2024 Wish/Need/Replace List

This year's wish/need/replace list doubles up as this month's Bibliotheca post as the bloggers are talking about Wishin’ and Dreamin’. And to throw in a bit of a review, I will start each respective section with a brief summary of how things went in 2023. So let's get right into it!

REPLACE

In 2023 my replace list had 4 things on it (after I dropped one upon realising it's really not necessary): a pink bolero, a pair of gold shoes, an ivory JSK, and pink ankle socks. And I am very pleased to say that by the end of the year 3 out of 4 of those were successfully replaced! In fact, I have even managed to replace one more thing: the red Sentaro bell sleeve blouse was replaced with AtePie’s Decay one. That may not have been on the list, but it’s still a replacement that’s been on my mind.

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That still leaves me with the ivory JSK to replace and because of an idea that I have, I’m all the more motivated to make it happen sooner rather than later in 2024. There was already a fair bit of scouring towards the end of 2023 and I'm slowly leaning towards getting something custom made by an indie brand (like Eat Me Ink Me or La Spina, that sort of a style).

If I notice anything else that's uncomfortable or that I'd rather have a nicer quality version of, I'll be sure to add it later on. For now the mission is to find an ivory JSK to replace AatP's Rosier Fleur.

Just one thing, that's really good, actually!

NEED

The need list is always the one that requires the most thought. It takes a very honest look at what I already own and how I like to style things these days to find the right set of items that would actually enhance my wardrobe. In 2023 I was helped a lot by the work I did to understand my preferred substyles better and most of what’s left can be carried over into 2024. At the end of the year my 2023 need list ended up looking like this:

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But nothing is ever that simple and one’s style is hardly ever constant, we all evolve in more or less subtle ways. In my case, I have noticed myself leaning more into solid main pieces (which then means that a lot of interest in the outfit comes from textures and layers), as well as preferring reds and warmer colours to cool ones (so do I need all those blue-based bits?). I should’ve paid more attention to all those moments when I thought “ooh, this could really use X” or “I wish I had Y”, that would’ve helped make this section easier to do. So with the understanding that more bits may be added later, here are the things that I believe my wardrobe could really do with:

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And again, for ease of understanding what all this means, here's the text version of it all:

• Sweet
• A necklace in navy and a neutral shape.
• A pair of large neutral earrings in sax and/or mint
• Classic
• A long sleeve bolero in sax (Millefeuille style)
• A beret in light pink

I am going to stop here because the risk is that of course I could come up with more things. But will they all actually be needs? Probably not. As I already said, I can always add later if something crops up.

WISH

I'll be the first to put my hand up to say how lucky I was to find three of the exact dresses from this list in 2023, as well as a skirt that fits the description I wanted. Sometimes we put these lists together not expecting to find the items, yet the dreams manage to come true.

What I obtained from my 2023 wishlist.
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Of course, this has motivated me to revisit what was left on the list to see how much I still want to keep and whether anything needs updating. It's still surprisingly relevant, although the few updates that are here really reflect my move towards solids over prints. Or more specifically, it highlights the sweet vs classic divide where the only prints I am still after are sweet and all bar one of my classic wishlist items are solids or patterns.  

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To aid in finding these, as not everyone is familiar with print names, here is what’s in each tier:

• Fanciful wishes
• Meta’s Airline JSK in navy
• Mary Magdalene’s Arabesque Rose in ivory (original release with shirring)
• Angelic Pretty’s Antoinette Decoration JSK in ivory (now prefer the non-bustier cut)
• BtSSB’s Antoinette Bouquet JSK in wine, the 2012 Memorial Series cut
• Seasonal wishes
• BtSSB’s Kumya’s Christmas Market JSK in either red or sax
• A sailor collar OP in navy or ivory (any brand, as long as it’d fit me, preferably in cotton or linen)
• BtSSB’s DOKI DOKI Strawberry Magic skirt in red
• Daily wishes
• Innocent World’s Cool Rose JSK in wine
• A floral skirt, preferably fully shirred

On the non-dress wishlist front I've also had some luck, both with the Millefeuille boleros and the other items. As my Millefeuille bolero collection is pretty significant right now, I should think of a better way to record what I already have to make sure that I do not accidentally buy something I already have (hasn't happened yet, but the anxiety is there and every listing I find is accompanied by way too many checks in way too many places). It feels a little odd to not have more wishes that aren't dresses (I do love both socks and blouses, for example), but there's no point trying to force myself to fill the list with stuff, so I guess it mostly stays as it is.

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And again, to list these for the sake of clarity, here it is all listed in text:

• The Millefeuille boleros
• the pure smooth Millefeuille in any colourway;
• the shell lace Millefeuille, which I originally wanted in brown, but now that I have the 2012 original lace one in brown I will take shell lace one in any colourway;
• a pink Millefeuille in any kind of lace (they were only ever available in rose and ribbon, and given how hard ribbon lace is to find second hand, I am trying to stay realistic by keeping my options open);
• and the cross lace Millefeuille in black (at a push I will accept any of the other ones).
• Layering pieces
• A full-body apron in white or ivory
• A front-lacing cottagecore corset vest/bodice in an ivory-based gobelin
• An underskirt in wine, preferably in a stiffer fabric than chiffon
• Accessories
• A wine vintage hat, either a percher or a wide brim
• Angelic Pretty Girly Sticker pochette

THE INKLINKS

For the last few years I have wrapped these posts with things that I anticipate myself wanting based on the scant previews that some brands have sent. For 2024 it seems like I am holding my breath for The Black Ribbon. They teased a jihanki print early in 2023, which was supposed to be in autumn, but clearly they needed to reschedule. And literally only a few days ago this Valentine’s Day number was previewed that has my wallet quaking.

Both images taken from The Black Ribbon's Instagram.
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Those are the only things on my radar so far. I'm always feeling like I'm playing a waiting game of “Is this where they get me?” with certain brands, like Lief or Royal Princess Alice, but they only preview what is actually upcoming and within no more than a few weeks, which means nothing to add here. Yet. That's actually quite nerve wracking, this anticipation of the unknown…


I have made a start on this list whilst I was still travelling in Japan, but didn't finish it off until I got home and took stock of what I purchased and what I already own. I've said it before and I'll say it again, doing these lists keeps me on track and fills me with determination to get things that are right for me. Ever since I started splitting my wishlist like this, I've been able to focus my wardrobe growth in ways that make the biggest difference. And right now, with all of that new year energy still around, I cannot wait to see what 2024 actually brings.

As mentioned before, for this January the Bibliotheca monthly theme is Wishin’ and Dreamin’, and there will be plenty of other bloggers taking part and probably talking about their own wishlists. Make sure to check them out and to join the Bibliotheca mailing list if you haven't yet, there are some incredible bloggers there for you to read!