The Closet Confidential

Recently I became aware of the "Closet Confidential" tag through EGL, and I decided to fill out the Lolita version that was posted on there, to cheer myself up a bit.
(I think I'm falling ill.. *cough*)

Here we go!

1. What is the oldest item in your wardrobe/closet?

The oldest item in my closet is my very first skirt. It's an old one, and I don't know what brand it was from. I just remember I bought it secondhand, because it was the first Lolita item I laid my eyes on, on that forum. I didn't think much about it. I just wanted something Lolita, and it was there. Today, I'm really happy that was the one I bought. It's actually a pretty decent oldschool piece, I think. It has no tag inside or anything. I bought it alongside a matching shirt and square headdress with red ribbon and bad lace. I wear it when I wanna be oldschool and tacky, haha!

2 + 3. What is the newest item? What is the most expensive item?

My newest item is my "Memories of my First Soirée" JSK by Baby the Stars Shine Bright. It's also my most expensive item, as it's the first item I've bought for full price and brand new (pun unintended). Everything else "brand" I own I've either bought on sale or second hand.
It's also one of my favorite pieces, and the most beautiful garment I've ever seen. I swear I don't think my wedding dress is gonna be half as pretty when the day comes!

4. What is the cheapest/most affordable item?

My cheapest/most affordable item is another oldie. I think this was the second or third skirt I ever got, and it was handmade by an old friend of mine. It's the cheapest because I literally got it for free! I think it's pretty cute and simple, actually. It's got a lace up detail in one side that lifts the skirt a little bit to sneak a peak at the petticoat (oooh~ rulebreaker!)

 It's nice for country Lolita. 

5. What was the biggest bargain?

My biggest bargain must definetely be my accessories. I lied a little bit when I said my "Soiree" JSK was my newest item, because I've actually just purchased a bunch of accessories off of ebay, including the socks up there! A little tip from me: Do NOT purchase main pieces off of Ebay. That's bad! You're gonna come across a ton of replicas and Milanoo-style lacemonsters. Ebay is, however, perfect for accessories. You can find adorable necklaces and socks for less than a dollar, sometimes!

My Victoriangirldress petticoat is a bit of an ebay bargain as well. 

6. What was the biggest waste of money?!

The sad, sad mess up there. No competition. It's an Oo Jia replica of "Chess Chocolate" I bought back when I was too big to fit into brand. It's really the worst quality dress I own. The lace is green-ish, the parts of the print that were supposed to be all sparkly looks dirty. I've only still got it because I doubt I'd be able to sell it. I'd feel bad doing it, too. I might put it up somewhere for 10$ or something, and then the buyer can try and fix it up.

7. What are your three favorite items right now?
Apart from my "Soiree" JSK, my favorite pieces are my "Alice's Doll House" and "Alice's Mirage in Paradox" JSKs! Especially the first one was a close competitor for "Best Bargain", too! I can't believe how cheap I got it, and how beautiful it is! They're both beautiful quality, and I feel at the top of my game when I'm wearing them!
I'm gonna wear my "Soiree" out for the first time this weekend for a meet-up at the Women's History Museum in Aarhus this Saturday, and I just can't wait!

That's it, folks! I hope I get a lot better before saturday, but I doubt I won't. 

I'm usually only ill for a day, at most!

I tag everybody reading this to do the "confidential" as well! Post your link in the comments!

Coming up next is a big Taobao review! I'm expecting a big order tomorrow!

52 Weeks: Purses That I Love

This week's "52 Weeks" challenge is a very "chill" one, and though quite appropriate, as spring is approaching here in the northern hemisphere. To a lot of Lolitas, that means spring cleaning! Spring cleaning of their closets, that is. What better way to celebrate that than to browse the interwebs for new items for this years Lolita collections?

As the owner of a sad little collection of no more than 3 purses, this topic is one that I've been starving for.

Personally, I have a weakness for purses that do not look like purses, so that's what I'll be hunting for. I'm gonna put the links to the stuff I find throughout the post!

To me, it adds a lot to the feel of a coordinate, if the bag is like a prop to the story your outfit is telling. Giant candy or biscuit bags, like the one above from taobao, gives an "Alice in Wonderland" or "Strawberry Shortcake" feel. As if you were a tiny princess in a land of giant sweets!

The same goes for treasure chests, crowns, or bags camouflaged as books! They're not "just" a purse. 

One of the famous Alice and the Pirates book purses!
Someday you will be mine. Just wait.

The newest bag in my collection is a purse made from a book. It was made by NovelCreations on Etsy! She goes out and purchases old books, and turns them into purses. If you want, you can get the pages that she removed as well. I wanted the "Jane Eyre" purse that she listed in her shop, but you can also request to have a specific book turned into a purse for you!

Another cute find from Taobao!

I also have a bit of a weakness for bags that look like musical instruments. It adds a bunch of elegance to a classic or gothic coord, IMO. I already have a violin bag, but it only kind of looks like a violin, and it's really worn. It just doesn't look good anymore. I need a new one!

So many bags I need. So little money! Well, I guess it just needs to go on my "To-Buy" List. Whether we like it or not, a good bag completes a coord, even more than a nice parasol does.

I hope this post inspired you girls a little bit, when it comes to what your closet needs this coming spring!

52 Weeks: How Long it Took Me to Build a Complete Wardrobe

This week's 52 Weeks Lolita Blog Challenge is to write a post about how long it took me to build a complete wardrobe. As this topic could really just be answered with a number, I'm gonna reflect upon my wardrobe's current state.

In short, I'd say that I do not, at all, have a complete Lolita wardrobe. What a "complete" Lolita wardrobe is to me, is a wardrobe that has reached it's "final size"- The Lolita feels like (s)he doesn't need to add any more pieces, but instead sells off a little to buy new pieces once in a while. It's more a matter of renewal than growth.
I haven't quite reached that point yet. I still feel like I need to add a bunch more stuff! I need more blouses, more shoes, more bags and accessories! And of course, more dresses, whenever I get the funds to add something in that department. 

I know that many Lolitas define a "complete" wardrobe in a different way than I do. They instead consider a wardrobe complete, when you have enough stuff that you can wear a new outfit every day for a week, or two weeks, or a month. I could, without trouble, wear a new outfit every day for a very long period of time. It took me about 2 years or so, to get to that point, and of course my wardrobe has been slowly growing just a little bit ever since. I would love to purchase a new dress every month or every 2 months, but as it is now, that is not an option. I'm very cheap, in the sense that even if I love to purchase new things, I hate to spend money. That means that I'm practically never broke, but also that I'm probably not gonna be a "MC Melody Doll" until I'm 30. 

Sewing is not cheap, either. I sew because I like it, not to save money. Fabric is pricey, even if it's not as expensive as brand. I feel a little less guilty when purchasing fabric because I can tell myself it's a hobby that'll help me better myself.

In short, I haven't yet! It's taken me years to get to where I am, but I still have a long road ahead of me! My wardrobe is all over the place, with Gothic, Sweet and Classic pieces, due to my slow transition through the hues, and my dream is to add to all of these genres (though I think I'm slowly drifting away from Gothic).

Be quiet, wallet! You and I are going on adventures, like it or not!

52 Weeks: How I Get Out of a Wardrobe Slump

This week's topic for the 52 Week Lolita Blog Challenge is one I've not actually thought of before, but I hope it can be a bit of an inspiration for somebody out there!

So, how do I get out of a "Wardrobe Slump"?
Most of us do not have an unlimited wardrobe or unlimited funds to buy new items whenever we get bored with whatever we have in our closets. No matter how great I feel in my favorite dresses or even my favorite usual coordinates, It's always fun to experiment!

Experimentation is what usually gets me out of it. I like playing around with unusual color combinations the most. One of my favorite unusual combinations are blue, red and white. Red and blue can go surprisingly well together, as long as it has a neutral color in the mixture to break it up.

Since most people own prints these days, I'm gonna use a print as an example of my "unusual color" tactic.

Angelic Pretty's "Milky Chan" print, you can see that the obvious coordination choices would be coordinating it with either white or pink items. Maybe a tiny bit of brown, but nothing overwhelming. But I think an interesting choice to do something out of the ordinary, would be to bring out the blue butterflies. Maybe you could coordinate it with a blue blouse and blue socks with pink detailing? Maybe instead of coordinating it with the usual baby pink, try some hot pink to match the fawn's hot pink bows!

Most people probably do this from time to time, but another idea is to look beyond the limited Lolita wardrobe and through your pile of every day clothes. Some of it, or most of it, may not be Lolitable, but if you're just trying to be creative and is wearing it for yourself, it doesn't matter as much!

 Try building a coordinate around a leather jacket, a belt that you like, a cute sweater..

 I wear t-shirts instead of cutsews from time to time in casual coordinates, and I'd still say that my coordinates qualify as Lolita. One of my favorite ideas currently, is wearing "fandom" t-shirts with my Lolita clothes. It combines two things that I love! Think out of just Lolita fashion to other things that you're passionate about, and try to incorporate it into your coordinates. 

It doesn't have to be as blatantly obvious as a t-shirt.
It can be in details that remind you of your passion, like jewelery, hairstyles, shoes, colorschemes, make-up, or whatever you can think of!

These are the ways that I usually get out of wardrobe slumps, and as you can see, they all of course involves poking your brain to make it think a little out of the box. 

Even if Lolita fashion has a lot of "rules" and guidelines, it is not off-limits to color out of the lines. One of the fun aspects is actually turning the guidelines around and see how much you can actually get to fit inside the framework!

I recommend that you go to your closet, rummage through it and pull out a big pile of stuff to play around with! Maybe you will find that perfect New Years outfit somewhere in there!

Review: Corset from Timeless Trends!

For Christmas, my mom surprised me with a present I would never have foreseen: She bought me a corset, which I've been wanting for ages (literally!)

My new corset is from the company Timeless Trends, and it is a White Silk Floral Corset.

The corset feels heavy and sturdy, and the boning is definetely steel, just as it is written on their website.

The ribbon is smooth, but doesn't feel cheap or flimsy. It feels like it will hold up just fine for a while, even under pressure. The fabric is nice. It's smooth, but thick.

The corset feels great on, and bends comfortably to my shape. It provides good support for my posture (haha!). It's a bit short on me, but I'm very tall, so that's probably the reason. I'll just have to go for one of their longer corsets next time!

The only thing this corset is lacking, is more a matter of taste,  I think. I would have liked for it to have a modesty panel in the back, but as I will be wearing it under my clothes as undergarments (on top of a white tanktop), I don't think it will be too much of an issue. 

All in all, I think Timeless Trends corsets are a great value for the price! I don't think there's such a thing as "beginner's corsets", but I would recommend Timeless Trends for anyone who want to find out if corsets are for them. 

They're a very different experience from the cheap costume corsets I have tried on before! 

Not that that is surprising to me at all, but they're just not comparable at all!

If I need a new corset at some point in the future, I will check out Timeless Trends again.

Do you have any recommendations for me? 

I would also like to hear some more experienced corset-wearers' experiences with this company!

Finally, here's a picture of me wearing the corset!

52 Weeks: Most Versatile Item I Own

This is the second week of the Lolita Blog Challenge, and this weeks topic is number 39, "The Most Versatile Lolita Item I Own"! 

I think every wardrobe should have a piece that can easily be dressed up or down, and works for any occasion. The Lolita's "Little Black Dress", I guess you could say!

For me, it actually is a "little black dress"! 

My most versatile item is Baby the Stars Shine Bright's Ekaterina JSK!
What I think makes this JSK so incredibly versatile is that everything that makes this JSK special, is in the detailing. There are no huge ruffles, no chiffon, no big flowy sleeves or shiny embroidery. It is all in the soft lace and little pleats, and the puff in the straps give it that little extra that actually looks great on top of a black blouse with long sleeves. It makes it look like the sleeves have an elegant poof to the shoulders.

Here it is in a casual outfit! It looks simple and pretty much work appropriate.
It may look simple here, but I've also worn it with an elegant black chiffon blouse, a huge victorian hat with a veil and big gothic platform shoes. That's the magic of the little black dress, and the reason a dress like this is what I recommend for beginners as one of the first building blocks in their wardrobe. It doesn't have to be black. It should just be something that matches most of the wardrobe, or a neutral color, with beautiful detailing that can be toned down, or made the focus point of the outfit depending on the accessories!

So, that would be the piece in my wadrobe that is pretty much worth it's own weight in gold!

Do you agree on my recommendations? What do you think is the trademark of a versatile Lolita piece?

To see the list of the 52 Weeks Challenge, click here.

I'll update the list every week so both you and I will be able to follow which topics I've done!

Prints I'd Buy in a Heartbeat

Original picture from bdbphotos.com

I've seen posts like these on multiple blogs I've been following, and have for a long time been dying to do a post where I could share my own "Dream Prints"! 

It's no secret that prints are the "It"-thing for Lolita fashion right now, but there are certain print themes that I feel have been unfairly overlooked, and that need to be made so they can end up in my closet right now!

Picture from Glogster.com

1. A Leonardo da Vinci-Print

A passion of mine that goes hand in hand with my love for Lolita fashion, is my passion for History, and especially this genius inventor! I would love to see a Renaissance-fashion style OP or JSK for this, and the skirt should be printed with sketches of Leonardo da Vinci's brilliant inventions and maybe some of his funny, quirky poetry, short stories or wordplays! I'm not sure which brand I would imagine making something like this, though. Maybe a cool Indie Brand could pull it off!

Picture from Wikipedia.org

2. A new "Beauty and the Beast"-Print

I know this has actually been done before (Beauty and the Rose Promise by AATP) but I wasn't that fond of the way they executed it. I'm imagining something more elaborate for this print, with beautiful illustrations of scenes from the story! A design a little more like a mixture of BTSSB's Snow Queen series and their Rapunzel-themed print. I'm dying to see how they would portray the beast!

Picture from Wikimedia.org

3. An "Interview with the Vampire"-Print
This is probably a lot less likely to happen than even my Leonardo da Vinci idea, but I would love and cherish this forever! I'm a huge fan of the "Interview with the Vampire"-book, and I feel like especially the 1900-century parts of the book, in New Orleans, has got many great scenes to offer a print. ("The Vampire Lestat" would actually be just as good!) 

I imagine the dresses for this print to be very detailed and aristocratic, with gold buttons and jewels, a vest-like bodice and embroidery, or inspired by the doll-like, frilly dresses worn by Claudia! I could see Alice and the Pirates work magic with this idea! Oh, a girl can dream..

So, these would be my 3 most wished-for prints! Which prints would you love to see made, if you had your way?

Down the Rabbit Hole: New to Lolita

Original picture from Flickr

Someday, somehow, you found your way down the rabbit hole, and arrived in Wonderland. But, oh my! You are not at all dressed for the occasion! How do you start building an appropriate wardrobe? Fear not, let me give you some step-by-step advice to making your first purchases. 

Picture from Clobbaonline

1. Petticoat

I know that you might wanna get right to it and just "Buy a dress already!", but your dress is not gonna look that good without a proper petticoat anyway. The petticoat is the life of your look! It gives your skirt that fluffy A-line or bell-shape that it takes for you to become a lolita. A petticoat is also the one item that you can be very sure that you won't find already in your closet (unless you've already dabbled in another fabulous, poofy vintage style). It will pay off to look up reviews and spend a bit of money on a good, voluminous chiffon or organza petticoat, so that it will not deflate right away. I would recommend checking out Taobao, or Victoriangirldress on Ebay!

Picture from Hellolace

2. Versatile JSK or Skirt

Now that you've got a proper petticoat, it's time to start building a wardrobe for real! The first piece you should get, is a versatile JSK or skirt that can easily be dressed up or down, so that you can use it for any occasion. Look for something simple, but with an interesting pattern or details that can be the focus point when you want to get fancy. This piece should be chosen in that color that you want to build your wardrobe on. A very busy print, Angelic Pretty-style, might be versatile in that you can combine it with more colors, but it is also tougher to go casual with, and it takes a large wardrobe with many accessories to master. 

Picture from Polyvore

3. Shoes

A good pair of shoes that go with most of your wardrobe is essential to finish off your look. They don't need to be the focus point of your outfit, but your old, over-used sneakers just won't do! They can be simple Mary Janes in a neutral color, bought at your local shoe store, or they can be shoes especially designed for lolita that you can get at Taobao, Bodyline or even brand. The most important thing is that they go with your wardrobe! Now that we are at the topic of what to wear on your feet, we should also talk about socks! Apart from being an important part of an outfit, you are also going to be very uncomfortable in your shoes without! You can find cute and elegant tights in most stores and maybe even lolita appropriate ankle socks,  but socks can also be bought second-hand, directly from brands, Antaina on Taobao, or Bodyline.

Picture from Chictini

4. Blouses, Cutsews and Cardigans

Don't be surprised that this is placed so low on the list. The reason is simply that stable items for this point might already be in your wardrobe! A cute t-shirt will work perfectly well with a skirt for a casual look, and cardigans are very often used with a JSK instead of a blouse! If you have an elegant chiffon shirt like the one pictured above, it could also look good under a JSK! Be aware that business-look blouses with pointy collars, even though they might look similar to some lolita blouses and are very job-interview appropriate, just aren't.. lolita-elegant. Blouses can, apart from with a bit of luck in your everyday clothing stores, be bought at Taobao, Bodyline (Beware of the lace-quality!) and of course, second-hand or directly from brands. You might also have luck browsing vintage shops.

Picture from Flickr

5. Accessories!

You probably already have at least a couple of accessories that could work with your lolita look, and if you don't, accessories can be bought anywhere and everywhere! Vintage-looking jewellery is currently very fashionable, so Classic and Gothic lolitas are especially in luck, but it is also possible for the more sweetly-inclined to dig up something nice! The childrens' section usually has adorable hairclips and other goodies. Check out your local Accessorize, H&M or whatever other clothing- and accessory store's near you! Apart from that, you can find plenty of second-hand lolita accessories online and great stuff on Taobao or Etsy. Foxcherry333 is an online taobao store that I am especially fond of (though you will need to use a shoppingservice to buy from her. I recommend Taobaospree!) She makes hair-accessories, hats and much more!  

Building a wardrobe takes a long time! Have patience and enjoy hunting for new items and making your pieces work in a bunch of different ways! 

Now that we've gone through the steps, tell me about your experiences with building a wardrobe! Do you have any advice you'd like to share? Share in the comments below!