My Most Well-Travelled Items

Craving for things we can’t have is common. We yearn after material items, we envy people the skills we don’t have the commitment to put the practice and effort into, and we often wish we were somewhere (sometime) else altogether. The pandemic has severely limited what is safe to do and we all know what a bit of forbidden fruit element does to people! So as I sit and wholeheartedly wish that I could be travelling, even places that aren’t that far or exotic, I finally found it in me to write about my most-travelled items in my lolita wardrobe. Because trust me, that topic idea has been in my head for a while now!

Now it won’t actually be a very long list. Certain items simply became my travel staples and also, the smaller we go, the harder it is to remember where these pieces have actually been. However these two pieces mentioned are now quite the globetrotters - and as soon as I realised that, it motivated me to get them to travel to as many places as possible throughout their lifetime with me! Some people take pictures of toys on their travels, I simply travel with these two.

Song and Temple Fairytale Library skirt

Total no of countries: 7.
Where has it been so far: China (country of manufacture), England, Wales, Republic of Ireland, Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands.

This might be the only item I bought with the purpose of wearing it casually that still gets worn casually more than any other way. This skirt is so easy to throw on, it looks great with a T-shirt or a blouse, pairs well with so many colours both light and dark… It’s an all-round versatile item.

On this fabric the lamps look like they're actually shining some soft light.

This alone makes it great for taking on trips, since it rarely matters what other things I bring with me, it will match something. But more than just that, it’s usually the very thing I actually travel in. Although the fabric is lightweight and doesn’t wrinkle easily, making it perfect for rolling tightly to put into a suitcase, this skirt also holds my most-used petticoat, the Classical Puppets bell one. Wearing your petticoat saves tonnes of suitcase space, so I will take being seen as a little rude by strangers for taking up more space over trying to stuff that petti into my (usually small) luggage.

I wish this waistline was reinforced somehow as it has a tendency to bunch. Though that would affect my comfort levels, particularly during travelling.

 

Considering how this is fairly lightweight polyester, it also holds up well to such intense wear. In the three years I’ve had it the only thing that’s happened to it is one singular snag, which is not even noticeable when worn. One singular snag for six countries worth of active travel and commuting, on buses, trains, cars, budget airlines and on foot. As well as countless of hours at the office and multiple machine washes. That’s pretty damn durable for a skirt that couldn’t have cost me more than £60.

Metamorphose Double Pockets 3-Way Bag

Total no of countries: 7
Where has it been so far: Japan (country of origin), the USA, England, Wales, Scotland, Germany, and Spain.

It’s easy to see why this bag would be so well travelled. Just look at it, this thing could literally pack you for a weekend trip, possibly more! There’s more than enough room for all your essentials and at least in Europe it fits into every budget airline’s cabin luggage restrictions. So often I’ve packed it as I would a carry-on bag, then at my destination used as a stylish bag in a very versatile gold that matched so many outfits.

A good messenger/school-style bag is where it's all at!

The possibility of wearing this as either a handbag, cross-body bag or a backpack only adds to making this easy for travelling. Although clipping the strap for backpack into this inverted V-shape isn’t the best for taking it off and putting it back on repeatedly, as you end up pulling one side all the way, it’s an easy thing to fix. And once on, it is very comfortable as a backpack.

Lastly, a big reason why I like travelling with this bag is that I rarely worry about pickpockets. You see, getting in and out of it can be a bit of a pain sometimes as those randoseru clasps require both a strong push and doing it right. You’re bound to feel it if someone tried to get into your stuff.

Thank you, Meta, for being you and doing what you do. I promise to rep you through my wardrobe more.

As you can probably tell, I haven’t been the kindest to this bag. But considering how I’ve had it for at least two and a half years, that I bought it second hand and that it’s been to 5 countries and at least 6 international flights whilst with me, a couple of scuffs is really minor. So if you were looking for a sturdy, large bag that you could take travelling with you, I’d consider this one. It fluctuates in prices second hand, I’ve seen it go for as little as about £20 and as much as about £100. But it is worth the investment because Meta simply has your back.

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Had the pandemic not interrupted all of our plans, chances are that this list would’ve been longer. The skirt would certainly see more of the world, it’s just too easy to travel in and so often the rest of what I pack is blue too. The bag varies a bit more, as a lot depends on what I need and what I’ll be doing, especially post-moving when I can easily hop on a direct train to the airport straight after work and using my work backpack may be the easier option.

Nonetheless, now that I am aware that these are my most well-travelled lolita items, I do want to make more conscious effort to take these with me. They could be my equivalent of taking a plushie or covering a suitcase with stickers.

Do you travel in lolita? If so, are there any pieces that have travelled a lot with you thanks to being easy/comfortable to wear during your trip? If not, what do you think you would travel in or with from what you have if you had to pick?