September isn’t quite over yet, but even if this were not the last post this month, I sincerely doubt that I’ll wear anything lolita before it actually ends. And whilst things have predictably slowed down, they haven’t completely died down.
*~*~*~* Coord 1: Green and Navy
| BtSSB Polonaise Brillante ~ Ideas of a Maiden ~ Apron JSK | Innocent World Ribbon Lace Millefeuille bolero | Innocent World Belle Epoque OTKs | Deary heels | Innocent World Art Nouveau headbow | offbrand beret and necklace |
Green and navy is such a great colour combination, expect more of it!
I do sometimes think about parting with this necklace, since bunnies is not a motif I like. And then a moment like this one comes along and makes me doubt things...
Urgh, September started off with me taking on too much (and for once, not even in terms of lolita, but somehow… socially? How did this introverted idiot manage to overbook her social calendar?!... anyway). So this was a pretty last minute idea to cheer myself up given that work has been draining and I had another big meeting (couldn’t wait for those to be over). The idea to pair this print with navy to complement the blue stripes in the skirt has been on my mind for a while, though my previous attempt went with something more fancy. This simpler version feels much more cohesive somehow and I do really like this coord. It also gives me hope that the previous fancier idea with navy might just about work.
Looking back, this month has definitely been very much a no eyeshadow and all mascara one. I might actually use mine up at this rate...
I love these boleros so damn much, they literally feel made for me!
I believe the actual theme was not just a dream dress coord, but an OTT dream dress coord, but my body called for comfort and ease, so it’s not very OTT. But it’s still a dream dress coord, ultimate dream dress even if I had to pick one for that title. The coord is definitely relying on tried and tested elements that I know work with this dress, but as I said, energy levels were low and somehow watching Morgan Donner’s video on 500 years of haircuts stressed me out more than it should (because she chops her own hair in it oh so casually), so I needed an extra moment to relax.
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Coord 3: Pop Dots
| Bodyline Sweet Macaron JSK | Laura Ashley blouse | Haenuli Secret Garden tights | Bodyline shoes | offbrand beret and ring | Angelic Pretty Twinkle Sky headbow | Banned Retro Bella belt |
This was definitely a good selfie day, I was feeling myself and this one in particular just reflected the whole mood of the outfit perfectly.
Can you believe that these tights spent a good few years with me before they actually got worn? Criminal!
So somehow I managed to forgot to write about a whole ass coord! I have very vague recollections that this may have been another one worn for the work meeting (which dates appear to confirm), but beyond this - I don't remember what happened anymore. Still, it's a cute look, I still like it, all the dots and the mints and reds hit just the right spot for me.
I started doing selfies like this in July at my parents' 30th wedding anniversary do and they are so fun to do. Despite winking selfies being quite hard, somehow if I also stick my tongue out, they become easier?
Seeing as I had hardly any lace to make me into a lolita, I had to make that up with extra bows.
A bit of backstory - I made a new friend! Not just that, I made a new Polish friend who is local to me! She messaged me and then we agreed to meet up, which ended up being a trip together to Blackpool for a spot of antiquing and just generally vibing. We really hit it off, so no doubts we will meet up again. And for now, since the trip was to the seaside, it had to come with a sailor coord, don’t you think? So nothing groundbreaking for me, we’ve seen this formula before with other main pieces - but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
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Coord 5: Date Look
| Victorian Maiden Shirring Frill JSK | Pretty Rock Baby Spring Break Upper East Side cardigan | offbrand socks, shoes and earrings | Cutie Creator headbow | Peppermint Fox brooch | unknown envelope brooch |
The no-makeup makeup that I think I'm slowly mastering.
Ok but these quilted buttons absolutely own my heart, they're the best!
Another one with a backstory to it, this one I’ll start slightly earlier. After a year and a bit of being single I have finally reached a place where I felt comfortable enough to try online dating. I hit it off pretty well with this one person and when we had a call first, he made me feel comfortable enough to talk a little bit more about wearing lolita (without mentioning the “L” word though) and asked whether I could wear something attention-grabbing to our date. The way he initially phrased it struck at the “challenge accepted” string within me, though thankfully my Discord server friends were quick to calm me down from and with their help I arrived at the basis of what then turned into this. It is definitely a lot more involved than what I otherwise would have worn to a first date, but not only did it feel more authentically me, it was also met with a positive response. (By which I don’t mean just a few compliments, but that despite the initial warning flag the request raised, it didn’t go anywhere unsavoury and my date not only was more interested in me than in my clothes, but he also handled the attention that I attracted from the passerbys pretty well.) So yeah, a simple, practical and comfortable look for a walking date. And let’s face it, that pink with the dark green is totally bomb! I am still not-even-that lowkey obsessed with this cardigan, especially now that the weather’s getting cool enough to actually wear it and not overheat.
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Coord 6: Bat Out of Hell
| Angelic Pretty Royal Unicorn Switching JSK and headbow | Snag tights and fishnets | Angelic Pretty Elegant Doll boots | Le Petit Four Warrior Heart necklace | Strike a Pose pin | Le Petit Four ring |
A bit too giddy to be properly a moody rocker chick.
This ring is another one of those that I expected to give away and yet somehow found use for. This is precisely why I don't part with things!
Even though this technically also counts as a working from home look, the entire reason for wearing it was because I went out to see Bat Out of Hell, the musical with Meat Loaf’s music. So I tried to go for something a little bit more edgy/rocky, landing on this JSK because now that it’s altered and fits me much more comfortably, I want to enjoy wearing it. I’m not too keen on the headbow with this whole look, it’s a bit too sweet, but I neither had the time to tease my hair more nor could I think of a better accessory to wear with this. And having gone into Bat Out of Hell with exactly zero expectations, I left having had a really fun time, it was quite a banger (in short: sex, drugs and rock’n’roll, but maybe substitute some of the drugs for more sex and rock’n’roll). I give it a solid 4/5 and I would happily see this again from my cheapo seats.
Something about the blouse and the glasses combination gives me a 70s vibe - which I'm not mad at!
Those are some very satisfying textures.
This is exactly what has happened - I put an outfit without thinking too much about it. Some of it was down to wanting to wear this blouse once more before it was time to hand it over to laundry, some of it was more about feeling like forever since I’ve worn frills (it wasn’t, it’s only been since Monday and that was a Friday, but it felt it). Not much more to say about the outfit, to be honest.
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Coord 8: A Lolita Photoshot
| Bodyline L262 JSK | offbrand cutsew and hat | Snag White Russian fishnets | Hush Puppies boots | 8th Sin Creations harness | Strike a Pose pin | Metamorphose Grand Couronne necklace as belt | Voodoodolly ring | handmade bracelets |
What's amazing about this makeup look is how incredibly messy it was - and yet that is exactly what this look needed, plus the camera somehow made it look less messy.
Fun fact, this isn't a standalone choker, this is part of the cutsew.
People! I braved taking photos out in the wild and emerged victorious! In the past I have chickened out, but not this time and it felt so good to get them done. This isn’t necessarily the photoshoot that I would’ve envisaged when I set that goal for 2021, but considering how this is a collaboration with the amazing James the Enthusiast, who is super talented and super lovely, I feel like it more than helped with counting that goal as achieved! As for the coord itself - since I was going for an urban setting, I needed something a bit more edgy. The punky vibes of this otherwise really cutesy dress sit really well with me and I think the harness in particular works with this cut since there is a row of white lace right where the bottom of the harness sits, so it blends into the dress well. Honestly, I am so pleased: with the coord, with myself for braving the awkwardness and getting the photos done, and with how the photoshoot came out overall. The edited photos aren’t ready yet, but once they are they will appear on James the Enthusiast’s Facebook page, no doubts his edits will blow my mind!
I would've wanted to add some earrings to this, but blue/mint section is kind of where I'm lacking.
Not sure why I picked the yellow macaron for the detail shot rather than one of the mint ones, but why dwell on that.
Or more accurately a swap/bring and buy meet. Meetups are definitely back on the menu, lads, which feels so invigorating. Both due to comfort needs and just plain mood, I went with a sweet outfit having realised that I am yet to coordinate this print with mint. The effect is really cute, the mint brings out all the lighter shades within the print and together with the unfussy hair and makeup situation, once I saw myself in the mirror, I felt like I looked younger somehow? Must be the pure joy radiating from me. Despite best attempts at only getting rid of things, I did come back with a fair haul (which you’ll see next week, it just about made it to the next reassessment post!). Part of me is still embarrassed about giving in to impulses like this, but then again, it hits different when it’s a bring and buy situation, with people keen on getting rid of things as cheaply as possible and that rush of being able to take things home with you instantly.
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Coord 10: Afternoon Tea at Gotham Hotel
| Angelic Pretty Flower Garden JSK | L’Esprit de la Noblesse Le Nuage blouse | Victorian Maiden Shirring Frill JSK as underskirt | Enchantlic Enchantilly Crown of the Violet Princess tights | Laura Ashley shoes | offbrand hair pins, earrings and rings | Angelic Pretty ribbon | vintage necklace and gold brooch | Peacockalorum feather brooch | Peppermint Fox floral brooch |
These pearl U-pins were such a great buy, though I do wish they were a little shorter. They are clearly made for further-away-from-the-scalp hairstyles...
A cluster of brooches including several shades of lavender from the coord.
Oh my, two meets in a row, it’s been so long since a double whammy like that! Did I tire myself out? Totally! Was it worth it? Without a shadow of a doubt! Since we were going for fancy afternoon tea, I opted for a classic coord - despite how perfectly this blouse and this JSK go together, this was the first chance I’ve had to wear them together. Better late than never, I guess. Even though it ended up being pretty anachronistic (namely the more Renaissance-leaning hair and blouse vs very Rococo-esque JSK cut), I do quite like how it all came together. Part of me wishes that I had a pearl snood, but the ribbon was also a nice touch. And it just so happened that the afternoon tea sweets matched my outfit beautifully. We were a large meet, something like 23 people in total, which was both slightly scary and so wonderful, the buzz kept me flying high for hours afterwards. This felt like life from the Before Days and I was ready to burst into tears with how overwhelmed I was with joy. Even if Manchester on the day did not show its classy side by having more people than usual be rude and take photos of us without asking. That part of the Before Days I really could do without...
So that the post doesn't end on a sour note, have a shot of some amazing pink sweets.
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And that is it! There was one final outfit that made it in September, but that’s the next (and last!) AYWi30C one, so you’ll see it here next week. Though full disclosure, I spent all day in the bare bones of that outfit and only put it all on for the video clips…
This also means that spooky season is firmly upon us! As you will know, I am not much for spooky season, though I vibe off all of my spooky friends being happy and having their moment. I have literally only one coord planned for a spooky occasion, so if I end up doing more than one spooky activity, I’ll have to figure something out. And I’m definitely not doing any Halloween month coord challenges this month, I am partially back in the office and the 2.5 weeks of doing 3 days in and 2 at home have already shown me that I just can not be arsed with that level of effort. (Though granted, it has been particularly busy 2.5 weeks, so maybe if things calm down… Then again, that is more like a late October/going into November thing instead.) Hands up though, who amongst you is fully ready to spoop?
One problem that fellow chameleons will be very familiar with is that we constantly want more. Despite having accumulated a good collection of clothes in a variety of styles, there is always another one that we don’t have yet, a mood we feel like we can’t quite channel. Whether for practical reasons (like storage) or moral ones (like trying to be mindful of our spending habits), buying extra pieces isn’t always the right thing to do. So as I am battling the mood to get more “properly” autumnal clothes into my wardrobe overall, I decided to try to combat that by putting together an autumnal capsule wardrobe out of what I have so far. Hopefully that will calm those spending urges down a little…
Unlike the previous capsule wardrobe posts, this one was not a suggestion from anyone. Rather this post is part of Bibliotheca’s monthly theme, which for September is “fall”.
THE CAPSULE
The most autumnal capsule that I could put together with what I currently own.
The immediate hurdle, which is one that’s a common theme across all of my clothes, not just the lolita ones, is that the overlap between typically autumnal colours and my wardrobe is fairly small. Yes, I have reds, golds, ivories and browns, but I’m lacking in the oranges and yellows (and to an extent in more brown pieces) that would make this capsule instantly pop as an autumnal one.
Nonetheless, considering the theme, the above selection isn’t too bad, don’t you think? By sticking to more of those coloured options over the neutral ones I think I managed to channel that seasonal feeling fairly well. Although this capsule is somewhat on the more casual side thanks to being heavier on the skirts, it isn’t lacking in fancier options and does allow for some variety between the slightly sweeter and slightly more classic looks. And in all fairness, since the seasonal mood has been gripping me, having wearable options can only be a good thing as they will hopefully allow me to indulge in that autumnal fix and feel connected to the seasons sooner rather than later.
COORDS
Metamorphose Classical Sister OP
A long sleeve OP is a staple for autumn and this one comes with the benefit of several detachable parts for that extra touch of versatility. It’s not the most exciting option here, but it’s certainly one that would make this capsule all the more wearable.
Metamorphose Gold Braid Tuck Pinafore JSK
The sole JSK of this capsule and definitely the fanciest piece here. Although thanks to being non-printed it can easily be toned down for more casual looks. I admit that the very first one appeals to me enough to want to try it out at some point.
Lady Sloth Winter Spices skirt
Despite its name, this feels like the most actually seasonal piece here. The spices printed on the skirt are ones that are used for mulling drinks, which I am already stocked up on. But, let’s get off that off-topic... My only gripe with these coords is that these aren’t particularly new to me as I’ve done variations of them before. Not that this is bad, having quick options is also important. It just means that they don’t excite me as much as some of the other ones here.
Innocent World White Double Braid Tartan skirt
These made me realise that as far as I can trace, I haven’t documented many coords with this skirt and lighter colours. Which is something I need to rectify asap because that gold cardigan looks really lovely in particular!
Violet Fane Charming Town skirt
I did try a sort of casual Victorian option with that bonnet, so that it wouldn’t be there just for the OP and the JSK, but I feel like that one may need some extra tweaking. And again, the combination of gold and brown accents is really appealing to me, I don’t think I’ve done that before, so it’s time that I try.
FINAL WORDS
The capsule is undoubtedly autumnal and fits the bill. The bigger question is: does it scratch that itch that I had? And I think the honest answer is: sort of. Doing this has given me options that I haven’t tried yet that I am excited to wear and that feel appropriately seasonal. Plus, as is often the case with these capsule wardrobes, the above examples are barely scratching the surface of what’s actually possible, there are still plenty of coords left that this could yield. But at the same time I don’t feel like the desire to go off and buy a couple of other coloured pieces (more browns and some rusty orange or red) for that full seasonal experience has actually gone away. Which means that the patient stalking and the wait continue.
So, OPs. Not the most versatile things out there. But sometimes you need something super easy to wear that doesn’t require a lot of thinking. And this one from Grove Deer is also very comfortable thanks to the fully shirred waistline. So far I’ve only worn it once, very casually, and it deserves better than that, which I hope to deliver in this post.
Look 1: Classy Garden Party
| Miss Point corset | offbrand socks, shoes and earrings | vintage hat and gloves | My Inspiration necklace and brooch |
A classy lady is often understated. This outfit is definitely leaning for like a summer garden party maybe and to me it hits that understated elegance to the t. Minimal accessories, putting the emphasis on structural details, simple pieces - all this needs is appropriately ladylike hair and makeup styling and she is good to go!
Look 2: Dancing Days
| Dancing Days cardigan | Angelic Pretty Twinkle Star socks | Irregular Choice sandals | Angelic Pretty Twinkle Sky headbow | offbrand hair clip | handmade choker and bracelets | vintage necklace | Angelic Pretty British Ribbon ring |
Actually dancing in these sandals may be ever so slightly risky, though it’s a risk I’d take since I can walk fairly comfortably in these. And even though this OP doesn’t quite have the volume in the skirt for a proper swing dancing outfit, it would still twirl nicely. Just something fun and playful for all sorts of occasions.
Look 3: Something More Gothy
| collar, bow brooch and belt from Meta’s Classical Sister OP | Enchantlic Enchantilly The Crown of the Rose Princess tights | Hush Puppies boots | Vierge Vampur bonnet | Enchanted Dreamwear necklace | Le Petit Four ring | Innocent World gloves | Angelic Pretty Rose Princess wrist cuffs |
Do you have a moment to talk about our Lord and Saviour, Mana-sama? With the right styling this could be a rare gothic look for me, don’t you think? The short sleeves may not be particularly goth, but even goths have to shed some layers for warmer times from time to time. I do really like how all of this came together, it feels so satisfying, particularly with how the gloves and wrist cuffs came together, I didn’t expect them to work as well as they did.
Look 4: Obligatory Fancy Content
| Lady Sloth Galaxy Witch overdress | Enchantlic Enchantilly Angel’s Ball Party tights | Irregular Choice Total Freedom shoes | AatP Sheherazade headdress | Puvithel Crystal Heart necklace, earrings and brooch | handmade ring |
It wouldn’t be one of those posts without me putting together something fancier for the end. Even more so with an OP like this which, despite all those ruffles, leans more casual overall. If I were to wear this, I may include the Miss Point corset over the overdress too, though this is fancy enough without one too. And let’s face it, this would be a pretty fancy look too, for those days when you have a tea party, but also you’re just too tired to try too hard.
Seeing all of these coords together made me pretty excited to wear this OP soon, as well as to explore other options. I had a couple of other ideas noted down when preparing for this post, but on the day I was taking photos for it energy levels dipped, so I did stick to things that were pretty easy and safe options for me. The gothy look is probably the most experimental here and it isn’t even that experimental at all, which says a lot.
And so we have reached an important moment: the point where I’ve finished all the Advanced Coordinating topics that I had planned when I first started that series and am now tackling the ones that people have asked me to. It’s incredibly rewarding, as well as humbling, that people out there value my opinions enough to want to hear my take on more topics, and to receive feedback from people how this series has helped them in one way or another. Thank you for that support.
Despite some initial plans to do otherwise, I decided to first tackle talking more about colours in lolita fashion and lolita coords. A lot has already been said on that, yet a bit of filtering reveals that within that there are only a handful of themes that keep coming up time and again. Like most advice related to lolita fashion commonly found online, those resources tend to focus on building up the knowledge and understanding of newer lolitas, leaving those intermediate ones to figure things out for themselves. I myself have approached that topic on several occasions from a handful of different angles: a Wunderwelt Libre post from 2017 about the basics of balancing colours, a video from 2020 about adding new colours to your lolita wardrobe, a blog post from 2016 showing those builder piece sets in action (albeit by my standards today, somewhat stretching some of these), a Wunderwelt Libre post from 2018 incorporating an uncommon colour in lolita in three different ways... Whilst individuals may know some bits and not others, generally speaking all of the above still lean more towards the newer or the less confident lolita than towards someone who already feels they have their basics covered and want a step up. So for the “Colours 201”, if you will, let me show you how to be a colour rulebreaker like me. You don’t have to actually follow my example, but hopefully understanding my perspective on colours in a lolita coordinate will enable you to try something new or let go of some of the pressure you might not have even realised you internalised.
When taking your first tentative steps into lolita colours 201, don’t underestimate the impact of an unusual or an uncommon colour. Even when sticking to the same sandwiching template, doing this with an unexpected combination can give off an aura of being very experienced at coordinating, more so than you may feel yourself to be. Provided, of course, that you pull it off, i.e. don’t get your shades too terribly different and have enough of them to make the colour look intentionally part of the coord. This is a good stepping stone for those who find lots of comfort in colour matches, and particularly if you can accomplish that by having a good builder piece set. People generally like to stick to the safety blanket of what they know and I feel that the rule-based nature of lolita fashion makes people even more reluctant to try something too outside the box. Which is precisely why when someone accomplishes that, it makes that person appear a lot more experienced and confident. They may genuinely be pretty experienced at coordinating - or maybe they simply had good luck with finding and obtaining the right pieces. Those looking at the outfit will never know unless you tell them.
Let’s exemplify this using one of my favourite colours that’s not too common in lolita: dark green. Violet Fane’s Otome Nostalgia series has been a pretty much instant hit across the community, so we’ve seen lots of various coords with it. And while red and white are undoubtedly great colour combinations with any of the colourways it comes in, we’ve seen dozens of those within merely a week of the series reaching people. My own first time wearing it more properly was with those two colours, not only to fit the Christmas spirit of the occasion, but also because it’s a cute and fool-proof combination, for myself as well as this print. However, the unexpectedness of the dark green instantly makes the other coord from August 2021 stand out. The formula doesn’t even differ that much between the two outfits: we have colour mostly being introduced through the cardigan, neutral legwear with a coloured lace-up design, pretty minimalist styling in terms of the accessories (even if the December 2020 is indeed toeing the line of whether it even could be considered a coord in the first place). The sandwiching technique is also there, which helps conceal the fact that these greens are slightly off. Nonetheless the very choice of dark green as the feature colour, how unusual it is compared to what we’ve seen done with this print already, helps this coord stand out and makes it seem as if I know something about coordinating colours that others are oblivious to. And I don’t - all I have is enough green pieces to make this work and the guts to put them together.
I love red and green equally, if for different reasons, and Otome Nostalgia lends itself surprisingly well to a very wide variety of colour pairings.
However, I want to draw you away from the strict confines of colour matching, at least a little, if I can. More times than I can count I’ve gone on record to say that “colour matching is easy, the trick is to coordinate” - or, in the less polite version, that “colour matching is for the weak”. This isn’t meant to insult anyone, but to point out that finding items of exactly the same colour and shade relies primarily on luck and a bit on purchasing ability, whereas creating a good looking outfit is a skill that anyone can develop and hone through practice. And if you still aren’t quite with me on that, cast your mind back to the seemingly distant past that is February 2015 and the dress. Remember the dress? That viral dress not only went to prove that our very own eyes can deceive us, but also pointed out that what we see isn’t necessarily what other people may see. In terms of lolita fashion this means that colours may look different in your coord photo than in real life - and that you can trick people into believing that colours match when they don’t. Sandwiching colours helps with that immensely, though you still need to stay within the realm of “plausible deniability”, e.g. by sticking to colours with similar undertones and a similar shade, but it can help you get away with a lot. Especially if your coord exists primarily to be filmed or photographed. If in doubt, throw your planned outfit into a quick flatlay in the light that you intend to use for the photo or film, then point your camera at it and see what things look like. This is how perfect colour matches end up photographing differently and colours that aren’t quite there - as if they were the exact same thing.
The dress that tore the internet literally had people see two different colours. Why then should we stress so much over whether our pinks match exactly?
If the dress hasn’t convinced you enough, let me try with this April 2020 Crystal Dream Carnival coordinate. Someone once complimented it on my excellent colour matching of the greys. And as flattered as I was, I couldn’t help but laugh at the irony because the blouse and the socks are two different colours. And I mean that literally: the blouse is grey, whereas the socks are lavender. Look at them separately and you can see that. Look at them side by side and you can see that. But stick them in a coord, where they’re separated by a big block of saturated navy blue, and then point a camera at it and you don’t see a thing. Why? Because they’re both cool toned, because they’re both lighter shades, because they both have that slightly dusty hue to it - as well as thanks to the layers of separation and the camera, though IRL the effect was the same. Remember that next time you lament that your socks are not the exact same shade of pink as your blouse or when your headpiece is not the exact same shade of ivory as your dress. With clever coordinating you can get away with more than you think you do. And as I said, if you’re unsure, just try it on. Worst case scenario is that it won’t work - that’s no big deal, it happens and no-one but you needs to know that.
If two completely different colours can work as one within a coord, then so can slightly mismatched shades.
The final bit of advice I’d like to impart is a significant step away from the beginner lolita realm and pretty far into the advanced coordinating territory. Not just in terms of needing to have a wardrobe of usable pieces, like it’s been a common theme throughout this series, but also in terms of having the confidence that you have those basics in the tip of your little finger and don’t even need to think about them. Because that frees up your creativity and allows you to focus on and prioritise the overall vision of the coordinate first over a tick-box-perfect colour balance. This is still lolita fashion that we’re talking about, which means that you cannot get away without a certain degree of intentionality and at least some thought (at this point preferably an instinct rather than conscious thought) to some sort of colour balance. However, particularly when venturing into the territory of themed coordinates or ones with clear inspiration or a reference point, I would argue that successfully accomplishing your vision will compensate for some colour imbalance.
This is extremely hard to explain, though hopefully the visual examples help get the point across. Meta’s Bubble Bath skirt is one of those items in my wardrobe that I sometimes struggle with as the colours are just enough off from the rest of my wardrobe to become a challenge. And whilst it can be tiring sometimes, to have to think outside the box every single time I reach for this skirt, it can yield some really great results. The first time I wore it back in September 2019 I did stick to something relatively safe for me, something I knew would work. Balancing the colours as best I could, with just a touch of playfulness with the patterned top, I was able to pull together a cohesive outfit. Yet despite being very clearly, very visibly imbalanced as far as colours go, the February 2021 coord doesn’t seem any less successful than this other one. This is all thanks to the overall concept for this look immediately reading across. You look at this and instantly know that this is giving a nod to something along the lines of 80’s/90’s cool kids look, acknowledging some pop vibes and the casual feel of street styles. The colours in here, except for the top and socks, are all over the place. But between the careful selection of cuts (denim jacket, novelty wedges, a T-shirt), intentional tweaks (rolling up the sleeves, keeping the jacket open, tucking the T-shirt in quite loosely), hair and makeup styling (bright lipstick, twin buns) and accessory choices (patches, bow hair ties), the whole idea is cohesive and looks intentional. Yes, you could argue that the saturated colours of the bows mirror the saturated colours of the shoes, so together with the top and socks there’s enough matching or complimenting. Nonetheless, that is entirely secondary - the primary thing was the vision and its execution. Without those, the mostly accidental/intuitive mirroring of some of the shades would not have worked and the coord would not have looked good.
And if I'm honest with you and myself, I prefer the right coord far above the left one. Colour imbalance and all.
Ultimately, what I wish lolitas would learn is that there is more to colours than just finding the exact same shade and more to coordinating than sandwiching two colours within an outfit. That alone could elevate your coordinating game to heights you haven’t even imagined you could reach. Explore the rest of the colour theory to play with complimenting or contrasting colours. Have fun breaking the formula of alternating and place colours in different places of your outfit to see what happens. Pick colours that are in the print, but are hardly visible unless you look hard, to draw them out. Use the clothes that you own to express whatever wild idea you may have and trust yourself that by now those basics and “rules” have become second nature to you, so you won’t just lose them by stepping out of the box. Or that you’ll notice that if things go awry and will either know how to fix it or that it’s ok if it doesn’t fit under the lolita umbrella. Every single lolita who has carved out their own style did so through experimenting, which involves trying things you haven’t tried before. That is nothing to be afraid of and nothing to feel pressured to share with anyone.
Because of everything that I have talked about, and because I’m the type who loves seeing things that are less common, I have plenty of love in my heart for lolitas who are unafraid of using colours in their coordinates. One of my biggest inspirations in that regard is @recklessrave. She’s been wearing this fashion for a while, which shows both in her confidence when mixing various colours together and in the sheer number of coloured clothes that she has at her disposal. And not only does she have practically every colour of the rainbow represented in her main pieces (as well as every substyle of lolita fashion!), but in her builder pieces too - which, when you care to look carefully at, very often are offbrand items or inexpensive ones from Chinese brands. The colours themselves are typically what she pushes the boat out with, as her coords are all extremely wearable and very practical, rarely stepping into the extreme OTT territory that we might see at elaborate tea parties or concept photoshoots. If you are someone aspiring to the sheer range of colour possibilities that @recklessrave has, you will first and foremost need patience, and then to have your eyes constantly open to possibilities because you never know where you might find a blouse or a pair of shoes that just might work. And as usual, those not aspiring to literally have a bit of everything will find that they get there a bit sooner, though I’d also encourage you to not dismiss any outlet for the possibility of finding exactly what you were searching for.
A small selection of @recklessrave's coords which really had me like "Ooooh, I haven't seen that before, I love this!". Go give her some love on Instagram!
Here we are then, probably the first “Colours in lolita 201” sort of post out there. If you have stumbled upon this one, but are yet to build your first coordinate or are not yet confident that you’d be able to put together a solid basic coordinate without thinking about it - all of the things above may be a bit too much for you. Remember to walk before you run and that the more you do it, the easier and quicker the journey there will be. There’s no shame in sticking to safe options and there’s plenty of coord variety that you can create with builder pieces in your chosen base colour if you only care to invest in a variety of cuts (coincidentally, something that I’ve also touched on in a Wunderwelt Libre post before and something I’ve touched on in another Advanced Coordinating post). But if you feel like you’ve explored all there is to that, then hopefully this post has given you some ideas on what challenge to attempt next and what goal you might want to stretch towards to next. If there’s anything at all that I’d like you to take away from this post, then it’s even a crumb of that mantra of mine: the trick is to coordinate. And that is a skill that you 100% can learn and master and which I hope to help you with through the Advanced Coordinating series.
This isn’t my first piece of lolita clothing that I have had altered. This isn’t even my first piece of brand that I’ve had altered. But it is the first lolita brand dress that I have had altered - I finally decided that I love Royal Unicorn too much to part with it, but that I can’t stand the discomfort of wear that particular cut has in store for me. And thankfully there is a lolita not just within the UK, but locally to me, @dreamy_rinn, who offers alteration services and who has enough sewing and tailoring experience to put any anxieties at ease. Spoiler alert, she has done an amazing job with this alteration and I want to leave this review here so that more people are aware. Whilst she doesn’t have any slots available for alterations at the moment, you should absolutely follow her on Instagram, so that you don’t miss it when a slot opens up.
The Process
Getting in touch with Dreamy Rinn was extremely easy as it was simply a matter of sending an Instagram DM. She has a highlight of stories on her page dedicated to the alterations she can do and what they cost, which you can check before making an initial enquiry to speed the process along. I received a response very quickly (granted, being in the same time zone helps, but still, all communication was very timely) and we swiftly agreed on details. My initial message was in fact about two dresses, which Dreamy Rinn asked me to provide stock pictures of so that she could get an idea of what she was working with. And even though in the end she was only able to alter one of those, I appreciate the honesty of her saying that she wasn’t confident enough to take on the other one. A more greedy person would’ve accepted both and not bothered if they butchered the job, so having someone who understands the value not only of an alteration done well, but also the intrinsic value of lolita garments and who can be honest with me to say “I’m sorry, but this one is beyond me right now” is really appreciated. I definitely would’ve been more upset with a badly done alteration than I am keeping the other dress that currently doesn’t fit me.
The highlight is much more readable on mobile, I'm just too lazy to switch between devices.
We discussed what I wanted from the altered Royal Unicorn JSK. My initial expectation was that the waist ties would be used to add panels to make the dress comfortably fit my current measurements, but Dreamy Rinn suggested also lowering it slightly for a fit that was closer to my natural waist. Since this is what I want from lolita dresses cut-wise these days, I accepted without hesitation and am grateful for the suggestion. As someone with only very rudimentary knowledge of alterations and sewing, being guided through my options meant that I had clarity on what was possible and could make an informed decision. Additionally, Dreamy Rinn explained what the process would entail to keep my expectations in check (e.g. with regard to how much of the waist ties may remain), as well as confirmed the approximate timelines. Once all of those details were agreed, it was time for me to pay and send the dress to her.
The Pricing and Timeline
As per her pricing highlight, adding a panel to a dress and lengthening the straps comes up to £50. The price includes all the costs as well as tracked and insured return postage. I only had to cover postage of the dress to Dreamy Rinn, but that also meant that I could select an option that I was personally most comfortable with. And considering the level of skill (as well as the standard of the alteration, but more on that shortly), this is overall more than a fair price. The other alteration that I have had done at an alterations shop that mostly does bridal stuff came up to about £30 for adding panels to a vest and I did have to return there a few times as they were just not factoring in things like movement, eating etc., which Dreamy Rinn included from the moment I sent her my measurements.
In terms of timing, I feel the need to stress that I am a pretty laid back person when it comes to services like this and/or purchasing from independent creators and craftspeople. Moreover, I am very rarely doing these things on a deadline because I just do not wish to deal with the stress of wondering if things will be done on time when I have no control over them. Which means that as long as I am kept informed about what’s happening, I don’t mind delays and don’t necessarily pay attention to advertised timeframes. This was especially so with this JSK, as I started the process in summer, in the middle of a heatwave, and I wasn’t exactly needing a velvet and gobelin dress anytime soon! Dreamy Rinn advertises her alterations time as 2-3 week from the receipt of the garment, which to me seemed really quick to begin with. When I originally messaged, she has told me up front that there would be at least one week of a delay due to a holiday she was taking, which again, I had zero problems with. In the end my particular alteration took longer than that both due to Dreamy Rinn needing a break and due to very unfortunate circumstances caused by Royal Unicorn itself, which I won’t go into details about. I received the altered dress back around 9 weeks after posting, in which time the UK has gone through at least two heatwaves (so my mind definitely wasn’t considering velvet and gobelin clothing!) and I received a comprehensive work-in-progress update with pictures.
The Alteration
Let’s start with what the dress was like before I had it altered. Over the years of owning Royal Gobelin my body has changed, but it was also a cut that in its very nature didn’t necessarily agree with my hourglass proportions and 94cm chest. The JSK is on the shorter side to begin with and with my chest causing it to ride slightly, the hemline fell considerably above my knee, whilst the waistline sat at my underbust. As lockdown changed my body further, I have found myself getting to the stage of having to fight the dress a little to fit or to resort to using non-padded bras, which in turn made for a silhouette that I wasn’t so keen on on myself.
The last time I wore Royal Unicorn pre-alterations was May 2021. As you can see, I used a skirt for an underskirt, the waist seam sat pretty much right at my underbust and the bodice was trying to squish me in with that cut, despite the shirring offering some ease.
From the moment Dreamy Rinn sent me the work in progress photos, I knew that she did an excellent job because… I couldn’t tell that anything had been altered! Not at a glance anyway. The photos of the dress on her mannequin looked as if nothing had been done at all and I only able to see where the alteration took place when she sent me closeups of the straps and the added side panel. And considering that velvet has a pile, which makes it notoriously tricky to work with, this is extremely impressive! I was informed prior to the dress being posted back to me that I might need to press the seams again, which I have done since, though admittedly I’m not necessarily sure whether I’d done it right, despite following instructions carefully.
Would you ever have questioned this photo or thought that anything was different with the dress? Work in progress photo sent to me by Dreamy Rinn.
Replacing the trim is done so well that it took me until I steamed the seams to notice that the gold lace underneath the braid trim is missing from the added panel. And you see how close you have to get to notice that in the first place! Work in progress photo sent to me by Dreamy Rinn.
The added panel by the zipper, which might as well be some crease that hasn't been ironed out. Work in progress photo sent to me by Dreamy Rinn.
And the added panel on the opposite side of the bodice. This may be the most noticeable bit of alteration done - except that this is usually where my arm is, so it's not like you see that anyway. Work in progress photo sent to me by Dreamy Rinn.
Thankfully, the weather has finally realised that it’s September and cosy season is upon us, so I was able to wear it. Of course, I tried it on immediately upon arrival, even though it had still been very warm then. Muscle memory made me brace for a fight with the zip and I might’ve hit myself in the face with the impact as it glided smoothly to the end had I not moved my head out of the way. Gone are the struggles of zipping it over my chest or searching for extra room to ensure the zip doesn’t get stuck at the waist seam (which admittedly it never did because Royal Unicorn has a regular zipper with a placket rather than an invisible one which are usually the ones causing problems). Not only that, I suddenly found myself having extra room in this dress both thanks to the panel adding some space to that already offered by the shirring and thanks to the waist seam sitting closer to my natural waist. Still not quite on my natural waist, but no longer at my underbust. I could actually use some corset lacing in this JSK now, which it never had in the first place and now I no longer have the waist ties, but if I need a tighter fit I could just use belts or something. It’s not that the fit is now loose, it’s more just what I am used to with my lolita clothing, though I am very happy with the extra room, it’s enough for a dinner/big lunch/dim sum sort of eating meet without getting uncomfortable. And as you may have gathered, thanks to lowering the waistline and the dress no longer riding up due to my chest, the hemline sits a bit lower. It’s still not quite at my knees, because the dress simply was that short to begin with, but I think that I will be much more comfortable wearing it without an underskirt now. And if not, well, I do have nice underskirt options anyway, so it doesn’t matter.
The first coord post-alteration. And even though my edgy posing here is twisting things a little, you can still see the slight change in proportions and what a difference that has done: the waist seam is lower, my chest no longer tries to escape compression by the bodice through the sides and the hemline is now only about 5cm above my knees, which is a much more comfortable and flattering length.
Final verdict
Surely it goes without saying that this is a totally positive review! Dreamy Rinn’s alteration is very professional, both in the work itself and in how she handled the entire process. The price is at a very accessible point and more than reasonable for the standard of craftsmanship that I received back. As I said, the dress looks pretty much exactly as it did pre-alterations unless you know where to look for the insertions, which is what many of us want when we look for alteration services. Knowing that I can trust Dreamy Rinn to be honest with me and tell me what I can expect or to tell me if she isn’t confident taking a particular task on put my mind at ease that I was sending a precious dress to someone who will respect it and who understands their craft as well as limitations. If I were the type to amass more pieces that don’t fit me all too well, I would not hesitate sending her another request message. Since I’m not, I would like to encourage you to consider her if you are looking for a trustworthy and professional alterations service for lolita fashion. Again, bear in mind that at the moment she doesn’t have any slots open and that she is based in the UK, but once she does and you don’t mind the wait that international postage might involve if that applies to you - I cannot recommend Dreamy Rinn highly enough!
