September Coords Roundup

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.

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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.

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Coord 2: Dream Dress Discord Meet

| Mary Magdalene Paulina JSK | Innocent World Ribbon Lace Millefeuille bolero | Violet Fane Antiquite tights | Deary tights | Cutie Creator headbow | offbrand necklace |

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.

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Coord 4: Blackpool Sailor

| Metamorphose Sailor Tiered skirt | Fi.n.t. cutsew | Hell Bunny cardigan | Innocent World Anchor OTKs | offbrand shoes, beret and hair clips | vintage necklace | Dear Celine badge | Twinkle Kitty Boutique ring | satin bow from Haenuli’s Whipped Cream Kitty JSK |

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.

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Coord 7: Not Overthinking Things

| Metamorphose Polka Dots tiered skirt | offbrand blouse and collar necklace | MuFish tights | Bodyline shoes | handmade hair clip | vintage necklace | Twinkle Kitty Boutique ring | Innocent World Strawberry Fields wrist cuffs | Banned Retro Bella belt |

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!

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Coord 9: Swap Meet

| Haenuli Whipped Cream Kitty JSK | Crown Label cardigan | Haenuli Secret Garden tights | offbrand shoes, hair tie and rings | Sweet Dolly House necklace | Hello Crumpet brooch |

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?