do a wa lolita look again, and to do so in a more sweet than classic way. I also just love how this came out, I felt super pretty and was so happy that it worked out even better than it was in my head. Also, enjoy this closer picture where I am awkwardly showing off the kimono sleeves, because they are gorgeous.

Then I wore lolita to my counselling appointment and then to pick up out niece for a sleepover. Everyone liked my outfit, which is always flattering ^__^

OP & Necklace: Lady Sloth Verrry Berry Picnic

OTKS: Metamorphose temps de fille

Everything else: Offbrand/Taobao/Handmade

And that was it for March. Again a fairly quiet month in lolita terms, but I don't mind at all. When I was at my counselling appointment, I was trying to tell my counsellor everything that had been going on since I'd last seen her and oh my goodness, the list just didn't stop! I got tired just talking about it! So two lolita outfits in a month that was very personally draining feels like quite an achievement, thank you!