Coordinates from May - June 2023

It sure is nice getting back into the swing of wearing lolita, I really missed it ^__^

First coordinate was worn in May to run some errands. It was simple, comfy coord that was really cute and there's not much more to say about it!

 

JSK: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright Tartan Check
Bag: BTSSB
Socks: Angelic Pretty
Everything else: Offbrand/Taobao

Though actually I think it's a good moment to mention that I am, thus far, really happy with my "capsule" wardrobe. I doubt I would have come up with this coord if I wasn't working within that limited frame and I honestly really like it!

Next, at the end of June it was photoshoot time again! We were cursed with strong winds and bad light, so I didn't get a full length shot of the coord so please enjoy this flatlay and the proper photos will be up on Facebook sometime ^__^

OP: Maxicimam

Capelet & Beret: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

OTKS: Innocent World
Shoes: Bodyline
Flowers: Offbrand

Antlers: Bedevilled

The shoot was done in part to showcase my awesome Bedevilled antlers, which I utterly adore!

And that was it for the first half of 2023! Honestly, it hasn't been the best year for me thus far and my mental health hasn't been the greatest. But I am taking steps to turn it around so as my headspace improves and as the weather starts to warm up hopefully I'll feel more enthused about wearing lolita.

"July" Lolita Haul

So I did a thing, namely I got my tax return and while most of it got squirrelled away some if it went to funding new lolita! I'm calling this my "July" haul since that's when I ordered it, but  it took a while ^__^

I placed the order with Japonica on July 15, and received a near-instant email letting me know that they couldn't ship by EMS but could hold the order at no extra cost and was I okay with that. I was, so I replied just as promptly. I did have a bit of a panic over the order, because the seller for my first item just wasn't responding and I didn't hear anything for like a month until I decided to check in with Japonica. Turns out they had missed the sellers reply and were able to buy the dress after all but I was a bit sad for a while thinking I wouldn't get it!

Ultimately I got my package on the first of September, though I did have to ship by DHL which was horribly expensive. But let's not dwell on that, let's look at the amazing goodies I got!

The dress that started it all is Meta's Blooming Garden OP in yellow. I've been after a sweet dress in a light pastel for a while, though I hadn't specifically considered this dress before I found it on Fril for a decent price and decided to go for it. I was actually strongly considering buying this no matter what, but once I realised what my tax return was going to be I decided to go for it!

In person it's just lovely. It is hands down the most typically sweet thing I own now, and that's exactly what I wanted. The print is really beautiful, and I love how it's both very soft and very vibrant. With front and back shirring the sizing is very flexible... but I can't zip it up on my own due to the high waist! Oh well, that's what husbands are for ^__^

I also decided that it was high time I bought the Maxiciman Lovely bolero that I've been eyeing off for like a year. If I was going to have a bit of a lolita splurge I was damn sure this bolero was coming with me! I wanted a pink bolero anyway so into the cart it went, and besides, it was on sale.

The bolero also came with a shopping bag, a fan, and some catalogue pages, which were really fun to look at. 

An oh my goodness, I am not a firm Maxicimam fan. This bolero is absolutely perfect. It fits me so well, it's comfortable, it's beautiful and I'm so glad it's out of stock int he other colours I'd want otherwise I'd be buying too many of these! Seriously, if you are plus-size check out Maxicimam's Lovely size, you won't be disappointed.

Then I did a little more browsing on Fril and found another wishlist item - mint OTKS! Admittedly, I was hoping to find something more versatile but given that my only mint main piece right now is Teddy Chocolatier and these are a perfect match I figured why not? As you can see, they were actually part of  a set and while I'm not overly excited about the other two pairs they certainly do go with my wardrobe so all in all I was very chuffed with this AP sock set.

I also picked up a couple of cheap Bodyline main pieces secondhand. The first was this bustle back cherry print skirt. You know me, black berry prints are kind of my thing, and I liked how quirky this was. On the surface of it it's just a cherry pattern, but I liked how prominent the flowers were in the print and I also loved the bustle back. It's a weird mix of casual and OTT, very old school.

But unfortunately, despite being a full elastic waist this skirt is still tiny! Probably a maximum stretch of 70cm and while I have had a 70cm waist I don't think I'd ever be able to get it past my hips or boobs even if I got down to that size again!

And that is a massive pity, because I adore this skirt. I'm toying with the idea of deconstructing is an replacing the bustle back with a wider one, but more likely I'll just sell it. Though it has made me think about making this skirt cut myself so that's a plus side, I suppose. I'm just really disappointed that it's too small to even keep as a "when I lose weight" thing.

Last of all I bought this older Bodyline floral JSK (L003). It's a beautiful simple piece and that's about all I have to say about it. It was a gamble, size-wise and thus it is a bit small for me, but it's definitely something I can fit in time. I actually really love it - I've always thought it was pretty when I've seen it online but IRL it's even more gorgeous! 

So that's my "July" haul. It was really exciting to buy a bunch of new lolita items given how much I've been wearing the fashion recently, and I'm loving the immediate boost to my wardrobe versatility. Stay tuned for outfits with my new things soon!

Mercari (and more) haul

As I mentioned I'm planning to wear lolita for my wedding day and I happened to find my intended dress (AP's Dramatice Rose JSK in ivory) really quickly on Mercari. You all know me, I never just buy one thing, so I ended up getting quite a haul in from Mercari (and Angelic Pretty directly).

Given that I found Dramatic Rose on Mercari, I had to use Japonica as my shopping service and they were fine. I still find their emails a bit confusing, but they get the job done! They also handled the consolidation of four orders with nary a hiccup. For reference, because I hadn't seen this information online before, if you place multiple orders under one email address via their site, they will automatically consolidate them for you and send you an updated order email that contains everything. Very handy! The only downside is that I had been avoiding sites like Mercari and Fril as they were new to me, and thus terrifying, but now they are familiar…and filled with so many wonderful bargains…

Anyway, onto the haul! Obviously, the first item is the Dramatic Rose JSK in ivory, which came with the matching canotier. The dress is in perfect condition, apparently there were meant to be some small stains but I haven’t found them yet, and it is so beautiful in real life! A little more ivory than the stock photos indicate, which is exactly what I wanted. I don’t like the canotier at all, I find it aesthetically awkward, difficult to wear as there are no combs or clips, and the flowers seem very cheap. But I didn’t buy this for the canotier, so I don’t really mind. And besides, the dress really is gorgeous and so very detailed.

But, in sad news, I think I’m still too tall for this dress. As I have to lose weight to fit it I haven’t been able to try it on properly, but holding it up to my body it’s just not right. It’s not just that the skirt is too short (because underskirts exist) but the bodice is too short for my torso. I’ll admit, I’m pretty bummed about that because I loved the idea of this as my wedding dress but I just don’t think it’s going to happen. I’ll have a think about it but currently it’s looking like a no. I’ll still hang on to it though, because a slightly too short bodice is something I don’t mind too much regularly in lolita even though it is something I don’t want for my wedding day.

Moving back into a happier mood, I also stumbled on a full back shirred Innocent World onepiece. Innocent World that will fit me? Sign me up! This is the Angel Tiered OP in brown and while it's not a print I'd ever really been aware of before it felt like it would be a good addition to the "easy to wear" side of my wardrobe. Much as I love JSKs I'm finding myself reaching for skirts or OPs more often when wearing lolita casually. It’s a very pretty dress but to my surprise it doesn’t fit…and you know why? The arms! Memo to any larger girls wanting to try full back shirred IW; it may fit around your body but it mightn’t fit around the arms! Oh well, it’s only a bit too tight so I’ll be able to wear it soon and I think I’ll wear it a lot.

Then I saw this cute little AP cutsew (the Berry Garden Print T-Shirt) and again it was a no brainer. Black with berries for just 999 yen - how am I supposed to resist that? To my great surprise and joy this actually fits me! It’s tight and a bit short but wow, I can’t believe the stretch this thing has. It’s so great! My only concern is the length, it may just be a bit too short on my torso (are you sensing a pattern here? I am!) but I’ll try cording it soon and see how we go. I hope it works out because I think printed cutsews are my new favourite thing and given that this matches my number one casual wardrobe theme I see it being very useful.

While browsing the AP section I also came across the Polka Dot Short Sleeve Parka for just a single yen more than the cutsew. Again, when temptation is perfect and cheap I just go for it! Like the cutsew, it fits, and I think it’s the cutest thing in my whole haul! I don’t have anything like it and I am so glad I bought it. Short sleeved hoodies are something I love in casual wear, so I’m really chuffed to it and who knows, I may end up wearing it outside of lolita as well.

I also bought another pair of ivory lace topped OTKS from Angelic Pretty because I made the mistake of putting my last pair through the wash instead of hand-washing and they came out kind of grey. Not going to lie, I was so disappointed I almost cried. Thank goodness I'm an adult with a good job so I can easily afford a replacement but man, that was way more soul crushing than it ought to have been. But on James's suggestion I'm going to try dying the damaged pair so who knows, it may end up being a blessing in disguise, depending on how the dye job turns out.

I then found this super cute brown with ivory lace Metamorphose cardigan, I think it's the Double Frill Lace Cardigan from 2005. I didn't really need another piece of brown outerwear, but it was cute and still different enough from anything else I have that I thought it was a good buy. Unfortunately though it’s a bit short on the sleeves for me and I’m in the process of deciding if that’s a deal breaker for me. I think it is, which is a bummer, but oh well. That’s what you get buying online and there’s a swap meet next month anyway so no big deal!

I also took a dive into the world of burando shoes! Again from Meta, these are currently unidentified but that doesn't matter. I didn't necessarily need these shoes, but I don't own an ivory flat so they're not an entirely frivolous purchase! And they turned out to be my unexpected favourite purchase of this haul. They fit perfectly and are comfortable, but more than that they are just such a typically lolita shoe. The little wooden sole, the scalloped edges, the ankle straps - they’re just perfect and I love them way, way more than I was expecting too. Do you ever come across an item that just make you feel like a proper lolita, some weird nix of nostalgia and excitement? These shoes did it for me.

Now, I thought I was done then, and I was for a little, but I can't keep myself from browsing when I have an open order and I stumbled upon this Maxicimam bolero which I couldn't resist. It fills a wardrobe gap! As a note, Japonica once again confirmed with me that the item description indicated wear and checked if I wanted to go ahead with the order, which is a good bit of customer service (and honestly, the bolero is fine, like seriously, what wear?). The bolero is a perfect fit and while a bit unexciting on its own I’m very glad to have it.

Overall I’m very happy with my new set of wardrobe additions, though I am a bit down about Dramatic Rose. But I got some great new pieces so it’s all good! I do feel a bit bad for not sticking more firmly to my “limited spending” goal for the year though, so I’m going to try very hard not to indulge any further for a while. I also want to focus on wardrobe diversity a bit more and get some items in a broader colour palette. We’ll see how it goes!

Have you added anything to your lolita wardrobe lately?

July Auctions Haul

Last Friday while I was at work (so technically July even though I'm posting this in August) a big box of goodies got picked up from the post office by my lovely boyfriend James. As usual I ordered using Buyee and was happy with their service, so there’s no need for any preamble, let’s just show off what I bought!

I don’t quite remember what order I bid on things in, but I do know what started this whole order…

I saw Wonder Party up on auction and my heart skipped a beat. This is a print I loved when I first started lolita and that I have eyed off on occasion in both the black and brown colourways since, but I’d never seen it at a price I liked…until now! Admittedly, it still cost more than I usually spend on a main piece, but I love it and James thought it was really cute as well so how could I not? This is the Mini Sleeve JSK cut and I think it’s is super adorable.

I also love that I now have another print in the same vein as Patisserie Dream – though I love variety I also like having multiple pieces in similar themes and colours and though this particular one (black x pink tea party theme) was not something I intended to really build up in my wardrobe I’m glad that I have! This dress doesn't quite fit me yet (no zipper, and I can't get the waist over my boobs), but it is beautiful and I am super excited to wear it a lot when I drop a dress size.

I wish there was an emoji for how damn excited I was when I saw this bag! At 1000 yen! With no bids! Guess what I did next? Hehehe I adore this bag! It’s is utterly ridiculous and that’s what’s great about it. I really need to stop buying bags, but I had to make an exception for this. But seriously, my bag drawer is full. Guess I need to switch to a bigger storage area. That’s obviously the only solution!

Then, in my browsing something wonderful caught my eye…Meta’s Berry Stripe Short Sleeve OP in black! One of my wishlist items! Berry print (with both strawberries and cherries), OP, and in black.

And it’s Metamorphose and fully shirred, which are both extra wins for me. I also liked that it was a more realistic print, and quite retro in a way, so it seemed like something I could get a lot of wear out of. The only thing is, I'm no 100% sure how much the fully-shirred and high-waisted combo works one me, but we'll find out!

I’ll admit, this is something I primarily bought because it was cheap. I mean, it will be handy, but I’m just a sucker for cheap basics that I don’t already own, and I didn’t have a regular white short sleeved bolero. It certainly fills a wardrobe gap, just one that didn’t necessarily need filling.

However, it is super freaking gorgeous! It's one of those patterned knits and it is just a really lovely piece. The fit is a little off on me, but hopefully that will improve as I lose weight. BTSSB pieces always amaze me, I have to say. The quality is just amazeballs.

Another item from my wishlist was a plain black skirt. I bid on this one because it was an interesting design, with the pleased trim, and was full shirred. But...it's Victorian Maiden, so I was not expecting it to actually it properly, so imagine my surprise when it is completely perfect and comfortable and wonderful! So excited! I think it's technically an underskirt, but I think it can work as both and I really, really love it.

This outfit was 100% an impulse buy, but damn was it a good one. It was quite cheap and though I’ve long admired this kind of sailor uniform I’ve never owned one so I thought why the hell not. It is, as I expected, too small for me, but that just means it's a goal ^__^

I mean, come on, how much cuter (and punkier) can you get? It even came with a single garter that buttons to the skirt waist and straps around the thigh!

These Innocent World bloomers were another impulse buy. I have been vaguely intending to add more bloomers to my wardrobe but don’t really need more with any level of urgency. But I saw these and liked them so I bought them! And then kind of regretted it because of the aforementioned “don’t really need them” and they weren’t all that cheap. But still, not a bad thing to buy by any stretch of the imagination, just possibly the least exciting item of this haul.

I bought this bonnet entirely for a photoshoot. I have something creepy and oldschool in mind, and the only thing I was lacking was headwear. This cost a bit more than I like, but I figured I could spend a bit more and buy something perfect for the shoot (and any future oldschool things in black and white) or I could get something cheaper but not as good, so I went for quality. This was even NWT and perfectly gorgeous.

My order literally arrived two days before the shoot, but would you believe it, I didn't end up getting to do the shoot! It was another group shoot day where I had hoped to model two looks as well as do photography, but in the end I only modelled one look. I'll definitely do and epic oldschool shoot some other time though ^__^

Overall, I’m super happy with everything I got here! It feels weird to have gotten so many new big pieces in one haul since lately I've more been pulling in accessories but it's a great kind of weird!

This haul was meant to also include a pair of OTKS, but domestic shipping took ages for them so I had to consolidate and ship out before they arrived in order to try and get this order to me in time for the photoshoot. So, to my shame and as a failure of a budget lolita, I will have another (smaller!) haul post next month as well…