52 weeks (39) - Lolitas I would love to meet

An "idol" I want to meet is Midori Fukasawa. She is one of my favorite Lolita models and simply.. Lolita perfection! I also have her Pullip Doll ♥
I'd looove to meet the girls from the US-american or Australian communities! LovelyLor's and Deerstalker Pictures' videos are always fun to watch and they all seem so nice and fun ♥
To keep it short, I want to meet all of them, all around the world, as many as possible. I've met soo many wonderful people through Lolita fashion and I know there are many more out there ♥

Sorry for the short "filler" post >_< But next month will be at least two Lolita meetups I'm looking forward,too ♥ So more other stuff to post about ^_^

52 weeks (38) - Something that was a gift

So just before the 38th week ends, my contribution to this weeks 52 weeks challenge ^_^

I don't like expensive presents, so almost everything from my Lolita wardrobe is from me. Plus, I don't like presents that are just like: I don't know what to give to you? - I want that dress, you can buy this for me.... you know, presenting something just for the sake of presenting. So that's why I buy my stuff on my own. Some years ago, I don't even remember the name, there was was Secret Shop reseller on Livejournal and my boyfriend pre-ordered a pair of shoes for me because he had noooo idea what to give to me -_- Don't get me wrong, I was very happy about the shoes but I would have been happier about a present he chose for me.

They are replicas of Angelic Pretty's Dolly Pearl shoes. I still own and love these shoes. I've worn them quite often, also outside of Lolita. They are very comfortable and easy to coordinate ^_^

Abother Lolita present I got was this ring by my best friend Cindy.

She got herself the gold one, I got the silver one from her for my birthday this year. It's soooo beautiful and it's also a twin item, which makes it even cooler :D

How do you feel about Lolita presents? Did you also get some in the past? ^_^

52 weeks (37) - My signature outfit

I'm still one week late D: 
That's a hard one. I try to wear many different colors, styles and outfits, so I don't think I have a signature oufit but maybe a signature color. It's RED! My absolute favorite color, especially in Lolita! Many people told me that red really suits me and sometimes think of me, when they see a red dress. Cute, right? ♥

These are just some examples of my red coordinates, there were more red dresses in my closet over the years :D I wish there were more red colorways of prints ♥

Do you have a "signature" outfit?

52 weeks (36) - Fondest meetup memory

There were many wonderful meetups but there was one I liked by far the most. It was the second day of the Kawaii Weekend in Utrecht 2013. We visited a castle and had a picnic afterwards. Everyone was in a good mood, the weather was nice and we all took a lot of pictues. Misako and RinRin were the special guests at the meetup and were also in a very cheerful mood. They asked what some words mean in Dutch or German and tried to pronounce them. It was so cute and funny! We taught RinRin: "Du bist krass!" which means "you are rad!" but acutally you can use "krass" for many different meanings. We even made a video when she said it! I love to watch the video again sometimes. Maybe this sounds stupid to some people but this was the best meetup I ever attended. The guided tour through the castle was very interesting, the location was beautiful and the atmosphere was just...perfect! I really cherish the memories of that day ♥

The beautiful castle! Unfortunately you were not allowed to take photos inside.

the two lovely special guests ♥
 
Misako, Cindy, RinRin and me

Which meetup memory do you cherish the most? ♥

52 weeks (34-35) - influences & hair accessory

There will be Lolita meetup this Saturday so finally another blog entry than the 52 weeks challenge, yay! I'm also preparing some other blog posts like reviews or another part of Coorc Chaos ^_^

I have to admit, some of the questions from the 52 weeks challenge are hard to answer. This time it's about influences. I distinguish influences and inspiration now. Please keep it in mind :)

What influences my Lolita style

(1) Current trends
This is obvious, I think. Although I am not wearing all the new trends, my style gets influenced by them. Sometimes unconscious, sometimes conscious. If you see certain things a lot and like it, you automatically try to achieve a similar look.

(2) My feelings/ mood
I'm sorry, this is quite obvious, too. Sometimes I'm in the mood for sweet, sometimes I want to wear classic or even something dark/gothic. I can't really explain which feelings make me choose which style but my current mood makes a huge influence.


Favorite thing to put on my head

I already answered this question, so I just refer to my Lolita Blog Carnival entry....

So I hope you're looking forward to new entries with more pictures again ^^"

52 weeks (33) - Three things...

Almost done with catching up!

Three things I wish I was told when I was a new Lolita

"Offbrand" Lolita doesn't work really well..
My first outfits consisted of dresses from h&m or New Yorker. I think I looked cute for what it was but it's not sooo Lolita. You can make mistakes when you are new (when if not then?) but I would recommend to invest in a real Lolita piece. It doesn't have to be a brandnew Angelic Pretty/ Baby/ Moitie/ whatever item but something second hand or Taobao is also okay for girls with a low budget. When you have a better feeling for what looks good and what not, it's totally cool to mix with offbrand items but it's harder for beginners to make a proper Lolita outfit out of non-Lolita items. After my first outfits, I bought dresses from Taobao which improved my style immensly.


Invest money
Lolita is a hobby (for most of us) and a hobby costs money. Lots of it, if you want to do it properly. If you like pimping your car, you have to invest in new pieces, if you like taking photographs, you need a good camera with different lenses. It all costs money. It doesn't have to be the most expensive but a hobby costs money. I was very sting with buying Lolita stuff at first. A dress for more than 150€? No way I would ever pay this! (Now I have dresses that cost double of it x_x) So I tried to make the best out of my wardrobe and failed completely. When I bought a good petticoat and paid (if I remember correctly) 80€ for my first real Lolita dress set (by Lolita Princess from Taobao) my style improved. Same goes for shoes. I repeat but I DON'T mean that everything has to be brand - by far not! But to have a good basic equipment, you have to invest money and don't try to be toooo avaricious. Because then you may have to buy twice.


Don't get too colorful
There are so many pretty pieces in all the pretty colors. If you are a beginner, your mind screams "BUY AAAAALL THE STUFF!" but if you haven't put up a wardrobe of basics (white blouse etc) yet, don't try to buy too many different colors and styles. It's easier to mix and match if you have a kind of "color code". Try to buy one outfit you like and not many different pieces that don't match. Hope it gets clear what I mean. Having gothic dresses and sweet blouses doesn't make any sense, you should buy matching items.

Maybe this doesn't help every Lolita newbie but it would have helped me ^^" I learned a lot over the years and I'm still learning. It never ends ^_^

52 weeks (31-32) - My wardrobe

I hope I'm done with catching up after this post! For these two weeks, I chose wardrobe themes:

My wardrobe turnover
To be honest, I'm not quite sure what this means :D I've read other blog posts about this topic and the  bloggers also have different interpretations. My interpretation is how often/how much the content of my closet changes (?)
I buy and sell very much. If I buy something, I try to sell something, too. So my wardrobe is always "in motion". Sometimes I buy more, sometimes I sell more. My favorite and oldest pieces are from 2010/2011. All of the others are newer. When I've worn a dress often "enough", I try to sell it and buy somethings new instead. I even sold pieces I have never worn. My buying instict is too strong :D Not sorry! I have a photobucket where I save stockpics of my Lolita closet. It's not always up to date but I have an album with pieces I owned. My mother is always shocked when I sell dresses but I can't keep all of them, then I feel bad. There are several reasons I sell something: I own it for a long time already and haven't worn it, it doesn't fit me, it doesn't suit me, I have worn it very often already, I don't like it anymore. So I feel better selling a dress and buying a new one instead.



How satisfied I am with my current wardrobe
I'm quite satisfied with it! I want to get rid of some pieces but I have the feeling she selling market had better times...There are still many wishlist items I want to have but I already have many items from my wishlist. I'm looking forward to buy more floral dresses again! I had a non-print phase and sold many of my flower prints. Now I want the flowers back! :D When I look at my blouses and socks, I have the feeling that there is enough for everything. Although I always see new pretty designs and think of buying them. Same goes for shoes. I still need the perfect light blue shoes and a classic bag in ivory but all in all, I'm quite satisfied with how it is at the moment. There could be always more (of course, haha) but I have more then enough, when I'm honest. (Btw. just bought a long-time wishlist item this morning. I am sooooo happy)

Are you satisfied with your current wardrobe, too? Do you think: "That's enough!" or "There's never enough!"
I'm the latter :D

52 weeks (29-30) - Three...

I have to catch up with posting, so I'm joining these two topics. It was very hard for me to answer them, so I lowered the answers to three.

5 3 movies for Lolitas
You expect me to write Pride and Prejudice, Marie Antoinette or Kamikaze Girls, right? Basically, I'd say every movie is for Lolitas. But I will try to pick three.

Legally Blonde
Lolitas have to fight against prejudices a lot. So has Elle, the main character of the movie. She is blonde and is a total girly girl. But her will is it to study law. During the movie she shows all the people who don't believe in her itelligence that she is very clever. I've seen this movie sooo often, also the second movie. No matter what you like or what you wear, you can be clever, strong and intelligent.

Lost in Austen
It's not Pride and Prejudice exactly but almost. Amanda switches sides with Elizabeth, the main character of the book. It's very funny, lovely and modern.

Sailor Moon
Not a movie exactly but Usagi is a crybaby at the beginning and is very insecure about being a sailor senshi or even the princess of the moon. But during the seasons the becomes more mature and strong to fight against the evil in the world. It's always good to see strong woman who accept their destiny and don't give up!



5 3 inspirational fictional characters

Momoko from Kamikaze Girls
She wears Lolita although she is alone with it. She does what she loves and this is was makes her inspirational.

Cinderella
"Even miracles take a little time" Never give up, there will be better times. Never stop dreaming. This is what Cinderella shows us. She is my all-time favorite Disney princess.

Shinku from Rozen Maiden
She is a doll who is wearing Classic Lolita with a bonnet and Innocent World even made a dress set inspired by her. Isn't that cool enough? Haha :D Maybe she doesn't always show her good heart but you should not evaluate someone at first glance. She actually cares very much for her sisters.

Do you have a must-see movies for Lolitas? Or a special character that inspired you? For me, it was very hard to find answers to these questions. I love movies and stuff but I am not this kind of person with idols or role models from fictional stories.

52 weeks (28) - How Lolita has changed me

Let's try! I can't ask friends I had before and after my discovery for Lolita, so I have to write about my personal feelings now.

(1) coordinating
When I choose my clothes, I think about balancing out the colors for example. I think I didn't do this before that much. Also choosing accessory. Before, I just wore my necklace I wore everyday and the same watch and rings and now I have a s**tload of accessory for every color xD



(2) more friends
I don't want to say that I have many close friends but I found the best through Lolita. My most beloved people except from my BF and family are also from the Lolita community ♥ Lolita made me more outgoing and open for new acquaintances.



(3) spening money on clothes
Okay, this might be obvious. I spend muuuuch more money than before because Lolita can be an expensive hobby if you are a shopaholic :D



(4) travelling
I'm travelling much more, only for Lolita events. Netherlands, Austria or England for example! I love to meet Lolitas from other countries I only knew from the web before.



(5) spending time on the internet
I want to be up to date, see the new releases and announcements for events, read other blogs and so on. So I spend much time online for reading and researching all this stuff. Of course I want to see the newest sales :D

Maybe Lolita had negative effects on my personality, I don't know. I'm no secret writer and I'm not a fan of bashing people, online nor offline. So it can't be that bad :D

Did Lolita change you? In which way? I want to know, so please write it in the comment box ^_^

52 weeks (26/27) - Trends

Now I have to catch up with the last 52 weeks challenges. For today it is all about trends. I haven't found more examples than these two here but I think this should be enough ^_^

Trends I thought I would never get into, but I now love


Bonnets
I still think that I look like a big baby with bonnets but sometimes I wear them. I even made two myself! Triple fortune bonnets are a big thing now. They are really pretty so I think that's a reason why I wear bonnets now. I prefer the stiff ones with feathers and stuff. The soft ones are still very baby-like to me. Don't get me wrong, they look cute on others but I feel strange with them.


Trends I thought I loved, but now I'm not too keen on


Rocking Horse shoes
They aren't trendy anymore but I absolutely saw enough of them! I had two pairs of the montreal replicas in red and white. I also wore them for partying and for shopping but now I can't see them anymore. Too chunky and big. I like elegant shoes more now.

Do you have trends you never thought you'd like or the other way around? Let me know in the comments :)

52 weeks (24/25) - Clichés

I will combine the last week's and this week's post since I could't make week 24 in time! It's about cliches! Hm, what are Lolita cliches? I don't know if the following are real Lolita cliches but feel to add more in the comments section ^_^

The ways in which I fit the cliche
- I love cake, cupcakes...
...and I love to bake them! I'm not like Buddy from Cake Boss but I love to bake cakes with apples, strawberries, cream etc! My family is always happy when I bake something for a birthday or event :D It's fun for me!

- I'm a shopaholic
...and a brandwhore. Guilty as charged! I love to buy new stuff and sometimes I overdo it but at the moment I am trying to make my wardrobe a bit smaller. I feel sorry for all the dresses I haven't worn for a very long time.

- I love doing handicrafts
I have a scrapbook, make my own headdresses and jewelry sometimes, I love doing this stuff. Wish I had more time for this!

The ways in which I do not fit the cliche
- I  don't listen to classic or Japanese music
I've listened to Japanese music like Ayumi Hamasaki around 10 years ago. Now I only do it for nostalgic reasons. I prefer other music nowadays. Some rock, metal, core etc.. bands like Trivium, A Day to Remember, Disturbed, Fall Out Boy, Escape the Fate, Falling in Reverse etc.
I know many Lolitas listen to this (or a similar) kind of music but I still think classic or Japanese music is a cliché.

- I swear
Wearing Lolita doesn't change my personality. I'm not different then, I'm just as nice, angry, evil, honest as always. It's not cosplay, it's fashion and fashion doesn't change my way of behaving.

- I don't like tea
...or coffee. I drink tea sometimes when it's winter but I always prefer a hot chocolate. I just pour too much sugar in tea :D Tea Party? Yes please!! Tea? No thanks!!

Three of each will do, I hope :) Do you fit in the common clichés or not?

52 weeks (23) - Why I wear Lolita

How I came to Lolita was also part of the 52 weeks challenge. You can read this entry here. Now I want to explain why I still love this fashion and why I wear it.

This entry will be very wordy again...I am sorry (シ_ _)シ

(1) I feel pretty
It's not that I am very unhappy with my look but when I put my dress on, wear false eyelashes, a petticoat, have beautiful curls and nice shoes, then I feel really good. When I put lots of effort in a coord and I feel that it suits and flatters me, I am really happy. My friends ands family also support me and like Lolita, that helps a lot, too.

(2) I love the elegance
Lolita has many facets: classic, sweet, gothic and so on. They all have their own kind of elegance, some styles more than the others. It atrracted me eleven years ago although the style was very different that time. It looked elegant and so different from all the other styles I knew, it had a (dark) elegance that fascinated me. This hasn't changed over the years.

(3) I meet awesome people
Through Lolita I met maaaany people I would not have met otherwise, I think. Some of them are very close friends now, others are people I love to talk to when we have meet ups. I love the community in general, despite of the drama. Of course I can meet my friends without wearing Lolita, I do this, too. But wearing Lolita in a group and having a meet up, has a special feeling.

(4) I love Lolita
Okay, that's obvious! I would not wear it if I didn't love it. I am thinking about Lolita every day, check updates, read blog etc. Maybe I don't wear it everyday but in my heart and in my actions, I am Lolita. 100%, every day ♥ No other fashion has fascinated me for such a long time. I evolve with the fashion and I love it!! I don't know how long I will wear Lolita but at the moment I can't think of stopping!

So that's why I wear Lolita, what are your reasons you are wearing this style?
By the way, did you notice I changed my layout a little bit? It's not that different but I use another header and color theme now :)

52 weeks (22) - My favorite Lolita brand

I already answered this question in one of the Lolita Blog Carnivals. It is Angelic Pretty. Because I don't want to repeat the last entry, I will present another one of my favorite brands.

 

I don't own many Metamorphose dresses at the moment but I have some on my wishlist and I just love this brand for being creative and daring. We all remember the Dark Secret for example: Not one of my favorite series but military style is very critital in Lolita fashion and Meta was brave enough to release this series after all the criticism. The flight attendant series was also really cute and different! Metamorphose is also very creative when it comes to cuts, of course, they repeat them also but they bring out many new styles, too!
I don't like all of the stuff they release (same goes for Angelic Pretty and any other brand) but I'm always amazed by them. They have pieces for all the styles!! The bags are really cool and so are the socks and shoes ♥ Wish I owned more of this brand!

Me wearing Meta dresses. I sold the Crown Bouquet, Perfume Bottle and Heart Leopard but I still like the series very much! I hope I will own more Metamorphose dresses in the future, they have released beautiful pieces recently like Wheel of Time or Girlie Stuff.

Do you like Metamorphose, too? What is your favorite Lolita brand?

52 weeks (21) - 5 pieces...

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

I will skip the obvious pieces like a petticoat and so on because that's basic for me :)

(1) flower hairclips
They can be bought in every color and are suitable for sooo many styles! I love them in sweet, gothic, classic and so on. They can be used to hold up bonnets or as full hair accessory as a headgarden.

(2) pearl necklaces
The same as above, the color doesn't matter, they are always stylish. The length is also variable, so it suits so many styles and almost always matches.

(3) Mary Janes
With this, I mean shoes with heels in general. It makes a look much more elegant and grown up when you wear shoes with heels instead of flat tea partys for example.

(4) chiffon blouse
In black or white/ivory, whatever you need the most. Sometimes a coord needs another fabric than just velvet or thick cotton, so a chiffon blouse gives the whole outfit a nice touch. Of course they look good with chiffon dresses, too :D

(5) tights
Brands are releasing many tights in the recent time, so I'd say they are the new basic item. Many Lolitas have problems with socks rolling down their knees. So tights are a pretty alternative to them, no matter if they are solid colored, with lace or with print ^__^

Do you have a recommendation for other Lolitas what is a must have?
Next entry will be about the Japan Day ^___^

52 weeks (20) - 5 keywords

Welcome to another part of the 52 weeks challenge, today it's about:
5 keywords that describe my personal Lolita style

I asked my best friend for help and she contributed a few ideas :D 

floral
My favorite print theme :D I sold many of my floral dresses but it's still my favorite. When there's a new dress with flowers, there is a 90% chance that I love like it. A goal was to complete my Angelic Pretty Rose Triplet (Tiara Rose, Lady Rose, Powder Rose) I owned all three of them but also Rose Princess Doll, Humming Fleur etc.. And I want all the others out there, too D:

red
My favorite color! Some of my friends think of me when they see red dresses for sale ♥ At the moment I have six red dresses and it's not enough. It's quite sad that red is not that popular as a colorway for prints. It's more poular for solid colored pieces but I can live with that *haha*

brandwhore
Do I really have to add something to this? It doesn't have to be all brand. I have no name stuff, taobao clothes and even some bag and shoe replicas *oops* But I prefer it over the other stuff, I'm just honest :)

classic-sweet
It's my preffered style. I love to combine Angelic Pretty dresses with classic elements, for example my Chess Chocolate coord from last year. I'm not a fan of super sweet (just for some special occasions like the Kyary Pamyu Pamyu conert I still have to post about >_<) so I mix classic with sweet. I want it to look grown-up. No flat shoes or OTT accessory with macarons and so on.

feminine
It almost belongs to the classic-sweet but I want to emphasize it. Some examples: I hate babydoll cuts, I don't want my breasts to look flat in dresses, I always wear heels to Lolita. My perfect dress is the Fleur Antoinette by Mary Magdalene. The waist it where it belongs, it shows some neckline but not too much and you just have a nice bodyshape when you wear it (except for your hips but that's the point of Lolita :D)

So this is my contribution to this week's theme. Hope you liked it. Comments are always appreciated ♥

52 weeks (19) - My best deal

I am a bargain-hunter. I love to buy stuff on sale and have the feeling of saving money. Unfortunately, it's not always possible in Lolita fashion. If you want to have something new, you should buy it after the release or you will end of searching for it a long time or have to pay more that it would have cost new. Of course, this doesn't have to be fact for everything. Some pieces are easliy to get with a discounted second hand price.
There are some pieces I got under the normal market-price but this bag is my favorite:

When I was in Tokyo last year, Cindy and I met up with RinRin the first day. We walked through Harajuku and she showed us some cool and sometimes hidden shops. I just brought one bag with me for the journey because I wanted to buy bags in Tokyo (I bought four bags in the end :D) I needed a beige/ivory bag for my planned outfit for the Innocent World Tea Party and when we entered the Closet Child in Harajuku, I immediately spotted this bag.

see these beautiful bedsheets from our hotel in Tokyo :D

It's quite big and has muuuuch space in it! Perfect for me, I need much space when I go to meetups or events. And then - the price:
2,800 Yen!
Okay, I'll take it! There are two small scratches on the back of the bag but nothing you can see when you wear it. The embroidery is still intact and nothing else is damaged.
It became my number one bag in Tokyo and I took it with me most of the time. It was also my handluggage when we went to Vienna for the Tea Party and to London for Enchanted. Maybe it is even my most used Lolita bag although I only have it since the end of September.
So yeah.. this was my best deal ♥

Do you also have one thing that was a reaaaally good deal or do you always buy stuff with a low budget? I think it's fantastic to buy stuff for cheap ^_^

52 weeks (18) - Purses that I love

I like this week's theme:
Purses that I love
I looooove handbags in general, not only for Lolita. I have sooo many and I am sad that I can't wear all of them as much as they deserve (same goes for shoes). Sooo...where to start?

(1) Heart bags

Especially the Baby heart bags *-* Here you can see my collection. I'd looove to have the lavender and gold one, too. The Milk heart bags are more simple but also more spacious, I want one too.

The Evil Live medium size heart bags was on my wishlist for quite some time. I bought it last week to celebrate my better-paid job now :D

(2)  Innocent World bags

Unfortunately, I only own one IW bag but I use it very often. I wish I had more of these beautiful bags that are one colored and are made of faux leather. They are very versatile and elegant.

I love many other bags, too but I can't show all of them here. I also use my Lolita bags for daily looks, they look good to everything ♥

52 weeks (17) - Best places to wear Lolita

Hope you are all relaxed from your long easter-holidays-weekend. On Saturday we had a meetup in Düsseldorf and as soon as I get the pics, I will post about it. (that reminds me of......Enchanted. I haven't posted about this yet, too D: ) But first of all, another 52 weeks theme post:
Best places to wear Lolita
Every place is the best place to wear Lolita except for.. bed or bath maybe ;D Conventions are always a good reason to wear Lolita because no one will ask you why you are dressed like that :D
But for this theme I will write down my favourite backgrounds for Lolita pictures :)
Our local community is always hunting for new locations for Lolita meetups photoshoots. I prefer pretty backgrounds, matching to the outfit/ the outward appearance. I'm no fan of contrasting backgrounds. Example: Sweet Lolita in an old, dirty factory or something like this.

(1) Gardens, flower beds (nature in general)


This picture is from last year's Royal Pony meetup. It was a beautiful day and we visited Benrath Castle which has a wide garden with many flowers. I love floral prints for my dresses, so it's very fitting for most of my outfits :D

(2) Castles 

(This photo is from 2011 and not very good but it shows the pretty pink Benrath castle)

Unfortunately, most of the time, taking photos is forbidden in the rooms but the architecture of the castle can be a very pretty background, too.

(3) Fountains

(photo by B1nh Photography)
Fountains give a certain dynamic to the picture, it's not so stiff like a house or something. I have several pictures with fountains, I really like them ^_^