End of Year Lolidrobe Reassessment 2025

What a year 2025 has been. I might have said that about every year in these end of year reassessment posts, but each year is its own thing 

Overview of Acquisitions

It is pretty impressive that I managed to keep the purchases quite so low in volume this year. That doesn’t, however, mean that they were cheap as I indulged in four whole main pieces bought directly from the makers upon release. Though I guess they were balanced out by my getting rid of a bunch of stuff. Swings and roundabouts, eh?

• 4 JSKs (1 sweet in green and red)
• 1 skirt
• 4 tops
• 4 boleros/jackets
• 1 cape
• 1 apron
• 3 pairs of shoes
• and 11 sets of accessories (1 sweet ring in red, 1 pair of sweet earrings in brown, 1 sweet ring in white, 1 pair of sweet clips in orange, 1 classic brooch in green)

My trajectory certainly is a downward one. In 2023 I acquired 90 new-to-me things, in 2024 only 44, and now here I am at 29. And whilst last year this was balanced out by non-lolita fashion shopping, I have slowed down on that too. If anything, this year my spending has gone into books, but that’s not for this blog to discuss. I’m very glad to not only have featured so many of my new purchases over here in worn coords, but with the overall rate of selling to acquiring this year. It feels healthy and sustainable, a good run up to a year that will kick off with a bit of a no buy (more on which will come in the 2026 goals post).

The Year of More Millefeuille

The collection may not be quite complete – but I managed to score all the different lace kinds of the Millefeuille bolero. That is arguably the more impressive feat and the pink bolero will appear when it appears. There is something extremely satisfying about having them all. I have found my niche and if anyone ever wants any closeups of any of them, feel free to DM me, I will more than happily oblige. And once I have a pink one to complete the collection, I will do a blog post or maybe even a video about them all. It does make me hope, however, that despite what I asked for in one of Innocent World’s surveys, they won’t re-release it in new colours.  I really can live without one in sax…

I was hoping to find the pink one still in 2025, but the frilly gods did not will that to be.

The Year of More Wardrobe Cleansing

I finally committed to getting rid of more of my sweet things. The pressure of owning things that were bringing me more discomfort than joy was getting to me, and I really wanted to shift what was in my wardrobe. The more than impressive sale of Meta’s Bubble Bath was the catalyst that I needed and more pieces followed since. Whilst I still have a small bunch that hasn’t shifted yet, the mental freedom of not having them in my actual wardrobe is significant. I’ve gone from something like 52 main pieces at the start of the year down to 45, including the few that I bought this year. And truth be told, if the other ones don’t shift within the next few months at the pretty significant discounts that they’re already at, then I might even give them away or dump them on auctions with starting prices of £1 and to heck with it.

Just some of the sales I made this year (the ones conducted via LM). I'm not even sad because I know these pieces are seeing more use now , which in itself is a great sign that I made the right decision.

The Year of More Alterations

The goal of altering more pieces was absolutely smashed this year. Not only that, I was able to trial two new-to-me seamstresses for their alterations, both of whom are much more local. The important thing is that going through the process breathed a new life into my wardrobe by giving me back the pieces that I love to wear. This means that I should now only have items that fit me comfortably and well in my wardrobe, and I shouldn’t be dreading any of these main pieces coming up in my last worn spreadsheet. And if any sense of dread does appear – that’s an immediate sign to either do more alterations or get rid of the thing. (Unless it’s my Mary Magdalene JSK, that one will go with me to the metaphorical grave.)

If you are still on the fence about getting yur pieces altered, then this is your sign frm the universe to just do it. If you're terrified of the prospect, I cannot recommend Naddine Atelier enough!
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.com.

The Year of Less Pressure to Create Content

This goes out especially to my now very much dead YouTube channel. I’m not saying that I’ve given up on making videos entirely. However, since I didn’t have anything to say or show, I wasn’t going to force myself to put something out just for the sake of it. The channel may still get the odd upload if I decide to vlog an event or find something to talk about. But right now, I’m very happy to have gone back to just blogging. This blog is what I care about first and foremost, writing is my primary form of expression, even as I’ve let go of a big chunk of pressure to post here as rigorously as I once did. I’m more in my mid-30s than anything else, it’s time to stop pretending like I have the energy or will to push myself so much for something that ultimately is a passion project. And the YouTube channel lasted nearly 9 years, that’s very good going by any measure.

Reiterating where my true passion and priority lies with content.
Photo by Pixabay from Pexels.com.

Review of 2025 Goals

I am very pleased with my goals’ progress for 2025. 

1. Did I get my pieces altered? 100% yes! Three out of three done this year, even though one isn’t actually finished yet and is still with my seamstress, but it will be done. That plus a small handful of pieces sold has had a big impact n my wardrobe.
2. Have I bought more classic and casual main pieces? I’d say so. Out of the 5 main pieces purchased this year, three are very firmly classic florals, the Forest Girl Clothing skirt can certainly double up for more toned down looks, and I could even argue (though I won’t) that Meta’s Cyber Neon Girl will be worn in more non-lolita ways, so it counts as casual. That last one is a stretch, but I’ve done very well overall. As much as I’d like to carry this goal onwards onto next year, to fill my wardrobe with a few more skirts, I’m going to have to be a lot more choosy with my spending in 2026, so let me think on this for a bit. Look out for the 2026 wish/need/replace list for details!
3. Have I gotten roped into organising anything? Also a resounding success, with only one casual meet and the annual CLAM Christmas Lunch on my record for this year. On numerous occasions I was tempted to volunteer or to do something, but I resisted. As much as the extra time to myself was great, I did miss organising things. This is another aspect of my life that I’d like to have a serious think about as I chase that elusive perfect balance.

Again, what a year it’s been. Right now doesn’t feel like the same year as my going to Chicago for The Great Lace (did that even happen for real?). Hell, I’ve been living in a different place since April and it’s now surreal to consider that only at the start of the year I was living on my own, that I didn’t have my own office/lolita room (the one you see me take my outfit pictures now). And so many people across Europe are coming up with events for 2026 already, I wish I could attend them all, but that is physically (and financially) impossible. But I will definitely be going to some, so catch me around if you’re also travelling to the same ones.

And, above all, I hope that you get some rest and time to engage the creative parts of your brains right now, and that you have a peaceful, inspiring, healthy, and safe 2026!

1 Dress 4 Looks Take 77

When I ordered Chalmiere’s (formerly Axes Femme Kawaii) Christmas release for this year (and yes, I am mildly annoyed that it’s just called Christmas), I expected it to take a while to get to me, potentially posing a risk on whether it would appear in time for the annual Christmas lunch. But then Chalmiere surprised me by shipping it out in less than a week, arriving with me within two weeks of placing the order. So I had to get my arse in gear for this post quickly! Now, let’s not even pretend like this dress will come out at any other time except December. There will be no attempts at trying to tone down the holiday vibes. This post will be 100% dedicated to Christmas coords of varying levels of intensity, so girdle your jingle bells and strap on your boughs of holly, we’re getting festive.

Look 1: Work Appropriate

| Axes Femme cutsew | vintage cardigan | Snag tights | Hot Chocolate Design shoes | Two Days Slow hair clips | offbrand barrette | XKawaiiCutieX earrings |

Whilst Chalmiere’s cuts are not typically that exciting, that makes them great for more otome-leaning styling – which in turn lends itself to things such as fun office wear. This is obviously only for Christmas and office jobs (at least in the UK) will usually let a lot of things slide during December, especially fun outfits that bring everyone some joy. Minimal accessories, plenty of comfort, this might be something that I’ll actually wear at some point this month (for the office or at home).

Look 2: The Gift that Keeps on Giving

| Bodyline L581 blouse | bows from Haenuli's Whipped Cream Kitty JSK | Naddine Atelier bow top | Haenuli Secret Garden tights | Irregular Choice Flickety Kiss heels | Chrysanthemum's Concerto beret | Cutie Creator headbow | offbrand earrings and brooch | vintage necklace | Twinkle Kitty Boutique rings |

Christmas and gifts go hand in hand, as do bows and presents. So I slapped every bow on this coord that I could without tipping the balance the other way. Of course, it had to include Naddine Atelier's bow top, one of the best purchases ever, which I’m now realising is tricky to make it photograph nicely on flatlays. Whilst I usually don’t like lighter shoes with darker tights, it’s not a bad combo and it preserves the theme of bows everywhere. And if I may say, sticking the bows on the sleeves was an inspired move on my part.

Look 3: The Gingerbread Innkeeper

| offbrand top, shoes, and brooch | Chalmiere Christmas 2025 apron | Angelic Pretty Odekake Ribbon OTKs | Angelic Pretty Twinkle Sky headbow | Beholder Fashions Apple Pie headdress | Lady Sloth Winter Spices necklace | XKawaiiCutieX earrings | brooches handmade by Kerry | Becki's Kawaii Charms ring | Risu Rose ring |

This idea is where the awkwardness of this colourway comes out as I initially wanted it all to be much more brown/beige-based. But this dress really is not beige with colours, it’s very much colours + beige. So I swapped the colours around, but kept the theme of it all. Obviously this apron is not going to see any actual baking or decorating action, so this is fully keeping in with the fantasy. A cosy fantasy of a proprietor who’s actually an anthropomorphised critter running their own business in an economy that isn’t supposed to make sense because everything runs off festive cheer and vibes. Send me to that world, please.

Look 4: Candy Cane Carnival

| Polish traditional blouse | Snag tights | Elf Armorie Cupid’s Heart shoes | Metamorphose Tulle Lace wrist cuff | Angelic Pretty Rose Princess wrist cuff | Cutie Creator headbow | Beholder Fashions mini hat | Axes Femme brooch | handmade necklace | Candy Kitch Creations bracelet | vintage brooch | Chalmiere ring |

The ultimate Christmas form, with plenty of borrowing from last year’s CLAM Christmas lunch coord. Because it was great, so why shouldn’t I? This is definitely something that I’d wear to this years CLAM Christmas Lunch if I didn’t already have other plans involving this very dress. But it’s always good to keep a festive fancy coord idea in the bank. (Btw, Candy Cane Carnival fully sounds like an AP print. You can have that one for free, AP.)

Now, you’ll have to wait until the end of the month for December’s coords roundup post to find out what this other idea is. But a whole post of nothing but festive coords is making me incredibly happy. This post sparks joy. Also, I literally only just noticed that other than the very first, very casual coord, they all feature two headpieces. It’s Christmas, after all, excess is the name of the game!

All That Glitters is not Gold

The Bibliotheca bloggers have picked Glitter as our theme for this round of posts and I admit, I too considered writing something around the sparkly tights I have from Snag that remain unworn or the pretty trinkets that my magpie instincts have accumulated over the years. I am not immune to the enthralling sparkliness of glitter and I too could spend an eternity staring at the way it reflects light. Yet the saying is true: all that glitters is not gold. Shiny, brand new items are not all that lolita fashion is about. Some of the most worthwhile aspects of this fashion are some of the least glitzy ones and I’d like to dedicate this post to giving them a bit of spotlight.

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

The Togetherness During Challenges

It sounds really grand and like lolitas are out there doing disaster relief (some might, but I sincerely doubt they do it in frills!). But for every person out there who went to a big meet, a tea party, a con or a big event, there are dozens of unsung heroes behind the scenes. At TQiD, my friends staying over or just dropping by to say hello didn’t have to do any of the work, they were attendees like everyone else who bought a ticket – but they chose to join me for the setup and made the work lighter by extension. At the Big Northern Bring and Buy the people who weren’t volunteers didn’t have to stay behind to help with the cleanup – but they did so anyway. Whenever a challenge comes up for our comm, be it another wannabe intruder or just someone at risk of not making it home because of public transport delays, lolitas will band together and do the right thing, unprompted. The lolita community isn’t just a bunch of folks in frilly dresses having a nice time. They are a literal gold acting for the betterment of the whole community and not just its individual members. 

The goodie bags do not assemble themselves and many hands make light work.

The Quiet Between Occasions

Meetups are great to attend. I love going to them and I love organising them. But people who don’t interact with the fashion and/or the community at all in between the organised activities… well, I’m not even sure if they exist, to be honest. Because whether we chat with others in the lolita community through the various social means or on our own, browsing Instagram, YouTube, sales listings or magazines, we all do something in between the meetups, even if we can’t (or don’t want to) dress up. And there’s a real sense of connection in those quiet times, at least to me. Our love for the fashion has time to deepen as we discuss the latest release with others on Discord or do a deep dive into wardrobe posts or magazine archives. This can be as slow and ceremonious or as intense and rapid as suits the individual, and it can really fire up those creative juices that get coord ideas going or the anticipation of an upcoming meetup. It’s not a very metaphorically glittering time, since so many of us, when we’re not in lolita, are dressed in whatever is comfortable or required of us, but without that downtime we wouldn’t have had the time to reflect on our coords to make the next one better.

Browsing through media whilst in your pyjamas still makes you feel connected to the fashion.

The Tenderness In Care

One of the aspects that we not only love about lolita fashion, but that draws many people towards it for the long haul. Quality clothing is durable, but not indestructible and taking care of it doesn’t have to be a chore. We can choose to view the caring and mending as a way to appreciate the garments we own and find new details, as well as extend their lifespan. Sure, it is annoying when a waist tie button pops off because it was held together by a prayer, but how nice is it knowing that now it will stay securely on for years? And how good does the fabric feel between your fingers, the sound of thread going through it a satisfying murmur? You can practically feel yourself becoming Momoko as she’s in the midst of an embroidery frenzy. Even beyond maintenance that supports garment longevity, a simple bit of ironing or steaming can get you so familiar with a piece that you thought you knew inside out. I sure as hell have had my share of discovering pockets in dresses I owned for years because I finally bothered to iron them properly. And being up and personal with a garment steamer means that small details that disappear in the big picture come into focus. Sometimes those details might even be literal glitter on the print. But more often than not, they’re elements that don’t sparkle bright unless you know where to shine the light.

To fix a hole you have to get very up close and personal with the garment. And that allows you to appreciate more details about it. Photo by Eduard Kalesnik on Pexels.com

This post got a touch metaphorical at times and turned towards the meditative, but the point of it is that even something as loud and gaudy (affectionate) as lolita fashion is still full of loveliness that isn’t immediately obvious, that has to be experienced in order to be appreciated. All that glitters is not gold, after all.

If you’ve enjoyed my somewhat loose interpretation of the theme, but hope for something actually glittery, then make sure to subscribe to the Bibliotheca mailing list. There are plenty of J-fashion bloggers whose content will arrive straight into your inbox about once a month or two, and someone else is bound to get all sparkly for the holiday season – right in time to enjoy during that end of year downtime that I hope we will all get to enjoy this year.

November Coords Roundup

Is anyone else feeling like this month has gone by very quickly? I don’t remember past Novembers feeling quite this short. But maybe my sense of time is just totally warped because looking at the first few coords in this post, they also don’t feel like they’re from November…

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Coord 1: Weeb at a Gig

| The Black Ribbon Konbini Market JSK | offbrand top, hoodie, leg warmers, and choker | Sosic Shop shoes | BtSSB Princess Drop combs | Melty Wish necklace |

One day I will stop simply throwing on blue eyeshadow and calling it a day. But it is not this day!

Winged and toasty.

My partner got tickets to see Hanabie, whom I've heard a little of before and am weeby enough to have agreed to go see. This explains the much more cool and non-traditional outfit choice. I'm very glad that the hoodie layered the way I wanted to because these pieces are clearly not designed to go together. Whilst it's a shame that I missed the natural light to get some slightly better pictures, overall I'm very pleased with how the whole look came together.

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Coord 2: Geek Fayre

| Innocent World White Double Braid Tartan skirt | Axes Femme cutsew | Snag tights | Modo Prayer Poem shoes | Imogen’s Imagination beret | Lady Sloth’s Winter Spices necklace |

Innocently looking away as I wear the same beret/cutsew/glasses combo again.

But it is undeniable how well these two go together.

Since we changed plans to go to Geek Fayre on another day, I needed a whole new fit. I was saved from my ideas stump by a friend, who initially suggested that I do some sort of Scooby Doo lolita, which, whilst I can’t do properly, I did use Shaggy’s colour palette as my inspiration. Whether this is more Shaggy or Shrek, I don’t really mind, I vibe with either, and the outfit was also a great excuse to use my new Snag tights. Very comfy, very cosy, got a few compliments from the vendors around the event, so all was good overall. Especially as I managed to avoid buying too much, we only bought two board games and a print, but since that’s a cost shared, it doesn’t feel quite so bad.

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Coord 3: More Autumn

| Violet Fane Ginza Kissaten skirt | offbrand top and necklace | Snag tights | Modo Prayer Poem shoes | Cutie Creator headdress | Cosy Kawaii Mood earrings | Risu Rose ring | Angelic Pretty Melty Chocolate Ribbon ring |

The extent to which we go to because the photos don't show off something properly (in this case, my hair) and have to fake stuff is quite silly sometimes.

Didn't realise just quite how reflective that ring was until that photo.

In a turn of events, I was working at home on the Monday that week, which meant dressing up a little sooner. Although I have once again been bit by Snag tights colours being impossible to discern online because of how they do their product photos (seriously, the styled and worn ones are cute, but give us at least one on a plastic leg mannequin on a plain background for some colour accuracy), so these are much darker than I anticipated. I think I still managed to make them work in the coord, mainly by spacing the oranges out and because the 70s print of this skirt really vibes with most shades of orange, but it doesn’t reduce my minor annoyance by that much.

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Coord 4: 80s Mum

| Violet Fane Otome Nostalgia skirt | offbrand jumper and scrunchie | Snag tights | Sosic Shop shoes | Folk and Fortune earrings | Madillustration brooch | Chocomint ring |

I will continue to wear ponytails with lolita, especially when I'm just lounging. Haters can fight me. 

Looks like I'm being sworn in for something lol

I feel like I’m from the 80s every time I wear this jumper, though it’s mostly seeing the light of day with me in casual outfits. But I really wanted to dress up that day without compromising on comfort, which through a slightly loopy route resulted in this. Very pleased with it all (except the scrunchie not showing up in photos). I started out in a more all pink version and then kept adding more blue accents to tie the jumper in a little more, which looks more balanced overall.

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Coord 5: Hyper Japan

| Physical Drop Long Sleeve Shirring Dress | Lady Sloth Galaxy Witch overdress | Angelic Pretty Brigitte Regimen OTKs | Modo Prayer Poem shoes | Triple Fortune bonnet | Hoshibako Works corset | Puvithel Crystal Heart jewellery |

Hair? Curled. Lashes? On. Bonnet? Satelliting. Been a while since I've been this dressed up and I missed it.

The tiny crown on 3F bonnets always gets me.

Comfort was my priority, but only slightly above going for something fancier. Modos for walking and lots of shirring for the body were all the comfort that I needed, so that I could then overstimulate myself with the bonnet as well as the con. There were others in 3F bonnets, which was all the encouragement I needed to seal that outfit in. Ya girl got herself a creator’s pass for Hyper Japan and then abused it by doing the bare minimum of content creating. And she looked great whilst at it. Despite being pretty simple in terms of what's gone into it, this coord came out excellent and looks way more intricate on the outside. Hyper Japan was also a blast, it was so much more chill than I expected it to be, and so long as it sticks to that vibe, I'd love to come back. Fingers crossed for more fashion content next year.

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Coord 6: Seasonally Confused

| Metamorphose Charlotte JSK | Axes Femme cutsew | Innocent World Rose Lace Millefeuille bolero | Angelic Pretty Salon de The Rose OTKs | Elf Armorie Cupid’s Heart shoes | offbrand hair clips, ring, and bows | indie hair clip | Crafty Witch by Nix | Wax Poetic necklace | Folk and Fortune Diamond of the First Water brooch | Peppermint Fox brooch |

I decided to compromise on my monitor reflecting in my glasses rather than on poor selfie light.

I got these bow clips from the free table at the Birmingham Bring and Buy and I am very pleased with myself for coming up with this place to pin them.

No, it wasn’t an unusually warm day. If anything, it was the first one of a significant temperature drop. But I wanted to dress up and began saving all my red pieces for December, so I indulged in a rehash of a coord from this dress’ 1 Dress 4 Looks post. I mean, it is spring somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere, right? I still really like how the colours pair with one another – even if I did then throw on some more layers afterwards to stave off the actual chill around me.

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Coord 7: Pearl and Knits

| Angelic Pretty Cinema Doll JSK | Axes Femme cutsew | Fi.n.t. cardigan | Snag tights | Elf Armorie Cupid’s Heart shoes | offbrand hair clips, earrings, ring, and belt | handmade necklace | vintage brooch |

Please, believe me when I say that there are pearly hair clips holding my hair back at the sides.

I remember when I was making this string of pearls that my idea was to use up the beads I had and make a really long one, but this length was all I managed. And I was a bit sad, but now it turns out it's actually the perfect length for wearing under collars and still showing up.

Cinema Doll is back from alterations and whilst I probably should’ve flagged some fit things that I’m not that happy with, I didn’t. The dress fits me well now (a little too well, if you get my drift), but I’m going to sort that out myself. For now, the solution was to wear a jumper over it to hide the awkward parts and then I went with a very simple styling, mostly to keep warm and comfy whilst working from home. Can’t beat a bit of all-ivory-with-red-accents coording.

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Coord 8: In the Mood for the Holidays

| Haenuli Whipped Cream Kitty JSK | Axes Femme cutsew | vintage cardigan | Angelic Pretty Drained Cherry OTKs | Sosic Shop shoes | Innocent World Art Nouveau headbow | offbrand earrings | Once Upon a Cookie Treat Cookie Jelly necklace | Cutie Creator wrist cuffs | Becky’s Kawaii Charms ring |

Bf came home and was worried that I'd chopped my hair short, I pinned it up that well.

If you ever wonder how my brain works, then I cannot hear February and March together any other way than to the tune of The Calendar Song by the Trinidad Oil Company.

I may not be celebrating Thanksgiving, since it isn’t my culture, but I can certainly use it as an excuse and sort-of-an-inspiration to dress up. Because I was still saving my Christmas energy for December, but this cardigan has the whole year on it and therefore works for any holiday. I like how it looks in this coord, especially the collar of the cutsew with it, those two pieces layer particularly beautifully. And almost just as importantly as how it looked, it kept me toasty, which is one of the most important things in November.

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Coord 9: Kingfisher

| After Midnight First Semester JSK | offbrand top, corset, necklace, and rings | Sweet Fragrance apron | Innocent World Lauretta OTKs | Modo Prayer Poem shoes | Rose of Sharon hair clips | Pastel Paca earrings | Innocent World Tulle wrist cuffs |

One day I will get better at taking photos of the back of my head when I do something fun there with my hair or have accessories there.

These were so light that several times throughout the night I had to check they were still there because I fully thought I'd lost them.

A gig on a Wednesday was a choice, but also a little less so when it’s a seated gig (hell yeah!). It was definitely too chilly for this specific version of the coord, a bolero and proper boots came out for the actual outing. But I like the balance of the folk-y things in honour of Kingfishr’s folk music that I was going to listen to. I also managed to do some baking during the day for a work charity bake sale

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Looking back on all of these coords, I’m very pleased with how many very cosy looks this month brought. I feel that people dunk on November, but I decided that I quite like November, with its early frost, peaceful mornings and evenings, the satisfaction of something nice having just happened, and the anticipation of more good things coming in only a matter of weeks. So long as I can stay inside, burrowed under warm layers, hot drinks, good food, and something cosy to keep me entertained, of course. And I definitely look forward to all the pent up red, green, and white festive energy to be unleashed in December.

Hyper Japan Manchester Event Report

It’s been a long while since my event reports were about conventions – and as unusual as it is for me to be commenting on a convention without any explicit J-fashion programming, it is with more than grounded hopes that this would change in the future. Hyper Japan were very kind to let me in on a creator’s pass to their first event in Manchester and I must say that I am very, very pleased with what I saw.

Although the convention took place across a whopping three days, from Friday November 14th to Sunday November 16th, I only attended on the Saturday. Most of the other lolitas in my comms planned on going on that day too, so we got a great big group photo that even landed on Hyper Japan’s official Instagram page!

Look at everyone looking great! If you'd like to give a like and/or a comment on the version on HJ's Instagram, you can find it here (go tell them how great it'd be to have official J-fashion programming next year!).

Since there was no official J-fashion programming, my day was spent meandering amongst the many stalls, catching up with friends as and when we bumped into one another, and generally having a very chill time. I know that the London Hyper Japan has had J-fashion guests for years, ranging from Victorian Maiden to 6% Doki Doki, with a fashion show to boot (a community one in the past and a guest brand one more recently), but I understand that for a first event they hedged their bets towards catering to the regular weebs.

Take @pastel.paca's wares, for example. Perfectly kawaii, very J-fashion appropriate, but inherently restricted to just that. Anyone can (and should!) get themselves some cute lil' guys to wear as accessories imo.

Which isn’t to say that there was nothing for J-fashion people to do! Obviously, there was shopping. I came across multiple stalls that were exclusively carrying J-fashion items, that had plenty of J-fashion bits alongside other wares (mainly art), and a fair few that weren’t explicitly J-fashion, but would fit in nicely with the various styles under that umbrella (like jewellery makers). This wouldn’t be someplace for someone completely new to lolita fashion to get themselves a coord, for example, but someone relatively new would certainly be able to get themselves loads of accessories, from jewellery to wrist cuffs and headpieces.

I kind of wish that I looked at the ceramics stand more, but: A) a hoop skirt around ceramics is a Poor Idea(TM); and B) I have no space for more dinnerware, so why tempt myself?

J-fashionistas could also enjoy a couple of photo spots, with the My Melody x Kuromi anniversary one being one of the highlights. Whilst it is a shame that the lighting inside Manchester Central Convention Complex left a lot to be desired, meaning that anyone who did take their outfit pictures there probably had to do a lot of editing the bad lighting out, the venue was literally at the back of The Midland Hotel, which Manchester locals already know to be a great, reliable outfit photo backdrop.

Don't get me wrong, Manchester Central is a great venue! It's an old train station, so it looks super cool and is very conveniently located. Yet, despite all of that glass ceiling, the light on the floor was mostly overhead fluorescents, which aren't great for flattering outfit pics.

What did impress me about Hyper Japan Manchester, however, was how relaxed it felt. Having heard… well, maybe not quite horror stories, but certainly warnings from those who attended the London ones of queues, crowds, and expensive convention food, I was ready to not actually see that much. But even at busier times the venue was large enough to comfortably accommodate the people gathered inside, with only one or two spots being narrow enough to enable bottlenecks to happen, and plenty of families with young children or even babies who could continue to nap unbothered because the atmosphere was that relaxed. Moreover, whilst queues to the food trucks were formidable, I hadn’t realised how excellently they were managed until a friend told me they couldn’t join one because it was declared closed until the queue died down a little. Annoying if you’re caught in that, sure, but great for stopping queues from growing so large that they impact other areas. My one request for future Hyper Japans Manchester would be to add some crowd management to the eating area and/or open up an area just for sitting, as it was tough at times to find a table with a seat when many people simply lingered to rest (long after they were done eating) and chairs had been moved around to places unseen. 

Photo from HJ's press kit. But you know it's chill when Godzilla is cool to pose for pictures and the kids aren't even phased by it.

One highlight of the event, and a benefit of being in something that stands out as much as lolita fashion does, was that when there was a group of us, a staff member approached us to get an idea of interest for a potential expansion into J-fashion content for future Hyper Japan Manchester. Being able to make that connection between the convention and the local community was exactly what we needed and even though it may not be directly me being involved, it would be great to come back next year and have that side of Japanese culture also represented at the convention. 

My Hyper Japan Manchester haul (minus some secret bits for Secret Santa gift exchanges)

Overall, it was a very nice day and I enjoyed myself immensely. Definitely would come back and happily paid for my own entry, as well as would love to see what kind of J-fashion content they might end up bringing based on our feedback. Hopefully, whilst I wish Hyper Japan growth, it won’t be so vast that it’d make the con too overwhelming or take away from how chill it actually was though. And thank you again to Hyper Japan for letting me feel like I am some sort of a pro influencer rather than just a weeb in a frilly dress who wasn’t afraid to ask the question.

1 Dress 4 Looks Take 76

For someone who is absolutely not into gothic stuff, whenever I gravitate towards it, I am in Haenuli’s chokehold. First Just One Bite and now Joan of Arc? I was a goner from the moment I saw the illustration and then had to resist stealing the fashion show sample that was in my house in the lead up to The Queen is Dead. But now I finally have my own JSK and vest from that set. It’s taken a while because the vest was stuck in production due to manufacturer issues and I chose to wait on doing this post until I had both. So let’s not waste any more time then!

Look 1: The Holy Knight

| Haenuli x I Do Declare blouse | Resailan Jewelry Box tights | Modo Prayer Poem shoes | Twilight Couture Heart of Gold crown | AmaStacia earrings | Le Petit Four The Warrior Sacred Heart necklace | Anne’s Flower brooch | Le Petit Four ring | Voodoodolly ring | rapier |

Is this the final, truly aspirational version of this coord? No, certainly not. I would love to replace the legwear with something more prominently black x gold. And actual pauldrons because, obviously, actual pauldrons. For now I will make do with just having the rapier (still unnamed, I am great at naming plushies, but not weaponry). The idea has to start somewhere and getting the obvious out of the way first helps me see what still needs tweaking.

Look 2: The Golden Queen

| Lady Sloth Glitter Mesh blouse | Annzley corset | AatP Arabesque OTKs | Elf Armorie Cupid’s Heart shoes | offbrand crown and ring | vii earrings | Gravelvet Iridescent Princess necklace | vintage brooch | Folk and Fortune Ruby Hilt Dagger brooch | 

This begs for a golden cape or at least a sceptre, but once again, we’re making do with what we have. At one point this and the look above will end up blending into one and the same or into something new. But right now they are two separate entities with ever so slightly different vibes. This post was held up precisely because of the vest and then even more to allow my new Elf Armorie shoes (the VW Anglomania replacements) to arrive. It was worth the wait then because the final outfit looks great, if I may say so myself.

Look 3: The Popess

| L’Esprit de la Noblesse Le Nuage blouse | overdress from Baroque’s Repose of Queen OP | Enchantlic Enchantilly The Crown of the Rose Princess tights | Elf Armorie Cupid’s Heart shoes | offbrand kokoshnik and flower clips | Enchanted Dream Wear necklace | handmade chain of office and ring | Sacred Heart brooch from Pretty Rock Baby’s Spring Break Upper East Side cardigan | Puvithel Crystal Heart brooch |

Sticking to the medieval figures theme that I’ve apparently started, as well as in a nod to Joan of Arc’s religious background – a slightly more religious take. Remember that one OTT set from some Chinese brand that was basically pope lolita? This is what I tried to emulate here. The black dress is messing a little with that, but I think the accessories help convey the theme. On the flatlay the red looks a little bottom heavy, but I think that with the accessories actually worn on that upper half, everything would balance itself out.

Look 4: The Poet

| Axes Femme blouse | Innocent World Original Lace Millefeuille bolero | Innocent World Fleurs Checkered OTKs | Angelic Pretty Elegant Doll boots | Cutie Creator Maiden’s Prayer headbow | handmade earrings | offbrand necklace | Fantastic Grim Jewelry necklace | Enchantlic Enchantilly Queen Cat Secret Library ring | Violet Fane The Apotheque brooch |

Hey Google, play Soldier, Poet, King. This shade of gold is just a very light brown, so I played that up with some dark academia vibes. Nothing overly complicated, so as to not detract from the print with excess. I wish I had a quill brooch or even a prop quill to throw into this somewhere. Just for the aesthetics. And please, disregard how weirdly the shoulders look on this flatley. Between the layers of fabric and my bed being so stupidly big that bending over it to faff with flatlays gives me back pain, I just didn’t have it in me to fix that.


Will this be the most versatile dress in my collection? Heck no. But it’s not meant to be. The last coord here is more of an attempt at putting together something that I could wear to something like a gallery meetup rather than a full-on toning down of what is otherwise a relatively elaborate dress. Even though I can also envision a couple of simpler coords that I could do with this (my black x gold Axes Femme cutsew comes to mind as a potential candidate for something truly laid back). But again, those are better for wearing, whereas these posts are more interesting when there is something more going on.