Err... okay, Bodyline...

Okay, I was going to do a general review of the latest stuff from Bodyline but... I don't like a lot of it! Those who know Bodyline also know that their quality varies. They did a really beautiful print with these ponies on a carousel. If you look at my current banner you can see a square of the print there. Also there is another JSK currently on the Japanese website (but not the English one) which has a forest theme. The design is similar to their Love Nadia print but it has a halter neck and I definitely prefer the way this one has been constructed. Please put it on the English site Bodyline!

Back to some of the newer items featured on the English Bodyline site and first up we have this dress with a rose on it. Firstly, I hate the shirring panel on the front. It looks cheap and tacky. Then there is the way this panel connects with the skirt part- it looks scruffy. And why do the black and dark blue versions have that white line running down them? The rose itself looks like something you would find on a tattoo parlour wall. Is it just me, or is the back of the dress wonky? The front is not much better. I am trying really hard to say something nice about this dress but I am struggling. It looks like it has been thrown together and that Bodyline have been trying to cut back on spending.

Next we have this dress with a huge white panel down the front. My issue with this is that the panel is not a very nice shape. I think if they removed the white panel this dress would be a lovely simple option. The shape of the white panel kind of mimics an apron which just makes me think of maids or waitresses. It may work on thinner people, but I can imagine this looking a lot worse on somebody more curvy. If the panel is bunched up then it will probably look worse than it already does. I think the blue version is the best of a bad bunch.

I am probably going to regret saying this but I kind of like the hat! I would stick to the blue or pink hat though. Sadly, the hat is not sold separately (well, it was not when I checked last time). There is too much going on with this dress. Every little detail seems to have extra details piled on top. I don't mind the front of the collar. The sleeves would look better plain rather than having two layers of lace there. There are too many bows and I would get rid of the detailing around the buttons and the two lines of lace running down the dress. I would either keep the tartan pockets or the detailed bottom but I would not put the two together. The back is not too bad. I would use blue ribbon in the corset so the bad corset details were less obvious. I like the front of the collar but not the back. I hope you can detach it.

Finally we have this dress with what looks to be a frilly shower cap. Again we have a huge panel of shirring. Whilst I appreciate bigger girls need shirring, there is too much here. This dress looks a little droopy and lacks structure. There is not a lot else to say.

I have also decided not to enter the Bodyline design contest. It turns out that past non-winners have gone on the site only to find shockingly similar products to their own designs. Once you give Bodyline the design you surrender any ownership rights. It would be frustrating if Bodyline went on to make thousands after paying you very little (I think you just get given your finished product) especially if your design was not even chosen in the first place. If you lacked the skills to make the item yourself, then it may be a good choice to enter. I have not even finished my designs yet. I am going to finish the designs and then post pictures on here instead!

My Swablu Bracelet!

A really lovely American lolita on the EGL Sales Community was making Pokemon bracelets. I was thrilled to discover that she would be able to make me one with my favourite pokemon- Swablu! I am unsure how this will work in with my lolita wardrobe or if I will choose to only wear it with my casual clothing. Pokemon is a huge guilty pleasure of mine and I do try to keep anime and manga separate from lolita.

The bracelet was reasonably priced and it arrived very quickly. Usually postage between the USA and the UK averages around 2 weeks. This bracelet came in just over 1 week. Impressive! The construction was well thought out but sometimes Swablu ends up facing downwards. It is more to do with the shape of the figure. It was not meant for a bracelet so there was nothing to attach the string to. So she made it by tying invisible string around the bases of the wings. As you can see it is not very visible. I feel the bracelet deserves a 4.5/5.

The wonder that is Camden

If you are a lolita in England you can be somewhat limited when it comes to actual lolita shops. One day I want to save up and go to Paris to visit the actual Baby The Stars Shine Bright and Angelic Pretty shops (lucky French lolitas!). If you are living in England your best option is Camden in London. Camden is North/Central London and you will find Camden Town station on most standard tube maps.

Camden town is a haven for all things alternative. If you like punk and gothic fashions you could end up incredibly broke after a visit here. There is also a lot of vintage and retro shops plus some new age shops. Most of the Stables market smells like incense sticks. There are a lot of small food vendors offering a wide selection of different food from all over the world. If you are lucky you may see a celebrity popping into Gilgamesh (posh restaurant). Amy Winehouse's favourite pub the Hawley Arms is also in Camden. Camden is a place with so much variety so as lolita gradually expands, it was only natural that some lolita shops would start to appear in Camden.

Angel Pretty

The first shop of note is on the main road and is near the bridge going across the river. Angel Pretty (as you may have already guessed) is an Angelic Pretty rip-off from China. It is a small shop and probably the quietist lolita shop. The woman in the shop when I went was very friendly to me and is happy to give you advice on how you should wear various items. The dresses were very crammed together but mainly consisted of sweet and punky tartan designs (interesting mix). I was not as impressed with the dresses. Quite a few of the dresses had glittery strands running through them and I try to stay away from these dresses because sometimes other lolitas can be a bit dismissive and write them off as cosplay lolita (in other words not proper lolita). However, the punk lolita dresses seemed to be of better quality. I did not buy any dresses from here but the material at first glance appears quite heavy and thick. If you wanted something to wear in winter this may be a good option. The head pieces were cute. I got myself a pink one which had a 3D candy motif and ruffled pink gingham on it. The lady let me try these on and helped me to place them correctly. Dotted around the shop was some jewellery which was mainly pearls. This style of jewellery is actually readily available in Camden but beware of the prices. You may be better off going to your nearest Claire's. I also got a pink band with a piano key print. Most of the bags had a musical theme which although is popular, the shop could probably do with a wider selection.

GLP

Ignore the entrance to the Stables Market where Gilgamesh is and carry on past a display of rugs. Take your next left. GLP will be situated on the right. GLP is my favourite of all the shops because I really love the sales assistant! She will keep your friends occupied whilst you try on numerous dresses. One of the first things I shall mention is that this shop has men's clothing in it. The male clothing mainly sticks to visual kei, punk and gothic. One of my friends is after a velvet jacket they had. The great thing is that GLP does not rotate the stockas often as other shops. If you were to pop in a month later they are likely to still have the same item available (unless it is popular). GLP stocks Secret Shop socks which will set you back £10 for a pair. These socks are popular because they do brand replicas. There is also a shoe stand but you have to be careful with the sizes. If your feet are bigger than average you will be disappointed. The shoes are quite sweet and there were some cupcake style shoes (similar to the ones I am wearing in my London trip post). If you are after sweeter styles, head up the stairs which are dotted with Angelic Pretty replica bags and you will find the sweet section. I picked up a horse and cart dress in pink for £65 which came with a blouse underneath and a headbow. The headbow was a little wonky so I wear it off-centre so it looks nicer. I love the dress itself. The material is thick and the sewing quality was fine. A lot of these dresses can be short in length. They sit a little bit above the knee. Also the ribbon corset detail could have been a little better. One of the things I love about GLP is that sometimes you get men interested in the dresses. A man will come out the dressing room wearing a dress and not a single person in the shop bats an eyelid!

Sai Sai

A bit further on is Sai Sai. Sai Sai has moved locations but it is in a similar area to GLP so you should be able to find it. Sai Sai is GLP's sister shop and it carries similar stock. However, Sai Sai is considerably bigger than GLP. If you only have time to go to one shop, go to Sai Sai. You can even pick up a few Japanese magazines here. The atmosphere is not as warm and intimate as GLP but the staff seem relatively friendly. This shop is likely to have more people in it.

I also recommend that you check out the other Camden markets whilst you are here. Hello Kitty is a very popular stall theme here. Artbox is a good place for quirky stationary and homewares. The only market I would not recommend is the market which has the massive Camden Market green banner at the entrance. Not only is it crowded, but the shops are not as varied.

If you fancy a break from shopping the canal here is also very pretty. There are a couple of cafes along here which would make a nice place to have a little rest. It is quite peaceful watching the boats go through the docks.

Here is the dress I got from GLP. Sorry for the grumpy face- I was having a bad day! I wish there was room for a little more poof in the skirt but I still adore this dress.

If you are planning to go to Camden you will need the best part of a day to go around. Sometimes I head there after attending the MCM Expo to pop into a few select shops. To sum up Camden in one word- different.

Luna shall be back soon!

It was my birthday yesterday! I am now 22! Things have been a little bit hectic and I have a lot to do. But you can expect normal posts again very soon :) I just wanted to say that I got lots of lovely birthday wishes from various different places so thank you all. It means a lot to know that so many people care! Hope all is well with you all and see you soon

Luna xxx

Luna's jewellery inspiration.

A friend enquired about lolita jewellery recently and asked to see a few examples. At first, I was a little unsure about how I should do this. When it comes to lolita and jewellery, it is about one of the only things that is really unrestricted. If you walk into a branch of Claire's you could easily spot loads of jewellery that could work (it is lucky Claire's is so cheap then!). Lolita brands also have their own jewellery and will often make items that match their latest series.

Feeling a little bit stuck, I decided I would simply show images of jewellery I had found which I thought looked beautiful. I narrowed my choices down and split them into my 3 favourite lolita styles. Although these pieces could easily work with other lolita styles as well.

First up, we have the sweet style jewellery. My theme here was "All Things Cute". As you can see a lot of the pieces I have picked are sugary overload!

1. Bodyline star and musical note bracelet (still available) 2. Angelic Pretty Dreamy Bunny bangle 3. Angelic Pretty Magical Pony necklace 4. Ribbon Bow ring by Baby the Stars Shine Bright 5. Innocent World Forest Animal necklace (still available) 6. Hairband unknown etsy.com shop 7. Cake Ring by Meow Box (still available) 8. RavinMaven berry ring 9. Angelic Pretty Jewelry Jelly Ring 10. RavinMaven ice cream ring 11. unknown etsy shop. If you know who made the items which are unknown then please contact me.

Next I decided to get some pictures of jewellery that would suit the country lolita look. I chose gingham and lots of berries.

1. Baby the Stars Shine Bright gingham bow bracelet (still available) 2. Ring by Buttons by Lou Lou 3. craftjuice.com cherry ring 4. unknown strawberry ring 5. unknown gingham hair band

Finally, I looked up some gothic jewellery (I am always torn between sweet and gothic lolita). I looked up pieces that had obvious gothic points like skulls and black but I tried to make sure they had a bit of lolita influence. Gothic jewellery is easy to get hold of so I wanted to show some jewellery which has something a little special about it. I prefer my gothic jewellery to not look too bulky which you sometimes get with western gothic jewellery so I tried to also make sure I picked pieces that looked a little more elegant.

1. debarabia.co.uk lolita mini crown cuff (available) 2. decarabia.co.uk lovers of sin brooch (temporarily out of stock) 3. SerendipityLicious skull cameo 4. ghostlovejewelry necklace

Obviously, these are just a few examples and I have only shown examples from my favourite lolita styles. I have been trying to find some jewellery with moons and stars on it. I have quite a few people who call me Luna now and I have become obsessed with moons and stars. Also, I am cancer the crab which is ruled by the moon so it seems appropriate. If I find any good pieces I will do another post.

A Day Out in London!

With my friends all over the place right now it was exciting to see at least a few of them on a trip to London yesterday. As you can see in the picture, I was wearing my Alice co-ordinate that I was meant to wear last Saturday. I got some very strange looks but also some lovely compliments. Here is the outfit run down-

Spade head band- handmade

Shirt- GLP (it came with a JSK but I decided it was nice enough to wear alone)

Alice skirt- Bodyline (possibly still available)

Socks- Bodyline

Shoes- Unknown

Charm bracelets (not visible)- Claires

I noticed that I did not have a suitable matching hair piece. In the end I cut out a red spade from a piece of felt and stuck it to a hair band. At first it looks more like an upside-down heart but it is in fact a spade. I was thinking of making another one with a bolder outline next time.

We went to this waffle shack near Bayswater tube station. Although the waffle did taste amazing, a lot of our group was getting a little fed up. Why? Because we had to wait 40 minutes and the food smell made us all hungry! This waffle place is in the direction of Hyde Park. If you ever go there, be prepared to wait...

We headed to Hyde Park. For James and myself it felt a little strange. We had out honeymoon here and we went past the road that our hotel was on. It brought back a lot of memories. Sometimes I think it is a shame I can't go to London more often even if I only have James for company. That holiday was the best holiday of my entire life despite not having air-con in our room.

Afterwards we did a little shopping. The best shop we visited was Japan Centre ( www.japancentre.com ) on Lower Regent Street. You take exit 3 from Piccadilly Circus and just walk forward along the road. Japan Centre is on the left. I got myself some Ramune soda and 2 Japanese language fashion magazines. I chose Popteen and Cutie over other more obvious ones (Kera and the Gothic Lolita bible were also available) because I wanted to see something different. I have not had a chance to read them yet. You can get some very cute homeware from here including bento boxes and accessories. It is also an interesting place to eat.

We also went to cybercandy ( www.cybercandy.co.uk ) who import a load of sweets and snacks from all over the world. I got myself a Hostess Twinkie which is like a cake filled with cream. Although Americans will be familiar with this snack, we do not have this here in the UK. So when it gets mentioned on the Simpsons or Family Guy, I was curious. Other delights included popping candy chocolate, froth monster (ramune flavoured), hi chew sweets, wonka nerds (which are now rare in the UK) and country exclusive versions of well known items such as pop tarts, breakfast cereals, kitkats and skittles. Cybercandy may not have as much stock but the variety is better than Japan Centre and it is not just resticted to Asian delights. Cyber Candy is on Garrick Street near Leicester Square and Covent Garden.

Feeling incredibly worn out, we went to a place called Ed's in Soho (near Old Compton Street). Soho is quite a seedy area but none of our group have an issue with this. Ed's is designed like a 50's diner and is quite small. The food is very American but quite inspired too. I got jalapeno jelly with my chicken and it tasted great. The only real issue is the prices which seemed expensive. But this is London. If you are ever in London be prepared for high prices. Everything in the city can cost a lot so do your research if your funds are limited.

I found a random bead shop on Earlham street. It is literally filled with all sorts of beads for jewellery making. I was unable to find any moon shapes but there is a wide selection. If you like making jewellery then you should go visit this shop.

Sadly, there was no time to go to Camden to visit the lolita shops there. I have shopped in them before so I have enough information to write a guide on them another time. Camden is amazing. If you like lolita fashion but do not want to stand out too much then Camden is the place for you. It specialises in all things alternative and is a bit of a shopping mecca for goths/punks/emos. Also worth a visit is Chinatown, which we went past but did not visit this time. Although the name suggests all things Chinese, you can pick up Japanese stuff here too.

Anyway, I am feeling a little dead to the world right now so I think I shall go and rest!

Bodyline are having a design contest apparently...

I am currently working on a jewellery post and I shall be in London on Saturday. I am very busy at the moment. Also, it is my birthday on Wednesday 21st so I shall be off to the beach :D Please bear with me as I get settled into a posting schedule.

Anyway! Back on topic, I visited the Bodyline home page bodyline.co.jp and apparently they are having a design contest. There is also a model competition going on. I personally don't fancy the idea of the modelling contest. I just seem to lack confidence. Plus I consider myself quite average looking. But the design contest definitely sounds right up my street!

The trouble is, Bodyline have not really provided much information. They have included an email address which oddly includes the word paypal in it. Are you going to suddenly be lumbered with a paypal invoice you didn't realise you were signing up for? Are international entries allowed? They say they are going to send winning designs out to you but will they have the larger size options available? There is no information! I appreciate that Bodyline has trouble with their English and other non-Japanese languages but if we enter and find out our design can't be included or that you are going to get an item in their regular small size then there are going to be some unhappy lolitas!

Another issue is Bodyline in general. Bodyline are not really considered a proper lolita brand. Although Bodyline are capable of creating some beautiful pieces, they are also famous for getting pieces totally wrong. For every Bodyline lover, there is a hater. If you look hard enough you will find loads of people love slagging off this company. So if you were to enter, would you be happy with the end result? Can Bodyline truely understand your vision? What looked great in your planning stages may not turn out so good when you see it made.

If I am allowed to enter I will probably have a go just to see how well I do. I have no idea what I will design yet. By the looks of it, you need to design a skirt. I want to design a piece that will totally rock the Bodyline staff but also show the wider community that Bodyline can achieve greatness. I would love to spy on lolita communities and see what they have to say.

So, any information would be great!