Jan 2012 Oxfordshire Lolita Meet- Bears!

I have re-emerged from my holiday season hibernation and have attended my first meet since the October Ox Loli meet! I have been itching to see people and just go out somewhere for quite some time! The theme for this meet was bears because the group decided to go to Build-a-Bear and make an Ox Loli mascot. It was a bit crowded in the shop and a few people wanted to go to Games Workshop, so I didn't really help with the bear too much (sorry guys...). I think our new friend has a very cute tartan dress though!

So I would like to introduce you to Dolores! Or Lola, for short... This was the best picture I could find of our new mascot. She even has bloomers and a petticoat, so she is a good and respectable bear!

We also went to Noodle Nation. I have never been here before and now I really want to go back. Their food is yummy! I had salt and pepper chicken which was really spicy but tasty. I said to Michelle that we wouldn't need lip plumping gloss because the chili made our lips tingle! We also got given fortune cookies. Apparently Somebody is going to make me an offer I can't refuse. Well, I am still waiting... Later on, we also went to a cafe, where I shared a lovely slice of Victoria Sponge with my husband James.

Here is a group shot. Considering people were saying they wouldn't fit the bear theme, quite a few of us managed to pull something together.

I wore March of the Duck because I have no bear items in my wardrobe at all! I thought ducks were fluffy and cute anyway, so it was partially on theme. And I also had my Bodyline coat with me, which has fake fur on it.

Headbow, Skirt and bag (not shown)- Metamorphose (March of the Duck)
Cardigan, Blouse and shoes- Bodyline
Tights and accessories (not shown)- all off-brand

It was lovely to see people again after so long, although I think a few of us were suffering from bugs and viruses! Because I am hosting next month, I am currently in possession of Dolores. If I have time, I might make her a new accessory (but I am not making any promises!).

An interesting take on the headdress

I decided to take a look at the Innocent World sale going on (do check out the website. If I wasn't saving for Hyper Japan, I would snap up Felicia Crown in an instant!) and I saw the new Elisabeth Rose series.

What caught my attention was not the dresses, but the head bow. Well, the website calls it a head bow, but in the worn picture I think it looks more like a headdress!

This is the Rose Ribbon Oval Head Bow. As you can see, it is not your standard head bow. Although this item is attached to a hair band, I can't help but feel it looks a little like a rectangular headdress. Rectangle headdresses are not considered that fashionable anymore, but I love this oval take on the idea. It looks like a more modern and fresh take on an older design. And I think it looks very beautiful! I love the use of 3D roses.

Although the blue looks beautiful, I think my favourite is the beige/pink colour. The dusky pink has a slight peachy hue to it.

I just wanted to share this piece today because I found it inspiring. I think if lolitas fall out of love with an idea, we should try and find a new way of wearing items or trying out something slightly different, with a few subtle changes. It is good to recycle!

Bon Bon Chocolat Dance Dance Dance by BABY

Time for another print discussion! Today I will be looking at Bon Bon Chocolat Dance Dance Dance by BABY (who love giving prints really long names!). This series contains 2 dresses, a skirt, a blouse, 2 headbows (one print, one solid colour), socks and a selection of jewellery.

This is the Praline JSK. The bodice looks well fitted and a pretty shape. The neckline is a good scoop shape  and is finished with this soft looking lace, which has cute little hearts running along the centre of it. The stock pictures suggest that there is another layer of lace hidden away underneath, which the dress doesn't really need as the main lace used is enough. The waist has a thin line of good quality ribbon running around it (with the colour-way shown, the ribbon used is a deep blue colour). This helps to define the waist a bit, although because of the busy nature of the print, this detail does get a bit 'lost' and you don't really notice it being there. The same ribbon is also used for a corset on the front. The corset looks a bit chunky because the spacing is close together and the ribbon is wide, which makes it look a bit messier. The sleeves are thin, but are bulked out a bit by soft lace. There is a lot of lace around this area, but I think the design just about gets away with it, without looking too much.

The bodice also has a very detailed large bow on the front. The bow is folded, giving it extra depth and movement. It has a lovely shape to it. The edges are lined beautifully with gold trim. As you can see in the picture, the bow also has a Baby logo charm on it, which I think is beautiful. The photo also shows that the bow is a different shade of blue to that used for the corset. I think the navy blue of the bow suits the dress better. Although the ribbon used for the corset is very vivid with a deep colour, I think it clashes a bit.

The back part has a shirring panel, which is concealed by a ribbon corset. Because of the style of print, the shirring blends in well. The skirt has a nice slight bell shape to it, although with a sweet style print, it probably could have been a bit rounder. It appear to flare out quite well, so it should hold a lot of petticoat. The skirt part has been kept plain, which is a good idea. Any details here would get hidden away by the print anyway. The bottom hem is finished off with the same style of lace used on the neckline. There is another layer of lace underneath which is impossible to see in Baby's photos!

This is the Milk Cafe JSK. The bodice is well fitted, but I am unsure I like the overall shape of it. I think it could be because the neckline is low and the bodice is crammed with lots of detail. There is not a single thing I like about the lace on the bodice! It looks so fussy and I think the way it has been used makes the design look cheap. I think the dress would look so much better without that lace. The front has a ribbon corset, which is spaced out better than the other dress, although this detailing is lost among everything else surrounding it. There is also a raised panel (which would also probably look better if the lace wasn't there) with a scalloped edge and luckily, the scallops do look fine. The raised panel also has lace on top, which is further topped with a line of ribbon and a small bow. The ribbon does look slightly shiny, but I think it is cute. The straps are a bit thin and I would have liked them a tinier bit wider. Unfortunately, I cannot give my opinions on the back of this dress because the pictures are not available, but the measurements suggest there is a bit of shirring. The skirt on this dress is much more rounded compared to the other JSK and is the sort of shape I would expect to see with this print. It also appears very spacious, and so will hold a lot of petticoat underneath. The skirt has a horizontal line of ribbon close to the bottom which is topped by 2 bows. Luckily, it doesn't look too OTT and does not detract too much attention away from the print. The bottom hem features a scalloped edge and some very wide lace, which I think looks awful. If it was me, I would completely remove all the lace off this dress and just start again.

And this the print close-up. The print is available in 5 colours- off-white, pink, sax-blue, brown and black (colours mentioned are the base colour of the print). I think the sweets look very cute. All the candy wrappers are very detailed and a lot of thought has gone in to them. I especially like the heart lollipop! The background is very busy, but I actually like it. The bumpy lines work well with the print and makes a change from straight lines. The bows and ribbons in the print have a realistic shine to them. My favourite colours are the brown and off-white versions. I think that for me personally, the best is the off-white.

This is the Carée headbow (there is also a bow with the print available). I prefer this bow out of the 2 available. The solid colour makes it more versatile and easier to wear. I also like the layering effect on the bow. The Baby logo charm is also very cute!

This is my top pick of the jewellery. I think this candy ring is extremely cute! I love the use of pink to give it that little bit of extra detail. I also feel this style of sweet jewellery is more mature and classy. This ring is available on 2 shades, but I think the gold looks prettier.

Overall, I am unsure what to make of this set. When you think of all the chocolate lolita prints out there, I don't think this series stands out as a "must-have". I also feel that the Milk Cafe JSK lets the rest of the series down. However, maybe this style of chocolate print would appeal to those who dislike the more popular chocolate prints, which we see being worn a lot. Would I buy from this series? Probably not, but I do like the solid colour head bow and the jewellery.

My Wardrobe!

I am sorry for posting a day later than I usually do, but I spent all of yesterday screaming at Youtube waiting for my new videos to load.

I have had some requests to show my lolita wardrobe and I have decided to give you what you requested! I finally got a proper wardrobe in December. Up until now, I had been relying on a clothes rail but it suddenly collapsed due to the sheer weight of everything!

Now, because I had such a hard time uploading my videos, I am afraid you are going to have to go to my Youtube account because if I have to upload them again to blogger, I think I might actually cry!

Part 1 is here-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6eA7ak17cc&list=UUmQn5QQK11iqnGg0ZaBPUVQ&index=2&feature=plcp

My camera memory ran out, so I had to do it in 2 parts. This is part 2-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4XJkM9SDQo&list=UUmQn5QQK11iqnGg0ZaBPUVQ&index=1&feature=plcp

I am really sorry about the lighting on the video. I was trying my best with limited light and a very basic camera.

Coincidentally, the EGL theme for January is wardrobes and I have been keeping an eye on the posts. I am unsure if I am going to post this on EGL or not because I am still growing my wardrobe and I don't think it matches up. My current thoughts on my wardrobe are that I need more blouses/tops, solid coloured hair accessories (which work with more than one item) and lots more lavender items. I never realised this before, but my wardrobe has quite a wide-spread amount of colours. I see lots of people have less colours in their wardrobe but as a result, it means they don't have a hard time finding items to match. It makes me wonder if I need to have a re-think about the colours in my wardrobe.

Here are some additional photos which include items not in the videos. (I left out my petticoats and bloomers)

This is what my hanging space looks like at the moment. My home is incredibly small, so it is impossible to fit my entire wardrobe in to one photo. The wardrobe was a flat-pack one from Ikea. My husband James and I had great fun putting it up! My shoes are organised by colour with the pale ones on the shelf shown and my darker shoes underneath. I try to split my other items up by colour too, but I failed miserably. On the far right, you can just about see where my blog mascot Ahiru-chan lives with a couple of her ducky friends. Underneath Ahiru, I keep all my Gothic Lolita Bibles and Kera magazines.

I completely forgot to show my accessory hanger! I have lots of random stuff in there, but you might be able to see a pink chocomint star clip, a rose brooch I made from a GLB pattern, Bodyline strawberry hair ties, an Angry keychain (from Hangry and Angry) and my waist cinching belts at the bottom.

I own lots of pairs of solid colour black tights because they are very versatile. A recent addition were these harlequin style diamond tights. I have always wanted a pair! I found these on Ebay.

Two of my jewellery boxes (there is more!). Can you see why I didn't put all of this in the video? I am always buying jewellery!

One of my favourite things to buy is rings. I managed to get most of them on (minus melty moon and my AP initial rings). All of these are off-brand rings. Some were given by friends and others were found at conventions, such as the MCM Expo and Hyper Japan.

So that is my wardrobe! Don't expect me to make another video for a little while, because this one really exhausted me! Do let me know what you think. What do you like and dislike? Where can I improve? Do you think my low quality video was a massive waste of time? (I hope the answer to the last one is 'no'!) Thank you for watching!

Bodyline Review Jan 2012- Positive

It is time for me to review Bodyline again! Over December, Bodyline were doing special shipping (in fact, I think there is a new one for January too, so do go and check it out before the end of Jan!) so I decided to use some of my Christmas money to buy a few new basics and a couple of things which I can't show you in case a certain group of local lolitas is looking!

Ordering- This was pretty straight forward considering I have used Bodyline many times. The website is definitely a lot faster now. I heard a few people had problems ordering from Bodyline over December, but I had no issues so I am assuming Bodyline have now fixed any problems they were having.

Shipping- Inevitably, this was a little slower than usual, what with it being the festive season. However, if you minus all the bank holidays, my order actually arrived in a similar amount of time. I chose air shipping and it was about one day slower than EMS. My only complaint is not with Bodyline, but with Parcelforce. Parcelforce's website is awful and I found it very hard to keep up-to-date with my tracking. So I had to use the Japanese tracking page, which doesn't work as well when the parcel gets to its destination country. So the delivery man took me by surprise, because I thought my parcel was still being processed at the depot.

Packaging- The bag it was posted in survived the journey well and there was just one small tear (which you can see near the top of the picture, where a red Bodyline bag is poking through). There was also a Japanese sticker which said 'fragile' on it. I assume this is because I ordered some shoes. And speaking of shoes, Bodyline did not pack my shoes securely. Once again, they were just wrapped in tissue paper with those shoe inserts stuffed inside. I have seen pictures of Bodyline shoes boxes so I know they exist! Thankfully, the shoes were not damaged.

These are the shoes in question. These are shoes 167 in light purple. I intend to keep adding purple to my wardrobe after introducing it to my wardrobe last year, and these are my first purple shoes. They are a delicate lilac shade, and the website picture is quite accurate. The actual shoes may be a tiny bit darker. It is a very simple design with just a heart buckle on the side, but for $27 it was worth it. I am thinking of adding some shoe clips to these at some point.

However, I did notice that the shoes were slightly bigger than usual. I don't know if the size difference is that obvious in this picture, but the purple shoes are bigger and they are both meant to be size 250. I am probably going to need a pair of insoles for these. The strap meant that my feet felt secure, but there was a ridiculous amount of toe wiggle room. If you buy these shoes, try a size smaller. Despite this, I do really like the shoes.

I also got a basic pair of pink over-the-knee socks. I already had some pink socks, but I felt I needed more! The socks are lovely and soft. I don't think they are going to stay up when I am wearing them, so I might need to keep pulling them up during the day. I have had this with Bodyline socks before so I knew what to expect. I am very happy with these.

I also got cardigan L072 in red because I felt my wardrobe desperately needed some more red. The cardigan is really soft. I probably wouldn't wear it if the weather outside was very cold, but it would be perfect for Spring, Summer and milder Autumn/Winter weather. The colour is lovely and rich. I also love how the cardigan is cropped, so it is perfect to wear over lolita dresses.

A close-up of the sleeve end. The lace doesn't look to bad for Bodyline.

You can't really see it in this picture, but the buttons are heart shaped. I love my new cardigan. I think it is my favourite item from this order.

I also got a few small bits. The reason I can't show you is because they will be prizes for the February Ox Loli anniversary meet! All you need to know is that these items were well made, a good price and I really hope my fellow Ox Lolis will like them. I might post some pictures of what I got after the meet has passed.

So overall, there were a few minor problems but I consider this to be a positive experience. But I already knew that my shoes would not be shipped in a box, and in all fairness, the shoes were not damaged.. Maybe one day I will finally get one of those elusive Bodyline shoe boxes!

The End Of Immortal Eden by AatP

Today I will be taking a look at the new series by Alice and the Pirates. It is called End of Immortal Eden. The series contains 2 dresses, a skirt, socks, a shirt, a headbow, a bonnet, a headpiece and a few pieces of jewellery.

This is the JSK. The bodice is very well fitted and a good shape. I also like the slight heart shape neckline. The bodice has what I like to call a 'fake bow' as in there is material gathered to make it look like there is a bow stuck on the front. I still think that 'fake bows' can sit a little strange over the chest area. This dress has not convinced me that they are a good idea, but this dress looks better than similar designs I have seen and I think that is because it is more subtle. The fake bow is surrounded by pretty lace, which makes the neckline a cute shape. The front also has a ribbon corset. The ribbon looks well spaced and good quality. There is no detail at the waist, but I don't think this dress really needs anything there. The straps are a bit too thin for my liking, but you have the option of removing the straps to make this a strapless JSK. I think it looks better without the straps. The back has another ribbon corset which is again, neatly spaced and looks tidy. It conceals the shirring panel very well. The skirt part has a beautiful bell shape to it and I think it is absolutely perfect for this dress. You would be able to fit a decent amount of petticoat underneath to suit a classic or gothic lolita shape. The skirt has been kept fairly plain, so you can see the print in its full glory. The bottom hem is finished with some very beautiful rose lace.

This is the OP (although it is called JSK II on the site. I am going to call it an OP). The bodice shape is fine, although not as fitted as the JSK. However, the shape is helped by the solid colour ribbon belt. The OP also has wonderful waist ties, which have the lace part of the print on them. The ribbon belt appears to use good quality ribbon and the simple bow in the middle adds a nice bit of detail, without looking too sweet. The bodice also has a gorgeous cluster of roses with 2 lines of pearls hanging underneath. I think this is a really beautiful idea and I hope Alice and the Pirates use this design again in the future. The neckline has a nice square shape to it, finished with lace which although looks good, is not as pretty as some of the other types of lace used in this series. The sleeves look very stretchy. They are slightly puffy but thankfully, they don't look too sweet for this very gothic dress. This dress does not have any shirring and the back has been kept very plain. This dress also has a very pretty bell shape and it is suitable for the style of print. Like the JSK, the skirt has been kept very plain and the bottom hem is finished with rose lace again.

And this is the print close-up. If you read my last post about my 2012 wishes (which I wrote before this print went online), you would know I wanted to see more birdcages in lolita and I am very excited about this print. I think it is stunning! I love the decorative birdcage and the way the roses wrap around it. The roses have areas of light and drops of dew on them, giving them extra depth. The feathers float effortlessly around the print. I also like the line of lace with the subtle inclusion of the brand name hidden inside. This print is available in green, bordeaux, navy (shown) and black. The navy is my favourite, but the black/red comes a very close second. I have not been this excited about a print for a while now. There is not a single thing I dislike about this print!

This necklace is one of the pieces of jewellery being released. I like how it is not over-crowded with feathers, so it doesn't look too fussy. I also like the rose and the little brand logo charm.

This is the very feathery headdress. I wish it had been made a bit simpler because I think it is going to look too OTT when teamed with the dresses. If they took away a few of the feathers, I think it would look a lot nicer. I would stick with the headbow or bonnet.

So overall, this series gets a massive thumbs up from me. I love this set and I fell in love with it as soon as I saw the first scans appearing. I think the dresses are beautiful, and so is the skirt (not shown in this post). If I had to choose a dress I would go for the JSK, but I do like the use of roses on the OP. I think there are some very beautiful pieces in this series. Would I buy from this series? Do you really need to ask!? Of course I would buy from this series! It is such a shame I have already spent all of my Christmas money! This print is being added to my wishlist and it is definitely going to be one of my top priorities.

Things I would like to see in 2012

As we start a new year, it is time again for me to share the things I would like to see happen in the world of lolita fashion this year.

1. Angelic Pretty to release a duck themed print for Easter- Around Easter time, you can guarantee that Angelic Pretty will release a print with an Easter theme. In the past Angelic Pretty have released lots of things with rabbits, there was the chick shaped bag and last year, we got Sheep Garden. So... how about some ducks? Ducks fit a Spring time theme and it would be new ground for AP. AP, if nothing else, I can guarantee I would buy it!

2. Bodyline to release a pair of sax blue shoes which are actually sax blue!- I get very annoyed with Bodyline sometimes and a personal gripe of mine is ordering sax blue shoes when... they are not actually sax blue! This so called sax blue shoes seem to have a green tinge to them and I think the best way to describe them would be a duck egg blue colour. Don't get me wrong, I do like the shoes I ordered, but when something says it is sax blue I expect sax blue! Maybe I have just been very unlucky with my selections? If you can tell me about any Bodyline shoes which actually are sax blue, then do let me know!

3. A Lief Gardenberry replica- I am not going to get in to a replica debate but seeing as Lief have gone out of business anyway and are not going to lose any money, could we please have a Gardenberry replica? Lief were known for not having the best quality but I have always adored the prints they released. Gardenberry has always been out of my grasp. I once came close to getting it on the sales comm, only to find it had sold just a few minutes earlier. Very frustrating!

4. Less chess themed prints- I simply adore chess prints but I think we have enough for now. Chess was big news in 2011 (mainly thanks to AP, but other chess prints came out too) and I will be very interested to see which trends appear in 2012.

5. More Rakuten shops to allow overseas shipping- Some brilliant Rakuten shops already let you order directly from them but with lots of others you still need to use their forwarding shipping service. I especially would love to be able to order from shops such as Paris Kids directly.

6. For Bodyline to have an actual sale- In 2011, Bodyline held lots of "sales" which were really not sales at all. Bodyline very sneakily upped their prices just before a sale and then for the sale lowered the prices back to their previous cost. Not only does it mean that we benefit from lots of cheap stuff, it also means that Bodyline sells out of their really old stock on the website, making room for lots more new exciting things. I should point out, it is not just Bodyline doing this with their "sales" but they appear to be the biggest offender.

7. Everywhere releasing more navy blue items- my new favourite colour!

8. Metamorphose to attend Hyper Japan- This was actually on my 2011 list as well. Due to bad timing, I was unable to attend Hyper Japan in 2011 (mega sad about that!) so I don't know if Metamorphose attended, but they probably didn't! I may be on my own here, but I really noticed Meta not being at Hyper Japan in October 2010. I am grateful to all the big brands which make the effort to come to Hyper Japan, but I think Meta deserves a bit more love!

9. More bird and birdcage themed items- I just think they are beautiful!

10. More variety in the lucky packs- Has anybody noticed that instead of mystery lucky packs, a lot of brands now just release special lucky pack prints? I think part of the lucky pack experience is not knowing what items you are going to get. It is a bigger risk but generally, people are able to sell unwanted contents on. I didn't buy a lucky pack in 2011 because I wasn't particularly excited by any of them. But if I do buy one this year, I would really like to save up and get an Innocent World one. Every time I see somebody post their IW lucky pack contents on EGL, I get mega envy!

And as for me personally, I really want any meets I host to go smoothly, I would like to meet lots of new people and make more friends. I also want to get more organised with my blog posting, money, and just in general. Also, whilst writing this post, I looked up my old post about things I wanted to see in 2011 and I was very pleased to see that some of my wishes came true! I hope that the same thing happens this year!