My Wardrobe 2017

Hey everyone!

I really left things until the last minute here, but it wasn't really until the last minute that I realised I did want to do a wardrobe post after all! I've been completely out of the livejournal loop (not that I've missed a whole lot. January is the only time it's truly active on egl, after all!) and am going to set aside some time to look at other people's wardrobes, write some comments, and generally soak up those happy, pretty clothes vibes.

My wardrobe went through minimal changes this past year, outside of the addition of more accessories, a handmade main piece and my dream dress acquisition!

http://egl.livejournal.com/20124532.html

I feel a sense of completion, in that I have no dream or holy grail items left to chase. There used to be more I really wanted but over time I lost interest or become apathetic towards them. I never really worked that hard to get my dream dress, which is why it took so long. I think deep down, I liked always having something left to want, and now that the quest is over in that respect, it's bittersweet. Still... I occasionally come across pieces I do like and would enjoy owning, so I'd like to think I'm not at the end of the road just yet.

Exploring other fashions has been good for me because even though I do have a decent number of main pieces, I don't have the sizable collection that some lolitas do, so naturally my pieces were getting worn in fairly heavy rotation during my daily lolita phases. I do like my lolita wardrobe but I was starting to get bored of wearing the same things all the time! Breaking up the cycle a bit has been nice, and it's stopped me from entangling my personality/identity with a particular style or subculture. I keep wanting to make a YouTube video about that-- about how one can eventually lose themselves in something that was supposed to help them find themselves, but I never get round to it. Maybe this year! It would be fun to use my channel some more.

Anyway, the wardrobe post is done, and January is over. This month hasn't quite gone to plan (does life ever!?) but there has been some progress, and of course, there's still 11 months of 2017 to go!

Did any of you make an egl wardrobe post? Link me to yours if I've not commented on it already!
How has your January been? Feel free to chat to me about it in the comments!

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time ❤

🍓 Rainy Day Looks and Wintry Frills 🎀

Hey everyone! I'm getting some good vibes from this year already, and this is reflected in the surge of creativity I've had these past couple of weeks. I find myself writing lists and coming up with new designs and concepts for my business, as well as beginning to work towards some more personal goals already. The year is so young but... so far so good!

One way in which my creativity has come back full force is where putting together outfits and taking proper outfit pictures is concerned, so I thought I'd share a couple with you!

This first outfit was for running some errands and being my mum's personal chauffeur to her hairdresser's appointment. She can't drive, so it's really nice to be able to take her places after all those years in which she accompanied me via public transport or on foot when I needed moral support. It was a grey, rainy day, so I wanted to wear something dark, but with a little whimsy to cheer me up. I've also started to do my makeup differently, which has been a fun experiment as in the past I've mainly gone without makeup at all, or put on the absolute minimum. Hopefully I will get better at photographing it as time goes on!

No glasses-- what a rarity! I'm not actually used to seeing myself without glasses as they've been such a staple part of my look for a long time now, but it's been a nice change! I'm tempted to get different styles of glasses for different outfits, though.

The skirt was an absolute bargain on eBay. It caught my eye because it reminded me of a Meta print I own. I figured it would be cool to own a miniskirt with a very sweet lolita-esque print and I was right. I teamed things up with a Fall Out Boy t-shirt which matched the print, and some lolita flats.

The slogan really tickles me, and only adds to the charm. I'm so into monochrome with splashes of colour recently.

Cardigan: Lazy Oaf

Top: Blue Banana

Skirt: Lazy Oaf

Shoes: Bodyline

Next up, a lolita coordinate. I had more errands to run, including posting out shop orders, which always puts me in a good mood. I feel so much like myself again for the first time in a long time, back to those days where I can just throw on a lolita dress for a mundane outing. I think that's my favourite time to wear lolita, though, with no pressure or expectation from anyone else, and the freedom to enjoy the clothes entirely on my own terms. I'm definitely a lone lolita at heart!

This is one of those jumperskirts that I somehow forget to wear. I'm glad I remembered about it on this occasion, though! I find it so cute and old school, and I like the retro feel of the polka-dots. 

I went for another item that gets less air time than it deserves: my Teddy Ribbon coat!

It is such a warm, heavy piece, and with appropriate layering underneath, absolutely conquers those chilly days we've been having here in the UK recently. This coat is quite long on me, and covers up the entirety of whichever dress I have on underneath. I like this as it keeps me warmer, but also means I can use my coat as an outfit in its own right!

Jumperskirt: Bodyline

Coat: Baby, The Stars Shine Bright

Bag: Angelic Pretty

Shoes: Bodyline

That's all my outfit pictures for now, but I'm sure I will be posting many more this year now that I've discovered a nice corner of my bedroom that's convenient for outfit shots, and realised that the flash on my camera is actually quite nice! As well as correcting poor or uneven lighting and making up for the short daylight hours of winter, it seems to have eliminated the grainy, blurry look a lot of my other indoor pictures have had. Result!

I hope you've all had a great start to the new year, and that you enjoyed this post! A question I'll leave you with is: do you prefer to wear lolita as part of a group or by yourself? Maybe you like both? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!

Thanks for reading and looking, and I'll see you next time ❤

The New Year's Post 🎆

I'm big on closure and reflection, so imagine my frustration when my laptop died again and I was left without any means of doing the general blog-related housekeeping duties I normally partake in at the end of the year. Today I received my brand new laptop (I also made sure, for the first time, to purchase 3 year breakdown insurance for it, because I have gotten through way too many laptops at this point not to). I opted for buying something more heavy-duty than I really need it to be just in case!

Anyways, now I'm here, I suppose I ought to do some musings for the year that ended, and the one that's just beginning.

Like many others out there, 2016 sucked for me. It wasn't the absolute worst year of my life, but it was probably one of the most disappointing, though I guess that's the downside to approaching things with optimism! I started the year incredibly hopeful after a very aimless, meandering 2015. I thought that this would be the year I finally got my life together, with a career on track and the steps in place to move out of my family home. Oh gosh-- absolutely nothing went to plan! I didn't get a job in my field of interest, I still live at home, and the future currently seems to be one big experimental question mark. So... why do I feel excited for 2017!?

Maybe it's because despite the friendships that ended, the mental health struggles, and the times when everything seemed to be going a bit wrong... 2016 had its really amazing moments. Like the sense of achievement I got from pulling off my Hyper Japan adventure! 

Sometimes I still look back on pictures such as these and think "omg. I did all of that."

I got a real buzz from being a vendor at such a busy convention, and I would love to do more events in 2017! Oh, and let's not forget that I learnt to drive. Who would have thought that would ever happen!? I struggle a lot with driving anxiety, but I refuse to let that hold me back, and I'm actively working on not psyching myself out when I am a perfectly capable driver. Five years on from meeting my partner online for the first time (via Last.fm, of all places, our paths crossing due to our super musical compatibility), we went to see The Darkness in London for what turned out to be an absolutely amazing gig.

It provided a nice circularity to things, standing there, hand in hand, seeing Justin Hawkins in the flesh, bouncing up and down to the music that had initially brought us together, and reflecting on how our relationship has grown. I hope 2017 will bring more happy, carefree moments such as these.

Fashion-wise, I didn't like any of the brand releases whatsoever in 2016. I always knew lolita would continue to evolve but at this stage in its evolution, I'm just so disinterested! Nothing about the current classic-influenced, rather OTT look appeals to me, and I'm quietly glad to see that there's a growing counter-movement in which people are showing off wearable, daily outfits and trying out old school looks. I don't want to be that person who's constantly stuck in the past, but previous lolita eras were what got me into the fashion, and had an aesthetic that appealed to me. I suppose all I can do is be aware of what's current, and continue dressing the way I prefer regardless!

A happy December pic the day after the gig. This called for white tights but whatever, haha.

A brand I've been super into lately is Lazy Oaf. I've known about them for a while through seeing other friends wearing their clothing, but I never really got a chance to get into their clothes until recently, when I had some disposable income, and some time to pop into their shop and see what the quality of their pieces was like. I needn't have worried too much. I came out with a panda dress which I fell in love with (I really like pandas) and a desire to own more of their items. My collection is slowly but surely growing, and it's been really fun to experiment with my style in a way I've not done in a while. I think Lazy Oaf is a good brand for those into 90s inspired looks, Japanese street fashion, and wearable pieces with quirky details. I love that it's a UK brand, and that I can get some fairly distinctive items without having to worry about import fees!

This Mickey Mouse cardigan is the cosiest, softest, warmest thing ever and I love it so much.

It's been a lot of fun to have a brand to be excited about, as I've obviously not been able to get that feeling from lolita brands in a long time! It's made me really mull over the kinds of clothing I'd like to create for my own brand, which constantly seems to be changing. I went through a short period of time where I wanted to make it specifically a lolita brand, but I don't really think there's any point. The lolita market is over-saturated, and I kinda feel that everything has been done already. Currently, I'm thinking of expanding the clothing I offer, as currently I'm a bloomers queen, with the rest of the items being accessories. It would be great to offer pieces that would appeal to lolitas/people into J-fashion/colourful alt-fashion lovers, while doing something affordable and different. I'll have to see how that goes! It feels as though 2017 is going to be my fashionista sewist renaissance and I'm so hyped for it.

I've not much else to say. I think those of us who experienced hardships in 2016 need to do our best to heal and recover, learn from our mistakes, find strength to deal with our pain, and find a way to focus our light and energy on making this year a better one for ourselves and each other. I've not set any proper resolutions for myself, but I want to work on some career and business-related goals, as well as building up some new friendships. If I get to do any travelling this year, it will truly be the icing on the cake.

How was your 2016? Have any goals in mind for 2017? I'd love to hear your New Year's thoughts!

Happy New Year!!! I hope 2017 will be everything you want it to be. 

Much love.

❤