lavendulalala's January 2016 Wardrobe Post

[lavendulalala]

January 2016 Wardrobe Post


Gothic/classic/oldschool wardrobe. Mostly Taobao, with a chunk of brand and Bodyline and some other indie. 30+ main pieces, plus a lot of blouses, shoes, bags, outerwear, etc. Image-heavy.

It's nice to see how much my wardrobe has changed since my post last year! Even though I have a lot of the same pieces, it's grown a lot and I feel like I have much more versatility in terms of styles and coords - most notably expanding into lighter colours, and getting seriously into oldschool. In 2015 I tried sweet-classic, adding vintage influences to my coordinates, and shiro for the first time, and really stepped up my game on my gothic coords. 2016 looks like it has country, sailor and hime in the works! On some level I feel like my tastes have come full circle. When I first got into lolita, long before I had the money to buy anything, oldschool - especially oldschool gothic - was my favourite style, then when I started actually making purchases I aimed at the classic trends of the time as well as simpler kuro/gothic, then I dallied with the sweeter and more vintage-inspired end of classic, and now I'm right back in love with oldschool again.

This year I got a digital camera in the January sales so I wanted to make a more high-effort wardrobe post with detail shots, comparisons of the stock photo, and lolibrary links for relevant pieces and notes on each item, but I massively underestimated how long it would take, or how many times I'd have to re-take photos as I learnt to use the camera! Better late than never, I suppose. My wardrobe post has been a massive time sink this year, but I like taking the time to re-assess what I've got, discovering some pieces I'd forgotten or didn't realise the potential of, and other pieces that I never wear and really have to go.

Coats



F+F Wool Coat
I don't like the combination of wine and black that much when wine is the dominant colour, so I want to replace the buttons on this coat with wine ones and remove the bows. I wouldn't mind getting a different coat entirely - black or cream would probably be more versatile with my wardrobe, but 90% of the coats I see on auctions are pink for some reason.



F+F Long Corduroy Jacket
I got this recently and really like it! I want to get a long black jacket as well, maybe from Atelier Boz.



Chess Story Waterproof Coat
It's hard to photograph this nicely...it's pretty creased and impossible to iron, since it's basically a glorified lolita pac-a-mac, but even though I haven't used it yet I find having a waterproof that will go over a petticoat yet fold up in a handbag reassuring.

Jackets, Boleros and Cardigans



Victorian Maiden knit bolero, The Floral Notebook chiffon bolero, thrifted blazer, HMHM velvet bolero, Wool Overs cardigan, Wool Overs cardigan
I really want to get more cardigans, they're so useful once you have them! These offbrand ones look plain when photographed but actually work very well for lolita, since they're cropped lace on a blouse peeking out of the cuffs and a peter pan collar over the neckline disguises any plainness. I think navy, cream, and maybe black or pale spring green would work well in my wardrobe. I want to replace all the black buttons on the wine cardigan with wine or gold ones.



In the mail: Dear Celine jacket, Emily Temple Cute cardigan, HMHM bolero
Short jackets are another thing I'd love a few more of! I couldn't decide whether to get this Dear Celine design in black, navy or grey, but in the end I went for the grey.

Corsets and Vests



Dear Celine vest in the mail, offbrand corset-style top, OrchardCorset overbust corset, Miss Point vest

I always find balancing colours in skirt and blouse coordinates really hard, so I'd like to get more bustiers to help remedy that problem.

OPs



Cheval de Bois Black Cat OP
I'm not sure why this is called the Black Cat OP and not the Black Bat OP. I guess it was sold with cat accessories, so you can mix clashing themes? I love the bat collar, the chiffon material, the slightly longer than usual length and the ruching around the skirt. The only thing I'm not completely sold on is the babydoll cut - it would fit better if the waist seam was one or two inches lower.



The Floral Notebook La danse d'une fille qui s'appelle Élise OP
Another long-sleeved chiffon OP. I really like them! The Floral Notebook hasn't opened up orders for this dress for a while, but if she ever does again I would totally recommend it! There's no stock photo of the black version, so I used a grayscale copy of the pink stock photo instead (I requested a shorter length than the stock photo because I'm not into the tea-length thing).



Baby the Stars Shine Bright Triple-Tiered Velveteen OP (2002)
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/triple-tiered-velveteen-op
This dress has it all for me! Long sleeves, gorgeous lace, the great-quality velveteen, and a very oldschool design. When I bought this dress second-hand I thought it was perfect the first two times I wore it...then it tore everywhere, even though it fit with room to spare. I don't blame the seller because the condition was fine when I recieved it, but it was incredibly fragile as such an old piece. It's currently at home, awaiting the time when I'm able to fix the damage around the seams of the bodice, under the arms, and the waist ties.



Miss Point Yoke OP (95cm version)
http://world.taobao.com/item/35474775325.htm?fromSite=main
A nice simple, classic design! The cameo on the detachable bow at the neck is really nice, but it fell off the bow recently and I don't have the glue I need to fix it. What I find with Miss Point is that their construction is really solid and they always tailor-make to my measurements accurately, but certain details (like the zip) are a bit stiff and they have an annoying habit of using circle skirts for everything when I'd prefer a true A-line. I'm planning on replacing the buttons on this one with plain cloth-coloured ones; they're supposed to be gold crowns, but unless you're very close they just look like glittery stars.



Some stuff of my sisters I didn't get a chance to take proper photos of:

SanKouSan cross OP, Miss Point Yoke OP, bags both from Loris
That SanKouSan dress is really cute! Not my style but I like it a lot. I'm also really happy with my decision to request that bag custom-ordered with a white moon and lavender cloud, since I think it comes close to realistic colours while still being cute. A lot of my stuff has either been given to my sister or is living in her room at the moment! Not pictured are Bodyline's l325 corset skirt in black, an Emily Temple Cute jabot blouse, some white An*Tai*Na boots (all pictured in last year's wardrobe post) and some black Bodyline rose RHS.



Bodyline l087 Pintuck OP
http://bodyline.jp/en/l087.html
I like the Victorian-style details in this design, like the pintucks and ruffles, but the bodice is a little large for me, and I always find short-sleeved OPs a pain to coordinate. Until I can find something long-sleeved with classic pintuck details (I have a want to own Haenuli's pintuck OP one day), it's staying in my wardrobe since there are always meets you don't want to risk a brand dress on.



Bodyline l362 OP
http://bodyline.jp/en/l362.html
This dress was really versatile and useful when I started out in lolita, but I had so many similar black dresses that I had to do a bit of a purge. Even though I like the tiered detailing on the skirt, I'm not a fan of short sleeves, the faux bodice, or the length (slightly too short on me), so I intend to sell it.



Infanta Rose Cathedral Chiffon OP
http://world.taobao.com/item/35226818686.htm
Another dress falling victim to short-sleeved OP syndrome. My arms and wrists just feel so bare in this! The design doesn't feel suitable for wristcuffs and I don't really have the variety of bracelets needed to do it justice. Last year I had the purple OP as well, but I got rid of it because it was a pain to colour match and I don't really need multiple colourways of the same dress. I love blue and gold together though, and it matches my favourite bag, so it's staying...I just might try dying it darker to counteract the fact the base material of the skirt is so much lighter than the chiffon.



Little Dipper Cat + Moon + Stars OP (long length hime sleeves version)
TheTaobao reservation for this gave a choice between two lengths, one of which was tea length and the other one I knew would be too short on me. I got the longer version and regretted it when it arrived (especially since my sister nabbed the moon bag I bought to wear with it, so I have no bag that matches and no lavender shoes), so I'm going to sell it, although I like the design of this series of OPs overall and wouldn't mind owning another colour or cut one day.



Bodyline l087 Pintuck OP
http://bodyline.jp/en/l087.html
I liked the black version of this so much when I bought it that I bought the lavender too! Unfortunately it's a slightly pinkier lavender than I thought from the stock photos and I don't think it suits me. I had high aspirations making a gothic coordinate in an unusual colourway with this, taking advantage of the fact that mauve was used as a colour of half-mourning in the Victorian era and pintucks are a typical Victorian detail, but as I've had a hard time finding suitable overdresses this is beginning to look more and more like a pipe dream. I don't think I'm ever going to get round to making that coord, and I can't think of any other uses for this dress in my wardrobe's colour palette.



Baby the Stars Shine Bright Velveteen OP (2006)
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/velveteen-op-0
More oldschool velveteen from BtSSB! This was the piece that first convinced me babydoll cuts weren't the devil. It was also the piece that made me realise how lovely shiro could be - I expected to look bad in white, but I felt really happy wearing this dress! I don't like the weird collar thing that comes with it though, so I keep it permanently detached.



In the mail: Angelic Pretty's British Bear OP (2016) and Headbow (2016)
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/british-bear-op-2016
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/british-bear-head-bow-2016
This is very sweet for me, but I thought I'd take my chances with the MTO since I can always resell it if I don't like it. I love long-sleeved OPs, and anything featuring tartan, and old-fashioned bears are my favourite type of bears! The Union Flags are more just something that I can sort of tolerate, but hopefully they won't dominate the print when it's worn - I think they stick out less in the navy colourway.



In the mail: Elpress L Winter Birch Bride OP, and Surface Spell Lady In Black OP
I've had my eye on this Elpress L dress for years! It's on the pricier end of Taobao pricing and has a really long making time so I put off buying it for ages, but now it will finally be mine! I want to use this in a hime coord to wear either at a very fancy tea party or next time I go to a meet at a Georgian-era stately home. The Surface Spell OP is yet another black dress, but I hope the jacquard will prevent it from being just more of the same in my wardrobe.



In the mail: Baby the Stars Shine Bright Ribbon Milky (Sugar) OP (2009), Angelic Pretty headbow
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/ribbon-milky-jsk
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/ribbon-milky-sugar-jsk
These were a gift for my sister. I hope we can wear oldschool together in the summer! This is another oldschool dress that's had multiple re-releases - I can safely date it to 2009, since the 2011 and 2012 sets didn't have a sax colourway, but I couldn't tell you which 2009 release it was since they were to all intents and purposes identical, just with extra colours added for the second round.

JSKs



Miss Point 'Charlotte' Velvet JSK
http://world.taobao.com/item/16508993097.htm?fromSite=main
This is an interesting piece! I like the details on the bodice, but the slightly dropped waist and circle skirt construction give me more of a vintage vibe than a lolita one. I still like it and I suppose having something black that isn't obviously gothic or Victorianesque adds a bit of variety to my wardrobe.



Alice and the Pirates Vampire Nocturne JSK I (2015)
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/vampire-nocturne-jsk-i
This was my first new brand dress! I'd have to check invoices, but I think it might have been the first brand dress I ordered ever, just not the first to arrive. This print really reminds me of Dracula, and also in a weird way of high school - the Gothic Literature coursework was the only thing that really interested me during English Literature A-level. I've still not worn it, because knowing how AatP's reds sometimes run has made me paranoid about wearing it in case of spilt tea or sudden rain.



Bodyline l348 Oldschool JSK
http://bodyline.jp/en/l348.html
Yet more oldschool, and a slightly sentimental piece for me since I wore it to my first meet. This is definitely one of Bodyline's nicest pieces, the quality of the lace is excellent! I only worry about the shirring in the straps stretching while it's on the hanger. It's a great piece for when you want to go oldschool without going low-poof. Doing this wardrobe post has made me want more black x white dresses, since I have a lot of black, white and blackxwhite accessories so it's really easy for me to come up with different coordinates for them.



Surface Spell Cathedral Gothic Underbust JSK
I love black and blue and architectural prints/embroidery so this was one of the first pieces I bought, but it's tricky to wear. I chose the underbust JSK because I didn't like the design of the regular JSK, but it's such a pain to wear...I have narrow shoulders so the straps tend to fall off, and a combination of a long torso and slightly larger bust than the mannequin means that it fits kind of awkwardly. If I had the sewing skills I'd probably convert it to a high-waisted skirt.



Milu Forest Antique Scissors JSK (long version)
Now here's a dress where I'm actually glad I chose the long version! It's great to finally get some more navy and gold into my wardrobe, I love the way it fits, and I like the way the longer length and simple cut can almost pass for normal formalwear. I have good memories associated with this dress since I wore it on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year.



Magic Tea Party Christmas Morning Set
http://world.taobao.com/item/18092955739.htm
I loved this dress when I got it (green velvet and gold embroidery are both massive weaknesses of mine, and the matching capelet is incredibly cute), but I think I'm going to have to sell it. It's hard to justify keeping such a bulky piece around when it can only really be worn once a year, especially since I've already worn it a couple of times and I'll almost certainly have some new wine or green velveteen by Christmas next year that I'll want to wear instead. I'm just a little disappointed that I never got a photo of it that I'm really happy with.



Baby the Stars Shine Bright Mille Feuille JSK (2015), Millefeuille Headdress (2015) and Lillianne Headbow (2015)
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/millefeuille-jsk-3
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/millefeuille-headdress-0
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/lillianne-headbow
I adore this dress! It's nice to have some oldschool that's not second-hand - I got it and the matching accessories in BtSSB's sale. It's been re-released over the years but the basic design dates back to 2003. The spring green colourway found in the Baby Classical series is unusual but I really like it. So far what passes for "versatile" in my wardrobe has meant "black dress that can be gothic, classic or kuro sweet" so it's nice to have a try at making multiple coordinates with a dress that lends itself more to oldschool sweet, classic or country, and has more possibilities for bringing in different colours. Ever since I got this I just want more oldschool sets!



Yolanda Berry River JSK (bustle back version)
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/yolanda-original-design-berry-river-strawberry-jsk
My first country piece, featuring more green. I've been waiting til spring or summer to wear it, although to me the colour scheme also feels really autumnal, despite the strawberries. I think both this, the tiered sax BtSSB dress, and the green Mille Feuille BtSSB JSK would look really cute with an apron, picnic-style, but I don't think I'm quite brave enough to wear one yet.



R-Series Alice in the Rose Garden with the March Hare JSK
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/r-series-alice-rose-garden-and-march-hare-jsk
This was the sweetest and most pastel dress in my wardrobe for two years. For a long time I thought of this as a dress that was a pain in the neck to coordinate but I wouldn't sell because it was my sentimental first piece, but in the past few months I've actually made several coords with it and now I really love it! It's actually a little small for me now, but still manageable. I really love the print and I'd love to get more Alice-themed lolita - Alice in Wonderland is one of my favourite books, and has so many themes and motifs that work well in lolita.



In the mail: HMHM Pinstripe JSK, Victorian Maiden British Marine JSK (2012) and Vest (2012)
http://world.taobao.com/item/37227309086.htm
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/british-marine-emblem-jsk
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/british-marine-vest
I like suit-like tailoring and details like pinstripes even though I don't work in an office and never need to wear anything in that sort of formal style.This pinstriped JSK from HMHM is subtle  and I hope it'll be versatile. The Victorian Maiden set was a Wunderwelt purchase - in fact, I would have never considered this JSK just based on VMs stock photos, since I much prefer the look it has here. This should be my first try at sailor, and I'd love to wear this set to the seaside in the summer; the drop waist and collar style give these pieces a vintage 20s or 30s feel that I adore.

Blouses



The Floral Notebook 'My Beloved Empress', Classical Puppets Spider Mesh Blouse

I think I've realised the possibilities of this The Floral Notebook blouse more this year - I love the way you can see the tiers on the sleeve repeating in tiers on a skirt or in other areas of a coord. I'm also still very happy that I ordered detachable neck ties with it, as I'm picky about necklaces and it adds some decoration to the chest. As for the Classical Puppets cobweb blouse, I just sold it! It didn't fit my wardrobe or my style as well as I expected, and I realised that it was better to try and expand the amount of accessories I have that fit my two main gothic motifs, bats and roses, rather than trying to introduce a third.



Katharsis
I have no idea where this is actually from. I bought it on a Japanese auction site and the listing and tag say "KATHARSIS". I assumed that was a Japanese goth or indie brand, but Google brings up nothing about it.



Both Innocent World, no lolibrary link available
These blouses are sort of interesting, but also sort of a pain in the ass. I bought them in the hope of increasing my supply of oldschool blouses, then realised that while the design is very oldschool (the closest match I can find on lolibrary is this from 2006, but the same design is in the first GLB), these blouses have newschool rose-embroidered tulle lace rather than the cluny lace of the original. I like the design, but the perfectionist in me is bothered by the lace in oldschool coords and the by the gathered chest and ribbon sleeves in modern coords. The IW one is also more beige than it looks in the stock pics, which works well with dresses like Berry River but doesn't match the offwhite base in most of my oldschool stuff.



Magic Tea Party 'Cultivates Qi' blouse, Magic Tea Party 'Vera' blouse
http://world.taobao.com/item/15629385590.htm
http://world.taobao.com/item/19840676466.htm
These are my two most frequently-worn blouses! As such, they're also both missing buttons and awaiting repairs right now...not being able to use my most versatile blouses really threw my coordinating for a loop, although I guess it'll force me to be more creative? I like Magic Tea Party's designs and would buy another in a heartbeat (in fact, I'm eyeing up the cream version of that chiffon blouse right now), but damn are they lazy with sewing on buttons. I had to re-sew almost all the buttons as soon as I got these because they kept popping off.



Both Dear Celine
I love the design of thse blouses, and the construction you get from Dear Celine is great as always, but I find the three-quarter sleeves more awkward to actually wear than I initially expected. Maybe it's because my arms are slightly longer than they're pictured on the mannequin, but I feel like my arms and hands are bare if I'm just wearing the blouse, but that bracelets and wristcuffs look weird with that sleeve length.



HMHM, Magic Potion, Magic Tea Party
http://world.taobao.com/item/17988322428.htm
The HMHM blouse has proved really useful in tying blouse and dress together in my many outfits with a gold accent colour. It also made me realise that I really liked high-necked blouses! The Magic Potion blouse is, while not actively bad, probably the worst quality of my Taobao blouses, and I never end up wearing it because I don't have enough other stuff that's brown or matches with brown. The Magic Tea Party blouse is my sister's and I wouldn't buy another of the same design - it tore as soon as she got it.



Both Surface Spell
Surface Spell are up their with Dear Celine in the quality of their blouses. Really solid construction, no loose threads, no loose buttons. I liked what I saw so much that when I realised I needed a high-necked black blouse I bought the same design in black as well!



Dear Celine
When this blouse arrived I was initially disappointed by the fact it was stark white and not cream, but once I started trying it out with some of my main pieces I really liked it! I shouldn't have been resistant to white blouses outside of gothic for so long - I do like cream better, but when so many dresses arrive with details/trims that you thought were cream or offwhite and are actually stark white, you need a white blouse. This collar is very sweet and ruffly and perfect for wearing over cardigans.



eBay
My sister bought herself one of these blouses on eBay and I was really dubious about whether it'd be decent even though it was aimed at cute casual wear not lolitas, because eBay. Once it arrived, I realised it was actually really nice, and I ordered one of my own! It's too casual to wear other than under a cardigan or a JSK, but the whitework on the collar is a really lovely detail and I'm very happy with it! It gets bonus points for being an offbrand blouse that's made of cotton rather than scratchy polyester chiffon.



Bodyline l076
In my opinion, this is the nicest Bodyline blouse. I love the lace details, and I'd strongly consider buying it in black if it became available again. However, it's short-sleeved! I prefer long sleeves, since I get cold easily and I live in the North of the UK, so most of the summer is long-sleeve weather for me anyway, regardless of aesthetic preferences, but I think a nice cotton lace pair of wristcuffs would make this work perfectly in summer with some of my more recently-purchased JSKs.



In the mail: all Baby the Stars Shine Bright. Petite Frill Blouse (2008), Baby Doll Blouse (2016), Heart Heart Blouse (???).
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/petite-frill-blouse-0
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/baby-doll-blouse-1
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/heart-heart-blouse-2015
I'm unsure of the years these belong to as they're secondhand. As far as I know, the Petite Frill blouse is from 2008, but it's possible lolibrary is missing releases. The 2016 release of the Baby Doll Blouse is the only one to have heart lace but not have detachable sleeves, so I'm assuming that's the date (it's only been worn once or twice so it must be it's fairly new). The Heart Heart blouse has been re-released a lot and the seller said it was used, so I have no idea really. Regardless of actual year, the style of these is throroughly oldschool and I hope it helps me up my oldschool game! I'm already eagerly awaiting these so I can go all-out oldschool BtSSB in summer.

Skirts


Surface Spell The Pantheon of Elements Skirt
http://world.taobao.com/item/42556346801.htm
I love this skirt! Not only does it have embroidery of gothic windows (I was really into gothic architecture long before I got into lolita), it's really soft and warm! The thickness does tend to weigh down a petti if you don't stack though. Doing my wardrobe post really made me realise how awkward matching golds is...this skirt and my Mufish berets are a very cool gold, whereas the gold on my other skirts, umbrellas and bags is a warm gold, and my shoes are somewhere in between the two.



MeLikesTea SK01 'Marie's Elegance' A-line skirt
http://www.melikestea.com/2012/06/maries-elegance.html
It's nice to be able to have a simple classic design without paying through the nose for it! I bought my A-line petticoats in the same order and I have to say, I really love the mature, elegant silhouette A-line skirts give. I'd love to collect more! While the material in the skirt is merely okay, the construction is very good and I like the fact MeLikesTea put a ring of tulle into the lining at the bottom, which helps keep the A-shape defined even if your petticoat is shorter than the skirt.



MeLikesTea SK12 'Layla' Ruffled Bell-Shaped Skirt
http://www.melikestea.com/2013/07/ruffled-pleated-skirt.html
Not much to see here, something fairly basic I bought for layering.



Fan + Friend 4-Way Silk Bustle Skirt
http://www.fanplusfriend.com/last-chance-belle-epoque-elegant-gothic-aristocrat-4way-changeable-tiered-knee-length-skirt-instant-shipping/
This is a great gothic skirt! I really love it. I just checked the website to find the link and I'm disappointed to see that F+F say they're not going to make or restock this design any more, which is a big pity! My main complaint with this is that it's a little short since the length measurement includes a large part on the waist. Fine for gothic or with an underskirt, but I'd be less pleased if I'd got the wine version for classic.



The Floral Notebook Chiffon Underskirt (55cm version)
Another versatile piece I really adore! The black works so well with a variety of gothic outfits, but I'd love to get one of these in pink or cream too . As might be obvious by the comparison with the stock photo, I ordered mine shorter and the individual ruffles less wide since I'm not a fan of the super long underskirt look - it's just perfect for lengthening dresses and skirts that are too short, or for adding just a little length for a more elegant look. I'm always surprised that I have so many problems getting stuff that hits just above rather than way above the knee when I'm only 5'4" (163cm) - because I have a long torso and short legs maybe?



Fan + Friend Cage Skirt
http://www.fanplusfriend.com/gothic-steampunk-knee-length-full-birdcage-steel-petticoat-3colors-instant-shipping/
I've been a fan of cage skirts for gothic looks since I first got into lolita, so I jumped at the chance to get this one. A few months later, several other brands released nicer cage skirts or dresses with cage skirt elements and I began to regret my life choices. I just never end up using the thing - I'm sure it'd be good for maximal poof, but I can do that with the ample supply of petticoats I have, and it'd be way less draughty. I'm still determined to use this in a coord some day though.



HMHM Velveteen Chandelier Skirt
http://world.taobao.com/item/2374394966.htm
The velveteen on this piece is lovely, and I like the gold chandelier embroidery and the fact it has a more A-line shape, but it's definitely more of a burgundy or a maroon than a wine so I'm afraid it's got to go! Even though stock photos made it look similar in colour to the Magic Tea Party skirt I have, in real life they're nothing alike and it just doesn't match any of the other reds in my wardrobe. I'm happy to sell it, but I suppose I would consider trading for the white version.



Magic Tea Party Swan Lake Winter Solo Skirt
http://world.taobao.com/item/22105776243.htm
Velvet, rich jewel tones, gold embroidery and a high waist - all things I like in a main piece! I don't actually care for ballet or Swan Lake but I like the rose/vine theme to the embroidery here. My only criticism of this skirt would be that it's almost too nice - that is, it's not plain enough for casual wear, but since it was quite a cheap piece it often gets overlooked in favour of more expensive items whenever I go to events extravagant enough to justify it. It's also a bit of a pain not having a red blouse. Maybe this year I should make an effort to give this skirt more frequent airing!



Chess Story Le Jardin de Versailles High-Waisted Skirt
I want to like this dress, since it's so beautiful to look at, but it just doesn't fit in with my wardrobe. The matching headbow had sold out when I ordered it, and the wine berets and wine velveteen headbows I've bought since don't match it. Between the fact it's a much brighter red than the other wines in my wardrobe, and has a sheen that my accessories don't, it'd be impossible for me to coord without buying more accessories than I can be bothered with. I was also between sizes on this one and sized up, which turned out to be a mistake - it's a bit too big. I think the fact I've had this a year and never worn it shows that it needs to go.



Bodyline l130 Cameo Rose Skirt
http://bodyline.jp/en/l130.html
I bought this dress on a whim, since it was very cheap at the time and I wanted to try out something oldschool that wasn't gothic or velveteen, and I ended up really loving it! Metamorphose made some pieces using the same fabric many years ago I believe, and this is very easy to turn to a sweet, classic or casual oldschool look. It's easy to pull out colours in the print, the trim, or that are complimentary to the red to coordinate it with. It also goes well with pearls (and has some on the bow). I've seen people worry that the skirt has a cream pattern on the stripes but uses stark white trim, but I actually don't find that affects my ability to coordinate it much.



Black Peace Now Rabbit in Windowsill Skirt (no lolibrary link for the skirt, only the OP)
This skirt is a trial. Not a trial as in "a test of the performance, qualities, or suitability of someone or something.", a trial as in "a person, experience, or situation that tests a person's endurance or forbearance". I bought it thinking it had subtle stripes, recieved it and realised it was full-on football short material. Realised that to cover up the elastic waist and seam, add detail to the hem, and tone down the stripes I would have to wear it with a sheer overdress, an underskirt, and a blouse that could be worn untucked. Have not managed to get my hands on an overdress this year. Either I get one, or it goes. I want to be able to wear it, since it's a piece of a vanished brand and I like the way that the windows look gothic from a distance but have cute strawberry and bunny motifs close up, but damn.

Bags and Umbrellas


Loris, Loris, Loris, SWIMMER, Taobao, R-Series
Metamorphose (2008, no lolibrary link), Alice and the Pirates (2013), HaruhiClover, and a Restyle cathedral bag hiding at the back.
In the right-hand column the Classical Puppets bag is at home and the bags from The Candy Tower and Mufish are in the mail.
All this and it still doesn't feel like I have enough! I want a BtSSB white oldschool heart bag, a cream bag with a simple design, a brown (possibly chocolate) satchel, a Metamorphose hexagonal bag and an Alchemy Gothic bat bag for gothic, and I'm waiting for someone to come out with a better wine x gold bag... It might seem like a waste of space to take up all my two shelves with bags, but these bags are actually all filled with stuff! It's a clever way to store lolita items like wigs and get other unsightly items out of view, but it's a bit of a pain when you actually need a bag for a coord and have to empty the contents onto the bed.



BrolliesGalore, Angelic Pretty, BrolliesGalore, Baby the Stars Shine Bright
I love the BtSSB umbrella and it's handy that it folds up into such a small size and all, but it's also weird because it folds back on itself in a way I've never seen other fold-up umbrellas do, and it's impossible to hold it or roll it up without folding it inside out that way. I can highly recommend BrolliesGalore for umbrellas, this style is really sturdy and the black one is perfect for gothic! I want a wine or brown umbrella too, and I'm trying to prevent myself from getting something in a whiter shade of white than the BtSSB one.

Socks, Shoes and Underthings



Baby the Stars Shine Bright OTKs, Angelic Pretty OTKs, Angelic Pretty OTKs, Baby the Stars Shine Bright OTKs. Bottom row all in the mail from Mufish.
You can see that AP's OTKs are  much longer and stretchier than Baby's - they're practically thigh-high. Angelic Pretty's cream OTKs are closer to beige, so I guess it's a good job that I got that beige Innocent World blouse now? I'm pretty excited to be getting some cotton socks with a design on them that will work for oldschool, but my feelings on the rest of the tights I got are more muted. I feel like I could do with some socks that combine cream, pink and green for future coords I have planned.



An*Tai*Na, Bodyline shoes258, Funtasma, Bodyline shoes276, Bodyline s503
Bodyline shoes192, An*Tai*Na shoes 9988B, Bodyline s527, Bodyline s522, Bodyline s507, Bodyline ?
Taobao, An*Tai*Na shoes 9988B, Bodyline shoes193
Once again, I have a lot and it's not enough! I really need some pink shoes and some wine shoes, and I'd love some RHS, some more oldschool platforms (white this time), and some brown boots.



OrchardCorsets waist cincher, Bodyline black bloomers, MeLikesTea A-line petticoats
Bodyline white bloomers, MeLikesTea bloomers, Classical Puppets bell-shaped petticoats
Getting a corset to wear under clothes was such a good idea! It really helps to stop the many layers of elastic waistbands you get in lolita digging into you.

Hats, Bonnets, Berets and Wigs


All berets in main image eBay except centre from Mufish, offbrand bowler hat, Dear Celine nautical beret, Taobao pearl berets, Mufish Rose Cross beret, La Pomme mockingbird beret
I've really become a beret convert this year even though they don't fit in with most styles I wear. They're so good in casual outfits, and I like the way they can add a school uniform vibe to things (or a wintry vibe, or a vintage vibe). Berets have made it finally feel worthwhile having so many detachable bows with safety pin backing lying about. I'm also excited about how well this Dear Celine hat should match the Victorian Maiden sailor set I got. Not pictured: red and navy berets in the mail.



Infanta, Infanta, Innocent World, Surface Spell
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/classical-ribbon-bonnet
http://world.taobao.com/item/38179630012.htm
http://world.taobao.com/item/35856532195.htm
I like bonnets. I'm 90% sure that I ordered a full bonnet not a half bonnet in the wine colourway and either Infanta had run out of stock and substituted it or my SS made a mistake, but it's too late to do anything about it now and I really like the half-bonnet anyway. My quibble with these is having black lace when most of my wine pieces also have wine lace. The Innocent World bonnet is great and I always have to stop myself buying more black and white IW bonnets on auctions (I want a dusty pink one, and a brown one, and an olive one, but they come up way less often), and the Surface Spell one is gorgeous but slips off the head easily.



Surface Spell, Elpress L
I liked the Surface Spell bonnet so much that I bought it in white. If the shape of the Elpress L one is as I like in a bonnet, I might get the cream version too.



Lockshop, Lockshop, Maple Wigs, Maple Wigs
Bodyline w131, Bodyline w045, Bodyline w014, GLW, GLW
I wanted to put stock photos for all of these but I realised some were no longer available and half the Bodyline ones had never had stock photos in the colour I bought them in, so I just did the top row. Not pictured: Dreamholic wig in purplish brown that's in the mail. My wig collection could do with improvement, but it's much less urgent now I've cut a fringe into my natural hair.

Accessories


Earmuffs from Haruhiclover, matching headbow for Milu Forest’s antique scissors print, matching headband for Magic Tea Party’s Christmas dress, Foxcherry velvet headbows, Angelic Pretty headbow, Ciciworks flower headbands, Foxcherry pink flower crown.
Right-hand column: matching headbow for BtSSB's new green releases in the Baby Classical series, and a plain white oldschool Baby headbow.
Half of me feels like I need more headbows and headbands, but I also don't tend to wear them that often, partly because they can be a bit childish for my style and partly because I have a big head and get pressure headaches easily. I might compromise on just getting an oldschool cluny lace black headbow (since I intend to sell the AP headbow pictured along with the Bodyline OP its lace matches) and a black flower crown, maybe a simple navy side bow and a flat oldschool black x white bow.



Elpress L, AyI, Innocent World (2005), Yolanda, Baby the Stars Shine Bright (2015), Yolanda
I thought I'd regret not gettng the matching headkerchief for Berry River if I didn't buy it, but when I arrived I realised it was massive! It's more of a headscarf than a kerchief and it's hard to know how to coordinate it. I love Baby's headdresses and I can't wait to get more - I'm currently in the market for white and pink x white Baby headdresses, a brown Innocent World headdress, and maybe a red x white headdress.



Antique Beast (2015), Bodyline, Ciciworks, Ciciworks, Innocent World (2003), Bodyline, Bodyline, Bodyline, Bodyline
I need to sort out the ribbons on these Bodyline headdresses, probably by re-tying them nicely then sewing them into place. At the moment they're kind of diagonal and awkward. I also feel like the white ribbon is too shiny, but it's near-impossible to replace since it's sewn on underneath the roses. Eyepatches were a cool accessory in theory but rarely used in practice. In contrast, despite being a really distinctive design, the Antique Beast headdress is very versatile and matches a lot of different outfits.



Black rose and feather clips from Infanta, black and blue rose clips from Surface Spell, lace ribbons from Sweetheart Square, velvet ribbons all from FoxCherry apart from the black velvet one which came with a dress recently (forgotten which) and the green velvet ribbons and star clip were a free gift with a Taobao order.
The big black velvet headbow fell off its backing and needs repairing. Why is it always the most useful ones that go? The BtSSB-style mini bows from Sweetheart Square are really useful and match loads of my coords, and I love the feather bits on the Infanta roses (I also love the fact that each rose has safety pin backings that are then attached together to a claw clip, meaning you can attach them to berets or clothes or clip them onto hair). Not pictured: light pink rose clip.



Things with a safety pin backing, plus some pearls that hadn't arrived when I photographed the rest of my jewellery: Bodyline, Bodyline, Dear Celine, Bodyline, Magic Tea Party, HMHM, AliExpress pearls, Alice and the Pirates, Infanta, Surface Spell, HMHM, Bodyline, BtSSB, Bodyline, Little Dipper, Dear Celine, Magic Tea Party, Magic Tea Party, Magic Tea Party
Trying to expand my collection of pearl jewellery at the moment! To be honest I only rarely use pins designed to be worn at the neck of blouses - using them a lot damages the fabric anyway, and most outfits I wear don't need it.



All offbrand, eBay and thrifted
I still need more gothic jewellery. I've been trying to strengthen the motif of roses in my wardrobe.



All brooches thrifted, necklace from eBay, rings from FoxCherry
Now I wear cardigans a lot more, these brooches are actually starting to come in handy. You may notice that there are less rings than last year. This is because I keep losing them.



Other miscellany: F+F opera gloves, Yolanda lace gloves, F+F faux fur collar that came with coat, red rose comb of uncertain origins, Ciciworks rose eyepatch, Bodyline wristcuffs, FoxCherry mini crown
I've had this F+F coat all year and I only realised a month ago that the faux fur collar worked much better worn with other outfits than it did on the coat! It adds some nice versatility, and now I want to get more faux fur tippets. The Yolanda lace gloves are much much nicer in person than they look here.

If you made it through all that, whew! Thanks for reading!

Edit 23/02/2016: New items!



In the mail: all Baby the Stars Shine Bright. Tiered JSK (2002), Velveteen Lace Skirt (2001), Gobelin Skirt (2004)
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/tiered-jsk-2002
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/velveteen-ruffle-skirt
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/gobelin-skirt-0
When I first got into lolita I never liked the petticoat-less style of oldschool like Momoko wore in Kamikaze Girls, and I thought gobelin prints were ugly, but look at me now. Can't wait to try oldschool classic. I bid on a 1-yen auction for the velveteen skirt and ended up winning for only ¥810!



All Baby the Stars Shine Bright (2012, 2015, 2011) except top left from Innocent World (unknown)
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/classical-rosy-head-bow
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/spin-doll-headdress-ladder-lace-2015
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/classical-ribbon-fleur-head-bow
I initially bought just one headpiece each to match my new JSK and skirt, but then I decided it would be much more versatile to have two different styles in each colour. I can't find a lolibrary link for the IW headdress.



Angelic Pretty Shoulder Ribbon JSK (2005). Rosary Rose Headdress (2014), Shirring Blouse (2006) and Ribbon Cardigan (2014) all Baby the Stars Shine Bright. Alice and the Pirates cardigan (unknown)
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/shoulder-ribbon-jsk-2005
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/rosary-rose-head-dress
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/shirring-blouse-2006
http://lolibrary.org/apparel/ribbon-cardigan-1
The Angelic Pretty dress has been my oldschool dream dress for years, ever since I saw it in a magazine scan. However, it looks a lot more saturated in both the Angelic Pretty and Wunderwelt stock photos than it did in the photoshoot pictures, so I hope when it arrives it isn't too bright. The other items are just basics to fill out my wardrobe - I can't find a lolibrary link for the AatP cardigan, but it has a really cute crest with crossed cutlasses emblem.