2017 wishlist

Talking about my goals or doing a wardrobe post before 2017 officially rolls in makes me a little bit uncomfortable, it’d feel like cheating. I can, however, talk about what sort of things I’m looking to get.

At the end of my Lolidrobe Reassessment posts I usually go over things that would make my wardrobe come together a bit more, as well as briefly touch on things on my wishlist, regardless of how high a priority they are. But as we’re approaching a new year and I feel that I’m at a comfortable stage with my wardrobe where there are more wants than needs, I can only talk about these in terms of things I’d like to get – and with that I will have to distinguish between how much something is wanted/needed/worth spending money on it. Moreover, with this being a 2017 wishlist I want to make clear which things I’d like to get this year and which are pretty permanent fixtures, there to stay until they’re purchased. So there are actually two wishlists here, both of which going in the order from the highest to lowest priority and followed up with an explanation as to why they’re there or how they’ll enhance my Lolidrobe.

Wishlist for 2017

A floral JSK or skirt

I’ve toyed with this idea before, but since then I grew clearer on what kind of floral JSK or skirt would go best with my wardrobe: ivory one with wine/burgundy accents that’s not too busy and costs under £100, with JSK being preferable to a skirt. Whilst it doesn’t have to be Cool Rose (pictured), this is the one that fits the brief best and I use this as my baseline when shopping around. With the ivory x wine combination I could do a lot of varied outfits for all kinds of seasons, as well as would be able to wear it outside of Lolita, which is what I wanted. A lot depends on the right dress appearing for sale and me being able to grab it fast enough, but even with my pickiness this seems a wide enough search parameter that I should be able to manage that.

Brown OTKs

Again, I’m not necessarily after this particular design, but instead this serves as a guideline to what sort of style I’m looking for. Since my wardrobe expanded a little bit with brown matching OTKs are all that’s missing. Whilst I could easily get solid coloured tights, sometimes you do need a bit more interest on your legs than that and OTKs like those here should provide just that without being too overpowering/busy.

Meta’s Double Pockets 3-way bag or similar in gold, wine or white

Let’s face it, bags that can really fit a lot are a rarity in Lolita. From the moment I saw this one when one of my comm members took it to a meet, I knew that I had to have something this spacious. So whilst I’d look at similar styles from other brands, especially Innocent World, I would prefer Meta one – because more is more when it comes to space in bags! Having said that, I’d want it as cheap as possible, but I’m not sure what’s a reasonable price for these things so I might accidentally end up getting it somewhere for a bit more.
Edit: This post wasn’t even published and I already managed to buy that bag in gold from a Lolita on Lacemarket. Currently waiting for it to arrive. #noregrets

Pink headbow

I have pink hair accessories, yet none big enough to really balance out an outfit, should I ever decide to use my few pink pieces in a coordinate. Having said that, whilst ideally I’d get a style similar to this one, I also don’t want to spend a lot of money on it, so a Taobao or Etsy headbow would be highly preferable, as much as I want to be an AP brand whore. But anything that isn’t a giant centre bow in a matching colour and for a decent price will do.

Flat boots

I have heeled short boots, but flat ones, especially waterproof ones, would be so much more practical. UK weather isn’t the most reliable and I’m usually too lazy to carry around a change of shoes, so to have something that goes with the outfit and does the job of keeping my feet dry and comfy would be amazing. I’m not sure what colour to go for, which would go with the most outfits, but I will figure that out. Maybe if I figure this out quickly enough I’d be able to find something nice from Bodyline and save a bit of money by buying when in Japan? Though I’m not that fussed as to where the boots would be from, I’d be just as happy with Taobao or offbrand ones.

Hoop skirt
Petticoats are great, but as I’ve learnt the hard way, even the really great ones can deflate. As well as be very hot for summer events/meets. A hoop skirt would solve that problem pretty well, it’s mostly a matter of finding one that’s well made, but not too expensive. I’m uing F+F hoop skirt price as a baseline, since I’ve heard a fair few positive reviews for it and have seen it in action as well, but since that’s still good £50 plus postage, anything cheaper would be great. A Lolita from a neighbouring comm has offered to make one, and I know that she has her own brand, but I also know that she’s very busy with her other projects, so while I’d really love to support her brand, I also don’t want to impose (very British problems, I know).

Pink tea parties

This is the lowest in terms of priority as I’m still not quite mentally ready to embrace the pink elements in my wardrobe and I feel like shoes take up too much space, so if I really don’t have to get them, I’d rather not. On the other hand a pair of pink tea parties would open up a few coording possibilities, as you could’ve glimpsed when I discussed the importance of builder pieces. I’m not desperate for a pair, but depending on storage space and price of the shoes themselves I might end up giving in.

General wishlist

Innocent World’s Revival Sweet Teddybear JSK in blue

I’ve been hunting for this JSK for so long and still no sight of it. It’s the last dream dress on my list and I’d love to add it to my collection this year, but I’m not holding my breath since it is unlikely that I’d all of a sudden just find it when it was so elusive before. But one must not lose hope…

Angelic Pretty’s Sweet Cream House Collar JSK in caramel

This is a print that really grew on me to the point where I quite want it. At the same time, as it’s not a dream dress, I’m not willing to drop huge amounts of money on it, especially as I don’t think it’s actually worth it. I’m only after this colourway, although I might consider the OP if I was guaranteed a fit, but this is the preferred cut – and ideally I wouldn’t want to spend more than about £150 on it, so here’s a challenge that I’m happy to wait around to fulfil!

Baby the Stars Shine Bright’s Secret AIR MAIL from Sweet Kitty JSK in blue

Somehow I missed it when it was in happy packs, I’m not sure how or why. I discovered it in someone’s YouTube video and realised that the print is totally adorable and sweet without being sickly so. Plus it features this gorgeous blue and red combination which is always a winner in my books. Again, I wouldn’t want to spend loads of money on it because I’m not that madly in love with it (and with it being a happy pack dress I don’t think it’s worth paying more than about £120), but I’m happy to wait around for a good deal on it.

Solid colour JSK (navy, wine, sax, red)

Essentially I’d like to expand my Lolidrobe a little bit with some very versatile pieces that I could wear more casually. These aren’t particularly urgent, which is why I’m not getting anything from Bodyline or Taobao – I’m happy to wait around until the right dress pops up somewhere for cheap and don’t have anything too specific in mind. I’ve found myself staring at my wardrobe before and thinking that everything I own is a bit of a flashy print, so something more toned down and preferably not-too-oldschool-looking could come in handy, but I’d much more rather get a piece I really do like and will be able to wear than just anything that fits the “nice solid JSK” description.

2017 New Releases to Keep an Eye on

All of the above is nice to have, but we all know that brands always throw a curveball our way in the form of new releases. Whilst I’m not saying that I will get every single one of these, I do have them bookmarked and will look out for more details. Part of me is hoping that just like with the last few, something will be “wrong” with these, such as a cut or colour not quite to my liking. This would make limiting spending a lot easier, to the joy of my bank account. Nonetheless, they remain bookmarked and we’ll see how things will turn out with them. 

Click to enlarge.
Left to right: Romantic Cat; Memorial Library; Brilliant Princess Story;
Sweet Cream Princess; unnamed IW print

And that seems to be it. I thought very hard what sort of things I could be in need of, but those items are truly few in numbers. It’s a pretty good position to be in, actually, to not really need much. I’m sure I’ll still end up buying loads of things, but I’m hoping that builder pieces will once again outweigh main ones.

How about you? What’s on your wishlist for this coming year? Anything you’re hunting for or really need to get sooner rather than later?