My Lolita Journey Through My Dream Dresses

I recently got asked what my first ever dream dress was. I remember it very clearly. It has been 9 years since I very first discovered lolita now, but it wasn't until late 2008 that I actually discovered my first true dream dress. And seeing that item was a huge part in me deciding to make the jump from an admirer of the fashion to actually starting to wear it in 2009. And it got me thinking about how my dream dresses say a lot about my lolita journey. I think my favourite dresses at the time show the different phases I went through and how my tastes have changed. So this is my dream dress journey so far.

And the first dream item of mine was Angelic Pretty's Fruits Parlour, but it HAD to be the heart apron style skirt and it had to be the red/pink colour way. I was already a huge print fan! I had seen the print before but it was when I saw it in one of the English Gothic Lolita Bibles that I truly felt I wanted it. The model in the GLB looked very much like a waitress, but a very cute waitress. I think I was drawn to it because I had a really bad ita phase when I first got in to lolita and I liked the costume-like appearance in the photo. I was drawn to the more OTT styles of lolita at first. I guess at the time I was feeling very nervous about wearing lolita in public and so, wearing such an OTT outfit seemed like an unobtainable goal. My social anxiety at the time was pretty bad and Fruits Parlour represented something I wanted- to be the person I felt I should have been.

Believe it or not, I was a huge gothic fan at the start of my lolita journey! So whilst Fruits Parlour satisfied my sweet lolita craving, this was my first dream gothic dress. And it is a bit of an odd choice... I really wanted this dress from the Metamorphose Summer 2008 special set (sometimes known as Feathercross). Even today, I am not quite sure why I love this dress so much and yet I still really want it. Despite liking gothic, brands like Moi Meme Moitie never really appealed to me and Metamorphose was definitely my favourite brand at the time. So I guess I just preferred Meta's take on the gothic style. I thought the idea of a cross with wings was quite cool and it was a bit different from all the gate and cathedral prints. Whilst my enthusiasm for Fruits Parlour has waned slightly now (although I still do want FP, just not as much) my love for this Meta dress is still very strong and it ranks pretty highly on my wishlist today.

I have to confess that I didn't discover Bodyline straight away when I first got in to lolita, but when I did I went a bit mad and spent loads! Although I had ordered from Bodyline previously, I suppose the first Bodyline print I fell in love with was their Alice in Wonderland print. I know some people think Alice is overdone in lolita but I couldn't get enough of it! I remember raving about this dress and then I went and got the skirt (it had to be the sax blue version, of course!). Although I had previously worn lolita outside before, this was the skirt I was wearing for what I feel was my first "big" trip outside in lolita. I had been very secretive about me wearing for lolita for quite some time and it was about the time I started this blog that I became more public. I remember writing a post about how I had gone to London and worn my Bodyline Alice print skirt. I was so proud of myself because I felt this marked a significant change in my life. I was becoming more confident. Sadly, I have since fallen out of love with this print and I sold my skirt on a while ago. But it will always be a significant part of my progress.

About the same time I was madly in love with the Bodyline Alice print, I was wondering if there had been any lolita prints made with ducks on. You see, ducks have always been my favourite animal. You can't move in our house without seeing loads of ducks. I decided I wanted to expand my love of ducks to lolita as well! So imagine my delight when I discovered a duck print existed already! I still remember the very first time I saw a picture of Meta's March of the Duck. I went absolutely crazy for it. However, it felt like this print was out of reach for me. At the time I was a month or two off from purchasing my first ever brand skirt and this duck skirt seemed like an unobtainable dream. I was going through a tough time with money and I focused more on building up my wardrobe with Bodyline. Little did I know at the time, that I would go on to obtain the skirt in March 2011. This was a huge deal for me because although it wasn't the first of my dream prints I had managed to obtain, it was the first time I had obtained one from a brand. I was so happy and proud that I had to wear it to a meet straight away. Luckily at this stage the Oxfordshire Lolitas had started to host monthly meets. I had already had another outfit planned, but instead I chucked together anything I could so I could wear March of the Duck. I still remember the feeling today. March of the Duck will always have a special place in my heart.

And then came the biggie. I fell in love with Alice and the Pirates' Midsummer print as soon as it was released mid 2010. Up until now, I hadn't been too fussed by classic lolita and was constantly wearing sweet. But Midsummer Nights Dream changed all that. I started to see the appeal of classic lolita more and I realised there was more to classic than floral prints and beige. It really opened my eyes and classic lolita started slowly seeping more and more in to my wardrobe. I loved the butterflies and windows. Although I have loved many lolita dresses, I think the first time I saw Midsummer was one of the only times I actually gasped. I knew straight away that I had to have it. As soon as I obtained March of the Duck, this dress was my top priority. Unfortunately this series turned out to be very popular and it was selling for over retail price. It took me until mid-2012 to get this dress; the longest I have so far had to wait to obtain a dress. But I guess in a way that made the feeling of finally obtaining it that much more satisfying. If I have learnt anything from this dream dress, it is that you shouldn't give up.

And finally, there came Meta's Fairy Tale print. It was mid- 2011 and my 2nd wedding anniversary was approaching. The wedding had been the best day of my life. We had decorated the venue with bird cages, roses, ivy and butterflies. All of these items appeared in this Meta print. This print instantly reminded me of my wedding day. This dress didn't remain a mere dream for long, as for the first time ever I brought an item on its release. I created an outfit that was based around my wedding day memories and to this day, I think it is one of the best outfits I have done. I even used decorations from the actual day. I think what made this series a dream for me was that I didn't just love what I saw. It actually stirred up feelings inside of me. And to this day the lavender skirt I own is my favourite item (well, joint favourite with my Midsummer dress!).

So that is my dream dress journey so far. My current wishlist is incredibly long and I still have lots of dresses I dream of owning. But the dream dresses in this post are the main landmark ones that have influenced me the most. I think it is nice to have something to aim for. So after purchasing some of my dream items and making those dreams reality, what is my current favourite dream dress? At the moment it is Day Dream Carnival by Angelic Pretty, although Meta's Feather Cross is still pulling at the heart strings after all this time as well!