10 things from my wishlist!

1. Innocent World's Westminster Choir jsk (black)

                                                  

I love this cut of the jsk and would love to own it in black. I really like that the collar is detachable!

2. Angelic Pretty's Melty Ribbon Chocolate jsk (Bitter)

I love this dress! It is pretty much the only chocolate print I like (and I love chocolate!) and I hope to own it someday in the bitter colourway.

3. Metamorphose's Pintuck Ribbon Tiered jsk (black)

I've loved this dress since I got into lolita, it was one of the first dresses I saw online. I would really like to own it in black.

4. Alice and the Pirate's Caterina jsk (black/red)

 This is such a classic dress in lolita, but I actually prefer the versions in a cotton fabric. I would like to own it in black, but I wouldn't mind owning the red colourway also.

5. Alice and the Pirates's Gathered Chiffon jsk (black)

 I love this dress and I really like how many different versions and colourways have been released. I hope to own this piece in black.

6. Angelic Pretty's Fantastic Dolly jsk (black/red)

I'm not really sure why I like this dress, I normally don't wear pink, but I've always liked this piece and probably would wear it! I love how retro the red colourway looks.

7. Pumpkin Cat's Dark Plaid OP

I think this OP is super cute! I'm hoping to get this piece soon enough! *fingers crossed*

8. Angelic Pretty's Holy Lantern jsk (black/red- zipper version)

Probably never gonna happen! But I really like this version of Holy Lantern, and I'm a really nice height for it also being only 4' 11" (I've heard it is a little short!). Maybe someday!
EDIT: That someday came! Shortly after this post, this dress was re-released and I got the red zipper version for my birthday! Woohoo!

9. Krad Lanrete's Le Chuchotis de l'ete OP

This is a piece I've admired for a while, however I'm not exactly sure about it as I don't know whether it would look nice on me due to my small bust measurements- maybe someday I'll pick it up and hope it'll fit! Haha!

10. Bodyline's L325 skirt (green/red)

I already own this skirt in black and it is one of my favourite pieces as it is really elegant and flattering. I really want it in green and maybe red. It's a really nice piece!



I hope you enjoyed this post!

- Clockwork Cailín.

Lolita 52 Challenge: 10 facts about my Lolita wardrobe!

This week I would like to talk about 10 facts about my lolita wardrobe. It took me a while to think of 10 facts but I hope they are interesting anyway!

1. Black!!

My current college lolita wardrobe- my blouses are kept separately at the moment.

Being generally a Gothic Lolita, the dominant colour in my lolita wardrobe is black. This isn't really surprising given that it dominates my non-lolita wardrobe also!

I just really like the colour black, I find it very easy to coordinate different outfits when my main piece is black and it helps that most colours will match (very helpful when I feel like a pop of colour in my coords).
When I moved back to my university recently, I went through my wardrobe and brought mostly black dresses (I left a few pieces at home) in order to maximize the versatility of my outfits.

I'm currently trying to limit my dress purchases to black ones in the immediate future and will be looking for pieces with varied details and fabrics to prevent having too boring a selection.

2. Cardigans!

I love cardigans!
I almost never leave the house in lolita without one on. I just feel uncomfortable otherwise!

Cardigans for me are a must. In Ireland we have a fairly damp and changeable climate so I think it's smart to have one handy in case I get cold.
I usually buy mine in Primark/Penneys but I love Axes Femme's ones so I'm hoping to try and get a few more interesting ones soon.

I recently got back into knitting and am currently working on a cardigan- one sleeve complete so far!

3. Simple

My lolita coords are generally quite simple. I usually wear solid tights, a jsk, a cardigan and usually (but not always) a blouse. I use my natural hair 99% of the time and usually wear it down with a flower clip on the side.
While I love looking at OTT coords and have worn OTT before, I just find that I don't have the time to do more elaborate coords every time I wear lolita. 
Besides, as a day-to-day fashion (about 3+ days a week when I can), I think that simpler coords are the way to go. Plus, as a busy university student I need to be comfortable in what I am wearing.

My comm recently had an OTT meetup for our yearly Afternoon Tea- I wore my favourite dress (see fact 9 below!) and a big matching hat I made myself. Everyone looked fantastic! And I can't wait to have the opportunity to wear something more elaborate again.

4. Offbrand

Bodyline L348- I own it in black and it is a gorgeous, heavy and well-made dress! Easily Bodyline's best piece!

Most of my wardrobe is offbrand.
I have 3 pieces of brand currently (a Putumayo blouse, a Baby jsk and an Angelic Pretty jsk/headbow/OTK set in the mail).
I do own quite a few Bodyline pieces, mostly because they are pretty durable and at the time were an inexpensive way to build up some basics- plus I do have a few nice things from them!
I like Taobao brands a lot and so I tend to buy more from them. My favourite Taobao brands are Pumpkin Cat, HMHM and Dear Celine.
I also like to sew my own pieces too.

In the future I would really like to own some pieces by Innocent World especially and Mary Magdalene. Most of my dream dresses are by Innocent World.

5. Flowers

Just some of my flower clip collection- the three round headdresses were all made by me.

I love flowers!
I usually wear flower clips in my hair and try to have a few matching ones for all my dresses.
I think they are a very versatile, inexpensive and easy way to add a little bit of elegance to a coord.
My flower clips are mostly from Primark/Penneys, Claire's Accessories and handmade.

6. Shoes

Bodyline Shoes300

My favourite shoes are Bodyline's Shoes300 in black.
I prefer low block heels for everyday wear and these shoes go with practically everything I own. I also own a pair in red for a change.

7. Favourite piece of jewellery

 


My favourite pieces of jewellery are from the The Crypt of Curiositie over on Etsy.
They are a brand based in England and make some really beautiful pieces! I love how easily they fit into both my Gothic and Classic coords.
I hope to collect more of their creations in the future and they are a regular on my Etsy favourite list.

8.My favourite bag

My favourite lolita bag is my clock bag by Restyle. It is my main bag for lolita and matches most of my pieces.
I also tend to use it outside lolita too so it gets a lot of use! It is available in two sizes, I own the smaller size one.
I love Restyle's bags and really want one of their book bags in the future.

9. My 'good dress'

Pumpkin Cat's Anniversary Encore jsk

I think everyone has at least one piece in their wardrobe that they consider to be the 'fancy piece', whether it is a rare and highly coveted brand piece, one that has special sentimental value or simply is their favourite piece.
My 'good dress' is Pumpkin Cat's Anniversary Encore jsk in black, which was a Christmas present from my boyfriend last year. The stock photo doesn't do it justice! It sparkles in real life and the fabric is gorgeous- it also fits me really well.
I wear this dress only on special occasions such as birthdays, OTT events or Christmas meets. I usually keep it safe in my wardrobe at home because I don't have any reason to wear it while down at university.

10. Handmade pieces

My best handmade dress

My last fact is that I also sew some of my own pieces. Sewing is my hobby and I love learning new techniques.
I collect the Otome No Sewing books and currently have a few projects started.
The jsk in the picture above was made by me over a year ago, it is heavily inspired by Angelic Pretty's Pastel A La Mode jsk. 

So there we are! Those are my 10 facts about my lolita wardrobe. I really enjoyed writing this piece and I hope others do too.

- Clockwork Cailín

Lolita 52 Challenge: 5 pieces that every Lolita wardrobe should have, regardless of style.

For my first post of the challenge, I want to write about the five pieces that I think every lolita should have in their wardrobe, regardless of which substyle(s) they wear.
(For handiness sake, I'll be concentrating on general examples for the 'big three' main substyles, Gothic, Sweet and Classic).

I don't believe that you can have a 'complete wardrobe' really when it comes to Lolita Fashion, there will always be something that we will want to add to our collection- be it a staple like a versatile pair of shoes in a base colour- or even a simple hair accessory or a cardigan in a complementary colour to gives us yet more options when planning our outfits. Not to mention new releases!

However, there are always a few 'basic' items that are useful to have, no matter which fashion you follow- this is something that definitely is helpful in Lolita Fashion.
Having these items on hand can help you put together several different outfits- these are especially useful if you are a regular wearer of the style and may not have time to meticulously plan each and every coordinate you wear.

So what items do I think are important for every lolita's wardrobe?

1. A simple non-print jsk in a plain base colour.

Prints are wonderful! And Lolita Fashion is stuffed to the brim with them!
However, I think a basic non-print jsk in a base colour is a very useful item to have in any wardrobe (in fact, I'd actually recommend having more than one if you can- especially if you have more than one main colour in your wardrobe).
They are also very useful to lolitas beginning in the fashion as they can make it easy to learn to coordinate your pieces.

A non-print jsk is very versatile! They can be dressed up with a fancy blouse, tights/OTKs and outerwear- or they can be worn as is with a simple cardigan and some jewelry for a more casual look.
A non-print dress can also be matched with a variety of themes, accent colours and accessory combinations generally without worrying about clashing items with a specific print.

For the Gothic Lolita's wardrobe, I would recommend a simple black jsk such as these:

Alice and the Pirates

Baby the Stars Shine Bright

Baby the Stars Shine Bright

 

For a Sweet Lolita wardrobe, I would recommend a pink or blue jsk such as any of the following:

Baby the Stars Shine Bright

Baby the Stars Shine Bright

For the Classic Lolita's wardrobe, I would recommend a jsk in perhaps Wine, Brown or Cream/Offwhite such as:

SurfaceSpell

          

Innocent World

Innocent World

Naturally, different lolitas will have different choices when it comes to colours, but these are generally popular colours in the different substyles.

2. Comfortable shoes!
Lolita Fashion is full of gorgeous shoes! From teaparties to platforms and oxfords to rocking-horse shoes.
Everyone has their own favourite style.
However, I think that it is very important to have a pair in your wardrobe that will match everything if possible and most importantly- be comfortable!
I'm a university student, so I need a pair of shoes that I can stand and walk in daily without killing my feet.
Personally, I favour a pair of black teaparty-style shoes with a medium block heel for everyday wear and I prefer to stay away from very high heels.
I would honestly suggest a lower-heeled or flat shoe for daily-wear because they will be easier on the feet for most people.


Here are two examples of my own go-to favourites:

Bodyline Shoes251

Bodyline Shoes300

3. A basic hair accessory in a base colour
I love bonnets and seeing intricate and fun hair accessories in Lolita, and I feel that no outfit is really complete without some sort of hair accessory.

You cannot go wrong with having a simple Alice bow, flower clip or headdress in your base colours to finish an outfit- especially daily and when you might be in too much of a hurry to try different pieces on before going out the door.

Items such as the following are great and simple examples for any lolita's wardrobe:

Innocent World 

Innocent World 

Baby the Stars Shine Bright

Mary Magdalene

4. A bag that matches everything
Most lolitas will carry more than just their wallet with them, so a decent sized bag that can hold your money, phone, make-up, etc. is a must for any lolita.

Loris 

Loris 

Loris

5. A fancy bolero/cardigan

I think every lolita should have some sort of fancier bolero or cardigan in their wardrobe.Plain cardigans and boleros are very helpful to have for general wear (and I have many!) but having at least one fancier one will help you bring an outfit up a notch and make your coordinates a bit more elegant.
My favourite examples are the famous Innocent World Millefeuille boleros (see the first image below).

Features such as ruffled lace, textured fabric (such as lace, velvet or chiffon) or even a detailed knit are what you want to look for, for this item.

Innocent World 

Bodyline

Mary Magdalene

Infanta

So that's my five pieces that I think every lolita wardrobe should have in order to really help flesh out and keep their outfits versatile. These are all items that can be found in the brand, off-brand and handmade categories (I really recommend shopping around and seeing if you can pick up good deals and interesting items!).

I hope you all enjoyed this post and maybe found it helpful! ^_^

- Clockwork Cailín.

Lolita 52 Challenge!

To begin my Lolita Fashion blog I've decided to start writing on topics in Fyeahlolita's Lolita 52 Challenge!

I will try and post about once a week or so on at least one of the topics (in no particular order) outlined in the list below. I may even include several topics under one heading if I feel like they are connected.

Here are the 52 topics I will be drawing from:

1.  5 pieces that every Lolita wardrobe should have, regardless of style
2.  5 movies for Lolitas
3.  What my own Lolita lifestyle is like 
4.  Favorite thing to put on my head
5.  My wardrobe turnover
6.  My favorite Lolita brand
7.  Why I wear Lolita?
8.  Why don't I wear Lolita more often?
9.  5 keywords that describe my personal Lolita style
10.  How I first found out about Lolita
11.  3 trends I wish would come back
12.  Combining other fashions with Lolita
13.  Lolitas I have met in real life
14.  Lolitas I would love to meet
15.  3 things I wish I was told when I was a new Lolita
16.  10 facts about my Lolita wardrobe
17.  My first meetup
18.  Trends I thought I would never get into, but I now love
19.  Trends I thought I loved, but now I'm not too keen on
20.  How satisfied I am with my current wardrobe
21.  Plan for a trip! A week's worth of Lolita outfits I can fit in a small suitcase
22.  How I accessorize
23.  What influences my Lolita style
24.  What's in my makeup bag
25.  Best places to wear Lolita
26.  How I get out of a wardrobe slump
27.  Purses that I love
28.  Bloomers or no bloomers?
29.  Lolitafying things in my everyday life
30.  How long it took me to build a complete wardrobe
31.  Impulse buys that were totally worth it
32.  My best deal
33.  Something that I made
34.  Wardrobe blunders! Things I bought that I ended up regretting!
35.  What I thought when I got my first real piece of Lolita
36.  Nails to match my favorite looks
37.  Something that's not my style, but I love anyways
38.  Favorite hair style
39.  Most versatile Lolita item I own
40.  5 inspirational fictional characters
41.  Fondest meetup memory
42.  The ways in which I fit the cliche
43.  The ways in which I do not fit the cliche
44.  How strangers react to my clothes, and how I react to their reactions
45.  Something that was a gift
46.  Parasols: Vital or frivolous?
47.  The item in my wardrobe that was the hardest to get
48.  My "signature" outfit
49.  My favorite Lolita print
50.  What's in my closet, but I haven't worn yet!
51.  Predict the next Lolita trend!
52.  How Lolita has changed me

I hope that these topics will help inspire me to get this blog up and running and I look forward to writing them ^_^

- Clockwork Cailín