Friday, July 21, 2017

Lolita 52 Challenge Week 2

This week's prompt is "5 Movies for Lolitas."  This is probably the most difficult prompt of the whole list for me...because, believe it or not, I really don't like movies.  Explaining why is beyond the scope of this blog post, though, so I will try to make it through this prompt...wish me luck!

1.  Kamikaze Girls

Okay, I know this is super obvious.  But because of that, it also needs to be said.  I think watching this is an essential part of being a lolita.  I personally watched this when it came out, long before I became a lolita myself.  It was my first exposure to Baby, The Stars Shine Bright and sweet lolita.  Previously, I had only known lolita as a style worn in the VK scene.  I still remember that sense of wonder...I actually thought Baby was something made up for the movie until I saw the ending credits!

2. Nana

I watched this because I read the manga, which does have a lolita character in it, though I don't remember if she was in the movie.  The reason I think this is important for lolitas to watch is because it shows something of the Japanese indie and major label band scene.  Though it is not about VK specifically, I do think and understanding of Japanese band culture is important to the understanding of the origins of lolita.  However, for something more on topic, I would recommend the book So Pretty, Very Rotten since it contains essays on lolita's relation to the music scene.

3.  The Innocents

I watched this movie because I saw it recommended for gothic fashion inspiration, and while I got that, I also got so much more.  This movie has great aesthetic for either a gothic or classic lolita, but it's also a really eerie and atmospheric horror movie with thrills that are only psychological - not gory.

4. Alice in Wonderland

I watched this to familiarize myself with Alice's world, since I have not read the book.  This movie was quite a trip, and while I don't know how faithful it is to its source material, it really instilled in me a greater appreciation of the Alice aesthetic.  The Alice and Wonderland ballet is even better, though!

5. The Rose of Versailles

Okay, so this is an anime series, not a movie.  But since I couldn't think of any other movies for this list without including things I haven't already seen, I decided it would be okay to included this.  After all, this is the second watchable media I think of when I think "lolita", only after Kamikaze Girls.  This series explores the life of Marie Antoinette and all the decadence and intrigues related.  Hime and OTT lolitas in particular will want to watch this, and take notes!  This series is also extremely famous...I wouldn't be surprised it it were very well known among lolitas in Japan.

And somehow I made it, completing this post, though I did have to included a series with the movies.  I stand by choices, though...these are all films I appreciate more because I'm a lolita!

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Closet Child Haul and Coords

I've been wanting to expand my cutsew and outerwear collection, and when a minor dream item of mine popped up on Closet Child, I decided to add some of these things to my order.  The dream item was Metamorphose's Bubble Bath frill skirt in lavender.  I still want a version of this series, in lavender, with the print on it, but I love how toned down the frill skirt is.  I now have 3 Meta skirts in the same cut, which are not the print version, in lavender.  They are all slightly different shades, but still, I think I have an obsession!

Here is the haul:

Metamorphose Bubble Bath Skirt:

This is in such nice condition...it doesn't even really have a feeling of wear, except for the wrinkles!  I love that I can pair this with pink...but I'm also thinking it would be nice to match the blue of the bubbles!  Even though I have several blue tops, none of them are this shade.  That's something I will have to keep an eye out for.

Emily Temple Cute black cutsew:


This was ridiculously cheap for how good of condition it's in...maybe ETC cutsews aren't very valuable.  At any rate, I had really been wanting a plain, but loliable, black short-sleeved cutsew all summer, and now I finally have one!

Metamorphose Jacket:


I wanted this specifically to go with my American Dream skirt!  This isn't the original American Dream jacket (I kind of doubt I will ever see that up for sale), but it's close enough to the design that I can get the look I'm going for.  I can also see myself wearing this outside of lolita, if I ever have occasion to.  Perhaps to a con, or other nerdy event in the fall or spring.

Baby the Stars Shine Bright mint cardigan:


This item accomplishes my goal of getting more mint stuff, and getting more cardigans.  It's also my first Baby cardigan, and I am so enamored with the quality and style.  It's super-thin, and also rather small, though I think the short length will work well with lolita.  I have few main pieces that can actually go with mint, however...that's something I want to keep in mind as I choose colorways for new main pieces that I may want.

Innocent World sailor collar cutsew


This item was deeply discounted, I presume because it is missing the detachable navy bow that goes at the neckline.  I should be able to replace it with something similar if I ever feel it's necessary.  I mostly ordered this for the price, because I don't have any cutsews in this color, and because I really like wearing last's years sailor-collar cutsews from IW that I bought on sale.  The sax used is kind of hard to match, but I do have a handful of pieces that it will work with.

After admiring my items, I wanted to get right to work putting together quick coords for each of them!

First, the Meta jacket and ETC cutsew:
Jacket, skirt: Metamorphose
Cutsew: Emily Temple Cute
Headband: offbrand (possibly Japanese indie brand)
Shoes: Secret Shop
Socks: taobao/ebay

Naturally, I wanted to use the jacket and cutsew exactly as I envisioned: with American Dream!  The socks are also something I bought specifically for this skirt.  To tie into the music theme, I used a headband that I got a while ago that has a music not attached to it (not easy to see in this pic).  The seller claims she got it in a lot of accessories from Japan, but it contains no tags whatsoever.  I think this outfit has a 50's vibe to it, and I wonder if I could get away with wearing it for some kind of non-otaku and non-lolita event.  Time will tell...

Skirt, blouse, socks: Metamorphose
Cardigan: Bodyline
Headbow: Infanta
Shoes: Secret Shop

For my main piece coord, I wanted to tie in the dark pink in the skirt with a Bodyline cardigan I have which doesn't match many pieces (the pink is just too harsh).  When the cardigan does match, though, it really pops!  The night carnival socks match both the pink and the blue of the skirt, even though they are such unique colors.  I love when brands have some consistency, even across release years!

Cardigan: Baby the Stars Shine Bright
JSK: Bodyline
Headbow: Infanta
Shoes, Socks: Secret Shop

Okay, so I have such an obsession with pink and mint paired together, that I might need intervention!  Unfortunately, items of that nature make up probably less than 2% of my wardrobe!  I wish I had a higher-quality JSK to go with this look, but this will have to do for now.  I would love to have a solid pink JSK from Baby, though!  I think I would probably wear a white blouse with this outfit too, but I didn't feel like arranging one into this photo.

Skirt, bag, headdress, socks: Metamorphose
Cutsew: Innocent World
Shoes, wristcuffs: Bodyline

One of the pieces I have that matches my new IW cutsew is this 2003 skirt from Metamorphose.  It's a shame that it is so terribly faded, and is probably the worst condition item I own, but I am thankful just to have it, since it's so old.  The bag is the most faded of all, and the headdress still has most of its original color, so it's kind of a mismatched set, but the fading on the skirt as actually what makes it match the cutsew!  I chose other items that may have been seen in 2003, like wristcuffs, lacy knee socks, and white shoes matched with white socks.  I really did not think it was okay to match white shoes with white socks until I realized just how common this was in old-school street snaps!  I think I might like to use one of the detachable white bows from the Meta blouse in my coord above with this cutsew, since it is supposed to have a bow at the neckline (though it was a navy one).

I am incredibly satisfied with my Closet Child order.  The items are in such amazing condition that they don't even feel used, and I didn't find any stains on them!  The price and condition were much better than I usually get from other sources (especially Wunderwelt, where I often get items with stains that won't come out).  One disappoint from this order is that I also ordered a lavender cardigan from Fi.n.t that I was told was out of stock...they had sold it through one of their other outlets.  It would have been a nice addition to my collection at only 1500 yen, but I'm very happy with the items I got!





Friday, July 14, 2017

Lolita 52 Challenge Week 1

Since I wanted some fun topics to think about, I decided to do F Yeah Lolita's 52 Lolita Challenge!  It was posted about 4 1/2 years ago, in the beginning of 2013, so I'm way late to the party, but I wanted to do it anyway!  Here is a link to the challenge:

52 Lolita Challenge

I am going to be tackling these in order.  Unluckily for me, one of the hardest for me is the 2nd week's prompt, but for now, my first prompt is:

5 pieces that every Lolita wardrobe should have, regardless of style

For this prompt, it wasn't hard for me to think of ideas, though it was somewhat hard to narrow it down to only 5.  The things I chose were things I really wished I'd had sooner or things I was super glad I had that were just as important as my coord itself.

One caveat...though my selections are valid regardless of style, they are dependent on climate!  I would say this post is directed toward a wardrobe that exists in a place where there are 4 seasons...and where 3 of those seasons are practically winter.

1.  A heavy winter coat


Not having one of these is something I'm guilty of, and I think about it every time I purchase something that ISN'T a heavy winter coat.  For this year's December ILD, I was so embarrassed by how I didn't have a suitable coat.  I had to wear my normie dress coat, which is a lovely deep purple wool pea coat, but it did not match my coord or the Lolita aesthetic at all.   If you want to wear Lolita out regularly, or even just to a couple meets, this is an absolute necessity, more important than another main piece, even though it will likely be the cost of one.

2.  Lighter coats


ANOTHER coat?!  Yeah, that's just how important this is if you live in a frigid climate and want to actually go to meets and look put together!  The image shows a couple that I have, though I need to get a black one so that I can possibly wear a Halloween coord out!  Last year for my comm's Halloween meet, I stressed for weeks about what coat I would wear, because I did not have a single Loliable jacket at the time.  We ended up having unseasonally warm weather and I thankfully ended up not even needing one, but I was able to attend Tekko confidently because I had the right outerwear.

3.  Hoop Skirt


A hoop skirt is essential for 2 reasons: first, it's so much more comfortable in hot weather than a petticoat.  I can't imagine being a Southern Lolita without one!  Second, it doesn't lose its poof, so it can always be a reliable option.  One downside of a hoop skirt is that it won't provide warmth in winter.

4.  Chiffon Crop Tops


If numbers 1 and 2 were for Fall through Spring, this one is for Summer!  With one of these, you will have no excuse to not wear a blouse in Summer.  Wearing one of these adds almost no bulk, and looks a million times better than wearing a JSK blouseless.  Taobao brands usually release these in the Spring.

5.  A rain-suitable umbrella or parasol


Here's another one for practicality.  I used to dread going to a meet or con with rain, because I did not want to pull out a normie umbrella that would drag down the rest of my look.  The pictured umbrella from Totes has a ruffle hem and was only $20, and is made for rain just like any other umbrella.  Of course, there are gorgeous options made by Lolita brands as well, but they are much more expensive.

For anyone starting a Lolita wardrobe, I would highly recommend getting the items above that match the season when you will be wearing your first coord.  These are things that could make or break whether you show up at your first meet or con looking fully put together, or like a beginning.  Of course, there's nothing wrong with looking like a beginner if you are one, but eventually you will want these things for practicality, even if they aren't as much fun as JSKs, skirts, and blouses!

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Innocent World Early Summer Sale Haul


About a month ago, Innocent World had an Early Summer Sale where they were liquidating their fall/winter stock from last year at mostly 70% off (some items were "only" 50% off).  There were many pieces I wanted from that season, but I didn't get most of them on the last sale, which was mostly 30 - 50 percent off, because they still seemed a little overpriced.  For this sale, I picked up several of the items I had my eye on, though many things were out of stock.

Here's what I managed to nab:

Except for the headband, which is black, everything I got is in a navy or Bordeaux color.  Since I wanted these for fall/winter, I likely won't be wearing them for awhile but they are great for my wardrobe since I love those colors for winter, but didn't have enough to work with.

The hair accessories I got are the Polka Dot Jacquard Headbow and the Small Button Braid Clip:
The headbow in black I got to go with my Dolly Dot JSK from Angelic Pretty!  The clip I intended to go with the 2 Bordeaux dresses I got, though it is smaller than I expected.

I only got one pair of socks, the Antique Clock Overknee socks in navy:
I actually wanted the Antique Clock dress too in green, and it was the item I was most looking forward to from this order, but it was out of stock since I had to use the special order form for overseas customers instead of the shopping card system that domestic customers can use.  I likely wouldn't have used these socks with the dress anyway, since I wasn't envisioning mixing navy with green, but I do want to use these with the Alice in the Labyrinth of the Clockwork World JSK from Aatp that I got recently, since it is the navy colorway!  I also just love Roman numerals!

Now for the dresses:

Cross Back Corset Jumperskirt in Bordeaux x Cafe au Lait:
This dress has such an awesome shape and fit (similar to my Rose Flare JSK that I showed in another post).  This dress differs from other IW dresses I have in a similar cut, in that it has a corset/underbust bodice.  This is my first dress like this so I will need to experiment with how to make it look the most flattering!  However, I am somewhat disappointed in this piece, because it feels more like sample or B-stock due to one of the straps being thinner and having a weird-looking curved shape compared to the other strap.  In this picture, it's the strap on the right, and I'm not sure yet how noticeable it will be in worn photos, but I notice it and it bothers me.  It seems like a pretty big slip in quality for a major brand...but at least it was 70% off.

Next, a piece I really wanted for Christmastime!

Cherub Angel Candlestick Bow Ribbon Jumperskirt in Bordeaux:
This is a dress that I saw people getting in IW's Christmas set last year, and I really hoped it would be in mine.  Instead, I got Palace Rose in navy, which I'm not all that fond of, though it is versatile and flattering.  But now I finally had the opportunity to get this dress which I wanted.  I love its religious motifs, and it's also a nice length even though this is not the long cut of this dress.  This regular cut is 100 cm long (the long cut is 107 cm)!

Antiqued Logo Button Collar Jumperskirt in navy:
I wanted this as a staple piece, and I actually have dreams of wearing this as a normie dress out...though I'm not sure that will ever happen.  It's basic with solid construction, and who knows, maybe someday I'll attempt showing myself in public in this, haha!

 Planisphere Just Waist Jumperskirt in navy:
This is the crown jewel of my haul!  Starry themes are one of my favorites, especially in winter when fruit and berry themes seem kind of out of place.  I am so excited to have this in the cut and colorway I wanted, and this piece along with Antique Clock were the releases I was most sad about not picking up last year.  I also love the details with the cute text and phrases that IW included on the print!


I'm really happy with my order overall, although it took Innocent World almost 3 weeks to send me and invoice.  I'm glad they took the extra time to try to source my dresses, if that's what they were doing (I will give them the benefit of the doubt and tell myself they were).  I'm not happy with one of the straps on my corset JSK, but otherwise I have no problems with my items and they were a great value.  I do wish that overseas customers had the same chance at the items as domestic customers, but since we have to use a special order form, items can sell out before our orders are received and accounted for.  Because of that, I missed out on the green Antique Clock JSK I wanted...but I'll just have to keep an eye out for it on secondhand sales!