Peach Print by BTSSB

 I recently saw the Hanamomo Shangri-La print posted on BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT Instagram account and love it!  It's unique to see peaches used as a print, along with the fans in the print.

Print in Mint

Parfait Print Love!

 

BABY recently released a parfait print which reminds me of the Early Summer Chocolate Strawberry Parfait skirt I have, but this one has Kumyachan in one of the parfaits!!

I really love the JSK I design in sax and pink, but JSK II design (after the jump) is also really darling with the heart on the chest!

Meiji Chocolate Fashion

Meiji is a common and popular brand of chocolate.  Recently they did some collaboration with fashion brands! I may be late to the news as I am not on social media much any more.  I want to share some of the ones I like though~

Of course, my favorite one is the BTSSB JSK available in milk and white chocolate!

I do wish it had a strawberry colorway available as well, or matcha.  I love bunnybear and bearbear designs so much!

Metamorphose has a pretty design that isn't as obviously chocolate, and comes in red as well as brown!

And the matching headdress is very adorable.  I personally don't like tying the ribbon under my chin because it's unflattering on my jawline, so I would likely put it behind my hair.  The little clips would keep it in place :3  Or put it onto a headband!

For more casual or accent accessories, there are two by HEIHEI that look really good!

This hat with a giant ribbon is lovely and would accent a plainer outfit well:

With a plain blouse, the patterned collar with ribbon would be a sweet touch:

The dripping edge on the plaid ribbons is a great design in my opinion.

And for accessories, Liquem has this adorable ring that I would love!!

The same design is available in earrings as well, but I like rings better.

What is your favorite flavor of chocolate?  Mine is dark chocolate, typically 85%-95% is a good bittersweet spot for me

Kawaii Face Masks!

A bit of a late post now, what with my poor Natto baby's health these past weeks, but I am still happy to share these lovely Lolita face masks!

Face masks are quite common in East Asia, so I'd wondered previously why there were no reusable Brand masks from fashion brands!  We do have fun disposable ones, but they tend to be cartoon characters, animal print, etc.  Now you can truly coordinate your entire outfit by having the same fabric!

I first saw some Innocent World masks on Misako's YouTube channel, and went to instagram to see more!

Atelier Pierrot posted some contoured masks with a really sweet strawberry print I love~

Even the ear hooks are ruffled!

Gyaru brand Secret Honey has some cute masks that would work with Lolita outfits as well.  Cherries are always a good motif to have!

My favorite, hands-down, is the adorable mask from my favorite brand BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT which features not only cherries and flowers, but Usakumyachan and Kumakumyachan!!!!

Unfortunately it seems you cannot choose the mask print for BABY's novelty fair... maybe they can make more masks in the future, though!

Restrictions are lifting as I write this, though some places still require face masks.  Social distancing, though voluntary, seems to be enforced at the shops I have been to.

The weather is improving, and I find myself wishing Natto had lived just a bit longer so I could have gotten him a harness and let him  outside again.  I'm certain the ground squirrels and birds in the yard are glad that I didn't let him out though ^_~  He's a hunter!

How are things where you are?  Hope you are all staying safe!

End of Putumayo

According to the Putumayo blog page, Putumayo is going to shut down!!! My second favorite brand *sobs hysterically*
 Taken directly from that page:
"【 Dear Customers 】

Notice of end of sales of “PUTUMAYO” brand

Thank you very much for always purchasing PUTUMAYO.
PUTUMAYO has been proposing fashion based on its own concept for about 30 years,
and we have decided to discontinue the brand in anticipation of market trends this time.

Therefore, we will close the online shop on December 10, 2017.

In addition, we will close the Shinjuku Marui Annex store next spring.
Regarding the last business day, we will guide you at the official website and stores at any time.

We greatly value your patronage for a long time and we would like to express our deepest appreciation.

HYPER HYPER CO.,Ltd.
President Tamotsu Yagihara"

Very unexpected and unpleasant surprise. I hope the Tokyo shop is still open when I am there this December. If not, I'll have to scour Closet Child to find if I can buy anything T^T

Strawberry VS Cherry! Fight!

It's time for Spring Reservations and BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT and Angelic Pretty have put out their strawberry and cherry prints, respectively.

I was extra intrigued by Creamy Cherry by Angelic Pretty since cherries are not normally served with whipped cream.  At first glance it seems a normal cherry print, but there are small dollops of cream dotted through the entire dress (most noticeable on the dark blue dress) which puts me off.  The idea of cream ribbons around the border was really cute, though, and I'd love to see that on a real cake!

I DO love the rings that come with this release!!  The tails appear to be soft, similar to pom-poms.

BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT hasn't done too shabby either, with their Strawberry's Heart Drops (not to be confused with Strawberry Drops, which is a solid design)

My favorite detail on this JSK is the strawberry printed ruffles going up the sides and into the straps!!  The mix of strawberries and cherries is pretty standard for BABY and something I really do love.

Another notable detail is the strawberry lace on the hair combs!!!  Small details like this will likely only be noticed by other Lolitas, but they just make my heart flutter~

I haven't the money for either of these reservations so I can only post photos on my blog to share with my readers.  

Which is your favorite? Or do you prefer a different fruit print?  Let me know in the comments!  I'd love to hear differing opinions.

Alice and the Pirates Halloween Collaboration

Halloween~ (almost) everybody's favorite holiday!  Though many people are conflicted on the topic of costumes in Lolita fashion, I personally think it really depends on the final design. Elements of cosplay/animation/gamer styles can be incorporated into proper clothing, in my opinion. This idea is actually the foundation of 2.5D fashion, also known as "neo-cos" (think Tra La La Sailor Moon)

Anyway, I thought of this because recently I checked updates for Baby, the Stars Shine Bright and Alice and the Pirates and saw the announcement page for a collaboration with this RPG

Mahoutome X Alice and the Pirates

I think the all-black outfit would very easily translate into a daily Gothic Lolita outfit, no problem.  The center one in red and black could also be a very fashionable Gothic Lolita look without looking very cosplay.
The purple/white outfit is the one I'm more on the fence about. It will be interesting to see how it is made in real life, I think.

As for the other two... I really don't know how they will look like anything other than straight cosplay.  With alternative styling perhaps both could work? I will admit that I'm not big on boystyle, so many of the men's fashion designs Alice and the Pirates has done in the past struck me as costumesque rather than fashionable.

Still, I do really adore the Halloween collections brands put out each year!  Most of the time, individual pieces can be used throughout the rest of the year in regular coordinates and dressed down so as to not look like a costume.  Though to be fair, no matter what, non-Lolitas will likely think your Lolita outfit is a costume anyway.  So let's all just do whatever ^_~

50% off Disney Store

Random update to let you know that Disney Japan has some goods that are 50% off now, including the gorgeous Disney x Baby, the Stars Shine Bright skirt!

5,292円（税込）   →   2,646円

The entire Curious Gardens series is a lovely blend of pastel shades in a watercolor style.  Even if you're not a fan of the animated Disney cartoon (personally, I am not a fan of the character designs), the overall look and feel is quite soothing and sweet.

5,400円（税込）   →   2,700円

Of course there are many other series on sale if you are more interested in jewelry and TsumTsum or mobile goods ^_~

BTSSB Original Print Skirt Happy Pack

Late last night I got my Happy Pack!  I haven't ordered a lucky pack since BABY first offered them overseas back in 2008 (old Lolita is old -_-;;) and this was quite the impulse purchase!  I originally tried to order the JSK pack, but it sold out right away!

To be honest, this pack is not as good as I had hoped, but I'd like to share the contents anyway!

Open!

First up is the headbow! It's a fairly generic style, quite classic and should pair easily with many items.

Nice headbow, looks like Alice and the Pirates

I also got this absolutely DARLING wallet!!  As much as I adore it, I've already got a very functional wallet I made (tutorial here) so I will sell/trade/give it away.  It's no longer on the Japanese site, but I found it for USD$70 on the New York site

Heart Heart Scallop Long Wallet

 I put everything together on Caroline, my dressform :)  The hoodie has adorable bear ears on it!  I quite like it.  It'll be several months before it is cool enough to actually wear out though!
The knit stripe long top is Alice and the Pirates.  It's got extra long sleeves and a boat neck and will do nicely for punk and daily styles ^_^v

Touch of Gold

  Finally is the focus piece, the skirt, which I originally did not love.  I don't like prints with rooms/furniture, but the color is really beautiful and the material is special.  It may be nice to break away from my normal style to do a Classic Lolita with this skirt, but I'm currently offering it on my facebook for US$90 (no longer on Japanese site, and offer on New York site is around $140)
The material is a super silky, flowing fabric that has great hand and moves well.  Maybe it will grow on me?

Recipe for Endless Dreams

Have you ever bought a lucky pack before?  Did you like what you got?

Misako's Lolita World in Taiwan!

If anybody is coming to Taiwan in September, you are lucky because Kawaii Ambassador Misako Aoki is hosting events in Taiwan! The information is taken from the Japan Lolita Association Taiwan Branch facebook page and I translated it for anybody who will be here for this!

Misako’s Lolita World
青木美沙子ロリータファッションbook Taiwan book signing + tea party

※Event time and place:
9/20(Sat) Taipei 13:00~16:30 First Hotel Taipei top floor conference hall

9/21(Sun) Tainan 13:30~17:00 Zenda Suites conference hall

※Event location details:
〈9/20(Sat) Taipei〉
First Hotel Taipei top floor conference hall
http://www.firsthoteltaipei.com/
104台北市中山區南京東路二段63號 (This is the address. I find it easier to use the Chinese address when searching or you can print it out and show a taxi driver)
02 2541 8234

〈9/21(Sun) Tainan〉
台南市東區大學路2號 (address)
Telephone: 06-275-8999
http://www.zendasuites.com.tw/

※Cost of Entry/Date of Registration:
〈Taipei〉 Limit 40~50 guests (in 100-person capacity space)
〈Tainan〉 Limit 40~50 guests (in 60-person capacity space)

Cost (includes 2-3 refreshments and endless red tea)
A.〈Early Bird〉NT$1350:
Pay by 7/20 + send in registration form

B.〈Regular〉NT$1450:
Pay by 8/31 + send in registration form

C. After 8/31 there are only at-the-door tickets at NT$1550
*Taipei Tea Party guests from outside of the Taipei, New Taipei, and Kilung areas will be reimbursted NT$50 to help with travel costs
*Tainan Tea Party guests from outside of the Kiaohsung and Tainan areas will be reimbursted NT$50 to help with travel costs

※Event Details:
(1)Tea Party
(2)Book Purchase and Book Signing:
Set of book + 1 premier postcard + autograph
Price is 750 NTD
Book introduction:
http://ppt.cc/gen.php
http://ppt.cc/9fVq
Basically it is Misako-chan demonstrating and explaining various Lolita styles, coordinates, and basic knowledge.
(3)Misako Sale
E.g., rings, second-hand dresses, etc.
Participants from last year's tea party already know
Misako's dresses are all popular BABY brand dresses
In like-new condition; it's really a deal!
Price estimate around 3500NTD
(4)Best Four Coordinates
Two winners each from Taipei and Tainan. Guests in Lolita attire on the day of the event can introduce their point of fashion to Misako-chan and the other guests. The winners will be chosen by Misako-chan.
Winners will receive special prizes.

※Notes:
1.***Registration is not considered complete until fees are paid***
One fees are paid and registration is successful, there will be no refunds given for any reason. If the event is cancelled, full refunds will be given.
2. Lolitas please maintain a neat and clean appearance in hair and makeup for the event and wear full Lolita attire. Please wear only official Brand items, handmade, or custom items. Knockoffs and pirated designs are not acceptable. If there is confusion or discrepancy please ask beforehand.
3. Regular attire please wear casual formal wear or dresses. Please maintain a neat and cleas appearance in hair and makeup, wear authentic brand clothes. Knockoffs and pirated designs are not acceptable. If there is confuison or discrepancy please ask beforehand.
4. Only accepting money transfer to take payment right now.
5.The organizer reserves the right to change the event details as needed.
6. Lolita Fashion is not Cosplay or maid cosplay. Any guess wearing eithre of these costumes will be denied entry.

※Payment
1.ID: 0700-0001236-0584810
2.Amt. paid:
A 7/20 - 1350
B 8/31 - 1450
C 8/31 at-the-door-tickets for 1550
3.If you require an account, please send a message to the organier.

※Registration
Copy and fill out the following chart and email it to jplolitaintw2013@gmail.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
信件標題【報名Misako’s Lolita World茶會】
1.真實姓名：(real name)
2.暱稱：(online handle)
3.email：
4.手機：(cell phone)
5.匯款後5碼：(last five numbers of the account your transferred money from)
6.使用方案：(which set you are buying)
(A/B/C)
7.報名場次：(台北/台南) Choose (Taipei/Tainan)
8.是否購買NTD$750的「書+簽名+明信片」特典/數量：Will you buy the NTD750 book and gifts set? and how many?
*台北茶會當日出示北北基以外的車票，可退款50元車費補助
*台南茶會當日出示高雄&台南以外的車票，可退款50元車費補助

****Do not sent in a registration until you have paid. This form is not a reservation and will not save you a seat*****************
****After payment is received your registration is considered complete If only partial payments are received, the registration is not considered complete until the final payment has been paid in full********
****The above does not cover other events that may cost money so please prepare some spending money*****************

Lolita and a Nurse, and Interview with Misako Aoki!

Lolita model and Japan Kawaii Ambassador Misako Aoki recently gave an interview about her dual life as a Lolita model and a nurse (and she also is a nurse model now I guess).

I thought the interview was very cute. It has been translated into a few languages, and the English language one is here!

Being able to balance Lolita with a regular job 50-50 is probably a dream for everybody. I know I certainly wish my Lolita life could be incorporated into daily life more!!

What is your regular job/school? I'm really curious about what everybody does and if/how Lolita can be worn at the workplace or at school.

I used to wear Lolita to school every day, but now that I have a morning desk job, I no longer do that. So sad!

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu in Taipei!

This May (my birthday month!) sweet and adorable Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will sing in Taipei!


I REALLY hope I can go, because I will still be in school then, so I am not sure of my scheduling at that point....

But I know many people are out of school by mid-May, so if you happen to be traveling to Taipei, maybe you can catch the show! Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is not a Lolita, but she shares many of the sweet and adorable aesthetics that so many Lolitas love. I have only seen one video of hers, but her photos and styling always seem very cute and unique

Military Lolita

Normally I don't do item updates, but this spin on military-theme Lolita really caught my eye!
I'm preparing some posts on fabric shopping and exciting markets prepping for Chinese New year (at the end of the month this year), so keey an eye out for it ;)

Anyway, Yolanda on taobao.com has a military-theme set that just went up:


I love a few details in particular

The slight flare of the double-breasted piece, which can be removed, is a softer, more feminine take on the squarish cut of military uniforms. Without the piece, the golden details can be revealed:


The epaulette details are added to the hem of the skirt in addition to the usual location on the shoulders:


And the high-waist skirt looks more adult and the wide belt is a wonderful touch of detail without interfering with the lace-up back design:


Plus, the golden stitching is just gorgeous!


What is your favorite theme in Lolita fashion? I don't wear military-style fashion much, but I really like fairytale-theme clothing NOT using prints. It may not always be obvious what the theme is, but I think when teh inspiration comes from a place of fancy, there is a bit of whimsy and more elegance than is expressed with prints, since prints are the focus and the design shouldn't be too eye-catching to take away from it.

Disney Lolita Collaboration, Classic Style

Disney Japan has done another Lolita collaboration! See the previous post on the Gothic and Lolita Alice in Wonderland post here

This time is a Classic Lolita collection with BABY, Alice and the Pirates, and Crystal Ball. There are Alice and Wonderland and Cinderella clothing and household items.

By the way, sorry for such a long absence from blogging. I had a friend visit for two weeks and then I've just been working, so haven't really done anything interesting or Lolita at all!

Anyway, my favorite item from the collaboration is actually this accessory holder from the Alice collection:


Isn't it cute? Very useful, too!

I love the Cinderella jewelry too:

The necklace is a bit over the top, but in a very beautiful way, I think. I'm not sure when I'd ever wear such a thing, but it's gorgeous!


The Cinderella OP is very decadent and hime. I LOVE the princess bell sleeves on it!



The Alice skirt is less my style:


But I like the tights:

I can't really wear printed tights too much because I'm too chubby and stretch them out, skewing the print and weakening the tights. I rip tights VERY easily! So that is why I don't buy expensive or special tights ^^;

If you could create a collaboration with any Disney cartoon, which would you choose?
I would want to do a collaboration with Beauty and the Beast! Belle's daily dress and her ballgown are both gorgeous, and the Beast's suit would make for some awesome dress or kodona/ouji style. Plus, the castle is full of so many furniture characters that could be accessories or room goods. So many possibilities!

Check out the website here!

Lolita Association: An organization of Lolitas? + Misako Event in Taiwan

In the past there has been joking about an "underground" or "secret" organization of Lolitas with memberships and such. Some of you may already know about the Japanese Lolita Association or have accounts, but the reason I bring it up again is because this association actually seems to be growing!

Here in Taiwan, we have our own Kawaii Ambassador and there are events by the association. While this may sound like a fun thing, I am actually finding it to be a bit pretentious or overly "official" for my tastes (please don't axe me!) I do have a profile though! Here I am!

Don't get me wrong, I DO love the Lolita fashion is growing and kawaii culture is growing, but to organize a fashion into an actual association just seems... unnecessary? That would be like trying to get all the punks of the world to sign up in a British Punk Association, in my opinion!

Enough with the ranting. Association or no association, Japan's Kawaii Ambassador, Misako Aoki, is hosting two tea parties in Taiwan! One in Taichung and one in Taipei (where I am)



Being a member has got its perks ;)
Being a member and wearing Lolita fashion will make your entrance fee NT$990
If you are not a member OR not wearing Lolita fashion, your entrance fee will be NT$1100
And if you are neither a member nor a Lolita, your entrance fee becomes NT$1200

I am still on the fence about whether I want to go or not. I am a huge fan of Misako and would LOVE to meet her, but in addition to the language barrier, I'm afraid of the event being too formal to really get to meet or chat.

Thus far, the rundown consists of:
Lolita tea party
Misako's first overseas performance of Lolitina
Lolita Q&A
Misako's Best Dressed Picks (two best coords of the day)
Misako's Accessories Sale
~Poster for $200 + autograph
~Book for $600 + autograph
~Brooch for $150
~Ribbon Ring for $200
~Postcard for $100 + autograph
~Travel Cup Bag for $300
~Ribbon Hat for $700
~Misako's Secondhand Dresses (prices vary)

I just.... really want an Usakumya!!! I don't know if that would count as one of her secondhand dresses though!! Probably not, because it's not a dress.

What are your thoughts on having a Lolita Association? Or on every country having a Kawaii Ambassador? It's really not THAT big a deal, just strikes me as redundant. By the way, I think I finally got my commenting system fixed!!

Gothic and Lolita Alice in Wonderland

BABY THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT, Alice and the Pirates, and Crystal Ball have done a collaboration with Disney to create a charming collection of Disney Alice in Wonderland goods!

Click on the image to take you to the site.

Though I am actually not that big a fan of the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland (especially the Cheshire Cat!), I really love this collection!

In addition to the usualy clothing and accessories, there are also household goods to get!


A Crystal Ball wallet



Collaboration with BABY THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT
I really like the art style of this print. There is a close-up on the product page here. It seems to be a nice balance between the animated art and art one would expect to find in a book!


Collaboration with Alice and the Pirates
At first glance I wasn't a big fan of the frames along the bottom, but after looking at it for a while, I think I really do like this design. The illustrations are done in the original, wood-engraved Tenniel style, but with the characters replaced with Disney's versions. It's really quite charming! The product page is here for more images.

Some of the other products I like include:

The increasingly-popular book bag!


This large, roomy clock bag

Check out the size!


A travel case I wish I could have!


I definitely thought this was a real sofa at first!!! It is, in fact, a jewelry box.

There are also some things that I think could be DIY'd if you really wanted!

These earrings are super cute! You could add your own embellishments onto hoop earrings. The Alice charm would be more difficult, but you could either glue or dangle a charm from the hoops.


This lace necklace also wouldn't be too hard to make. Find a pretty piece of lace and attach it to a chain. Embellish it as you like~


This ring holder would look lovely if made out of thrift store china teacups!

There are also some items of the Cheshire Cat and White Rabbit. I never did really like Disney's version of either, but if you are a fan, you may like them!

Here is a Cheshire Cat makeup pouch (Sorry, but I really don't like his face or voice!)

The chibi version of the White Rabbit is totally adorable, though!!

Check me out! Poor rabbit is exhausted from running around all day!

Do you like Disney's version of Alice in Wonderland? What's your favorite version of Alice? I really like American McGee's Alice and the original story. Most people seem to mix up the Red Queen with the Queen of Hearts, though they are from different stories. That secretly bothers me a little ^^; I also really enjoyed Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland retelling. Especially his version of the Cheshire Cat!! So cute and cuddly!