A guide to lolita Disneybounding!

I've been mulling over writing this for a while and decided I finally have worn lolita to the parks enough to warrant a quick guide on wearing lolita fashion at Walt Disney World (WDW) in Orlando, Florida (that can potentially be applied to Disneyland Resort in California). I cannot guarantee that everyone will have the same experience, but I am trying to take more than just my personal experiences into account when I draft this so this can be helpful to a lot of different people.

Not only is this going to be a guide to make sure that you're not turned away at the entrance for resembling a character, this is also going to include some handy tips on how to prepare to go on rides and walk around all day with maximum comfort. I hope you enjoy it!

Let's start off with the bad news: generally, because most lolitas are grown adults dressing in a fashion that can be easily interpreted as a costume, there are a lot of horror stories where lolitas are asked to leave by security because they don't want to cause confusion with Disney cast members. Some may remember this story, although I have very little sympathy for this person. Why?

• Allowing random adults who are unaffiliated with Disney presents a liability issue. If a family gets confused and thinks they can line up to take a photo with you, and you end up blowing up at them or squeezing their child too hard or doing something that can ruin their experience, they'll think they can sue Disney for recovery when Disney had nothing to do with it.
• It can disrupt the other visitors. If some families believe that you're cute enough to have a photo with, there are some who just want to try and run to Space Mountain as quickly as possible. Generally, photos with characters are taken in purposeful areas that are out of everyone's way, and chances are, you're not in one of those when you're getting stopped for photos. A crowd can develop quickly the moment you say "yes" to a photo, and people can have trouble getting around you as a result.
• This may seem a bit obvious, but you need to be working for Disney to do anything that puts you in the same capacity as a cast member. Sadly, taking photos with a family is included in that, so if you want to make sure you go largely unnoticed at a Disney park, don't encourage those photos. Just tell them, "Disney may have a problem with my outfit if I stop to take photos with your family. I appreciate your compliment though!" and move on. I haven't been stopped yet for photos, but that can happen when you're going with more than one lolita in Disneybound outfits. 

So this probably is disheartening to hear--however, there are some great ways to get around this.

This will probably be a hard one to pass off at the parks...

1. Avoid colours that can be equated with a Disney princess. Thankfully, aside from Alice in Wonderland, most popular colours in lolita won't get you confused with a princess. If you do decide to take the risk and wear... Say, a yellow dress, wear it without a petticoat, or a wig that would make your hair colour different from Belle's. Sax dresses should be fine, just try to coordinate it with another colour and make sure your hair colour isn't close to Alice's blonde. Thankfully, due to my skintone, most people won't confuse me for most of the princesses, but I try to follow this rule of thumb anyways. You don't want to wear very literal interpretations of Disney characters because it can increase your chances of getting kicked out. 
2. Don't wear your poofiest petticoat. This is for two reasons--petticoats are a pain to wear on a lot of rides (Space Mountain, I'm looking at you), and it makes you look much more princess-y than normal. Wear a dress that would look nice with minimal poof, or if you do decide to wear a larger petticoat, refer back to hint #1 and ensure that you don't have the same hair + colour scheme as a well-known Disney princess. 
3. Mickey ears! Mickey ears are surprisingly the easiest way to get past security and to not be confused with a cast member. This is especially so for the customised embroidered ones that you can get at the parks. Generally, both attendees and cast members will assume you are just a huge Disney fan and nothing more when you wear mouse ears. They're also offered in such a wide range of colours and sizes, you can have a lot of fun coordinating an outfit around your ears! I generally forgo traditional hair accessories for a Disney hat of some sort, or just keep one on hand if I feel like I might get kicked out. If you're curious to know where to get your hats embroidered, you can ask a cast member. Both Magic Kingdom (the Chapeau) and EPCOT (Mouse Gear) have hat stores near the entrance that also provide embroidery!

I added wing clips from kawaiigoods.com!

As an added note, Magic Kingdom is the park that is potentially hardest to get into when you're dressed in lolita thanks to Fantasyland. The other parks are much easier to enter when you are wearing the fashion.

Now that the major warnings and tips are out of the way, here are additional tips that would make your trip easier.

They are soooo cute!!

1. Buy cute character card pass cases! WDW uses a tap card system in their parks, and with how big most lolita bags are (and the desire to just wear a backpack), it can be a pain to take it out when needed. (You don't just need your cards to enter the park, they're also used for Fastpass, so they also end up being used to get on rides. If you are staying at a Disney Resort, you may also need to tap the card to charge things to your account and use the Disney Dining Plan. I am constantly taking mine out since I have an annual pass and want to get discounts!) There are some adorable Duffy ones available, but if you do a cursory eBay search, there are both official and unofficial pass cases for almost every character!
2. Magicbands are an even better alternative to the traditional ticket. Magicbands were only phased in relatively recently--they are basically wristbands that store all your information so you don't need to drag around your cards anymore. They sell plenty of pretty covers and colours for your Magicband, and I've seen a lot of people paint their own as well. They sell also sell a lot of cute decorations so you can rori-fy those wristbands. (Or you could just hide it under a sleeve... But where's the fun in that?)
3. Go for a braided hairstyle or something very simple. The rides can really tangle up your hair and wigs, so braiding it or maintaining a simple hairstyle at the parks is your best bet. Since my hair is sooo long. I usually just go for braiding it in some way.
4. Limit yourself to one bag. The great thing about Disney rides is that they are still a lot of fun, but were made keeping a family (with all the backpacks for their kids) in mind. All rides have a carry pouch in the front that you can slide most bags into, but I find them too small for most lolita bags. However, most of the rides never go upside-down, so a staff member will allow you to keep a bag by your feet. I actually try to sandwich my bag between my legs so it doesn't move around in the car, and you're usually good to go on most WDW rides. However, you are not allowed to keep them on your lap. If I'm not wearing a petticoat that day, I also try to squeeze it between me and the side of the seat. If you had more than one bag, none of these methods would work very well, and you'll have to constantly put your bags in a locker.
5. Wear an offbrand piece over your lolita outfit on rides. Whether it's a longer coat or vest, you may want to bring something easily washable to wear over your lolita. You can't guarantee that the seats are clean, and you normally can't just ask to be seated somewhere else without having to wait in line for longer and potentially pissing off some people around you. You could also bring a small towel to lay on the seat, but I'm usually too impatient to do that or am afraid I'll leave the towel behind, so I just go for this option. However, all Disney parks are absolutely meticulous with clean-up and I've never actually had anything stained while I was at a park--but it's always good to take precautionary measures when you're wearing an expensive dress.
6. Pack an extra set of shoes--preferably those extra comfy athletic slip-ons from Adidas or Nike. Even the comfiest pair of lolita shoes take their toll on your feet while you're running around, and most lolita bags can fit a simple pair of slippers inside. Just make sure that the lolita shoes you are wearing also fit inside the bag for when you make the switch. 

I'm still salty that there's no purple available. =(

The least lolita-friendly rides (excluding the water rides because... Well, it's obvious. Ride those at your own risk!):

• Mission: Space: I went on this ride for the first time a couple of years back wearing Magical Etoile with zero petticoat and it was super hard to find a place to put my bags. If I wasn't wearing my hair down that day, the restraints would have messed up my hair, and the ride moves around A LOT. I felt self-conscious for the stranger sitting on one side of me since I kind of "overflowed" into his seat. I would try and get on the edge of the ride next time so I have some more space to put my stuff and can just have a friend on the other side of me. The good news is is that by far, Mission: Space has the biggest container for your bags and my biggest lolita bag has fit in there.
• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster: This is probably the most roller coaster-y of all of WDW's attractions (it goes upside-down!). So, for obvious reasons, it's pretty hard to ride this in lolita. They provide a decent amount of space around you though, but I still wouldn't ride this with a very large petticoat.
• Expedition Everest: For a lot of the same reasons as Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, this can be a bit of a pain to ride in lolita.
• Space Mountain: Probably my favourite Disney ride, but with the worst seat design. I have to ungracefully pick up my skirt and tuck it around the restraint since it's supposed to go between your legs. I always look an utter fool getting in and out of it, but it's totally worth it because... Well, SPACE!
• Tomorrowland Speedway: this ride tends to be the dirtiest. You don't really want to wear lolita on it. I never am interested in riding it anyways with the rest of Tomorrowland calling for me, and it's probably my least favourite ride since it's Go Karts with even less... Go. If you do end up wanting to ride it however, follow tip #5 above. 

I didn't include rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or Seven Dwarfs Mine Train on this list because I feel like they represent the average for most Disney rides. You have similar experiences with this ride than you would on Dumbo or the Flying Carpets. They have pretty large seats and constraints that don't really interfere with your outfit, and move slow enough where you can feel comfortable keeping your bags at your feet. The rest of the rides are like Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small World, or Haunted Mansion, where you really just sit in a ride car and watch things to by. They're as lolita-friendly as a theme park ride could be!

WDW (or any Disney park really) is a great place to visit while dressed up. A lot of the staff members either wear lolita themselves, know what it is, or just really appreciate that you're going to the extra nine yards at Disney! I haven't had a problem with people being rude or aggressive with me, and I've just had a fun time all around.

I can't imagine going to Disney in an outfit that isn't covered with Disney references, and I hope this inspires you to do the same on your next Disney vacation! If you do end up going to Disney, let me know and show me your photos, I love seeing Disneybound lolitas!

Make sure to take lots of photos with your favourite characters too!

If enough people are interested, I might do a lolita guide for Universal Studios Islands of Adventure as well!

Cosplay Lolita vs. Theme Lolita.

I found myself talking about this a lot due to recent conversations that have come up on Rufflechat and among friends. What are the differences between cosplay lolita and a themed lolita coordinate? Are there even any to begin with? And finally, are the official collaborations between Japanese brands and anime series evidence that cosplay lolita is very much a thing?

This is purely an opinion piece, and I can't guarantee that everyone would agree with me, nor can I urge you to subscribe to what I believe, but I thought it would make for an interesting discussion!

LBC: Goals for 2015!

It's nearly 2015, and right on schedule, it's time to share my goals for the new year! I have three main ones and one super-secret one (which I will keep really vague until I'm ready to make an official announcement) that I'll talk about today. Feel free to share your resolutions as well--and I hope that we can keep each other on track!

Parents and alternative fashion.

Hello everyone! Once again, I will have to apologise for the silence on my end--with school starting up again, it's so hard to keep up with a blog. I've been having a blast interacting with people on Instagram though and updating over there since it only takes a couple of minutes out of my day to post something there~ In fact, all the photos on this post are from there since I haven't had time to put together a lot of new photos for the blog in a while. (; A ;)/

I thought I'd address two frequently asked questions I receive a lot--and they are variations of:

1. What do your parents think about your clothing choices?
2. How do I get my parents to accept how I dress?

Nothing I say here can be taken with a grain of salt--everyone's parents are different and prioritise different things, but I'll try to share my experiences and advice that follows my experience as best I can. I hope you find this post informative!

Fairytale Boutique Events!

I visited Fairytale Boutique very briefly in March, but I was with a colleague from law school, so I kind of bolted out of there before I could spend too much time in there. I'm really happy I was able to return not once, but TWICE this summer! The first one was Fairytale Boutique's Second Anniversary Event, and the second event was their Third Harajuku Fashion Walk!

Pink House Style at the Lavender Festival.

Last week, I went to a small meet-up at a lavender festival in Sonoma. The first day didn't quite go as planned, so we visited a winery instead and returned the next day to observe the beautiful plants. I tried to create a coordinate with a Pink House feel using vintage and handmade items paired with a tea-length dress.

LBC: Anime-Inspired (Fandom) Coordinates!

It just so happens that this week's Lolita Blog Carnival was on a topic I had been planning on blogging about for a while (just slightly broader), so I definitely knew I had to tackle it this week when the topic was announced! For that reason--some of the terminology I will be using is a bit broader--I'll be calling it "Fandom Coordinates" since I also will be discussing dressing up with video game influences and the like--not just anime.

Ipsy Glam Bag + Julep Maven (JUNE 2015 UPDATE!!)

UPDATE: (June 21, 2015) I have felt the need to update my IPSY review since I no longer am subscribed to them for declining quality. Please check out more details near the end of the IPSY portion of the review! Although I am not subscribed to Julep Maven anymore as well, I did not unsubscribe from them due to quality of their products, but just for my own personal finances.
 

 

I recently jumped on the monthly box bandwagon with what seems like the rest of the world, and I am never looking back! There seems to be monthly subscription boxes for EVERYTHING—boxes for dog treats and toys, healthy snacks, geeky hobbyists, beauty lovers etc. They are so useful if you know exactly what you want more of, without spending an arm and a leg. For me, it’s make-up and nail polish. I don’t mind having large varieties of either because I love being a guinea pig for new products and like having a huge collection of wacky nail colours.

For that reason, I am currently subscribed to two services! Ipsy Glam Bag and Julep Maven! The former has a really extensive quiz you can take to make sure you get exactly the kind of products you would want to use, and Julep has a shorter quiz to determine what kind of style you are more into. I’ve been subscribed to both for three and four months respectively, so I thought it was time to do a review!

Top 10 Outfits of 2013.

I can’t believe it’s nearly halfway through 2014 and I only just got around to posting the last outfit I photographed in 2013!  As a result, here comes the incredibly belated “Top 10” post for my favourite outfits of last year. Last year had been a pretty quiet year in terms of dressing up—I had photographed nearly 3 times as many outfits in 2012 as I did in 2013 (around 90 compared to give or take 30 or so outfits in 2013).

I photographed and wore outfits frequently through July of 2013, and surprising no one, I didn’t photograph a single outfit in August (my first month in law school), and from September to December had only photographed 7 separate outfits.

Although that’s a bit of a lie… My Instagram had been updated with some cell phone photos of my outfits and make-up during those first few months of the term, but I didn’t have anyone to take higher quality photos so they never wound up on LookBook or my blog.

I realised after completing this list that I totally left out the outfits I wore for a photoshoot with the amazing Saitam Photography modeling Starlight Deco Dream items, and I am filled with regret. All three of the outfits I wore were amazing and some of my favourites to date. Feel free to check them out again here!

LBC: A Lolita Coordinate Based on a Constellation.

This week's Lolita Blog Carnival topic was one I was super excited to do--a coordinate based on a constellation! I wanted to make sure I used a dress I own (in this case, I have ordered and am just waiting on), so I did some digging for constellations visible to the naked eye that tend to come out around this time of year and settled on Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia is a gorgeous constellation that is supposed to represent the mythological Greek figure sitting on her throne, or some of the points on her crown.

Cassiopeia Coordinate by avinastar featuring tights

LBC: Your First Lolita Item.

Hello all!

I am incredibly jealous to see all the updates all over my Newsfeed from the Enchanted event! I wish I could have made it. Hopefully next year I will have more time to travel, since this year was spent stressing out over studies.

Again, I thought to use the Lolita Blog Carnival as a great way to keep my blog active and maintained. I'm going to have to change my blog layout soon... This one is very outdated.

Thinking about my first lolita item made me realise just how terrible I was as a beginner. I purchased everything in the wrong order, and my first few coordinates were absolutely terrible. I am not counting my first hand-made lolita dress, purse, or headdress as my first item since--aside from the headdress--not much is actually "lolita."

My first lolita (and brand) item was a parasol that I purchased from egl_comm_sales. It was one of my first online purchases, and if I remember correctly, I bought it for around $30 shipped at the time. I only have one photo of it that I dredged up from my abandoned Poupée account. (I heard the website is more or less dead now, that makes me so sad!)

I hope you don't mind the edited background--I took the photo in an incredibly dirty room that I am embarrassed to display haha. I'm not that much more organised these days, but at least I take time and effort to photograph my wardrobe now. =_=;;

LBC: Most Challenging Sub-style.

I am incredibly sorry for how inactive my blog has been as of late. Law school has pretty much eaten my life, and I haven't even been able to properly announce a hiatus!

But these past couple months I've been able to figure out how to portion my time wisely and even went back to allowing myself to browse clothes online! My wardrobe has really changed drastically these past couple months as I let go of pieces that I thought were dream items that I just simply didn't love as much anymore.

In the spirit of figuring out how to balance my hobbies with graduate school, I thought I'd join in on a Lolita Blog Carnival theme once again! This week's theme is "The Most Challenging Sub-style, and How to Pull them Off."

Law school! + Inevitable Hiatus

For those of you who haven't been reading recent tweets or checking out my Instagram, I started law school two weeks ago and I am more than swamped. Labor Day weekend is more like an excuse to have an extra day of studying versus an extra day of relaxation! This just goes to show how busy I am as of late... This has been sitting in my drafts for months!! 

Earning my J.D. has been a lofty goal of mine, and one that I hope to achieve with no regrets. I want to spend the next three years completely engrossed in building a career that will help shape my future, and maybe the future of others. But to do that, I have to make sure I can get the highest scores possible during my first year of law school. For this reason, I am announcing a hiatus.

I will try to check back on comments on this blog from time to time, but for the most part my Tumblr, LookBook, Blogger, and Facebook fan page will be relatively quiet until I have more time on my hands. Those of you who have known law students before (or were one yourself) know just how grueling this first year is, and how impossible it is going to be for me to really hold my attention in two places at once.

From time to time, I will be posting the occasional tweet or Instagram photo, so it won't be impossible to strike up a conversation with me, just a little harder. =)

Fashion is still not far from my mind though, I have been trying to wear something cute every single day of school, so every once in a while I will post a selca or a cellphone shot of my outfit for that day. I committed the greatest faux pas during my orientation though--I completely misunderstood the dress code and wore casual clothing for a business casual event... ^^; After that I was determined to make sure I looked good every day to make up for it, and I think I've been doing a pretty good job of it so far!

Thanks for all your support and lovely comments, this blog is still relatively new in my book (even though it's been a little over a year since I started updating it!), and all of your input has really helped me gain confidence and mature in preparation for law school, believe it or not. I feel like I can take on the world now!

If any of you have been considering a career in law or want to know more about higher education in general, don't be afraid to send me an e-mail at lanarosefanfan AT yahoo DOT com. I'm not an expert quite yet, but I do love to hear myself talk and help people out!

Another trip to New York!

I thought I would share some photos of my recent trip to New York!

I especially loved this trip because I was really able to dictate where I wanted to go and the types of places I'd enjoy seeing. Hopefully next time I get to go alone or with someone with similar taste so I can cram even more into my trip! Really the whole shebang revolved around food. I was in the mood for traveling light so most of my photos are from my iPhone. @3@

Lolita 52: Nails to match my favourite looks!

I'm so sorry for the silence on my end, it's been a while! I see a couple of new followers (possibly from Florida Supercon?), welcome!

Today I wanted to write a little bit about the topic I drew today--nails to match my favourite looks! This past year I wanted to make more of a point to play with nailpolish, and I am really glad I sat down and gave it a try, because now I have some awesome pictures I want to share!

LBC: The non-lolita style I have fallen in love with.

It has been a long time since I participated in a Lolita Blog Carnival, so I thought I'd enter once again! =) For those of you who do not know what LBC is, it's a group of blogs that try to post about the same topic on the same day, once a week! It's open to anyone who blogs about lolita relatively often, so feel free to join if you are interested! Check out our Facebook group!

This week's topic is "the non-lolita style I have fallen in love with." Truth be told, I pretty much dip my fingers in as many Japanese fashions as I can just because I'm fickle and scatterbrained, so it was pretty hard to pick just one style I could really spotlight.

Lolita 52: Best places to wear lolita!

I have been absolutely terrible with keeping up with my Lolita 52 posts, mainly because I wasn't sure if it was really keeping people interested or not. @3@ But lately I've been feeling terrible for keeping my blog quiet (I have good reason for this, I promise!!), so I thought I'd whip up a Lolita 52 post just to show that I am still alive!

I think I drew a really fun topic this time, "Best places to wear lolita." I'm the type of person who does not take most dress codes seriously and always pushes the limits on what to wear, so I had like... 5 billion places I wanted to share with you, but I tried to narrow it down to my top 5 favourite kinds of places.

It was really nice using mostly old photos throughout this post, I was able to dig through some memories stashed away in forgotten SD Cards and also pass the time!

1. Historical houses. I've visited quite a few dressed in lolita, but my favourite is a tie between Vizcaya Gardens and Ringling Museum of Art! They both have beautiful gardens and fantastic back drops for outfit shots.

Eep, this photo is so old! It's from the last time I visited Vizcaya, circa 2011. The whole place is built using coral and re-used materials! James Deering was ahead of his time when he built this mansion in 1916--it was super eco friendly!

2. Theme parks! Especially ones with fun carnival rides~ It just seems so nice to run around dressed up among all the lights and decor that come with great theme parks. Of course my favourite is DisneyWorld.

Meeting Mulan at my most recent visit to Disney! She asked me questions about my Oswald hat and told me to "listen out" for Mushu and report to her if he's causing any trouble.

3. Conventions. Okay, some people may not agree with this, but I love convention atmosphere. I'm already a ginormous geek, and then on top of that I can be around other people dressed up really cool who won't even question what I'm wearing! Not to mention you usually end up running into other people dressed in alternative fashion you never knew about, so it's a chance to make more friends! It's also the perfect occasion to wear that super impractical and over-the-top coordinate you've stashed away in the back of your closet.

I would probably never wear a coordinate like this anywhere else, but it was fun doing a super over-the-top raver-inspired get-up using a piece by Atelier Pierrot! This is myself and the fantastic Scoper Monstar, who quickly became an awesome friend. =D

4. Teahouses! This is a big cliché among lolitas that I whole-heartedly grasp. I love tea and the fancy foods that come with tea. You can also get cute photos with the china cabinets. Bring it on!

Another old photo from a meet-up from around 2011 sometime. The tea house I went to this time was so endearing, although a bit pricey. I recommend it to anyone in the area, it's called The Tea Room!

5. Instead of tacky tourist, be a lolita tourist! Wearing lolita when you're going to a new country or area is really great, at least from my experience. Tourists tend to be some of the friendliest people you can be dressed up around, they always are polite and ask for photos with you and it's fun if you don't mind the adverse attention. (Of course, upon discussing this with friends, this may have a lot to do with my loving conventions and being a frequent attendee at them. I'm much more used to people asking for photos than most of my friends.) Just keep in mind, sometimes lolita is really frowned upon in certain places, so you want to make an intelligent decision. I usually tone down my coordinates or make sure I am not insulting a certain culture or belief by wearing a more over-the-top fashion. I've heard of lolitas being turned away at Versailles before since the fashion was considered too "over the top" and disrespectful. Be careful!

Another old photo from my first visit to Sweden years back! We were taking a ferryboat from our hotel in Stockholm. I spent most of my time in Malmö though. =D I realised I tend to pose really similarly throughout the years, haha! I need to be more dynamic!

I will be revealing a few more projects and sponsored reviews in the future, I've been really behind on posting about them. @3@ Remember to check out the previous Lolita 52 topics over here. Hope you all are having a great day!

Renaissance Faire Meet-up.

I am finally starting to go through all my photos on my two SD cards, although totally out of order. The next massive photodump I am going to do on this blog will be for things that happened a couple months prior to this event! My whole timeline is screwed up, aaugh.

I try to go to a Renaissance Faire every year, and this is my second year at this particular one! It was a total blast. It's a bit on the smaller end due to the venue, but I absolutely love how everything is so shady and covered with trees.

But first off, what I wore! (Just a quick sidenote, you'll see that my hands are always obsessively touching my hair... That's because I was just not able to find the pins I needed to secure the hairstyle that morning but I stubbornly went to the meet-up anyways with the impractical 'do. So in pretty much every photo I'm trying to redo it or just holding it in place, FFFFF.)

With this, my LookBook folder has gone around full circle with its dates! The first photo I posted for my LookBook was dated for April 5, 2012, and this photo was taken a year and a day later! Time has flown. I wore one of my most elegant pieces in my wardrobe with elf ears and a crown! I ended up looking totally different by the end of the day because I had glitter splashed on my face by a fairy, horns that I purchased from that same fairy, and then I ended up getting my hair braided.

Saitam Photography x Starlight Deco Dream!

I got to work with two of my favourite people on the internet, Saitam Photography and Starlight Deco Dream! I'm super thankful I was offered this opportunity. Here are the results of our effort together! Everything is styled by myself, retouch and photography done by Saitam, and the gorgeous wigs and jewelry supplied by Starlight Deco Dream and their wig line, Mahou-kei!

The first outfit has been in the making for almost a year now! I posted an inspiration board for it here last July! The moment I received this beautiful puffy split wig from Mahou-kei, I absolutely knew I had to try and replicate the split with my shoes! It's like fate shined down on me because I found my favourite pair of lolita shoes in mint in my size on sale soon afterwards, and then I squirreled this coordinate away, waiting for when I could do the photoshoot with it.

Another outfit that I have been impatiently waiting to wear. I was inspired by Sae, Takulu, and the other Angelic Pretty clones to make a coordinate using Mahou-kei's beautiful blended wig and the only full set I own--Magical Etoile! Saitam Photography did a fantastic job editing the close-up shots!

The last outfit I wore had a totally different feel to it--this time I went for a Cult Party-kei outfit coordinating the new guro faun tights I ordered from Ophanim. I highly recommend her tights to everyone! They were thick and comfortable, and the subtle print really displays the red splashes beautifully! I am also in love with Starlight Deco Dream's heart wing earrings here.

I hope I get to do more collaborations with them in the future! Please check out their businesses and show your support!

KIRAMEKI Mag + Date night.

I am sooo sorry for the lack of updates--my life got so busy and I completely forgot to queue up some posts to fill up the empty space. ;A; Hopefully now I'll be back to the usual groove and will post some catch-up stuff in the future.

Until then, I have a really exciting announcement to make! One of my newest friends, the amazing photographer behind Saitam Photography, has given me the fantastic opportunity to be a permanent staff writer and designer behind his new magazine, KIRAMEKI! It is a magazine hoping to focus on alternative fashion and lifestyles, with a Japanese twist~

I was put in charge of the "Fashion Showcase" section, which is very similar to the street snaps in Kera and Gothic & Lolita Bible mooks! We're accepting all kinds of fashions from all corners of the globe, so if you want to share a photo, make sure it is 300 dpi and large enough to be used on 8.5" x 11" paper and send it to kiramekimag@gmail.com! We're hoping to have all our submissions in by mid-May so we can release the magazine in mid-June!

Since this is our first issue, we are looking for anyone who is willing to contribute graphics or editorials to the magazine. We are all just pouring our passion and time into this magazine, so we cannot promise any sort of reimbursement at this time.

If you own a company that you are interested in advertising, we are willing to let you advertise for FREE in our first couple of issues! All we require is an ad that is 8.5" x 11" sent to the e-mail provided above. C=