Cupcake Kamisama's Lolita World: August 2024

30 Aug 2024

August Coords Roundup

The forecast of salt air and rust on doors came pretty true, certainly in my heart. August was a weird mix of weathers and an interesting mix of stuff that I got up to, which meant some fun outfits got to happen.

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Coord 1: Off to York

Curly twin tails just look so much cuter.

For a pendant I got off eBay, this is coming through at the oddest moments.

I'd been testing out whether this coord could work when playing with Whering and then when I realised that it would, decided that this would be my outfit for going on a day trip to York. It had been far too long since I was last in York and I'd been itching, so made sure to go during my week off work. The coord came together just right, the perfect level of breathable and still covered. And I had a very lovely day, as always whenever I go to York. Managed to find a few cute things (not doing too well with that no-buy on that front but shh) and unusually for me I actually went about the day without my headphones, just enjoying the sounds of summer in the city.

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Coord 2: Filming Day

Day 2 curls now quite as tight, but I just about managed to keep something there.

When putting this bow top on, I realised that it either forces you to embrace the bow on just your boobs look or you'll have to faff with the (thankfully long) bow tails. For now I chose the latter, but I'll work my way up to the former.

Honestly? I'll be the first to admit my surprise at how well this ended up working. The idea came to me as I was playing with things in Whering, wanting to do a more tricolour coord with this dress. And I almost dropped it because the bow does sit very much over the boobs and it looked just a touch awkward – until I realised that I could wrap the tails of the bow and lower the layer until the dress’ waistline. And that was the winning move there. That being said, it was one of the hot days, so the moment filming was done, it all got yeeted off because I had to leave the house for a few chores and this was way too much. Velvet is not made for 30° weather.

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Coord 3: Casual Travels

Can you tell that the hair in that bun was curled? I needed it a bit more voluminous for the following day, but it was more practical tied back for the journey.

The only kind of apple socks that are welcome in this house.

Long car journeys demand comfort – but who said that comfort can’t be stylish? Physical Drop is coming to the rescue in this extremely simple look. It also survived some thorny brambles and excitable dogs, which really goes to show that Kato-san makes things that are built to bloody last! I so need more Physical Drop in my life now.

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Coord 4: Vintage Summer

The overcast natural light is doing something funky to my eyes there, but I can't say that I'm that upset by it.

When in doubt, throw a chunky bangle at it.

TW: dementia

I am a little annoyed with myself because this coord was supposed to feature the same bolero as the one I wore to York, but I entirely forgot about it as I was getting dressed. Still, I think the look works even without it. I was explicitly asked if I could wear something a little bit more extra to meet my boyfriend’s family member with dementia, with the logic being that a more unusual outfit might help them remember me a little bit better (since theirs is in the relatively early stages). Whilst he had something a bit more traditionally sweet lolita in mind, I also had to consider practicalities (like weather and packing) and figured that between the print and the hat, this still counted as out there for normies without being too much. The locals, when we went round the charity shops first, seemed to absolutely love me, but then we were in a town filled with older people and we all know that older people absolutely love lolita.

At this point I will add that I also frilled the next day, for the journey back, however, there are absolutely no photos of that, so have a Whering collage and know that the outfit also included the same Typewriter necklace as the day before.

| Metamorphose Polka Dots skirt | Folk and Fortune Typewriter necklace (not pictured here) | everything else is offbrand |

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Coord 5: 101st Dalmatian

Lol, I can't even remember what I did for my hair then.

We can sort of count these clusters of roses on the lace as just fancy dots, right?

When you’re about to see 101 Dalmatians at the theatre, it obviously calls for an appropriate coord. I’m sticking to my guns about this being inspired by the dalmatians themselves and not Cruella, although you can’t get the cat person out of me and I had to include a cat brooch (mostly for colours rather than themes, but still). I tried this coord with both these shoes and black ones, and black ones looked very unbalanced, even if these aren’t fully perfect either. But I like the coord overall.

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Coord 6: Business Lunch

There was this one time before when I decided to just brush my curls out not against my hand (which stops them frizzing) and basically discovered the Rachel Maksy poodle.

I've been feeling autumnal for most of August, so obviously these dried herbs spoke to me.

Sometimes community mods have things that are easier to discuss in person than via group chats. At those times you can legitimately fill out the restaurant's survey to say that the reason for your visit was business. Jokes aside, the mod team for Leeds EGL needed to brainstorm some things and obviously that counts as a meetup. It was warm and humid, but since I was staying in Leeds overnight, I needed to be a bit tactical about what to wear and pack, especially with shoes. Besides, cotton and linen are the right summer fabrics. They won't stop you from sweating, but they won't make you feel gross about it either. Hence the coord. That and because I figured out that I like this dress best on me when it's styled to amplify the Slavic vibes rather than the goth ones. I almost wore my handmade apron, but it covered up the entire front, at which point this could've been any dress. But next time.

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Coord 7: Pub Meet

Fully forgot that this hat is too big for my head and basically just carried it in my hand the whole day.

But look at the cute floral decorations I added to it! It was there!

Speaking of being tactical with packing, this was the day after at a casual pub meet. Temperatures shot up, so I had to be a bit better about dressing for the weather. I considered revisiting this blouseless coord from July 2021, but since I could only bring one pair of shoes and I would sweat anyway, then I might as well wear a blouse. I really like how this coord came up. It's absolutely not casual and not really what one would think of first when going to the pub, but it capitalised on that one day of summer perfectly!

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Coord 8: Dragon Age Friday

The success here is managing to catch this much of that bow at the back.

Sometimes all you have to hand is a wonky AliExpress necklace that purports to be a replica of a Lord of the Rings piece of jewellery. And that's ok.

I’ve definitely worn a version of this before. But it was a WFH Friday, I was low on motivation for everything just generally, needed something that would be fine for my weekly supermarket trip, but also wanted to lift my spirit a little bit with something cute… and then the night before BioWare finally announced when Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be released, so the coord made itself.

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Coord 9: Lord of the Dance

Funnily enough, on that day it was also the anniversary of the previous time I'd done that hairstyle.

Adding all the pearls in my possession. Probably could do with one or two more strings if I'm honest.

In this instalment of Paulina Overdresses for Theatre, we go full Irish princess vibes because I really love Lord of the Dance and Irish dancing. As it transpired, I love the original Lord of the Dance and not what it is now, but despite my grumbles, I did have a nice evening. And the coord came out even nicer than I thought it would. The hair is a playful take on competition ringlets, as well as a test for this hairstyle because maybe it will enter the rotation more frequently (it is just a pile of curls haphazardly pinned to the top of my head after all). There really isn't anything that I would change here and in fact, I would love to wear this again sometime.

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Coord 10: Cruel Summer at Work

Truth be told, I don't like any of the selfies that I took that day, I was rushing and should've brought a brighter lipstick, but we make do with what we have.

Cruel Summer with you <3

After abandoning my plans to dress up for theatre the night before, I gravitated towards this when searching for something to wear for a Wednesday at the office. Ever since announcing that I'd be leaving that job, I've been making the same Cruel Summer joke and all of that week I'd been including subtle references to me going, so why not take it up a notch. It also cooled down weather-wise: not quite up to the autumnal levels that my soul was craving, but just about enough for some lighter long sleeves and this top with cutouts is the perfect hot/cold thing. It's a simple coord, yet mighty in how it lifted my spirits during the countdown to leaving.

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Coord 11: For Five More Minutes We're SIX

Peep that green eyeshadow with the fuchsia lipstick. It is all on theme, I promise.

And the remaining two colours. We will ignore the T-shirt layering because I ask that we do.

In other words, I went to see SIX for the fifth time. Part of me considered going all pink in honour of Katherine Howard, but I couldn't commit like that. Also, it was my last day at my previous job, so I didn't want to spend ages getting changed in between the activities. I still changed entirely, but kept most of my makeup and worked it into the look. The white and black with gold accents and the layers gives off enough of that pop group vibe to match the show. And since that already referenced two of the six queens, I changed my lipstick so that the makeup referenced another two, and then my accessories completed the set. So yes, they are all mismatched, but together they do follow a theme. Big brain energy right there.

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Coord 12: Southport Trip

Tell you what, pinning that barette up there was almost a feat of engineering, it took a lot of figuring out.

All the polka dot bows!

A slightly cursed meetup because first the weather went down and then the public transport did. The former only altered my coord plans slightly, I layered the socks with tights and swapped out the wrist cuffs, bracelets, and short sleeve cardigan for this long sleeve one. The latter though… Let's just say, ooofff. But once the public transport curse got overcome and I finally arrived, I had a great time. Love me a smaller meetup, love eating and chatting, followed up by antique shop visits and playing on the 2p machines (I won enough tickets for one whole Maoam Strip, go me!), so the long journey was well and truly worth it. Southport turned out to be a lot cuter than I had anticipated, so hopefully next time I’ll get to see it in a bit more of a summery weather.

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As you’re reading this, I’m at the end of my first week of a new job. It will be weird getting a whole new set of people used to my sense of dressing and introducing them to petticoated styles, but eh, they’ll get over the novelty and I don’t plan on being too gentle with them. But it did mean that for that last week I took a bit of a break from frills just so that I had one thing fewer on my plate. I keep saying that I need to consider my energy levels more, so this is the time to do that. That being said, with September kicking in, although no doubts we’ll get a last summery weather huzzah, I am ready to get back into all my knitwear and jewel tones. And gourds, for all that is holy, please, let me have all the gourds!

23 Aug 2024

1 Dress 4 Looks Take 71

Let’s welcome the unknown Atelier Pierrot JSK to this post series. We wish that we knew your name, instead of having to refer to you as a Whip JSK-lookalike or just the Jane Doe of AtePie dresses, but alas, that was not to be. That being said, as you are here to replace AatP’s Rosier Fleur, we know that you are versatile. The question is – how versatile? And do we showcase that through a casual to OTT scale or through different substyles? Decisions, decisions…

Look 1: Casual Classic

This might not seem particularly casual, but an actual super casual classic coord isn’t the most exciting flatlay to share, so for the sake of the post we are upgrading. Ivory x brown is a staple colour combo in classic lolita and the various lace elements, cameos, and generally little touches help to bring in enough interest into the coord that would otherwise be missing.

Look 2: Regular Sweet

Although we may associate berets with relatively more casual looks, given how much I’ve thrown at this coord, it’s fair to say that this sits closer to your average by-the-book sweet look. I contemplated doing something with pink and whilst I could, given that I have worn Rosier Fleur in the past with pink but never with sax, it felt like the right time to showcase this kind of sweet here.

Look 3: Elegant Gothic

We all know that every time I touch gothic, it turns into classic, but run with me on this, please. I think that even though the bow top is pretty sweet, the layering effect it creates together with everything else helps sway this coord towards the gothic side. I would love to have a black lace overskirt or something like it to throw over for an extra bit of texture and colour balance, but even with things as they are, I think this is a good attempt. One that I’m actually quite excited to try out. Imagine this with a white wig too, that would really help with balancing this out.

Look 4: The Themed Wildcard

It was still July when I was putting this post together and Christmas in July very much got under my skin (please be proud of me, I held off flipping that switch for an entire month of overcast summer!). I’ve also had these boots since like spring and obviously not had the chance to use them, whether in a flatlay or in real life, so this is the time for it. Any substyle can be made into OTT and with this post in particular, since the OTT coord was a wildcard on the substyle, the more important part was to show how easily the dress can be dressed up to those levels. And that I’m playing “Let It Snow” in the background is really no-one’s business but my own.

Obviously, these are just examples. Everything that you’ve seen me do with Rosier Fleur will work with this JSK and I have all kinds of ideas on what else I could do with it, given that I’ve been acquiring builder pieces. And if anyone manages to find what this specific JSK model is called, please, do let me know.

9 Aug 2024

A Fashion Show Coordinator's Tips for Models

Will I ever shut up about The Queen is Dead? Chances are that yes, soon enough I will. This is the last bit of fashion show related stuff that sat in me that I’d like to get out. This one is based on what I observed watching the modelling applications arrive, seeing the brands make their selections, and everything else that happened backstage. We seem to be having a bit of a break with lolita events for now, but this hopefully will make it quite timely for any of you who may be considering applying to model in fashion shows.

Picture by Farrukh from Flickr.com

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

It should go without saying, but a modelling application is all about pictures. No-one is expecting you to shell out on a photoshoot with a pro nor do you have to submit pictures of yourself in the most OTT lolita coord you can muster. I’ve seen model profiles in normie loungewear be more in demand than some of the ones in frills. There are three key things here: your photos should be clear, appropriate, and representative.

Clear – keep them evenly lit and in a neutral enough place that the background won’t distract from you, where all of your features (face in the portrait one and body in the full-body one) are visible.
Appropriate – whatever kind of fashion show this is, make sure that the brands can see from the pictures how you might look in it, i.e. if it’s a runway and you would walk, then send a photo of you standing (and equally, if you use a mobility aid that means you’d be sitting, show what that looks like).
Representative – ones that show what you really look like: your facial features, your body proportions, any body modifications, usual J-fashion style if you’re choosing that, etc. Again, this doesn’t have to mean e.g. completely no makeup, but if you usually wear something heavy, consider a collage of portrait ones to show both sides. And most importantly, make sure the pictures are recent. It’s not about when you thought you looked the most attractive, but about what you will look like at the fashion show.

Fill the Application Out Properly

Most applications follow the same template: who are you, what are your measurements, do you have any experience etc. But read it properly. You don’t want to be that person who got discredited because they missed out on an important part. Some applications will ask for unexpected details that may be quite key or will require that the photos or measurements be sent in a specific format. Remember that these are rarely bloodbaths. Once the application window opens, you have all of that time to do it. There are no brownie points for being the first one to send it and the order has no impact on the brand selections. Trust me, you’d rather spend the full two weeks doing it right than kicking yourself in the shin later when you realise that you forgot that one crucial piece of information. That could’ve been your ticket to modelling for the main guest – and now it won’t be.

Ask Questions

Trust me – you’re not annoying for asking. I certainly preferred the models ask as many questions as they could think of than stew in their uncertainty and get that anxiety spiral going. Whilst you should of course read all the information that you are sent over carefully, preferably at least twice before you ask anything (chances are that the answers are there), whenever there is anything that you’re unsure of, send that email and ask. It also tells the person in charge of the fashion show that you are engaged and how responsive you are, which may come in useful at a later stage. The same goes for the rehearsal (which you should absolutely never ever skip, rehearsals are mandatory, so be there and be on time!). There is no such thing as a stupid question and in my experience, if you’re thinking it, then there are others who are also thinking it.

Practice with a Stopwatch

The biggest mistake that a model could make is to rush when on stage. Remember every show that you’ve watched and couldn’t get a good look at the clothes because the models walked too fast. You don’t want to be that person when it’s your turn. A model’s primary role is to showcase the clothes, so give the audience and the photographers plenty of time to see it – and if anyone is having to quick change, that extra second of you may be the difference for them to make it on time for their second outfit. I highly suggest practising with a stopwatch in hand even before you’re chosen, to see what ten seconds of real time standing and posing feels like. Time goes faster when you’re nervous, so the more you train your body to remember ten seconds, the easier it will be for muscle memory to kick in on the day. That being said, don’t take that entirely in the opposite direction and don’t hog the stage. Yes, this is also a little moment for you to shine, but fashion shows run on a schedule and all models have specific cues they need to hit. If you create a blockage because you were feeling your oats a little too much, you could make the models behind you even more nervous, create an empty spot in a continuous runway, and maybe even end up in the event organiser’s bad books for knocking the day off schedule. Trust me, ten seconds is enough given that you’ll probably do about three stops for poses, as well as will come back at the end for the final call.

Make the Most of the Rehearsal

Oh, I already mentioned the rehearsal? Well, let me mention it again because it really is that important. This is your only opportunity to try that whole runway before you do it for real. Whilst chances are that you will be doing that in your own clothes, if you’re bringing your own shoes for the fashion show outfit, then try to do the rehearsal in those. Knowing how you feel about any steps, whether the surfaces are slippery, where you might need to hold onto something for balance etc. could save you from an accident when everyone has their cameras out. As the rehearsal is also the first time you will meet your fellow models, make the most of that. Some of them will have done fashion shows before, so can help suggest some poses if you’re struggling or give you tips on managing nerves. I always recommend getting on a first name basis with the person in front of you and the person behind you. If face blindness is an issue for you, then find something that you could memorise, be it a piercing or a tattoo, or even the sound of their voice or accent. Even when models have to do double duty, remembering who is surrounding you will help you remember your place in the running order.

Poses, Poses, Poses

Last but certainly not least – poses are everything in a fashion show. You can’t apply to model and then on the day use the “I don’t know how to pose” excuse because you’ve literally had months to learn a couple (since we’re assuming best case scenario that you’ll be selected). As already mentioned, your fellow models can help, but I will never stop sharing Kal’s guide https://libre.wunderwelt.jp/en/13732/ which covers so many different aspects of a stage fashion show. If it’s a brand that has been in fashion shows before, then totally look these up on YouTube to see what models have done in the past. Certain brands have a very consistent aesthetic and feel, so it will be easy to pick up some tricks from them. And although you won’t really know how the whole outfit feels until you have it on, you can study the pictures and ask the designer questions to establish some key points. Remember that as a model, your job is to showcase the clothes. This means arms out for big sleeves, gentle spreading of skirts with printed dresses, getting a prop to show off pockets (check that over with the designer first), moving your hands towards the key accessories or even holding them up to the audience if it’s something like a bag. Be creative and have fun figuring out the poses. If you manage to create a memorable moment, it will help the designers with selling the garments.

To anyone planning on applying to model – I strongly encourage you to do so. In what I’ve seen, superficial things such as size or general appearance were never a reason for someone to not get picked. In fact, some of those turned out to be very in demand because they put together great applications, providing every bit of information in the way we’d asked of them and with clear photos that showed what they really looked like. And if you’re scared by how much there is to remember – just save this post, along with any instructions you’re sent over. Once you think about what makes sense to happen in a fashion show, you’ll realise that these really are just the basics and it’s not all that scary. You never know, it could be you that creates that memorable moment when the audience can’t help but gasp at the sight of you going down the runway.

2 Aug 2024

In Defence of Tacky

Elegant. Cute. Polished. Those are just some of the many adjectives used to describe lolita fashion. For the most part, that is the aura that we aim to embody. Even when we try to look at this fashion through the lens of the people unfamiliar with it, some of the more 'out-there' looks are still perceived more positively than negatively.

Picture from Carbon Costume.

Yet in the last few years I've noticed more and more people embrace items and looks that one can only describe as 'tacky'. The very definition of the word says that it means 'marked by a lack of style', something all people interested in fashion tend to steer as far away from as possible. And I, for one, am loving this tacky moment! I think that it is far from lacking style – in fact, I firmly believe that if someone is able to turn a seemingly tacky item into a great outfit or look, then that shows incredible style!

First of all, let’s start with the obvious icon here: the grandma couch floral. Oldschool lolitas in particular have created a special place in our community for these, with particular adoration for Meta’s florals like the Gobelin Rose or the Bouquet print. Most people outside of this fashion (and probably some within our community who do not appreciate that this is where we came from) would say this is more of a fashion crime than a fashion win. Most people don’t aspire to look like Victorian wallpaper or a dated couch. That is their problem. Because those who rock this look are nothing short of fabulous. And maybe the haters should be careful because with that level of floral camouflage they may receive retribution for their hateful words when they least expect it…

The O.G. tacky moment. How many wishlists is she on now?
Picture from Pinterest

But whilst the grandma couch floral look is iconic and continues to enjoy popularity to this day, this type of florals doesn’t get released much nowadays, if at all. The only ones I could think of were mostly from indie brands specialising in oldschool. But that doesn’t mean that new ‘tacky’ things aren’t entering the market. Another thing that used to be quite hated on by the lolita community that’s been having a great revival moment in the last couple of years is leopard print. Oh, how the Meta haters used to slag off the three that they’ve done back between late 2000s and mid-2010s! And now look at us: Angelic Pretty has done two leopard releases, Baby and AatP have put out some leopard print coats and hats for winter, and my favourite – the Physical Drop OP – really captured the Osaka obaachan penchant for animal prints. I so very nearly bought that for myself…! Of course, there’s a very valid place for leopard print in mainstream fashion, as well as some specific subcultures (like rockabilly), but it’s still not universally appreciated and lolitas have their own work to do to accept leopard print for the jewel that it is.

Do I regret not getting this, you ask? Yes. Very much.
Picture from Lolibrary.

Of course, things that have been considered tacky by others aren’t the only things. If as a community we’ve managed to overcome our distaste for lacemonsters (when the lace is nice), then I believe us to be capable of more. And the people who actively choose to create something that could be considered a tacky outfit and then rock the hell out of it are the heroes we need. My own tartan menace from The Queen is Dead is barely the tip of the iceberg, as are the many clown coords that came off the back of circus lolita having its moment. There are so many more flavours of ‘tacky’ that people out there are trying, from clashing patterns to overloading the outfit with colours to the most ridiculous prints that they can find and styling them accordingly… Thanks to wacky Chinese brands supplying us with prints like pizzas and burgers, the world literally is your oyster and all that you are limited by are your creativity and courage. Dressing like a presenter on a children's morning television show that’s all about arts and crafts is a valid look in other fashion substyles and notions such as dopamine dressing, so if that’s what floats your boat in lolita too, then all the power to you!

My peak tacky moment! Even my boyfriend was surprised that this is what I meant by "head-to-toe tartan"

Point is that fashion is forever changing, whilst personal style and joy are for you. If you’re wearing lolita just for some sort of external validation rather than for yourself, then maybe your heart isn’t really in it? What may have been frowned upon five years ago could be the thing now or a year from today. You might end up becoming an early champion and a pioneer – or you might not, but you still would’ve had fun in that outfit that was so silly you couldn’t stop smiling. If ‘tacky’ is defined by a ‘lack of style’, but style is personal – then there is no tacky. Only things that you decide to wear.

30 Aug 2024

August Coords Roundup

*~*~*~*Coord 1: Off to York

*~*~*~*Coord 2: Filming Day

*~*~*~*Coord 3: Casual Travels

*~*~*~*Coord 4: Vintage Summer

*~*~*~*Coord 5: 101st Dalmatian

*~*~*~*Coord 6: Business Lunch

*~*~*~*Coord 7: Pub Meet

*~*~*~*Coord 8: Dragon Age Friday

*~*~*~*Coord 9: Lord of the Dance

*~*~*~*Coord 10: Cruel Summer at Work

*~*~*~*Coord 11: For Five More Minutes We're SIX

*~*~*~*Coord 12: Southport Trip

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