Cupcake Kamisama's Lolita World: July 2026

31 Jul 2026

July Coords Roundup

My July was packed with events and activities, which may have left me with a little less energy to dress up just because, whilst I was at home. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, having a reason to put on frills definitely makes me put more effort into the outfit itself.

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Coord 1: Summer Appointment

The start of the month was very much the middle of my glowy looks kick.

Shoutout to this extremely offbrand belt that seems to get compliments every time I wear it.

A coord for the back end of a heatwave was certainly a dumb idea. That being said, this is a 100% cotton dress that can go off-shoulder – it is literally made to be a summer sundress. So although a petti was a bit much, the accessories were absolutely too much, and the hat, whilst cute and practical, would not fit over my headphones (and the headphones would’ve squashed the brim), these are but cute pictures that did not reflect the reality of how I went out to my appointment. Because by the time I arrived to it, I was a mess anyway, so why not pretend like I wasn’t, right?

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Coord 2: Nearly-Full AtePie

Tried to fit as much of the bonnet into this crop of the selfie because 3F bonnets are the best.

The jewellery set that isn't a set.

The desire to wear my new bits from AtePie compounded in the “What if I wear ALL my AtePie all at once” energy. And to my credit, the only things that aren’t AtePie in this coord are those that I do not own from them or don’t own in the right colours. (Also, full disclosure, I originally had this layered with the AtePie Decay blouse under it all, but felt it was too bulky and the fraying texture wasn’t meshing well, pun intended.) I like the older and the newer styles of AtePie coming together here, lots of very textural details to this coord, that was absolutely excessive for working from home. But hey, sometimes you gotta be extra. Especially during every summer moment cool enough to allow that. Admittedly, I am not a massive fan of where the overdress sits on me, but since I didn’t want to faff with corsets this time round, it very much is just one of those things that one has to accept.

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Coord 3: Sunny Streets

The digital perm I got isn't particularly showy, but boy, am I enjoying the little things, like that my hair actually will stay curled in on itself if I twist it.

Gates are on the streets, so that seemed fitting, right?

Even when it’s a gig that I go more for the company than for the music, I try my best to emulate the vibe somehow. Which was made all the more difficult by The Streets being an outdoor gig during a hot summer. I did my best, but as I sweltered even in this, for the actual outing I skipped the petti, swapped the sneakers for crocs (I know, ring the shame bell!), and plonked a sunhat on my head. With those adjustments, and once things cooled down slightly for the evening, this was actually quite comfortable. The gig wasn’t my cup of tea, but I can at least say that I experienced a part of British culture that I hadn’t experienced so far.

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Coord 3: Love Stories etc. Day 1

It's two days of books about love, therefore it's two days of heart glasses.

A necklace so good it got featured in one of the organiser's Instagram reel.

After the high of last year’s Love Stories etc. I got my tickets for this one the moment I got even a hint of them being for sale. And then waited patiently to see what the weather would do before finalising my looks. Both of these coords had to feature my heart-shaped glasses (because love stories, duh!), but I picked from the main pieces that hadn’t been worn in a while, starting with this skirt. Which actually stumped me a tiny bit on how to coord it with red glasses before I remembered that I can just ignore all the floral embroidery and focus on it being a white skirt. Simple, very textural, practical for a still very warm day (though not hot anymore, plus the library is air conditioned). I had a blast on day one and many people remembered this necklace from last year, so I got to promo the maker just before she closed up shop for a well deserved break.

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Coord 4: Love Stories etc. Day 2

Makeup is a funny thing because you'll be wearing it and thinking to yourself "Oh no, it's too much ToT" and then you see photos and they look fine.

My unthematic pop of blue.

Day 2 always feels a little harder to coord (unless it’s a lolita tea party event), because Day 1 sets an expectation. And whilst I had some fancier ideas for this JSK, I knew I had to manage my energy levels very carefully, which meant not overdoing it with outfits. Hence this coord as opposed to trying something with my Vallée Lys overdress, like my mind’s been itching to do. Am I 100% happy with this? Hmm, not quite. But I also can’t necessarily put my finger on why that is. I definitely wish that I had something better for my pop of blue around the waistline, though a new friend I made at the event did seem to recognise Angelic Pretty as a brand when she noticed that brooch, so not all is lost.

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Coord 5: Anniversary DnD

The face of someone who was up at the crack of dawn for the seventh day in a row...

Sneakily wishing for autumn to hurry up and come back...

To celebrate one year of playing this campaign (and honestly, it’s wild that it’s only been one year, and last year I overstretched myself too whilst looking cute) we got together for an in-person session and a small gift exchange. My initial idea was to go with something foresty (as I play a giant tree man), but since that’d be a lot more involved that I had energy for, I settled on just brown. And because this skirt has orange – on orange. And because I wanted to wear these socks with it – added some pops of blue. We exchanged gifts, so over the course of the session my chest was actually even fuller with various pins and brooches, but I didn’t take a picture of that. Still, it was an absolute blast, two back-to-back sessions of DnD-ing was a lot to do straight after a 2-day 10am-8pm event at the end of a full week of work, but it refilled my emotional cup all the way to the brim.

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Coord 6: Transferable Base

Again, the hair change is extremely subtle, yet makes such a massive difference even in the most lazy of 'hairstyles' (i.e. pinning my growing-out fringe back and leaving it all down)

Obligatory fruit sando with the print that includes a fruit sando.

This cardigan and OTKs combo is my transferable base that just hops across different main pieces to make new coords. As they say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And Konbini Market hasn’t had a go at this base yet, so since I was working from home and had rested (most of) my intense weekend off, I decided to dress up again. And tackle that legwear list – at that point, I had to wear at least six pairs of legwear per month (not counting July) to make sure that I meet that 2026 goal. So the sooner I started on some of those trickier ones, the easier time I’d have later in the year.

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Coord 7: Abergele

Look, ma, I went to a castle!

This necklace belonged to my late grandmother and this was the first time that I've wondered if she perhaps made it or adapted it from something else she had (the stitching around the snap on that ribbon is very clearly done by hand).

Bf's work took him to Abergele and he suggested that I use some of my remaining annual leave to visit. So I did. Given that the biggest local attraction is a castle built into the hill, I opted for something vaguely matching that, whilst also practical for schlepping around. The coord is absolutely a variant of stuff I've done before, but it works and got compliments, so who cares? I thoroughly enjoyed my day wandering around a cute Welsh town and then the castle, hit my daily steps goal before I even reached the castle, so I'm absolutely grateful for sticking with the sensible shoes!

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Coord 8: Stationery Fest

I really enjoy looking vaguely 1980s. That's it.

Trying to capture stars with stars.

Full on pastel retro to spend daft amounts of money on stationery. Because stationery is joy and deserves all the whimsy that I can bring. But also, comfort: with the sneakers, the loose layers over my torso, the hair up in a ponytail, the no rings that could catch and get in the way. Really love how this whole coord came out and the only thing I'd potentially change are the socks – and even that only because I think it's time to part with these ones, the lack of stretch around any scalloped designs ain't it in the year of our lord 2026.

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Coord 9: Casually Wa

Desperately trying to balance the height of those flowers with my hair.

I can't even remember why I got these earrings, I've had them for so long. But I am very glad that every now and then they get their chance to shine.

An unexpected WFH Monday called for dressing up, though I was still a little low on energy and needed comfort. No-one gives comfort as much as Physical Drop, even when the dress is quite fancy. And I really like how the haori hits it at just the right length with the faux side overlays of the skirt, plus the colours just speak to me.

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I was going to squeeze in one more coord, round it up to ten, but then on the day itself I really didn’t feel like it, so I didn’t force it. July was plentiful with looks anyway, I’m pretty pleased with this spread. We’re being threatened with another heatwave, which I hope we will avoid, especially as I am organising two meets in August, one of which is outdoors. We’ll see how that rolls. Suffice to say that I am ready to be done with summer and to move to something a little cooler – though I am not ready to move to shorter days.

24 Jul 2026

The Impossible Task of Getting Rid of Clutter

Bibliotheca bloggers said “clutter” and my mind instantly went to those IKEA box trays that store my small accessories. To the large stash of small hair clips that one hoards as a lolita because “they’re useful”, because “they’re great casual accessories for everyday wear”, because “they’re great fillers for OTT looks”, because “you can clip them anywhere, doesn’t have to be your hair”, because “they’re so cheap to get, you can literally raid Claire’s or the kid’s section at H&M to get a whole bunch”... All of those statements are true. They stand alongside one more true statement: that I hardly wear them. And as my style now leans more classic than sweet, the gazillion little bows are just, well – clutter.

The only time that all of those clips got worn.

So get rid of them, you say. Ah, but that’s easier said than done. People don’t actually want bunches of random Claire’s hair clips when they’re shopping second hand, so they’re not really worth reselling, be it on Lacemarket or Vinted. And whether they’re fabric or hard plastic, accessories like this are exactly the sort of contributor to fashion waste that doesn’t degrade (or doesn’t degrade quickly), which makes me feel guilty about adding to the problem. And whilst I could add a bunch as freebies to whatever I do sell, unless I know that they’ll match whatever the buyer is wearing, that feels like offloading the problem onto somebody else. Short of dropping them off at the free table of whatever next bring and buy/swap meet ends up happening, so that those who do want them can grab them, they remain part of my fashion clutter.

And all of that is assuming that I am capable of parting with them in the first place. Which is also easier said than done. But not because I suddenly found the inspiration to wear some of these tiny bows or because I suddenly found one that I forgot about and have fallen in love with it all over again. For the most part the difficulty comes from that vague concept of “This could be useful”.

“This could be useful,” I say to myself as I consider this one pastel JSK that I own that I’m already short on accessories for and a couple of little clips, that take up hardly any space and that realistically no-one else would be desperate to get, would be perfect for. “This could be useful,” I say to myself because really, bows are a lolita neutral, they go with every substyle, even if that’s not how I end up coording them, but maybe one day I will? “These could be useful,” I say to myself when I remember that occasionally I will do bubble braids or something similar and having some smaller clips along the length of my hair really adds a bit of charm. “These could be useful,” I say to myself upon putting together an outfit that could do with a pop of colour in an area that none of my necklaces reach and a brooch would be awkward to stick, but a small cluster of hair clips would be a strategic solution to the problem.

How does one ever get rid of anything when presented with these two powerful sides of the argument? It takes a great show of rational thinking to resist the anxious temptations of “This could be useful” and it takes either a lack of conscience or a dedication to go the extra mile to get rid of your rubbish responsibly. Truly a case of being stuck between a rock and a hard place. This is a position much more easily avoided, by making smart purchases instead of any purchases, than it is resolved.

Although the sad part is that a good chunk of these hair clips was purchased deliberately. The intention was there, I believed that these would match my wardrobe and style at the time that I bought them – and they did. Until my style shifted and before that, until I realised that lolita really needed something a bit bigger than just those (or a lot more of them, which takes us back to the personal style issue).

The sensible next thing to do would be to go through what I own, group these into clips that I actually have worn in the last however long, ones that I realistically envision myself wearing because they somehow resemble the ones that I am keeping (e.g. in size), and then those that should be given away. If not at whatever next bring and buy I get to go to, then to a charity shop. Even though that is still making it someone else’s problem.

And then, once that bit of clutter is tackled, I can do the same with my earrings. Because clutter doesn’t understand “reduce” – only “multiply”.

10 Jul 2026

Atelier Pierrot Nocturne Comparison

Vallée Lys’ Nocturne tulle cardigan was a big hit when it came out – but sometimes that extra length is not what I’m after. So since the Lace Fishtail Gilet didn’t fit me the way I wanted it to (sadness), my first slow emergence from my no-buy was with the Nocturne tulle overdress. But just because they share a name and a designer doesn’t mean that one is but a shortened version of the other!

I’ll ignore the obvious differences here (like that one is longer – duh!). Some of the differences in design seem to be based on reviews and feedback of the cardigan, while others are more likely choices influenced by aesthetics or maybe even material costs. Wherever they are pictured side by side here, the left is the cardigan (i.e. the original thing) and the right is the overdress (i.e. the more recent thing).

Different hems

This is what prompted my wanting to make a comparison post in the first place as I didn’t realise this when purchasing. The cardigan’s hem is a layer of mesh ruffle with a layer of ruffled lace topstitched over it (so it looks like two layers of lace). With how much fabric there is in the piece, the lace adds a certain amount of weight, helping the cardigan sit straighter and giving it a marginally heavier drape.

The overdress, on the other hand, only has one layer of ruffled mesh on the hem. However, and this is a big one, where the cardigan is plain mesh all the way down, the overdress has a row of smaller lace going around the skirt a few inches over the hem, effectively creating a tier. I’m uncertain what the strip of mesh above the lace is for, as the two are not connected, though it adda a bit of visual interest. This makes the overdress lighter at the skirt portion and also probably easier to layer over printed pieces where a heavier row of lace would’ve obscured anything under the overdress.

Sleeve trims and shapes

The sleeve on the cardigan is a very elegant shape, a little billowy from the shoulder seam to the wrist, then shirred at the wrist, with a flare of ruffled mesh and lace at the very cuff. On its own it makes for a very elegant detail that will add interest to blouseless coords, though it’s also small enough that so long as your sleeve comfortably fits under the shirred cuff, it’ll layer over that with ease.

Meanwhile, the overdress’ 3/4 sleeve is only trimmed with ruffled mesh at the cuff. Whilst there are two lines of overlocked stitching going across the sleeve itself, they don’t seem to be adding any volume as such, so I wonder if this was to maybe help with fabric efficiency or for plain ol’ visual interest? The sleeves are also significantly wider to accommodate all kinds of layering better, so that you’re not restricted to only wearing short sleeves under it. It’s certainly a more comfortable design if you prefer a looser fit.

Waist closure and buttons

Both Nocturne designs fasten with buttons going all the way down the front. One of the main gripes I had with the cardigan and that I heard others express too was that the buttons were plain white ones and covered with a layer of the same mesh fabric. Something that would’ve worked with a more opaque material resulted in the buttons being much lighter in colour and looking a little bit cheap. The buttonholes are also cut into a doubled up layer of the mesh, which keeps that part of the design light and flowy, but always has me worried about accidentally causing damage. These have both been fixed with the overdress: the main buttons are now a warm wine red colour at the base, as well as covered with the mesh, and the buttonhole side is secured with a sturdier placket in the same warm wine red. Sure, it’s less of a seamless effect when worn and that front placket will stand out, however, as it’s not isolated (see below), it shouldn’t give you that much of a Moitie Cross OP lookalike effect.

In addition, the size flexibility of the cardigan was down to a loose design that’s adjusted with ribbons threaded through two channels going across the torso. A very classic design, though one that will test one’s bow and ribbon-tying skills, as well as that may require a bit of faffing to ensure an even gathering around that area. (And may require keeping an eye on the ribbons untying themselves, which is something that happened to me before.) The overdress, however, utilises a tried and tested elastic channel, single as opposed to double, meaning that by default a similar volume of fabric is already cinched a bit and will expand on the wearer as needed. Since that channel is done in the same fabric as the buttonhole placket, it offers visual consistency across the designs.

Neckline design and lace colour

The added size flexibility with the overdress design has extended to the neckline. Where the cardigan’s neckline overlocked into place, offering no movement in that area, the overdress has another panel of elastic there. This immediately widens the range of sizes that can be accommodated and depending on your body frame, it may allow for more fun styling options if you are able to extend that neckline to be off the shoulder. It’s generous enough for that to be an option for me, though I am relatively average in that area at 36cm shoulders.

More noticeably, however, if harder to photograph, is that even though the lace design is the same on both the cardigan and the overdress, the one on the overdress is a different colour. Wine red is notoriously tricky to photograph accurately, though you can see that whilst the cardigan is the same shade and tone throughout, the lace on the overdress is cooler and almost purplish. The main mesh is the same across both designs, even though they seem to photograph slightly differently, making the cooler lace of the overdress stand out a little more. This might not be an issue for some and I certainly don’t foresee it being an issue for me when worn, but it may bother others.

Built-in gathering channels

One feature that the cardigan doesn’t have at all that’s introduced in the overdress are built-in gathering channels: two on the front and two at the back. Atelier Pierrot loves a bustle look, so it makes sense that they’d include that feature for their customers’ ease. Even more so as all the social media promotion of the overdress was focused on highlighting how versatile it is. Having built-in gathering channels makes achieving that look with no pins, no pain, and in no time. Moreover, as the shorter length of the overskirt (more traditional lolita length than the cardigan’s near midi) inherently works better with prints, being able to throw an overdress without having to resign yourself to hiding the print for the day is a big plus.

Hopefully this comparison helps anyone who may have been considering getting a Nocturne and wasn’t sure which one to go for. And if you missed your chance by the time you’re seeing this post, at least you’ll know now whenever one appears on the second hand market.

3 Jul 2026

Lolidrobe Reassessment Post 2026.02

The heatwave degraded my brain cells and I zoned out through what time of the year it was. Also, how have we gone through half of 2026 already?

New additions

My initial no–to-low-buy was meant to last until mid-June. So naturally, a bit of easing on the spending has happened, especially as I was gifted some money. Still, I hope that this won’t now be some sort of an opening of the floodgates for the rest of the year as I’ve unlocked some new saving goals.

1 overdress (classic in wine)
1 pair of shoes (classic in wine)
2 pairs of socks (1 classic in ivory x wine* and 1 classic in ivory)
and 2 sets of accessories (1 pair of classic earrings in gold x pink, 1 gothic headdress in black)

This looks like a slightly imbalanced, but nonetheless (almost) full coord.

No such thing as too many roses.

Should I have bought those socks, any of them? No, absolutely not. This was exactly the sort of impulse buy that I was trying to avoid on my no-to-low-buy. But I simply could not resist the chance to support Mary Magdalene directly and without it being a bloodbath. And since I was already ordering from Atelier Pierrot, adding their lacy socks felt too good of an opportunity to pass up on. Worst comes to worst, I might reuse them as arm warmers and tick that part of my need list off.

Possible new looks

With fewer purchases and a heatwave preventing me from fully enjoying my most recent additions, it’s only fair that less happened on the new looks front. I will wear the overdress and the AtePie OTKs soon though, that’s so much breezy lace and mesh that surely I can make it work as soon as temperatures stop being around 30s.

Photo from May 2026.

Photo from June 2026.

Need and Replace list progress

The replace list still looks the same as it did. In trying to stick to my no-buy as much as possible, I avoided doing any digging for specific pieces and let’s face it, the jewellery is very much something that’s most likely to be found randomly during a charity or antique shop trawl. We will get there. One day. Just not now.

However, my early foray out of the no-buy has ticked off two of the need list items. The Nocturne overdress is going to be the replacement for the ill-fitting Lace Fishtail Gilet (which I still have, someone please buy that off me!) and based on just a quick try-on, I think it’ll perform that role splendidly. And since I already had an AtePie order going, I chucked in a headdress to tick off that item from this list too. It’s not much, but the point is to add stuff intentionally, not en masse.

Current wishlist

There’s also been no changes on the wishlists. Well, except that I’ve removed the Nostalgic Matryoshka Doll from it. It’s an adorable series that I will continue to enjoy from afar. But the more time goes on, the more I want to focus on classic pieces and on adding some versatile solids into my wardrobe. I’m unsure how much is the ‘you are who you hang out with’ effect, but it feels like Atelier Pierrot and myself are a bit more intense in our ‘will they, won’t they’ dance of them releasing things that I appreciate, but that are juuust that slightly off from what I want. We’re bound to land on a hit sooner or later. And if not with them, then definitely with Physical Drop, I simply want more of PD’s cotton OPs to save me from future heatwaves.

New Year’s goals: progress summary

The goals are progressing, slowly but surely.

Did I adhere to my wish/need/replace list more strictly? Whilst at heart it feels like I stuck to those lists more over the last three months than the first three of the year, the hard numbers tell a slightly different story. Yes, overall I bought less and spent less money on clothes and accessories. Yes, they are all pieces that will fit right at home in my wardrobe. But out of 6 items, only 2 were actually on my need list. Something to work on more over the next six months as I would like to get some of those pieces.
Have I gotten back into meet organising? Whilst there hasn’t been an official meet hosted by me in the last quarter, I do have one on the cards for August and am thinking of one in September as well. Both are very easy-to-do, ‘come to this place that’s effectively a built-in activity’ kind of an affair, so I’m not worried about having met that goal by the end of the year. What I am (a little) worried about is that I now have two big things to organise in the slightly more distant future instead of just the one that I envisioned at the start of 2026.
Wear Every Lolita-Specific Pair of Legwear Challenge progress? I am currently at 43 out of 80. So great, I am exactly halfway there. Less great is that I’ve added two more pairs of socks in the last three months. And if the heat doesn’t significantly ease over the summer, then I’ll have to cram more into the autumn/winter months to meet this goal. Whilst I have 4 pairs of ankle socks that haven’t been worn yet, they aren’t exactly going to carry me through all of summer, even if that would still be progress.

This last quarter was absolutely dominated by me actually doing about half of these trips that were taking up my mental real estate and that prompted the no buy. Thanks to them my spending has been lower on clothes (though a little less controlled in other aspects). And as we move through the rest of summer towards the latter half of the year, I very much would like to refocus towards those need and replace pieces more. I better note that somewhere visible though, so that I don’t lose track of this goal again…