Finished my dress! (and a little meme)

Last weekend I was able to finish my IW-style dress. It's sugary-sweet and very pink, but I love it. It turned out exactly the way I wanted. I think it's fitting for spring, because there are pink and white blossoms on the trees everywhere, and now also on my clothes ^^
The long skirt is not very practical on the bicycle, though... And I suffer from hayfever, so please excuse my dull and less-than-charming face on the pictures. I wasn't feeling very well.

And this dress was a lucky find from H&M. Their new spring collection is very flowery, girly and cute: a lot of gyaru, a little bit of lolita influence, and they have some pieces suitable for mori girl as well. I thought this dress was very cute. It's comparable to Bodyline in price and quality, but I like the design much better!



sorry for the blocked out face, but I looked very sleepy -.-

I found this meme on Elegant Poupee, and I filled it out myself, too:

~Lolita Meme~

1.      Best Lolita fashion advice you've ever received?

Dress for yourself, in clothes you think are beautiful. Who cares what other people think?

2.      Style icons?

Zeruda, Sapphira, Ellinor, The pink fairies Audrey Hepburn, Victorian Maiden models, the girls from Une Cortile de Roses (actually, the entire Finnish & Swedish communities…)

3.      Describe your personal style.

Simple, elegant and cute. Classic and romantic.

4.      Favorite designers/brands?

Victorian Maiden, Mary Magdalene, Alice and the Pirates, Innocent World.

5.      Most cherished items?

My handmade dresses. And my one and only BABY dress.

6.      I feel best wearing?

Jumperskirt with a cutsew or turtleneck, tights and pretty heels.

7.      Most used item?

White and black tights. I own about 3 pairs of each.

8.      The first thing I look for in another Lolita's outfit...

Whether the clothes fit them, both size and style-wise.

9.      Lolita Fashion rule you never break?

No bare legs! If your shoulders show, it’s not lolita! (It can still be pretty though, but it’s not ~lolita~).

10.  Never caught wearing?

Bloomers. They’re ridiculous. I always wear tights anyway, but if my skirt flew up and everyone could see what I was wearing underneath it, I’d rather let them see my panties than those ugly, old-fashioned long underpants.

11.  Dress to impress who?

Myself, my friends, and a random lolita who could walk past me and think: hey, she looks good!

12.  Your next "must have" purchase?

Sugary Carnival replica skirt. I usually don’t like AP and I certainly don’t like their price, but SC has grown on me. It’s OTT sweet, but also easy to tone down.

13.  Favorite type of head accessory?

Flower clips, or a pretty headband.

14.  Favorite cut of clothing (shirring, high waist, princess seams etc)?

I adore princess seams, they’re the most flattering cut ever. All the dresses I make have them.

15.  Current obsession?

Mori girl, natural earthy colors and long dresses.

16. Best Lolita fashion advice you can give to anyone:

The length of your skirt is not as important as many make it seem. It shouldn’t be mini, but I think shorter skirts can look cute and attractive, and I adore the elegance of longer skirts.



Sewing, plans and results

I'm still worried about Japan, especially the nuclear reactors. I prayed today, even though I don't believe. I had watched the news and just folded my hands and begged ~insert divinity~ to let it be alright. In this case I could pray to Einstein, I guess. I really hope the sacrifices of those brave scientist and engineers won't be in vain.
All the stress about Japan resulted in breaking my fasting. When I feel bad, chocolate always cheers me up. But alas, my fasting plan failed. I still try to be moderate and sober with my food, but I'm not a very big eater so it's not that unusual.

Next week are the mid-terms. I have 2 exams (Cultural studies and Modern history) and 1 paper to write (Folklore). It's not very much, but I do have to spend a lot of time on it... And this weekend I want to sew, too! I've had a dress in my head for a few weeks, and it's urging me to get made.

I already have all the materials, and the design:



sloppy sketch, I'm sorry...

It's heavily inspired by Innocent World's maxi-dresses, for example the Alphabet Rose: http://hellolace.net/wardrobe/innocent-world/type/jsk/item/101/ and their Rococo dresses, like this one: http://hellolace.net/wardrobe/innocent-world/type/jsk/item/33/

I can't wait to sit behind the sewing machine again~ My fingers are itching to gather, pin and lace up.

I always have so many plans for future dresses, but I already have a small wardrobe filled with finished dresses. The light is slowly getting better, so I was able to take somewhat decent pictures.

Yes, those light spots on my skirt, that's... sunlight!

 

   

Mary Magdalene's 'Rote Rose' was my first Dream Dress, so it was one of the first lolita dresses I copied. It's not an exact replica, but it has the same aesthetic. I love the color, the gathered upper part, the ribbon on the empire waist, and also the length. It feels so luxurious.

This is the sailor OP I already posted a while ago, except now with an even hem. It was the first time I used this pattern, and I'm not happy with the skirt. It doesn't fit very well, it only allows a small petticoat, and the seams bulge in weird ways. But with some ironing, I hope no one will notice...I do think it's super cute, with the collar and the buttons and the boats on the ribbon~

And my beautiful Baroque Orchestra dress! I fell in love with this print the moment I saw it, and it's such a soft, fine corduroy too. I love everything about it. It's also very easy to dress up or down, and it's suitable for mori-girl inspired outfits!

I think my house would be filled to the roof with dresses if I had unlimited time and money. Sewing is a lot of work and sometimes I get really frustrated, but the results are definitely worth it :)

Daily outfits

The weather is slowly getting better, and this means it's easier to wear lolita. Although I did get caught in a downpour today... But that won't stop me from wearing pretty clothes!
I try to wear casual lolita to college as often as possible. My friends like it, and I think most people who study Japanese do. Sometimes I'm afraid that teachers won't take me serious, though. That they'll think I'm just another 'otaku'. But I tell myself that true professionals will look past my clothing, and only at the papers I write and the texts I translate. (And hey, almost everyone my age makes a statement trough their looks and clothing, so they should be used to it. My class is full of gothic, emo, scene and general "harajuku" styles, so I think they can handle one lolita.)

But, onto the clothes!
For this first outfit I wanted to have a more mori girl inspired look, down-to-earth and natural. Unfortunately, when I came home from college it was already dark, so I couldn't really take a good picture... This was the best I could get:

JSK- Bodyline
everything else- offbrand

I think that, if I want to make it more "mori", I need a vintage blouse or a long coat. I also should wear my hair down and slightly curled, with flowers or lace ribbons in it. And maybe woollen socks instead of these tights. But, this is lolita, not mori girl ;)

Also, meet my hair at its new lenght! It's lost 20 cm, and I've got some sort of long, sideswept fringe. It's called a lock in Dutch, but I have no idea what the English word is. It's pushed back in this picture, anyways.

I'll take better pictures of my new hair once the light is better.

The next outfit is about as elaborate as I'll go, for class. It's the 2nd lolita dress I ever bought (from Bodyline of course), and admittedly, not really my style anymore. Also, the bodice is a little short so it's more of a babydoll on me. But it's still cute, and I can create many different looks with it (from sweet to semi-gothic, depending on the coord).

JSK- Bodyline
everything else- offbrand

You can see my "lock" a little better in this picture. I think it makes my face less stern because not all my hair is pulled back, but I still don't really know what to do with it. I don't like the bald spot between the lock and the rest of my hair... I still have to find the right way of wearing it.

I also sewed a sailor onepiece in the past few weeks, but unfortunately, the hem is very uneven so I'll have to do that again. Still not finished... But I can show you a few pictures anyways~

pulling the skirt straight so you won't see the uneven hem...



I'm so proud of the sailor collar! It was my first time sewing one, and I think it came out really well :) I might sew myself a few cutsews with a collar like that. This onepiece was inspired by Metamorphose's many sailor pieces, though I didn't copy any specific design. I just wanted to use these cute buttons and trim!

But do you see how uneven the hem is? I'll have to get the trim off and do it again completely. T.T

When I finish it completely, I will post better pictures. And then I'll write about my sewing some more, and show more of my work as well. Hopefully the light will be better soon, and the weather warmer!