Halloween Meetup

I just got back a couple of hours ago from an awesome Halloween picnic meetup that I co-hosted with my Loli BFF, Madeline Hatter. :) Maddy and I put a lot of effort and planning into this year's meetup, because we both really love Halloween, and we wanted this meetup to be really special and fun. Last year, we tried to host a similar event, but it didn't turn out the way we wanted, so this year was our chance to reboot and correct all of the mistakes we made in the past.
We chose a super-spooky but scenic location for our meetup (let's call it an early Victorian park, shall we?), and made sure to have all of our ducks in a row in terms of planning and preparedness. Last year we ran into a lot of issues, some of which were under our control, and some of which were not. One of those issues was time and weather. Last year, we had the meetup at night, a couple days before Halloween, and we had the misfortune of being chilled to the bone by the near-freezing temperatures that accompanied the freak snow storm that rolled in the day before. This year, we held the meetup two weeks earlier, during the day, and vowed to cancel if the weather turned ugly. Luckily for us, the weather was beautiful! We had a bit of rain in the morning, but by noontime or so, the clouds dissipated, and the day turned sunny and warm.
By planning weeks ahead of time, and making things in advance, we were able to have all most of our favor bags, food, and decorations made well before the meetup started. While we were a couple of minutes late (as usual -_-;;), we were still able to set up relatively quickly and have the meetup in full swing in no time! Everyone was gracious enough to contribute food, drink, or a picnic blanket, and in the end, we had quite an impressive spread. Maddy and I made / purchased a couple of special dishes for the meetup that were Halloweenish and festive; we had pumpkin-shaped tea sandwiches (which unfortunately got left at home by accident!), mummy and pumpkin cake pops, Death By Chocolate graveyard cups,  and blood orange soda.  I also made an Asian salad with teriyaki chicken as a healthy dish to balance out some of sweets. Others brought Oreo pie, scones,  pumpkin bars, Chinese buns, cupcakes, cookies, and tea. Everything was super yummy, and everyone was able to go home with 'doggie' bags full of tasty leftovers.
We had a bunch of fun activities planned for the meetup, most of which we got to do in the end. Maddy got things started by telling the tale of the Tillinghast vampirism case, which is a true documented story about supposed vampirism in RI during the 1700's. After that, I gave a small tour of the 'park' and gave a short talk about its history and the various monuments and artwork found there. Later, after we'd gorged ourselves on food, we ran one game and one contest. Our game was a rather silly one that involved guessing the weight of "Pumpkin-chan," a rather unfortunate pumpkin that we put in a wig and decorated to look like a Sweet Lolita. The person who guessed the closest won a cute little coffin box that my sister and I made, chock full of goodies. Our contest was a "Best Coordinate" contest, where everyone voted, and the winner received another cute coffin box. The Lolita with our Best Coord was super cute, wearing an adorable Red Riding Hood ensemble mostly by BTSSB. Our first-runner up was fabulously gothy in a super-awesome handmade JSK and canotier. After we gave out all of the contest prizes, Maddy ran another Halloween game, called the "Cemetery Game." While this game was originally created during the Victorian era to be played in a cemetery, it can be played anywhere, and is similar to tag or hide-and-go-seek.
Once the Cemetery Game was finished, the meetup was drawing to a close, so Maddy and I distributed the favor bags that we made, and started to pack things up. Our favor bags consisted of a candy corn-shaped Rice Krispie Treat wrapped in plastic wrap, and placed into a cellophane bag tied with purple ribbon. We attached little Thank You notes to the ribbon, along with small skull brooches that we'd made ourselves.
In the end, everyone went home happy, and I hope that we can have another event like this again next year. Maddy and I had a blast planning and making everything, and we really hope that all of our guests had as much fun as we did.

Fruity Friday! AP Berry-chan JSK

So, it looks like my Fruity Friday is off to a bit of a late start this week. I've been rather busy preparing for the Boston comm's Swap Meet, and haven't had much time to write. Sadly, I didn't get to sell many of my things. Only some costume jewelry went, and it looks like I'll be making a listing for the comm-sales this week. I've got a rather large collection of off-brand blouses, and some Lolita items that I just plain want out of my closet. I don't think I made more than $5.00USD yesterday, so the swap meet wasn't as beneficial for my bank account as I needed it to be.

Anyhow, moving on to Fruity Friday! This week I'll be featuring Angelic Pretty's Berry-chan JSK, my mystery dress from last week. I happened upon the skirt version of it last week while perusing Lolibrary for design inspiration for another project. As it turns out, it was on Hello Lace (huurrrrduurpadurrr), and my ability to search Hello Lace sucks because I tend to quickly gloss over anything with a pink colorway stock photo. (To be honest, though, I think the pink version of this is pretty ugly, and doesn't do the series any justice.)

Angelic Pretty Berry-chan JSK

The Berry-chan JSK was released in 2010 by AP, with an original price of ¥23, 940 ($305 USD). The Berry-chan series features a JSK, OP, and skirt (and I'm assuming a matching headbow), which come in 3 colorways: Red, Black, and Pink.

 Personally, I think the pink is horrid, and the black is a little off, so I'm showing stock images of the red version. At this time, I'm not aware of any matching shirts, socks, bonnets, wrist cuffs, or jewelry that might accompany the Berry-chan series. 

The Berry-chan JSK is constructed of gingham, cotton broadcloth, cotton lace, and chemical lace, with tiny crocheted cherries. It features a back shirring panel, corset lacing in the back, waist ties, a side zipper, and adjustable straps. For this design, AP included a number of design elements that I personally find  very desirable in a sweet dress. As you can see from the stock photos, the dress is primarily made out of gingham, which is a fabric that people tend to either love or hate. I'm fond of gingham when it's used well, as it is in this case. 

Additionally, the dress also features scalloping on the skirt, waist ties and and bodice. On the bodice, the scalloping is purely decorative, and acts as a collar of sorts, whereas on the skirt and waist ties, the scalloping acts as a focal point to draw your attention to the tiers of red ruffles that lie below. 

AP could have easily made the line between the main part of the skirt and the ruffles a straight line, but the scalloping is more interesting and eye-catching, and also shows a higher degree of craftsmanship. I have a hard time with scallops in my own sewing, so I really appreciate seeing them done in Brand pieces. The scallop 'motif', if you will, pops up on another part of the dress: right where the skirt meets the bodice. It's a small thing that blends in with the rest of the dress, but it gives the appearance of the bodice and the skirt being separate items.

The other design element on this dress that I'm really fond of is the strawberry-shaped lace. AP is well known for making their own lace to match their designs. While this is mostly true of the embroidered tulle lace that they put on their pastel sweet print dresses, their usual attention to detail also extends to the chemical and cotton laces found on this dress. If I could find strawberry lace like the kind found on this dress, I'd just about die of happy, and my sewing projects would be complete.  Thus far, I'v only found it once before on Etsy.

Of course, one of my favorite things on the Berry-chan JSK is the little crocheted cherries found on the bodice and skirt. I've used similar cherries on my own accessories and clothing, and I'm just in love with the little things. These cherries are the berry in the Berry-chan series, and without them, I probably wouldn't like it as much as I do (nor would I be featuring it here :P).

Should you be fortunate enough to acquire the Berry-chan JSK, coordinating it is fairly easy. A white peter pan collar blouse will pair nicely with this jumperskirt, as will white socks and red shoes. This  JSK can work in either a sweet or country coordinate, and  makes a nice piece for the summer months. 

Thanks for reading this (err...last) week's Fruity Friday! I'll be back later with more fun fruity pieces to review. :3 

All dress images and background information courtesy of HelloLace.

d00d! Fr00tz!

After the past few posts of mine being all super serious, I thought it would be a nice change of pace to post something fun and a bit frivolous. Anyone in the Lolita community who knows me IRL knows about my obsession with cherry and strawberry prints. If you look around a Boston or RI meetup, and you see a girl all decked out in a fruit print, it's probably me. I don't know why, but there's something about fruit motifs that really strikes my fancy. Ever since I was a kid, I really enjoyed cherry prints, and now that they've become a common and popular motif in Lolita fashion, my enjoyment has bloomed into a preoccupation of sorts. While I'm not going super out-of-my-way at the moment to collect fruit prints, they do  The past few summers' releases have done nothing to help this obsession, nor have a number of fabrics that are currently available for purchase at JoAnn Fabrics or Walmart. This Tumblr, called "F!Yeah Fruity Fashion," also doesn't help me, because it gives me new things to drool over on a regular basis.
That being said, I'm going to start doing a review of a fruity dress or accessory every Friday  whenever the mood strikes me. Fruit Friday will cover the good, the great, and the just plain "WTF Burando?" Yes, it's biased, and highly subjective, but I'm doing this for fun. :D While it's not possible for me to post all of the  cherry / strawberry releases that have come out over the years, I can post the popular ones, the absolutely awful ones, and some of my favorites, too.

In the meanwhile, can anyone tell me what this dress is? I've been searching all over Lolibrary, but my search-fu seems to be failing me. As far as I can tell, it's AP, and a slightly older release, maybe 2009ish.  Next Fruity Friday: AP Berry-Chan JSK!

Weighing in on the replica debate

Right now, replicas are a very hot topic in the world of Lolita, and an extremely divisive one at that. Recently, the moderators of the EGL online community enacted a full ban on the discussion and sale of replicas of "original prints, original screen prints, and brand logo- and character-shaped items," upon request from a representative of one of the major Brands (who wisely requested to remain anonymous to the public). This decision has caused considerable uproar within the community, and will likely have a major impact, both on the sales comm, and on the main EGL community. EGL has, of late, been fairly awash with reviews of replicas, requests for reviews of replicas, and discussion of where and who to buy them from. For some, this discussion is useful and interesting; for others, it has become an irritation and an embarrassment. EGL has become divided into two distinct camps, with little impartiality or tolerance from either side.

At the root of all of this is the discussion of the legality and morality of purchasing replicas. While some items (such as shoes and bags, and non-printed items with a distinctive cut or silhouette) fall into a legal grey area that allow them to be legally replicated even though they are direct copies, other items are patently illegal to replicate. Simply put, all replicas of prints, brand logos, and brand characters are illegal in any country party to the Berne Convention (establishes international copyright law). This includes China, where the vast majority of these prints and items are replicated, and Japan, where the original copyrighted items are produced. While China is party to the Berne Convention, lax enforcement of copyright laws make it easy for manufacturers such as OoJia (who operates on Facebook), and Dream Of Lolita (a TaoBao seller) to crank out inexpensive, custom-sized knock-offs of the latest and most popular brand print dresses, socks, head-bows, and bags.

These replicas, though technically illegal, appeal to a wide crowd of Lolitas, including Lolitas who are unable to afford or find the original item, and plus-sized Lolitas who are unable to fit into brand measurements. Many Lolitas who cannot afford Brand prices, or fit into their somewhat restrictive measurements, feel very alienated by the major Brands, and feel that replicas are the only option they have to wear the prints and dresses that they desire. Some feel that Brands should do more to accommodate their Western clientele, and others feel that they are in fact, entitled, as Lolitas to be able to wear the prints that brands produce, regardless of size or legality. This brings up the point of whether or not it is morally acceptable to purchase replicas, given their illegality, and whether or not the Lolita community as a whole should condone the practice. As expected in any debate, there is a strong voice opposing the sale of replicas. Those who are staunchly anti-replica feel that the purchase and commission of replicas is an immoral act, and that the girls who choose to purchase replicas are perpetuating a cycle of intellectual property theft that ultimately takes money away from the Brands, and hurts the artists whose prints appear on replicated clothing. 

Also as expected in any major internet debate, tempers flare, flame wars happen, feelings are hurt, and wank is created. Girls in the pro-replica camp are branded as being "fatty-chans," "thieves," "entitled," and "immoral." Girls in the anti-replica camp are branded as being "elitists," "brandwhores," "rich bitches," and "spoilsports." Every mean or negative stereotype in the EGL lexicon is being bandied about, and nothing good comes of it. I, personally think that none of these labels are necessarily true, and that they shouldn't be used to blanket a whole group (only individuals). Frankly, from my view of things, on both sides of the debate, a lot of girls are being rude, ill-tempered, and incredibly bitchy and butthurt.

Thus far, throughout this article, I've tried to stay as impartial as possible. This is how I tend to deal with any major debatable topic that I don't see as a major personal priority. For me, replicas are not a major personal priority. This isn't to say that I don't have an opinion on them, though. If you want my opinion, read on. If not, well, skip the whole next paragraph. :P

I have never purchased a print replica in the past, and I don't plan on doing so in the future. For me, if an item is too expensive or rare to own (read: grossly inflated price on the 2ndhand market, and super hard to find, too), then I really don't need it. Likewise, if I can't afford a print right when it comes out, even if I'm super in love with it (Cherish My Juicy Cherry anyone?), I'll wait a bit and stalk the sales comm or Y!J until it comes up and I can afford it. Because I can fit into most brand (most, not all), I'd rather purchase an original item, and have the satisfaction knowing that the artist who created my garment was compensated for their work, even if I wasn't the first buyer. In this way, I like to show my support and appreciation for the brands that have had a major impact shaping the hobby that I love so much. Being a RI Lolita with a fairly low tolerance for drama (my community has officially banned it), even though I ultimately disapprove of replicas, I'm not going to judge or condemn anyone who purchases them. Even if replicas are illegal, people have their own reasons for buying them, and they do so at their own risk. It poses no threat or risk to me, so I'd just as soon live and let live. While replicas can hurt the Brands, I feel that the real onus is on the people who manufacture them, because they are ones who directly profit from them. Yes, replica manufacturers make replicas them because people want them, but take away the source, and you take away the real problem. There are also many lovely alternatives to replicas, and many of the TaoBao and indie Lolita brands have been coming out with absolutely stellar original prints and designs that can be custom made, usually for 1/2 to 1/3 of the price of a similar Brand item. I'll probably be showcasing some of these in the next few weeks.  //My2Cents

Dream Dresses / WTB List

Every Lolita has a dream dress or two. Me? I've got a friggen' list. Really, only a few of these are super-high on the Want To Buy list, but I'd love to own all of these one day. Some of them are really more dreams than reality, though, due to the immense popularity or rarity of them. As you can see, I'm definitely a Baby girl, but Moitie and Innocent World also have a big chunk of my frilly little heart. All of the dresses on my Dream / WTB list are listed with my preferred colorways, and in some cases, sizes. My favorite colorway is generally shown in the picture. 

AATP:

Lady Lilith OP Size M (Bordeaux) ♥♥

Treasure Hunt in the Mystic Island Mary JSK (Ivory) ♥

Queen's Coach OP (Black, Navy)  ♥

AP:

French Polkadot JSK (Black, Navy) ♥♥

Milky Berry Halterneck JSK (Mint, Black, White) ♥

Strawberry Parlour Tiered JSK (Black, White) ♥

Freshly Picked Strawberries Shirring JSK (White, Black, Red)♥♥

Classical Pintuck OP (Brown, Wine) ♥ - Owned it! 

Atelier Pierrot:



Shirring Bustle Corset Skirt (White x Black, Navy x Black) ♥♥

 

Bustle Corset Skirt (Wine)♥

BTSSB:

Chained Berry Memoir Print Jenny JSK (Blue, Black, Red, Milk Tea) ♥

Cherry Cherry Fallin' Cherry Frill JSK (Black, Mint, Offwhite) ♥

Cherry Cherry Fallin' Cherry Ribonetta JSK (Black, Mint, Offwhite) Size S / M ♥ ♥

Baby Juicy Love Love Cherries Scalloped JSK (Black, Mint) ♥ ♥

 Cherish My Juicy Cherry Candy JSK (Sax, Red, Black) ♥ ♥

Cinderella OP (Rouge)♥

IW:

Antique Doll Hamiel OP (Any, esp. Navy or Grey) ♥♥

Birdcage JSK (Wine) ♥

Strawberry Gingham JSK (Blue) ♥

Castille JSK (Wine/White) ♥♥

Rococo Rose Border JSK (Chocolate, Smokey Green) ♥

Annette JSK (Any, esp. Mint) ♥♥

Belle Yu Tea Rose JSK (Any, esp. Wine) ♥

JetJ:

Crème sucrée et fleur Set (Any, esp. Blue or Rose) ♥

Echelle du Sphinx OP ♥♥


Mary Magdalene:

Antoinette Fleur OP (Any, esp. Blue) ♥♥

Farutetto JSK (Any) ♥♥

Irena Fleur JSK (Navy, Grey, Green) ♥

Petit Fleurs OP (Pink, Black) ♥

Meta:

Berry Stripe Sundress (Black) ♥♥

Gingham Cherry Ladder Lace JSK (Navy, Black) ♥

Moitie:

Jewelry Print JSK (Green, Red)♥

Cross Arch Lace Up JSK (Black x Cobalt, Green, Cobalt)♥♥

Dot Frill OP ♥

VM:

Lace-Up Doll Dress  (Mint, Rose) ♥

Lady Doll Dress (Navy, Wine) ♥