April Outfits Rundown

April has come and gone in a way that I somehow managed to miss a big chunk of? One moment it was beginning of the month, then before I realised we'd gotten to the halfway point of it! And now we're here, at the end. There are some coords that I talked about already, like Easter or the Coord That Sparks Joy. This is everything else I've worn since the last outfit roundup. Despite there being some slower and lazier days, I still had enough opportunities and energy to dress up in frills. This will be picture and text heavy as you may have gathered from the preview below of all the outfits featured in the post. So in chronological order:

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Coord 1: Comfy Monday

| Metamorphose Bubble Bath skirt | Angelic Pretty Logo Embroidery cutsew cardigan | Angelic Pretty Ladder Ribbon OTKs | offbrand ankle socks | Angelic Pretty Logo Ribbon Charm wrist cuffs | handmade headbow and necklace |

You will notice that this hair and relying on lipstick and natural light in lieu of full makeup is a trend this lockdown!

Flexin' the necklace I made.

I couldn't let Bubble Bath sit unworn for ages just because I couldn't wear it in March to Barcelona, as planned. That coord will still get its chance to shine and until then here’s this really comfortable casual outfit. In hindsight, the ankle socks weren't the best choice, I think I mostly went with them to replace the pink shoes I would've worn with this outfit if I had reason to go out, but they didn't work as well as I thought. Oh well, at least my feet were warm. This handmade headbow came out really nicely, I like how it sits and am still very proud of myself for making it, as well as the necklace.

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Coord 2: Fancy Work From Home Friday 2

| Angelic Pretty Royal Unicorn Switching JSK | Innocent World Rose Lace Millefeuille bolero | Innocent World Lauretta OTKs | Sosic Shop heels | Cutie Creator headbow | Axes Femme cameo bow brooch | Grand Embassy pin | Summer Tales Boutique necklace |

Sometimes, if I could be bothered (or if I felt my face was underdressed) I added eyeliner. But usually that's still just lipstick and natural light doing God's work in my selfies.

I love all of these textures against one another!

There was a lazy slob Friday before, so the mood to dress up again was really strong. On the one hand I simply wanted to play up those browns and beiges of this dress. I had already worn it with reds and blues, and I wanted to try something new. On the other hand, the night before I have started another round of Studio Ghibli films with From Up on Poppy Hill and the nostalgic mood intensified after seeing that early 60's life in Yokohama, especially all the scenes of Umi cooking at home. It made me long for simpler times and a classic coordinate with browns and a mishmash of themes and textures felt really close to my heart at that time.

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Coord 3: Repping the Fandom at Lolita Life Drawing Virtual Meet

| Metamorphose Gold Braid Tuck Pinafore JSK | Sentaro blouse | Innocent World Union Flag Lame OTKs | Irregular Choice Total Freedom heels | vintage belt | handmade chain of office | Wicked and Whimsy ring | offbrand crown, hair clips and rings | Dalao Home wig |

I was feeling all of my oats in this look, I genuinely moved my other sofa so that I could take these pictures (and I must've taken like a hundred)!

Cersei Lannister wishes she looked this good.

This belt is proof that you need to go to shoddy antique shops in poor towns clinging onto the one good thing they have, because you never know what gem you will find.

Again, all those textures are just *chef's kiss*

My comm hosted a virtual life drawing meetup. I initially felt like I'd be out of place attending, since I don't draw, before deciding that I could still join and do some colouring. There was a great list of prompts to get everyone's creative juices flowing. My heart was already set on wearing Gold Braid Tuck Pinafore, because I can't let a dream dress sit around unworn, though initially I wanted to try a medieval inspired coordinate that I have in my heart to match the Royalty prompt. Alas, my wardrobe can't accommodate that yet, I need to at least make the right headdress. I thought I'd have to completely change my plans, when another look at the prompts list brought a lightbulb moment: I could wear this dress and be a Lannister.

Disclaimer: while I have enjoyed watching Game of Thrones, I don't like the Lannisters. In fact, if I had to name a character I can't stand, it'd be Cersei. However much I can understand why she did what she did, because every one of her actions was calculated and deliberate, it makes her into a vile woman whom I simply can't stand. Having said this, red and gold is a truly iconic colour combo, so I swallowed my personal dislikes in favour of the aesthetic. To be honest, this could still be a coord for the Royalty prompt too.

While I love how the coordinate came out, it was a bit of a nightmare to wear and photograph. Ideally I needed an assistant, so that they could help me adjust the wig (which just would not stay back as I wanted it to) and the chain of office (which kept sliding as well). I need to trim the wig so it sits where it's supposed to and adjust that chain to be a little bit smaller, but I did not have the energy to do that for the meet.

It was great to hang out with my comm via Zoom and the whole life drawing idea worked really well! Everyone shared some pictures before the meetup (or just very last minute, like I did) and people drew quick sketches of these whilst we chatted. There was some great talent in there, plenty of people's drawings were absolutely adorable. If our comm was like one of those fancy clubs with their own headquarters and stuff, I'd totally want to put these in ostentatious old frames and hang them in the entrance or around the staircase. I got two chibi's from Gloria Copetillo's book coloured before I decided that I'd had enough for the time being, and most people averaged probably about three drawings during the two hours we were all on Zoom, which is pretty productive. Hopefully there will be more meets like this in the future, whether on or offline.

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Coord 4: The Non-Lolita Lolita

| Song and Temple Fairytale Library skirt | Axes Femme cutsew | Tutuanna socks | Graceland flats |

This is legitimately what I look like without makeup. At which point I'd like to thank my family for passing to me their history of good skin.

Tutuanna makes the best socks. These oneshave embroidered cats on them and I wish it was socially acceptable to announce this fact to everyone whenever I wear these.

I'm not trying to kid anyone here that this is lolita. However, I think this is the reality of what wearing lolita clothes casually is like. Not the simple, actual lolita coordinates that social media is full of – just this. No petticoat, no accessories, whatever's comfortable. In fact, this is often how I wear this very skirt, to work or just going about my day. Is this lolita? Nope. Is this a cute outfit that I'm going to share? Definitely! Could I stretch it and call it otome? Hmm, maaaaybe, but it's really a push. However, when your day literally consists of doing some grocery shopping and working from home, does your outfit really need a label? Not really.

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Coord 5: Remote Twinning Take 3

First we pour the tea...

... so that we can spill it later!
| Bodyline Rose Macaron JSK | Nile Perch cutsew | Tutuanna ankle socks | Metamorphose shoes | Cutie Creator headbow | offbrand bow clip | Angelic Pretty Logo Ribbon Charm wrist cuffs | Madillustration brooch | offbrand and handmade bracelets | Lockshop wig |

This wig is super cute, I enjoy wearing it and pretending like that's my actual hairstyle. The curls are so bouncy!

For whatever reason this photo did really well on Instagram? I doubt I'll ever understand their algorithm, though of course I'm happy that people appreciated it so much.

Another round of remote twinning, this one with Roli and it was a really cute outfit. She already wrote about it on her blog, you should check it out, now’s my turn. The idea to wear a cutsew over the dress to make it look like a skirt was a good one and I think this outfit helped me get over some creative block that I had with this JSK. And it was really comfortable, I basically wore everything except the wig all day. It's easy to forget that Bodyline isn't just cheap, but also cute and comfortable, which is precisely what you need sometimes. Hopefully I'll get to twin with Roli again one day too, it was so much fun!

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Coord 6: More Non-Lolita

| Banned Retro Space Vamp dress | vintage necklace | offbrand bandana and shoes |

A high ponytail with a bit of a pompadour as a vintage look totally appeals to my lazy side.

Look at this print and tell me that this isn't something that Meta would come up with.

Hah, my blog, my rules again. Although I'm not going to call this lolita anytime soon, since this is basically the same cut as AP's Neon Star Diner OP (but much cheaper and more size inclusive – there will be more about this soon), why shouldn't I include this here? Or as I like to describe this print this is as if Meta saw AP's Neon Star Diner and said “Hold my beer, I’ll show you how to do a retro release”.

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Coord 7: Pink and Brown

| Magic Tea Party Bears Paradise skirt | Dear Celine Polka Dot Waltz blouse | Metamorphose Heart Ladder Lace OTKs | Sosic Shop heels | handmade headbow | Milkribbon Butterkeks brooch | offbrand necklace | Axes Femme earrings | Angelic Pretty Logo Ribbon Charm wrist cuffs | Innocent World chiffon wrist cuffs |

Add all the biscuits you can/own.

Appreciating both the laces on that blouse and this cute necklace.

The first outfit where the double wrist cuffs look actually worked.

By this point I had realised that I've worn almost every piece that was last worn in 2019. Last year I casually said that I’d like to wear everything I own at least once and to break some pieces out of a seasonal rut. So once I realised that I'm at a halfway point of my wardrobe before we even got to being halfway through the year, it motivated me to stretch that casual aim. Could I maybe wear everything at least once within just half a year? It might be too far-fetched, but it's a goal worth pursuing and it lit some fire in me to give it a go, with this skirt being the first piece of that new resolution.

There isn't much behind this coord other than me wanting to try pairing this skirt with pink. I knew that brown and pink work great, as do beige and pink, so surely this should work too. And it did. It's a pretty simple coordinate, though it was sweet and cute enough to cheer me up as I ploughed through a particularly busy and tiring week of work. If I have to be tired and stressed, I might as well look cute whilst at it. Although I am wondering whether it’s time to let this skirt go. Now is a bit of an awkward time to be selling things, but I don’t think this skirt sparks joy in me anymore – it’s nice, but it doesn’t necessarily excite me. I’ll have a think about this one.

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Coord 8: Super Casual WfH Friday

| Lady Sloth Look at my Dreamy Sky Casual OP | offbrand upcycled cardigan | Angelic Pretty Twinkle Star ankle socks | Sosic Shop heels | Claire's Accessories hair clips | handmade bracelets |

I'm actually surprised that these clips stayed considering how often I forgot about them and swished that ponytail about.

This outfit contains approximately 0 (zero) colour matches. But it's super extra casual, so who cares.

This was the day after the previous one and by Friday my overall energy levels were low. Still, I knew that the weekend would be more chilly and once I laid this coord out, it didn't seem that much more involved than what I would've picked out of my non-lolita clothes. So in the spirit of “why the hell not”, I threw this on. Although the hair clips were added purely for the photo, I did end up keeping them on all day (mostly out of laziness). And I got to use two new pairs of bracelets that I finally made earlier that week. It's not my best outfit, the colour balance is a bit off even for my “screw colour matching” attitude, though I like the combination of star theme with the daytime sky print. It was a different take on this dress and I enjoyed that enough to maybe attempt to improve on this outfit sometime in the future. For now it did all that it had to do: be comfortable enough for another day filled with work and still cute enough to make me feel better about it.

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Coord 9: Questionably EGL Edwardian

| Innocent World White Double Braid Tartan skirt | Infanta Swan Lake blouse | Violet Fane Antiquite tights | Sosic Shop heels | Axes Femme brooch | offbrand earrings |

She smiles, but she won't let you keep your books without renewing the loan first.

This brooch was actually on one of the blouses I got from Axes Femme. We stan a detachable piece like this.

This skirt from Innocent World White is by its very nature debatable in terms of if it's lolita or not. No doubts it could be styled as such in a more toned down classic coordinate, however until this outfit I have never even worn it with a petticoat. It's a piece I wear often, but almost never feature, because I don’t view it as lolita, and I wanted to change that. I think that this may be better put in the 'lolita inspired' folder or Edwardian-inspired otome. Or maybe even some casual classic aristocrat? I don't know, I feel like the more words needed to describe it, the more not that thing it is, if you get what I mean. Having said this, every piece here except for brooch and earrings is from a lolita company, so I figured I'd feature it here. Whilst I tried putting some accessories on my head, they all flattened my hair and I kind of liked it more without anything. This is one of those fun hairstyles that starts a bit messy in a good way and as it deteriorates over the course of a day, it ends up looking even better. So whether I'm about to drop some science with Marie Curie or join Marilla Cuthbert on a visit to apologise to Mrs Linde, this is an outfit for getting stuff done – perfect for a working Monday!

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Coord 10: Soft Rococo

| Baroque x Sakizo Repose of Queen Teatime Dress and matching bow clip | BtSSB Forever Enchanted Midnight Spell bolero | Red Maria tights | Irregular Choice Earl Grey heels | Violet Fane necklace |

Did I really sit through a 90-minute Microsoft Teams meeting looking like this? Yes, I did. Tbh, there were too many people and too many other issues to pay too much attention to my being extra and I think my work is already used to the fact that my casual is still their dressed up.

I bought this necklace thinking it was a handmade. Until one day I randomly browsed Lolibrary for Violet Fane items and found a listing for this very one. Casual Lolibrary scrolling pays off sometimes.

That whole week has been horrible as far as working from home went, just so much stress – I really needed a pick-me-up, something to make myself feel at least a little bit better. Dressing up was an easy option and actually probably a bit more comfortable than if I wore something non-lolita. An OP is great for days when you need a bit more comfort and want to be lazy whilst still looking nice. This one was such a low effort outfit, yet it still looks nice. And, more importantly, from the neck up it still passes as only a little fancier than what I'd wear to the office, so I could sit through over 90 minutes of a virtual meeting in this. Of course, the shoes are there just for the photo. I love them to bits for their looks, but comfortable they are as far from as we are from Pluto.

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Coord 11: Lady Who Strolls

| AatP Rosier Fleur JSK | offbrand blouse | Innocent World Original Lace Millefeuille bolero | Tutuanna socks | Deary shoes | vintage hat, gloves and clips | offbrand rings, choker and brooch |

Those clips belonged to my late Grandma, so I only wore them for the pictures, they're too precious.

Another one for the texture appreciation folder.

You would not believe how hard this picture proved to be to take on your own.

THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY! That was the prevalent thought of that day. It was supposed to be a much more relaxed day, though my work had other plans. So again, I was lifting my spirits up through clothing – and I did actually get to go out in this. Earlier that week, after finding out that my favourite Polish restaurant was opening for click-and-collect orders of pierogi, I simply had to give in. This fit perfectly within my one hour of government-allowed exercise (it probably took me less to walk there than it would've to get there by tram) and the weather was quite summery. The hat shielded me from the sun and the gloves weren't just elegant, they protected me when pushing those buttons at pedestrian crossings. However, for the walk itself I did change into more appropriate shoes. All in all, I looked cute, the weather was gorgeous and I ate some divine pierogi – maybe it didn't quite make up for a lousy week, but it certainly made for a smashing start to the weekend!

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Coord 12: Drop the Brush

| Mary Magdalene Paulina JSK | Lady Sloth Glitter Mesh blouse | Angelic Pretty Lovely Ribbon OTKs | Irregular Choice Total Freedom heels | offbrand kokoshnik | Haruhi Clover headbow | offbrand necklace and rings | Peacockalorum wrist cuffs | handmade sash | vintage brooch | Coscraft wig |

Serving you Anastasia! I'm really happy with how this makeup photographed, actually.

I want another kokoshnik like this, but this listing is no longer up on eBay. Anyone knows where the Russians shop? It would be good practice for my limited Russian to try to shop for one.

I almost didn't share this since I wouldn't necessarily count that as an outfit that I've worn. I put it on to film a clip for the #dropthebrushchallenge, also known as #dontrushchallenge, then took it off as soon as I was done. However, this is basically what I do with my Around Your Wardrobe in 30 Coordinates outfits and those still get featured, so why not? After first thinking of this for the 1 Dress 4 Looks post, this was supposed to be my day 1 outfit for the Gothic Lolita Festival in Moscow. Whether this will end up being a try-on test or whether I'll think of something new to wear in Moscow, I don't know yet. I'm happy with how it looks, though I would like to make a sash to match this coord specifically. (Generally I'd like to make more sashes, but I'd rather see the ribbon colours in person, so it'll have to wait.) And maybe my white x blue MuFish tights would be better? As I said, I don't even know if I'll be able to go to GLF, a lot depends on the new date, my personal finances and whether I'll be able to take the time off. And if I can, I may end up changing my outfit plans. But I'm still happy that this got a spin, it deserved one.

For those of you who would like to see CLAM’s Drop the Brush video, you can hopefully watch it here:

View this post on Instagram

Staying together as a community is so important right now! Seeing all the #dontrushchallenge posts have been so inspiring and motivating for me and so many others! Huge thank you to everyone that got involved 💕💕 #dropthebrushchallenge #dontrush #eglcommunity #angelicpretty #babythestarsshinebright #btssb #egl #eglfashion

A post shared by @ rococonightmare on Apr 26, 2020 at 12:47pm PDT

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Coord 13: Back to Comfort

| Metamorphose Classical Sister OP | Imperial Fiddlesticks headbow | vintage clips | offbrand necklace, belt and tights |

Even I was surprised how much the pearl accessories improved the overall look.

With fewer details, every one of them counts. And luckily, Meta did not skimp on lace!

You know, I wasn't going to wear any more lolita in April. But thirteen is my lucky number, so I wanted to finish on that. The weather has changed from gorgeous back to grey over that last weekend, so along with the return to work, it was nice to dress up to cheer myself up. Originally this wasn't much of a coord, just the OP, tights and headbow, but on the day I added all the pearl bits and I feel like this pulled it into something nice. It's still very simple, but now it's an understated elegance, whereas without the belt and jewellery it was just a dress and a headbow. Moral of the story is to never underestimate the importance of accessories in your coord. You can still keep the outfit simple, but a carefully selected and placed accessory will make it or break it as a coordinate.

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And this concludes my April outfits roundup. I know, it's pretty long (took up just over 7 pages in Google Docs in a size 11 font when I wrote it), so give yourself a pat on the back if you made it this far. I am quite impressed with myself for wearing lolita so many times this month and to have managed to squeeze such a range of looks. At times when we can't do much of the usual stuff that brings us joy, dressing up can certainly help make this time a bit nicer.

As of now there are 11 main pieces on my 'last worn' spreadsheet that were last worn in 2019. Compared to 13 lolita coords plus some non-lolita bonuses, putting together 11 outfits in May doesn't seem like such a stretch anymore. Though whether I achieve that or not, it has already helped completely overturn that spreadsheet and break several pieces out of their seasonal rut. And I am determined to make my only Christmas print one of those, even if I fail all else. I feel like I should celebrate or reward myself somehow if I manage to wear everything once by the time we hit June, but am completely stuck for ideas. What do you think? There will definitely be a 'half a year in coords' post in June anyway, just like last year, but is there anything else that you'd like to see? Or anything that you think is a reward worthy of the achievement?

Until next outfit roundup, stay safe!