May Coords Roundup

Somehow May ended up feeling really busy. It seems like a lot has happened, which is odd because when was the last time that I could say that a lot has happened in a month? At the same time, it’s been quite a dreary May, with a lot of heavy rains and grey skies, which resulted in it feeling slower and longer than one would expect May to be. Apparently we are to have some warmth and sunshine this weekend, so let’s hope that’ll be here to stay.

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Coord 1: A Small Adventure

| Haenuli’s Lovely Memories JSK | offbrand top and shoes | Innocent World Rose Lace Millefeuille bolero | Violet Fane Antiquite tights | Innocent World Organdy Bow Rose clip | Latte Galaxy Librarian Lady brooch |

Such a shame that you can't see the bow clip at the back. Although truth be told, my hair do wasn't the neatest one.

So have a closeup of this brooch instead. For bag closeups you can head over to the What's In My Lolita Bag post.

I actually wore it on the very last day of April, simply didn’t feel like postponing a post that was already scheduled to later. It’s easier to tag this along with this month’s post. My plan for the day, for once, involved an actual mini-adventure outside: venturing to a neighbouring borough to browse charity shops, then back into city centre for a dinner out. I know, proper spoiling myself there, but I promise you I was responsible all that time and took a test the day after to make sure (I had already taken one at the beginning of the week for work purposes, so needed to anyway). Since the day involved a lot of walking, I needed to base my coord around practical shoes. I also wanted to use this opportunity for Bibliotheca’s monthly theme of What’s In My Lolita Bag, since for once I actually needed one, so the coord happened very much around those two things. And I’m pleased with how it came out, it got lots of compliments for the various elements, and overall I had a very lovely day. Didn’t buy anything in the charity shops, though I did end up supporting a couple of independent businesses out there and I had an order of all sorts of second hand goodies from Japan arrive earlier that day, so the world remained in balance.

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Coord 2: Mixed Patterns

| Heart E Tartan JSK | Snag White Russian fishnets | BtSSB Border OTKs | Metamorphose Grand Couronne necklace | offbrand hat, jacket and boots |

Another curling method tested that is now forgotten. Though I do remember not liking the results that much, so it's not much of a loss.

I think these were the first pair of brand socks that I ever got? I overestimated how much I'd use red and white striped socks, but I'm glad that I've held onto them.

I hesitate to call this a punk lolita look, it feels just a touch too polished to be really punk in my eyes. But it was certainly inspired by that vibe, as well as the earlier days of lolita fashion. I wore this because this coord was simply in my head and needed to be let out into reality - and it was super comfortable, which was great for a Sunday mostly spent chiling. Although the jacket was only on for the photo, I didn’t spend a whole day indoors in a leather jacket.

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Coord 3: Anniversary Filming

| Mary Magdalene Paulina JSK | L’Esprit de la Noblesse Le Nuage blouse | AatP Arabesque OTKs | Deary heels | Cutie Creator Maiden’s Prayer headbow | offbrand earrings | Innocent World Moon and Star Pearl necklace | Puvithel Crystal Heart brooch |

This year is certainly shaping to be the one where I practice my open mouth smiles and grow used to how they look. It's nice to have variety.

I love this shade of blue on the brooch, even if it makes the navy of the dress appear even darker.

Using up the Bank Holiday Monday to film a video for my 10th anniversary of being into lolita and buying my first lolita dress. The video is up now and I wrote about the anniversary here, so go check that stuff out, we’re here to talk about this coord, which I absolutely love. There’s some poetic beauty in filming a video about my first ever lolita dress whilst wearing my ultimate dream dress - but the coord itself was put together purely because this was at the top of my ‘wear next, it’s been a while’ spreadsheet. And because I wanted to wear this blouse with it. I like how pinning the brooch diagonally has ended up, it created a really pleasing line going through the outfit. However, after getting dressed and filming my energy levels dropped significantly, so I needed a chunk of mindless time staring at a screen (which I brightened up by watching Victor Lockhart’s videos, a 10/10 would recommend pastime endeavour), which led me to a fascinating realisation: maybe lifestyle lolitas didn’t actually want to be lifestylers? Maybe they took the energy to get dressed, did a thing, and by that time lost all energy to even change out, so they just stayed in their fancy outfits, chilling and zoning out, while we all glorified that into lifestyle choices led by aesthetics? Some food for thought for you.

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Coord 4: Unnecessarily Fancy Thursday

| Metamorphose Classical Sister OP | Lady Sloth Metallic Mesh overdress | Angelic Pretty Musee du Chocolat OTKs | offbrand shoes with clips from Angelic Pretty Elegant Doll boots | Ebony & Ivory hair clip | Tiny Passerine Creations Duchess’ Tea earrings | bow brooch from Dear Celine’s Magic Book OP |

It might be unnecessarily fancy, but you also know you've desensitised your work colleagues to the shenanigans that you get up to when you're in your weekly team call, visible bust up, and not a single comment or weird look is made towards you. *gasp* What if I underwhelmed them? I need to try harder!

Still looks a tad messy with how the light catshes all the individual hairs, but that's hair for you.

Because I knew that days when comfortably wearing a long sleeve OP might not be that numerous in the near future. And why should working from home be just about casual looks? This is pretty laid back by my standards: fewer layers, limited accessories, no fancy hair do’s or makeup (just lipstick). Yet it’s still unnecessarily fancy for a Thursday. And that’s fine, sometimes that’s exactly the pick-me-up one needs.

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Coord 5: Rainlita

| BtSSB Dreaming Sherbet skirt | Nile Perch cutsew | Angelic Pretty Logo Embroidery cutsew cardigan | Haruhi Clover hair clips | handmade choker | offbrand leggings and wellies |

Open mouth smile selfies might be hard, but not as hard as winking ones. Still amazed this one came out so effortlessly.

I wish I had a silver glitter raincoat to match these, that'd be super cute.

My Mum visited me that weekend and although the weather was pretty miserable all week carrying onto the weekend, we couldn’t let that stop us. She wanted a charity shop spree, the same one I had gone on the week before, and I preferred to go out too than to sit at home, which meant only one thing - I needed to make a coord around my wellies! Thankfully, it wasn’t hard, it came together quickly and was really comfortable too. However, the reality of being a rainlita proved to be much different as I really needed a raincoat or poncho instead of an umbrella and the one I have isn’t quite kawaii. Nonetheless, it was fun to be a shapeless blob and to know that underneath that I look really cute. Besides, the main point of my coord were the wellies and those were still on display - I walked past a little girl, maybe 3 or 4 years old max, who also had glitter wellies and she got really excited when she saw mine, that was the most adorable thing ever! The charity shop spree also brought with it some good loot as I scored a sturdy new tripod for £5 and a cute Laura Ashley blouse for £6 that you will see further down.

Above you have the expectations of being a rainlita - here is the reality.

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Coord 6: Blue Cameos

| Angelic Pretty Royal Unicorn Switching JSK | Infanta Moon Elegy blouse | BtSSB Dreaming Sherbet skirt | Innocent World OTKs | Irregular Choice Total Freedom shoes | Cutie Creator headbow | offbrand hair clips | Tiny Passerine Creations necklace |

I do love coordinating this dress with sax blue, there's something slightly ethereal about this combination.

And the necklace that inspired it all. Yes, I ordered more from Tiny Passerine, I have a very weak spot for their jewellery.

All there is to this coord is that I wanted to wear this necklace. Literally all. I looked for something that would complement it and landed on this dress, since it also has sax cameo designs all over the skirt, and the dusty shades were perfect for each other. I also love how the Dreaming Sherbet skirt works as an underskirt with this JSK, the lace is the right length and you still see a peek of the sax coming through, which ties the whole thing together. There will definitely be more looks that use that skirt as an underskirt.

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Coord 7: Polka Dot Overlord

| Metamorphose Polka Dots tiered skirt | Laura Ashley blouse | Snag Sweetheart tights | Bodyline shoes | offbrand hair ties |

Thinking about getting red tights with white polka dots.

Do you have a headache yet?

I’m taking over the world one polka dot at a time. I couldn’t wait long before wearing this blouse, literally, as soon as it dried after being washed it was on. And even though this isn’t the 100% polka dot everything coord that I may have envisioned, I love it nonetheless. One day, when I find the right polka dot tights and maybe even shoes, I will upgrade this. For now this is my polka dot overlord form.

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Coord 8: Playful Nostalgia

| Haenuli Whipped Cream Kitty JSK | Laura Ashley blouse | Snag Sweetheart tights | Hello Crumpet brooch | offbrand shoes, earrings, waist ribbon and blue ring | bow hair tie made from offcuts of Bodyline’s L262 alteration | Sweet Dolly House Cookie Bon Bon ring |

Fun fact: those earrings, which you can juuust about make out, were in my maybe pile. Not anymore.

There really do be dots everywhere in this coord.

This will sound weird, but when I put this on, something in me said “Oh, this is giving me an almost sporty vibe in that 90s kind of way”. It’s probably the hairstyle and shoes combined with growing up in the 90s when teen magazines would always tell you to do a ponytail and wear something like tennis shoes with a dress or skirt for a more “sporty” look. But then I actually had a look in the mirror, realised that I basically look like I should be presenting some sort of children’s TV programme on a Saturday morning - and I am very much ok with that. Btw, have any of you ever gone back to the TV shows you used to love as kids? I did and boy, that’s one trippy trip with that extra layer of post-communist early 90s that to people not from Eastern Europe just looks super extra creepy and weird.

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Coord 9: Chilly May

| Dear Celine Magic Book OP | Innocent World Rose Lace Millefeuille bolero | Angelic Pretty Cinema Doll OTKs | Hush Puppies boots | vintage hat | Glasses Lit glasses | offbrand necklace | Amadea Kingdom The Adventurer D20 brooch |

I quickly learned that fancy glasses can help cover up lack of makeup (or sleep).

Out of the several detail photos I took, this is one that's least likely to go up on Instagram and I want to use it somewhere. Though we'll see how things play out.

The actual coord no 9 was the next Around Your Wardrobe in 30 Coordinates one. You can get an early glimpse of it in my anniversary video and the full reveal will come next Tuesday. This one, on the other hand, was a result of the weather being pretty chilly for May and me taking advantage of that to wear my long sleeve OPs while I could. I enjoyed layering this OP with brown, that really brought out the warmer tones in the print, and all those layers kept me warm, which is what I needed on that chilly day.

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Coord 10: Busily Casual

| Metamorphose Sailor Tiered skirt | offbrand T-shirt and belt | Angelic Pretty Crown Ribbon OTKs | Vivienne Westwood x Melissa Anglomania heels | Larme hair tie | Big Pink Boutique earrings | Metamorphose Grand Couronne necklace |

I'm telling you, trying to get bow clips on ponytails show up on photos is h a r d.

I own exactly one actual T-shirt and this is it. It says a lot about me if you play Dragon Age.

For a day with a to-do list nearly as long as my arm, I sure felt energetic enough to dress up, even in something as casual as this. A skirt and a T-shirt was practically the definition of casual lolita for so long and I do like this look a lot. And it’s probably the funky angle (I’m still working out my new tripod and trying to find the best set up), maybe a bit because of the shoes and pose, but I look like I have very skinny and long legs here!

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Coord 11: Imperial Garden

| BtSSB Polonaise Brillante ~ Ideas of a Maiden ~ Apron JSK and OTKs | traditional blouse | Hush Puppies boots | Kaneko headdress | offbrand earrings | handmade necklace |

Except for quality (and my braiding getting worse), the photos look exactly the same as they did when I took them for the lookbook last July. Which I took full advantage of by submitting old photos for the actual coordinate contest of the event.

Is this best blouse? Probably. It's certainly in the top 5!

This is literally the exact same outfit as what I wore in the 18th Around Your Wardrobe in 30 Coordinates post. Why? Because this coord is really damn good and comfortable, I love it, I love wearing it and re-wearing outfits is 100% ok. Besides, this is literally the event that I was going to debut this look for, so while the event may have moved online (and I will talk about it in more details in a separate post), why should I have to change my coord?

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Coord 12: Green and Lavender

| After Midnight Concerto The First Semester JSK | Chess Story Gift from Budapest blouse | Enchantlic Enchantilly The Crown of the Violet Princess tights | Irregular Choice Flickety Kiss shoes | Cutie Creator headbow | Metamorphose The Grand Couronne necklace | Peppermint Fox brooch | offbrand bracelets | Bodyline bow pin |

Hair curling experiment number I-don't-remember-anymore. I think I like it? Let's see how this behaves on day two, which is actually today.

Did I say that I keep meaning to get more brooches from Peppermint Fox? Well, I do.

I don’t want to say that this was sort of thrown together - but it kind of was. I wasn’t feeling anything really from what I owned (I am waiting for, ekhm, three dresses currently in the post and another one that’s one preorder, oops!), so planning anything in advance like I normally do wasn’t cutting it. And so the night before I just looked extra hard at what I have and went with my heart, which wanted to wear green. And then I remembered how fun green and lavender is as a colour combination, so all of this followed shortly. In truth, I’m loving how freeing it is to not feel like ticking all of those boxes for colour/theme balance. This definitely isn’t 'balanced'. Doesn’t stop me from liking the result and liking the outfit.

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May isn’t even over yet and it took me until this Monday just gone to remember that we have a Bank Holiday this coming Monday too. So there will definitely be a couple more outfits that still qualify as May that aren’t being included here, they’ll get featured in June’s coords roundup post. Because Lord only knows what June will bring, I am preparing myself for the worst so that I cannot be disappointed. At least I have enough outfits to keep going.

10 Year Lolita Anniversary

Wow. Just… wow. It feels so bizarre, a number so detached from the lived experience, yet somehow it’s true. Tomorrow will be exactly ten years since I bought my first lolita dress, completely unknowingly starting a whole journey that landed me here. One that I did not anticipate - my life would’ve looked so different if that purchase stayed as just a cute Japanese version of rockabilly and pinup clothing, without venturing further into lolita fashion. But it did venture there, eventually. And now we’re here. Wow…

I actually made a post for my 5th anniversary on this very blog, which I re-read and… well, let’s be honest, I cringed a little. Boy, was I still so very green five years ago! I tried, the intentions were good, but the pieces available to me at the time and the solid understanding not quite so much. If this post followed the same format, it would’ve been very different, with vastly different coordinates and items. But there’s also not that much fun in doing it all completely the same again, plus ten years is a more significant anniversary to celebrate! Had this been a wedding anniversary, the 5th one would’ve been wood, while the 10th one is tin. But we’re not going to do coords inspired by tin either.

Instead I’d like to reflect a little bit more on the journey that I’ve made. Some of the changes on it would’ve probably happened anyway and lolita fashion simply coexisted with my personal growth. Others lolita fashion was an integral part of, shaping the person that I am now. I do sometimes wonder where would all my money go had I never gotten into lolita and while I’d probably spend it on travels and vintage fashions, the question still somehow has me stumped. I’ve already talked on this blog how particularly over the course of last year lolita became a measure of my mental health, an indicator when something might be wrong or where some of my needs are not addressed properly.

Fun fact: both of those selfies were taken on the same day, the right one after the left. I realised that I hardly ever took selfies or photos unless I was dressing up, that I started to internalise that only outfits where I put the effort in deserved photos, which isn't good. Just because I don't put on makeup or extravagant clothes doesn't mean that I have to have a bad mental health day - so why not celebrate that regardless of whether I dress up? That's something I'd like to work on over the coming years.

Ultimately, as cheesy as this sounds, I think the last ten years have been a road of ‘ita to lolita’ both in terms of the fashion itself and me growing to be comfortable in my own skin. The Paulina that bought that first JSK from Bodyline was a first year university student, in Japan for the very first time, terrified that her language skills weren’t up to par and she had to somehow manage despite that. She’s only just started to come out of her shell again after bullying at school made her insecure, timid, and made her hide her weirdness from all but those online. She was discovering her femininity and embracing her more alternative side, having finally escaped the shadow of labels that we live with as teens at school. This one dress from Bodyline wasn’t quite the first step in reclaiming being herself, but it certainly represented one of the first ones on the way to showing her inner weirdo as it was at that time.

What’s funny in this is how much can get lost in time and in our memory. For quite some time now I’ve been particular about checking all of the memories that crop up on apps like Facebook and Google Photos - but mostly Facebook as that has some of the older stuff. Wearing lolita outside is an obvious big step in anyone’s journey in this fashion, as we’re so acutely aware of how much it stands out from the crowd. Yet over time I forgot how often in the past I was more colourful than the average person on the street anyway. I revisited photos of outfits that I forgot I wore because I wasn’t conscious back then about documenting my clothing, so they mostly got captured on random snaps. Usually when something was happening anyway, so things like summer holidays and trips. Which goes to show that what I wore then, whilst different from the mainstream, could still be somehow labelled by the mainstream, which made it easier  easy to forget that my clothes nonetheless stood out against the metaphorical sea of jeans and T-shirts (which, granted, I still wore, they just didn’t get captured much).

Have a selection of my less normie normie outfits from 2006 (top left corner) to 2014 (bottom right).
Coincidentally, the top row is all pre-first lolita purchase, while bottom row is all after.
Certainly up until the last two photos, I was convinced that I dressed pretty normally, with maybe some personal style quirk. But looking back at that now, I can see that my idea of 'dressing normally' was still a little bit removed from the actual mainstream, even for their respective times.

Looking at those old photos made me realise that as much as they were reflecting who I was at those times in my life, they were also steps that enabled the seed of lolita fashion to grow into a style that I very much feel is my own and that I feel comfortable in. For all the worries that occasionally invade my head: will I be taken seriously if I look like this, should I make a bit more effort to get something that stands out a little less, how can I navigate the world as an individual if most of the world is preoccupied with objectifying me for my clothes before considering me as a person - they don’t go anywhere further. That’s because the comfort and the feeling of being in my own skin when I wear lolita far outweigh those anxieties. It sounds daft to say this at the age of 29, but I do feel that becoming that ‘weirdly dressed old lady’ early has been freeing. Those women have figured out that your personal comfort and happiness are key to enjoying life so that I don’t have to wait with enjoying mine until society grants me a pass when I cross some arbitrary age barrier.

So here I am, ten eventful years later, still owning that very first JSK. During that decade I’ve gone through two partners, two graduations, three jobs, six house moves, and several identity crises. My lolita wardrobe grew from being that occasional fancy wear to regularly worn clothing unrestricted by occasion. Whilst I can’t necessarily point to a singular thing to definitively say “That’s my style”, I’m comfortable in knowing that it continues to evolve and glad that lolita has been a constant in that development. The people that I’ve met through it, locally and globally, have become more than acquaintances or ‘club-mates’. For a long time I knew that I could go anywhere and wouldn’t end up alone thanks to this fashion, but to realise how many of these people actually have my back, are willing to offer support and literally say “We got this for you, just tell us what you need” brings tears to my eyes. It’s overwhelming to realise how this one thing that are clothes designed to look in a particular way can get people to band together like this, making them prove that ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed’, when ‘normal’ relationships can sometimes take years to get to that stage.

It can be super hard over the pandemic to truly feel the community around you, yet in an odd way, it seems like I've connected to mine more. I met lots of new people and made plenty of new meaningful connections. Whilst I would've rather not go through some of the rough spots, they made me realise how blessed I am to have met folks I can truly count on. And in a circle of 'what goes around comes around', I do genuinely want to project back twice the kindness that I've received. I'm getting all gushy and mushy, but it's all from the heart.
Photo from Haenuli's Facebook page from Wicked and Whimsy tea party in August 2016.

The last ten years have been a time of great learning and personal growth. No doubts the next ten will continue to expand my horizons and I look forward to that. The key difference is that now I am much more sure of myself, much more comfortable in my skin, and much more confident as an individual, so I can take life in its stride better than I could at the age of 19. If you are a 19-year-old lolita reading this right now, maybe one who has also been struggling with coming out of your shell, I hope that my words bring you some comfort and ease the pressure to have it all figured out right now. Because you don’t. Take your time, reflect on your experiences and learn from them, find people whom you can trust, and all will be well.

Thank you to everyone who stuck with me, both to the end of this post and in any sort of capacity over the years. Your presence means the world to me and may we one day share a cup of tea once the world is safe again for frivolities like this.

And because a 10th anniversary really should be celebrated with some bang: a bonus in the form of a video! The next Around Your Wardrobe in 30 Coordinates prompt is ‘Using the thing you bought first that you still own’ - very fitting for this occasion. So whilst you’ll have to wait one more week for the proper post, I have recorded a video where I put that coordinate together and explain my thinking process as I coordinate. After all, this is my very first JSK! The video will go public tomorrow, on the actual anniversary day, but you, my loyal readers, get a sneaky early access now. Because you’re worth it!

What's in my lolita bag?

If there’s a common tag/prompt that I’ve never done before, it’s this one. Why? Partly due to lack of interest - it’s not the sort of content that I look out for - and partly because for lolita I pack my bag according to the occasion. There are too many variables to consider to manage a generalised view of what I carry with me when I’m in lolita. However, the prolonged lack of need for a bag due to not going out has kind of made the topic more appealing to me. That and it is this month’s Bibliotheca prompt theme, so why not try writing something I never thought I would?

Although I own a fair share of lolita-specific bags from both Japanese and Chinese brands, this post will not feature one of those. I’ve already talked about one of those, my most well-travelled bag, and I will anecdotally add that in the Before Days my Innocent World Playing Cards Chocolate bag was probably the one I reached for the most as the ivory x gold colourway is just so easy to match. But the great thing about bags is that you don’t have to have specifically lolita ones and finding some offbrand ones you like can transform an otherwise by-the-book-looking coordinate into something more personal to the wearer.

This sort of arts-and-crafts shabby chic used to be really my thing. It's not so much now, though I still adore this bag.

Especially since Vendula bags are so incredibly sturdy! This one hasn't seen much wear, but I've one that I really battered about and it doesn't show it.

Since I waited for an occasion where I was actually going out and needed a bag anyway, you get a real-life glimpse into the things that I carry. Some of these are regular musts, some are particular to this trip, but they are genuinely what I had with me on that day. As I needed a more spacious bag and was wearing blue, I opted for this tea room bag from Vendula London. They’re a smaller bag company specialising in novelty designs, particularly those resembling storefronts and buildings. Their bags are extremely sturdy - another one that I own used to be my daily work bag and believe me when I say that I was never gentle with it, but all it shows is one or two scuffs that aren’t too noticeable. The ones I have are the largest size available, which are generous on space, as you’ll see by the amount of chunky contents I was able to fit in. Because they are a smaller firm who create their bags from vegan leather themselves in the UK, they do come with a heftier price tag (I believe at the time of purchase mine were £99 each, although I received all of mine as presents). However, they regularly have sales going up to 50% off and if you’re not after the largest models available, these can be a more amenable £30-ish on sale for a brand new one. So if you find something you like, I suggest joining their mailing list and stalking their social media.

A top down view of how it all sat inside.

And a clearer flatlay of the actual things.

As you can see, my bag was mostly filled with bigger, bulkier items. For all my attempts to keep things to the absolute minimum I needed, it still feels like a lot, though that could be the numerous lockdowns talking where most trips outside required only a tote bag. Not pictured is my phone (as I use that to take photos), but that also lived in there. And I guess technically the headphones are cheating a little bit because most of the day I had them on me rather than in the bag - but they did go in there at some point, so I’m counting that!

The side that has things I usually carry with me regardless of what I wear.

I’d say the things that I usually have with me whenever I need a bag are: my waller, keys, a spare carrier bag (used to be a plastic tote, but now it’s mostly one of those bags-for-life) and a pouch with miscellaneous essentials. I also tend to carry an umbrella with me, since I do live in the land that is prone to rain, but that particular day, for the sake of not making the bag any heavier, I decided to trust the weather forecast (and won). The water bottle is a much more recent addition to things I try to carry with me regularly. When I anticipate being out for longer, it saves me from having to stop in somewhere and buying a drink, ensuring that I stay hydrated throughout the day. I don’t always drink it all, but at least it’s there if I need it. And I started noticing places being better about refillable water bottles too, so had it been a hotter day where I needed more water, I probably would’ve been able to find a fountain somewhere too.

And the more changeable side of things that get to live in my bag for the day.

As for the rest… Well, I guess a hand sanitiser is a new must-have. So I carry it, but this is the first time it was actually in my bag rather than in my pocket. Also, when going into shops, they all had a sanitisation station at the entrance, which meant that I didn’t need to use my own much. For all my resolve early last year to get a cuter one, I spent so much time trying to find one that was cruelty free without having to go into the city centre or ordering one online that I ended up just getting something that was available. Too many criteria got overwhelming very quickly. And then, since I knew that I’d be going out for dinner (outside eating), I brought my Kindle to make my solo dinner a little less reliant on social media. It’s funny, when I first got this Kindle and started taking it travelling with me, I kept getting asked (mostly by airport security) what is it because e-book readers were not at all popular yet, it was that long ago. Nowadays if I’m out with it, I still get asked what is it, but this time because e-book readers have changed so much since this one that people do not recognise it at all. It’s not touch-screen, it has a QWERTY keyboard, Internet connectivity was an experimental feature - and when I got it, Kindles weren’t even sold in the UK! So when my actual first one had a problem, I had to speak to tech support in the US (who were extremely helpful, polite and patient, Amazon still sucks, but at least their staff did seem to care back in the early 2010s). It’s funny how things work out. But still, reading is 100% kawaii, so while my Kindle case isn’t, finding one for this model now would be nigh impossible and I also like the functionality of this one, it keeps it very secure.

This stuff pretty much never changes, it only gets additions depending on where I'm taking it.

Bonus picture of what’s in my emergency pouch of miscellaneous bits. The pouch itself is something I bought at Imai Kira’s stall back at Dream Masquerade Carnival and used daily ever since. It’s a great way to keep all those small bits from bouncing around in your bag and making them a bit easier to find when you need them. For this trip I took: oil control film, a mattifying powder, lip balm, chewing gum, some Ibuprofen, a mirror, a nail file and mini-nail clippers. In fact, all of those items live in that pouch pretty much permanently, though they’re usually accompanied by other bits, mostly makeup, either what I’m wearing that day or what I might feel like applying (again, back in the Before Days). Did I use any of those items on the day? Nope. But knowing that they’re there should I need them: in case a headache strikes, wanting to touch up my look, or breaking a nail, makes me feel prepared and more at ease.

Truth be told, whilst singular elements or the bag itself may change, this is a good representation of the things that I tend to carry with me when I go out. Items like an umbrella or sunglasses can be a bit interchangeable depending on the weather. Other ones like my Kindle rarely leave the house. And sometimes the occasion calls for something specific like a change of shoes, which I started doing towards the end of 2019 so that I wouldn’t be stuck with hobbling because I chose to prioritise looks that morning. But whether for work or for leisure, a longer outing that’s not limited to a supermarket visit will usually involve most of what you see here. Where I can, I will narrow things down since I don’t like carrying more than I have to, particularly with a shoulder bag, it’s a lot of weight and strain to put on one shoulder. Yet given how rare it is that I am able to limit myself further, my bags do have to reflect that and be able to carry this much at the very least.

In other words, a much less kawaii edition for a lolita What’s in my bag, but as long as most of this is inside the bag, does it really matter? I’m all for kawaiifying your everyday items if that makes you happy - at the same time, trying to live up to some fake expectations when what you have does the job feels like too much extra effort that I’d rather save for something else. But maybe one day I’ll get round to making more of my everyday items Aesthetic… once I figure out what my aesthetic actually is.