Baby the Stars Shine Bright x Barbie at Laforet

Did anyone else get a huge surprise on the Baby website recently? I was really stunned to see a collaboration like this, especially with the glamorous, almost sexy image Barbie represents (at least recently, but maybe not so much in the 50s). To see her decked from head to (almost) toe in ruffles and frills is really refreshing, especially for us Lolita girls!

I would have loved to own this as a young girl, as I was such a Barbie fan back then - until I shaved all their heads for some reason long forgotten - and to be honest I'd still be proud to have it in my doll collection now.

Lolita Videos

I found these really cute Lolita videos! After a re-watch of the wonderful Kamikaze Girls (and the realisation of how cute Ichigo is), I felt very affectionate towards the clothes of Baby, the Stars Shine Bright! Now I really want to go back to the Paris store.

Today's Co-ordinate, Shirring Princess!

 

Blouse: Dorothy Perkins

JSK: Shirring Princess, Baby the Stars Shine Bright

Headbow: Baby the Stars Shine Bright

Socks: Sock it to me

I wear this dress a lot recently, as well as my Wonder Cookie JSK! It's such a cute, typically BABY dress! I thought that the white on my blouse goes very well with the white on my headbow, and the small bits of white on the socks. The socks have really cute cats with mustaches on, so how could I resist them in Boston!

Lovely Sweet Room Altered

The title of this post may sound very misleading, *laughs* but this post is to show an actual brand dress altered to fit someone of a bigger size than BtSSB caters to. First I decided to send my Lovely Sweet Room JSK to the local tailors to be adjusted, seeing as it was my first lolita dress.

I was a little bit nervous at first, but in the end it was actually a good experience. We went into the store and the lady asked me to try the dress on - obviously it was too small in the bust - and we talked briefly about making an alteration to it, as obviously there were only a few things we could do with it. Besides, I didn't want the changes to be too extreme and noticeable. In the end we decided on adding a panel to the bodice, on the left side. They described it as a "triangle insert" of about ten centimeters.
At first I thought it was odd that it wouldn't be symmetrical on both sides, but the end product was absolutely fine; you can hardly notice the changes!

My mother and I went back to the tailors about a week later (they actually make custom wedding dresses and must be very busy, so I think that is a fair amount of time to wait for my alterations) for a fitting and I tried it on again. And it fit! There was a bit of a gape, so we went around the book shops for a bit whilst we waited for the final change to be made.
Then, an hour later, I tried it on again *laughs*. There were so many times that I had to whip off my clothes really fast so as not to keep them waiting! This time it was perfect and I got to take it home. Also, when I took it home, my grandmother asked to do some work on it herself, as the lace that has the corset-like effect in the back was torn when I last wore it (it wasn't done at the tailors, just so that's clear, it happened because it was too small for me sometime last year!).

I'm incredibly pleased with it! So I think that anyone with any doubts about getting a seamstress to make alterations to brand items should rest assured that in the end it will be perfect.

Here are some photos:

Detailed view of the back. Sorry for the flash.

Make sure the lacing is loose so that it doesn't break again!

The triangle insert (and it's so neat!)

The fixed lace - you can hardly tell it was ever broken and frayed!

The adjustments are very discrete. Really, it just looks like normal.

Indy sulking because I told him not to lie on my dress.

So I wore Lolita Yesterday...

And it went really well! Here's my co-ord:

Headdress: Handmade with rose fabric

Blouse: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

JSK: Shirring Princess - Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

Socks: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

Shoes: Red or Dead

Seemingly I haven't worn it much lately, as I've fallen into the habit of just slinging on a pair of jeans and a T-Shirt. Yet you can see here, shirring is magical for plus-sized lolitas! And you probably can't tell, but I'm wearing two off-brand petticoats. 

I went to Liverpool for the afternoon and had tea in a café and looked in vintage shops, whilst my brother was buying HarleyQuin merchandise. My sister said that when we were walking past this bus, a little girl said to her mother "look, mummy, a princess!"! Wow, it feels nice to get compliments like that! *blushing* 

Another Lolita Co-ordinate

Saturday

Blouse: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

JSK: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright - Shirring Princess

Socks: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

Head bow: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

 

 

Usually I don't wear so much Lolita clothes, because a) Indy's and Cleo's paws are almost always muddy, and b) I still need to lose a little more weight for my other JSKs. I used to wear Lolita every weekend when I went to school full-time to have a break from my really unattractive, bottle green uniform, and now I'm well enough to go to school full time again, I'm getting back into that tradition. Also, when I feel ill I don't really want to wear Lolita in case I get it dirty fainting or having a seizure, but now there's no risk of that at the moment, I want to make the most of it!

I'm wearing a lot of BtSSB today! It must be my favourite Lolita brand by far... Also, I took some quick photos of details in my Lovely Sweet Room JSK for inspiration of my next artwork. I just love all the details in BtSSB dresses, and the poodles are so adorable! I wonder if someday there will be a print with cocker spaniels on? It would be at the top of my dream dress list, if so!

 

 

 

 



Shirring Princess - Today's Lolita Co-ordinate!

Saturday

Blouse: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

JSK: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright - Shirring Princess

Socks: Secret Shop

Necklace and earrings: Disney

 

 

I just adore this JSK! It's simple, really versatile, and has beautiful details in the back with a bustle-like effect. I think it has to be my favourite Lolita dress by far!

I wore this outfit for about 20 minutes before I had to get changed into old clothes, as I remembered that I had a lot of art homework to do for upcoming exams!

My Trip to France 2013

I went to France last week and had a really great time! 

We went to Disneyland Paris for most of the time and I had a lot of fun going on the rides I could handle. Because of my illness, I have had a lot of motion sickness and tiredness from going on fast rides - I also cannot go on rides with bright, fast-moving, flashing lights - so I mostly went on the nice, calm rides ahaha. :) I ate lots of lovely food everyday and just generally relaxed most of the time, reading and playing Animal Crossing in our caravan.

My favourite ride had to be Phantom Manner because of the whole atmosphere and scenery. The ride was amazing though! I love all the decorations and special effects, it makes it so magical and gothic!

My favourite restaurant was either the Blue Lagoon which was Pirate/Pirates of the Caribbean themed, or Annette's Diner for obvious reasons (I love the 50s!). I can't eat much because I'm a fussy eater and only like certain foods, but the food I ate there was very nice. I loved the burgers at Annette's diner - and the scenery in there was beautiful too and inspired some abstract designs on my recent picture. :)  

One day we went into Paris and I visited the Baby, the Stars Shine Bright store! I felt like a princess and that's where I bought my head bow and socks. I also got these free badges because of my purchases! It was really magical to go to the physical store; even more so when you're reading Kamikaze Girls at the same time!

The store was bigger than I expected and the customer service was great! (My mum made me anxiously anticipate some really snobby, scary elitist lolita who would look down their nose at me for not wearing lolita to visit the store... and she was very wrongly mistaken!) I would definitely go again some day. 

Lovely Sweet Room - Today's Lolita Co-ordinate!

Saturday

Blouse: Topshop

JSK: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright - Lovely Sweet Room

Socks: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

As it's the last day of August, I wanted something summery and casual. :)
I wore my hair in plaits to keep cool.

Whipped Showcase - Today's Lolita Co-ordinate!

Wednesday

Hair bow: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

Blouse: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

JSK: Angelic Pretty - Whipped Showcase

Socks: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

 

I think this is the cutest outfit I own! :3 

Edit: Whoa, I didn't expect this to get so many notes on my Tumblr! 

Hyper Japan London 2013

Yesterday I went down to London to go see the Hyper Japan exhibit and it was amazing! I went with my siblings and parents and had such a nice time. I even dressed up all lolita-ry at seven in the morning hahaha! It took a few hours to get there and the tubes were kind of scary but apart from that it was really fun. And... now I'm exhausted!

As soon as I got there I found the Angelic Pretty stand and there were so many dresses I loved. My mum and dad, as a present for getting better (hey, it was promised back in November when I was really sick in hospital) bought me one! I'm so happy and I think I'll wear it literally every weekend until I die! XD  It's this one on the right to be exact, but in pink.  www.angelicpretty.com/newarriv…

I also got the Gothic and Lolita Bible volume 48 and I just love Mitsukazu Mihara's artwork. It even came with a free poster. :D

I had such a great day, and only one embarrassing thing happened besides my two year-old brother being frightened of these cosplayers... My dad somehow picked up a yaoi book and started reading it... and I was looking over his shoulder to see what he was looking at... And not only that, but it was a Black Butler fancomic, and he knows I love Black Butler and recognized Sebastian and Ciel. I hope he doesn't think that *ahem* happens in the original Black Butler manga otherwise he'll never let me read it again! I was so embarrassed! Especially seeing as Ciel's like, 12/13 and Sebastian's an adult! And my dad saw that! *dies sobbing grossly*

After looking round the whole of Hyper Japan we went to see the Thames river and Downing Street. Also, we went to St. James park and had ice cream. Later we went to an Italian restaurant and because I only had a sandwich for the whole day, I was so hungry when it came that I could actually eat a whole meal, which is a first for me!

Anyway, I had a really great day! <3

And here's the dress! And me in it.... I can never smile properly in photos XD
Hair ribbons: off brand
Blouse: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright
JSK: (Whipped Showcase) Angelic Pretty
Socks (you can't see them, but): Secret Shop