Custom design and custom size!

Hello sweetlings! I rececntly came across someone on a Facebook group who does custom pieces. As a plus size lolita, I am always keeping my eyes out for people who make quality custom pieces. I looked through her work and loved some of the cuts. She didn't have exactly what I wanted though so we worked together to get what I would really love. She started by going to a fabric store and sending me every insect themed fabric she could find. (As a side note: I'm obsessed with bugs and insects and spiders and everything creepy crawly to be honest. There are a very very limited number of lolita prints that fall into this interest.) I chose my three favorites, explained what design I wanted, and she started immediately to draft the patterns. Later on I chose the lace and accents as well. From first contact to delivery it took less than a week! That was so incredibly fast that my mind was blown.

I've been working on putting together casual coords with them. I've worn two of them so far. Casual Fridays at my job is where I've donned them so I haven't done complete/proper outfits with them because my comfort and convenience is more important to me at work.

The fabrics I chose were an entomology print that I had made into a skirt, a butterfly print with metallic accents that became a JSK, and a bee print with shiny crowns that ended up an under-bust dress with a black panel.

Close up of the print that became a skirt!

The finished skirt (uncoordinated).

Butterfly JSK casual coord

Close up of necklace (thrifted)

Under-bust dress with bees and crowns.

The seamstress allowed for one free alteration on each piece if they arrived and didn't fit or meet my expectations. They came and fit my measurements perfectly! There were no issues with the garments and they looked exactly how I wanted. As with any home made piece there were a few loose strings and what not but they were easily snipped away. She also threw in some free bracelets and an extra bow! Overall I was very happy with everything and I would definitely order from her again.

Want to commission her too? Check out her Facebook or Etsy for details.

What is your favorite brand that offers custom sizes? Let me know in the comments! Until next time, much love. <3

Innocent World: My first direct brand purchase

Hello everyone! I recently returned from my trip to China and am now just finding time to update this blog. Today I want to talk about my first experience with ordering directly from a brand site. A while back Innocent World had a sale going and I took the chance to try ordering from them. Obviously I don't fit into their dress but there were a few hair accessories I'd had my eye on.

Tags and a lovely letter they included.

The ordering process took me a few minutes to figure out but honestly was pretty easy and straight forward. They have clear instructions in English. It takes a while for your order to be confirmed (I think mine was a few days). Compared to what I've heard about ordering from some of the other brands, this seems like a good brand to start with if you're nervous.

I ordered a brown headbow and two navy blue hair clips because these pieces will fit well with the main pieces in my wardrobe. It took quite a while for the package to get to me but if you've been in lolita for any length of time you are probably used to the dreadful wait times. I didn't need them in a hurry so I wasn't worried. I wouldn't be hopeful if you need a rush delivery though!

3300 and 2800 yen originally

I will start with the brown headbow. First of all, it came slightly lighter than it appeared on the site. It will still work for what I need but be aware that some of the colors are obviously not exact (even things like your monitor settings can change that though).

The fabric is really nice and the gold details came without any snags or issues. I was expecting a little more for the price and reputation though. The headband it came on is pretty cheap and a little painful to wear because of the ridges.

As you can see here, the ridges are quite large and sharp.

The bow is securely attached so it does not move around. This is both good and bad. I'm glad I won't be losing the headband or having my bow move in the middle of a meetup but it is stuck at the one angle and spot so you really have to plan around it compared to bows with a little more flexibility.

The blue hair clips I got are small and cute. You get a set of two when you buy them but make sure you pay attention because that isn't always the case!

The material is a little shiny but not enough to make it look tacky. There are small IW logo charms sewn to the middle. They seem to be attached pretty well and did not fall off during a day's wear. There are also stars attached to the corner. These aren't attached quite as well as the logos so I am worried that over time they may need to be reattached. Again, after a day's wear they did not fall off.

The back has alligator clips to secure them to your hair (or wherever else you may want to wear them). I wish they were two way clips (having both a pin and hair option) so they had a little more versatility but that is probably only because I've been spoiled with most of my items having multiple wear options.

Overall I was pretty happy with what I got and I know they'll get plenty of wear. These did not quite live up to the price tag and the expectations I have for brand items however. I would probably order from Innocent World again if they were having a sale but otherwise I will probably stick to second hand.

I hope this was helpful, interesting, or informative for some of you. Have a wonderful month and I'll see you in April!

January 18th, 2016 Meet Up

Hello lovelies! Yesterday there was a meet up planned at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. They had free admission and parking in celebration of Martin Luther King Day. There were about 20 people there I believe? Unfortunately we were late due to bad roads and unforeseen circumstances and never managed to find the large group! Though we did run into two other lolitas, we mostly stayed on our own but still had fun.

My friend Virginia came along with me. She is new to lolita and this was her first time wearing it out. Unfortunately for her we had more people come up to us with questions and wanting photos than I've ever had. We got so many compliments and people who genuinely polite and interested. Luckily, even the people who were not as polite were not out right malicious to us. There is a certain amount of leeway that needs to be provided while wearing alternative fashions because, no matter how silly it seems to us, people are going to want to know why you're dressed that way.

We explored the museum and saw some really great exhibits. I hadn't been to this museum since I was a small child and I didn't remember anything (except the Weiner-Mobile) so it was like going to a brand new place! Here are a few of my favorite pieces:

The Women's Suffrage Display

Antique Lamps & Wood Stoves

This plane made me smile!

JFK's car

Showing the anatomy of the Model T

When we were finished at the museum we drove to Midland to go to our favorite sushi place. They offer great vegan options and my favorites kind of tempura. Here is what I ate.

Miso Soup  (Fish free!)

Sweet Potato Tempura

Lastly, and what you probably wanted to see in the first place, are some pictures of my friend & I. I will include outfit breakdowns at the very end. Thank you for reading and have a beautiful week. <3

Greenfield Village was closed but made for a cute photo!

Virginia

Makeup! My first time wear falsies.

Virginia's Outfit:
Head bow, skirt (jsk actually), shoes, bag, and keychain: Bodyline
Blouse: Baby The Stars Shine Bright
Rings: Off-brand and Chocomint
Everything else: Off-brand

Kayla's Outfit:
JSK and head bow: Cloudberry Lady (See review here)
Blouse: Glittertale
Shoes and ankle socks: Bodyline
Twin Bows: Innocent World
Moon Clip: Chocomint?
Everything else: Thrifted or off-brand

Look at these cute bows!

Look at these cute hand made bows! You can buy them here for only $12!