End of 2018 Lolidrobe Reassessment Post

Bloody hell, time absolutely flew by! The last quarter of the year always feels like it’s going ahead at double the speed since for whatever reason I’m always busier than at any other time of the year. Anyone else have that too? Anyhow, let’s get straight into reviewing how 2018 has gone.

Overview of Purchases

This is everything I bought in 2018, with things in brackets being the additions not listed in the last reassessment post:

• 12 main pieces (1 Sweet-Classic JSK in green, 1 Sweet skirt in red, 1 Sweet-Classic JSK in ivory*)
• 5 tops
• 3 cardigans/boleros
• 3 jackets/overdresses
• 23 pairs of socks/tights (1 pair of Classic OTKs in offwhite x sax, 1 pair of Sweet-Classic OTKs in ivory x gold, 1 pair of Classic OTKs in ivory x gold, 1 pair of Classic mesh tights in black, 1 pair of Classic tights in pink, 1 pair of Classic tights in red x white and 1 pair of Classic tights in navy x white)
• 1 pair of shoes
• 1 bag
• 1 wig
• 1 pair of bloomers (fleece in white)
• and 35 sets of accessories (1 Classic pin in light brown, 1 Classic brooch in white x red, 1 Classic brooch in sax, 1 Gothic necklace in white, 1 Sweet-Classic matryoshka necklace, 1 Classic hair clip in ivory x red, 2 pairs of Gothic earrings in black, 1 Classic necklace in black, 1 Classic necklace in bronze x pink, 1 Classic brooch in green and 1 Classic headdress in brown)

As I was going through the quarterly reassessments posts, I gradually felt like I was losing sight of my original goal, which was to purchase fewer things. Turns out that my spending limitations combined with a wardrobe that doesn’t need much in terms of practical additions actually has worked the charm and I have bought fewer items in 2018 than 2017. I’m also proud that many more of these have been direct purchases from brands, as well as purchases from indie brands. Not only does that let me support the makers I admire, but spending more on fewer pieces actually curbs down my purchases, so this is definitely something I want to continue doing. Overall, the 2018 haul numbers 84 pieces, which is just under 2/3 of the total number of purchases last year. That’s visible, measurable progress there!

The Year of Working Hard

This feels like the biggest feature of 2018. I have dedicated a lot more time to curating the content I put out online. The blog has had a major style update, the YouTube channel saw a lot more videos uploaded (many of which were not unboxings!), writing for Wunderwelt Libre carried on and I started taking more care of my Instagram (though trying to not hold myself to any strict standards for the sake of my mental health). There were some valuable lessons along the way. Some were about self-discovery (e.g. the kind of standards I hold myself to or what I am capable of), while some were more practical and down-to-earth (like figuring out a new editing software or learning to take outfit shots myself). I’m not going to pretend like this wasn’t a lot of work and effort – it was. The key difference though is that I enjoy doing this, so I will carry on doing things like this even if I’m tired or unmotivated because at the end of the day they make me happy. Though probably not quite to the extent I did this year, that was quite a push!

These two playlists full of things that are not unboxings have really helped diversify
my video output. Hopefully some of that will stick for longer.

The Year of Getting Even More Involved

On the one hand, I became a mod for my local comm in September. I never anticipated this happening and given that my plan is to move to a different area of the country, I had to have a very serious think on whether I even should put myself forward. However, I don’t regret anything and hope that I’ll be able to do a good job while I am a moderator. It certainly motivates me to organise more meets, especially bigger ones.

On the other hand, I attended not one, not two, but three big lolita events, two of which were outside of England. At both of those I did my best to help out rather than just be a participant. There were so many other events I really wanted to attend, Game of Frills in Erfurt and Winter Memories in Rome being just two of those, but neither my annual leave nor funds could spread quite that far. This will definitely be something I will continue doing – both attending big events abroad and helping out at them. Street Fashion Europe was on the cards, however, I didn’t like the vibe I was getting from it even before the ticket sale started, so instead I will be looking out for other events I could do. Maybe 2019 will be the year I’ll make it to that winter tea party in Rome? Third time’s the charm, as they say…

To be able to attend three large lolita exclusive events in one year was a blast and a privilege. Each was incredible and
created with love, and at each I had forged new friendships which I hope will last for a long time to come.

The Year of Dressing Up More

Part of the reason why I started getting dressed up a lot more is because I have more pieces that I’m able to throw on in a simple coord. But it’s also because my mindset has changed a lot, from “these are my fancy clothes for fancy occasions” to “I paid a lot of money for these, so I’ll wear them as often as I please”. Yes, the original goal for 2018 of engaging more with my lolita lifestyle has certainly helped and been a trigger in making this happen, but I feel that I would’ve gotten there even if I hadn’t explicitly said anything. So many people I follow on social media do wear more toned down or casual lolita coords at weekends just because, so I probably would’ve been inspired to do that anyway.

This new attitude of dressing up for more casual occasions has brought with it more ease for wearing lolita. It's less tiring
than it was in the past and I'm less concerned with the need to have a 100% polished coord 100% of the time.
It's just clothes.
First time wearing Bears Paradise in April 2016 vs last time in December 2018.

The Year of Trying New Things

For such a long time I was convinced that I wouldn’t get into Gothic lolita or Ouji. Well, both have happened now and while at this point I don’t plan on expanding my wardrobe with pieces specifically for either of those styles, I don’t plan on getting rid of what I have either. It will be nice to have the option to wear these styles and I would like to explore these a little bit more, it’s just not necessarily a priority. Even within my current style I dared to try out some brands that were new to me and it worked a treat every time. I am now a big fan of Millefleurs and Heart E (they’re both just so comfortable!), I tried out a couple of indie brands and I have my eyes set on one or two more.

And my trying out new things wasn’t just limited to new styles. As I already mentioned, I tried lolita events abroad and loved it, and I tried different kinds of videos on my YouTube channel and enjoyed that. Since in 2019 I am finally going to Japan with my boyfriend (and this time it is all booked, no backsies now!), then I will extend this to trying out some cuts I may not have considered in the past. So I will definitely continue to keep my mind open and try out new things, even if they don’t always work out.

If this time last year you'd have told me that I would get both a Gothic piece
and an Ouji piece, I wouldn't have believed you one bit. Yet here I am.
Also, let's appreciate how this collage looks like my Ouji self is snapping
a pic of my Gothic self.

Review of 2017 Goals

This was certainly an interesting year for goals. Two of them have contributed to the big things I already mentioned, while the rest of them just kept me a little bit more in check. Well, hopefully.

1. Did I have the agreed amount of money in my account at all times: Yes. There was never any problem with that and now that I don’t have any special dream dresses to hunt down, I’ve reduced that allowance. Although since it’s never been something I’ve had to consciously think about, this goal won’t feature on next year’s list.
2. Did I wait a minimum of 48 hours before purchasing something outside of my wishlist: Yes, for the most part. There were a few slip-ups, however, not only were they relatively minor, they also turned out to be items I ended up wearing quite a lot. I’ve found it useful to have this 48-hour rule, so this will definitely continue as a habit.
3. Did I learn how to crop cardigans: No. This was the big flop of this year. I think being so busy with everything else was one big contributor to this, as I simply lacked the time and/or energy to try. The other one was a fear of failure – I could just go for it, but as I’m not proficient with a sewing machine at all, it probably wouldn’t look as neat as I’d like it to and the lack of time/energy meant that I only did one practice session with the machine. It’s still a skill that I would like to acquire, so you’ll definitely see this one again. And hopefully I won’t fail at it again.
4. Did I wear every new main piece at least once: Pretty much yes, with the exception of Haenuli’s Lovely Memories, which arrived right at the end of the year when I haven’t had much reason to dress up (and when I prioritised shirring). Thanks to this goal I actually created a spreadsheet that helps me track the rotation of my wardrobe and when was the last time I’ve worn a particular piece. Some dresses did wait a bit before being worn, as I saved them for a special occasion, but overall knowing that I need to wear something within a certain amount of time helped remind me that these are just clothes and not every coord has to be fancy AF.
5. Did I organise the Winter ILD: Yes. You can read more about it here. It was an amazing experience and while it was stressful at times, I know that it’s because of all the extras I set out to do. In the future, I’ll probably stick to simpler ideas – and yes, that does mean that I’m up for organising larger tea parties like ILDs in the future.
6. Did I attend at least one lolita meet or event outside of the UK: Yes. See above for details.
7. Did I connect with my lolita lifestyle: Overall yes, although this entire experience got me thinking a lot more in-depth about what that means for me. It was a great learning curve and for the time being I don’t see myself elaborating on that. I’m happy with what I’ve discovered about myself and about what lolita lifestyle might entail – some of this will continue in the form of activities that I do (or how I do them) and some won’t. It’s as simple as that.
8. Did I improve and boost my online presence and content: Yes. See above for details.

The wish I made at the end of 2017, that 2018 be as good as or better than 2017, has come true. As far as lolita fashion is concerned, this year has been amazing: I’ve done a lot and feel even more connected to the fashion than ever before. I can only wish for this to continue – especially as 2018 was also the year when I saw a few people I met through this amazing community decide that lolita fashion wasn’t for them anymore. It’s ok to find joy in something else (and to admit that lolita doesn’t bring you that joy anymore), and over the course of 2018 I have also rediscovered my love and passion for some of the other hobbies I have that have taken a back step recently (like burlesque or writing fiction). However, I am not going to move on from lolita, not just yet – I’d like a few more years of what 2018 has been like, please!

How do you feel at the end of this year? Tired? Accomplished? Motivated? Ready for a fresh start? A bit of everything? However you feel, I wish you all the best in the upcoming year. May your 2019 be happy and peaceful, full of love and joy.