A very special haul

 I happened to see the matching KC for Holy Night Story by Angelic Pretty for sale on a Japanese secondhand site and this started a large haul (I also happened to find the matching mini hat as well!!).

I wanted to share a few of the things I bought. Most importantly, I found someone selling the first lolita dress I ever saw. I decided to try it on in a similar fashion to the way I first saw it. No blouse, petticoat or socks or anything. 

Innocent World Dot Stripe JSK

This was a surreal moment. I remember the person from those photos writing that the dress skirt was really full. They were right! There's a lot of material there. The dress is not the same colour but I am really happy to have an all ivory dress, I think it's going to make some really cute coordinates.

Innocent World Stripe Pleated Skirt
Baby, the Stars Shine Bright Sucré Transparent Knitting Cardigan

This skirt and cardigan are another two items I ordered. The skirt is kind of odd, which is the reason I bought it. I really love this cardigan. It's a light knit with half sleeves. It's going to be really nice for warmer weather.

Innocent World Tartan Check Frederick Trump JSK
Innocent World Noemi Ribbon Cardigan

Both the jumperskirt and the cardigan here are new. I really really love this dress. It has a lot of velvet details and it's very nice and heavy and it's wonderful. The photo is pretty dark but I am sure I will wear it quite a few times before cold weather leaves us so hopefully I'll get some nice photos to share here.

I've been pretty busy recently. I hope March will be less interesting.

I have a goal for myself to make a headpiece to match my Doll's Tea Party OP. I have the materials already, and a design in mind. Just need to execute it!

Holy Night Story Jumperskirt GET

Finally! I have Angelic Pretty's Holy Night Story switching jumperskirt in green! A couple of years ago I saw the complete set listed on Lacemarket for less than 200$ and I didn't go for it and I regretted it since. So then I was always looking for the dress and having no luck. It was available in other colourways and only when I took a break from checking secondhand sales everyday over the last summer did it get listed. It was sold by the time I saw the posting.

Over the Christmas holiday I saw someone selling the dress without any of the accessories for way more than I'd originally intended to purchase it. But I thought about it and I was tired of checking for this dress all the time and pining over it so I went ahead and bought it. I'm very pleased! The seller even included a mini hat from another release that matches quite well!

I really like the velvet fabric on this dress. The waist ribbon ends in a bullion fringe. Combined together with the fabric it reminds me of plush old fashioned curtains.

The green is more blue toned than Angelic Pretty's Classic Fairy Tales.

There is also GLITTER in the print. I took a video to capture it:

I am still thinking about how to coord this dress. I always thought that if I got the Ennui Doll blouse from Angelic Pretty I'd try pairing them together because the blouse has a vibrant pink that could match the print. 

It also has some nice navy shades that might be interesting to pull out, but I do not have any navy lolita items.

Something about this print reminds me of an iSpy book. I am not sure why. But it feels nostalgic to look at. 

Finally Trump Alice!

Background: I ordered the Trump Alice JSK from Baby, the Stars Shine Bright in the summer without realizing that they only ship with EMS. EMS currently doesn't ship to Canada. I thought, 'alright, let's wait and see if they start shipping again.' Half a year later I came to the conclusion it's probably not going to happen so I send an email to the company asking if I can change the shipping address to USA. They say yes and thankfully I'm able to have it shipped to a family friend and they forwarded it to me. Apparently when they saw the word 'Trump' on the package they were triggered, which is pretty funny.

I should have taken a photo of how everything looked out of the box, but that didn't happen. I'm going to show some worn photos now~

I got the JSK version with a heart on the bodice! This was one of the main reasons I wanted this dress :D. There are trump themed accessories as well: wristcuffs, headbow and socks. I got red which is unusual for me but I enjoy the colour here. I really like this style of headbow as well, it's good for me and my flat hair c:

I paired the coordinate with these blue shoes because I really love the pop of blue from Alice's dress in the print.

It's cold both outside and inside so cardigan has to happen. I'm glad this is a dress that goes with this particular cardigan because there's not currently a whole lot to go with the cardigan at the moment.

I am currently working on my wardrobe post but I'm unsure if I'll manage to finish before the end of January. All my main pieces are photographed but tops and accessories are not. >< 

This time I used my dressform instead of doing a flatlay. It's funny to see how all my lolita clothes fit on the dressform compared to my own body. 

 I'm not including this dress in the wardrobe post, although I bought it last year I didn't receive it until 2022 so~ 

Also! spy another new dress in the corner of two of the photos! I want to make a post about it soon!!

Reflections after Ten Years in Lolita Fashion

As I mentioned in a previous post, I received an enormous package of secondhand lolita items last month. It may have been the most I've ever spent on lolita in a single order. 

A lot of things needed to be laundered and due to health issues it took a while to finally get them all washed. Now the pieces are all scattered everywhere (read: put away in their places) so it's a bit inconvenient to take a haul photo at this point, especially because health issues are yet to be resolved.

There's also this matter of not wanting to encourage consumerism, as I also wrote about previously.

Anyway, I can't stand to not make some kind of record about it!

So... Now that I have been wearing the things from that haul, I am struck by a thought that it feels like this collection of items really represents my core values in lolita fashion. I've struggled a lot in the past with trying to define my lolita style, wanting that cohesive wardrobe but loving too many different things. My 10 year anniversary of wearing lolita fashion is fast approaching. I'm feeling nostalgic. Here's what I've learned:

I love old Innocent World. It is the quintessential lolita style. Without a doubt, that is because it was the first brand I ever saw, circa 2009.

Innocent World's Dot Stripe JSK, the first lolita dress I ever saw.

When it comes to Angelic Pretty, I prefer their lavender line and Kira Imai prints the most. I'm surprised to realize that I prefer muted pastels. Does this mean I will get rid of my 2010 era AP? No, definitely not. There's another type of nostalgia there (but I am not writing about that right now).

My current predominant style is best described as sweet-classic or classic-sweet. I'm not sure which one is more commonly used or if they are considered to have different meanings. 

I would also describe my style as casual. I prefer things that are simple or more plain, easy to wear and comfortable.

At this time, I'm confident in saying that Innocent World is my favourite brand. Their older pieces revives the flame that my first encounter with lolita sparked. 

Here's a collection of stock images of my haul. Some items, I couldn't locate on Lolibary.

I still have the original photos that started it all for me, but they were saved off of someone's personal LiveJournal so I wont be sharing them here. I can describe one of them though. It's a low quality photograph of a girl wearing the Dot Strike JSK in lavender, with no blouse, no socks or shoes. She's taking the photo in a mirror with a digital camera. Behind the mirror you can catch a glimpse of her closet, there's a white petticoat, a couple of blouses and a pink BTSSB skirt, it looks like the 2006 release of Scallop Hem Skirt. She's standing on a forest green Persian rug, the floor is wooden parquet. There's a bunch of beaded necklaces hanging off of one side of the mirror. In the background on the wall is what looks like oil pastel drawings of samurai. The lighting is warm. 

The aesthetic reminds me of Neco z Alenky, another huge inspiration of mine.

I am thinking about wearing a coordinate soon of my very first lolita dress, the one that I received for Christmas in 2011. 

Here's a photo of what I am wearing today. It's the Bustle Flare JSK from the haul. It's the shortest dress I own, it cannot fit a regular petticoat and I love it. I wanted to buy this dress for months and months and I'm so happy I finally did it!!

I ALSO have to point out that I bought a black colourway of Doll's Tea Party. Black is making a comeback in my wardrobe, it's going to happen. I really am considering buying a few more black pieces. My closet is pretty full, but I love everything in it and also bought new hangers sooooo~

Wish List Update

I finally have the Blooming Snow White Underbust jumperskirt! :D
But... I am having some difficulty coordinating it. At least, nothing came to mind right away... :<

I have so many prints with deer on them now:

• Classic Fairy Tales (Angelic Pretty)
• Delft Lotta (Innocent World)
• Forest Harvest Festival (Innocent World)
• Bambi (Innocent World)
• Alice & Bambi (BTSSB)
• Blooming Snow White  (BTSSB)
• Milky-Chan the Fawn (Angelic Pretty)

Disclaimer: Just because a print has deer doesn't mean I instantly want to buy it! Somehow, it needs to fit a certain aesthetic. Milky-Chan gets a pass. It doesn't fit the aesthetic; it's just a sweet lolita print I always wanted.
For example, Metamorphose's Lovely Forest or BTSSB's Bambi de la Forêt Secrete aren't on the list of prints I want to get. Even though they have the woodland forest theme and deer.

Also, I bought two new pairs of boots:

Axes Femme

Clara Short Boots

Perfect in time for winter to be over. :| But at least I'll have them for next year. The Clara boots are darker than I would like, but at least they are shorter than my other boots. I think I'd still like a pair of cream coloured boots.


I meant to post this last week! I forgot that I hadn't posted it yet ><; 

Now that I have acquired some things on my wishlist, I can remove them!

Collective Winter 2020 Haul

I was going to make a post on my most recent haul but I've decided to actually do a collective Winter 2020 haul. The reason for this, is to keep track of what I have received this season. I sold quite a few things as well after my wardrobe post. After the wardrobe post, I sorted through just about everything (except for shoes).

Marshmallow Bunny JSK in pink

From left: Sugar Dream Dome OTKs, Hanikami (Shyness) Bear OTKs (2013), Marshmallow Bunny OTKs 

Closeup of cuteness

Double Ribbon Sneakers

This was an amazing buy. With the tags, in the box (still stuffed!). For 8K yen. 

Fairy Bunny Coat
Look at those ears! So cute :)

Nile Perch blouse.

The Nile Perch blouse was a totally spontaneous purchase. I had seen photos of the seller wearing it on Instagram and just really loved the look of the blouse. When I saw she was selling it, I took a chance knowing that it's kind of unusual and might not go with my wardrobe that well. Happy to have it.

Both necklaces from Sweet Dolly House.

Left: Angelic Pretty unknown socks
Right: Innocent World Cross Ribbon High Socks

Triple Ribbon Lace Head Bow and Ladder Lace Mini Ribbon Head Bow

I would love to find the triple ribbon lace head bow in the "pink" colourway because it includes yellow and blue so I think it would work really well with Happy Garden.

I also received the Innocent World Apron with Skirt and a pair of Bodyline shoes but I haven't included any photos of those. Instead, here is a me wearing both of them:

That should all the new additions. At least, what I can remember. I should probably try to document things a bit more regularly. ><

What I sold this winter:

• Kiss Me! Cat Marie OP
• Seraffi JSK
• Bright Starry OTKs
• Glitter Ribbon OTKs
• Triple Ribbon Bolero
• Maria Antonio OP
• Sweet Girl Head Bow
• Lace Up Ribbon OTKS
• Marie Parka
• Toy Fantasy Print Parka (I kind of regret selling with whenever I look at it)
• Toy Fantasy Skirt
• Toy Fantasy Socks
• Victoria Princess Cuffs
• Bodyline Polkadot OP
• Polka Dot Milk-Chan Applique Skirt (sad to see this one go but I want a different colourway)
• Milky-Chan Socks, black colourway

Obviously, I made some headway in closet cleaning. A lot of that money was used to buy things in this haul post. There's still more I want to sell but I'm not sure what the best method of selling things is. If it's not a hot item, do I just keep relisting it or what?

Another thing I wanted to note is that this was a very "sweet" focused season for me. Very few things were classic/sweet-classic. This is fine with me. It felt good to let go of some things though :)

Minor Update

Things I should buy before buying anything I don't need:

• Boots (something like what is currently on my wish list page). 
• New petticoat
• ..

Okay, this list isn't that big. (maybe will add things later when I remember them)

I am thinking about creating a neocities website.

Also, I got Marshmallow Bunny Ribbon JSK with the matching socks (but no headbow boo)
I want the white colourway. But! I got it in the pink colourway because a listing came up with the matching socks.
Now that I have it in pink, I really like it. If the white comes up, I think I'll still buy it and then compare them and hopefully come to a conclusion about which I like best. This isn't the first time I've bought a dress in order to obtain matching items being sold concurrently. 

Trying the dress on. It's a crummy picture but I wanted to point out that I felt the combo of the blouse with the stripes at the bottom of the print was interesting.

I want to do a proper blog post of what else I received in the mail with this dress. I basically went on a buying spree because of missing out on both Vanilla-Chan accessories and the Milky-Chan bag. The humorous thing is that I spent less on everything in the haul than if I had bought those things so~
I got some things for quite cheap because they were dirty so I want to launder them first before photographing them. (feeling inspired by some recent posts about cleaning lolita pieces).

Trying to be Creative Again

I've been quite busy, but hopefully things are slowing down now. I have finished all my applications! I hope they are all well received. 🙏

I am attempting to try and get back to being creative. I started a secondary Instagram a while ago but I haven't started to really focus on it until recently. I enjoy photography, but it is quite difficult having myself as the model. 😖 I also made a third Instagram account actually! The name is a joke/play on the name of my secondary account. Not sure what I will do with this new account yet. It's set to private for now.

I'm also trying to work on my book. Trying to write an epic is difficult ^^' Right now, I am just focusing on backstory/lore as well as formatting the story arc. Also drawing the characters. I would like to also do some background/landscape drawings as well. 

To be honest, its a real struggle to become creative again. I spent so much time focused on school that I didn't have much time for hobbies. 

I also finally bought the Yolanda Berry River JSK!

I would love to find the head scarf that goes with this. 

I am also thinking about selling or trading my Milky-Chan OP. I just don't really like the way it fits on me? Which is odd because I had it in black before and it looked totally fine. If I could trade it, I'd like to get the Ribbon JSK. However! Every time I look at the dress, I feel like I just don't want to part with it :/

ComiCon

There is a small convention that happens in my city. I went there for a few hours, sadly I went later in the day and missed out on seeing the majority of cosplayers. A friend of mine shared some photos he took though, but it's not the same as in real life.

I did a bit of shopping and also met a larping group. That part was very cool. I wish I had the time to do an activity like larping. There isn't enough time in a day or even a week to do all the things I want to do!

My tiny sticker haul. There were so many cute plushies, but I couldn't decide! The two stickers on the right are from 'the Littlest Gift Boutique'

I didn't take a photo of my coordinate, I wore Bambi Underbust JSK by Innocent World, a short sleeved peter pan collar ivory blouse by IW, my IW lotta necklace. I can't remember what the other things I wore were though .__.;

Overdue Haul Post

I want to post about my last month's haul.

It was after I started digitizing my wardrobe (aka saving images of my items off of Lolibrary) that I realized that I wanted to make a change. I mentioned this already in my Ponders and Pictures post a few weeks ago. I realized I want to move my wardrobe more towards classic sweet lolita. People disagree about what is and isn't a substyle often. I am not claiming this to be a substyle, but for me it is a style/aesthetic that I want to achieve. Maybe I will write more about what classic-sweet lolita means to me later on, but there are already some blog posts describing this.

On to da haul~

From left to right: Charlotte Ribbon Straw Hat (BTSSB), Pintuck Blouse (IW), Lotta Necklace (IW), Musicians of the Forest skirt (IW), Bambi Underbust JSK (IW), Delft Lotta JSK long version (IW), Delft Lotta head bow (IW), Wonder Memories OP (AP), Wonder Memories head bow (AP), Wonder Memories tights (AP)

This is kind of a massive haul... XD  Since moving I have a bigger closet but I've also begun to sell off some things! Hooray!

Charlotte Ribbon Straw Hat by Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

Another straw hat to add to my somewhat growing collection. I adore this hat. The ribbons are so long. The words whimsical, classic and romantic describe this hat. I must find a way to make this hat fit me better, it is too large and would easily fall off. I think I will get some sort of foam and line the inner rim with it.

Musicians of the Forest by Innocent World

I've also heard this print referred to as Band of Forest Animals. This skirt seems really old but it was released in 2009. It is very tight (I struggled to get it onto my dressform) and in addition, does not have much room for a petticoat. Funfact: there is currently no entry for this skirt on Lolibrary!

Look at how cute these illustrations are! I really love the art on this skirt.

Animals featured on the print include a bear conducting the musicians, a squirrel playing the violin, a rabbit playing piano and what I think is a raccoon playing the drums. There are also birds and butterflies.  

The cut itself, in addition to not fitting much underneath is kind of strange. That's another thing I like about it though. It's different from a regular skirt by having this odd overskirt with scalloped edges. Also the bow is detachable. Online, there are pictures of it on an angle on the side of the skirt (as shown in my photo) and pictures of it on the back of the skirt where the scallops of the overskirt meet. Both look like good options.

The cute animals and bows in addition to the scalloped overskirt lend a sweetness to this skirt. The muted colours and simplicity lend a classic vibe.

I am kicking myself because I saw the matching headbow for sale and I slept on it and missed out. 

Lotta Necklace by Innocent World

Ahh another thing I slept on! I feel really lucky to have found it again for sale. Actually, this was originally a phone strap that was turned into a necklace. The person I bought it from had wanted the necklace, but it was sold out. Super cool that they were able to turn it into a necklace! As far as I can tell, it looks nearly identical to the necklace. 

Pintuck Blouse by Innocent World

I own the Victorian Maiden Beth blouse in the pink colourway and I liked having it so much in my wardrobe that I wanted to find something similar but suited to the summer weather. I found this Innocent World blouse which I am pretty sure is their pintuck blouse. Unfortunately, it is more of a faded pink than my other blouse. I still have yet to try to coordinate it with anything so we shall see how it works. The blouse itself is really nice. Here are some detail shots

From these details, all this crocheted lace, it looks like this blouse could be suited to an old school sweet lolita style. However, the very muted colour makes it appropriate for classic.

Bambi Underbust JSK by Innocent World

I've seen this underbust JSK popping up everywhere lately and usually for less than 10,000 yen. What gives? You could argue that this dress is inferior to the regular JSK however, having a piece like the underbust JSK adds some variety to one's wardrobe. The border print of this dress features the forest critters with MUSHROOMS. I want to find a nice brooch to go along with this dress to bring out the red and green from the print to the top half of the dress. As for why I chose this colourway, I am trying to bring out the beige of my Forest Harvest Festival JSK in my wardrobe. 

Some shades of beige.

I also want to comment on the material of this dress. It is definitely different than any others that I own. 

It has this weird diamond texture?

Delft Lotta by Innocent World

The dress is absolutely gorgeous as I mentioned in my previous post Restoring a Coaster + Delft Lotta. I also obtained the matching head bow. It was one of those situations where I thought "there's no way I will find this, but let me look for it anyway". It took a bit of searching but I was pleasantly surprised! :3 This dress is adorned with forest critters, butterflies and cameos of Lotta. 

Wonder Memories by Angelic Pretty

I had never even heard of Wonder Memories before I saw a listing for it on LaceMarket. The pink and blue card suit on the collar, the detachable ribbon at the collar and the shape of the sleeves are all features I love about this dress. The print itself reminds me of the unicorn tapestries, this is what really won me over. Wonder Memories might stand out from the rest of the order. The watermelon pink colour of this dress combined with this cameo motif and gold accents tones down the sweetness of this dress. It becomes more subtle. I purchased the set which came with matching head bow and tights. A weird thing with this dress is that all the lace on this dress is different.

Here are the matching head bows to Delft Lotta and Wonder Memories. They are the perfect size for my head. ^^

Okay, that's the end of this. It was way too long. I shant want to create such a long post again! :<