Chandelier JSK Coord

JSK, socks, bag : Moi-meme-Moitie

Blouse: BTSSB

Headdress: Antique Beast

Parasol: AP

Shoes: Miho Matsuda (purchased 2nd hand as I refuse to support them)

This weekend I went out for brunch with my boyfriend and then went Christmas shopping. It was a gloomy, rainy day but I think that worked to our advantage since brunch places were less busy than usual. I didn't get pictures but I had a really good breakfast plate with extra-thick bacon and homemade bread. Really good!

We also went to the east end to go record shopping for Xmas presents. I was successful in that regard, but not at finding anything for myself (not that I should be spending money on myself this month). I can't say this without sounding ~pretentious~ but the reality is, the albums I want are rarely if ever stocked at record shops...I'll have to bite the bullet and do a bandcamp shopping spree one day! 

We finished our morning by getting starbucks christmas drinks! I used to work at Sbux and while people assume I'd be sick of their stuff by now, their Xmas drinks really put me in the holiday mood. 

I was really happy with my coord that day. I got the JSK from a former member of my comm and while I was a bit worried about the bustier cut, I think it looks good. I might get some removable clear straps added to it down the line but as it is now I like it. Also pretty much all my gothic looks involve this bag lately but whatever, it's a good bag. 

Going to spend the rest of this month finalizing Xmas shopping (I get it done early ok!) and getting hyped for the She Past Away concert! I also have a pair of knee-high Yosuke boots coming in the mail soon that I'm super excited about since they'll be great daily wear on top of being useful for lolita. And that's about it! 

Recent Music Favourites

In an attempt to make my blog more varied than just fashion topics, I thought I'd share some of the albums I've been listening to lately! I prefer to listen to albums all at once when I listen to music rather than just individual songs, so I thought it made sense to focus on them. I'm also far from an "expert" at talking about music or describing it, so expect a lot of inaccurate or bad descriptions. 

She Past Away - Disko Anksiyete 

A darkwave group from Turkey, I discovered them through their first album, Belirdi Gece. Lately though I've been digging this one, their latest album! It has even more of an 80s sound and is extremely high energy. I like a more morose and low key goth sound too, but anything I can dance to will always be my favourite. I'm supposed to see this group at the end of the month and my fingers are crossed that I can actually go! 

Joy Division - Closer

Yeah I know, I'm like 40 years late to this one. Whatever. Unknown Pleasures is their better known album and it's also really good, but Closer is the one I keep going back to. I particularly love "Passover" and "Heart and Soul". Every track is distinct but also bleeds into each other, which is what I love in an album. And I wish I could sing like Ian Curtis could.

Switchblade Symphony - Serpentine Gallery

To be honest I'm not generally a fan of ethereal darkwave/goth rock, as I find it too slow for my taste. But this album has been really enjoyable for when I need to focus on work or if I need a break from high energy stuff. I haven't listened to their other work so I can't speak for it, but the vocals on this album are extremely atmospheric and make me feel like I'm in a 90s teen fantasy movie...

As an aside, I love this album cover.

Lebanon Hanover - Tomb For Two

I've actually been really into a lot of their albums lately, but I picked this one in particular because it has Gallowdance on it, which I think is their best song. I believe they're German (?), though their music is in English. The main vocalist, Larissa Iceglass, has such a haunting and androgynous voice. To me, she is the epitome of goth vocals.

Kaelan Mikla - Undir Köldum Norðurljósum

My final pick and possibly my favourite on the list. Kaelan Mikla is a darkwave group from Iceland, I think they're all fairly young (younger than me anyway), but they sound like they've been making music for decades. This album has a really strong witchy vibe, particularly the main single "Stormurinn". This album literally just came out and I think it might be their best one to date. I'm tempted to buy it on vinyl, especially because it comes in this gorgeous teal blue colour. 

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Anyway that's just a few albums I wanted to share and recommend! Again, I'm literally terrible at talking about music in any profound sort of way, but it's enough to say I like these. I hope you do too. 

5 Gothic Coords (September-October 2021)

It's officially Halloween month, so I figured I'd do a breakdown of some of my latest gothic coords. My first post on this blog was a roundup of some of my favorite classic coords, so it's about time I do the same for my other main substyle. 

My relationship to gothic lolita is sort of complicated, in that I only got really invested in gothic lolita in the last 2 years. I'm still quite new to it. It's also complicated by the fact that—to be honest?—I'm not a diehard Mana or Malice Mizer/Moi dix Mois fan. I like Au Revoir and that's basically it. I know that you don't need to love those bands/Mana to wear gothic lolita, of course, but sometimes I feel sort of bad loving Moi-meme-Moitie without the attachment to its origins! 

In any case, my normal daily wear is mostly black clothing, so gothic lolita makes me feel most like myself. I've also been getting very into the goth subculture the last couple of years, coincidentally in line with when lockdown started (as they say, a lot of us picked up new interests and hobbies during quarantine). While the western goth subculture and goth music have little to do with gothic lolita, I often enjoy both of them simultaneously. 

Anyway, I've been loving supporting and discovering new goth accessory artisans these past few years, and while my collection is humble, I can't wait to grow my wardrobe in the future.

1. Vampire Prelude Coord

JSK, socks: Alice & The Pirates

Headdress: Innocent World

Blouse: BTSSB

Bag: Metamorphose

I wore this coord to get fancy cakes. It doesn't sound exciting but I liked just riding the train to the other side of town while listening to music and zoning out. Guess I'm an old man. Anyway, I'm extremely happy with how this coord turned out. When I received this JSK (to replace my red one) I was surprised by how ivory it is. I was a little concerned it would clash with my wardrobe but in the end I think it's perfect!

2. A Velour Nightmare

Skirt: Metamorphose

Jacket: Black Peace Now

Choker: Raspberry Mazohyst

Shoes: Yosuke

I mean nightmare in the cool edgy way. I got this skirt on a good deal and I love the long raschel lace and velour texture. Plus, the way the cut drapes in the front is so flattering! This coord is also the first time I wore my Yosuke platforms, which shockingly are pretty comfortable (I just need to concentrate when I walk). 

3. "Casual" Cross OP 

OP, socks, necklace, bag: Moitie

Horns: Eat Me Ink Me

Choker: Necrosarium

I'm calling this casual because I find the Cross OP always looks somewhat casual-comfy. I mean that in a good way though! It's easily my most comfortable piece, which was useful in this case, as I wore it to get dinner and watch Shang Chi in theatres. 

4. A Gloomy Walk

Skirt, bag, socks: Moitie

Blouse: BTSSB

Headdress (which you can barely see): Antique Beast

This was my second time coording my Holy Queen skirt, which as I mentioned in a previous post, I received with some fading. Again, I think it barely shows here, so I feel like I got a great deal on this piece. I wore this to go on a walk with my partner, during our week off together. It was threatening rain for most of the day but I think it suited my look!

5. Bat Maid

OP: Sheglit

Apron: Innocent World

Shoes: Fluevog

Velvet Ribbon: Mary Magdalene (repurposed from a coat)

Bag: Moitie

This coord probably toes the line between gothic and classic, but I love that combo to be honest! I wore this most recently, as I'm starting to get in the Halloween mood. "Bat maid" coords are definitely a Halloween lolita staple, but they're usually only popular with sweet lolitas, so I did my own spin on it. Again, this coord was incredibly comfy! I wore this to get lunch and go to the post office.

And there you have it, some of my most recent gothic coords! I'll probably do blog entries like this periodically with classic and gothic coords. It's fun to do slightly more in-depth breakdowns of my coords when I have the energy. 

Weekend chill + Lolita meetup

Since things are opening up here and my city has introduced a vaccine passport, there have been a lot more opportunities to go out while feeling relatively safe. I spent this past weekend dressing up, eating delicious food, and attending my first meet in literal years. I wanted to record it here so that when it gets dark and cold out, I can remember the fun times that summer brought! 

Jacket: Victorian Maiden
OP: Mary Magdalene
Hat: Sylvia Quaint
Socks: AP
Bag: Innocent World

On the Saturday, I went out with my partner on a date. We stopped by a local thrift shop I really love — there's always a ton of cool stuff and something for every aesthetic you can think of. I thought this room in particular was perfect for classic lolita, so I got a photo of my coord. I ended up buying myself a mini painting of a woman dressed in regency attire. The frame it came in was also gorgeous.

Summer 2021 Haul!

After an absolutely terrible 2020 and a rough start to 2021, things are finally working out for me.

Long story short, I had to leave my job in Japan in 2020 due to COVID. I got a job in Canada a few months later but for various reasons including bad company culture, I had to leave. So for the first chunk of 2021, I was unemployed AGAIN. Finally in April, due to a complete stroke of luck and knowing the right people, I landed a job I truly love. 

I'm not really a career-minded person and I certainly don't live to work, but it's important to me to work somewhere with a positive vibe and good people. I finally have that, plus I write for a living. And of course...I get a sweet, sweet paycheque. All this to say, I've had a lot more freedom to indulge in my hobbies lately, which means I can show off some purchases from the last few months! 

Wearing Lolita With Short Hair (my thoughts + tips)

 

Long hair vs. short hair in classic. Both are cute!

The question asked since the dawn of time...does short hair work in lolita fashion?  Okay, obviously I'm exaggerating but the reality is, this question is asked very frequently on Lolita Facebook boards and groups, to the point where I can't help but want to discuss it. I have a lot of opinions on short hair in lolita. As you may or may not know, I only ever use my natural short hair in my coords, and part of my ~lolita journey~ has been about navigating this aesthetic despite not having hair I can actually style. I hope this blog post can shed some light on having short hair in lolita, ways to make it work, and if it really matters at all. 

An Intro to my Classic Lolita style!

 

To start off my blog, I'd like to talk about 3 recent(ish) classic looks I wore that I feel really represent my personal style. I wear classic lolita more than any other substyle, though it took me a few years in the fashion to get to this point. I started off wearing almost exclusively Angelic Pretty—a sweet lolita brand— and over the years have discovered it isn't really me. Now, 5 years into the fashion, I can say I am a proud classic lolita, and have built up what I think is a pretty satisfying collection of pieces. So without further ado, here's a breakdown of some recent classic looks.