Lovely Day with Shinobu

 Hello dear readers! How are you today?

Today I'll tell you about my day out with fellow lolita blogger Shinobu.

We knew each other online while I was still in England and she in Mexico, and by a very happy coincidence we moved to Japan around the same time.

Earlier this month we met in Harajuku for a very typical lolita day out, of course including purikura!

Our schedule was as follows:

1. Meet at Harajuku station, Takeshita Dori exit

2. Go to Christie and have tea

3. Closet Child

4. Laforet

5. Purikura

This is a truly typical lolita day in Harajuku! 

I got a few things that day- flowers from H&M, a hat from Daiso I'm going to decorate, super-frilly Metamorphose socks (we had to discuss about the raschel lace, but I  finally decided to get them) and a brown parasol from Alice and the Pirates (too big to go in the picture).  

I got something else too, something very precious!

It was a present from Shinobu, her original illustration of me! I was very touched and happy. She is so kind and so talented (check her blog for more of her work!) All the little details of my coordinate are just right and the watercolours are dreamy and pretty. I am hunting for a nice frame to keep it in. Thank you, Shinobu!

I enjoyed everything that day, but the especially sitting and chatting in the cafe. It was very peaceful! I'm looking forward to next time with Shinobu :)

Here is my outfit. It was raining so it was hard to find a good location!

Head bow: Ange

Onepiece: Innocent World

Bag: Metamorphose

Can you guess the theme? It's 'Schoolgirl Lolita'. 

It felt like autumn term on that rainy day!

Thank you very much for reading, and see you again soon.

Sapphira

Toshimaen

Hello dear readers! How are you?

Today, as promised, I'll show you the pictures of the lolita meet up I went to at Toshimaen. Toshimaen is an amusement park in Tokyo, and our chief reason for going was to see the El Dorado carousel.

It was built in Germany in 1907, lived for a long time in New York, and in the 1970s it came to Japan. It's also been imortalised in Baby's El Dorado series, though of course the real one looks quite a bit different to the applique version.

It's a lovely carousel, with the most beautiful Art Nouveau decoration. I've never seen anything like it! 

You could ride in a carriage, on a velvet bench, on a horse, or on a pig. I choose a horse, of course.

It was also unusual in that the horses didn't move up and down, and there weren't any moving figures or mirrors in the centre, and it seemed to be going ever so fast which was a bit worrying given it's age and the fact it's made of wood.

This carousel was so beautiful once you were sitting inside it. I'd like to go round and round for hours!

 

Of course we took outfit shots! I wish I had worn something more fitting for the scenery, but in winter I  can hardly think of anything but being as warm as possible.

Here's my makeup:

And Mr Piggy:

After the carousel, we went skating! I haven't skated for years, and I was pretty bad at it then. I kept having second thoughts but once the skates were on my feet there couldn't really be any going back, and after dragging myself round the edge a couple of times annoying everyone, I got the hang of it again! It was great fun, and the other lolis looked so cute on skates! 

Finally, I want to say thank you very much to the maker of my valentine this week. It means a great deal to me to receive one- thank you, thank you, thank you!

See you next time,

Sapphira

Junichi Nakahara and autumn colours at Hiro-o

Hello dear readers! How are you?

Today I'll show you some pictures from a lovely day out last week. Aviva had the idea to go to a park to admire the beautiful autumn leaves, and I suggested Arisugawanomiya Memorial Park, since it's close to a shop I've been wanting to visit.

The shop's name is それいゆ (Soleil) and it's the official shop for the artist Junichi Nakahara. Even if you don't know his name, it's likely you've seen some of his pictures of beautiful girls. He was producing work from the 1920s into the 1960s, as a fashion designer, illustrator and doll-maker.

Entrance of Soleil.

The shop was full of pretty things, prints, postcards, clothes made from Nakahara's designs,  useful good like umbrellas, mousemats, notebooks and so on decorated with his images. I wanted to get a book, and there were lots to choose from! Luckily the shop was not too crowded or cramped so we had time to pore over the items and decide our purchases at leisure.

I settled on a book which is a nice A4 size with lots of great pictures and a wide selection of his work. I'm sure I'll never tire of looking at it! His work captures the essence of the era in which it was made, and it's so stylish, nostalgic and sweet all at once. I even felt inspired to make some drawings of my own again (it's been ages since I drew anything properly), they are rather dreadful but I might show you sometime. 

Here's a few pages from the book:

For my outfit, of course I was inspired by Junichi Nakahara! Since I like retro style and have black hair and a short fringe, it wasn't much of a stretch for me but I was still pleased with how the outfit came out. This photo was taken in the park.

Doesn't the park look lovely? All those different shades of red, rust, amber and yellow!

People were fishing in the lake. I expect they have to throw the fish back, but it must be pretty stressful for the poor old things. But I think a lot of people come to feed them too, so it isn't all bad.

I loved this bridge!

Here's a collage of my outfit (getting a bit addicted to doing these collages) so you can see my teddy bear tights from swimmer! This outfit is more on the retro side, so I thought it would be fun to put in a cute detail like that.

Coat: Victorian Maiden

Skirt, necklace: Innocent World

Tights: Swimmer

Bag: Metamorphose

Others: Offbrand

Hope you enjoyed the pictures! See you again soon,

Sapphira

Happy International Lolita Day!

Happy International Lolita Day to all my lovely readers! What are you doing today? Whatever it is, I hope you have a wonderful time. If you're having any Jubilee celebrations, I hope you'll enjoy those too!

Today I went shopping with my parents and I continued with packing for Japan, which I started yesterday. I took my VM coat to the dry cleaners too- it's strange having to pack winter clothes along with summer things!

Here's today's outfit:

~Rundown~

Hat: corgi-corgi

Cutsew: axes femme

Jumperskirt: Handmade, purchased on egl sales community

Everything else: Offbrand

My fashion point today was 'Wear this dress, because you won't see it for at least 6 months!'

I'm trying my best to narrow down which pieces to pack, and this JSK didn't make the cut. Sorry, my dear JSK! It's even worse deciding on which shoes to leave behind.

Tomorrow I'm doing karaoke with a few close friends, it's my farewell party :(

It should be fun though! Maybe I'll take some pictures to show you, or even a video so you can hear my marvellous contralto..... Only joking!

Thanks for reading,

Sapphira

xxxx

Classic Outfit...and an annoucement!

Hello dear readers~

Today I'll show you an outfit, and tell you something exciting!

This time I wanted to make a really classical outfit. A high-collar onepiece is typical classic lolita. Oxford shoes and argyle print socks keep to the traditional, prim effect. The print of the dress includes little red flowers, and I picked these up by adding bordeaux to the rest of the coodinate. 

~Rundown~

Onepiece: Handmade

Ribbon Brooch: Vintage

Socks: Metamorphose

Everything else: Offbrand

Now for my announcement.....

This summer, I am moving to Tokyo!

This is something I've wanted to do for a very long time, and finally the timing is right. I'm feeling rather sad to be parting from my friends and family here in England, but I'm looking forward to joining my friends there and meeting up with new people. I will stay about one year, and see how I do.

 I will be studying Japanese for the first few months, and I'll look for a job so I can save up and do some travelling. I want to visit Hokkaido, Okinawa, Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto.... lots of places! I love Japan, and I'd like to see as much of it as I can. 

I can't wait to start my Japanese course! I started to study Japanese by myself when I was 16 or so, and I had evening classes at SOAS for a couple of terms while I was at university. I've been taking evening classes once a week since September at a college here in Sussex, but it is very difficult to make much progress studying that way. In Japan I'll have lessons Monday to Friday, so with hard work and effort on my part I hope I'll improve my level quickly. 

I'm also looking forward to going to lolita events and seeing my favourite bands. And those two most important activities- shopping and eating. It's going to be tough on my wallet, being surrounded by wonderful shops and beautiful clothes! 

 Of course, I'll keep blogging while I'm there. Thank you all for your lovely comments over this past year or so. I'm really enjoying getting to know you through this blog, and I hope you'll continue to follow me in the future. This is a very exciting step for me, and I hope this blog will become more exciting too!

See you next time,

Sapphira

xxxx

Brown x Bordeaux

Hello readers! How are you?

I liked the colours of the last coord I posted so much that today's has the same theme:

~Rundown~

Blouse- Vintage

Skirt- Innocent World

Everything else- Offbrand

I hope you liked my outfit. Next time I want to post a nice springtime outfit, so let's hope for fine weather~

Hope you're having a nice weekend! Thanks for visiting.

Sapphira

xxxx

Teddies to Teddy's

Hello readers!

Today it's another coordinate post, with a brown and bordeaux colour scheme. Although spring is in the air, it's still rather chilly so I was in a wintery mode at the weekend.

~Rundown~

Headbow, JSK- Innocent World

Cutsew- axes femme

Tights, boots- Offbrand

I wore this to have lunch in a cute cafe in town called Teddy's, hence the title.

I realised that I haven't taken a picture showing with the cape that came with my VM coat, so I took a picture by the little church. 

I really love the cape, though of course it makes it all the more fiddly when you have to take it on and off. It makes the coat more gorgeous right away, and it makes quite a difference in heat besides!

I hope you liked my outfit. Thank you very much for checking my blog.

See you next time,

Sapphira

xxxx

Yoyogi Koen and Meiji Jingu

Hello everyone!

Today's post is another installation of my trip to Japan. I'm coming to the end of these posts- I feel quite sad. However, it's nice to relieve these memories, and this particular day was one of my favourites.

Here's my coordinate:

~Rundown~

Hat: corgi-corgi

Blouse, scarf: Vintage

Skirt, socks: Innocent World

Basket: Disney Sea!

On this day we went to Harajuku again. This time we took a walk in Yoyogi Park and visited Meiji Shrine.... aaaand did some shopping!

I took a photo here the first time I came to Japan! Somehow this picture came out looking as if it was snowing. I don't know how it happened but it's pretty! The coat is Victorian Maiden and the muff is Innocent World.

Meiji Shrine is so beautiful, this picture really doesn't do it justice. It has the loveliest atmosphere, so romantic!

We took a walk in the imperial garden. January is seldom the best time to see any sort of garden, but it was such a beautiful clear sunny day that even though the plants were sleeping it was a very charming place.

Empress Soken used to fish from this jetty. I never imagined empresses fishing, but this one did!

Once again I went to Laforet! I'd seen some adorable wrist cuffs in Baby previously; as luck would have it they were still there! I really like the delicate tulle lace with a rose pattern and the cream colour. These will be so handy in summer when I wear short sleeves. The shop staff was so kind and wrapped them very carefully, and let me choose between an Alice and the Pirates bag or a Baby bag.

Then I got a handbag in Metamorphose too! Again, the shop staff was lovely. I took a while to decide between this one and a smaller one with rose embroidery, and she explained their features with great care which was very helpful. In the end I chose this one because it holds a lot but because of the shape it doesn't look too hefty. 

The most charming point is this metal plate. The scallops are so pretty too, and this particular shade of matte brown was just what I wanted. 

The zips are also adorable! Look at the tiny Metamorphose swans.

The lining is cream and brown, very handy. No chance of losing things in here!

I still sort of want the smaller bag too, the square one. There's a red version that's really lovely.

Thanks for looking, and I hope you enjoyed the pictures. Oh dear, I really do miss Japan!

Sapphira

xxxx

Hyper Japan Fashion Show 26/02/12

Hello readers!

Yesterday I had a wonderful time at Hyper Japan 2012 Spring. I ate a lot, including delicious curry croquettes, and learnt more about Japanese cinema. And I got a smile from the very cute Beckii Cruel :) I even met a couple of people who read this blog or recognised me from Daily Lolita! I was very suprised and happy. Thank you so much for talking to me, you are all truly lovely and it was a pleasure to meet you <3

I walked in the Japanese Street Fashion show, which showcased Lolita, Otome, Mori Girl and Cult Party kei. 

Scarlett and Tania opened the show. Scarlett was wearing kodona, and Tania was wearing a new print from Baby, the Stars Shine Bright.

Emma, on the left, was wearing Innocent World's Lotta print in classic-sweet style. Katie was hime-sweet in Baby. They are both so frilly!

Annie-May in classic. I really love this colour combination! Her bonnet is handmade.

It's me, accompanied by my dear friend Mr Albert Bear. Predictably, I'm in classic. One day I'll shock you by wearing head-to-toe AP!

With this coordinate I went for a "British school girl" theme, hence the red and blue argyll socks and sturdy boots. My jumperskirt is from Emily Temple Cute, socks are Metamorphose, blouse is handmade and everything else is offbrand. Mr Bear's ribbon hand-tailored at Savile Row.

Jenni wore classic-gothic, a style which I'd like to try out for myself. Her BTSSB hair accessory is so elegant, as is the simple but rich-looking colour scheme.

Mel looked so gorgeous, as always! I think she's one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen. I really loved her decadent, gothic outfit.

Like many lolitas, I really look up to Phoebe! She puts so much creativity into her outfits. Her coordinate today was wonderful, with a handmade bonnet adorned with tiny bird skulls.

Here's our little mori girl pair, Mya and Shani. They look like two baby deers! I loved Mya's straw heart-shaped bag and Shani's hairstyle.

Antonia's outfit started off as mori girl but ended up as Cult Party kei with the addition of colourful accessories. Her beautiful red hair helped things along too! I really like the way she pinned up the different layers of her outfit.

Aimi was also in Cult Party kei. Her handmade hair crucifix was very cool! 

Sam was next, in otome. She told me that she reads this blog- hello Sam! 

To close the show, Bunny was also wearing otome in lovely hues of dusky pink and honey brown. She managed to walk very gracefully despite wearing those famous Vivienne Westwood Hermes sandals, which give me the chills despite being a heel veteran.

For the finale we all lined the stage, then it was time for the interviews. This gave the audience a chance to learn more about our different styles.

You can see Jenni's Grimoire tights better here! 

Explaining my socks....

It was interesting to hear about Cult Party kei. I've seen enough pictures to recognise it (seems to be based around white fluffy layers with flashes of colour and rather wonderfully morbid accessories) but I'm by no means an expert. It's a very new fashion, which is exciting! It's great to know that things are constantly changing and evolving in the world of Japanese street fashion; I would feel so sad to think that it would ever turn stale.

I thought Sam's outfit was not only gorgeous but also a wonderful example of otome kei, with retro touches like her lace-up boots, the cuteness of the strawberries on her dress (I love this series from Emily Temple Cute!) and also the modern, relaxed style of her blazer. If you need a reference for the difference between lolita and otome, you can look at this picture!

Finally all the lolis in the audience were invited onto the stage for the prize-giving. Tania the organiser, Scarlett (Hyper Japan's Kawaii Star) and Megu-san, Baby's shop staff, picked their favourite outfits to award prizes to. The prizes were donated by Gothic Lolita Wigs, Roxie Sweetheart, Teja Tights, Keep-it-secret and Now, Voyager. Well done lucky lolis!

I hope you enjoyed all the pictures, and if you see your picture here of course feel free to take it, and do let me know if you would like anything taken down or changed.

See you next time! 

Sapphira

xxxx