Sunday, June 13, 2010

Daily Snap Post (mid-June version)

June 1, 2010
A simple, casual coordinate with my new Metamorphose JSK.



JSK, Socks, bloomers: Metamorphose
Shoes: Baby the Stars Shine Bright
Parasol: Alice and the Pirates
Bag: Aldo
T-shirt: no idea

I wanted something simple, since I've been working a lot lately and don't really have time to fuss with clothing and accessories. This worked okay, I think, although it's not something I'd wear to a meet-up or anything fancy.

June 5, 2010
























JSK, Blouse, bloomers: Metamorphose
Bag, necklace, ring: Baby the Stars Shine Bright
Shoes: Montreal
Socks: Alice and the Pirates
Bracelet: Forever21

This was day two of A-Kon, hence the exhausted look on my face! I don't usually pack lolita with me for cons - it's not practical for working in, and it takes up so much room - but it was international lolita day, and I realized this coordinate worked okay without a petticoat (my biggest packing hassle).

June 10, 2010
























Blouse: Innocent World
Skirt: Bodyline
Bag: Angelic Pretty
Tights: Hue
Shoes: Baby the Stars Shine Bright
Parasol: Alice and the Pirates

I don't wear skirt and blouse coordinates very often; in fact, I only have a handful of skirts in my closet! The black-and-white scheme was a little dull for my mood that day, so I added the bright tights for some punch. I was supposed to be meeting some local ladies for a birthday tea, but work piled up and I didn't wind up making it after all :(

Friday, June 11, 2010

Adventures at Closet Child

As I mentioned a few weeks back, my fiance J recently visited Tokyo (without me, sigh) and was quite determined to buy "something lolita" for me during his trip - partly, I suspect, to ease his guilt about not having me come along! I was holding out, but the night before he left, we discovered his hotel was a 10-minute walk from the Shibuyu Closet Child. I drafted up a page for him with my measurements, favorite brands and photos of a few desired items, along with warnings about size concerns.

Boy, did he have stories for me when he returned! Here's what I've learned about sending someone else to do your lolita shopping in Japan:

1. Don't send a man to do a ladies job: J went to the Shibuyu shop with a Japanese-speaking friend, also male, and promptly got hustled out by the staff! Even with a translator explaining they wanted to buy a dress for J's bride-to-be, the shopclerk would not look them in the eye. Instead, she stared at the ground, alternating between begging them to leave and insisting there was nothing in the shop for them!

This isn't true of every shop, of course. J had no problem at the other two Closet Child locations he tried, but the experience was quite upsetting for him. If you are sending a gentleman on your behalf, be sure to warn him in advance that he may get a rude reaction from some shopclerks.

2. Fudge your measurements: Japanese lolitas, at least the ones working at Closet Child, don't seem to view shirring in quite the same way Western lolitas do. I'd written down my measurements in cm, with Japanese tags, but listed them a little higher (2 cm) than they really are - and the shopclerks were adamant that nothing in the store would fit me, even though J's photos show fully shirred items in the window displays!  In retrospect, I should have given my exact measurements, and told J to watch out for items with elastic panels.

On an amusing side note, the shopclerks were apparently amazed & impressed by my bust measurements, and couldn't stop teasing Jim about how well-endowed I was :)

3. Provide lots of photos of print options: I'd only give J photos of three different prints I liked, because I didn't want to seem greedy. In hindsight, I should have given him way more. As a second-hand shop, Closet Child's stock changes from day to day. Having more options to choose from would have given J a better chance to finding something just right for me.

4. Suggest accessories and handbags as alternates to clothing: I'm not sure why, but the Closet Child staff never thought to recommend non-clothing items to J. Hangbags, headbows and jewelry fit all sizes!

5. Be prepared to love whatever you get: In lucky pack fashion, asking someone else to shop for you may leave you with an item you'd never have picked out on your own. In the end, J brought me back a lovely dress, made all the more special because of the effort and thought he put into choosing it for me.

So what did I get?


This lovely Metamorphose JSK! The fabric has tiny white polka dots, with loads of frills and pintucks. The skirt is huge, and it's super-comfortable to wear. A bit more sweet than my usual style, but I love the length and the way it feels when I twirl around.

Also, I freaked J out by declaring the brand as soon as he pulled it out of his suitcase, by the fabric alone. Since it's not even a distinct print, and he hadn't checked the brand tag when he bought it, my capacity for brand-spotting really wigged him out :) This may not be the fanciest dress in my closet, but I think it will always be my favorite, because I know how much J went through to get it for me, and what that represents.

Monday, June 7, 2010

The view from my weekend

I just got back from a rather exhausting work trip, so it's going to take me a day or two to catch up on things, but I just had to share the view I found myself staring at all weekend:

Why yes, that is a booth full of lush, lovely h.naoto clothing! Lucky for me, their boutique was very focused on HANGRY & ANGRY, which helped keep temptation at bay. They did have a couple of amazing h.naoto GRAMM pieces, and I'd promised myself one if the show went well.

Alas and alack, it was not to be. They will be showing again at Otakon, however, which gives me until late July to save!

I did manage to attend the h.naoto panel, so I'll post up a report on that in the next few days!