This year has absolutely flown by, you know? A lot of it is a big blur, for some things I’m not entirely sure when they happened (which month or whether it was even this year) — and there is still more to come! Nonetheless, on dreary November days looking back at some of the happiest memories from this year is just the kind of positive lift up that I need, so big thank you to Lolita Blog Carnival for this week’s prompt.
1. Buying Polonaise Brillante at BtSSB Osaka
I know, it’s so stereotypically shallow and materialistic in lolita to kick the list off with a purchase, but it’s true. Polonaise Brillante was one of those dresses that I never expected to come true, certainly not from a Japanese brand, and I fell in love at first sight. To be able to obtain it in my preferred choice of cut and colourway, directly in store, from a branch in one of my favourite cities - that was such a moment of pure joy. And every time I get a glimpse of this dress in my wardrobe, I just want to squeal with joy and put it on immediately.
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| You can basically hear the squee in this photo. |
2. Wearing lolita in Japan
Whilst part of me wishes that I had the energy to do some more elaborate coordinates, being able to wear not one but three coordinates during that trip was a wonderful experience. This time round I have definitely felt less self-conscious about that, despite not being in the company of other lolitas like I was last time. I’m sure that my look attracted some stares from the general public, however, between 2014 and March this year my confidence in this fashion has grown. I hardly notice the looks when I’m in the UK - in Japan, where people look regardless because I’m clearly a foreigner, it bothered me even less. And each time I wore my frills I was also doing something else that was special: lolita shopping the first time round, Pokemon Cafe the second and USJ the third.
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| Let's be real here for a second - wearing lolita in Japan is not always as glamorous as we make it seem on Instagram. This picture is a more accurate representation. It's socks rolling down, it's comfy shoes, a jacket that doesn't match when it's chilly, your train pass round your neck and bags full of shopping. And that's part of the fun too! |
3. Being King Henry VIII
This was a coordinate that I didn’t expect to come true so quickly. I loved absolutely every second of wearing it. I know we keep banging on about how lolita is not cosplay, but embodying the spirit of the person who inspired by outfit was incredibly fun. Yes, swishing cape probably wasn’t the most dignified way to be king-like, but also — I am king, I have a cape, I am going to swish it, so deal with it! Recently I learnt that a friend of mine has done an outfit inspired by another English king, so hopefully we can join forces one time and be silly kings together. Royal Man Meet maybe?
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| I am fully aware that from the back I just looked like a Lord Mayor about to open the town's new supermarket, but that's also part of the fun of this look. And weee, swishy cape! |
4. Hosting Frilly Housewarming
Hosting meets is something that I genuinely enjoy doing. I also enjoy hosting small gatherings at my own place. Being able to combine the two was the best way of bringing both worlds together and no doubt I will do more of that in the future. Not only is it nice to be able to be frilly whilst not having to deal with the general public, it’s also great to truly relax, take your shoes off, have unlimited free tea and guaranteed comfy seats. Where I am now is not where I’ll stay long term, so hopefully my next move will be to a slightly bigger place, that will allow to host even nicer meetups at home.
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| I've not taken that many photos during the meetup itself because we were too busy chatting. |
5. Discovering and reading Kitai Fuku Ga Aru
I do have a full review of the entire series scheduled to publish later this month, so I’ll try not to repeat too much of what I said there. In the meantime, you can look back at my review of volume 1, if you’re interested. Discovering a manga series with a lolita protagonist was such a pocket of joy, as our media tends to be very much focused on YouTube and Instagram. Between Kamikaze Girls and So Pretty/Very Rotten we only have magazines left to us to read, so a full-on story in manga form was a wonderful addition to that reading list. Not only that, the story is very relatable to anyone who’s ever worn or tried to wear lolita fashion, regardless of whether their own experiences were anything like the protagonist’s, as we’ve all seen those things somewhere. It was a great read, which proved quite cathartic at times, and the fact that it exists makes me very happy.
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| My manga shelf is very selective in titles and this is probably the most representative of me and my interests. |
That’s all that I could remember or that jumped out at me now. Luckily, because I blog, I have a record of these experiences and memories that I can look back on. What have been your happiest memories of this year so far? Anything stands out amongst other things? For more positivity, make sure to read the posts from other bloggers participating in this week’s Lolita Blog Carnival prompt.
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