August Coords Roundup

If there are any words to sum up how I feel right now, they are most likely “I’m tired”. But somehow that’s a good “I’m tired” (even if I would love more time to rest, as well as do all those creative things), the sort that comes after bringing a post with 17 outfits to go through.

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Coord 1: New Sunnies

| Angelic Pretty Diner Doll JSK | offbrand cutsew, headband, hair clips and earrings | Snag White Russian fishnets | Irregular Choice Flickety Kiss shoes | Angelic Pretty Fancy Crepe necklace | Jule et Lily Popcorn brooch | Star Glazed Delights Brandwhore ring | Angelic Pretty Fancy Soda ring | Lockshop Daisy wig | Ublins Tisheena sunglasses |

Since then I've had a chance to test these out as sunglasses and, predictably, they're more for the fashion look that tangible protection from the sun.

Though I would also totally wear these as non-sunglasses, just regular frames.

The time has come for me to take another step into that infamous ‘influencer’ territory as I have been asked to collaborate with Ublins to promote them in exchange for receiving some glasses from them. It worked out well for me since I’ve been thinking about getting more glasses anyway, including prescription sunglasses, and a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do in this economy. All jokes aside though, since I don’t think of myself in those categories, I merely put pictures of what I genuinely wear or put together on the Internet, it was really lovely to be asked by someone who has at least taken a look at my feed before approaching (honestly, the number of bots that try to shove T-shirts down my way is astonishing). Doing this has also given me a massive newfound appreciation for all the dedicated Instagram Reel and TikTok creators out there because wow, that is a lot of work. And like, I do videos on YouTube, but those involve a whole other set of skills and effort. It’s highly rewarding, but my lazy arse is not cut out for that (though watch me do more just because I have a masochistic streak in me).

All that lengthy introduction done, the outfit itself was put together to compliment those sunglasses. They are so fun and bright, so whilst summer was on a break when I wore this, given how light and breathable most of the layers in here are, I think that qualifies as a summery(ish) outfit to befit a summer staple like sunglasses, right? And being decked out in all pastels has once again had me wondering why I don’t do that more often, why I don’t embrace this kind of sweet lolita more. Which is when my brain kindly reminded me that: a) there aren’t that many pastel prints that I like; b) that sweet boom is not conductive to obtaining those that I may like; and c) that however comfortable I am in frills, it is in my more usual true colours or classic type rather than this and I did change into something stil pastel but less out there to pick up my order of fried chicken.

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Coord 2: New Frames

| BtSSB Dreaming Sherbet skirt and bow clip | Fi.n.t. cutsew | offbrand socks and earrings | Sosic Shop shoes | vintage hat | Dear Celine badge | Chocomint ring | Twinkle Kitty Boutique ring | handmade bracelets | Primark pearl bracelets | Banned Bella belt | Ublins Corey glasses |

Having practically mastered curls, I'm now trying to work out how to get a nice large wave in my hair.

I've ended up liking these frames so much more than I anticipated myself to.

And the other coord to go with the previous one, for the regular glasses I received. Although this was also back for my working from home, which explains both the more casual feel to the look and why I’m counting this more as a WFH outfit rather than a strictly filming one. Doing reels in 15mins at the end of my lunch break was, well, an experience that I don’t think I’ll be having anytime soon again. These particular frames were the more experimental ones for me, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve had any frames that go this low down my face, but I think I like them. They are definitely really cute with lolita, so expect to see more of them. And the look itself was really nice and airy, even if it still hasn’t necessarily warmed up enough for such summery outfits, but why should that stop me, right?

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Coord 3: Unboxing Coord

| After Midnight The First Semester JSK | Lazy Oaf top | offbrand tights and beret | Irregular Choice Flickety Kiss shoes | Ruby Rose hair clip | Big Pink Boutique earrings | Rose Marie Seoir necklace | Banned Bella belt | Ublins Corey glasses |

That beret did not want to stretch enough to sit a little bit closer in.

There were times when I pondered parting with this hair clip, but I'm glad I didn't.

And a WFH one too, I guess. But it was put together specifically for the unboxing. Since I received my new Chrysamthemum’s Concerto dress (formerly After Midnight), it was imperative that I wear my other dress from the same designer, rep the brand you know. I’m loving the larme spin on this and all those pops of pink. Even if it hadn’t been the best day, since it started with this very blog getting blocked by Blogger (honestly, Blogger, you can shove a cactus up your for that dick move), at least I looked cute during that crisis. And then later for the unboxing.

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Coord 4: Classy Gingham

| Chrysanthemum’s Concerto Lost in the Garden of Eden JSK | offbrand blouse and earrings | Angelic Pretty Lovely Ribbon OTKs | Bodyline shoes | Cutie Creator Maiden’s Prayer headbow | vintage necklace and gloves | My Inspiration brooch | Patisserie Pink Lock and Key brooch | 4 Aces ring |

Because of course that my first instinct for a gingham dress in August would be to wear it in a classy retro way, of course...

Lace with a ribbon woven through it is such an increddibly satisfying detail.

Of course, I had to wear the dress the moment that I received it, that should go without saying. Somehow my brain decided that I wanted to make gingham classy in that retro-ish sort of way, which is exactly what you see here. I honestly love this dress so much, it’s super cute and comfortable and I’m so glad that it arrived whilst it’s still summer. Even though I have been thinking about winter ways to wear it, it deserves to have its moment of summery country glory or something like that beforehand.

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Coord 5: Second Breakfast?

| Violet Fane Charming Town skirt | offbrand blouse, bolero and earrings | Innocent World Lauretta OTKs | Hush Puppies boots | Cutie Creator headbow | Lady Sloth Winter Spices necklace | Axes Femme brooch |

These glasses are honestly such big help for lazy days, the distract from the lack of eye makeup and let me be lazy, whilst still cute.

I feel like there were more jewellery designs in this series and I kind of regret not getting more.

This is one of those that didn’t come out quite the way I wanted it to as I’m lacking the pieces to pull my vision off. I’ve been feeling in a very fantasy mood recently (in no small part thanks to reading fantasy again) and I kind of wanted something hobbit-y: cosy, casual, earth tones, still cute. This is the best that I could do with what I have right now, but it’s an idea that I would like to revisit in the future, maybe when I do have something more appropriate for such a theme. But it got the job of making me clothed for a work from home day, so I’m not complaining too much.

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Coord 6: Faerie

| AatP Rosier Fleur JSK | Infanta overblouse | Baroque Secret Garden tights | Irregular Choice Earl Grey shoes | Kaneko headdress | Enchantlic Enchantilly necklace | bee rings from Primark | Tiny Passerine Creations ring | handmade ring | Cutie Creator wrist cuffs | flower clips and brooches mostly offbrand with one vintage and one pair from After Midnight |

I cannot even begin to express how incredible I felt in this look, I loved it so much. And even that kilogram of blush deigned to somewhat show up on camera for once!

I totally freehanded this arrangement. And a fully floral sash should be more of a thing.

I have been reading fantasy like I’m 14 again and have been in a mood to turn myself into faerie for a few months now. Whilst my ideal faerie dress exists only in my head, I decided to try to scratch that itch through lolita. And honestly, the only thing that’s missing from here is a pair of pointy ears. Sure, I’d also likely change the shoes (or go completely conceptual with bare legs and feet), but they work well enough on the photo. One of my favourite looks in general and I hope that in the future I will be able to replicate that makeup because I also want to do a boystyle version to match!

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Coord 7: Something Simple

| Lady Sloth Winter Spices skirt | Metamorphose lucky pack blouse | Bodyline shoes | offbrand socks, hair clips and bracelets | Chrysanthemum’s Concerto bow pin |

Wow, it's really not that common for me to go for such super simple sweet looks, this is almost odd to see on myself.

This pin has already proved itself to be very useful.

Does what it says on the tin. I realised that (once again tbh) I’ve been avoiding the obvious white option so hard that I haven’t actually worn this in anything traditionally sweet lolita. Now was as good a time as any. What else would you do on a WFH Tuesday pre-GLISH, right?

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Coord 8: Dinnertime Frills

| Angelic Pretty Fantasy Theater Gilet JSK | offbrand top, jacket and earrings | Snag White Russian fishnets | Sosic Shop heels | Pink Up Fanny’s Dressing Table hair clip | pins from Fluffy Tori, Dream Masquerade Carnival and Love from the North | Angelic Pretty Fancy Soda ring | Twinkle Kitty Boutique ring |

Bringing back that blue eyeshadow for a quick pop of colour.

If you don't decorate your denim jacket with pins or patches, do you even own a denim jacket?

Meetups are slowly becoming a thing again and I went to a weeknight dinner with some of my comm and it was so nice and normal that I just wanna ToT This was the most normal I’ve felt in months, even if previously it wasn’t that normal for me to go out on a Wednesday night for dinner and dress up in frills for it. But it was everything that my aching soul needed! After not being able to decide on an outfit for so long, I went with this - partly because Fantasy Theatre’s been lined up to wear next in my spreadsheet, partly because I feel like I’ve not worn it with blues enough, partly because it felt casual, and partly because it felt like it had enough give to accommodate a dinner without allowing me to overindulge. Though all that working from home and sedentary lifestyle have made themselves known as despite wearing heels around my house often, walking in them to, from and at the meetup was not kind to my feet.

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Coord 9: Day 1 of GLISH

| AatP Sheherazade ~ One Thousand and One Nights ~ JSK I | Lady Sloth Glitter Mesh blouse | Lady Sloth Galaxy Witch overdress | Miss Point corset | Enchantlic Enchantilly Angel’s Ball Party tights | offbrand shoes with clips from Angelic Pretty’s Elegant Doll boots | After Midnight headdress | offbrand hair clip | Triple Fortune hair pins | Puvithel Crystal Heart necklace and earrings | Wicked and Whimsy ring | Star Glazed Delights Brandwhore ring |

I'm not sure if my eyesight is getting worse, but somehow I'm only now noticing how many of the selfies from this look seem blurry?

The bow on this dress is in just the perfect position in relation to this corset!

Well, this isn’t the only coord I had on me that day, but it’s the one that I’m counting as actually being worn since it stayed on the longest. Although a faff to have to lace it and unlace it every time, I am very pleased with this corset from Miss Point, it has just the right shape and drape, and even manages a touch of actual definition (though not much since it only has two plastic bones to help it retain the shape). Though that makes me even more tempted to get it in other colours… And this whole coord really turned out the way I wanted it to, it’s really helping reignite the love I have for this print, which has been on a bit of a rollercoaster recently.

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Coord 10: Day 2 of GLISH

| Dear Celine Magic Book OP | MuFish tights | offbrand shoes | Haruhi Clover headbow | Vanyar wig | Fantastic Grim Jewelry necklace | Patisserie Pink Bookshelf brooch | Enchantlic Enchantilly Queen Cat Secret Library ring | GlassesLit glasses |

Even though the coord is basically the same as what I've worn with this OP before, the wig seems to be making enough of a difference.

Overexposed photo is overexposed, but I'm choosing that over another detail shot of the exact same book-shaped jewellery I've done countless of times before.

Is this coord anything new for me? No, absolutely not. But since this was for the Book-Print Coord prompt, there was absolutely no need to break the mould. Especially since I then went to my local library, which happens to be the John Rylands library, to take photos for the In Your Local Library prompt, and being on foot I opted for casualness and comfort. Though I suppose the wig does switch it up enough (even if I only wore it because I had my hair in pincurls underneath to keep the shape from the day before and make it last until the following day). Just like the day before, I also had another coord on, though that one I am not counting as worn since it was just put on for the few photos and the reel, I didn’t even bother documenting it properly because I was quite tired by then.

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Coord 11: Rollerskating Meet

| Angelic Pretty Diner Doll JSK and headbow | Dancing Days cardigan | Angelic Pretty Fancy Candy OTKs | Bodyline shoes | Big Pink Boutique earrings | handmade choker | Angelic Pretty Fancy Crepe necklace | Bows and Crossbones bangles | Star Glazed Delights Brandwhore ring | Angelic Pretty British Ribbon ring | Banned Retro Bella belt |

Lucille Ball who? Jokes aside, this hairstyle not only survived rollerskating in, but also being slept in. Very simple, very durable, a solid 10/10 will do again at some point.

As I'm expanding my vintage wardrobe, some of the accessories make it over to my lolita looks, starting with these fakelite bangles.

This really made me feel like meetups are a thing again and it’s been so wonderful to do something so typically lolita as a meetup. We started out in Cocoa Cabana for food (most of us went with a sensible brunch savoury option, though I also indulged in some truffles after), then went to a skating rink which we hired and had just to ourselves. This outfit, with a slight change of hairstyle, has been waiting literally over a year to be worn! Back in like January of 2020 I was planning to organise a retro lolita themed meetup for July, which never happened for obvious reasons. And I held off from wearing this, which I prepared for that exact meetup, in hopes of either hosting the retro meet myself or something else appropriate coming along. Rollerskating in lolita was just the kind of alternative and I am also grateful for that change of hairstyle because not only it turned out super cute, it was extremely practical for how intensive rollerskating proved to be (except the few curls right above my forehead, but shh). The outfit itself was also great for the activity, both for the cute look and the fact that everything was machine washable. But hey, I went into that rink holding onto walls for dear life and by the time we left I had done something like four complete circles around that rink all on my own! With breaks, mind you, but not a single fall! And that I am damn proud of, plus it turned out to be so, so fun. If I were a more self-motivated type, this would’ve gotten me hooked on rollerskating, for sure.

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Coord 12: GLISH Day 5

| Fan+Friend Alice Knight trousers | Infanta Swan Lake blouse | Alice and the Pirates unknown jacket | Angelic Pretty Crown Ribbon OTKs | offbrand shoes | handmade hat | Le Petit Four The Warrior Sacred Heart necklace | Voodoodolly ring |

Ya boi, Paul, has figured out time travel now.

Damn, I love this necklace so much, even though it doesn't necessarily get the most wear.

Gosh, time flies with these GLISH challenges. By that point I had done all bar three that I volunteered to take and this one took it down to two. The prompt was a Period-Era Inspired Coord, so why wouldn’t I break out my Tudor ouji? 1536 Paul also needs to roam around sometimes. Besides, once this was on, it once again reminded me how comfy ouji is (in everything except bathroom visits, skirts win there). So yeah, quite a straightforward combination that’s nonetheless effective. And I love these F+F pants, they have exactly the right shape, volume and rise. And maybe it has been a bit more chilly, but they weren’t too warm either despite being velvet.

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Coord 13: GLISH Day 6

| L’Esprit de la Noblesse La Bibliotheque JSK | L’Esprit de la Noblesse Le Nuage blouse | Miss Point corset | Angelic Pretty Brigitte Regimen OTKs | offbrand shoes and headdress | Tiny Passerine Creations Duchess’ Tea earrings | Puvithel Crystal Heart necklace | Enchanted Dream Wear necklace | Pretty Rock Baby brooch | Le Petit Four Emerald Palace ring | handmade ring | Rose of Sharon 2-way clip |

Freehanding these golden tears was so terrifying, but I'm pleased with how they came out.

I'd lie if I said that this brooch was not one of the reasons I bought the cardigan that it came with.

In a common case of “it was already on and I couldn’t be bothered to take it off”, my MET Gala Inspired coord (which was also the Pass the Book challenge one) ended up being worn all day. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love how it came out, I love OTT Classic and even the wonky freehand golden tears came out pretty well. But it is tiring to wear something this involved for a whole day, so it was just as nice to take it off as it was to wear it. Though what surprised me the most is that despite putting on my half-wig, this outfit looked really nice and I guess a bit more historical almost with just my own hair tied into a low bun and left centre-parted at the front. That’s definitely something to remember for the future.

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Coord 14: Early Cosy

| Violet Fane Otome Nostalgia skirt | Pretty Rock Baby Spring Break Upper East Side cardigan | Innocent World Belle Epoque OTKs | offbrand shoes and beret | Cutie Creator headbow |

Keeping things simple for comfort feels like it is becoming a more regular thing.

The pattern on these socks is working just right with these shoes.

Also known as GLISH Day 7 outfit, though I felt like it was time to get a little bit more creative with naming these. And this cardigan is so extremely cosy! Part of me regrets not getting it in other colours, it’s so well made, really thick and soft, but I am still on a cardigan ban (not that anyone told this one that, but shh). Ever since I got it, this outfit has been in my head and now was the time to wear it. Taking advantage of just about getting cool enough before things warmed up again to wear such a thick layer. Truth be told, up until that point the weather has been so dreary and rainy that together with work getting busy and stressful again it really got me in the mood for cosy autumn season. I just want to exist in cosy knitwear with a mug of steaming tea in hand, a candle lit and a fireplace roaring on my screen in absence of a real fireplace. I know it’s still August, but is that really so much to ask?

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Coord 15: Black and Pastel

| Metamorphose Bubble Bath skirt | offbrand top, tights, earrings and hair clips | Sosic Shop shoes | Pink Up Fanny’s Dressing Table hair clip | Angelic Pretty Cute Ribbon wrist cuffs | handmade necklace |

Not the best top for going out given that I don't have a black tank top to put underneath, but since I stayed at home, it didn't matter one bit.

This top also has amazing sleeves and I love how they worked with the wrist cuffs.

This is highly unprecedented for me. For years, years I’ve been very much Team Black And Pastel Is Not For Me. And here we are. I wore black with pastels. It’s been over a week since that happened by the time you’re reading this, so don’t worry, if the world was going to end, it would’ve done so by now. I wasn’t even going to wear lolita that day, but when thinking of something comfortable I could wear my mind went towards those fully shirred skirts and after a different idea with Bubble Bath didn’t work out, I clearly went to the Heck It side and straight up pulled out this. And it did the job of being comfy, as well as cute, even inspiring me to push myself a bit more to style it nicely in a larme-ish sort of way, since the outfit gave me those vibes anyway. Will I wear black and pastels more from now on? I don’t know. Maybe? After such a long time adamantly saying “no”, I kind of don’t want to commit either way to avoid life proving me wrong once again.

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Coord 16: Comfy Wa

| Metamorphose Shirring Tiered Ribbon JSK | vintage haori | offbrand socks | Bodyline shoes | Cutie Creator headbow |

I feel like every month I have a mini-makeup trend that I get into and right now this trend is using a pencil eyeliner instead of a liquid one. Doesn't really save time, but gives a more subtle look.

The pattern on this haori is gorgeous and despite being floral, those white splatters and the very cool colour palette make it appear quite wintery.

Is this an incredibly simple outfit? Yes, definitely. But somehow, having looked at what I had, I didn’t feel like adding any of the accessories, none of them seemed to match the vibe. So I decided to keep it in this super basic form. Which worked in my favour since it proved to be a day when Aunt Irma got angry at me for not producing a human, so I could do with all the comfort I could get, which this fully shirred JSK always delivers on. Did I also feel sorry enough for myself that I bought a new dress on sale (non-lolita one)? Totally. But it wasn’t a total impulse buy, I’ve been going back to it for weeks now and it went down to £20, so I feel justified.

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Coord 17: Business Tea

| Resailan Jewelry Box JSK and tights | L’Esprit de la Noblesse Le Nuage blouse | Deary heels | Triple Fortune headdress | offbrand earrings | Gravelvet Iridescent Princess necklace | Patisserie Pink Bottled Stardust brooch | Miss Point corset |

Having seen Bernadette Banner's most recent makeup video, I tried her style of shading the eyes with eyeshadow, which I think I'm liking. It's something I might need to practice, but I liked the look a lot.

It's been years since this print first came out and I still absolutely love it, it's so full of detail!

They say you should dress for the job you want - and the job I want is being one of my comm’s admin, checking out event venues with the other admins to ensure that they meet our exacting standards! Which is precisely what happened here. The venue ended up surpassing our expectations and the afternoon tea that we had there was simply divine. And thankfully it’s a venue that has a branch in Manchester, so I know for sure that I will be back at some point! As for the coord, given that I was travelling to Leeds, I did change into more practical plain navy flats for the trip itself, but the rest stayed the same and I am really happy with how everything came out.

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At this point I have but one wish: someone please teach me how to quiet my brain! What you see up here is but one facet of my brain’s inability to shut up and constantly racing with creative ideas. Which is great, except that apparently no-one installed breaks on that, so those creative ideas keep running, keep multiplying, and keep taking over all my spare time until I crash and burn. And lolita is but one thing driving that.

Having said this, I have enjoyed how creative August ended up being. GLISH played no small part in that, driving the outfit count up (though also, at times, the stress levels, which you’ll see in the vlog that I still need to edit). And in a way, maybe I needed that because from mid-September I will be partially back to working in the office, so for all my will, the reality of that will likely drive the number of opportunities to dress up down a bit. Or it’ll lead me towards going more casual and finally working out how to take a good mirror selfie, so that I can continue documenting what I wear without the pressure of getting out my whole current photo setup. Because that is the main reason behind my drive to take outfit photos, wanting to have that record for my future self. And maybe also a small reminder of that day since even without a pandemic life can sometimes feel like every day is the same until you blink in surprise at the passage of time.

How has August been for you? For those currently in education, do you feel ready to return back to classes?