Northern Star

LBC: Coord Based on a Halloween Creature and a big I'm Sorry!!!

2014-11-03T00:12:00.002-08:00

I. Am. Back, gals and guys! And I'm so sorry for being away for so long!
Everything has been hectic! The Halloween party I planned went great, and I got my costume done (I'm gonna add a picture to the post when I get to that. I was Wednesday Addams for an evening! I love that family so much!)
Also, my project this semester is coming along just fine. I'm not gonna bore you out of here by saying too much, but it's about Johann Friedrich Struensee whom you might remember from the movie "A Royal Affair". That is such a fascinating time in danish history, and not just because of the drool worthy fashion.

To close the door on Halloween properly, I'm gonna share this coord that I made, right before Halloween came and went. Last week's Lolita Blog Carnival topic was to create a coord based around a Halloween Story or Creature, and it came to me pretty quickly. Probably because of my current fascination with feathers in Lolita fashion.

I decided to base my Halloween coordinate around the harpy! They are winged women in Greek mythology, who snatch people away on Zeus' command. They have also been described as wind spirits. In later times, they've been seen as vicious monsters, half bird and half woman.
I chose BtSSB's Cogwheel of Time JSK as the centerpiece because of the cut and length. The layering makes it kind of fluffy, which I think matches the bird theme well. I chose various feather accessories, for obvious reasons, and the fang earrings to bring in the predatory reputation of the harpy creature. The boots and the blouse add a touch of femininity and elegance, but I still think the boots are both practical and badass looking. The gold detailing make them look sharp and streamlined, and bring out the gold accessories.
I think this coordinate is quite original. We don't all have to be witches and vampires next year, even if the sirene calls (another good Halloween theme) of their elegance is hard to resist!

I hope you had deliciously spooky Halloween nights, and that you're all as excited for the upcoming Christmas as I am! If not, you may have to be, because in my mind, November is just the boring pre-Christmas month, and we need to get started!

Want more inspiration for next year's Halloween (oh my! Just 362 days left!) check out the links below!

The Cute Lifestyle

Delicious Pumpkin Pie!

2014-10-19T02:02:00.000-07:00

Actually yummy!

Hello you guys!
It's been a while! I went on holiday at my grandparents' house this fall break, and I was supposed to go to a meet up that I was meaning to share with you guys, but sadly, it was cancelled (I really wanted to spend some time with my family, and that day was the only chance.. Oops)

However, I'm back home, and yesterday I decided that it was finally time to carve my pumpkin, which of course leaves one with a lot of pulp that you need to figure out what to do with. I decided that it would be the perfect idea to turn it into a delicious pumpkin pie that I could give to my neighbors as a big "Thank you!" for taking care of my kitty all week! It turned out really good, so I decided that "Hey! Maybe I could share the recipe with you guys!"

So, here you go!

The crust:

250 grams of regular flour
110 grams of salted butter

1 tablespoon of sugar

6 tablespoons of lukewarm water
(if you want to use storebought pie dough, skip this step)

Mix the flour and the butter until it turns kind of "crummy" in texture. Then add the sugar and the water, and mix until the dough is.. well, dough-y. Put it in the fridge to sit for about 20 minutes! Pre-bake for 10 minutes at 200 degrees celsius.

The filling:

350 grams of pumpkin pulp
2,5-3 dL of brown sugar
1/2 dL of regular sugar
50 grams of white chocolate
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
A quarter of a teaspoon of crushed cloves
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 and a half dL of skim milk
1,8 dL of skyr or cream (depending on if you want a light or more heavy version)

You can add in some hazelnuts if you want to.

Blend the pumpkin pulp, brown sugar, regular sugar, spices, hazelnuts and white chocolate until creamy and lump-free. Transfer to a pot and bring it to a boil while stirring. Then put in the cream and milk, and bring it to a boil again. Remove from the stove, and whisk the eggs briefly, before stirring them in the still hot pie filling. Pour it onto the pie crust, and slap everything in the oven for about 25 minutes at 185 degrees celsius. Enjoy the smell of christmas come early while it bakes! When you take it out, it should be firm enough that you can poke a knife in there, and have it come out clean. Let it cool a bit before you take a piece!

Enjoy, and have a Happy Halloween!

LBC: How Your Style Has Evolved

2014-10-03T11:30:00.006-07:00

Okay, you guys! I've tracked down as many bad and good photos I could, to document my Lolita style evolution, in honor of this week's Lolita Blog Carnival theme!

You're in for a rocky ride. Don't say I didn't warn you! I'm gonna take you as far back in time as I've been able to. Which would be around 3½ years back in time, for starters. The timeline is from left to right, for each year.

2011

I have no pictures of my first half a year or so in Lolita. Those dissapeared along with the first Lolita message board I was on. We'll have to make do with the earliest pictures I could find. The first one is from when I'd acquired my second Lolita first (and my first serious addition to my collection). It's taken at my second or third meet up, in the early summer of 2011. Not too bad for a sweet Lolita coordinate, actually. But I really needed some work in the make up and hair department. The second one is from a Lolita fashion show I participated in at the anime convention, J-Popcon. My style was kind of all over the place, that year. Except for OTT sweet Lolita, which was too sugary for me.

2012

Now we enter 2012. As you can tell from the badly cropped photos, I didn't really bother with actual outfit photos, except for the ones taken at meet ups. I continued down my path of Gothic Lolita with Bad Make Up and Hair. Because hats are of course a good excuse to not try and do something about that (nope)
The second outfit was my first time wearing Lolita with a wig. I decided that wigs were not for me, because it washed me out completely. I felt uncomfortable about the way I looked all day, which was actually unusual for me, in Lolita. The third photo is unfortunate. I refuse to believe that my petticoat was that sad!
From the fourth to the fifth photo, was a dramatical change. There's half a year of a US trip and a massive weight loss between them, and I actually became inspired to try and put my hair up in (tiny) bunny ears!

2013

We're edging closer to a style that I kind of recognize as my own. The first photo is kind of the last time I've worn Gothic Lolita. From then on, it was a slow transition over a less-than-sweet Sweet Lolita, to Classic Lolita. My make up skills slowly evolved a bit, but I still stayed away from fake eyelashes or anything of the sort, which of course is not a necessity in Lolita, but none the less, a part of my current style. I don't know how it happened, but I feel like something went down in 2013 that took my style up a notch.

Now prepare for a massive photo spam..

2014

This has been my 2014 so far, and if anything, I think I can truly say that even just this year, I've come a long way (even if my bad quality outfit photos don't show me clearly)

These days, I'm in love with a very princess-like Classic style, and I have never been happier with the way I look. I'm slowly selling my old Gothic Lolita wardrobe, and I'm not looking back. I don't think the only change is that now I use false lashes and wigs and such, even if to me, they're the cherry on top. I've simply just learned to coordinate, with a little room for experimentation.

Back in the day, I had no idea where Lolita was gonna take me, and today, I'm still not sure where I'm going. It's an exciting journey!

I hope you guys will follow me, as I continue into 2015, and how many years there may come!

Wanna see more Lolita-volutions? Check out the other participants below!

The Literary Lolita
Breidholt
New Vogue Children
A Heart's Sound

Halloween, Costume Lolita and Themed Outfits

2014-10-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

Picture from Wikipedia

The Halloween month is here, and what would be more appropriate than having a chat about the topic "costumes" and Lolita fashion? Those two concepts have been in conflict for as long as most of us have lived our frilly lives, and to many, the line we walk between the two is still thin.

We may all agree that Lolita is not a costume.

But what about bunny ears? Themed coordinates? Wearing Lolita on All Hallows' Eve?
What makes a Lolita outfit a costume?

Follow me, as I dive deep into the deep, dark well that is the discussion of costumes and Lolita.

Actual "Lolita Costume"

And the girl in jeans shouted "Little Bo Peep, where are your sheep?!"

And the Lolita shuddered in secondhand embarassment, for little did the girl in jeans know: Lolita is not a costume at all!
But what defines a costume? What makes Lolita so different from wearing a Little Bo Peep costume, when it comes down to it? Some people think that it is all a matter of not taking the outfit too far into OTT territory, lest it becomes "costume-y". Some people believe it's all about the quality of the materials. Others swear by the elements of the outfit, for instance lace gloves or bunny ears. The viewpoints are many and varied, and no completely consensus has been reached about when we reach "costume Lolita", and when something is just plain "ita".

(I've even seen the two expressions used interchangeably)

To clarify, I disagree with all of these statements entirely. "Costume Lolita" is a thing, and so is "ita Lolita". They are, however, very different, in my opinion. In this post I'm only gonna talk about the term "costume Lolita".

First, what defines a costume?

I looked it up in the Cambridge Dictionary online, and there, it is defined like this: A set of clothes suitable for a particular historical period or activity, or a set of clothes worn to look like someone or something else. To clarify, what is given as examples of "activities" are things like dancing or swimming.

Lolita does not fit any of these labels. Lolita is a fashion, not a costume. The quality of materials, choice of accessories or amount of stuff worn on your head, is irrelevant. It is the purpose of the clothes that is key, and even the most shiny satin Milanoo piece is therefore not a costume.

Ita, but not a costume.

Adorable bunny-themed outfits by Angelic Pretty

But, what about themed outfits, then? Aren't they costumes?

No, they are not. Not even if you wear your BtSSB cat ears and take fashion que's from the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. You see "Steal Her Look!" articles in mainstream fashion magazines all the time and nobody's calling that "costuming".

I think what confuses people about this is that there are certain elements of Lolita fashion that suddenly become appropriate at certain events or certain holidays. People become unable to withstand the allure of bunny ears around easter, and that's when the arguments pop up about whether or not those are Lolita or costume articles. They are certainly not costume articles if you're not in costume, but the discussion about whether or not they are Lolita appropriate is a different topic entirely.

Personally, I go with a "Yes!" if they are good quality and part of a themed outfit.

BtSSB's halloween "Merrymaking in the Ghost Town" print.

But what if I wear my outfit for Halloween?

That depends! Is your outfit just themed around a certain character, or are you actually dressing up AS a character?
Or are you just taking advantage of the occassion to go out and enjoy yourself with a lot fewer stares than usual, to melt into the crowd of actual costume-wearing happy folk and fly under the radar?

Wearing Lolita on Halloween does not make it a costume. Some people worry that it is "disrespectful" to the fashion to wear it on Halloween, or to similar events. In my opinion, it is everything but disrespectful! Themed outfit or not, Lolita-fied costume or not, Halloween gives us an occassion to go all out without sticking out too much! Wear your most oppulent gothic Hime Lolita dress and put a mini-version of the Flying Dutchman on your head.

As an adoring fan of the Halloween month, it's just twice the sugar and no bees to take my fashion one step further on Halloween.

These are just my opinions!
Are you gonna dress up for Halloween? If so, what are you gonna do?
Let me know in the comments below, and have a really spooky Halloween!

LBC: Your Usual Lolita Make Up

2014-09-28T22:09:00.004-07:00

Goodmorning my lovely ones! I'm sorry about my quietness as of late. I promise to be back soon. I've had a very busy time, with my mom getting married, LARP'ing and P&P roleplay nights, meet-ups galore, and getting back to my studies. This month has been the longest month ever, but hey, October is upon us, which means Halloween, and plenty of new Lolita themes to talk about!

But first: A belated Lolita Blog Carnival post.

This week's theme is one I went back and forth about whether or not I should participate in. My camera sucks, and it probably is gonna suck for a while still, until I get the cash moneys to buy a new one. But then I thought "Well, why not? It's fun! Let me show the world my usual Lolita make up!"

There you go! Me sans make up, before the transformation. Are you guys the "put clothes on first" or "put clothes on after make up" types? I tend to be the first, because I'm kind of paranoid about getting make up on my dress while pulling it over my head.

Here you've got my make up arsenal!

(I love my pretty pink "Doctor's make up kit" of brushes. They were about 5 dollars on ebay, and are soft like baby kittens.)

Of course I always put on my circle lenses first (I use "Barbie Girl" circle lenses from Jihoshop), and put on some nice smelling moisturizer. Then I start out with concealer, on my problem spots. I swear by Rimmel London's "Hide the Blemish" concealer. It's easy to use, gives good coverage and also doubles as my highlighter. For foundation I usually use Maybelline's liquid "Dream satin" foundation. I find that it's simply very easy to manage, and blends in with my skin quickly. I finish the "canvas layer" of my make up with the powder from Maybelline's "Dream" series too, which I put on using the big brush. Using a brush instead of the sponge gives a nicer, lighter coverage, I find.

A closer look at the next important stuff. The blush is one I bought in Wallmart back when I was in the US. I don't remember the brand, but there's a "CG" on the lid. It's a nice, kind of peachy pink. I use plenty, all the way from behind my eye along the bottom of my cheekbone. After that, I use 5 different shades of pink for my eye. I start out with a shimmery layer of light pink all over my eyelid (the one you see in the Rimmel London box), move on to a slightly darker shade of pink all over my double eyelid, and gradually shade towards the outer corner of my eye with the dark one in the Rimmel box. Then I use the two shades of brown in my "Body Shop" eyeshadow box at the outer corner of my upper and lower eyelid, blend, and finish up with a light shade of pink shimmer below and across my entire eyelid once more. I find that using a bit of pink shimmer below my eye gives a dreamy effect. In the end, I use the white eyeshadow on my "Rimmel" palette or a more stark white I've got, to highlight the inner corner of my eye, and along a third of my lower lash line.

That's when I move on to my falsies. This is my (almost entirely used up) arsenal of extremely false-looking false eyelashes. They're very nice quality, and also a cheap ebay find. They cost about a dollar, but are very sturdy and lovely. I find that most pairs I can use two or three times, (if I have the patience to clean them). They're my go-to lashes.
I finish up with eyeliner, a pretty bubblegum pink lipstick by "Coolcos", and a coat or two of Rimmel's "Scandaleyes" mascara. I'm looking for a better choice of mascara, though. One that gives more volume and seperates the lashes. What would you recommend?

And this is the finished look! I'm very fond of it, myself. It really has become my "usual" Lolita make up, as it matches most of my outfits. If you want a better picture, I used the same make up in my photoshoot this summer.

Want more make up inspiration? Check out the posts below!

Breidholt

Little Coffee Shop

Masquerade Doll

LBC: 3 Things You'd Tell Your Young Lolita Self

2014-09-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

Me ca. 2011, about a year into my Lolita life.

I love when the Lolita Blog Carnival topics bring up a sense of nostalgia or deeper reflection over the fashion. You can say a lot about how Lolita is just a pretty fashion, but it takes effort, and whether we like it and recognize it or not, there is probably deeper reasons about why we started dressing the way we do. I know that "3 Things You'd Tell Your Young Lolita Self" doesn't necessarily have to be 'deep and mentor-like advice about the Lolita Force', but I can't help it: Stuff like this just hits me in the philosophical spot. Bear with me.
Here are the 3 things I'd tell my young Lolita self if I had a time machine, from the deep stuff to the basics that would just have made me look a billion times better.

1. Do not buy replicas!

Granted, there are one or two replicas I might actually, at some point, in the far future, get to tailoring to fit my current body type, but wow, do I have a closet of replicas now that I just do not wear anymore! Some of them have moved on, but had I just dealt with it, made more of an effort with my excersize earlier on to lose some weight, or just bought some pieces with full back shirring, I would've had a much bigger closet of beautiful, better quality, better fitting and much loved pieces now. I picked the easy way out, and I thought I had some pretty good excuses: Replicas can go in the washing machine, and I'm a tall girl, and nothing is gonna change that. Many brand pieces are gonna be high waisted on me, but that's OK! It looks cute! And underskirts are actually a thing if the length starts bothering me at some point!I missed out on a lot of really cute releases because of this, that cost hundreds of dollars more on the secondhand market today.

2. Experiment more with make up and hair!

Lolita was the beginning of my journey towards becoming a girly-girl. Before Lolita, I just threw on whatever and headed out the door. I did start experimenting with make up when I started Lolita, but I never went out of my way and did something big and eye catching. A bit of eyeshadow, mascara and powder, a headbow on my head and out the door. Today I could've been much more of a "kawaii make up guru-chan" (never typing that out again) than I am, and I would have had some much more flattering photos to look back on!

3. Keep going strong! Lolita is gonna be with you for a long time!

I don't really have a number 3, so this is just gonna be words of encouragement. I actually did pretty well, as boring as that sounds. My ita phase was more of a learning process than me obsessing over lacemonsters, and I had long since shed my cat ears. Looking back, I know what worked for me, and that's what I share with every new Lolita that is confused about where to start when they first drop in on the Lolita Fashion Mentoring group on Facebook, or EGL. Research, research and more research, and trial and error. Those are the only things that moves you forward. I was aware that you need to crawl before you can walk, and walk before you put on false eyelashes, wigs and bunny ears and try to rock it. Start out small, figure out what works for you, and what makes a good Lolita coordinate. If you're passionate about something, take your time to learn. You don't become an expert over night.

Time and time again, I doubted if Lolita was actually for me. I was just finding my feet. I looked up Steampunk and Goth and other fashions, but Lolita stuck with me, and I returned to my favorite blogs and EGL to read some more. I was a sponge back then, and I still am.

Lolita is evolving, and so are we, as it's wearers.

I'm wondering what 3 points of advice I'd give myself today, if I look back in a 5 years time?

(Wow, that became very deep, very fast!)

What 3 pieces of advice would you want to give your young Lolita self, if you could?

Also, if you're new to Lolita and want some pointers, I'm open to questions this week!

Check out the blogs below if you want more Lolita nostalgia.

A Heart's Sound

BREAKING: Novala Takemoto's First Solo Collection, Lecture and Tickets to the Fashion Show!

2014-09-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! This just in!

I was contacted by the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and asked to please give some exposure to some really exciting news! Novala Takemoto's first solo fashion collection, appropriately named "Novalar's", will be debuting at the SGMS: Mechademia Conference, and you can buy tickets to this incredible event!

Here's a little of the information I was given about what you can expect:

On September 26, Novala Takemoto will be giving a public lecture on the development of Lolita Fashion at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This event will take place at 7:00pm.

On September 27, during SGMS: Mechademia Conference's annual fashion show, Full Fashion Panic, Novala Takemoto will debut the "Novalar's" collection, which was in the message I received described as the "next generation of Lolita". Oh, and Novala will be playing a piece of Nana Kitade's music on the guitar during the runway show! (How cool is that!?)

Tickets can be purchased in advance here and are $15 per person, or at the door at the day of the event for $20. This ticket covers both of the events.

Some information for those of you who're unfamiliar with Novala Takemoto's work and his influence on the Lolita community:

Novala Takemoto is a musician and author who has written many influential essays on Lolita fashion, which made him practically the patron saint of the Lifestyle Lolita. His essays are published online, and can be found here, translated into english. And of course he wrote Kamikaze Girls, a novel that was turned into the movie that continues to be THE defining piece of media of the Lolita world, and which, like his essays, continues to be an inspiration for any Lifestyle Lolita (and a good laugh for the rest of us, who can nod in recognition as Momoko continues to struggle to stay "maidenly" )

I can only say: Check it all out!
The essays and the movie were a personal source of empowerment for me when I first got into Lolita, and I return to all of it time and time again, both in nostalgia, but also because both his essays and the story of Momoko and the yanki Ichiko continues to charm me. It's genuinely beautiful.

His most recent work includes the novel, "Emily", which could turn out to be the next "Kamikaze Girls". I haven't had the chance to read it myself, yet, but of course I'll have to! Especially since it's done in collaboration with Kira Imai, the great Lolita artist, who did the cover art!

He's also coorporated with punk Lolita icon Nana Kitade to form "Nananova", a punk/electric duo, in which Novala Takemoto plays the guitar and ms. Kitade is chanting and DJ'ing. You can hear an example of their magic right here!

Novala has also done plenty of work which has gotten him featured in both the english and japanese Gothic Lolita Bibles wearing his trademark androgynous clothing style, and he's collaborated with Baby, The Stars Shine Bright on the clothing line titled "Pour Lolita".

The "Novalar's" line will, however, be his first solo clothing line, and I'm so sad that I cannot be there, but I hope that some of my american readers can! Oh, and please post some pictures of the event below! I'd love to know that you got the chance to go (and I'm so very curious!)

So, will any of you guys be going? Hurry and get your tickets!

(A heartfelt thank you to Frenchy Lunning of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design for contacting me and letting me bring these exciting news!)

LBC: My Most Prized Lolita Piece

2014-09-12T00:34:00.000-07:00

This week's Lolita Blog Carnival topic has us choosing between our children.
Haha, just joking! But kind of not, anyway. As difficult as it is, we have been asked to choose between our pieces to select our most prized Lolita piece. I suppose there are a couple of different ways you could read the word "prized", but I thought it over and decided that the way to go about this would be imagining which piece I'd be most sad to see ruined if there was a flood in my house while I were gone for something.. And I was surprised to find that it turned out to be a bit of a tie between one very expected, and one very unexpected piece.

(Excuse the boring lighting in the picture. I couldn't get access to my photo editing tools for some reason)

I was torn between the most beautiful piece I own, which is my BtSSB "Memory of my first Soiree" and the simple BtSSB Babydoll JSK. I was certain It'd break me the most to see my Soiree dress go, but well, I just adore the Babydoll JSK too, apparently.

The soft lace and pretty detailing on the JSK makes me so happy every time I look at it, and I feel just adorable wearing it. And that's kind of the point, isn't it? It's how you feel wearing it, not the dress itself. That's probably also why my first Lolita skirt is not one of the two. While it was the first skirt I got, it didn't make me feel anything in particular as it was just an impulse purchase, back when I didn't know anything and just "Wanted something Lolita right now!"

My Soiree JSK is pretty enough that I almost don't think I'm gonna feel half as beautiful in my wedding dress when that day comes.
I suppose I equally enjoy feeling adorable and beautiful.

What piece is your most prized Lolita piece? Please leave a link or something in the comments so I can check it out! I'm madly curious!

Also, if you'd like to read about some other much loved Lolita dresses, check out the other posts below!

The Literary Lolita

Classical Doll

The Bloody Tea Party

Usamimi Tea Time

Hunting with Cash, for Beauty and Dreams

2014-09-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

Finding a title for this post was very difficult. Almost as difficult as adequately describing that hardcore mission that is "Lolita Shopping" on the internet. I can only speak for the internet, as I've yet to actually try going for a shopping spree in a real Lolita shop, and I imagine that the experiences are of course entirely different. In real life, you have the posibility of falling in love with a piece because of how it looks at you when you're trying it on. On the internet, you have to use your imagination.
This post will be about a Lolita-related epiphany I had as late as yesterday.

Recently I received a rather neat paycheck, which I decided was big enough for me to spoil myself by purchasing a Lolita dress. The secondhand market is huge, and I knew that I would be able to hunt down at least one of the dresses I've been pilling up on my wishlist, or as I like to call it, "the prediction of my future wardrobe". And true enough, stalking Mbok, Yahoo JP, the egl-comm-sales and Facebook groups brought me across multiple dresses from my wishlist, from Day Dream Carnival, to the Cameo Print JSK, the Secret Between Alice and the Clocktower.. Even Cinderella Jewelry, which I've been wanting in that specific colorway for half a decade!

However, I was surprised to find myself in doubt. None of the dresses that I've been pining for in years and years really made me want to press "Buy". I knew I should want them (a silly thought, because who're really telling me I have to?) but I didn't feel any real excitement or glee at the prospect of owning and wearing these pieces. I scrutinized the exquisite details, the lush fabrics, the flattering designs, and even if I really, truly appreciated it all, I felt nothing. And I was so confused.

I have a tendency towards being a bit of a Scrooge, but it's not like I didn't have the money, or was falling out of love with Lolita all together. I just wasn't passionately in love.

I browsed the internet a little more, and went back and forth between the auctions and sales posts I had bookmarked with each of the dresses I had found that were also on my wishlist, or knew dresses I found that I kind of liked. However, none of them spoke to me, even if I stared at them for long, long period of time.

And suddenly, late at night, as I was digging my way through Mbok after a long day of work and studies, I felt a sudden pang in my chest, and I was in love. I was in love with a dress that I'd never thought I was ever gonna like.

I had seen the dress with the silly name "Fall in Love with the Sweet Magic of Scent" for sale before, multiple times. I'd looked it over time and time again on Closet Child's website, and every time I'd shrugged and closed the tab again. But I was completely and utterly lost, all of a sudden. This was it. The ivory colorway just displayed the details of the print so perfectly well. It complimented the delicate pastels of the print. The lace and gold details were a sprinkle of magic and richness to an otherwise simple garment.
I could see myself wearing this thing, twirling around my bedroom, shimmering and glittering like a princess!

And suddenly it struck me, that this was what Lolita is all about. This is what one is supposed to feel when choosing a dream dress, in my opinion. An appreciation of beauty that makes you smile, makes your heart beat a little quicker, and before everything else, a piece that you can see yourself wearing and feeling beautiful in.

The dress in itself is nothing special, in that it's not particularly rare or expensive.

It's a bit like when I purchased my "Alice's Doll House" piece. For some reasons, I see these dresses for sale all the time, except I'd only ever seen "Magic of Scent" in the blue and pink colorways. The other dresses on my wishlist are beautiful, lush and perfect in design and detail, and that's why I keep them there. I know I'd enjoy them, but they're not my dream pieces. My dream dresses seem pop up all of a sudden when surfing the internet.

They grab a hold of me when I least expect it, and won't let me go.

They fill me with that same passion that I felt when I found the first dream dress that secured my long lasting love for Lolita life.

What's my point?
Happiness in Lolita is not necessarily about saving up and hunting down a rare and expensive Lolita piece. That feeling is not something that you can bring about by sheer force of will.

To some Lolitas it can, and will, come jumping out of nowhere in even the smallest of packages.

Lolita Meet Up with a Fly on the Wall

2014-08-27T12:36:00.002-07:00

This last weekend I took part in one of the most cozy and homely, but at the same time one of the most public, meet-ups I've ever been to. It was an odd mix, and I feel like I got a touch of what it must feel like to be part of a lifestyle or reality show!
All day, from morning to late afternoon, we had a camera man jumping around us, taking pictures from the most crazy angles!
That man was Philip Xavier Sommer from PX-Photography, and every picture in this post belongs to his talented self!

On our way home from this last meet-up, mr. Xavier approached us, gave us his card and let us know that he'd really like to follow us around for a day, as he was working on an exhibition that will explore the different lifestyles of people who're "a little out of the ordinary". We let him know that we'd speak to our local community about it and get back to him. He agreed to meet up with us at one of the girl's dorm at ten o' clock, and then he could watch us as we dressed up (of course only the outer layers), accessorized and got ready. This also gave three of us girls the perfect opportunity to have a little sleepover, watch Kamikaze Girls, rummage through the gracious hostess' closet and play dress-up, and call dibs on the dresses she gently implied that she wanted to sell.
It was all a lot of fun!

The original plan was for us to meet up with all the other girls at the park the following day for a picnic meet up. However, the forecast put a stop to that idea. We came up with a new idea: A Lolita Beauty Salon Meet Up! We would do each others' make up and hair. Perfect!

The morning of the meet up day, the photographer knocked on the door just in time, with freshly made bread from the local bakery. Yumm!
He did a small interview with all of us around the table, and we explained the odds and ends of our fashion to him, and how we got into it. And we may also have mentioned Mr. Yan... Oops.

Then it was time to get ready, and wow, did we quickly realize how totally NOT spacious a college dorm actually is!

The man even had to go outside to take a few of the pictures! Through the window!

I, as the boring perfectionist of a Lolita I am, decided to put on my make up before the meet-up. The rest of the girls left their faces blank and their manes untamed for later.

Real Lolita friends make sure that their compadre's bustles are properly ruffled! A common courtesy that needs to be spread to the world.

After a couple of hours of dressing up, putting accessories on and removing a few, we went on our way with all of our sleepover luggage, through the pesky rain. That was probably the strangest but also funniest part of the whole "Fly on the Wall" experience, as the poor guy had to run across the street, walk behind and in front of us to find the perfect angles for his photos, all the while trying to get us to act completely natural.

Also, that was my first walk outside in rocking horse shoes that actually fit. I managed to not fall or break anything.

And so, the Lolita beauty salon experience began! This went on for hours. Picture Perfect Princess Curls were made, and faces were painted. I did the make up of one of the girls myself (It actually turned out very well, if I must say so!)

We hung out and talked like this for hours, about everything from video games, Lolita topics, Tumblr culture (which prompted a heated discussion about feminism and cultural appropriation, of course), Roleplaying Games, movies, mutual connections and much, much more. All the spice that a good meet up needs!

When everybody had been properly dolled up, we sat down for tea, lemonade, sandwiches, homemade cakes and cupcakes, and more chit chat.

It was all very down to earth. I love how closely knit and down to earth our local community can be, from time to time. The "everyday Lolita" was really in focus.

Afterwards, we all went down to the park to take pictures, but sadly, I soon had to leave this magical day behind!

I hurried home, and made a quick de-lolification to get to my mother's bachelorette party in time! I don't think I've ever gotten changed that fast, and I had not a moment to waste. I just didn't want to miss a moment of this meet up, and the usual enchanting company.

All in all, I had a great day, and I loved looking through the picture afterwards. They really depict the entire atmosphere really well, and I feel like they paint a true picture of what it's like, being a Lolita in the real world.

I can't wait to see them on exhibition!

Wearing Lolita to School: Lolita Undercover?

2014-08-18T01:09:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone! I hope you're all enjoying your Summer, as long as it lasts. Halloween isn't far away, and with that comes Christmas. As much as I hate rain and snow, I can barely wait for my favorite holidays to arrive!

With the end of Summer, however, also comes the dilemma many Lolitas face at the beginning of a new school year.

Yesterday, a young Lolita in my local community wanted to hear our opinion. She had just begun class at a new school, and her peers were, shall we say, less than openminded to some of her alternative interests. Should she try her luck and continue to wear Lolita every day, in spite of this?

"To Lolita or not to Lolita?" is the question. "Mayhaps", is my answer.

(How come I've never done a post on this topic before?!)

First of all, there are a couple of factors you need to consider, before wearing Lolita to school, and they are not all related to the stares and snickers of your peers.

For instance, what are you allowed to wear? In some countries, dresscode (apart from basic decency, like covering up your chest and butt) is not a problem at most public schools, but it's a good idea to check, anyway. You don't want to be sent home before your day has even begun, for breaking the rules! Some rules may be vague and could be bent to suit your particular situation, so if you're absolutely set on wearing Lolita anyway, you could print out the rules and plead your case if the need should arise. Just don't make a fuss about it.
If there's no dresscode, you can do whatever you want. Some people think that you should keep your frills at home and wear them on "your own time", as to not distract yourself or your classmates.

My opinion on this is as my opinion on dresscodes that forbids tanktops for women: People can keep their eyes to themselves. Problem solved. If you're able to wear Lolita and concentrate on learning at the same time, there's no problem.

Now to the main concern of most Lolita ducklings (and maybe even some less confident Lolitas): The approval of your fellow students. Because, let's face it, that is what it comes down to. And that's completely natural!

Don't read this in a condescending voice, because it's definetely not meant that way.
The want to fit in and make new friends comes easily to most of us, unless you're a born lone wolf, like I am. Society encourages popularity, the "Extroverted Way of Life", and this, in companionship with the way being "Normal" is pushed on everyone, makes for an especially nasty cocktail for people who dress in an alternative way. Being different, and wanting to fit in, rarely go hand in hand.
In some places, better than others.

I was blessed with relatively peaceful high school years.

Did I fit in? Not really. Did people stare at me in my Lolita finery? Definetely.

And you should be prepared for stares, just as much as when you go outside. The difference is, that these are people you're gonna see every single day, and you'll maybe even have to interact with them! Some of them may come up with mean-spirited remarks, some of them may compliment you. That varies from school to school, and you know better than I, what you think you can expect. If you have no idea, expect some comments and questions.

So, what do you do?

You think you might want to wear Lolita to school, and your first day of the new school year is coming up! However, you're unsure of how your classmates will react.
I say, keep it casual. Wear a toned down version of whatever type of Lolita you want to wear, and pay attention to how people respond to you, and how you feel about it.

The trick is to act completely natural, and I cannot stress this enough. Think and act natural, and really give it a shot. Don't give up immediately, if you really want to wear Lolita to school, in spite of what everybody else thinks. Act exactly as if you were just wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and if people insult you, unless they go up to you and get in your way, pretend that you have no reason to think that you're the one they're yelling about. Don't bring up your outfit in conversation, or talk about how you "Know you're totally Weird!" If you don't make a big deal out of it, other people will have to bring it up, and people tend to be a lot more civil when they have to pick up the courage to say something.
Just, live your life.

Don't let the comments get to you. That was a thing I really put emphasis on, when the girl asked for advice yesterday, and this is also probably the hardest part.
These people do not know you. They're closed minded, mean and/or insecure, and probably have the IQ of a bucket of rocks. That, and they do not have the strength to go against the herd, like you do. Few people really want to be mean, and the ones that do, are not people you really wanna be friends with anyway, are they? Why should their opinion matter to you? They're a waste of your time. You look fabulous, and you're smart enough to concentrate on your education and being a nice person.

In my opinion, you should only do something about it, if it escalates and you feel threatened. In that case, you should get an authority figure involved. Never, ever, put your safety in the line for the sake of wearing Lolita!

And if you feel like the bullying is really getting you down, keep your frills at home. You're not a failure if you cannot deal with it. You just have your priorities straight. You should feel happy, empowered and comfortable in Lolita. Don't let a band of baboons in a classroom get you down- Your frills are yours. Wear them when you're safe, strong and happy!
You can always keep a little piece of it with you, in your pencilcase or a necklace, as a token.

That way, you're kind of like a magical girl or princess undercover.

LBC: 3 Favorite Hairstyles

2014-08-08T00:51:00.000-07:00

This week's Lolita Blog Carnival has me dreaming of more, more and more wigs to style. My own hair is just untameable, and my heart beats faster at some of the most elaborate hair do's in history.

1. Reach for the Sky, Rococo style!

The extremely elaborate, Rococo style hair has a special place in my heart. It speaks of ultimate indulgence and dedication to beauty. And it's so over the top I can't help but love it. Stick whatever you want on there! Beauty has no boundaries, and this shows it to a T!

2. Braids Galore!

I have a soft spots for braids. Loose braids, elaborate braids, milkmaid braids. I love them all! A braid is a simple, quick 'do, and it's so versatile! It can be casual and cute, elegant and stylish, completely depending on where on your head you put it, how tight you make it, and how many you make. I'm especially fond of the "just wrap it over your head and pin it" style. It's very nature girl-ish.

3. The "Rhapsody"
Made popular by Gothic Lolita Wig's "Rhapsody" wig, many other wig makers have since followed and tried to make their own, cheaper alternative. I love the fluffyness of it! It's cute and elegant, and exceptionally doll like! You don't even have to do anything with it, in my opinion, if you succeed in getting the wavy look without any frizz. It looks great as is!

What are your current favorite hairstyles?
I didn't mention my all-time favorite, the classic ringlets, since I've dedicated an entire post to that particular
style before. You can check it out here.

Want more hairstyle inspirations? Check out the blog posts below!

The Literary Lolita
Doll Life
A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That Too

"Newb Season" and the Mentor Paradox

2014-08-04T10:52:00.001-07:00

Summer is coming to and end, and so is the "youngin's" Summer vacation, at least where I am. This also, to many a Lolita's relief, means the ending of "newb season". Every year, as the season edges closer, groaning can be heard all over the Lolita internet hemisphere. When fall arrives, there are stories of actual gif parties to celebrate the end.

But why?

It is known that there are Lolitas out there who'd rather see that Lolita stays a niche fashion, but many Lolitas are only excited to see Lolita gain recognition and, as a result, almost accurate media coverage! Wider recognition means brand stores opening up in other countries, and more easily accessible pretty things for all of us! It also means Lolita conventions, Tea Parties and other events, and last but not least, more Lolita friends to make.
(I'm also, personally, hoping for cuter and more elegant mainstream clothing inspired by Lolita. A girl can dream)

What is the downside of a seasonal influx of new Lolitas?

Some of them actually stay and become part of our community, and it's so exciting to share our love with a fashion with a new, wide-eyed soul!

The downside is the result of one thing, and one thing only. And it really kills the joy, even to me, a devoted part-time Lolita mentor.
New Lolitas step into a world of complicated rules, piles and piles of new terms and shorthands. What does "JSK" stand for? What is a "Jumperskirt"? And there are a thousand stores to lerm to distinguish between! It's no wonder that a new person becomes lost!

Lolita can almost be compared to the court culture at Versailles, at a much smaller scale. You cannot just wear any shoe. Wearing the wrong make-up and a biker jacket may have girls giggling in the corner. That is were I and many other experienced Lolitas come in. Ask if you're in doubt about the "secret court rules"- We'll gladly let you know what shoes are appropriate in Lolita fashion, if neon colors are ever OK, or explain to you when it's alright to go without a blouse. Those things are complicated! It's not just "Yes!" or "No!", "Never!" and "Always!", but a matter of certain situations and the coordinate at hand, and part of what makes Lolita so fascinating!

Also, giving constructive criticism to new Lolitas are essential to the learning process for a Lolita duckling, if they ask for it.

As you've probably noticed, new Lolitas are not the problem. Questions about complicated nuances and the grey zones in Lolita fashion are just fine, and perfectly understandable. They may even start interesting debates for the rest of us, and give us an opportunity to exchange views on things that we thought were established aspects of our fashion! When are neon colors OK in Lolita fashion, anyway!?

What makes "Newb Season" so frustrating is something that I as a Lolita mentor experience way too often: Laziness. Not my laziness, but an inexplicable laziness found in the young Lolita ducklings! "Where can I purchase Lolita clothing?" and "How do I get my skirt to puff up?" are a couple of the questions that make more experienced Lolitas drop their heads hard onto keyboards in agony.

That is the curse of "Newb Season".

The Googli-fication of online communities, and the permanent citizens of these that are being treated as if we were all Siri.

I do not know what have prompted this. I do not know, if this is a new phenomenon, but it confuses me to no end! This makes me sound really old, but back when I first started out, I was so excited that I did all the research I could. I google'd, read blogs and "What is Lolita?" posts till I was blue in the face! I figured out for myself where to purchase Lolita clothing, I learned to avoid Milanoo like the plague all on my own, and figured out how to distinguish between proper Lolita clothing and nightmare-ish lace monsters through staring at pictures on "Daily Lolita" and guides like FYeahLolita's brilliant "How to Avoid Being an Ita".
I fell head over heels in love with Lolita, and that made me want to swallow the fashion whole. Figuratively.

Has this curiosity died out? What does that say about Lolita fashion, or the people joining the fashion?
I'm not sure. I like to think, that the new Lolitas joining are getting into it with the same love and eagernes that I did, and that the "Let me Google it!" mindset has just taken a step back.
The thing is, it's so easy to find reliable Lolita shops. Even easier than typing out a question on EGL, and a lot less dehumanising to the community.

We love helping out new Lolitas who truly seem like they want to become part of our world, and will work for it, the way we ourselves did. It also helps when the time and effort of a mentor is accepted with a smile and a "Thank you" instead of insulted frowning.
We're not a restaurant who'll hand it out on a silver platter.

I truly hope that many of this years Lolita ducklings will stick around, and start to grow their swan feathers.

Adieu, "Newb Season"!
Until next year.

Photoshoot: Memory of a Broken Dollhouse

2014-07-27T05:54:00.001-07:00

The other afternoon my photographer once again pulled me out of the pleasantly cool confinements of my house to do a photoshoot with me. In full Lolita. During the hottest danish summer I can remember.

Of course I went for it, threw on layer upon layer, grabbed my parasol and my fan and went for it.

The funny thing is, I actually felt pleasantly cool under my handheld shade and selfmade breeze! He was the melty one!

I picked out my absolute favorite pictures of the batch to show you guys. These are the result of a fun afternoon in an abandoned warehouse. I'm very happy with how they turned out, and I hope you guys will like them almost as much!

Coordinate:

Dress: BtSSB
Bonnet: BtSSB
Shoes: Bodyline
Everything else is offbrand!

LBC: Things I Could Never See Myself Wearing in Lolita

2014-07-24T15:02:00.001-07:00

I'm back on the Lolita Blog Carnival carousel with this week's topic, which is all about things in Lolita fashion that I could never, ever see myself wearing. I'm into a lot of strange Lolita trends, and some of it is stuff that's grown on me as time has gone on, but there are still a couple of things that're just not my thing, and probably never will be.

1. Baby Toy Prints

Rocking horses, building blocks, rattles. The list goes on, and I'm saying "Thank you, but no thank you!"
I like dollhouse inspired prints, and stuffed bears are cute, but these are also collectors items and not just childrens' toys. I honestly do not think that AP made their "Dreamy Baby Room" print with ageplay in mind, as some people obviously do find baby stuff cute in a very innocent way, but I'm just not really feeling it. I'm not really fond of babies, either, so that may have something to do with it.

2. Juliette et Justine's Portrait Prints

This is at the completely opposite end of the spectrum compared to the "Too Much!" AP baby prints, I know. But I've just never been a fan, and this is coming from someone who adores classical art, have and want several to adorn my own walls! And I would love these dresses so, so much if the dresses themselves matched the oppulence of the gorgeous artwork! Too often I find that painting dresses, especially Juliette et Justine's dresses, make the entire design all about the painting, and forgets everything else. There are no excuisite details, no pretty sleeves, barely any lace.. Not even an interesting cut! The painting stands completely alone. It's too simple and frankly lazy for my taste.

3. Animal Ear Headbands (No, not even Brand!)

With this, I mean the actual headbands, or clips, or other "stand alone" fluffy animal ear and tail accessories. It's a complicated category, as I do like certain animal ear themed things, like the pearl cat ears that were popular at one point. But it wasn't made to look like costume ears! I think hoodies with animal ears are cute, but in that context, they're more of a "design detail" than costume-y. I think they're sort of cute in themed easter coords, but I couldn't wear them myself. It may be because I were "brought up" as a Lolita with animal ears as a big "no-no!", and part of an ingrained embarrasment from my otaku "Nyan~nyan!" days. I wore cat ears on a daily basis. Oh, the memories..
By the way, adding bunny ears to something doesn't automatically make it cute! Just throwing it out there.

Apart from the ones above, I'm hard pressed to find something that I couldn't see myself wearing. I was thinking about simple Classic Lolita pieces, and Gothic Lolita, but I do find those to be aesthetically pleasing, and who knows where Lolita is gonna take me in the future? I was also considering plastic jewellery, but while I may not wear it with Lolita, I do want a bunch of it for my everyday wardrobe!

What could you never see yourself wearing in Lolita? Do you have any boundaries, or do you just love it all, from parfait rings to gleaming silver crosses?

Want to see what other Lolitas stay far away from? Check out the links below!

What the Fluff
Under the Parasol
The Literary Lolita
New Vogue Children

Review: Clobbaonline and Krad Lanrete's "Marie Antoinette"!

2014-07-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

Back when I first started out in Lolita (4 or so years ago) I made some of my first purchases from Taobao, through Clobbaonline. I immediately liked this reseller, as the communication was extremely personal, the service was excellent and Martin was always incredibly helpful. He always went that extra mile to make sure that my measurements for my custom made garments had been taken correctly, and let me know if something looked off to him (I really had no idea what I was doing..)

However, that was many years ago. How's the service today? Here´s my experience!

I made my order for the Krad Lanrete "Le Portrait de Marie" JSK (Clobbaonline still has a couple in stock) with a matching bonnet on the 14th of June, through their order form system, and my order was confirmed on the 16th. I received an apology for the late response, due to "replies on weekends being slow". That's fine, imo. I received the price for shipping and was invoiced, and I paid right away and asked if everything was already in stock, or if the bonnet was made-to-order.
The next day I received an email from Martin, letting me know that we would have to wait for my (pre-made) bonnet to arrive from Krad Lanrete. However, my JSK was ready to be shipped out.
And so I waited.

It took 10 days (including weekends) for my bonnet to arrive, but as soon as it arrived, the order was dispatched. I sent an email or two along the way, checking to see how everything was coming along, and Martin always responded within 24 hours. Today, it finally arrived! Talk about slow shipping and customs! But that is of course not Martin's fault.

Clobbaonline ratings:

Communication: 5/5 ♤'s.
The communication is easily understandable, personal, and Martin still goes that extra mile to make sure that everything is completely clear.

Ordering System/Site Navigation: 04/05 ♤'s.

The order form is fine and easy to fill out. However, I always prefer a shopping cart system. It's just quicker than having to fill out size, quantity etc. Especially when you're making a bigger order than mine.

Packaging: 5/5 ♤'s.

My dress was wrapped up in a cardboard box, which was wrapped in bubblewrap, and all of that was wrapped in plastic. No issues what so ever! The most sturdy packaging I've ever tried!

All in all, Clobbaonline's service is as always excellent. From me, they get a 5 out of 5 in the end. Being a reseller, they are of course a little more expensive than purchasing through a Taobao SS (which is also possible from Krad Lanrete. You can find my list of SS's at the bottom of the page here) but it's worth the price.

Here we've got the bonnet and the dress out of the bag. Let's start with the dress!

This is the dress straight out of the plastic. The fabric is nice and smooth, and the color is true to the photos.

The quality of the lace all around the dress is alright, but not at all brand quality. I'd give it a "meh". Not bad, but not that good either.

The bows are nice enough. Soft. Not the same kind of grosgrain that BtSSB uses. These are more smooth and silky in texture. One of them looks crooked in the photo, but that was easily corrected.

I LOVE the print. It's pretty crisp, the colors are more vibrant than in my photos, and the attention to detail is exquisite. They used 4 paintings, which are lined up on the front, and in the same way on the back of the dress. The portraits are of course a little more grainy than the rest, but that is to be expected. Paintings are not HQ photographs!

I love the fan. It really shows how intricate the details of this print are. I might be drooling a little.. a little.

This is the inside of the dress. As you can see, it's pretty much fully lined. The craftmanship is great! I found no loose threads at all, so thumbs up for that.

According to the label, it's even machine washable, as long as you're careful. Good to know that the print doesn't run!

That's it for the dress!

As you can see, the inside of the bonnet is lined with a very soft type of chiffon, which also make up the bows and the ribbons that you tie beneath your chin. The bows are well made and even. I like the design of the bonnet, where the lining extends like a stretchy cap on the back of the head. It looks good when worn, and helps keep the bonnet in place a little.

The lace quality is about the same as on the dress. Pretty enough, but not something to write home about. It serves it's purpose and looks very good!

All in all, this is my ratings for the Krad Lanrete dress and bonnet!

Quality: 4/5 ♤'s

As lace is pretty important in Lolita, it's enough to drag my ratings down a spade. However, everything else is just fine! The fabric is gorgeous.

Craftmanship: 5/5 ♤'s.

No issues. Everything is tidy and even.

Print: 4/5 ♤'s.

A little crookedly drawn in places, but not that noticeable. It's very crisp, detailed and overall gorgeous!

All in All: 4,5 ♤'s!

I'm very, very satisfied, and I wouldn't hesitate to purchase something from Krad Lanrete again. It's just as good as what I've owned from Infanta or Rose Melody, in my opinion.

Finally, I couldn't wait and I had to make a coordinate right away! This was my outfit today.

What do you guys think?

I hope you're enjoying your summer, or your winter, as much as I am! Until next time~

Review: Cool2Day Wig

2014-07-18T22:58:00.000-07:00

And I added another wig to my collection. Of course I did! I fell so in love with the first one, and this one was just sitting there, begging to me with that cheap price. I decided to try my luck. Even if the general notion in Lolita is that "You get what you pay for" (which is for the most part true! I learned that the hard way!) I have heard enough good stories about Taobao wigs from asia. I was not dissapointed!

This particular wig is a Cool2Day wig, which I got for around 10$ from the ebay store "Makeyourdreamcometrue", which has 98% positive reviews. I bought the wig around 2 weeks ago and it was shipped out almost immediately. It was estimated to arrive, with free shipping, 2 weeks from now!

I believe that particular ebay store is Cool2Days own, as they were addressed as such on the letter that came with the wig. However, you can't be a 100% sure, I suppose, as they have a pretty small selection of wigs compared to the official Cool2Day website. The wig arrived pretty much unprotected in a grey plastic envelope, but nothing had happened to it during transport. I got a free wigcap, which I suppose is pretty standard, but a welcome gesture in my book.

As soon as I took the wig out of the bag, I was in love! The price was a third of my Bodyline wig, but the quality is so much better! It's positively silky! The listing said that the wig was supposed to be made out of 100% japanese kanekalon, and I could believe that! It's that good! The wig, however, has about the same amount of shine to it as my Bodyline wig. Which is not that much in my book. It's thicker than my Bodyline wig at the top.

In certain light settings, the color is pretty close to the original photo.

This is the netting. It's very close, and it's very easy to adjust the wig size. My only complaint would be that there are a lot of loose threads to snip.

This is me wearing the wig. Once again, excuse my no-make up face! I'm not that pretty on my days off.
Back to the wig. It has the natural wavyness of the photo, and is also a decent length, even if I'm a billion times bigger than the average asian woman. The wig is a little tight, and definetely not as stretchy as the Bodyline one. I had to pull a bit to make it cover my wig cap. I think that might also be the reason that the wig is a lot thinner on me. There's a larger area that it needs to cover, headwise. It's definetely wearable, though!

This is the wig in direct sunlight! To me, it looks just fine! There's a shinyness to it, but that's to be expected with false hair.

All in all, I'm very satisfied! I'd go as far as to give it a 4 spades out of 5!

♤♤♤♤

Part of me kind of wants to bump it up to a 5, but I can't. Not for me in particular. On me, the wig could have been thicker and more stretchy, and there were still loose threads. But that's just me being picky. The wig was more than worth the price, and I wouldn't hesitate to get many more Cool2Day wigs!

A Danish Lolita Oasis: WONDERWHO

2014-07-13T03:58:00.001-07:00

A while ago, a girl in my local community shared some unbelievable photos with the rest of us. She had found a small shop, with lace, bags shaped like books and hats pilling up everywhere, and petticoats literally hanging from the ceiling like fluffy clouds, among princess-like birdcages. It seemed like the most perfect fairytale shop, and the entire community was ecstatic. Everybody agreed that we'd have to make it the main attraction for our next meet-up!

And so we did! And we got (or, spend) more than we had went in for!

Everybody else were busy with vacations or work, so the turn-up was only the two lovely ladies in the picture, and myself. We started out by getting tea and lunch at a cute little café. We talked and took questions from other curious visitors, before taking to the streets. We had to walk a mile or so to get to WONDERWHO, but we had fun along the way, and looked into various other cute shops. We had looked forward to visiting Lisbeth Dahl's shop in Aarhus, but sadly it closed a short while ago.

Our spirits were lifted as soon as we arrived in the shop.

We were met with a pink rack of adorable 50's and pin-up inspired dresses, with a couple of interesting cardigans inbetween, and the most gorgeous Classic lolita dress hidden among them.

The petticoats hung from the ceiling all over the shop! They were all so soft and fluffy! They reminded me a lot of my Victoriangirldress petticoat, but of slightly better quality.

They had this really pretty "Grimm's Fairy Tales" bag. If I had more red in my wardrobe, I might just have gotten it for myself. Also, that vintage bikini. Cute!

There were so much chiffon and lace everywhere I could barely see straight. They also had plenty of loose hanging, earthy colored dresses with uneven hems, perfectly fit for mori-girl, and in the back of the store, a dark and elegant section of gothic finery made my heart flutter and almost want to go gothic again! I think it actually managed to hijack one of the other girls to the dark side. I, myself, fell in love with a pair of winged eyelashes for just a moment. I may have to go back and buy them.

We spend about an hour in the store, chatting with the owner. She's a really cool lady, who was very excited to see Lolitas in her store! She knew about the fashion, and told us how she wanted to expand her selection of Lolita clothes. The only problem was, that nobody but Lolitas were really interested in buying them. She showed us a couple of different dresses, personal favorites of hers, that she thought we would like, and we tried on dress after dress. We told her about how our local community had fallen head over heels in love with her boutique. She was so happy, and ensured us that if we sent her a message in advance of our next visit, she would make sure to be prepared with plenty of Lolita goods for us to dive into.

We were all smiles when we left, shopping bags in hand. Two of us purchased very pretty JSK's, and one of us left with a frilly Lisbeth Dahl parasol.

This was the piece I bought!

It's a JSK of the brand "Red Queen's Black Legion", a Lolita brand from China. The dress is made of a deliciously soft type of fabric. It's very detailed and ruffly, and the lace is of great quality. I've had to snip a couple of loose threads and it's very short, so I will have to add a couple more ruffles at the bottom or wear an underskirt, but apart from that, I really like it! I got it at half price off too.

I added the gold buttons at the front myself, because I thought it was missing something, and I had them left over from another project.

All in all, I'm just so excited that we have a place that cater to Lolita tastes here in Denmark, and with such brilliant customer service too! If you're curious, you can check them out here. They also have a Facebook page!

I may be going back soon for a cotton candy pink 50's dress I tried on. And probably a lot more.

(Oh, and I wish I'd taken a proper outfit photo! One might be coming up later, as we had a nice lady take a photo of us all, that she promised to send us in an email later! Until then you'll just have to live with the top photo. It's me in the pink oldschool coordinate.)

LBC: A Coord Inspired by your Favorite Movie

2014-07-10T22:59:00.000-07:00

This week's Lolita Blog Carnival post is another one that encourages to think out of the box. Not every movie is exactly Lolita material! Mine isn't for instant.

I had to think long and hard about what my favorite movie is, since my taste in movies is so broad. I enjoy a lot of different movies, from historical ones, to creepy ones, to action movies and comedy. I settled on two very different movies, but one was a lot more difficult to do than the other. How would I do a "The Fault in our Stars" coordinate?
So, I settled for "The Avengers" and "Iron Man" instead. For these it was a tie, but they have a lot in common. Especially the brilliant Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark.

"It is I! The king of New York!"

I would have done a coordinate with red and yellow armor if I could. That would have been epic! But I decided to celebrate the character of Tony Stark instead of Iron Man. It was a lot of fun mixing and matching the little details of Tony Stark's very polished but practical wardrobe, to find what could be succesfully Loli-fied. I wanted to keep the practical, raw vibe.

I chose Victorian Maiden's Box Pleated JSK as the center piece because of it's polished simplicity. It's a very fitted JSK, which resembles the sleeveless t-shirts that Tony favors. The box pleated skirt is elegant, but practical, and balances the badassness of the simple leather jacket. In his everyday wear Tony's outfits are very understated. To get a little sparke in there, I played up the arc reactor elements. The tights were chosen as a hint to the Arc Reactor energy, for instance. The boots are practical, as close as I could get to sneakers, and also bring an air of power to the ensemble. You could totally kick some ass in these!

Do I even have to explain the "Dora" watch? If I do, what are you waiting for?! "Iron Man 3" came out a billion years ago!

Jokes aside, I hope you like the coordinate. I like it a lot myself. It's very subtle and elegant, but also good for a mature casual day.

Want to see how the other participants Lolified their favorite movies?

Check out the links below!

Breidholt

Review: Bodyline Wig 056

2014-07-10T10:39:00.001-07:00

Recently I purchased Bodyline's W056 wig. It's my first wig, so I'm very excited, as I've wanted one for years and years! This is a detailed description of my experience with this wig as a first time wig buyer.
Bodyline's service was as usual fine. However, they didn't ship out my order until last Tuesday, and I ordered the wig two weeks ago. They skipped a Tuesday, even if I got my tracking number before then.

I bought the wig in the "Mediumbrown: 8" colorway. The pictures taken inside are not true to color, because of my camera. I will, however, provide a better photo taken outside in sunlight.

The wig arrived in regular netting and a plastic bag, in a thick plastic envelope. It kept it's shape nicely enough.

This is the wig straight out of the bag. The curls are nice and tight, though not as small as in the picture. The texture is a little synthetic and rough, and definetely not soft like real hair, but nice enough. It's not particularly shiny.

A neat little detail, to make it look like it's actually your real hair, is the skincolor at the top of the head.

A big minus, however, is that the wig is really, really thin. You can clearly see the wig cap when holding the wig up like this. They did not use a lot of material for this wig! Miraculously, you cannot see it on the back of my head when it's worn.

This is the netting on the inside. Pretty standard clasps and all.

And here's two pictures of me wearing the wig. I hope you can excuse my no-make up face. As you can see, it's not terribly shiny. The top picture is pretty much true to color. The color is pretty accurate to the provided photo on their website, I think. My head is also pretty ginormous (one of the biggest in my highschool class, back in the day) so I think almost anybody could wear the wig.

All in all, I'd give this wig 3 out of 5 spades.

♤♤♤

Two are detracted for the synthetic feel and how thin the wig is, on top. I'm impressed with the fit and the quality for the price. I'd definetely order wigs from Bodyline again.

LBC: A Coordinate Inspired by the Sea

2014-07-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

I felt suddenly inspired when I saw the theme of this week's Lolita Blog Carnival challenge! But actually I didn't end up doing the theme I had first wanted to do. My first thought was "Atlantis Coordinate!" but then summer vacation hit me, and as I'm currently sitting in the cozyness of a small danish holiday town, I was overcome with the desire to do something inspired by the idyllic, danish summer by the sea in Skagen.

What came out of that, was a coordinate inspired by the history of the Skagen's Painters, specifically Marie Krøyer.

Marie was a very talented painter, but never became as famous as her husband, P.S. Krøyer. She was a passionate woman, who suffered from bad self-esteem. None the less, she held her own, despite the victorian age she was born in, got divorced and re married for love.

Her paintings were truly beautiful.

However, I'm basing my coordinate around some portraits off her, by the ocean.

And here's a still from the new movie, "Marie Krøyer"

And here's the coordinate I made!

I decided to make a very simple coordinate, cased on a very feminine, lacey dress. I wanted a high necked blouse with simple, old fashioned lace detailing like the one she wears in the movie. The gathering around the bust of Angelic Pretty's Rose Garden JSK seemed very characteristic too. You could leave out the bonnet, but I wanted some kind of headwear. The golden rose brooch is one that Marie Krøyer wears in this darker selfportrait. A victorian updo is a must, I think! I tied in the marine theme in the bracelets, but I kept them modest, to fit Marie Krøyer's style. All in all, I think it turned out as I wanted it to. It's all about a summer in Skagen. All it needs, is a parasol, and you're ready to go for a walk on the beach!

Want to see more summer appropriate "sea coordinates"? Check out the other participants below!

A Heart's Sound

Fawn and the Frills

The Keys to my Cocoon

2014-07-01T15:03:00.002-07:00

This is halfway a list of items that are next on my "Must Buy" list, and a list of items that I've been wanting and needing for years and years, but for some reason have never, ever gotten around to actually buying. Because I've been a greedy little lady who'd rather get a fancy new dress than "Lolita necessities". Pretty necessities, but they still don't look half way as impressive as a new print for the closet lineup, does it?

But I've been building my wardrobe pretty effectively since Christmas, and now I can't run away from it anymore. A dress in itself is not a coordinate. It needs some pals to cooperate with, to help us look pretty.
This is what I currently need, and yes, it's in the following order.

1. Pale Pink Platforms

I really need to put more funds into my Lolita shoe collection. This is the most neglected part of my wardrobe- Which is strange, since I adore Lolita shoes! Old habits die hard, I think, since I never cared much for mainstream shoes. Shoes have quite a bit to say in fashion, sadly.. The same goes for Lolita fashion. They can make or break a coordinate.
(Platforms may have gone out of style, but they never left my heart!)

Bobon21 bolero jacket and Bodyline cardigan

2. Adorable boleros/cardigans

Having plenty of cutsews and blouses is one thing. But I feel like I need more options with my layering. Plain white blouses, while different in their detailing, tends to get old after a while. Being able to spice it up with an assortment of different outer layers to choose from would be ideal. It's amazing what a bolero can do to an outfit, except from just keeping you warm in early spring!

Bobon21 Jewelry

3. Jewelry

I never have enough jewelry. For some reason, I keep buying jewelry, but it never seems to be enough. In other people's wardrobe posts every january, I see astonishing piles after piles of jewelry! How do you guys do that?!

4. Wigs

Wigs are in no way a necessity in Lolita, but they're a fun addition to the look. I like the idea of being able to customize my appearance and change my haircolor to suit my coordinate, and that's why I just recently started my collection with a brown bodyline wig (Review coming up soon!)

I've also recently begun experimenting with false eyelashes. I really want an aurburn wig, like the one above. I still prefer natural colored wigs for my own style.

These are the current things that I need in my wardrobe. And suddenly I realize, that it's not nearly as much stuff as I've been thinking! I'm actually getting to a point where I can say, that my wardrobe is truly coming together in a way that is satisfactory to me. I never imagined that my Lolita wardrobe would change and expand the way it's doing, right now. I'm even comfortable selling a couple of my dresses that I'm no longer using, without feeling like I'm throwing away half of what I own.

This is a really exciting time for me, in my Lolita life. I thought I was a "grown up" Lolita, but it turns out, I'm still in a cocoon. I'm on my way to breaking free, though!
Now I'll just have to figure out how to apply lashes without gluing my eyelids together...

How do you feel about your wardrobe right now, you guys?

Are you still missing some puzzle pieces to feel like you've achieved a "complete" wardrobe? Of course there's always room for more, but you know what I mean..

My Lolita Playlist

2014-06-26T08:47:00.001-07:00

Now that I've finally finished my exams, I want to start summer vacation with this short and simple post, where I share the songs I like to listen to, when in Lolita!

It's of course a little different, depending on which Lolita style I'm wearing. Every outfit has a different aesthetic which fits a different mood and a different atmosphere, and therefore, a different type of music. However, the following are the ones that makes me think of Lolita the most.

Defying Gravity from Wicked
BI'm being myself, and I'm doing what most people feel like you "can't do", when I'm in Lolita. As such, I feel like this song is very fitting. In Lolita, you're reaching for the stars! The highest form of beauty, in your own eyes.

Ever, Ever After by Carrie Underwood

Because in Lolita, we all feel like every day princesses. What movie better captures that, than "Enchanted"? This song really captures the magic of Lolita to me.

Never Underestimate a Girl by Vanessa Hudgens

This song is very empowering, I think. I feel strong in a feminine way, when wearing Lolita. Like someone you shouldn't mess with, even if I don't look like it.

For the First Time in Forever from Frozen

This one is hilarious to listen to while getting ready for a meet-up! It really puts me in the mood for going out and looking elegant.. Or, like the "picture of sophisticated grace", haha!

Rise like a Phoenix by Conchita Wurst

This is another song that I find to be very empowering. After a long time of looking my worst, and then finally being able to dress to the nines the way I like, feels kind of like a frilly rebirth, doesn't it?

Rum Pum Pum by F(x)

I admit I don't speak even a little bit of korean, but I listen to quite a bit of K-pop, and for some reason, this always makes me think of Lolita when I listen to it. I think it's the combination of femininity and strength. It has a very strong sounding chorus. When walking around town in Lolita, I can't help but lift my chin a bit higher when listening to this one.

These are just some of my favorite songs to listen to, while in Lolita.

Specifically when wearing gothic or darker Classic Lolita, I also enjoy listening to Versailles. Their sound is so aristocratic! I'll put some of their songs below.

Aristocrats Symphony by Versailles

Princess by Versailles

Last but not least, I still really enjoy McMelody Doll, haha! Even if she's old news, she's still hilarious, I think!

What are some of your favorite songs to listen to, when you're all frilled up? Let me know if there's anything you think I should check out!

Oh, and have a great summer vacation!

Those of you who're not there yet; Stay strong!

Shopping Service Review: Japonica Market!

2014-06-24T16:21:00.002-07:00

This last week I used Japonica Market to make a purchase from Yahoo JP, and I thought I'd share my experience, because God knows how handy it is to be able to compare the quickest and easiest way to snatch up that dream dress when it finally shows up on the second hand market!
For me it was just a couple of smaller items for an Old School coordinate I'm building right now, alongside with my first handmade JSK!

I can't wait to show it to you when it's finished!

Well, to get back on topic:

I made my order on the 13th of June, and it was confirmed and received on the 14th.
They made a request for a deposit of 1400 yen right away, which I gladly paid as soon as I saw it. On this day, I also decided to add another item to my order. This was no problem, and they made a request for another deposit and bid on my second item the next day.

Japonica Market was really good at keeping me up-to-date every time something happened in regards to my order. I received multiple status updates that let me know when the items had shipped, had arrived at their office, what the price was gonna be, etc, and they let me know that they'd be awaiting my confirmation that I wanted to pay for shipping.
I suppose that since they didn't invoice me right away, they actually let customers wait for a little while and are willing to hold the item for at least a small amount of time. That's good to know if an item you really want shows up, but you're missing just that tiny bit of money that you'll be receiving in 4 days, to pay for shipping.

Japonica Market was also nice enough to mark my package as a gift, which is nice. You have the option of having them mark down the value on the package, but that means you'll lose some of the insurance money, should your item get lost in the mail.

As a small extra detail (and I do like that little bit of special care), they let me know that my item had arrived, and told me in advance that I would be receiving a tracking number on monday. I really like how they seem to go that extra mile for the comfort of their customers.

The item was sent out, and arrived in Denmark safely. No fighting with customs or anything, but well, my items weren't that expensive.

Considering that I only ordered a headbow and a bonnet, they were shipped in a pretty big box!
The items were wrapped in bubblewrap.

Both of the accessories were also neatly packed in seperate plastic envelopes.

I really liked Japonica Market, and I give them 5 out of 5 spades ♤ for speed and communication!

However, I've heard that there are cheaper options out there, so I'll check those out. If not, I'm sure I'll use Japonica Market again. I felt like my first experience with a japanese shopping service was in good hands.

Tall Lolita and Skirt Length Extremist

2014-06-16T00:03:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make, guys and girls.
I used to be a "skirt length extremist"!

Anything shorter than a couple of inches above the knee was unacceptable to me, until just around a year or so ago. That must sound kind of counterproductive, considering that I am 5'9 (179-180 cm) tall and in need of dresses that are around 100 cm long to reach my knees. The average BTSSB jumperskirt is 91-93 cm long, so you can see where this is going.

If I cared so much about skirt length, how could I be a Lolita? Especially since I do not own an underskirt (now, one is on my "to buy-list)

I used to purchase replicas. I was a plus sized Lolita, so I had to buy replicas anyway to be able to fit into un-shirred dresses, and I preferred to purchase un-shirred dresses, as full-body shirring has never been to my tastes. I felt like that gave me the right to be a skirt length extremist, because well.. All my dresses reached my knees. I felt like that excused my closet of replicas, because, as a tall girl, I would never be able to wear brand without it being quite short on me. There's also the possibility for us tall girls to get custom made Taobao or Fanplusfriend pieces- There's plenty of ways for tall people to have pieces of an appropriate length.

Time has passed since then, and even while the trend of short Lolita skirts (luckily for me) seems to be dying out in favor of "OTT Classic", and multiple layers of long chiffon underskirts, I have only gotten more and more... relaxed, about the idea of short Lolita skirts.
Here's what has changed for me, that has made me open my mind up to the idea of short(er) skirts:

I used to care a lot about the idea of modesty in Lolita fashion. And I still do, kind of. I still think you should wear a blouse, a cutsew, a light bolero or the like, with your Lolita outfits. But this is almost as much because of the look in itself- to me, most pieces look better with that extra layer that they were made to have. The intricate detailing of blouse also adds more interest to an outfit. However, not all dresses look good with an underskirt. It looks off with a lace or chiffon border underneath some dresses, even if the underskirt matches, colorwise.
Also, as long as the shorter skirt length looks alright- that is, is able to acommodate a petticoat, create the correct silhouette and is not so short that it becomes a mini-skirt, I do not see the problem. I draw the line at a mini-skirt, because some people would consider a mini-skirt too "sexy", and that is not exactly the point of the Lolita aesthetic.

Tallness is also a part of a person's physical being, and maybe exactly the one that definetely cannot be changed. As long as it looks alright, I think the community needs to be openminded about it. Being unusually tall, if you'e not a super model, or short can be enough of a hassle in a person's daily life. Believe me!

So, what do you guys think about skirt length in Lolita fashion?
Is it OK to break the skirt length "rule", if the rest of the outfit is spot on? Is the knee-length skirt the most important rule? Do you agree that this rule should be taken with a grain of salt by tall people specifically?
Let me know!

And thank you to you guys for wishing me a happy birthday! I had a great time, and am now a little closer to having a Lolita themed home, thanks to my presents! I got the most gorgeous tassels for my curtains, and a new antique cabinet for my books.

Untill next time, folks! And good luck if you're also still working hard on your exams!