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Cardigan: Blanc Nouveau
Skirt: Bodyline
Socks: Sockdreams
Shoes: Skechers
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Showing posts with label Lolita Fashion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lolita Fashion. Show all posts
Friday, March 4, 2016
Friday, December 25, 2015
Merry Christmas 2015!
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Another year, another Christmas already!
Thank you so much to all my subscribers, and to everyone who has watched my videos, whether just this year or for a long time! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and an amazing year in 2016!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
"Happy Merry Christmas"
Original music and lyrics: kuibel (https://twitter.com/kuibel)
~ COVER ~
Vocals: Kyttyee (http://www.youtube.com/KyttyeeChii)
Artwork/Animation: Kyttyee // Papillon de Nuit (http://www.papillondenuit.net/)
Thank you so much to all my subscribers, and to everyone who has watched my videos, whether just this year or for a long time! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and an amazing year in 2016!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
"Happy Merry Christmas"
Original music and lyrics: kuibel (https://twitter.com/kuibel)
~ COVER ~
Vocals: Kyttyee (http://www.youtube.com/KyttyeeChii)
Artwork/Animation: Kyttyee // Papillon de Nuit (http://www.papillondenuit.net/)
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Friday, November 13, 2015
Lolita Blog Carnival: 3 Favorite Brands and Why
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This week in the Lolita Blog Carnival, we've been asked to talk about our favorite brands and why we like them. I think the answer to this question is always heavily tied to what aesthetics define Lolita for each person individually, as well as how and in what context they wear Lolita fashion. Because everyone has different tastes and different circumstances, we can see a variety of answers!
The particular aesthetic that most coincides with my personal feeling of being a Lolita is a sweet-classic feel. It's like tiptoeing the line between sweet and classic, where it is not too mature, but also still has a sense of elegance and demureness to it. While I adore looking at intricate prints, and I can appreciate the artwork that goes into them, a lot of my personal preference lies towards more solid-color designs or simpler floral and other all-over prints, rather than border prints. I also tend to prefer a more simplistic approach to accessories, partly because I prefer that look on myself, and also because I get irritated when I have too many objects hanging about me.
The particular aesthetic that most coincides with my personal feeling of being a Lolita is a sweet-classic feel. It's like tiptoeing the line between sweet and classic, where it is not too mature, but also still has a sense of elegance and demureness to it. While I adore looking at intricate prints, and I can appreciate the artwork that goes into them, a lot of my personal preference lies towards more solid-color designs or simpler floral and other all-over prints, rather than border prints. I also tend to prefer a more simplistic approach to accessories, partly because I prefer that look on myself, and also because I get irritated when I have too many objects hanging about me.
While I naturally tend towards a more toned-down aesthetic, the way I dress is also influenced by the fact that I consider Lolita to be part of my everyday wardrobe. While I do tend to go more elaborate for special occasions, meetups, conventions, etc., most of the time I'm wearing Lolita to do mundane things like running errands and going about the neighborhood or my apartment. Thus, I tend to put together my daily outfits with practicality (and sometimes speed of dressing) being primary factors.
With those things in mind, let's talk about my three favorite Lolita brands!
With those things in mind, let's talk about my three favorite Lolita brands!
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I am at heart always and forever an Innocent World girl, right from the beginning of my Lolita days. The brand aesthetic is exactly the balance of sweet and classic that I hold in my mind as my personal image of Lolita. My very first brand piece was a carousel print JSK from Innocent World, and it is still one of my favorite pieces.
I own a lot of pieces from Innocent World, and every one of them I would consider to be high quality. They use good fabrics with a nice feel and appropriate drape, and as far as I can tell the construction is solid. The printed pieces have crisp imaging, and I've yet to encounter any issues with running or color transfer.
Quality aside, what really draws me to this brand is the abundance of simple but elegant designs. Of course, as with any brand, they offer a range of very elaborate to more wearable pieces. But overall, they tend to have very clean and simple cuts with some frills and lace embellishments, but not so many as to be overwhelming. In general, I feel like their cuts and the shapes of their silhouettes tend to have a slightly more mature girly feel, which gives even their sweeter print designs still a feeling of elegance.
Much of my IW collection consists of solid designs rather than prints, but something that I really like about their prints is the "old fairytale book illustration" feeling that the artwork tends to have. It's not really so much sugary cute, as just rather charming and quaint. Illustrations along the lines of the original Beatrix Potter books, or Alice in Wonderland share that type of feeling.
The most representative piece of what I love about IW is the Viennese Waltz Frill JSK. The artwork is charmingly cute, but done in more muted colors that lend it a more mature feel. While high-waisted cuts can be childish, this particular shape retains a sense of elegance. The small frill details express a certain princessy or doll-like aesthetic, but are not so overly bold as to take away from the simplicity of the piece.
I own a lot of pieces from Innocent World, and every one of them I would consider to be high quality. They use good fabrics with a nice feel and appropriate drape, and as far as I can tell the construction is solid. The printed pieces have crisp imaging, and I've yet to encounter any issues with running or color transfer.
Quality aside, what really draws me to this brand is the abundance of simple but elegant designs. Of course, as with any brand, they offer a range of very elaborate to more wearable pieces. But overall, they tend to have very clean and simple cuts with some frills and lace embellishments, but not so many as to be overwhelming. In general, I feel like their cuts and the shapes of their silhouettes tend to have a slightly more mature girly feel, which gives even their sweeter print designs still a feeling of elegance.
Much of my IW collection consists of solid designs rather than prints, but something that I really like about their prints is the "old fairytale book illustration" feeling that the artwork tends to have. It's not really so much sugary cute, as just rather charming and quaint. Illustrations along the lines of the original Beatrix Potter books, or Alice in Wonderland share that type of feeling.
The most representative piece of what I love about IW is the Viennese Waltz Frill JSK. The artwork is charmingly cute, but done in more muted colors that lend it a more mature feel. While high-waisted cuts can be childish, this particular shape retains a sense of elegance. The small frill details express a certain princessy or doll-like aesthetic, but are not so overly bold as to take away from the simplicity of the piece.
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Baby's aesthetic tends towards the sweeter, more princessy side of the sweet-classic spectrum, but still captures the feeling I love. In particular, I am a fan of their non-print, floral and all-over print designs. My first Baby piece was the Blooming Snow White JSK.
While they do put out many print-focused pieces, especially more recently, they do a good job of balancing that with non-print designs and staple wardrobe pieces.
One thing that I especially like about their prints is that they often follow themes drawn from literature and fairytales. I always gravitate towards those subjects and find them very hard to resist. I am also fond of many of their older print designs, such as their Swan Lake print, Music Salon print, and their Alice and the Fawn print.
My signature piece from Baby is the Dessert OP. This is a design they've re-released almost yearly with minor variations in lace and details, and I would eventually like to have it in lavender, black, and pink as well. The design is cute and princess-liky, but not overly childish. The fabric is beautiful with a dot texture that adds interest, and the lace is beautiful and plush. It embodies my favorite aspects of Baby's non-print designs, in which complexity comes from details in the design (fabric, pintucks, lace, ruffles, layers, tiers), rather than elaborate prints.
While they do put out many print-focused pieces, especially more recently, they do a good job of balancing that with non-print designs and staple wardrobe pieces.
One thing that I especially like about their prints is that they often follow themes drawn from literature and fairytales. I always gravitate towards those subjects and find them very hard to resist. I am also fond of many of their older print designs, such as their Swan Lake print, Music Salon print, and their Alice and the Fawn print.
My signature piece from Baby is the Dessert OP. This is a design they've re-released almost yearly with minor variations in lace and details, and I would eventually like to have it in lavender, black, and pink as well. The design is cute and princess-liky, but not overly childish. The fabric is beautiful with a dot texture that adds interest, and the lace is beautiful and plush. It embodies my favorite aspects of Baby's non-print designs, in which complexity comes from details in the design (fabric, pintucks, lace, ruffles, layers, tiers), rather than elaborate prints.
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My third favorite brand is not strictly a Lolita brand. and as such most of their pieces are not designed with Lolita fashion in mind. In fact, they tend to distance themselves from Lolita, preferring to be labeled an otome brand. That said, because I do prefer something a bit simpler than some other Lolitas, quite a number of their pieces fit quite well in my personal Lolita aesthetic. Especially when practicality comes into play, and giant petticoats are not always appropriate, ETC dresses and skirts with a moderate petticoat fit in perfectly.
My favorite thing about ETC is their quirky prints, with sometimes unusual themes. Because they are not a Lolita brand, and don't really care to follow the goings-on in Lolita trends and such, they actually tend to stand out for me. For example, they don't usually line up with Lolita brands in terms of print themes, and the illustration style is also different. I would described it as part children's book, part old-timey fairytale. It shares that sort of antique charm that IW illustrations have, but usually brighter and more bold.
Another area where they stand out for me is with their really nice designs for wardrobe fillers and accessories. I always like their cardigan and cutsew designs, which would be perfect for everyday wearers in terms of comfort and being not too loud or outlandish. They also have very cute coats and hats, which I would very much like to own some of one day.
My favorite piece that I own from ETC is the Victoria Music OP. It has one of my favorite print themes, music! The artwork exemplifies the all-over prints they do, and the streamlined high-waist cut of the piece is one commonly seen in ETC's OPs and JSKs.
Of course I have pieces that I love from many other brands as well, but these three are my top three in terms of matching my own Lolita aesthetic as well as fitting into my wardrobe for wearing Lolita fashion on a daily basis.
My favorite thing about ETC is their quirky prints, with sometimes unusual themes. Because they are not a Lolita brand, and don't really care to follow the goings-on in Lolita trends and such, they actually tend to stand out for me. For example, they don't usually line up with Lolita brands in terms of print themes, and the illustration style is also different. I would described it as part children's book, part old-timey fairytale. It shares that sort of antique charm that IW illustrations have, but usually brighter and more bold.
Another area where they stand out for me is with their really nice designs for wardrobe fillers and accessories. I always like their cardigan and cutsew designs, which would be perfect for everyday wearers in terms of comfort and being not too loud or outlandish. They also have very cute coats and hats, which I would very much like to own some of one day.
My favorite piece that I own from ETC is the Victoria Music OP. It has one of my favorite print themes, music! The artwork exemplifies the all-over prints they do, and the streamlined high-waist cut of the piece is one commonly seen in ETC's OPs and JSKs.
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Of course I have pieces that I love from many other brands as well, but these three are my top three in terms of matching my own Lolita aesthetic as well as fitting into my wardrobe for wearing Lolita fashion on a daily basis.
Please visit the other blogs in the Lolita Blog Carnival who participated in this topic!
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Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Visiting the Farmers' Market
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The weather was absolutely beautiful, and just perfect for visiting the Farmers' Market. While we can hardly keep up with all the produce coming from our own little garden, it still seemed like a fun idea to go and take a look at everything being sold. A+ was particularly interested in finding some cheese, and I always enjoy looking at all the baked goods and pickled items.
I wore my sailor dress, because it always strikes me as being more of a summery theme, but I don't like to wear it on days when I might sweat excessively due to heat or activity.
OP ~ Innocent World
Hat ~ Forever21
Shoes ~ Converse
We found parking next to a kindergarten, and happened to be right in front of this cute red VW Beetle with a coordinating Betty Boop sunscreen. I think it's lovely when people coordinate their cars and car accessories. Plus, Beetles are just so spherical!
There were so many baked goods being sold, but what stood out the most to me was a big sign for potato buttermilk donuts. I'd never heard of this particular variety of donut before and had to try one. It had a denser texture than other types of donuts I've had, and tasted like a sweet, somewhat fried bread. A+ thought it "tasted like Passover" if that might be more informative for some.
The vegetables being sold were all beautiful and pristine. In fact it looked like some of them had peeled the outer layer off their onions and then polished them, they were so clean and shiny. There was also a funny fellow selling giant dried gourds, and so many stands selling beautiful cut flowers and bouquets. In the end, A+ found his cheese, and I discovered a new applesauce to try.
It was a lovely time wandering among all the vendors at the market, and I'll definitely want to go back and see what gets sold as the seasons start changing. Perhaps next week we will try biking to the market instead of driving!
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Monday, October 6, 2014
Project 365 // 015 - 021
One day late, I know... o(v_v;;)o
015 / 365: I love astronomy, and I had been wanting some sailor elements to add to my wardrobe, and this series satisfied all of those! The print details are absolutely gorgeous, and I'm very glad I decided to go with navy instead of black or sax blue.
016 / 365: This year's My Little Pony Annual, now with 20% more superhero ponies! I definitely enjoyed it <3 data-blogger-escaped-br="">
017 / 365: Fall is coming, and all the green things are beginning to wither away into winter mode. However, this little rosebush in my apartment's courtyard is still a nice bright spot of color!
018 / 365: Candles make me feel cozy, especially sweet-smelling ones like this one. They're perfect to light on colder nights!
019 / 365: All of the ponies! I finally got all of the compilation volumes for the official My Little Pony comic thus far, and I am now all caught up on the stories!
020 / 365: Hanging out in weekend drawthreads is my new favorite thing, despite some frustrations with ungrateful requesters. I feel bad that I don't draw as well as they expect, but I'm trying to learn and get better! Cute bunnies are cute, and cute boys in bunny hoodies are even cuter ^w^
021 / 365: Ever since I started using Clip Studio Paint (I got it because it was on SUPER sale), my lines have felt a lot more comfortable. Practice, with a bit of help from input stabilization software does wonders! I'm pretty pleased with how the final version of this sketch turned out.
May all of your next weeks be filled with happy cuddly things!!
015 / 365: I love astronomy, and I had been wanting some sailor elements to add to my wardrobe, and this series satisfied all of those! The print details are absolutely gorgeous, and I'm very glad I decided to go with navy instead of black or sax blue.
016 / 365: This year's My Little Pony Annual, now with 20% more superhero ponies! I definitely enjoyed it <3 data-blogger-escaped-br="">
017 / 365: Fall is coming, and all the green things are beginning to wither away into winter mode. However, this little rosebush in my apartment's courtyard is still a nice bright spot of color!
018 / 365: Candles make me feel cozy, especially sweet-smelling ones like this one. They're perfect to light on colder nights!
019 / 365: All of the ponies! I finally got all of the compilation volumes for the official My Little Pony comic thus far, and I am now all caught up on the stories!
020 / 365: Hanging out in weekend drawthreads is my new favorite thing, despite some frustrations with ungrateful requesters. I feel bad that I don't draw as well as they expect, but I'm trying to learn and get better! Cute bunnies are cute, and cute boys in bunny hoodies are even cuter ^w^
021 / 365: Ever since I started using Clip Studio Paint (I got it because it was on SUPER sale), my lines have felt a lot more comfortable. Practice, with a bit of help from input stabilization software does wonders! I'm pretty pleased with how the final version of this sketch turned out.
May all of your next weeks be filled with happy cuddly things!!
Friday, September 26, 2014
Outfit Post ~ Back to Basics
I finally got a nice area figured out in my new apartment for taking outfit snaps, so hopefully I can return to more regular outfit posts. I dress up less frequently these days though, since a lot of the time I'm just throwing clothes over ballet tights and leotard to head to the studio. That said, it made me really happy to actually be floofy and pink for a day, which I haven't had a chance to do in a long time ^_^
Friday, September 5, 2014
Outfit Post ~ Waltzing in the Park
The Midwest Lolita Megameet was a couple of weekends of ago, and it was an absolutely fun time! We were in a new location this year, and I think it overall worked out pretty nicely. The weather was lovely, and it seemed like everyone had a good time.
JSK: Innocent World
Bolero: Baby the Stars Shine Bright
Necklace: Chocomint
Shoes: DreamV
And here's some bonus photos of our frilly security detail putting up some gummy bear duct tape boundaries for our picnic area!
Friday, May 30, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Outfit Post ~ Sweater Weather
Sometimes, you just want to be cozy, and this sweater is veeeerry cozy. This is by no means a normal way of wearing Lolita fashion, but as I tend to adapt it to be more wearable on a daily casual basis, I thought this worked pretty decently. This sweater happens to be rather short, which works a lot better with skirts that poof out right from the waist.
Sweater: Gap
Skirt/Bow: Bodyline
Socks: Sockdreams
Boots: Skechers
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Outfit Post ~ Hint of Lavender
This is one of my favorite Lolita skirts, because the fabric is thick and full, the lace is lovely, and it even has a built-in crinoline layer. It's also just super comfortable to wear. But most of all, I love how many little details there are in the print if you take the time to look. One of my favorite things to try with this skirt is to bring out the lavender details, rather than sticking with the most obvious black and cream/white. Sometimes I'm more successful than others, but I think the color of this shirt actually matched quite well.
Bolero/Skirt: Bodyline
Socks: Sockdreams
Boots: Skechers
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Outfit Post ~ Jammin' Squirrels
In the literal sense of jam jars... I love the idea of cute woodland creatures having fun with some unsuspecting person's picnic, and this print totally captures all of that. That, and the cut of this skirt, makes this one of my most satisfying Lolita pieces. I like the peekaboo effect of the bottom ruffle, and I've always had a bit of an obsession with high-waisted bottoms. The front of the waist, with the bows, gives it that lovely corset-ish feel without blatantly screaming CORSET!!!
Skirt/Hairbow: Innocent World
Bolero: Urban Angel
Shirt: Express
Socks: Sockdreams
Boots: Jellybean
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Outfit Post ~ Never Never Land
I love this skirt not only because of its Peter Pan (in my mind) themed fairytale print, but also because of the cut. I think many would consider it to not be strictly Lolita, because it flares starting from the low waist, and is a bit shorter than most standard Lolita skirts. However, I enjoy it being actually above the knee for me (rather than below, or calf-length), and the low-waist makes it easier to wear with my normal cardigans, since the flare doesn't interfere with the fit of the cardigans.
Skirt: Alice and the Pirates
Bolero: Bodyline
Shirt: Old Navy
Tights: BonTon
Boots: Skechers
Hairbow: Jolie Chose
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