Summer Yukata Meetup

Long time, no see! The end days of summer have been very busy for me as I'v been bolstering my exercise routine and working on some general self improvement. I may do another weight loss for lolita post, updating on the progress and maintenance practices since my last one. 

My lolita comm decided to host a small yukata meetup to wrap up the summer. We had a few months of planning and ordering our outfits, culminating in a pleasant visit to Emma's Tea Room. Rather than a hot tea, I went with getting a nice glass of iced oolong tea. I sadly can't remember the exact variety, but the flavor was pleasant and I wish my memory would let me remember so that I could add the tea to my collection at home. 

I chose to get the daily salad special which came with a small blueberry muffin and poppy seed dressing. The flavor was great, and the combination of plums and strawberries with the bed of mixed greens was so perfect. <3

Dessert consisted of a piece of lemon cake topped with mandarin oranges and whipped cream. The flavor was really nice, and I liked the arrangement of the components. 

What would a post about a yukata meetup be, though, without a photo of me actually in my yukata? I ordered an easy to wear rose yukata from DreamV which was a good idea since I've never owned or worn a yukata before. In keeping with the general taste of my wardrobe, I went with the dark colored version of the pattern. The shoes which came with the yukata itself were way too small for my American feet, though, and the site offered no option to size up for a bigger pair. I ended up finding a pair of simple heeled wooden shoes from the thrift store which actually matched the general feel of my coordinate. I even wonder if they were originally ordered from Japan since the size labeling read "24.5" rather than a US or European style sizing scheme. Overall, I was really happy with the way I looked in the yukata although it's not nearly as comfortable as lolita, and I can't see myself wanting to wear an outfit like this more than once a year for a special occasion. 

We were somewhat tired after the tea house, so we wound up just going to a local antique store before parting ways. This is the second time I've gone to a curated antique store with my comm, and I've had a great time on both occasions. I ended up buying the stuffed rabbit pictured above as I love his vintage feel, and he reminds me of the Mossbadger items I love so much. 

Forever 21, Big Lots, Thrift Store, Oh My!

I tend to love the items released towards Valentine's day as stores display their sweetest items of the year. I've managed to find a lot of great finds during late January and early February, so venture past the jump to see some of the finds I've snagged lately.

Thrift Store Fairy Kei/Spank! Success

I've been wanting to expand my fairy kei wardrobe to be able to withstand the colds of Alabama winter. This basically means light jackets and sweaters most of the time. While lolita generally uses heavier coats and boleros, I've generally seen fairy kei use light pastel jackets which I've been having trouble locating. Inspired by Skiteanna Sweet's post on top places to buy fairy kei and my desire to explore more secondhand friendly spank! fashion, I decided to check out my local Goodwill thrift store to see if I could find anything pastel. 

I was surprised at what I was able to find. My first discovery was a basic white frilly skirt. I've been pondering doing a tie dye project for a while, so I filed this item away in my future project area. 

My second find was a very cute Grape Crush shirt. Not my photo below, but it exactly resembles the item which I found:

I love the softer purple coloring of this item along with the vintage feel of the logo.

My final find was my favorite. Remember how I mentioned preparing for winter? Well, I was able to find a pastel rainbow colored sweater.  ヽ(*≧ω≦)ﾉ

I coordinated the outfit below to be my first spank!/ 80s pastel outfit. I'm pleased with the results:

Sweater: Thrifted
Skirt: Delia's
Earrings: Darling Deers
Necklace: Forever 21
Socks: Target
Shoes: Bodyline

I was pleasantly surprised with how this outfit came out. I also messed with my hair, going for something more akin to an 80s top knot like I've seen in a number of photos of girls sporting the fashion. 

Also, for once, my wallet wasn't crying out in fear. I managed to snag all of the pieces for about $7 with tax. Pretty good deal to me.

The lesson of this story? Give your local thrift store a try. You and your budget may be pleasantly surprised.