My Favourite Afternoon Tea Spots in Manchester

It occurred to me that whilst I have an unofficial list of favourite places for afternoon tea in Manchester, it exists only in my head. Granted, I can’t claim to have tried every afternoon tea on offer, it’s a big city after all, but I’d like to give shoutout to some of what I consider to be local gems. You never know when someone might find themselves to be visiting the area with not enough time to meet up, but just about enough time for a fancy treat.

Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com

Best Value: Annies

Photo from Time Out.

Address: 5 Old Bank Street, The Royal Exchange, Manchester, M2 7PE
Website: https://www.anniesmanchester.co.uk/

Afternoon tea is something that can be vastly overpriced. I know, I’ve had some that were just pure upsell. And while we may want to treat ourselves, sometimes the budget has to have much more of a say. Annies is the perfect answer in my opinion: a mid-price option, currently starting from £23pp, that will not leave you hungry or dissatisfied. The food is genuinely lovely and whilst it doesn’t necessarily change much or deviate from the traditional, it is well balanced between the savoury and the sweet bits. Every time that we’ve had a meetup there, the staff have been really lovely and considerate of the variety of needs within our party, whether they be dietary or seating. Whilst the venue is not particularly accessible (the main seating area is underground with no lift to my memory), being tucked away in between main streets means that it’s easy to get to without compromising on the quieter atmosphere since almost everyone else there will have reserved their seating. And having tried their Christmas lunch too, I can confirm that the quality of food is overall really high at very reasonable prices, not just the afternoon tea serving. In case you fancy something from the a’la carte menu.

Annies afternoon tea as pictured in February 2020.

Best Fancy Option: Hotel Gotham

Photo from Business Live.

Address: 100 King St, Manchester, M2 4WU
Website: https://www.hotelgotham.co.uk/food-and-drinks/dining-offers/lutyens-afternoon-tea/135-1/

On the opposite end of the scale (though not that much more expensive at base price level), if luxury is what you crave, then I would wholeheartedly recommend Hotel Gotham. But don’t think of the name and expect the city that Batman has been trying to clean - think about the fine events that Bruce Wayne would attend and that is the vibe that you can expect. Everything that you would associate with a 5-star hotel where only the richest of the rich would stay, you will find here. The restaurant serving the afternoon tea is (aptly) on one of the top floors, offering beautiful views of the city below as you dine on the delicious spread. I remember really enjoying each mouthful that I had and was particularly enchanted with the live pianist adding to the atmosphere with the gentle tunes of Disney and Ghibli tunes (though the playlist may vary at the time of your visit). And if you still don’t trust me on that, maybe the fact that Hotel Gotham's afternoon tea came in 6th in the whole of the UK (ahead of The Savoy and Winter Gardens in London) this year in Betway's ranking for the National Tea Day celebrated on April 21st. You bet that if a place is beating an institution like The Savoy, then you can really expect something of truly the highest standard.

Hotel Gotham afternoon tea as pictured in September 2021.

Best Instagrammable Place: Cocoa Cabana, Ancoats

Photo from Cocoa Cabana's website.

Address: 7 Murray St, Ancoats, Manchester, M4 6HS
Website: https://cocoa-cabana.co.uk/cocoa-cabana-ancoats/

Every big city has its hipster spots, the areas dominated by millennials where living isn’t that affordable anymore, but the food places are popping. In Manchester that place is Ancoats and it has one of the branches of a chocolatier called Cocoa Cabana - and notably, the one where you can have afternoon tea. Now let me be clear: just because the place has that Instagram-perfect decor and lighting doesn’t mean that it’s all show and no substance. They are chocolatiers, after all, and the afternoon tea service delivers on flavour. This is another place where the menu changes relatively seasonally and I am yet to have something there that I wouldn’t like. If you have a big sweet tooth, definitely substitute your tea for one of the hot chocolates! The only downside is that because of the kind of venue that it is and because it serves afternoon teas, brunches, and regular food, chances are that it may be busy with the other typical clientele: hen do’s, girl brunches, the occasional family gathering. As the premises are on the smaller side, this can mean that the level of noise is higher, so factor that into your planning (e.g. by choosing a weekday or an earlier time slot). On the upside though - resident good doggy boi might come and say hello to you!

Cocoa Cabana afternoon tea as pictured in February 2022.

Best All-Rounder: The Midland Hotel

Photo from Business Traveller.

Address: 16 Peter St, Manchester, M60 2DS
Website: https://www.themidlandhotel.co.uk/tearoom

When I think of the afternoon tea experience, my mind always goes to The Tea Room at The Midland Hotel. It really is an all-round people pleaser: seasonally updated menu executed by talented chefs, beautiful location with plenty of charm and a serene atmosphere, accessible location, a relatively average price compared to afternoon teas nationally, an incredible selection of teas (including custom blends) that you can try to your heart’s content, and the standard of service that one would expect from a high class 4-star hotel. Each time I’ve gone, I have had only the best of times, enjoying the delights on the tray and feeling taken care of by the staff. I will never forget the mindblowingly smooth way the server placed a napkin across my lap without once pausing for breath as he was simultaneously explaining the tea menu when I went for my birthday back in 2019. All of this slap-bang in the middle of the city centre, right at St Peter’s Square where you can easily get to by tram, on foot, or by bus, depending on where your journey originates. If you’re ever in doubt or overwhelmed with choices, especially if this is your first time in Manchester, then you can’t go wrong with The Midland as your pick.

The Midland afternoon tea as pictured in June 2022.

Of course, this is nowhere near the end of the list of afternoon tea options available in the city. It’s not even everything that I’ve tried here so far. But if anyone ever suggests to me that we should go for afternoon tea in Manchester, these will be the first places that I would consider going to before looking at anything else. So if you ever visit, I sincerely recommend any of them.

Ready for autumn

Seasonality has been firmly chucked out of the window, at least partly because of the much cooler and greyer summer the UK is having this year. So whilst I’m stuck listening to Taylor Swift’s folklore and reminiscing about the Big Veggie Tent at the Harrogate Flower Show, dreaming of autumnal flavours and cosy knitted layers, I’m also looking at my lolita wardrobe which is still in a more summery mode. With my autumn/winter pieces still packed up in storage, I can’t do full coords with them, but I can dream up a couple of cosy looks through Whering to encapsulate the mood of the season that brings us colourful leaves, crisp mornings, and scents with more than a hint of spice.

Look 1: Apple Season

| Violet Fane Ginza Kissaten skirt | The Seamstress of Bloomsbury Jive blouse | Fi.n.t. cardigan | Tabio socks | Sosic Shop shoes | offbrand beret |

I know, this one doesn’t even use any of my autumn/winter pieces, so it could’ve well been a proper flatlay. Oh well, call me lazy. Anyway, to me autumn is inseparable with apples. Apples are my favourite fruit and I wholeheartedly miss the variety that I had easy access to whilst living in Poland. This skirt has so many autumnal colours on it already and the print is food themed that it seemed the perfect fit for adding apples into the mix. It also looks really cosy with the cardigan and the beret. Sure, it’s definitely one for a slightly warmer autumn day - but those happen too.

Look 2: Bookshops and Bonedust

| Dear Celine Magic Book OP | Axes Femme cardigan | Innocent World Lauretta OTKs | Hush Puppies boots | Cutie Creator headdress |

Yes, this is basically a slightly updated version of the February 2021 coord - and a namedrop of one of the things that has me so excited about autumn, i.e. Travis Baldree’s next cosy book. This OP is really perfect for autumn, so warm (to a fault sometimes) and who doesn’t love curling up with a good book during autumn? Might as well inject that extra bit of magic into an already magical activity that is reading. (Although in real life this likely will not happen because I am a bedtime reader, so I’m going to be in my cosy pyjamas when I delve in.)

Look 3: Royal Stewart Unicorn

| Angelic Pretty Royal Unicorn Switching JSK and headbow | Summer Tales Boutique Nostalgia Collection blouse | offbrand tights | Angelic Pretty Elegant Doll boots |

This is such a great blouse and between the cut and the pattern, it gives off big autumn vibes. And since it’s also more on the fancier end, it deserves a fancier coord to match it. Thankfully both the JSK print and this particular tartan have ‘royal’ in their name, which makes them go together like two peas in a pod. Even if it isn’t quite the cosy autumn vibe that I am currently dreaming of, the idea of this coord makes me excited for it and for the cosiness that comes from hanging out with your lolita comm. Because that is inevitably what this would’ve been worn for.

Look 4: Cosy Spices

| Lady Sloth Winter Spices skirt | Axes Femme cutsew | Skellig sweater vest | Innocent World Belle Epoque OTKs | Elf Armorie Cupid’s Heart shoes | offbrand beret |

I started on a skirt and I would like to finish on a skirt - especially since I not only forgot to pack this one for the winter, but also not worn it since last December. It stumps me sometimes, because I’ve worn it in most of the most obvious ways and still throw it on casually, which doesn’t get documented. But then I remember that this is pure overthinking and remind myself to fall back on the tried and tested combinations that make me happy. Which is how this was born. I know that this cutsew and this sweater vest look great when layered together. And to be honest, wearing this sweater vest again is also something I cannot wait for this autumn. The rest of the coord finished itself.


Did this post help calm some of that yearning for autumn down? Erm, not really. I am now yearning to wear these warm and layered looks, even though outside remains relatively mild, not a hint of that crisp cool air. And I also just feel it in my bones that the moment I indulge in early autumnal joy, summer will slap me across the face with another heatwave or something. But I am very excited to have these looks in the bank, waiting for whenever the temperatures drop to levels appropriate enough to wear these super cute coords. And then all that will be missing from my life will be a mug of mulled apple juice to sip at with a big grin.

My Lolita Lounging Around Essentials

With its many layers and often quite involved styling, lolita fashion isn’t typically the first choice that comes to mind for lounging around. But even now, with lockdowns eased pretty much everywhere and us no longer being confined to our homes, there are still people who find that a surprisingly comfortable option for staying indoors. Brands gave us Kumya slippers and hoodie dresses, so why not look cute whilst doing bugger all? Even though for me this is happening more rarely these days, I do have a couple of favourite pieces that I love reaching for when lolita needs to meet comfy and chill vibes, so as the Bibliotheca bloggers are talking about lounging around, let me introduce you to those.

Photo by Ylanite Koppens on Pexels.com

Fully shirred Violet Fane skirts

I mean, any fully shirred skirt usually does the trick because you just can’t beat full shirring. However, I find Violet Fane’s ones particularly great for that because as well as being really comfortable, they’re also so cute. My other fully shirred skirts are non-printed, which is nice, but the charming illustrations on Violet Fane’s designs instantly level up even the simplest looks. Skirts also have the benefit of avoiding too many overlapping layers, like JSKs do, you’re only dealing with a bit of overlap at the waist. A skirt and a T-shirt is such a classic casual lolita combo - make that into a pyjama top and you really can be super cute with the barest minimum of effort. Honestly, your food delivery person would still think you’re dressed up as you met them to collect your takeout, which is exactly what we’re aiming for here!

Fully shirred skirt? Check. Comfy cutsew? Check. No-fuss hair? Check. Bare minimum styling? Check. You just know that as soon as I was back from the grocery trip that I wore this for, it was comfort and lounging all around.

JSKs that can be worn blouseless

This is pretty vague because if you put your mind to it, any JSK can be worn blouseless. Especially around the house for lounging, it’s not like Mana is going to judge you through the window. Since comfort is of utmost importance for lounging around, obviously this limits my collection to JSKs that are pretty damn comfy on their own: full body or full back shirring is a must. But for me the best ones are still those that can pass off as normie dresses when worn blouseless. Victorian Maiden’s Shirring Frill and the tartan JSK from HeartE are particularly excellent for that as they are already only tentatively lolita (or tentatively JSKs). The fact that they’re made of fabrics that feel nice against the skin helps with that summer lounging when going blouseless really is ideal. In a pinch I’d throw in my Meta Shirring Tiered Ribbon JSK because it’s my first ever full body shirring JSK and the comfort that it offers is nigh unbeatable.

This may look quite fancy because I also had leftover good hair and accessories on, but this is basically a lounging 'coord'

Actually comfortable socks

You thought that I’d go into OPs now, didn’t you? The fact is, only one of my OPs is truly comfortable enough for lounging, so the skirts and JSKs meet my needs better. But it isn’t really proper lounging unless your footsies are super cosy too. Even though I also wear slippers around the house, treating myself to socks that feel comfortable and won’t overstimulate me is essential to achieving the relaxation that we aim for during lounging. Yes, lolita OTKs are super cute, but the moment they start rolling down is the moment that you’re pulled out of the zone. Instead I opt for 100% normie socks. In winter these are usually some fuzzy ones that you can get pretty much anywhere on the high street (they also help keep you extra toasty). And when I feel really fancy - I have a pair of mohair bed socks from Pairs Scotland that are literally the softest thing I own. They are a true spa for tired feet and they still somehow manage to be ridiculously cute in their simplicity, so they kind of work for a lounging lolita.

The aforementioned mohair bed socks. I genuinely like Pairs Scotland a lot and would love to get more, the comfort levels are super high.

A cute teacup and fancy tea

It’s not a lolita kind of lounging around unless some delicious tea is involved! Over the years I have gathered quite the collection and try to drink them all as often as I can, mostly to make room for new teas. And thankfully I have appropriate drinkwear too! If I want to be fancy in my lounging, then a more proper porcelain teacup is usually the best option. When the day is chilly or I need more relaxation, then it calls for a mug, either my Dream Masquerade Carnival or a more generic cute one. And if it’s something in-between the two or maybe I want a bit more ease with switching up tea flavours each time I boil the kettle - the brandwhore comes out to play with the Mary Magdalene 3th Anniversary mug (that is what it actually says on it). Was this a peak Closet Child purchase? Absolutely yes!

Proof that Mary Magdalene really did have a thirth anniversary.

As you can hopefully see from this post, there are no rules to lounging around in lolita. You are not obliged to stick to the perfect aesthetic in the comfort of your own home or room. If you want to lounge yet still feel that frilly cuteness, then do it in whatever way actually allows you to relax and rest. After all, no-one but you will ever know.

Make sure to follow the Bibliotheca newsletter and check out the other bloggers’ contributions to this month’s lounging theme. They are sure to give you some more ideas on how to make your August super chill and relaxing!

July Coords Roundup

After the low showing of frills in June I was determined to change that in July. This post does not include the 4 coords from the lookbook I filmed and uploaded in July, so if you fancy including those it makes for a particularly strong showing this month.

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Coord 1: She, Queen of the Kings

| Grove Deer Moon of Eternal Day OP | Chess Story Secret Key of the Elves blouse | Lady Sloth Welcome to My Dollhouse underskirt | Innocent World Union Flag Lame OTKs | Deary heels | Haruhi Clover headbow | Puvithel Crystal Heart necklace and brooch | vii ring | Wicked and Whimsy ring | offbrand ribbon | Dalao Home wig |

I'm actually surprised how well this super basic makeup is looking on camera, this was some slap-on-with-your-fingers eyeshadow and blush moment with a bit of lipstick and mascara.

Behold: a one legged beast.

You know how we dress up to watch films at the cinema? Why not do that at home? It was a Sunday, I had the week after that off, the desire to dress up was there, as was the energy to watch the first part of season 3 of The Witcher - let’s do it! I’m not sure how the inspiration to try putting this underskirt with this OP came about. It did, I tried it, to my own surprise it worked (I was worried about the blouse and how the two sleeves would layer together, but there was a backup plan in case it wouldn’t work), and then it was just a matter of styling, which I chose to keep fairly simple. I would’ve given in to the comfort more and skipped the wig, except that it wasn’t the best hair day and that would’ve required too much effort to work, so laziness won that day. It was a good day, I had much more fun watching the latest The Witcher than I thought I would (as I’m only invested in the show because of Jaskier and don’t care much for the rest), then had a frozen pizza for dinner, before taking it off for the evening. A very chill day indeed and a much needed one at that.

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Coord 2: Asteroid City

| Haenuli Lovely Memories JSK | The Seamstress of Bloomsbury Jive blouse | Axes Femme cardigan | Innocent World Rose and Diamond OTKs | Sosic Shop heels | Pink Up Fanny’s Dressing Table hair clip | offbrand earrings | Madillustration brooch |

That hair clip has been getting tonnes of wear and I feel that it's because it's one of the few smaller hair pieces that I have uploaded to my Whering wardrobe.

"Dream on" - a perfect catchphrase for seeing Asteroid City, less perfect for a date afterwards...

Sticking with the theme of dressing up to watch films, this time I had gone to the cinema to see Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City. I enjoy the look of his films a lot and this one with all the Americana vibes was definitely right up my alley, so I tried to put together something with a Wes Anderson flair. To be perfectly honest, as much as I enjoyed the film itself, I spent a good chunk of my time during it analysing the clothes of every character on screen - which later manifested itself in waking up at 3am with my brain jumping on the hamster wheel of planning a lookbook that you can see here. Still, I had a great time. If you’ve liked Wes Anderson’s previous films, then you will enjoy this one. As for my outfit, I enjoyed the look, enjoyed how it came together (the only thing I didn’t like was outside of my control and not even visible on the photos here), and for all the promises of making July a Barbie-inspired month, I may have to concede that dressing like a Wes Anderson character is far more doable with the wardrobe that I have.

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Coord 3: Work and Books

| Song and Temple Fairytale Library skirt and bow clip | Axes Femme cutsew | offbrand socks | American Duchess Bernadette shoes | Naked Lace Company barrette |

The nearest window with good lighting is so far from the nearest good mirror toilet at my work and then I always rush to take the selfie because of how exposed I am in there.

We love a matching bow clip moment.

First day back at work after a week of leave and I decided to brighten it up by wearing frills. Well, that’s not fully correct. I booked myself to an author’s talk about their latest book in the evening of that day and figured that it’d be better to wear casual frills all day than to change after work. Having not tried a navy x pink combination with this skirt, I quite like how it came out. Had it not been too warm for layers, I would’ve loved long sleeves and tights version instead, but that’s something for another time.

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Coord 4: Playful

| Metamorphose Polka Dots tiered skirt | Axes Femme cutsew | Cutie Creator tights | Elf Armorie Cupid’s Heart shoes | Antique Beast Hecate headdress | 4 Aces ring | Ribbon Holic bracelet |

I should get a move on with replacing my regular Antique Beast headdresses with the Hecate ones, they are just so much more flattering on me.

Here you go, Internet, enjoy the lies that I wore this bracelet beyond these pictures.

Of the new cutsews I got recently this is the only one that I haven’t worn yet and I’ve been absolutely itching to. The opportunity finally came for a WFH day. The Hecate headdress is too good to not wear and I like how it turns an otherwise cute larme-inspired coord into something a little bit more cheeky and playful in tongue-in-cheek sort of way. It shouldn’t work and yet it does, at least to me, so haters can stuff it uwu. Although as comfortable as the headdress is to wear, I took it off later as I was going out on a date that same evening and this was juuust a smidge too much. But in the vein of my post about dating in lolita the guy made only the most passing comment on the look and managed to very casually slide in some weeb by correctly identifying it as lolita, wihch I still take to be a success.

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Coord 5: Coord Challenge

| Metamorphose Bubble Bath skirt | offbrand top and necklace | Angelic Pretty Cherry Stamp socks | Irregular Choice Flickety Kiss shoes | Banned Retro Bella belt | Ublins sunglasses |

These sunglasses do not get enough appreciation - both because of the weather and because of how low the actual sun protection is.

Mint and pink with pops of red is such a summery vibe.

At the start of the month my Discord server started a sort of ‘dress me up’ coord challenge where we each picked a main piece for someone to wear within the next two weeks. Mine was picked by the lovely @coinoperatedcthulhy and it’s none other than Meta’s Bubble Bath. Thank goodness that I had mostly planned the coord out in advance because on the day that I wore it, I was way too stressed with work and way too tired just generally, so having something that was comfy as well as pre-planned was a blessing. Did I cancel a date just so that I could wear this in the comfort of my own home? Well, not just because of that, I needed rest first and foremost, but it was nice to know that I wouldn’t have to change because this is not something that I’d wear out on a date so early on, it’s too involved. Anyway, all this rambling aside, I like how cute and casual this coord is, the cherry accents are understated yet present enough to be seen as deliberate (which they are) and had I had a pair of pink sneakers, this would’ve looked just as cute if not even more so.

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Coord 6: Barbie Meet

| Angelic Pretty Cinema Doll JSK | offbrand top, belt, and shoes | Snag White Russian fishnets | Eat Me x Larme hair tie | Big Pink Boutique earrings |

Channelling my best Barbie smile. Which was super easy because I felt gorgeous in this getup!

The hair was the whole point of tihs coord, it deserves the detail shot, however messy it may look.

And, of course, the obligatory Barbie Meet coord! Even though I have the one pink lolita dress, it’s not quite the right shade of pink for Barbie. So in my head of heads I went with the only logical next inspiration: the original 1959 doll. And yes, she was released in a dark hair version alongside the blonde, so I am technically accurate. The look is pretty simple, relying entirely on the hair and makeup to pull it together, and I am incredibly pleased with how well it worked out. Less pleased with the day of the meet being rainy and thus extra humid, ruining the ponytail curls basically the moment I stepped out of the house. But I got several compliments on my BtSSB parasol from random passersby, as well as enough kind words about my outfit overall (including some awe-struck children), so I’m not actually that upset. And the film…! Oh my goodness, I knew that I was going to love it, but not realised just how much I would love it. Of course, in typical me fashion, I cried through like half of it, I tried to contain my squeals of glee at least a bit out of respect for the people around me, and as soon as we were out of the cinema room I was ready to do it all again. This is the best film of this year, nothing can top that and were it not for the strike action, I would urge filmmakers to even stop trying.

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Coord 7: First Time DnD

| L’Esprit de la Noblesse La Bibliotheque JSK | Lady Sloth Glitter Mesh blouse | offbrand corset | Innocent World Fleurs Checkered OTKs | Angelic Pretty Elegant Doll boots | Cutie Creator headdress | handmade hat | Amadea Kingdom The Adventurer D20 brooch |

I think lighting may not have been my friend on the day, I somehow manage to look a little under the weather here?

Lol, didn't realise that I did basically the same detail shot two coords in a row, it's been nearly a week between them, so I forgot.

I have had this outfit laid out in Whering for a while, playing around with ideas and trying something new without an occasion to actually wear it. The day that the group I joined to play DnD was finally able to actually start playing was also the same day as my half-day of work, so this was the perfect chance. As usual, allowances and changes were made outside of the photo for pure comfort reasons, since all I did was stay at home and sit at my computer (bar some packing time for the London trip the following day), but that’s all good. I do like how this all layered together and the colour scheme is satisfyingly pleasing with the gold and brown tones taking centre stage. As for my DnD debut, it was lovely to finally give this a try and I do love the character that I created (a ranger hill dwarf called Poppy Pepperbark). Everything is still new to me and I am a little overwhelmed, but the people I play with are super lovely and are helping me ease into it more.

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Coord 8: Travelling to London and Phantom of the Opera

| BtSSB Snow Dot skirt | Axes Femme cutsew | offbrand socks, shoes, earrings, and necklace | Eat Me x Larme hair tie | vintage brooch |

For instant elegance throw some pearl jewellery and gently prop your chin on the tips of your fingers. Results guaranteed!

I'm not sure what this vintage brooch is actually made of, but it looks super fancy.

The last days of July I spent in London as a friend was travelling there and I’m too far and too old to be bothering with day trips. So since I made it into a long weekend, of course that meant going to theatres. Kicking off with the very first day, which needed something more comfortable to travel in (because we all know that petticoats are easier to transport when worn than packed). However, as I was also going to see Phantom of the Opera, I needed a way to dress this otherwise casual coord up. And what better way to elevate an all-black outfit than with pearl/pearl-adjacent jewellery? This did the job perfectly and was just the right touch of fancy for a fancy gal who got treated by her fabulous friend and host for the weekend to seeing the musical from a box no less. Holiday vibes are always so much better when accompanied by that touch of class to your ‘treat yo’self’ attitude.

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Coord 9: A Day at the Theatre

| Haenuli Whipped Cream Kitty JSK | The Seamstress of Bloomsbury Jive blouse | Banned Retro cardigan | Angelic Pretty Sugar Ribbon OTKs | Sosic Shop shoes | Innocent World Art Nouveau headbow | offbrand earrings | Folk and Fortune Late Night Diner brooch | Patisserie Pink Lock and Key brooch | Innocent World Playing Cards Chocolate bag |

Glowing at a train station = much kawaii.

You goootta start somewhere! Sorry, I have the Back to the Future: The Musical soundtrack on a loop ever since getting home.

On Saturday I had a whole day at the theatre planned - and I had to balance two fairly different shows no less. For the matinee I took my friend up on their recommendation of seeing the play called Accidental Death of an Anarchist, a fast-paced socio-political satirical farce originally written in 1970 and adapted for the West End (and I must say, both incredibly relevant in the year 2023 and still impeccably brought up to speed). Whereas in the evening I took myself to see Back to the Future: The Musical, also influenced by the same friend who was obsessed with this show for a while and still loves it. So in a way, I did a theatre Barbenheimer. As such I opted for the classic tricolour with retro touches. It’s still elegant enough to be just your generic theatregoer’s look to see a play about a very serious subject, whilst kitschy enough to work for a retro-nostalgia musical. I also specifically picked the brooch for the play, the lock and key being a metaphor for the sort of whodunnit vibes of the play (was it an accidental death or was it a murder?), whilst the diner necklace was for the musical since there are a few scenes set in the diner. Everything came together just as I wanted it to, I came out of both shows full of love for them and would absolutely see either of them again. And I will add that pretty much all the staff at the Adelphi Theatre, where Back to the Future is playing, were super nice and complimentary about my outfit, pretty much every single one of them said something nice to me. Go see both shows if you get the chance!

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Coord 10: Witches Reunited

| Lady Sloth Slavic Bestiary JSK | Axes Femme cutsew | Snag White Russian fishnets | offbrand shoes | Antique Beast headdress | Fantastic Grim Jewelry necklace | Violet Fane Apothecary brooch | Patisserie Pink Bottled Stardust brooch | Summer Tales Boutique Strike a Pose pin | Violet Fane Esoteric Shop brooch | handmade bracelets | Ublins glasses |

I'm still not entirely sure whether this coord can be classed as gothic, but heck it, I was a cute witch and that's all that matters.

A round of applause for this brooch which stayed on the rope all day!

The whole reason why I was in London was to be reunited with my favourite witches for a witchy afternoon tea experience and a general day of good company. I was adamant about not bringing in my witch hat, so needed to work out a hat-less look that was still witchy and seeing as, if anything, I am a kitchen witch, I went in with those vibes. Yes, this JSK is printed with beasts, but also bunches of herbs and text from a bestiary, who says that those aren’t included in a recipe book to explain how to prepare a horn or a talon? I do wish that I did something a little bit more detailed on the legs, but I have packed and coordinated around comfortable shoes (I did at least 12k steps every day that I was in London), plus with the multitasking packing and reusing items like this cutsew, this was already leaning a touch sweeter than I would’ve wanted and I just don’t have legwear with that kind of a vibe. Still, the coord came out pretty cute and to my liking, and once the witches have reunited, it was a whole day of cackling and good vibes. The afternoon tea itself was great on the theming front, really bringing the magic to life (and no affiliation with/money given to a certain JKR person), although they really could’ve done a better ratio of savoury to sweet. Two finger sandwiches and a mini quiche are not enough to balance out a tray of sweets. Thank goodness that in the evening we went out for dim sum at Din Tai Fung (which I am currently in love with and dream of their xiao long bao), otherwise the sugar rush would’ve fully crashed me.

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Considering the utter ups and downs of the weather in July, this is a pretty impressive spread of coords. Weather forecasts keep threatening more heatwaves, but recently what we’ve had is humidity and mildness, just a little too warm to be truly autumnal, but certainly cloudy and rainy enough to make one crave those cosy vibes. I am still trying to ride out my Barbie excitement in the midst too, as well as get a few more wears out of those summer pieces before they get packed up. July made a decent enough dent in that, so here’s to August allowing for basically more of the same!