Capsule Wardrobe: Packing for Japan Edition

It seems like forever since I did a post about packing frills for a (then imaginary) trip to Japan. Well, now I am going for real (in just over three weeks, aaa!) and will need to pack for real, so let’s do it all again, 2023 update style!

Some Criteria

Like with any capsule wardrobe, we need some parameters to work within, some criteria that will determine what to pack and what I will make the most use out of. For reference, as I am going for nearly three weeks, I do not plan on wearing lolita every day, although I don’t yet have a specific plan on how often I will wear frills. As such, a capsule wardrobe is better for me than a set of specific outfits since it will allow me the freedom to decide what to wear on the day depending on other circumstances (weather, mood, activity, how my body is feeling etc.). But some basics to consider are:

• It is firmly winter when I am going. Whilst I will also be visiting some places further south that will be a little warmer, it is always easier to take layers off than add them mid-stroll, so I need to pack for cool weather. At the moment it’s too early for accurate weather forecasts, but the average temperatures for the places on my itinerary range from 2-12°C, with potential for both warmer and cooler.
• When in Japan, one always travels a lot on foot, so comfortable footwear is a must. I may have space for one, maaaybe two pairs of less sensible shoes for looks, but need to make sure that everything that I pack will work with the practical footwear that I plan on taking.
• A big point of a Japan trip is being able to shop in person, so I can’t pack my suitcase completely full. Moreover, I’m going to several different places and lugging a heavy suitcase up some train station stairs is not my idea of fun (been there and done that). Therefore my lolita pieces have to be relatively interchangeable for maximum versatility. Also, because of the length of my stay, they need to be easy to maintain, so that I can safely throw them into coin laundry machines to keep them fresh.
• Lastly, although some of the non-lolita pieces that I have in mind to pack require a petticoat, that is a different one to the one that works with most of my frills. Whilst I am perfectly happy to travel in a petticoat to save on packing space, travelling in two is a bit much on such a long flight. So whatever I pack has to work with one of the two petticoats that I have in mind. Later, if I have time and energy, I may do some further tests to see if, for example, I could make do with my cage skirt instead, since that at least packs flat, as well as test a vacuum bag for whichever petticoat I won’t be wearing, but generally speaking the more interchangeable the petticoats are the better.

I’m not going to dwell on the obvious (like handbag) or the necessary things (like a jacket/coat) since those are less about coordinating and more just the realities of travelling. I will need those and will have to pick something practical first, aesthetic second, so whilst they will be in the big overall list of what I’m taking, they won’t feature in any of the individual looks. And as that sets out all of my restrictions, let’s have a stab at actually putting something together!

The Capsule Wardrobe

Everything lolita that I have so far earmarked to pack, put together into two collages in Whering.

I have gone for red as the base of my capsule. Most of my red pieces are pretty versatile and red is also a primary accent colour for nearly my entire wardrobe, so I had that in mind when shopping for winter boots, which then determined the rest. And between Christmas and the New Year, red is a very seasonal and auspicious colour to wear. The hope is that between white and green as secondary colours I will still manage to get enough diversity of looks, as well as enough of a crossover of pieces to minimise packing.

The big list up here does not include the non-lolita pieces that I’m also taking (though it is just four dresses) nor any of the jewellery that I will also pack. Small bits like that don’t translate to digital collages very well and the necessity of layering combined with quite a textural range of the capsule might not require too many extra bits.

Some Outfits

For a change of pace, rather than show you a couple of coords with each of the main pieces I’m taking, I will show off a handful of coords that I am actually considering wearing grouped by the theme of the activity. Bar one of these, you’ve all seen me wear these dresses and skirts multiple times and I’d like to believe that it is quite easy to imagine how this particular set of items could create a large and diverse set of looks. Focusing on things that I have provisionally put into my Whering calendar will give you a more authentic flavour of how I intend to use this capsule. You won’t necessarily see every single item being used here and I am at peace with the fact that during the trip I may not end up wearing some of the tops or socks. But equally, if the weather proves cooler than what I packed for, they may end up being worn and not visible for extra layering and warmth, so same difference. The point here is to show the scale of my options, from the most casual to the most OTT, with these specific pieces and also share a few tidbits from my very loose itinerary.

Travelling

On the left is Lady Sloth's Winter Spices skirt.
On the right is Violet Fane's Otome Nostalgia skirt.

The easiest way to bring a petticoat with you is to travel in one. And of the two that I’m bringing, my Aurora and Ariel one is the more cumbersome to pack, so this is the one that I’ll be travelling in. Also, for longer bits of travel comfort is much more of a priority than for shorter bursts (which in my books is up to 3 hours). So for the plane journey to Japan there’s no point wasting any of my nicer tops when I have this comfy normie jersey one, whereas for some of the shorter train hops across Japan I can afford to be a bit more dressed up since that will save me on changing once I get to my hotel.

Shopping

On the left is Violet Fane's Otome Nostalgia skirt.
On the right is Axes Femme Kawaii's Coca-Cola Collab JSK.

Shopping is the one thing that lolitas travel to Japan for. And there is definitely a balance to be had between comfort and looks. On the one hand, this could be a day with a lot of walking, including up and down stairs, and changing rooms may also be involved. Having something more low-key for that will make the experience less stressful. But on the other hand - as a non-Japanese traveller in Japan we want to signal to the shop staff that we are serious shoppers and not some casual tourists. Looking as much lolita as possible will help achieve that before I even open my mouth and put the shop staff at ease by being able to communicate in their language. So shopping can really involve all kinds of outfits and this capsule will definitely allow me that!

Going out/Celebrating

On the left is Grove Deer's Moon of Eternal Day OP.
On the right is Axes Femme Kawaii's Coca-Cola Collab JSK.

I have a few days earmarked for some sort of a going out or a celebratory occasion with other people. These range from dinners to Christmas things and are the more dressed up end of the scale, justifying a more playful or elegant approach. As well as the slightly less practical footwear as even should it rain or be snowy, I should be ok to make my way there. And if really not - the outfits won’t lose much charm because of practical footwear.

Day trips

On the left is Meta's Gold Braid Tuck Pinafore JSK.
On the right is Grove Deer's Moon of Eternal Day OP.

Although I don’t plan to do too much of the touristy bits (I’ve done so many already), I enjoy having at least one new thing to do/see/visit when I go back to Japan. This time this will range from small museum trips to actual strolling around cities I’ve never been to. My main goal is to soak in the cityscapes and soundscapes, so it won’t always be necessary for me to have the most comfy shoes, I can play that a bit by ear depending on how I feel on the day and what I decide on doing.

Laid back days

On the left is Meta's Gold Braid Tuck Pinafore JSK.
On the right is Lady Sloth's Winter Spices skirt.

One of the things that I would like to do is a bit more of a proper hatsumoude (first shrine visit of the New Year). I’ve worn enough hatsumoude-themed coords previously, now’s the time for the real thing. And as mentioned before, a big part of this trip will be dedicated to reminiscing and revisiting my old haunts to relive the memories. Both of those, whilst nice things to do and deserving of a nice outfit to mark the activity, are also not significant enough to let the aesthetic overshadow the practicalities. But it would sure be nice to look nice on those more laid back days.

Final words

It has been over four years since I last went to Japan and throughout that time, in no small part because of the pandemic, my Japan nostalgia has had some real highs. So needless to say, I am legit buzzing and vibrating with excitement that this is finally happening. With no boys this time to hold me back, just me, a suitcase, and the beautiful places ahead. Because of how relaxed and relaxing I want this whole trip to be, I will be working hard to not hold myself to too high a standard with how often I will dress up or how many of these (and other) coords I will actually wear. If they happen, they happen, same with documenting them: I will have my tripod and shutter with me, but I don’t want to stress over documenting every little thing. But still, because of the type of person that I am and how much joy things like lolita fashion bring me, just putting these together in Whering and provisionally mapping them against some specific days and activities has my excitement levels shooting even further up. Just 23 days to gooooo!