Lolidrobe Reassessment Post 2018.03

Welcome to the post-Dublin, pre-Madrid Lolidrobe Reassessment Post. Today you will be able to see a prime example of a lolita’s lack of self-control and how once strict spending rules get broken or bent for the purposes of indulgence. In case the oxygen levels drop, threatening fainting, an oxygen mask will pop out from your screen. Buckle up and enjoy the flight!

New additions

As the year progresses, my resolve to limit spending is dwindling. I was meant to limit the number of main pieces I’m buying, but things are not going to that plan anymore. As a result, my excuse-making and coming-up-with-justifications skills are levelling up massively, whilst my storage space is taking critical hits. It won’t be long before some sort of cleaning and reorganisation spree will be in order. Perpetually shuffling things around so that I don’t have to deal with my spending habits is the way to go!

• 3 JSK (1 Classic in white, 1 Sweet/Classic in red and 1 Classic in light blue*)
• 1 skirt (Classic in brown*)
• 1 pair of ouji pants (navy*)
• 3 blouses (1 Classic in sax, 1 Sweet in red and 1 Classic in ivory)
• 2 boleros (1 Classic in navy and 1 Classic in ivory)
• 2 jackets (1 Classic vintage in black and 1 Classic in blue)
• 5 pairs of tights (1 Classic in white, 1 Classic in ivory, 1 Classic in black, 1 Sweet in mint and 1 Sweet in red)
• 3 pairs of socks (2 Classic in ivory and 1 Sweet/Classic in red)
• and 7 pieces of accessory (1 Classic pearl and gold belt, 1 Classic ring in gold and green, 1 pair of Sweet earrings in gold and brown, 1 Classic necklace in white, 1 Classic brooch in dusty mint, 1 Classic brooch in lavender, 1 Classic hat in ivory x blue)

Before you start thinking that this isn’t bad, considering I had gone to an event with all the vendor temptations around me: only 5 of all of the above purchases were made in Dublin, and they were all little bits. Ultimately, what I could buy at the event depended on who is vending and what they brought, whereas what I buy at any other time is just a result of having access to the Internet and the unlimited things to buy that come with it. Maybe next year my goal should be to stop checking all second hand sales? Wonder how long that’d last…

Possible new looks

I will continue to tell myself that I am justified in my spending since I still stick to the 3 Coordinate Rule, as well as continue buying builder pieces like boleros and legwear (notice a problematic pattern there?). With each reassessment post I notice my wardrobe going more and more Classic, which does make me wonder: is it time to ditch the Sweet stuff altogether? Or is that just a reflection of my wardrobe’s needs, since by starting out more Sweet I have that side mostly covered? Either way, with all of the above additions I am able to create more elaborate Classic looks now, which will definitely come in handy.

How to make my Lolidrobe go even further?

So here’s the thing: I really want to expand my wardrobe with more green, especially dark green. I also really want to add more brown. Those are two other indicators that Classic has been tightening its grip on me.

Now, the deal with brown is mostly in builder pieces, so I could probably expand my wishlist with those few brown bits since those would work well with what I have and potentially could even work with my daily wardrobe. As I already have shoes, two pairs of socks, two headbows and two tops, I’d mostly be after a long sleeve bolero and possibly a handbag, although that’s more of a maybe. Having said this, brown is another one of those colours that has a gazillion different shades and undertones – just those few things I already have don’t match each other. This could be a battle… Either way, it will require some more thought on which shade of brown I’d like to focus on etc.

It’ll be a bit more complicated with green things as I’ve already looked around and struggle to find a main piece that would combine the shade I want with a flattering cut and a design I’d like. I’m lucky to have a base set (blouse, socks and headbow), so at least I can do green-based coordinates with other dresses, but the heart wants what the heart wants, you know?

Then we get into the fact how all of a sudden I decided to give ouji a go. It started with that jacket, which woke up the urge to look like Lestat – so naturally, I then needed to get ouji pants, since Lestat doesn’t wear dresses or skirts! As of now, I’m still waiting to see how this experiment goes, since the shorts are a pre-order. However, I already know that I started off on an uphill journey by going navy. You wouldn’t have thought how hard it is to find navy pieces, specifically shorts (had I gone full aristo, I’m sure I’d find something decent offbrand), in accommodating sizes! In my quest I found loads and loads of black, white and red, then brown and gray before I even touched on navy. At least as far as potentially fitting pieces are concerned, there were a fair few unshirred shorts that’d never fit me that were navy. With so many actual historical clothes and uniforms made in navy, you’d think it would’ve been a colour that’s easier to find in ouji. Oh well, we’ll see where we end up with this…

Everything else has stayed pretty much as it was. There’s comfort in knowing that some priorities don’t change, even if I’m struggling to find pieces that tick all the boxes.

• A neutral sax bag
• A neutral navy bag
• Socks:
• White/off-white/ivory x sax Sweet OTKs: subtle or versatile pattern like bows or dots;
• White/off-white/ivory x sax Classic OTKs: preferably floral and preferably muted;
• A wine bonnet
• A neutral long sleeve brown bolero or cardigan

Current wishlist

Very few changes here. Some specific pieces may have changed, but overall the core of the wishlist remains the same. Which is probably a sign that I should stop buying stuff outside of that wishlist and focus on tackling the pieces I’ve said I want? Calling yourself out is just as uncomfortable as being called out by someone else, you know.

I guess that at least it's fewer images than last time. Surely that's a sign of progress and that I'm actually going
through this wishlist, right?

New Year’s goals: progress summary

1. Did I have the agreed amount of money in my account at all times: Yes. With so little spending this is a no-brainer.
2. Did I wait a minimum of 48 hours before purchasing something outside of my wishlist: for the first time – NOPE! One of the Innocent World boleros, the socks and the hat have done me up with this one. That’s not including any of the purchases in Dublin, of course.
3. Did I learn how to crop cardigans: still nope. Is there hope for me still? Only time will tell…
4. Did I wear every new main piece at least once: yes. Except for the ones that hasn’t arrived yet (duh), all the rest of them have been worn now.
5. Did I organise the Winter ILD: it’s definitely happening, y’all! Such excite, I’m embarking on buying the raffle prizes and actual coord planning etc.!
6. Did I attend at least one lolita meet or even outside of the UK: YES! Dublin happened, Madrid still to go.
7. Did I connect with my lolita lifestyle: pretty much, see below for details.
8. Did I improve and boost my online presence and content: yes, see below for details.

As far as point no 7 is concerned, I still stand by what Isaid last time: that it has gotten harder to keep track of and I probably need to re-evaluate what lolita lifestyle means to me. I know that I have taken more time and care to do more regular things in lolita (trip to Haworth was one of them) and started drinking tea out of my porcelain cup more, doing my nails more often etc. But bar a handful of specific exceptions, I wouldn’t be able to pinpoint when or where I’ve done them. For all intents and purposes, it appears that more lifestyle-esque activities have become a part of my everyday (or at least usual) activities – which is exactly what I had hoped to achieve. So I shall continue to count this goal as achieved right until next January when I’ll re-examine it properly and see if I want to keep anything similar as my goal for 2019.

Lastly, I finally made a start with pumping more content into my YouTube. Although I’m starting to run out of the 10 Day Lolita Challenge videos and haven’t yet thought of anything to do next to carry on with, at the very least it was a great experience. YouTube is far more time consuming for me than blogging or Wunderwelt Libre. I get a lot of written media done at work, so on good days I can schedule a handful of posts in advance. However, visual output requires me to actually be at home, preferably dressed up in at least a simple coord (which is why I often tried to film right after a meet, compromising on lighting, but maximising the outfits), then spend more time at home editing. I’ve gotten pretty good at doing it quickly, but it’s still something that I can only do on my own laptop at home. Continuing the one video a week pace is probably too much of a stretch for me right now, especially when I don’t have another idea for a regular series. Well, actually, I have ideas, I’m just being too much of a perfectionist about them, which wastes time instead of executing them. So the channel will probably go back to its irregular schedule once the 10 Day Lolita Challenge is over. Nonetheless, the lessons I’ve learnt from doing that are invaluable and I will be sure to apply them to whatever video project I might do in the future.

On this note, I can finally say goodbye to summer and welcome the autumn and winter seasons with open arms. Looking back at last year, as well as my social calendar for the next couple of months, I think autumn/winter is when I wear lolita the most, so I hope to be able to squeeze every little bit out of that. Will that leave me massively exhausted like it did last year? Possibly. Will it be worth it? Undoubtedly! Also, the last quarter of the year has Christmas in it, which is my favourite holiday, so how could I not be excited? (Judge all you want, I’ll still listen to Christmas songs now if I want to!)

1 Dress 4 Looks Take 23

When it’s love at first sight, you just know it. This is what happened to me with Baroque’s collaboration with Sakizo called Repose of Queen. It is a stunning piece and having pulled it out to photograph for this post, I know I don’t wear it enough. It just feels like such a special occasion dress that I end up saving it. I’ll try to stop, especially as a few of these have given me inspiration!

Look 1: Princess

| JeshiiDoll bonnet | Innocent World Rose Diamond OTKs | Antaina heels | offbrand feather
and necklaces |

With such a dressy piece, sometimes there’s no point overthinking the look. These pieces are guaranteed to work (even if they may look a little awkward on the flatlay) and with allow the print to stand out. I would love to add even more pearl strings of various lengths and sizes there for that extra touch of opulence, however, this is all I have at the moment.

Look 2: Bride

| After Midnight flower crown | Baroque x Sakizo Repose of Queen tights | offbrand veil,
jewellery and shoes |

This dress is good enough for a wedding – all it needed was a veil. Which I promptly added. The only thing I’d change about this are the shoes. Although cute, these aren’t quite as elegant as the dress and it jars a little (and I tried to avoid using those gold glitter heels three times in one post). Ideally, I’d throw here a pair of white glitter shoes from Irregular Choice, since they have an actual bridal range, but that’s a thought for some more distant future.

Look 3: Lady

| BtSSB Forever Enchanted Midnight Spell bolero | Angelic Pretty Salon de The Rose OTKs |
Antaina heels | Dreamy Bows headband | Low Down and Dandy choker |

Arguably this might be my favourite look of the four. I bought those socks in this colourway specifically for this dress and I like playing off the rose theme. It brings it from a mere filler on the print to the centre stage and it works well. Thanks to the bolero I could probably get away with wearing this on a warmer spring or autumn day too. It may be just what I need to turn this dress from an OTT special occasion piece into something more wearable.

Look 4: Ice Queen

| Soufflesong Ice Prism blouse | Baroque x Sakizo Repose of Queen headbow | Metamorphose
Snow Crystal OTKs | Peacockalorum muff | Sweet Dolly House brooch | offbrand cape, boots,
boot toppers and necklace | 

This was the first look of all of these four I came up with. Since this dress is a short sleeve OP, it can fit certain cuts of blouses underneath – and as layers usually mean warmth, the rest just fell into place. What I like about this is that while the whites totally don’t match (except for the furs), it still works well. It’d be great for the upcoming cold months! Apologies for the awkward glare of lighting here.

There are a few more ideas I’d like to try out with this dress. Playing with colour is definitely one of them and I feel that burgundy or sax could also work well with this dress if added in the right way. However, those might have to wait a little bit until I find the right inspiration. In the meantime, this is the dress I plan on wearing to Madrid’s The Grant Embassy event, so if you’re coming – this is what to look out for. Do come up and say hello! :)

What is the One Piece that You Could Never Give Away and Why

Do you ever think which of your dresses you’d sell if you absolutely had to? Of course, we want to keep them all, but sometimes, for whatever reason, that’s just not possible. Yet even when life forces us to part with our collection, many of us have that one piece we could not bear to even think about parting with. If you’ve followed this blog for a while, can you guess what mine is?

I’m lucky enough to own every single one of my dream dresses – which only complicates matters in this prompt, really. I managed to boil it down to two and even the thought that I might have to get rid of one is physically painful, so I’ll bend the rules and talk about them both! And in alphabetical order of print name, because there really is no favouritism here.

The first is Mary Magdalene’s Paulina JSK. After almost seven years of looking for it, having only gotten it this January, how could I part with my ultimate dream dress? Not only is it my namesake, it’s a magnificently stunning piece of absolute top quality materials. When I wear it, I feel like the most stunning version of myself, as this cut is insanely flattering on my figure. At the same time, this dress is so comfortable it feels like second skin – you could even say that it was literally made for me. Although it may be just a touch too fancy in construction to be worn casually or daily, it certainly could be coordinated in a simpler, more toned down way. Truth be told, if this was the only main piece I owned, I probably would’ve gone out of my way to wear it just a little bit and been more creative in coording it so that it didn’t look quite the same every time. There is nothing, nothing, about this dress I don’t love with all my heart and if you want it, you might have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands.

This dress is my everything!
Photo by Anh Binh Photography.

The other one is Haenuli’s Whipped Cream Kitty JSK. This dress is incredibly special to me as it was bought for me by my partner as a graduation present. Given his view on spending, it will likely be the only lolita dress I’ll ever get from him, so all the more reason to treasure this one. However, more than this, it’s a dress that feels quintessentially me, which I’m sure I’ve already mentioned. I mean, come on, it’s literally in this blog’s header artwork by the wonderful Mimi Jamora! A Sweet print in tricolour? Yes, please! On top of this, again, the cut is very flattering and very comfortable. Although I might wear this dress in very similar ways every time, I don’t feel like I’ve run out of options – it’s just my wardrobe being very cohesive in colour scheme, which allows me to churn out new tricolour coords with this print without repeating pieces. These options include both casual and dressed up outfits, so there’s loads of combinations I could do. Besides, if I was going to keep just two pieces, then I couldn’t be happier for one of them to be by Haenuli because her, her brand and her designs deserve all the support in the world!

Because recently I featured my more toned down coords, lets remind ourselves that it
can be quite OTT and dressy!

For now, this is it. Maybe one day I’ll be emotionally ready to make these two battle to the death for the title of the Ultimate Dress I’d Keep If I Could Only Keep One – but today is not this day.

How about yourself? Do you have a special dress in your collection (or two!) which you could never give away? Or do you not get as emotionally attached to your lolita pieces? As always with Lolita Blog Carnival prompts, make sure to check out what the other participating bloggers have written!

The Bloody Tea Party
Aries Kitsune
Lady Tomoyo 
Masquerade Doll

Tricolour of Boleros

Probably all Classic lolitas know that the ultimate of all boleros is the one from Innocent World. I will let you in on a little secret: they’re not all one and the same. You’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise and truth be told, I have learnt that only recently myself, after getting two more of these. Because they are good enough to get them in other colours!

For a while I had wanted this bolero in navy. It was tricky to find another navy bolero that would be as dressy and as flattering as this one, although at the same time I genuinely just wanted this one. Unfortunately, Innocent World has only ever released this bolero in navy with gold lace three times (once it was all navy and once it was navy with gold lace, but chiffon sleeves), so hunting it down second hand took time. And as soon as a friend linked me to the Lacemarket listing, the ivory one popped up on Wunderwelt for a price too good to pass up on! Only then, when trying to identify the release years, I realised that they were all slightly different.  

In the most lolita way possible, the lace was a dead giveaway. I mean, even the listings distinguish the Millefeuille bolero by the type of lace used! Hence we have here the rose lace bolero (wine, 2016 release), the ribbon lace (navy, 2015 release) and the tulle one (ivory, 2011 release).

 

Once they all arrived, I also noticed how the ivory bolero had shorter lace at the sleeves, making it seem as if there was less of it. There isn’t, it still has two layers, however, it is shorter and sewn on differently, showing the seam above it instead of hiding it under the top layer of lace.

On the other side, the wine and navy releases have only a singular layer of lace along the front, whereas the tulle lace one has two layers and of two slightly different patterns (still custom made and with the same flowers though).

Another thing I noticed whilst ironing the boleros was that the newer releases attach the lace at the neckline with one stitch on the side, which the older design doesn’t have. This ensures that the lace stays in place, displayed nicely, instead of folding in on itself.

Last difference is actually not noticeable, but quite crucial: the care tags. Whilst the ivory bolero’s washing tag happily welcomed me with reassurances that it can be washed on delicate in 30°C, the two coloured ones have the ‘do not wash wet’ sign on. It can’t be to do with fabric, as they’re all 100% cotton, so it’s either to do with colour (although neither of the coloured ones bled when handwashed in warm water) or year of release and washing preferences then. Needless to say, the ivory one survived its washing machine treatment and from now on I will throw the coloured ones in there too, although always on a cold cycle and in mesh bags for extra protection.

Now I’m missing the black, brown, pink and pure white ones to complete my collection. If I wanted to be really pedantic about collecting everything, also the original, shell and cross lace (although from what I can tell on Lolibrary, the original lace looks exactly the same as the ribbon lace?), as well as the pure smooth bolero, which doesn’t state which lace it’s using, but which is different from the other ones. And I’m not going to lie, the prospect of gathering them all is pretty tempting!

Where Do You See Yourself in the Fashion in Five Years

This is an interesting prompt for Lolita Blog Carnival. We often ask prominent figures in our community, like the designers, models, magazine editors etc., about their thoughts on the future of lolita fashion. Having watched and read a couple of interviews and Q&A’s where this question is asked, the common response is to say either that the fashion will grow or that the person doesn’t know. Which now that I think about it in my own, individual context, feels so true.

I have dedicated a good deal of thought to what my life would be like without lolita fashion – quickly arriving at the conclusion that it’d be pretty lacking. Yet the question of the slightly more distant future, like five years, hasn’t crossed my mind at all, certainly not in the context of lolita. To be honest, I dread this question in general (and unfortunately it’s a common one in job interviews and appraisals), it’s causing me to have somewhat of an existential crisis, which is why I haven’t given it much thought with lolita fashion up until now.

In five years’ time, in the year 2023, I will be 31 years old and would have been in the fashion for 12 years. At the moment I certainly envision myself to continue being a part of it, still wear lolita and be a member of the communities, although I’m less sure as to how this would look like exactly. And life has certainly taught me that things have a way of working out differently to what we imagined, so these are my predictions based on what I know now.

And based on that, it seems very plausible that my style will evolve closer to Classic and casual styles. This is a shift that I’m observing in myself already and it's more than plausible that within five years I will follow this through with a wardrobe cull. While I’m still a sucker for a well-done Sweet print, I’m also painfully aware that I prefer myself in A-line cuts, which are most prominent in Classic. Moreover, my mindset is shifting towards wanting to get more wear out of my pieces, which is much easier to achieve with solids, patterns, simple cuts, fewer trimmings and less pastel colours. Although right now thinking about parting with my dream Sweet pieces like Fantasy Theatre or Crystal Dream Carnival is too painful to bear, by the time 2023 comes around, things might change a lot.

One of the reasons I love this dress so much is because it combines a more flattering A-line
cut with a vibrant, sugary Sweet print. And in a tricolour palette too – an all-round win!

At the same time, I don’t expect my style in lolita to change too much. While what I wear may be different, my gut tells me that how I wear it will mostly remain the same. Despite all of my experimenting ventures, I always eventually come back to the classic winged eyeliner, red lipstick and vintage-style curls combo with other pops of red throughout the outfit itself. It’s something I know well, something I can do fairly easily and something that hasn’t failed me yet. We’re all a bit reluctant to leave our comfort zones, so it’s natural to assume that I’ll stick with mine.

If it ain't broke, why fix it? It's a makeup and hair style that works well with Classic looks
and even with some Sweet ones in the right colours!

As far as the community is concerned, that’s both the biggest known and the biggest unknown. For as long as I wear lolita, I will continue to attend meetups where I can. The community has given me the social life I needed and the security that wherever I go, I won’t truly be alone and will have a group of friendly people to get me through the tough beginnings involved with moving places. It’s easier to wear lolita in a group, the attention you attract is distributed across more people, besides, meetups are also a great way of getting to know your local area and trying out new things and places. All of this is much nicer with a group of people who share at least one interest and who are also doing it willingly (rather than being dragged there, like boyfriends/non-lolita friends/families etc. can sometimes feel to be).

Let's be honest, most boyfriends aren't keen on the idea of afternoon teas. That's why we go
with our lolita comms and female friends/family members!

Having said this, I don’t know where exactly I’ll be in 2023 or what my role within that community may be. Recently I have become an admin for the Leeds comm, which is a big deal for me and I want to keep the comm going. At the same time, for a long time now I’ve known that I’ll be moving out and towards the North-West area rather than staying in Yorkshire in order to move in with my partner. Modding the Leeds comm and moving to another county are at odds with each other as goals, even if I value both pretty much equally. So I don’t know where I’ll physically be in five years’ time and consequently, what kind of part I’ll be playing within my local community or which might be my local community then.

This is the plan for now. I'm fully open to the possibility that I'd end up somewhere else, but
the general direction isn't going to change. As much as it breaks my Yorkshire heart...

At the same time, I can totally see myself becoming more involved with the wider, international lolita community. Already there are so many events outside of the UK which I’d love to attend and if I could, I would go to them all. Obviously, a brand tea party in Japan is massive goals, but I also really like the look of Paradiso in the United States (just such an awkward state to get to from outside the US) and it seems like every European community is welcoming guests from other European countries to their big events these days. There will definitely be more things attended in five years’ time and who knows, maybe I’ll even manage to help organise something somewhere? That’d be insanely cool!

Dublin may not be a whole world away, but it is another country. And it is a community that welcomed us with open arms.
How many more like this are out there? We won't know until we accept the invitation and go!

Lastly, in five years’ time I would like to have ticked some of my lolita goals off the list. Twinning is high on the priority list, as is attending a brand tea party (the AP ones in Paris keep evading me because they’re at a very inconvenient early July date). I’d also love to have learnt to sew by then, so that I could start both making and alternating pieces myself. And if I could even add meeting Yumi Fujihara to this list then I’d be absolutely ecstatic and call it a very successful five-year period indeed!

That’s all I can think of. Of course, I could let my imagination run wild, but I tried to keep this hypothetical outlook fairly grounded in reality. This is a future that I have little trouble envisioning and if things continue as they are now, the chances of it coming true are pretty high.

Do you ever think about your future in lolita fashion down the line, in five years’ time? Or are you more focused on the present? If you haven’t given it much thought, read posts from the other participating bloggers, they might shed light on things you weren’t even consciously aware of until then!

The Bloody Tea Party

IREGL Myths of Our Own Haul

In the event report, I mentioned some bits I got already. Here is the full rundown of things I brought back with me from Dublin. Some were not purchases, but everything is meaningful and I can't wait to start including it in my outfits!

IREGL Myths of Our Own in Dublin

This is the one you’ve all been waiting for: the post about Myths of Our Own in Dublin. Let’s get straight to it! Warning: this will be a lengthy one, so make yourself a drink and maybe grab a snack. It could also end up a touch photo heavy, although I’ll try not to overload it.

| Angelic Pretty Royal Unicorn switching JSK and necklace  | Millefleurs Georgette blouse | Innocent World Rose Lace
Millefeuille bolero | Innocent World Union Flag Lame OTKs | Antaina heels | Peacockalorum underskirt | Alice and the
Pirates Sheherazade ~ One Thousand and One Nights ~ headdress | Wicked and Whimsy ring | offbrand ring, necklace, belt
and brooch | handmade sash |

Closeup shot where you can actually see some of those jewellery details, as well as the epic lace on the Millefleurs blouse!

Selfie showcasing my very basic makeup and fresh off the rollers curls (after I choked myself
to death with hairspray which helped them last that whole day!)

For practical reasons I stuck with one coord for the whole day. Modelling at the event meant both a little less time to change and having to bring more shoes in my small suitcase – there was no space for another coord in there! Besides, I exerted all my creative energy to come up with this one, which was on theme as well, and I couldn’t come up with another one at all. This outfit was inspired by the unicorn tapestry and was so layered that I’m glad Mana-sama listened to my prayers and brought about some slightly cooler weather, so that I neither overheated nor froze. It’s definitely up there with the outfits I’m most proud of, although I’ll be the first to admit how odd it felt to not have the extra height. I could get behind the rectangle headdresses with more casual coords, maybe a simple and slim one, but for bigger events I’ll probably stick to volume and height that bonnets and stacked accessories give. Also, massive props to Holly, who convinced me to go full-natural with my hair, i.e. to skip the faux fringe. My forehead might be the last battle towards self-acceptance and I’m glad that I let my friend encourage me to try something outside of my comfort zone for the event.

Myths of Our Own was split into two parts during Saturday August 25^th: morning (or day) and evening. I was actually in Dublin since Wednesday that week for some sightseeing and catching up with another friend, so I managed to get used to the city and find my way around there. (Which was actually pretty easy, Dublin is travelling on easy mode thanks to the many landmarks with which to orientate yourself and the city being on the smaller side, compared to places like London.) For the weekend I shared an apartment with some of my friends very near the first venue (and the original second venue, before the Pope kicked us out of that), which gave us that little bit extra time in the morning to get ready.

The first part was what 2-day events would have on the Sunday: a chilled out brunch instead of a typical afternoon tea party. This was a chance to catch up with friends from further away, have something to eat, relax, make new friends, take loads of photos etc. There was also a quiz, a raffle and a best dresser competition, the prize for which was a portrait drawn by Nunu, the main guest. We even had a harpist playing throughout the whole day-part (she was incredibly talented, so it’s a shame a lot of her music was just background to our chatter and excitement).

Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

This part of Myths worked absolutely wonderfully! As much as I love sweets, it was fabulous to have more satiating food in the form of brunch – and it was really tasty food as well. Granted, I believe the venue/caterers messed up the vegan option, to which one of the organisers rushed out to the nearest shop to buy something for the vegan guests, but I don’t recall any other glitches that morning. The venue, Smock Alley Theatre, was also fantastically big. I believe there were around 120 attendees in total and thanks to how large a space we got, we didn’t feel cramped, had tonnes of room to wander around, chat and take photos without bothering other attendees and still we could appreciate how large an event this was. The very high ceilings and high windows also provided plenty of natural light, in turn making for better outfit shots, which, let’s be honest, we’re all here for. Compared to the Royal Horseguards in London, which was dark in décor and low in natural light, this was a dream!

Typical shocked lolita pose!

The Irish cuties - I hope to see you both again soon! <3 

The foxiest fox!

Leeds, Leeds, Leeds!

The Poverty-Chan apartment photo. I have this photo as my phone lock screen and it honestly looks like we're about to
drop the hottest album of the year. Misako better watch out!

For once I had also remembered to take more photos with other people. It’s still not as many as I would’ve wanted, but it’s certainly more than in past years and I have some great snaps to remind me of the good memories and lovely people I met there. The Irish comm (IREGL) may have been outnumbered by the non-Irish attendees, but they were all the loveliest of hosts and welcomed us as their own. In the process we probably assimilated them into our comms too (Comms of the North, so Yorkshire, North-West England and Scotland, certainly represented at Myths). Also, I’m glad that I was able to take as many photos with people as I did in that first part, because I certainly lacked both time and energy for this in the second part.

We got a compact mirror amongst our freebies - very useful thing to give to lolitas!

The other gifts - more will be shown in the upcoming haul video!

Leeds comm photo - the nice one.
Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

Leeds comm photo - the true one.
I love my comm so much!
Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

In principle, the idea of doing an event over the course of a whole day with a long break in the middle seems good. In practice, this was pretty tiring, especially with the second venue, The Alex Hotel, being a good 20 minute walk away from the first and the Pope’s visit ruining Dublin’s already poor public transport. Dream Masquerade Carnival’s day 1 last year was a long and packed event, which also ran over and ended around 7pm. Part 2 of Myths was scheduled to finish at 9:30pm and ran over by something like 45 minutes to an hour. If you attended part 1, which started at 11am, walked everywhere (which you probably did because no public transport) and woke up early to get ready – that’s a lot of time spent on your feet. The organisers felt it too, they were probably even more shattered as they had to run it and not just enjoy it, so I’m sure they’ve learnt from this experience for the future.

The true first reactions of the First Coordinate Competition winners at their portraits. They were stunning portraits and all
three of you looked wonderful!
Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

As I modelled, I was actually at The Alex for 5pm, together with a friend who needed to set up her vending table. The rehearsal went well, although it also ran over a little bit – less waiting time for me before being officially allowed in, but probably less good for the organisers trying to get everything ready. As I had an hour between entry and going to the dressing room, I did a mad rush to do all my shopping (which I finished in like 20 minutes?) and even had a moment to relax for a bit. It was good that everything was happening in one room, reducing the fear of missing out a bit. Had there been any more vendors, it probably would’ve been a bit too packed, especially with everyone in, but as it was the space worked really well for us and there was enough room for people to browse without blocking someone else off.

The crowds gathered, hungry to spend their cash!

And yet even at The Alex we had enough space to shop around and mingle. Great venue choice!

And then came the fashion show. I was again lucky to be chosen to model for two brands: Eat Me Ink Me and Haenuli. It meant more time spent in the dressing room, but being part of the fashion show gives me such a kick of excitement, that I don’t mind. Joelle from Fluffy Tori has uploaded both fashion shows to her YouTube channel, which you can watch below. For my part, I’ll only share photos of myself (because I’m vain) and one or two others that I particularly like.

Modelling for Eat Me Ink Me. The dress is The Orchard OP.
Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

One of the models walking for After Midnight in their debut collection (my favourite colour and styling of the 4 shown).
Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

The Eat Me Ink Me modelling team backstage.
Photo by Joelle from Fluffy Tori.

Modelling for Haenuli. The dress is Romantic  Rose Garden JSK (scheduled for later this year, according to the catalogue).
Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

Sailor Stripe OP by Haenuli with matching hat. This is meant to be released this week and it's utterly stunning in person!
Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

Final model run, with the stunning Melain wearing A Full Moon Night JSK (the neck piece
was her own <3).
Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

After changing back all that was left of the event was the second coord competition (this time judged on theme and by the organisers rather than by Haenuli) and another raffle. Since modelling made me miss the sweet treats that were given out, my energy levels were very low by that point. Luckily, a friend shared some of her snacks, which kept me from falling asleep, but not really from much else. It is at that point that my body really felt the tiredness of such a long and packed day and I just wanted to sit down and waited until I could change into pyjamas. I managed to muster enough energy to cheer some of my friends who were in the competition (one of whom ended up winning, very deservedly so in my opinion, her outfit was so unique!) and even some excitement when my number was drawn during the raffle. But other than this, I was mostly in a daze and at some point later (once we already left the venue) even my ability to comprehend English language has disappeared, which is when you know that I’ve turned into a zombie.

Second Coordinate Competition winners. Congratulations to all!
Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

There were polaroids going round, which was a wonderful idea to preserve the memories!
Photograph by Jay (@moon_harpy).

A glimpse of my raffle prize win: a brooch by Latte Galaxy. I've since worn it lots to work,
it works amazingly well with one of my Axes Femme dresses!

Despite being this tired, I had an absolute blast and Myths of Our Own was a truly fabulous event! Big, big, big thank you and congratulations to the organisers – you pulled off something spectacular and I doubt that anyone would know that this was your first time organising something like this had you not said so. (And how touching was it to see Josie get emotional when she was thanked for her work? She dedicated so much of her time and energy to make Myths amazing that until that moment she didn’t even have a second to stop and truly comprehend what she’s done. It got me tearing up then and it has me tearing up now that I recall that moment, it was pure and special.)  It was also so, so, so wonderful that Nunu was the guest of honour! I love her energy and instead of having a guest at the event, it’s like welcoming your dearest and best friend, she’s the absolute life of the party. And to know that she still remembered me two years after our very, very brief meeting at Wicked and Whimsy is the best proof that she’s our friend and part of our community, not someone inaccessible and impersonal, however revered they might be within the fashion. Nunu, you’re the best and I love you!

As a very quick side note, I will also add that this was the best afterparty I’ve been to. It could’ve been to do with my mood: afterparty on the day after was a great call – for same-day ones I was usually too socially exhausted to enjoy myself. Had I not had an early flight the next day, I would’ve loved to stay at least a little longer. And by an absolute stroke of luck we even had the bartender invent a whole new drink which became hugely popular. It all started with one person asking the bartender to surprise her and then we tried it, liked it and tried to order it again. By the time more people asked for it too, we just had to name it and since it was a pink drink, it got christened Jigglypuff. The bartender seemed really amused at how much we loved it (and the name) and it became a true Myth of Our Own – bad um tss!

Last year I did some positives and areas of improvement at the end of my DMC day 1 post. Since this organises my thoughts fairly well, I’ll do this once again, in hope that maybe it will come in useful to someone out there (involved with Myths or not). And as a very speedy TL;DR thing. Although I can’t think of many negatives, to be honest, so this will be short and sweet.

Positives:

• Brunch was a fantastic idea, definitely up for more substantial food when it’s this great quality. (And I have a massive sweet tooth, so this says a lot.)
• Excellent choice of main guest!
• Awarding coord competition winners with portraits was a splendid idea and got the guest (even) more involved. I get that this isn’t always possible, so it was a great touch!
• Polaroids! While I didn’t get one and I’m not sure if they were an official part of the event, they were a great idea and will make wonderful mementos for people.

Areas for improvement:

• It may be best to stick to a 2-day format. With Myths taking place in two venues, this shouldn’t affect the cost, since that’s still two hire fees, but it would be easier both on the attendees and the organisers.

Neutral comments/observations:

• To me the number of attendees was perfect, neither too many nor too few. I understand that as an event grows, so does the demand for it, so if you do decide to expand, I hope the spaces will grow with you. Smock Alley Theatre and The Alex were perfect at accommodating a group our size and still offering some extra manoeuvring space.
• While having mirrors in the model dressing room probably would’ve helped, I do feel that not having them helped us get ready on time. Make of that what you wish.
• We survived the papal visit, we can survive anything now!

Did you attend Myths of Our Own? Were you there for the whole day or just one part? Or maybe you attended/will attend another event somewhere in Europe instead? What do you think of doing the 2-parts-in-1-day format?