Lolita Fashion Book - Prologue translation

I bought this book when I was over in Japan in 2014/15 and I still open it often. It covers all the basics of the fashion and offers some great tutorials on how to do make-up and hair. Although the pictures are sufficient to glean information from, those who do not understand Japanese do not get to read things like the history of the fashion; the letter from Novara Takemoto, writer of Shimotsuma monogatari; or feel the atmosphere of the Lolita fashion-inspired writings which were written by, as I understand it, Misako Aoki herself. 

This week I will share with you one of those writings: the prologue. I translated it myself and I hope it will help you to enjoy the book even more.

The Lolita Fashion Book

Published in 2014 and edited by Misako Aoki. 

Prologue

Page 3

Morning.

I open my eyes, light that twinkles faint rainbow colours from the curtain.

I have long dreamed here

of a strange world so filled with the things I love.

This world is the magical spell that Lolita fashion has put on me. 

When a pink skirt ruffles lightly, the curtain rises on my story.

Here, I can be a princess.

Let us go.

To a kawaii-filled, frill and ribbon Wonderland.

Page 5

I've got to hurry. The tea party is going to start.

My closet where my favourites are all in a row.

I can't decide the one I like best  

However, time spent wondering what to wear is a wonderful gift given only to women.

When I have decided what to wear, I iron my blouse 

I don't hold back on the number of fills and ribbons I wear.

I apply girly pink to my cheeks and lips.

I'm ready. It's time to go out.

A Lolita clothed in the fashion she loves is invincible,

So I already can only think of enjoyable things, I won't think of anything but.

My spirit is lifted with each pannier I put on,

I feel so free that I could fly.

Today, the heroine is me.

Page 7

Now, the beginning of the tea party.

Macarons on cakes, doughnuts on cookies...

Many sweet, pastel-coloured jewels laid out on the table,

I feel like my idol, Marie Antoinete.

I eat as many as I like of my favourite sweets

And put on some sweet smelling tea.

When I have one bite of a sweet cake, suddenly a story blooms.

Shall we go? To the beginning of the story of a dream that lolitas speak of

Tell me more, as well, of your cute secrets.

...

What do you think? Did you enjoy Misako Aoki's interpretation of the Lolita world? Would you like to see more Lolita-influenced writing in general?

I hope to translate a few more passages in this book in the future in particular, the letter and history that I spoke of earlier. 

Until next time...

Tips to Stop Buying Lolita

Hi all...

I am currently planning a trip over to Japan in April, buying flights, planning transport and itinerary. I've been saving money for a number of months and now that it's getting closer I'm trying not to spend any money on Lolita fashion until April. 

There are many reasons why you might need to temporarily stop buying Lolita. Perhaps you're saving up for a holiday, like me. Or maybe you already spent all your Christmas money and maxed the credit card on Lace Market?  Stepping back from the auctions and second hand sales can be difficult if it has become a habit. So this week I'll share with you some tips I find useful to stop buying Lolita.

1. Set a goal 

If you really enjoy the fashion and you find it difficult to stop purchasing, setting yourself a goal is one of the best ways to stay motivated.  Being unsure of "buying boundaries" will make it harder to keep resisting as time goes on. In other words, saying "I'm just not going to buy anymore Lolita" is setting yourself up for temptation and disappointment. I have the trip in April to save up for and the added bonus of going somewhere that I can buy Lolita fashion. A date, a monetary amount, an event - anything can become your goal as long as you have a one. 

2. Make a plan of what your next purchase will be

Deciding what you want or need to buy next will help you with impulse purchasing. I'm thinking that I should buy a short-sleeve, white blouse next as that will have the greatest effect on my Lolita wardrobe in summer months. Knowing you want to buy a blouse or that you need to buy a new petticoat will stop you from getting that quick bargain that pops up on your social media feed.

3. Control what you look at on social media

When trying to save up, one of the worst things you can do is go and look at an auction site or eglcommsales on Live Journal with a casual attitude. You're deliberately putting yourself in a situation where it's easy to buy and encouraged. Even if you look at a sale, try to think about what would be good to buy after you achieve your goal or what might work in your current wardrobe rather than "can I afford it now" or "should I buy it now". This kind of change in browsing habits and attitude will be vital in keeping your sanity when you're not buying Lolita fashion. 

4. Replace your habit

I really enjoy the purchasing side of Lolita. Buying something new from somewhere far-away, waiting for something to arrive in the post; it definitely is one of the joys of this fashion, in my opinion. If I want to buy something when I'm on a budget however, I will try to do something else that I enjoy or is rewarding. I will wear my favourite outfit, spend more time on my make up, look at other people's outfits online. If I'm still reaching for the credit card, then I'll do something productive or even go buy something that's less expensive like some make up or take myself out for a coffee. This way I can stay positive and not feel like I'm punishing myself for trying to save money.

5. Decide Your Priorities

Deciding what is important to you will help you stay on track. If you actually write down what you want to do in order then it will be easier to follow through. Also keep in mind that buying lolita will only set you back from achieving your goals at this time.

However you approach budgeting don't forget that there are many ways to enjoy lolita outside of increasing the pieces in your wardrobe. What about trying a new make up technique or creating coordinates with your current wardrobe. Plan what gaps you have in your wardrobe or even have a look at other fashion styles to see how they coordinate their outfits. You may learn something you can incorporate yourself. 

As with many things, the trick is about remaining realistic and doing things in moderation. Good luck with your budgeting! 

Until next time...

A few funnies and a faux pas...

Hi all... 

Well, this week has been a steady 40 degrees celcius all week so with the heat and some changes at work there's not been much energy for blogging. While this week is a rather short post, I hope to post something a little more substantial in the coming weeks.

In my free time I love to trawl through brand sites and the wondrous archive that is Lolibrary. This week I want to share a few print names that tickled me pink!

Runt Cat Bouquet Rich Ribbon JSK

The Japanese name for this is ちびねこブーケ柄リボンいっぱい ジャンパースカート(chibi-neko-buuke-gara-ribon-ippai-janpasukaato). "ちびねこ" (chibi-neko) translating to tiny cat so it's pretty easy to see how this came about.

 Charmmy Kitty Trowel Iron Strap

Again the Japanese name gives a hint to the translation チャーミーキティコテコテストラップ(chaami-kithi-kote-kote-sutorappu). "コテコテ" (kote-kote) is a word meaning over the top; 鏝 (kote) using this symbol means hair-curler, flat-iron or trowel.

The above jumperskirt and bracelet are older items, 2009 and 2006 respectively, so you can imagine that there would have been less resources around to translate. Besides how are second language users to know that the words "runt" and "trowel" are not kawaii!

(Mind you, I would buy a bracelet with a little garden trowel charm on it)

There are some other items where the translation is a little stilted such as "Bless from Michael", the entire catalogue of the Queen of Snow Dresses and the ever popular "Cherish my Juicy Cherry". Nothing quite compares with the magic of Trowel Iron, however.

Smell it. Touch it. Cherish it. Cherish it!

 

Be My Valentine〜Bless from Juno and the Aria of birds

When I saw this recent print by Baby, I checked the background for "Engrish" and was not disappointed "soverayn" "chese and chese" "evere". I had a good chuckle to myself and after a while I decided to google some of the lines to discover it was a poem! Not just any poem, but a poem written by Geoffry Chaucer in around 1380, who according to a number of sources is the father of modern English literature.

WELL, did I feel like a fool. I was schooled on English Literature by a lolita brand. It just goes to show that you can never get too ahead of yourself.

Let's hope next week offers some cooler weather.

Until next time...

Three Quarters of a Lolita Fashion Wardrobe

This is the entirety of my lolita fashion wardrobe. It fits snugly into one small wardrobe.

At the end of my time in Japan in 2015 I realised that I would have to leave a large portion of my Lolita wardrobe in Japan. In fact, apart from the cardigans and blouses, I left everything that I'd taken to and bought in Japan behind in the care of my second family. So although I was tempted to place my wardrobe pictures up on EGL on LiveJournal this year, I decided to wait another year before putting my wardrobe on the board. 

I did take a few shots of the different colours in my wardrobe, my accessories and miscellaneous items and did some experimenting with coordinates, which I will share with you here.

As I have mentioned before, I am working towards a wardrobe that can be worn in many different ways and I mostly work with a colour pallet of blue, brown and ivory. 

White

My well-loved Anna House short sleeve blouse, Prince Conrad blouse from Alice and the Pirates, an off-brand pull-over and the blouse I got from the Baby the Stars Shine Bright 2012 Lucky Pack.

I definitely need more white blouses. This is goal number one of 2016.

Ivory/Beige

Metamorphose - Short-sleeve Ribbon cardigan (off-white), Alice and the Pirates - Mary Ribbon blouse (Ivory), Alice and the Pirates - Etoile blouse (Ivory), Baby the Stars Shine Bright - Sonnet for Juliet Striped Chiffon blouse (Ivory), Baby the Stars Shine Bright - Carolyne Blouse (Beige) 

I just discovered that ivory really isn't my colour (more on that some other post) so I sense a clean-out in the near future, which, on the positive side, will leave me with more money for Japan.

Pink

Baby the Stars Shine Bright - Snow Crystal Bolero, Metamorphose Temps de Fille - Rose Letter with Collar Pinafore JSK, Angelic Pretty - Happy Garden,  Metamorphose Temps de Fille - Girly Note OP 

Pink, THE colour for sweet lolitas. It may all have to go unfortunately.

A few pink coordinates. I finally found a way to display the clothes a little better.

Blue

Angelic Pretty - Stand Collar Chiffon blouse, Baby the Stars Shine Bright - Cardigan with Fur, Baby the Stars Shine Bright - Collection Chocolatier Douce Praline JSK (Sax), Baby the Stars Shine Bright - Hello Dear Bunny's Little Enchanted Room Pattern JSK (Sax) (Happy Pack 2016), Krad Lanrete - Phantom of the Opera JSK, Alice and the Pirates - Mystic Chiffon OP. 

All of my blue babies can stay. This will become my main wardrobe colour from now on.

A few blue coordinates. I really like the first coordinate with the Mystic Chiffon OP. 

Brown

Baby the Stars Shine Bright - Kuma Kumya's Sweet Chocolate High Waist JSK (Bitter Chocolate x Mint), Angelic Pretty - Wonder Party Skirt

I love the Kumya Kumya JSK. It's definitely one of my favourite pieces in my wardrobe. 

I can't tell you how happy I am with the kuma kumya socks!

Black

Unknown vest from Alice and the Pirates, Magical Cosmetics (L372) from Body Line, unknown pants from Alice and the Pirates

I'm not wearing any of these pieces. Although I was confident about a fabulous foray into ouji-kei last year it has become apparent that ouji-kei does not want us to be friends. Fine, I can take a hint.

Mint

Baby the Stars Shine Bright - Stripe Patissier Blouse

This is a blouse I was really keen on owning but maybe it's time may be over soon than expected. 

Hair Accessories

Innocent World - Striped Ribbon Headbow x 2 (navy and brown), Innocent world Organdy Bow Clip, Angelic Pretty Happy Garden headbow, Baby the stars Shine Bright - Fairy Headdress of Trifolium, Hello Dear Bunny's Little Enchanted Room Pattern Headbow from Baby the Stars Shine Bright (Sax) (Happy pack 2016)

It was the best idea to get the hair accessories from Innocent World. Having an accessory that matches every piece in a wardrobe changed my lolita game. 

Bonnet

Baby the Stars Shine Bright - Esprit de la Belle Epoque Bonnet (Brown)

This brown and pink colour is lovely and I love the print. I can wait to wear it together!

Accessories

(Left) Innocent World - Original Crown and Playing Cards Necklace (Gold), 

(Right) Baby the Stars Shine Bright - Alice's Teapot Necklace (Gold)

(Centre) Baby the Stars Shine Bright - Scarlet Wrist Cuffs (Ivory) 

(Centre Back L to R) Offbrand - gummy bear ring, Disney - Mickey Mouse Macaron Ring, Angelic Pretty - Balloon Heart Ring (Angelic), Angelic Pretty - Balloon Heart Ring (Pretty), Baby the Stars Shine Bright - Alice's Teacup Ring (Gold), Offbrand - Pearl Bracelet

You can see my journey from sweet lolita fashion to classic right here. 

Bags

Innocent World - Ladder Lace Ribbon Bag (Chocolate), Baby the Stars Shine Bright - Heart Bag (White) (Happy Pack 2012), Baby the Stars Shine Bright - Double Ribbons Bag (Pink x White)

Having a matching bag and shoe combination is the best. I recommend it so much to those of you who, like me, have a difficult time coordinating items. 

Miscellaneous

Baby the Stars Shine Bright Decoration Tape, Doll Classica Book by Midori Fukasawa, Lolita Fashion Book by Misako Aoki, Gothic Lolita Bible Vol. 56

The books by Misako and Midori have great make-up tips and hair tutorials in them! Some day I'll sit down and translate some of the longer passages about Lolita history. Perhaps that's a future blog post. 

I hope you enjoyed taking a look into my wardrobe. I am looking forward to making over my wardrobe this year and I hope you can join me for the journey.