Hello there ♫,
This blog is due for a huge update! Wow, it was..what...almost 1,5 years ago since I posted? It's now 2022 😐.. Well I did expect some delay because of my master degree/education and my baby (now toddler), but there are also other reasons why I didn't post as much. For people who follow my instagram, they probably already know I've been going into a new direction with my fashion style, but there is more...
What happened?
I think february this year (2022) was when I started browsing Vinted a lot more, which is this app in Europe where you can sell second hand clothes and goods. I didn't take a look at 'normal' highstreet fashion for a long time (only functionally on occasion), I came across a lot of cute clothes that I never saw before. I guess it helps that new-retro / Y2K fashion is 'in' at the moment, but also I feel there is more influence from asian fashion nowadays, for normal (non J-fashion style) clothing that is. Anyway, I started buying some things (without knowing of the brands btw), and then made an outfit. I then started asking on instagram how this would be 'called' (because I'm used to labels so much), and some people referred to videos about other J-fashion styles (not related to what I wore btw). Since then I've been kind of hooked on wearing this kind of semi-cute and/or other styles like Decora or Fairy kei...in my 'free time' that is.
Why? Are you leaving lolita fashion?
I've been asking this myself. When I look at my own former coords in lolita fashion, often my thoughts are like "this is kind of boring" and "it's not really that cute anymore". I guess this is related to the fact that I don't wear sweet lolita anymore, but also because of the repeating silhouette. I mean, lolita is basically the same silhouette over and over and I got kind of bored with it I guess? The years before my pregnancy I've been trying to renew my coords a bit by buying new cardigans, blouses, accessories etc or making new dresses myself, but in the end it actually didn't really satisfy me anymore as it used to.
But I'm not saying I'm totally 'leaving' lolita fashion. I actually do like that I don't wear it as often now, it feels nicer to me when I wear it again after a longer while. I think my jewel-toned stuff is perfect for autumn and winter too. I also think Covid had to do with it. I had a lot of fun in the years before Covid to go to meet-ups and talk with lolita friends and such, but that didn't really happen for a long while. And then I also got a baby, so it is much more of an effort to go to a meet after not sleeping very well (and it takes me usually like 2+ hours travelling..). And then I also had a part-time master degree to get next to it, and then I also am a 'freelance' life-coach. Basically if I run low on energy I don't dress up in any fancy fashion anyway :P.
But the fact is that I'm just not as hyped about wearing lolita fashion as I was anymore, and that's fine too. I feel it's much better to naturally change into new things than to say "I stop now and that's it", because I do NOT feel there is such a moment to drastically stop and change. I never really understood the terms "leaving lolita", or the Japanese version "graduating from..". I still like to wear it once in a while, and to see/follow it online.
Then what about Fairy Kei or Decora?
At the same time, I still feel like dressing up, I mean it's just a thing that makes me happy, to wear clothes that make me happy ♡. I started doing this casually, wearing pastel-colored pants and a sweater, or a rainbow-colored shirt with pastel pants etc. Then I took the courage to wear my cute doughnut hearts skirt again, after finding a kawaii fairy-kei like shirt, and after that I just decided that yes, this definitely makes me more happy. I guess it's also because I let myself not be so perfectionistic. I basically don't wear make-up or straighten my hair, because I don't have the time for it. I really don't, I don't know how other people do this when they have a young kid. And I put all my clothes and accessories now in the same room so it cost less effort to gather everything, and I (finally?) sticked the mirror to the wall on a decent height.
What is different then though?
Yeah, it doesn't feel the same as lolita. It was easy with lolita to match things, actually I think it might have been easier than Fairy kei or Decora, although the rules seem slightly less strict there. I've been on the Fairy Kei Discord server for some months now and it seems there are still some rules (no surprise..) and now I feel like I'm still learning, like in the early days when I was wearing lolita. But that actually excites me, so it's good. It's new stuff to learn! And again, it also seems like there is less clarity about the 'standard' and so it feels like I can, to a certain degree, just wear what I like. Well, I mean I already started to do that anyway but I guess I'm learning the borders between Fairy, Pop and Decora a bit, and definitely not calling myself an expert. It kinda makes me happy to be in that 'space'. Anyway, steering away from lolita meant that I felt I just could wear whatever liked and I wished I had done that sooner. I feel stupid now for thinking so restrictingly. Basically it's also quite a lot cheaper, so that helps too 😅.
So anyway, I can't promise a lot of blog-posts anymore. I don't know exactly what the future brings, but it would make a lot more sense now tojust follow my instagram I guess :). See you around!
