Some Thoughts on the Iron Gate OP Re-Release...

Whoops...left this sitting in my drafts folder for the longest time! I just wanted to share a simple Iron Gate OP coordinate I wore last year as well as my brief thoughts on the re-release.

I placed my order last year during the very first round of Online Salon pre-orders and my dresses were in hand 9 days later! I must have been one of the earlier orders, because I know some people didn't even get their shipping notices until after I received mine. I guess they had a lot of orders to go through! I bought all 3 colourways, although I've since sold the black x white with white lace. I'm likely going to sell the black x blue colourway too since I've already got the JSK.

I don't have a lot to say about quality so I'll keep it brief - we all know that Neo-Moitié is pretty hit-and-miss and this is no exception. The print quality is phenomenal - crisp and bright with no flaws on all three of the OPs I ordered. The blue colourway is especially vibrant. The lace and fabric have changed slightly compared to the original release, too. It's lighter weight and drapes differently, and the sleeves are more opaque. I don't think the fabric feels as nice as the original release fabric, but it's not objectively bad or anything...it is what it is, right? The price was kept relatively low, which means that corners had to be cut somewhere.

So, let's move onto the fit! For reference, I'm 1.55m tall with wide shoulders, small bust and waist, and long arms and legs. Straight up, this dress is not small bust friendly. Or small-anything friendly, really. The front and sides are baggy on me, but the back looks all right. The bagginess is only apparent in certain positions, depending on how I hold my arms and if I'm slouching or not. It's not a big deal to me personally since I usually layer my pieces with a jacket or corset, but it's something to keep in mind as it's not super flattering. I've seen the dress on people with larger busts too and it still doesn't look as flattering as the original - it just doesn't sit in the right place and gather nicely.

This is where the big difference between the original release and the re-release lies - the cut is way different even though both dresses look very similar at a glance. The gathering around the bust and waist (and the sleeves) is totally different and causes the dress to sit differently. The original OP fits me better and is more flattering on my bust even though the measurements aren't drastically different...and my weight hasn't changed drastically since the last time I wore the original OP.

I'm very happy about the increased sleeve length and the fit of the shoulder area, though! Even though I'm pretty short, I have super long arms and broad shoulders, so a lot of long-sleeved blouses, jackets, and OPs are a little too short or too tight on me. The wide neckline works for me, the sleeves fit perfectly, and I'm able to lift my arms freely without straining the dress at all. The elastic cuff hits right at my wrist, and fits comfortable. My only concern is that the cuff is pretty small, so people with larger wrists might find it too tight.

The length and skirt circumference are fine, even though people were freaking out about it on Instagram prior to the release. I found it a bit strange that people were homing in on this "flaw" when the more obvious flaw was that the cut completely changed...(´･_･`)

Overall, I have really mixed feelings about this release. I'm so glad that everyone finally has the opportunity to own such an iconic dress, but I do wish it had been executed better. I really do prefer the JSK and will probably end up wearing that cut far more often...

[Current Music: Franz Ferdinand - Love and Destroy]

2021 Anti-Haul: What I Didn't Buy

I love anti-hauls, so I decided to do one of my own! Lolita is a hobby that revolves around conspicuous consumerism and brand loyalty as a form of self-expression, so it's only natural that FOMO and overspending are common problems for a lot of us. On the whole lolita is still a slow fashion that promotes using durable materials, buying secondhand, crafting and DIY, and so on...but that can't last forever. it's starting to adopt more and more practices from fast fashion. Microtrends, super limited releases, buying cheap throwaway items, hyper-specific items or themes that can't be reused easily... I think the rise of tiny fly-by-night brands and social media is helping to contribute to this, and I don't like it at all.

I'm certainly not immune to this myself. I didn't need to buy all 3 colourways of Iron Gate, but I did because I was worried I'd never get the opportunity again. I had the money set aside for it so it wasn't a financial hardship, but then what happens when the next coveted, limited release comes out in a few weeks? Will I get FOMO and buy that too? And then the next? Keeping up with new releases is like jumping on a treadmill that you can't get off.  I'm not frugal, but I'm not a spendthrift either. My income is pretty modest and I have a few big expenses like tuition and licensing fees, so I can't go too crazy...but it's very tempting, and that's the problem. How many people do you see "joking" about shopping addictions and eating ramen so that they can afford the latest release? Yeah. 

 

Oh, and I've since sold one of the Iron Gate OPs, so there you go.

 

One tip that helps me is putting an item in my cart and waiting for a week to see if I'm still in love. Of course this is hard because it can be a total crapshoot trying to find an item after it's already sold out. But a lot of the time, I realize that I liked the piece, but it wasn't necessarily a must-have...or that I was more interested in getting a good deal than I was in the piece itself.  Hell, I even took a few items out of this list as I was writing the post, because I'd already lost interest in them. It's a very useful exercise. I actually haven't purchased anything new in months.

 

Instead, I've been trying to focus more on playing around with items I already own and clearing my closet of things I haven't worn. Simply liking a piece isn't a good enough reason to keep it, in my opinion. So, onto the list of pieces that didn't make the cut for me this year!

Royal Princess Alice Butterfly Church JSK

 

 

I was obsessed with this dress when I saw it on RPA's Twitter a while back and basically checked every single day until they announced the release date. I love butterflies but there are so few gothic prints that feature them, so I get really excited when I can find butterfly-print anything. But I'm not sold on the white lace trim. It's weirdly distracting, especially on on the bodice. And it doesn't make sense to pay full retail price for something I'm not totally in love with, right?  Especially because RPA's quality is questionable at best.

Physical Drop Rose Romantica OP

 

I've been wanting a frilly, solid red main piece for a while now, and I (foolishly) passed on the red Nonette JSK that came out a few months ago. This one looks gorgeous and comfortable, and I've also wanted to try Physical Drop out...but I already know that this cut is going to look awful on me. Pass.

Sheglit Sleeping Forest Tulle Skirt

 

 

Sheglit has really been coming for my wallet over these past few months, especially with their purple releases. I've had to skip on so many gorgeous releases; Holy OP, Edelweiss OP...honestly, the only reason I didn't buy it at the time is that I had already reached my spending quota for the month, but in retrospect I'm glad -  I don't have enough purple accessories to match with it right now anyway. 

 

 

Sheglit Adelheid Cape JSK

 

 

I just desperately want to look like a vampire governess, and now that Atelier Boz is gone (RIP) Sheglit is the only brand that can really scratch that itch for me. However, I'm also aware that I'm short with linebacker shoulders so this would look ridiculous on me.

Sheglit Beatrice Blouse

 

 I really, really hate that dark purple has become a microtrend among Japanese gothic lolitas. Not because I hate purple (on the contrary, dark purple is my favourite colour) but because it is incredibly hard for me to resist the urge to add a new colour to my wardrobe. I think  I'll settle by buying purple blouses and accessories to wear with black solid main pieces. That being said, I need to pass on this one because it's a bit pricey for such a simple piece. Colour alone isn't a good reason to buy something.

 

 

Moi-même-Moitié M+Cross Rose Forest OP

 

Yet another dress where the cut just isn't going to work for me. I had the original Rose Forest Lace OP and it was so unflattering on me that I immediately sold it. I'm a little bit bummed because I really like simple nonprint OPs like this, and I adore the fabric. I hope they continue to use this lace in the future! It's beautiful and has such a nice texture.

Atelier Pierrot Noble Over Dress

Okay, this one hurts me because I actually 100% love the piece and don't have any nitpicks about the design or concerns about the fit. I just straight up don't need any more velveteen in my closet. It's beautiful, but it's hard to care for and can only be worn a few months out of the year...it's easily damaged, too. The idea of cleaning red velveteen is just...bleh.

So, that finishes up this year's round-up of things I didn't buy! I definitely want to do this again next year, so I'll try to keep careful track of all the releases I skipped on. It's kind of fun to go back and see what I still like and what I'm glad I passed on.

 

Thank you for reading!

 

[Current Music: PJ Harvey - A Perfect Day Elise]

BIPOC Vamp Day 2021 🦇🩸

Hi bats! Today I'm sharing my outfit for BIPOC Vamp Day 2021. The event is in the same vein (ha) as Black Fae Day, which was an online event encouraging black people to dress up as fae and mythical creatures and share their looks on social media. I like vampires (and vampire hunters, of course!) a lot more than I like faeries, so I was pretty excited about this event! 

I adored the Blade, Underworld, and Ultraviolet movies growing up, as well as Buffy and Forever Knight. I read almost all of the Anne Rice vampire novels, too. Like all budding weebs, I loved Hellsing, Vampire Hunter D, and Trinity Blood. I played through Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines a million times. I had a ridiculously long vampire dynasty running in The Sims 2 for years. So yeah, I was definitely into vampires...yet somehow I never had any interest in Twilight even though I was the target demographic - angsty millennial teen girl. Didn't want any romance to get in the way of all the leather pants and brooding and ultraviolence, I guess. 

To this day, I want to get permanent fangs installed so that I can look like Selene from Underworld.

One of my screennames comes from a silly Vampire: The Masquerade forum roleplay character I made up when I was around 12. I was starting to get interested in tabletop gaming at the time and I stumbled onto World of Darkness lore books on some random goth's Geocities homepage. I only did some forum RPs because of course I was way too young to play in-person. Being a tween, I just wanted to be a quirky-yet-insanely-powerful gothic vampire wizard, so of course I made my character an obscenely wealthy mad scientist Tremere. She was supposed to be a sort of silly, over the top, comedic character. In retrospect she was kind of an uninspired mashup of existing characters, but she evolved over the years into a much better character. I still have all of my old character sheets and illustrations! (´･ᴗ･ ` )

I decided to do a cute layered coordinate with lots of sheer pieces and different textures. I really like the look of the tulle skirt peeking out underneath the ruffled skirt, and I chose a mesh/tulle headdress to mimic the look of the the tulle skirt. I kept the layered ruffle theme going with the layered collar, the wristcuffs over the sleeves, and of course the frill along the corset.

Am I a vampire, or a vampire hunter trying to blend in? You be the judge...

Skirts: Sheglit Asymmetric Frill Skirt layered over Sheglit Foliage Skirt

Blouse: Moi-même-Moitié Cross Arch Flare Sleeve Cutsew

Corset: Na+H Halter Frill Corset

Headdress: Moi-même-Moitié x Krad Lanrete Nocturnal Romance Headdress

Choker: Moi-même-Moitié Coffin Lace Choker
Tights: Moi-même-Moitié Iron Gate OTKs

Jewellery: Trickery, Etah Love, Néant Glass, Restyle

Shoes: Na+H Strap Shoes

I'm looking forward to seeing what other vamps are wearing today!

[Current Music: Snake River Conspiracy - Vulcan]

Goodbye Coordinate: Moi-même-Moitié Chandelier JSK

I decided to wear my white Moi-même-Moitié Chandelier JSK before I listed it for sale, but there's a story behind this dress! I bought it from Closet Child many years ago when a friend sent the listing to me. The listing stated that it was lightly stained and the price reflected that, but the photos didn't look too bad, so I went for it. I think it was my first white (well, ivory) Moitié piece and I was just very excited to try shiro lolita for the first time so I didn't care if it was stained - cheap Moitié! You can probably see where this is going...

The dress arrived with some interesting stains. There were rusty orange discolourations on the inner lining of the bodice and armpits - maybe the first wearer had worn it without a blouse and it was just oxidized body lotion or deodorant or something...? But the really spooky stains were the brownish-red spray and splatters down the front of the bodice and skirt, and on the back too. It was even in the lining. Initially I thought it was just some kind of sauce, but after looking more closely at the stains I'm 99% certain it was blood. Σ(°△°|||)︴I tossed it in the washing machine with some sanitizer and predictably the bloodstains didn't really come out, so it just became the mysteriously cursed dress that I only wore on Halloween. It only seemed fitting.

 

Halloween party coordinate from...I can't even remember what year this was...

Anyway, I hadn't thought about this dress in a long time, and I was doing a big wardrobe purge a little while back. I'm not a fan of ivory and I don't have much that matches with it. On top of that, the dress doesn't fit me very well in the bust and tends to just slip down over the course of the day. I don't have that problem with some of Moitié's other bustier-style dresses, but something about the shape of this one just doesn't work on my body shape. It's a beautiful piece, but it's not right for me. So it had to go.

 

I decided to give cleaning another go. My mom swears by this weird all-purpose cleaner for removing stains - it's neon yellow, and it looks and smells radioactive. I figured the dress wasn't worth much in its current condition so I had nothing to lose if the cleaner melted the fabric or something. To my surprise, it cleaned the stains extremely well! After two rounds of spot treating and some more washes, it was pretty much good as new.

 

JSK: Moi-même-Moitié Chandelier JSK

Blouse: Moi-même-Moitié Rose Flare Sleeve Cutsew

Belt: Moi-même-Moitié Candelabra Lace Obi Belt

Headdress: Moi-même-Moitié Rose Cross Lace Head Bow

Choker:  Moi-même-Moitié Dot Tulle Choker

Necklace: Moi-même-Moitié Candelabra Pearl Necklace

Bag: La Luice Lace Rabbit Pochette

Socks:  Moi-même-Moitié Thorny OTKs

Shoes: Metamorphose Heel Strap Platform Shoes

This dress really is pretty, but you can see that the bodice doesn't fit me lol. It's a little too long and the bust is too big. I still really like it but...yeah. I'm sure someone else can do it justice!

This is also my first time wearing this headdress (Moi-même-Moitié's Rose Cross Lace Head Bow). I paid way too much for it because I got into a bidding war, but I've literally been looking for this specific colourway for several years, and I never got my hands on it, so I didn't mind splurging a little. Isn't it pretty? It has cute picot ribbons and a rhinestone cross decoration. The size is perfect, too. Moitié headdresses are so good. I've sold a lot of mine because I'm running out of space and I don't really need that many frilly rose headdresses...but they're just so cute ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡

Oh, and of course I had to make a silly edit picture!

[Current Music: MDFMK - Witch Hunt]

Hot Summer Tea Party ☀️

I went out for afternoon tea with my good friends today! We're all gothic lolitas, but we didn't actually plan on wearing Moitié main pieces...it just turned out that way. Same brain cell and all that.

POV: You're about to get stepped on by the Moitié hivemind

Wearing lolita in summer truly is suffering. I would have loved to dress up super fancy for tea, but the humid weather defeated my plans. I went to my old summer standby: my Moitié Juliet OP. Juliet OP is one of my best purchases ever! It's so comfortable on its own in summer, and looks cute layered on top of a blouse or cutsew in the cooler months. It's one of those pieces that I only bought because I saw it in person - the stock photos aren't that great.

Somehow I've never worn short socks with lolita, even though I've been wearing the fashion for years. I think it's cute, and it was definitely more comfortable than my usual OTKs, but I'm not sure if I totally like the look or not. I think it's something that I'll have to get used to. Even outside of lolita I don't usually wear clothing that shows my legs.

Ugh, I just realized my necklace was turned around! (⇀‸↼‶) It's got a red rose inside to match my rose headdress. I was wearing a red ring, too.

OP: Moi-même-Moitié Juliet OP
Headdress: Moi-même-Moitié Rose Cross Arch Headdress
Jewellery: Néant Glass, Moi-même-Moitié
Socks:  Alice and the Pirates See-Through Stripe Short Socks
Shoes: Yosuke

It was my first time dining indoors since the pandemic began, so I was initially a little bit nervous. But after I reminded myself that so many of my friends and coworkers have been going to restaurants and movie theatres with no ill effects, and that my city has a very high vaccination rate, I felt calmer. Even though I thankfully don't have to deal with covid patients in my line of work, being a healthcare worker during the pandemic has been nerve-wracking, especially because I live and work with immunocompromised people (and I have some chronic health conditions myself). I'm working hard on adjusting to the fact that the current situation is relatively low-risk, while still remaining cautious.

I had a tower of delicious sandwiches and tiny desserts, and an entire pot of vanilla chai tea. We also had some sparkling green tea to finish, which was super refreshing on a hot day like today. I've been meaning to try making sparkling tea at home. I hate sparkling water (why would anyone want spicy water?) but sparkling tea is awesome.

After our tea platters we continued our tradition of seeking out the nearest McDonald's for a round of chicken nuggets and fries. We weren't even that hungry, but it felt wrong just walking past without getting a snack for the road. We also took the usual circle of feet and hand star photos, because your lolita meet isn't complete without them. Don't @ me, I don't make the rules.

I haven't seen some of my friends in person since 2019, so it was wonderful hanging out with them in a more-or-less normal situation. We were still missing a few people, but this was still such a great turnout! I can't wait until we get to reunite with the American half of our little goth squad ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡

[Current Music: Perturbator - Birth of the New Model]

Goodbye Coordinate: Rose Forest Lace OP

Whew, exams are over, so I can finally relax a little bit! Feels weird to just...not be studying.

I'm still in the process of closet cleaning, but I think I've cleared out most of the pieces that I'm tired of. I still have a few main pieces that I'm on the fence about, but I've sold off most of my unwanted blouses, purses, and accessories. I have a hard time letting go of items that I still really like, even if I'm not using them, so it was a bit difficult. It helped when I came up for pros/cons of keeping each individual item. I often didn't have any justifications for keeping an item other than "it's cute" and "it has sentimental value" so I'd recommend that method to anyone who is having trouble saying goodbye to pieces that they don't wear very much!

It's tough with Moi-même-Moitié in particular because older pieces are so coveted and so high in price that I know that if I change my mind on an item, I'll never get my hands on it for a reasonable price again. I collected most of my older, nicer pieces back when Moitié was at a low point. I remember balking if someone priced a choker or socks at over $25 because I knew I could get them for even cheaper. I should have bought more at the time, but I was also an intern on an intern salary. ┐(‘～`；)┌

Here's one of my goodbye coordinates with my Rose Forest Lace OP, which I bought from a friend who was unhappy with the fit. I really wanted to like this dress, but it just doesn't fit me well either. I don't fill out the top half and the waistline hits at a wider part of my torso, so it just looks baggy unless I'm wearing it with a corset or something to cinch the waist in. It sits a bit weirdly on my shoulders, too. That being said, it's super comfortable, even in this hot weather! 

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this dress to someone who is built like me with wide shoulders, a flat bust, and a shorter torso with a small waist. It'll just hang in weird places. You need a some curves to fill it out properly.

 

OP: Moi-même-Moitié Rose Forest Lace OP

Blouse: Moi-même-Moitié Holy Cross Collar Blouse

Corset: Sheglit Lace-Up Frill Corset

Blazer: Moi-même-Moitié Lace-Trimmed Jacket

Headdress: Moi-même-Moitié Coffin Lace Headdress

Choker:  Moi-même-Moitié Coffin Lace Choker

Necklace: Black Peace Now

Socks:  Moi-même-Moitié Lace Ribbon OTKs (2019)

Shoes: Antaina 

I can't justify keeping a pretty dress if it doesn't flatter me, even if I like everything else about it. But I ended up selling it to a local friend at the price I paid for it, so I'm very glad that it found a good home! Does anyone else have a hard time saying goodbye?

[Current Music: Vision Video - Inked in Red]

Park Meetup and Record Shopping!

Whew, this week has been an absolute mess. I'm completely swamped with work and I'm getting super behind in my clinical work, amongst other things, but at least I have a bit of good news: my Iron Gate order has shipped! I'm going to do a detailed review as soon as it's here. I forgot to mention that I ordered the matching socks, too. My missing seamail package finally turned up, too. I figured it was at the bottom of the ocean by now, since the tracking hadn't moved since April! It's going through customs now. The package was a bunch of summery stuff like a short-sleeved bolero and ankle socks, so it's kind of annoying that it's arriving just towards the latter half of summer...but I'm also just happy that it's in the country.

I also went to a small meetup at a park this weekend. I haven't seen my comm or most of my friends for well over a year at this point, so it was really nice to go to chill with people outside of work. I had a somewhat busy day ahead, so I didn't stay for too long, but it was still a lot of fun. We met up in the late morning and managed to get a picnic table in the shade (no small feat). Unfortunately the strap on my shoe broke as I was walking to the park, but I used one of the decorative safety pins I had on my bag to pin it back down. #justgoththings

I haven't walked around that area for a while, but I was pleasantly surprised at how lively it was. Shops were open and restaurant employees were setting up their patio furniture outside. Lots of people were walking around and shopping. Other neighbourhoods along that street look pretty bad right now with lots of graffiti, boarded-up windows, tent cities, and people sleeping rough on the street. The pandemic has done a number on the downtown area, but it's good to see things returning back to some form of normalcy. There was even a goth club night happening over the weekend!

Relaxing in the park was great! There were a couple of promo carts wheeling around the park and handing out samples. I got a tallboy of cider and two tiny bottles of flavoured whiskey, and a tiny can of ginger ale to mix. It's technically illegal to drink in the parks here, but I mean...come on. This park is the public drinking spot, so they totally know what they're doing. I saved mine for later, though - there were a lot of cops and guys in security uniforms around. Don't they have anything better to do on a Sunday morning? I wonder if the police presence had anything to do with the encampment that the city bulldozed there a little while back...seems like overkill to me.

After saying goodbye to my friends, I stopped at Sonic Boom. I wanted to browse but it was so crowded that it was hard to get around, even though they were limiting the number of people inside. The aisles are just so narrow and everyone was trying to keep separated, so I got inpatient waiting my turn to look at the different shelves haha. After I while I gave up on browsing and picked up a few little goodies that I had set aside for pickup: a Siouxsie and the Banshees pin, a Swans pin, and a Drab Majesty record. I love the clear yellow vinyl! I didn't even realize that this one was apparently from a limited run of 600. I don't have a lot of storage space for records, so I tend to only buy them if they're colourful or have cool extras included or something. The coloured vinyl looks so cool when it's playing.

I started listening to them a few years ago, maybe around 2015? I think it was right when Careless was released. I liked them, but I didn't get really into them or listen very often until a couple of years later. Now they're a mainstay on all of my goth playlists since I'm more into synthy stuff these days. My favourite Drab Majesty album is Modern Mirror, but the coloured vinyl was out of stock at the time, so I got The Demonstration instead. I love the cover art. The glass block walls really take me back!

I've really been enjoying softer, dreamier, synthy darkwave and post-punk lately. I've always enjoyed that particular style (Switchblade Symphony and Lycia are some of my favourite bands ever, and has been for many years) but lately I've been appreciating it a lot more, especially the newer bands. I've been listening to a lot of ACTORS, Traitrs, LEATHERS, and Kælan Mikla lately. There are so many good new bands that have popped up in the last few years now that this kind of sound is popular again.

I also think it's a really great entry point into goth for people who aren't familiar with the genre, too. It's a little bit more accessible and easy to listen to than a lot of post-punk, which I have to admit is a bit of an acquired taste. I can throw Drab Majesty or Soviet Soviet onto my office playlist and nobody would bat an eye, but I don't think Bauhaus or Nick Cave would go over so well...

Well actually, maybe it would - we do get an awful lot of goth or formerly-goth clients at my work!

Anyway, I added the Swans and Siouxsie pins I got to my Strawberry Switchblade tote bag. I think I'm pretty much done with it for now. It's looking a little bit crowded, but I've always liked having an obnoxious amount of pins and keychains on my bags. There are so many on this one that it rattles when I walk. This is the bag I took the emergency safety pin from to fix my shoe strap. Always gotta be prepared!

That's it for now...thanks for reading! Stay tuned for my Iron Gate review coming up in a week or so.

[Current Music: LEATHERS - Missing Scene]

Neo-Moitié: What Does the Future Hold for Moi-même-Moitié?

Note: I wrote the bulk of this piece in late 2018 but never published the post, so I've gone back and revised some of my opinions as my feelings have definitely changed over the past 3 years. Brace yourselves, it's a long one...

Back in 2017, Tanaqro, the parent company of Wunderwelt, announced that it had acquired Moi-même-Moitié and spared it from the slow, quiet death that has claimed so many Japanese gothic and lolita brands in the past few years; Putumayo and Black Peace Now have already closed, with Mary Magdalene possibly on the chopping block. h.Naoto closed all of its physical stores in Japan. Big shifts in the lolita market and retail in general were putting pressure on these brands, but the pandemic has only accelerated the rate of decline. I expect to see at least a few more brands go out of business or start to wind things down within the next few years. And with so many established lolita brands closing their doors, I'm grateful that Moitié is still with us, even though I'm still a bit unsure about the direction they're taking.

As someone who got into lolita fashion purely because of an interest in goth, Japan, and Mana, I have really mixed feelings about the brand post-acquisition, but a lot of hope, too. These are my honest thoughts and feelings about what I like to call "Neo-Moitié" and the future of the brand.

Closet Cleaning ✨

My office is moving locations, so it's been a very busy couple of weeks for me! I spent the last couple of weeks hauling boxes around and cleaning the new office space. My allergies and asthma are teaming up to kick my ass since I've been huffing tree pollen and drywall dust for the past few days, and my hands are cracked and covered in scrapes. I'm really not cut out for physical labour.

It was my first weekend in a long time where I had both Saturday and Sunday off. Initially, I planned on lazing around the house and tuning in to the parts of the Gothicat Festival that I missed, but I ended up doing some closet cleaning instead. It feels cathartic to get rid of these pieces that I'm not using, even if I like them or think they're pretty. I'd rather that they go to a new home where they can be worn and appreciated. Most of the pieces went to friends, so I feel good sending them off. I cleared out a ton of blouses and dresses, and I'm still only halfway done.

Also, I like to make "goodbye" coordinates when I sell items that I like, so here's a few!

First, I sold my Holy Queen skirt, and twinned with myself! Holy Queen is a weird piece for me. I've had it in both the skirt and JSK in every single colourway, and I just...I dunno. I want to like it, but it never seems to work out for me. I always end up selling it. I really thought the skirt in this colourway was the final one, but I'm just not feeling it. The skirt cut is lovely and very flattering (the JSK looked awful on me), but I rarely find myself reaching for it. Time to go.

As a side note, how are we feeling about this blouse? I love this blouse under JSKs, but the way it clings and wrinkles up makes it look terrible with a skirt.

I also came to the conclusion that I don't look good in sweet, so I made the difficult decision to sell off most of my Baby, The Stars Shine Bright collection. I love these dresses and prints, but I don't love them on me, if that makes sense. I just feel a little bit awkward and silly in pieces like these...I don't really know how to be cute.

"Cute Meowing Friend" Alice and Her Black Cat JSK was one of my dream dresses when I was a wee baby lolita at heart, lurking on the EGL Livejournal community. I was (and still am) a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland, and Baby has the best Alice prints bar none. It's still one of my favourite Baby prints overall...I just don't feel like this style suits me at all.

Sleeping Alice is another favourite print of mine. To be honest, I'm still on the fence about this one...I really like the print, and I feel like I could coordinate it in a less cutesy way. Not sure about if I'm going to keep this cardigan, too. It's not aggressively sweet so I think it'll still fit in with the rest of my wardrobe. I'll probably hold onto both if them for a little while longer before I decide on it.

Back to wardrobe pruning for now...

[Current Music: Drab Majesty - Ellipsis]

Cherry Blossoms!

Today I went for my usual Sunday walk in the park, even though the weather wasn't so great. It was cold, cloudy, and extremely windy and by the time I got there I sort of regretting going out...until I realized that the cherry blossoms had bloomed! I guess I haven't really been paying much attention to the calendar these days, since every day feels exactly the same - go to work, go straight home, repeat ad nauseam. I didn't even realize that it was almost May...

I wore a very simple all-Moitié coordinate for my walk. I didn't bring my tripod or anything with me since I wasn't anticipating that I'd be taking photos, but I did get a few nice snaps of the flowers. It was a nice little mood booster!

I totally forgot I had this skirt until I found it at the back of my closet a few days ago. I haven't worn it in years!!

[Current Music: Acryl Madness - Become the Witness]

Quarantine Coordinates

Ok, so I'm not actually in quarantine, but that title sounds better. I'm in self-isolation right now and it's been a pretty strange experience. Toronto is pretty much in shutdown mode right now for the forseeable future. It's been very surreal seeing so many closed storefronts, empty streets, and quiet highways. I enjoyed commuting on the the empty subway - up until I got laid off, anyway.

I don't really get too deep into my personal stuff on this blog (which is odd, since it's a lifestyle blog), but it reminds me a lot of the summer 2003 SARS outbreak - my dad was in the ICU at the time for unrelated reasons and I wasn't allowed to visit the hospital due to the infection risk, so I spent almost 2 weeks mostly alone in our family apartment. Even when I ventured outside, it was much quieter than normal. I remember being creeped out by the emptiness in certain places...but I had also been playing a lot of Silent Hill at the time, which didn't help!

Not a great game to play alone while your dad is in the hospital.

But, to keep it brief, I have an anxiety/panic disorder and a lot of my issues revolve around health. I also have some chronic health issues that make me frequently congested or short of breath...so to say I've been feeling anxious is the understatement of the century.

I was planning to either go back to school or enroll in a tech bootcamp next year so I'm really hoping that I won't have to dig too far into my savings. I'd set aside a bit of money because me and a big group of friends were also planning to meet up and rent a house together in April for Tekko (in Pittsburgh, PA) - there was going to be a Moitié fashion show and tea party. Obviously, we had to postpone our plans. Being upset about that seems really shallow compared to the other heavy stuff going on right now, but it's just one more disappointment.

Still, I'm an optimistic person, so I'm trying to find the positives in this situation. I've had time to relax at home and do a few things I've been meaning to do, like clean out my closet and practice coding. I have a lot of games and books that I've never had a chance to finish, too. I can also film and edit videos. I've been video chatting with friends all over the world. I'm also extremely solitary, so I like spending time alone and unbothered. And...I can wear lolita whenever I want while I'm at home! I wear very toned-down and casual lolita to work sometimes, which means some of my fancier dresses and blouses don't see much use.

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Day 1: I almost never feel inclined to wear this dress, which I talked about in this blog post. I'm trying to use some of my lesser-worn pieces more often so that I can feel a bit more justified about purchasing them...I'll probably end up selling this dress, though. Anyway, I didn't do much that day aside from household chores and cooking, so I didn't bother with doing my hair or makeup.

I love layering blouses under short-sleeved OPs. OPs can feel a little bit stylistically limited, so adding a blouse underneath can help to spice them up a little bit. I distinctly remember when people used to go on and on about how wearing a blouse under an OP, or an OP under a JSK was automatically ita, but I prefer the layered look. Besides, it's still too cold out to wear a chiffon OP on its own.

OP:  Moi-même-Moitié

Blouse: Dark Box

OTKs: Moi-même-Moitié

Headbow: Moi-même-Moitié

Purse: Moi-même-Moitié

Shoes: Offbrand

Accessories: Néant Glass, Restyle, Moi-même-Moitié

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Day 2:  I filmed a video earlier in the day, so I actually put on makeup and attempted to do my hair. In the evening one of my comm members was kind enough to organize an online Kamikaze Girls watch party and tea party! Of course, by the time evening rolled around, I'd switched to a cozy cutsew so that I could get comfy with my tea and snacks. I love to wear a cutsew and skirt when I'm just hanging out at home. It just makes me feel a little cuter and more put-together.

This skirt is my first piece from Enchantlic Enchantilly. I've admired their pieces for a long time, but I'd never bought anything for myself up until recently. I really like the fairytale inspiration they use in their prints - even their gothic prints are still dreamy and cute. I'm extremely pleased with the quality of this skirt. It's fully shirred and soft, so it's perfect for lounging around in.

Skirt: Enchantlic Enchantilly

Blouse: Sentaro

Corset Vest: Sheglit

OTKs: Enchantlic Enchantilly

Headdress: Antique Beast

Purse: Moi-même-Moitié

Shoes: Yosuke

Accessories: Necrosarium, Luna Borgia

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Day 3: I actually didn't feel like wearing lolita on the actual Day 3, so this is technically Day 4. Anyway, me and my Tekko trip friends had a virtual Moitié meetup on video chat! I tried to recreate a hilarious classic Mana photo. Maybe wanting to look like a clone of someone else is derivative and boring, but I love cloning/twinning because it makes me feel like I'm in a cult or something. We used to joke that we were dressed to worship at the Church of Mana, and the name stuck around. We're only half-kidding at this point.

I'm really loving these Prisila clip-on ponytails. They're very voluminous, so they actually completely hide my hair underneath, unlike most clip-ons. Most importantly, they're not at all heavy! I have a pretty tender scalp so any weight or tension from wigs or extensions is migraine city for me, but I can wear these comfortably all day. I have no idea how I survived wearing box braids.

Same cryptid energy.

JSK: Moi-même-Moitié

Blouse: Atelier Pierrot

OTKs: Moi-même-Moitié

Headdress: Moi-même-Moitié

Shoes: Metamorphose Temps de Fille

Accessories: Moi-même-Moitié, Atelier Pierrot

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Day 4: Today I filmed a video about goth music, so I went for a comfortable layered look in mostly black.  I like wearing contrasting socks in my all-black coordinates, even if the colours aren't balanced out elsewhere. I had a virtual tea party with a small group of friends in the evening, but again I wanted to be comfy so I ditched the blouse and lounged around in the OP. This is probably the most comfortable OP I own! It feels like a fancy nightgown.

OP: Moi-même-Moitié

Blouse: Angelic Pretty

OTKs: Atelier 17

Headdress: Moi-même-Moitié

Shoes: Offbrand

Accessories: Néant Glass, Antique Beast, offbrand

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Day 5:  I've always liked the combination of a white JSK with black blouse and socks - it's so striking! For some reason, a black JSK with white blouse and socks just isn't as visually punchy. And I will defend wearing white shoes with black socks until the day I die.

I bought this JSK from a friend a few weeks ago, but hadn't worn it until now. She removed the plastic boning and replaced it with steel boning, so it fits very snugly, but I don't think it suits my body shape. She's much taller than me, whereas I'm pretty short with a short torso. I have to hike it up a bit for it to sit in the right spot on my waist, but then the shape just isn't quiiiiite right...still, I like the print a lot, so I'll keep the dress. I might have to try coordinating it with a jacket or something on top.

JSK: Moi-même-Moitié

Blouse: Moi-même-Moitié

OTKs: Moi-même-Moitié

Headdress: Moi-même-Moitié

Shoes: Metamorphose Temps de Fille

Accessories: Offbrand

And that's it for my first round of quarantine coords! Stay safe and healthy out there, everyone. Check on your friends and loved ones and do your best to help the people around you while minimizing contact - we're all stuck here together, after all!

[Current Music: No Problem - Talking to Myself]