When Others Influence You

There’s a common saying in Polish that roughly translates to “You become who you associate yourself with”. It’s mostly a comment on absorbed behaviours or speech quirks, but as we all know, prolonged exposure to specific things leads to some absorption in all manner of ways. There’s also a reason why we call certain people influencers, though of course some of that is more intentional on their part than e.g. the folks in your comm might be. And the kind of EGL style that I find myself surrounded by these days is certainly beginning to rub off on me to the point where it is leaving the subconscious for the conscious.

Photo by Ann H on Pexels.com

The biggest one of those is with Atelier Pierrot. Whilst I’ve admired their items from afar for years, it’s only recently that I began to covet any. And it’s certainly not because of their aesthetic changing because that’s basically the same: elegant, heavily ruffled, focused on fabrics, trims, and textures over prints. But whilst hanging out with LGBTQIA+ friends has not made me gay, hanging out with a whole bunch of AtePie fans is turning me over to the dark side. Will I be entering my goth phase now? No, that’s highly unlikely. But I am certainly pondering getting an AtePie black JSK or ensemble to live out that EGL textural heaven. And I am craving an open neckline black blouse since I don’t have one.

Paulina the goth stays dormant until key moments when she wakes up.
Image from Atelier-Pierrot.jp.

Not far behind is Physical Drop. This particular influence has been building within me on its own accord anyway. But the combination of seeing people wear their items in all kinds of ways, creative and casual, and being part of online and offline comms that include members in their 30s and 40s really makes that kind of simple comfort all the more appealing. I am finding myself not wearing certain things because my tolerance for that kind of sensory stimuli has drastically declined. Physical Drop doesn’t give me that, certainly not to the same extent, and so I am finding myself repeatedly going back to their online catalogue and making very big doe eyes.

Ok, right now I don't specifically mean the leopard print dress - but I won't deny that I am still in its grips.
Photo from Tawaraya-Kato.ock.jp.

In a broader way, what the two influences above represent, is a shift towards solid coloured main pieces that focus on structural details and/or layering to achieve interest in the outfit overall. Again, this is something that I’ve admired in others almost since I started, but seeing it more and more as a result of the growing popularity of these two brands in particular has pushed the ‘want’ button in my magpie brain. One day I have found myself randomly developing a yearning for a chiffon JSK with a tiered skirt where the tiers are adorned by ruffles purely because I saw someone’s handmade one that was gorgeous. Similarly, I’ve been eyeing a sundress from Atelier Le Carrousel purely because I found out that I liked the tied shoulder straps that were on some random newer-ish Angelic Pretty release. As helpful as it is to be able to identify that what I want is a certain style and not necessarily the specific piece, once you start noticing it, it seems to be everywhere, which is less helpful when trying not to spend as much money.

I probably should diversify and not have all my solids be red - but then they'd just be ivory.
Photo from Lolibrary.org.

With all of those influences preying on me and telling me to have a full wardrobe overhaul, separating white noise from legitimate threads to pursue isn’t always easy. Having (I guess finally) caught on to the idea of the 75 Hard Style Challenge, it resonated with me on the aspects of re-wearing items to see what you naturally gravitate towards. As much as I don’t have the spoons to actively pursue that, I have the nearest approximation in the form of my EGL last worn tracker and Whering where I additionally log all that I wear (yes, even on days when I don’t dress up because I still get out of pyjamas).

Maybe it is time to listen to the influences, if they match up with how I’ve been feeling about specific coords. Maybe there have been signs that I’ve been ignoring.

Or maybe I am massively overthinking this whole thing because that’s how fashion-focused magpie brains operate and they always crave the novelty of the greener grass on the other side.

May Coords Roundup

The first coords roundup post entirely from the new place. It wasn’t until others have pointed out that I realised that we have indeed unpacked very quickly – which I am very glad for because it means I have my new coords spot all set up!

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Coord 1: It’s Been Too Long 

| Chrysanthemum’s Concerto Lost in the Garden of Eden JSK and headbow | Axes Femme cutsew | offbrand socks | Elf Armorie Cupid’s Heart shoes | handmade bracelets |

Watch the progression of my fringe styling throughout this post.

Gingham on gingham.

I’m honestly glad that I was not sensible in April by still going to the meet because I’ve not frilled once since, I haven’t had all my clothes unpacked until literally the first Wednesday of May, and it has been gnawing at me. So even though this coord is very simple, it felt incredibly nice to look this kind of put-together. Although I’m not usually one for wearing black, since I’m not getting Chrysanthemum’s Concerto’s latest release, I thought that in honour of that I would coord their gingham JSK with black. Casual, gingham, black x colour, that’s all very their style and more than apt for this warm-but-not-really weather we’ve been having.

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Coord 2: Pastel Monday

| BtSSB Dreaming Sherbet skirt | offbrand top and earrings | Angelic Pretty Salon de The Rose OTKs | Bodyline shoes | Pink Up Fanny’s Dressing Table hair clip | Bubblegum Emporium necklace | Dear Celine brooch | handmade and gifted bracelets | Candy Kitsch Creations ring | Banned Retro Bella belt |

An extremely rare outing for all my lavender bits.

The bracelet I got from someone at The Great Lace coming in handy here as an extra bit of texture.

Capitalising on working from home on Monday, I picked a coord out in the morning. It’s so nice to have my office and all my clothes in one place, makes getting ready feel less prone to missing out on a random work message or something. The weather had warmed up once more and this skirt is perfect for that with its light cotton layers. Sax and lavender may not be a very common combo for me, though I think it still came out nice. Maybe next time I am all dressed up for working from home and the weather is nice, I will try taking some pics outside, that could be cute…

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Coord 3: Springtime Classic

| Atelier Heidi Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary skirt | offbrand top, tights, and ring | Irregular Choice Flickety Kiss shoes | headbow handmade by Jule | vintage earrings | Wax Poetic necklace | Sweet Mildred brooch |

I need to remember to keep the pinks in my makeup a little darker.

Unironically one of my favourite things right now.

For a moment I almost followed the previous coord up with something else, but then I remembered that I still hadn’t worn this skirt! So I figured out a lighter and breezier coord than all my other ideas, going for a very classic look. Whilst I like the light colours, I think in the future this skirt will pair better with brighter colours because of all of that embroidery. I have some ideas already, so stay tuned.

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Coord 4: Fruity Sailor

| Metamorphose Vintage Fruit OP | Fi.n.t. cutsew | offbrand socks | Sosic Shop shoes | Innocent World Art Nouveau headbow | handmade choker and bracelets | Tea Party Club badge | Banned Retro Bella belt |

The layering of the cutsew and the OP worked much better than I expected it to.

Not me still being stuck in the past, nooo.

Through a slight change of plans I dressed up in this particular coord a day before I originally planned. The layering of this sailor collar cutsew with the OP worked remarkably well and I also braved taking photos by the marina, managing to avoid everyone bar one cyclist, one runner, and one smoker. And the local wildlife, of course. The day ended up consisting of chores, an IKEA and grocery shopping trip, and some baking, so relatively relaxed.

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Coord 5: Normie Picnic

| Physical Drop 3-Tier Shirring OP | vintage hat | Peppermint Fox brooches | everything else is offbrand |

Glad I got photos in the hat because it did not get any wear after that.

Very into flowers at the waist too.

The reason for the plans reshuffling was that I went with my boyfriend to a picnic with his friends. The weather ended up playing us and it actually wasn't quite so warm and sunny to warrant this Ghibli-esque look, but swapping the hat out for a bolero worked. After only having picnics with other lolitas, it was weird to have a picnic with normies, but I will give it to them: camping chairs may not be aesthetic, but they are more comfy than a gingham blanket.

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Coord 6: Sparkly Work

| Metamorphose Polka Dots Shirring Pinafore JSK | offbrand top, vest, and beret | AatP Lace-Up Ribbon OTKs | Irregular Choice Flickety Kiss shoes | Vivienne Westwood Lorelei studs | Vivienne Westwood Mini Bas Relief pendant | SIX: The Musical pin | Twinkle Kitty Boutique ring |

Note the change in temperatures we've had this May, from breezy OPs to wool vests.

A reminder of my own emotional resilience.

For another working from home day that turned out to be cooler enough to wear a vest, I went with this look. Inspired by the fact that I hadn’t worn this dress with green yet and I am still on a green kick. All the extra sparkly accents kind of just happened and I did have half a mind to try wearing sparkly tights with this instead of the OTKs, but I didn’t want the vest to be the only green accent here.

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Coord 7: Mods Tea

| Atelier Pierrot Whip JSK | offbrand top, tights, and earrings | Angelic Pretty Airy Dot crew socks | Modo Prayer Poem shoes | Manda Rin Designs hat | Peppermint Fox brooch | Folk and Fortune Diamond of the First Water brooch | Q-Pot Teabag necklace | Sweet Mildred corsage |

Another hat that only got worn indoors.

I did not notice that my brooch got rained on.

The Leeds comm admins have started a tradition of holding an AGM (annual general meeting) to discuss any ongoing and/or pressing comm matters. This time we combined that with an afternoon tea to test out a venue for the comm’s 15th anniversary. Since I got a ride to Leeds with my boyfriend, I indulged in a not entirely practical coord for pottering around town before the tea. My original plan was a little too involved, but this version was still the right flavour of toned down enough for a train ride back and fancy enough for the occasion. I took the least windy picture of the bunch I took behind Leeds Minster and only got a little rained on, which is an overall success in my books. The afternoon tea was great too, more little versions of big foods for afternoon tea, please!

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Since this post is going out today, this is all that I managed to squeeze in, despite definitely planning on dressing up at least once over the weekend. May has simultaneously gone by in a flash and dragged on for forever. In that I can’t believe how long we’ve been in May for, but also, how is June so soon? Summer ILD is hitting shortly, which as of right now I don’t have any plans for. My plate has been rather overflowing and I yearn for some time just to myself. It’s kept me back from organising stuff, which at least means that I’m sticking to my 2025 goal on something. Hopefully your May has been less frantic and more calm

The Emotional Baggage of Lolita Fashion

The Bibliotheca bloggers are all talking about baggage. It’s understandable: summer months are fast approaching in the Northern Hemisphere and with them, summer holidays and travels.

I’m not here to tell you how to pack your frills or to give you a travel capsule wardrobe. I’ve done that, others have done that, that is not what’s on my mind right now. I’m here to talk about…

EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE!

Photo by Eminent Luggage on Pexels.com.

Now, since the phrase gets misused a fair bit, let’s establish what emotional baggage is, so that we’re all clear on what we’re talking about here. According to the Collins Dictionary, emotional baggage refers to “the feelings you have about your past and the things that have happened to you, which often have a negative effect on your behaviour and attitudes.” In other words, it’s the stuff that we hold onto that isn’t serving us right now or even anymore.

But Paulina, I hear someone say. Lolita fashion is overall a good thing, it brings joy through beauty and community, how can there be any emotional baggage around that? Well, everything can have emotional baggage tied to it, even the good stuff. This post is going to touch on matters of body image and finances, so if that’s not something that you can comfortably read about right now, it’s best to stop here.

Having just moved flats, which involved not only shoving all my clothes into whatever would fit them and lugging them up several flights of stairs, but also confronting the fact that their volume far surpasses the available storage space, I am acutely aware of the various feelings that surfaced during that process. Little brings your emotions about something to the forefront as vividly as the stress and hassle of moving. Not that I’m recommending that as a means of deciding whether to keep a dress or sell it, don’t do that! Just saying that if you’re moving anyway, this is likely the sort of a rollercoaster that you can expect to find yourself on.

The elephant in the room is facing the amount of stuff that I have. Although lolita dresses make excellent protective material for breakable items, sitting on a suitcase to help it close really homes in on the guilt about owning so much. Not even in any sort of greedy or gatekeeping or even any ‘when will I wear it’ sort of way. It’s just guilt of being literally faced with how much I own, the volume, the amount, the sheer number of individual items in my possession. And in no small part guilt for still wanting more. Sure, at no point in my life was I ever a minimalist and whilst there are lolitas out there being perfectly happy with their capsule wardrobes or small collections of extremely cherished items. Some of that is definitely down to growing up in post-communist Poland and being passed down this desire to have stuff. The guilt comes from a combination of knowing my privilege to even be able to engage in a luxury fashion like lolita, being perfectly aware of the damage the fashion industry is dealing to our environment, and still resenting that decisions of previous governments have fucked my generation over so that the economic prosperity we were promised growing up is more like two unprecedented financial crises, an inaccessible housing market, and massive financial inequality. Nothing quite like looking at three packed IKEA bags of clothing that have nowhere to live to make you realise that this particular baggage is not just physical.

Unironic actual footage of (not even all) the stuff left waiting for the last bits of furniture to unpack it to.

Then there’s the ongoing struggle of bodies and sizes that isn’t specific to me. So many in the EGL community know that lolita clothing, for all its glory, can also make individuals feel bad about themselves, in the same way as mainstream fashion does. Although sizing relying on measurements is far healthier than arbitrarily picking numbers to represent a size, the one size never truly fits all and patterning with the East Asian audience in mind will always spring up issues for other silhouettes. This is despite our community making significant progress in the area of alterations being accepted and talked openly about. Combined with changes at an individual level, lolita fashion brings so much emotional baggage from the loft storage into your front room. Grew up in the 2000s? You now don’t have an accurate view of your own body or what is considered slim or fat. Regularly going through changes? You’re now paranoid about every slight shift that impacts whether an item fits or not. Spent years, decades maybe, building your collection that you now can’t comfortably wear? No wonder that you’re growing resentful of your clothes as they bring back good memories alongside the hefty alterations price tag to get all of those done. Any one of these things, or many more that fit under this umbrella, can weigh a person down enough to feel like that emotional baggage is actually made of lead. And this isn’t a bag that just needs putting down, this is one that needs actually unpacking or fully throwing out into the sea. Metaphorically, of course, we’ve already gone over pollution.

At least size doesn't matter when it comes to sufficiently protecting my precious Lenox spice village.

Lastly, moving houses with a big collection of lolita clothes makes you realise how much you’ve invested into this. We joke that we translate prices into clothes, “You could get two brand dresses for that!,” when the facts are that not everything should be measured like that. Not only because the cost of lolita clothing does not include the same factors as the cost of, say, furniture, but also because that metaphor only applies on a luxury to luxury scale or a want to want one. In comparison to necessities? Not so well. As scary as it can be to really absorb the cost of adult expenses like a bed with a mattress or a fridge, these aren’t things that you can live without. And just like it’s worth investing in clothing quality, so it’s worth investing in the quality of your big purchases that you will use daily. Exposure got me over the initial pause when buying lolita brand new, even though there’s always that paranoid sentient suitcase of emotional baggage sitting on my shoulder that’s terrified of spending more than what I have on frivolities. It’s not actually a floating sentient suitcase, I am just making a link to emotional baggage, you hopefully get the gist. 

Forever committed to having matching hangers. Which, by the way, don't fit into an archiving box. In case you ever find yourself in that position.

This isn’t all to say that emotional baggage is something that you, me, anyone has to live with. Baggage can be unpacked, left behind, throw out, burned down etc. as well as carried. Realising that you have it is the first step in doing something about it. Lolita fashion can sometimes involve more of it than some other styles or hobbies. The good thing that we have on many others though is our community. Openly chatting about these kinds of baggage helps lessen it by sharing the burden, as well as getting practical tips from people who have likely gone through the same. Many of these will likely never disappear – but just knowing that we are not carrying that alone helps.

It's a lot of stress, but does mean that eventually my new coord photo spot looks like this and I have access to all my clothes once more.

Hopefully I managed to pull the end of this out of the doom and gloom hole. This isn’t intended to get anyone feeling down about themselves, lolita fashion or the state of the world, but to observe the kinds of feelings about it that the simple act of moving, packing, and unpacking have brought up for me. But if you’re after a more light-hearted read, I’m sure that at least one of the other Bibliotheca bloggers will have you covered on that. Sign up to the newsletter, so that you don’t miss it!

Forest Girl Clothing skirt review

It took until I finally wore it to realise that I never did a review of the Forest Girl Clothing/Atelier Heidi skirt I bought at The Great Lace. Probably precisely because I bought it in person, so none of the usual stuff about ordering process, the waiting, the postage, packaging etc. did not apply. But as I believe in promoting indie brands, I am making up for that oversight now.

About the brand

For those not in the know, Forest Girl Clothing is a US-based indie brand whose clothes and accessories cater predominantly to classic lolitas and mori-kei enthusiasts. Florals, natural fabrics, and earth tones dominate their designs, with emphasis on whimsy and designs that look like they are pinched straight out of a “fairytale forest that you’ll never want to leave”. In their own words, the “brand was born from a love of recycled materials and a romanticized vision of spending time in nature.” The owner and designer, Heidi, who is also a cosplayer, had set up the business under the cosplay name Atelier Heidi and the Forest Girl Clothing brand falls under that, explaining what could otherwise be a slight confusion with the labels and tags. The webshop also carries a few other brands, such as Hoshibako Works and some general mori-kei appropriate clothes and accessories. You can find the webshop here and can follow Forest Girl Clothing on Instagram.

The skirt

Let me cast my mind back to late March and to how the Forest Girl Clothing stall was laid out. I remember that the rails were filled with gorgeous clothes, all presented in as enticing a way as one can imagine. Whilst all the skirts had clear tags to mark their individual size, the measurement ranges for each of these was on a separate list hanging from the railing. After a quick conversion from inches to centimetres, as well as briefly holding the skirt against my waist and testing the waistband, I settled on a size L, paying with my card.

It wasn’t until later at home that I searched through the webshop and confirmed that the skirt is indeed called Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary. It is still available to purchase online, in either black or white, at the exact same price of 115 USD – which at the time of purchase worked out to just over 98 GBP for me.

The first thing that I must absolutely commend Forest Girl Clothing on is construction. The size chart is accurate (which I already had a good inkling of given that I could verify that in person) and this is the most comfortable skirt that I own. The shirring stretching all across the back is very generous yet secure, meaning that the waistband sits close to my body without digging in and I can easily stretch it further for comfort. The front part of it, with decorative buttons, sat flat against my torso the whole day, no rolling or folding itself in half, despite no additional support such as boning, which is further testament to good sizing in my opinion. I could get the skirt on with just the stretch, but there is an invisible side zip to aid in that further. It’s well constructed enough that it is invisible and zips up smoothly, though still prone to the same issues as all invisible zips are like getting a little stuck at curves and being so small that it’s hard to find. Additionally, the skirt features three pockets: the decorative one at the front and two side seam pockets, each more than capable of holding a mobile phone (for reference, mine is a Samsung Galaxy A34 with a relatively chunky case and it slides perfectly into all three).

As for the rest of the skirt’s construction, that is kept simple: a gathered rectangle with two rows of lace along the hem and the aforementioned decorative waistband. All of that to let the embroidery on this skirt shine and take centre stage. It is all machine embroidery, and there were one or two threads that weren’t cut closely enough or that still connected individual sections of the design, I do literally mean two or three. The design is so busy that I can see how this may have been overlooked during quality control and I do not hold it against either Forest Girl Clothing or their manufacturer, I simply snipped these and that was it.

I counted ten different flowers, five per row, with a design repeating across each row in embroidered rectangles. The detail of each flower is stunning, with vivid colours where gradients flow into one another and block colours are almost a standout feature of their own. They are also relatively large on their own, around 8cm in height each, so that even from a distance they can be identified as flowers, although some of the lighter colours disappear a little when viewed from a distance, making the stems and darker shades more prominent. This didn’t look to be an issue on the black colourway, where these light colours have a more contrasting background.

Despite the volume of embroidery, all of which is on a layer of soft mesh, they do not weigh it down to the point where it’d drag or droop. Cotton lining keeps the mesh from being indecent, as well as provides a comfortable layer to sit against your body. Although parts of the skirt (presumably the mesh, embroidery thread, and the lace) are synthetic fabrics, they are lightweight and soft to the touch, clearly of high quality. The skirt proved very breathable when worn on a warmer (though not hot) day and although it’s a touch too heavy for me to consider wearing it on a hotter day, I can definitely see it being my spring/summer staple.

Speaking of lace, there are two rows of it along the hem, as well as two rows at the waistband, and a lace trim all around the front pocket, totalling three lace designs. Each is floral in its overall design, though the mid-length lace around the pocket and hem also has a shell-like scallop to it, which probably explains the shell embroidery on the pocket that otherwise doesn’t seem to tie in to the floral theme of the design.

The skirt has plenty of volume in and of itself. I wore it with my (admittedly somewhat deflated) big Aurora & Ariel petticoat, which gave it just enough volume to look nice without overstuffing it. And I dare say that it probably could’ve handled more volume. Not that I personally would want that because I view this skirt as a more casual item that doesn’t need galaxy-level poof, but for anyone out there who likes that massive cupcake look or who prefers those kinds of proportions on themselves, you can safely go bigger with your petti.

In conclusion

Given the exceptionally high quality, the price is far more than reasonable. Even though it took me longer than I would’ve wanted to get round to wearing it, I do already have a bunch of coords in mind for it and cannot wait to wear it more. It fits precisely the gap in my wardrobe that I wanted it to: comfortable, classic, and able to go casual. And since I did take the opportunity to feel up the other stuff at the Forest Girl Clothing table, I can definitely vouch for the quality of their other pieces. Whilst there isn’t much that I am eyeing from them right now (i.e. I am resisting the linen vest), I will be observing their social media closely and won’t hesitate should something catch my eye again in the future. As should everyone else who is also on the lookout for comfortable, classic, versatile lolita clothing with an accommodating size range. Forest Girl Clothing 100% delivers.

April Coords Roundup

A very (very!) modest showing for this month as moving flats took over everything else. Rightfully so, really, the process of leaving a flat one has lived in for nearly six years is long and demanding, so being in frills really wasn’t a priority. But I’d like to believe that I have compensated for that with quality instead.

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Coord 1: A Knight’s Tale

| Lady Sloth Slavic Bestiary JSK | offbrand top, earrings, necklace, and bracelet | Naddine Atelier bow top | Son de Flor belt | morun x muuna stoik overskirt | Jane Marple OTKs | Elf Armorie Cupid’s Heart shoes | Cutie Creator Maiden’s Prayer head own | Angelic Pretty Royal Unicorn necklace | Captain Chris |

Yes, I mixed gold with all of that silvery gunmetal. I'm a rebel.

Captain Chris approved his first musical theatre outing.

I went to the opening night of A Knight’s Tale: The Musical based on the 2001 film and dressing up was mandatory, despite being very drained from work. Since my Joan of Arc print from Haenuli hadn’t even been ready to ship by then, I went with plan B: Lady Sloth’s Slavic Bestiary as the next most medieval-ish looking thing. Even if the coord was anything but medieval. Ever since realising that this dress coords best with cool tones, it’s at odds with the rest of my wardrobe that aims to be as warm toned as possible. But there’s never a bad time for some red accents. Captain Chris and I have both had a fantastic time and if we manage, we’d love to go see the show again. The hyperfixation matured really early on and just like last year 42 Balloons was my personality for spring, this year I sense it will be A Knight's Tale.

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Coord 2: Easter Sunday

| Victorian Maiden Shirring Frill JSK | offbrand top and hat | Amavel cardigan | Son de Flor belt | Snag Plee-yay tights | Hot Chocolate Design shoes | Melty Wish earrings and necklace | Jule et Lily Sakura pin | handmade (not by me) brooch |

The face of someone who was happy to be back in Sheffield, even if anxious about meeting new people.

The little touches.

In a move away from my traditions so far, this Easter I spent neither alone nor with my family. Instead I joined my boyfriend on a trip to Sheffield to meet his friends there. The balancing act between dressing up for Easter, but relatively toned down to not immediately scare off his friends with the excess of frills, as well as to be comfy for what was supposed to involve a lot more walking resulted in this. I like the various tartan elements, I also had my tartan backpack, which helped to balance it all out even more. We ended up having a lovely, if longer than expected day, visiting a board game cafe and then staying over for a dinner of frozen pizzas. And obviously Easter chocolates.

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Coord 3: Enchanted Curiosities Market vol. 2

| Haenuli Just One Bite JSK | offbrand top and brooch | Resailan Jewelry Box tights | Elf Armorie Cupid’s Heart shoes | Cutie Creator headdress | Rose of Sharon hair clip | Tiny Passerine Creations The Duchess’ Tea earrings | Puvithel Crystal Heart necklace and brooch | Metamorphose wrist cuffs | voodoodolly ring |

Goodbye, old selfie spot. You will be missed. Time to find someplace new.

That's now two offbrand tops that these wrist cuffs are a perfect match for.

In what is suspiciously becoming a tradition, I was attending a meetup the same day as I was picking up the keys to my new flat. The responsible thing would have been to dip out (even though I was organising) and let everyone else have fun without me. But honestly, after a week of doing nothing but working and packing, I needed something that was a positive distraction. So I still went, in the one coord that I did not pack, vaguely attempting to be a nature goth sort of an outfit. All it was really was coording Just One Bite with green, which I think has worked well. I didn't end up buying anything for myself this time, but it was still a great casual meetup with way more people attending than last time. And then I took an Uber back home, immediately changed into leggings and a hoodie (aka my normie cosplay), grabbed a quick takeout, and then lugged more boxes than I bothered to count in and out of places.

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As we enter May, with its Bank Holidays and a fair number of meetups already planned, I am still in the final (i.e. the most annoying) stages of unpacking and planning how to make my room (office/lolita room) more aesthetic. Maybe I will finally get that dress form like I’ve always wanted to. But first I need to actually be able to put away all my clothes (a bag of cardigans and boleros still remains, waiting on a piece of furniture that defied the promises made by delivery companies). For now I am excited that the big bulk of the moving work is done, to be living in a nicer area – and for all of my preordered main pieces to arrive. Swapping my wardrobe back from the autumn/winter to spring/summer this month has helped get me out of a bit of a rut, but an actual breath of fresh air is always appreciated.