Sakura Matsuri Weekend
Over the weekend I spent another packed two days in New York City with my favorite Petrina of Lolita and the City. Saturday we joined lots of other springtime and Japanese culture enthusiasts at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for the annual cherry blossom festival, and Sunday I modeled in a romantic outdoor fashion show at The Old Stone House. I’ve been commuting to the city from my home in upstate Connecticut so often lately I have a go-bag of all my creature comforts! Talk about busy!
The weather for Sakura Matsuri was beautiful – not too hot, and not too cold. Some of the flowers had peaked, but most were in full bloom. Families, couples, friends, and photographers were everywhere, and everyone was taking selfies with the blossoms. Petrina got these cute photos for me!
I was really excited to try traditional Japanese sweets like “hanami dango” – flower-viewing balls – but these weren’t very flavorful sadly. They were really cute though!
A few other snapshots I got with my iPhone, including a snap of some local lolitas from the New York site, Asian in New York. Looking cute girls! Lots of lolitas came out, mostly in sweet style, to enjoy the flowers. The Japanese garden is my favorite.
My coordinate for the festival! Everything in this outfit is Angelic Pretty or offbrand. I’m giving the wigs a rest lately and styling my real hair now that I’m happy with the color. I did these curls with my straightener that morning and hair-sprayed them into submission, after following a Kera tutorial. It was a fun change and a lot more comfortable on a warm day.
I’m going to save the fashion show coverage for another post, but we had a great time! Thanks again to I Do Declare for making me her go-to model, it’s always a pleasure! :)
Mezamashi TV – Time to Wake Up!
Last weekend was a big one for me – I saw Kyary Pamyu Pamyu live in concert (my first concert! Hey, it’s hard to get out when you’re from Connecticut) and wound up on a couple different Japanese TV shows. I was so tired when it was all done, but it was worth it – definitely something I’m happy I got to experience!
Mezamashi TV is a popular Japanese TV show similar to the Today Show or Good Morning America. The word ‘mezamashi’ literally translates to ‘wake up!’ and it’s shown between 5:25 am and 8:00 am.
I’ve been on other TV shows and taping before, but this was my first time getting a close-up and an interview. It’s also the first time I get to see more than just one or two screenshots of the finished product! (And I’m going to get sent a DVD of the final product!) They took us out to a popular East Village teahouse called “Podunk”, which had amazing scones and hot chocolate. Here’s the Instagram collage I put together for the day – my BFF Dalin of Magic a La Mode & the rest of the girls featured!
It was fun to showcase what the crew called ‘colorful Harajuku coordinate’ rather than just lolita style. I had planned on wearing Sugar Hearts with pearls, but when the director specified that they really wanted to see something with 6%DokiDoki flavor, I reversed my coordinate and came up with this instead. I drew the accent yellow and sky blues from my vintage Adidas with the sleeves of my 6%DokiDoki jacket, the pattern of my tights, and the puffy heart hair clip.
Here’s my finished TV screenshot! Below my closeup, it says my name is katakana, my age, and my occupation (student). Next to me is a picture of myself in ‘daily wear’ or mainstream fashion.
I didn’t want to overload this post, so look forward to the next one where I talk about going to the Kyary concert! In the meantime, check out Lolita and the City’s on line street snaps of crazy concert-goers’ fashion!
Unreal Sakuras
While I was out with Petrina a few weekends ago, I got in some outfit shots of my new Dream Fantasy salopette! I put up the snap on my Instagram, but it didn’t get its own blog post until now.
I wanted to take this really sugary all-over print and play up a Misako-style princessy look, so I went with the straight hair, a jeweled pink Baby sidebow, the clean lines of my heart-shaped MILK bag, and a simple Angelic Pretty cardigan.
I also wanted to give the simple cut of this salopette some more detail and texture for interest, so I stole this three-bow and pearl brooch off my Princess in Love jumperskirt to pin to the front. Since they’re both Angelic Pretty pieces, the color was pretty similar.
(Yes I tried the Lookbook “mirror flip” fad so that there’s two of me. It came out kind of cute I think!)
Boots: DreamV | Salopette, cardigan: Angelic Pretty | Hairbow, blouse, pearl necklace: Baby the Stars Shine Bright | Bag: MILK
I’m going to soup this dress up really fairy-kei and costume-y for the upcoming Kyary Pamyu Pamyu concert, so I wanted to try something traditionally sweet lolita and toned down before that.
My only complaint is I wish the cherry blossoms were real! It’s been so cold here and won’t stop snowing where I live, so all the cherry blossoms are behind schedule. The day I wore this, it snowed that morning. Spring, where are you?!
And I got to eat delicious food at a new favorite cafe in Soho, Hiroko’s! I got to have omurice for the first time. I’ve added it to my list of comfort foods – wish I had an in-house Japanese mom to make it for me when I feel cold and sad, haha.
They gave my food a face and then he looked terrified to be eaten. But he was really delicious.
Why We Love Wanelo
There is a new social media scheme out for young girls of marketable age – forget Polyvore or Pinterest, I’m newly addicted to Wanelo!
Wanelo is a website/app that stands for Want/Need/Love, and it’s a lot like Pinterest or Tumblr, where you can collect lots of cute images of things you love. The difference is that you can click on these images and it will take you exactly to where you can buy them. No more messaging random Tumblr users who post cute t-shirts to just be sent to a dead WeHeartIt link. With Wanelo, I click any cute product and I get sent to the website I can buy it, as well as how much it is and if I want to save it to my own “Epic Wishlist”. Hang on to your wallets, girls.
Here’s a sample of my Wanelo gallery – yeah, I would happily purchase all of these pretties. Man, I gotta get a real job.
I haven’t gone on too big a spending spree yet, but already it’s been a great platform for those sweet offbrand filler items. Pastel floral backpacks, pink oxfords, angel-wing iPhone cases? I’ve collected them all on my Epic Wishlist section of the app. I’ve found all kinds of random fashion, makeup, decor, and tech products I otherwise wouldn’t have known existed. Finding a simple summer dress to a bridal shower this spring? Easy. Pastel sneakers? Done.
(And to whom it may concern… my birthday is in June, people. I’ve made it easy to appease the beast this year. Just check the site.)
You can find my Wanelo profile here – if you decide to join up, add me! I’m always looking for new cute-lovin’-shoppers to follow!
Magical Girl Undercover
Dalin of Magic A La Mode and I went shopping in Koreatown on Saturday and this was the fairy-kei inspired coordinate I wore! I’m feeling really inspired by two pink-hair models plastered all over the latest Kera, Moco and Yuu Kimura. I haven’t worn a wig in a few months – I’m trying to learn how to style my own hair again now that I’ve finally found a color I like!
Salopette, hoodie: Angelic Pretty | Leggings: UNIQLO | Boots: Yesstyle | Blouse: DreamV | Sailor Moon necklace: Kuma Crafts | Choker: Starlight Deco Dream | Bag: Hello Kitty | Sleep mask hair ornament: handmade by me
I’ll be reviewing the makeup and beauty products we saw in Koreatown, so please look forward to it!
Valentine’s Day Round-Up
A bit late, but here’s the round-up of photos from my Valentine’s Day! Unfortunately our big lolita meetup in honor of the pink holiday got snowed out (AGAIN), so these are the simple shots I took of my quiet holiday with my boyfriend. Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays, not only because I love the decorations, but the food! Heart-shaped pancakes, candy hearts, chocolate hearts, anything heart-shaped is perfect to celebrate with.
I also got my boyfriend to do some gratuitous selfies with me, so I can prove to the Internet he does, in fact, exist! I got a few snaps I’m pretty pleased with, so I made them into a simple collage with my iPhone app, PicFrame (check out my other favorite iPhone photo editing apps!) I really like the lavender cast these came out with, so I played it up.
What did you do for Valentine’s Day? (And yes, forever-alone answers count too! This is a judgement-free zone even if you did spend Singles’ Awareness Day on Tumblr.)
Paris in New York
Petrina and I had a girls’ day out last weekend with an inadvertent French theme! First we hit up a ‘locals’-love-it’ French cafe (creatively called Mon Petit Cafe) and then I visited Laduree for the first time.
In this coordinate, I took a fashion risk and decided to go for a soft blue accent. The leather jacket was a fun pop-lolita look to wear, but as with many lolita styles, an ordinary jacket’s waist was a little too long for the naturally-waisted cut of the Angelic Pretty onepiece.
Blue leather jacket: Wet Seal / Bow, onepiece: Angelic Pretty / Scarf: Swimmer / Bag: MILK
This was my first time visiting Laduree since they opened their New York City location on the Upper West Side. It’s a beautiful boutique, and it smells like the delicate perfume of sugar, macaron-scented candles, and a general air of expensiveness. I was excited to purchase a keychain or something Laduree-themed, like their signature perfumes, but it was really even too expensive for this lolita! If you’re going, plan on brand-worthy prices. My Baby the Stars Shine Bright keychain and a Laduree keychain are about the same price.
I did buy a small box of macarons, just to try them and see if the hype was worth it. For $21, their cheapest assortment, I got six macarons in a Laduree-labeled pink box embossed with their logo and the word ‘Paris’. I’ve had plenty of macarons before, but these are honestly the best I’ve ever had. They’re soft, crisp where they should be, and never sticky, gummy or chewy. The centers are soft creams infused with different floral extracts, since most of mine were floral-flavors like rose petal or orange blossom. Final verdict? They’re worth it. While I won’t be dropping in often, it was fun to sample them and say I’d been there. If you’re an out-of-towner, this is an especially fun place to visit!
coordinate photo and Laduree window photo by Petrina Cheng
Spotlight on: Subversive Kawaii
It’s a typical evening in my New England house. I’m sitting in front of the nightly news, wearing some kind of ruffly pink night-gown and pearl kitty ears. Paul Ryan comes on the screen, talking anti-choice propaganda and grinning condescendingly into the camera. I flip off the TV and have a few choice words for this guy who thankfully is not leaving his dirty socks all over the White House as we speak.
Later, I get on Facebook, where some of my lolita friends are have a discussion about the feminist repercussions of school dress-code. A white guy butts into the conversation to tell us exactly how, “as a man”, he doesn’t seen anything wrong with asking girls to “not dress like strippers” if they want to study algebra in peace. I have choice words for this guy, too.
As a girl, I face sexism, patriarchy, rape culture, whatever your favorite term is – both casual and blatant – every day in my life. And I have to admit, it makes me pretty angry. It’s frustrating, dehumanizing, and just downright rude. Sometimes you got to let it out.
So, I was very pleased to see a new Tumblr put my two favorite things together: pink, cuteness, and a take-no-prisoners attitude to rape culture, patriarchy, and Nice Guys. The ever-popular “offensive kawaii text” graphic subgenre on Tumblr is all about cute insults. So why not pair cute with anger against that creeper cat-caller on the street instead of the girl you can’t stand from your last meetup? Meet Subversive Kawaii.
What I really relate to in these graphics is the underlying message, rather than the straightforward text. Just because I’m cute and enjoy cute things, doesn’t mean you can walk on me. Just because I like pink and ribbons and glitter, doesn’t mean I’ll stand for being treated like a little girl without opinions of my own. Here’s the thing. When I am angry and have choice words and hand gestures for Paul Ryan on my television set, I am tired of being told to act like a lady and express my anger in a more respectful way. I don’t owe these guys my respect. I am five foot two, I have pink hair and I am wearing a tiara and I do not have to show you respect if I choose not to. I do not have to play nice.
I’m particularly fond of this one, too – it shows that Subversive Kawaii isn’t just about cis people. It’s good to see that we have some cute pastel that supports intersectional feminism – in this case, trans issues as well. Got pronoun choices? Tell ‘em, you badass cutie.
Pink, kittens, and rainbows that threaten bodily harm on people who sexually objectify your body? All of my favorite things. If you want to know more about sexual objectification, I just watched a great TED talk by Caroline Heldman that explains it very well. I don’t think I quite understand objectification until I watched this lecture, and realized how often we’re objectified in culture – but how often women, even scarier, objectify themselves. I was amazed to see that I think of myself as an object all the time.
Okay, now that I’ve thoroughly pinkified your ideas of smashing the patriarchy (I hope), they also have an Etsy I’m hoping will get built up soon with all kinds of pink anti-misogyny products. In the meantime, I’m definitely eyeing their PRINCESS patch to spice up my pink denim jacket for spring.
Welcome 2013!
Welcome to 2013, Parfait Doll readers! As of this year, Parfait Doll (previously incarnated as Lolita Charm) will have been published online for five years! (Crazy talk, I know.) I spent winter break mostly curled up, snowed in, and spending lots of lazy time with my new boyfriend. When not in my pink nest of blankets and fuzzy socks, I loitered anywhere festively lit in New York City. We had a great time just walking down 5th Avenue a few weeks ago, taking in the holiday displays.
Now that I’m back at university for the spring semester, I’m ready to get back on schedule again with my life, and my blog. I’ve cleaned up my bedroom, my calendar, and my hair. I’ve started productive lists. Really.
So here is the illustrated guide of what I want to make out of my next year!
#1. Take more fashion risks.
Looking back on 2012, I am really pleased with most of the outfits I put together. There were no big oh-God-can’t-believe-I-wore-THAT moments like I’ve had in previous years. But I still feel there is a wide world of fashion I am shying away from, because lolita is my comfort zone. I’m so inspired by some of the new friends I’ve made in the past year, and new trends that have emerged that I’m dying to try. My 2013 fashion collage board is definitely getting its own future post – look forward to it!
Why New York City Lolitas Swear
New York City lolitas swear. A lot. At least, all the ones I run with do. In fact, your average New York City lolita has enough mothaf***ing sass to power the Empire State Building for at least a year, with the exception of special occasion Christmas lights. From my travels around the country, it seems like New York City girls do the most backtalk to street harassment. Maybe that’s because we’re subjected to plenty of it on a daily basis, or maybe because we’re from a culture where people speak their mind often.
So this article is to bust the myth that lolitas are “ladylike” and don’t swear. If you want to see gorgeous lolitas draped in chiffon and pearls shatter lolita stereotypes, holla at my New York City girls.
My friend Andrea, the moderator of the Atlanta lolita community, came to visit over International Lolita Day. She’s got that southern charm and class, which is something we New York girls aren’t really known for. When people are rude to us (everyone from native New Yorkers, tourists, or drunk guys on a train), New York City girls do not hesitate to put them in their place. Andrea said to us, “People often tell me I’m too nice. I need to hang out with you girls more to learn some of your attitude.”
On International Lolita Day, it’s also prime Christmas season in New York and plenty of out-of-towners and tourists are visiting to see the Rockettes and Rockefeller Plaze and generally live out their Home Alone II daydreams. Riding the train in, we rode in a car with a few families – mom, dad, 2.5 kids and the like. As the train pulled into Grand Central, everyone starts gathering their things to exit the train. Both families sitting further to the front stopped dead in the aisle, effectively keeping everyone on the train from leaving. The mom flashes an L.L. Bean smile at me and says, “So. I gotta ask.” And waves her hand vaguely at my body. (Check out my previous post to see what I wore!)
“What do you have to ask?” I asked her, looking her dead in the eye.
Hello, I'm Victoria Suzanne! I'm an Angelic Pretty fangirl, an unnatural hair dye addict and a fairy-kei wannabe from the New York City area. I've been writing Parfait Doll since 2008.
Hey! Where did your Google Friend Connect go?!
Drop me a line! Email me: victoriasuzanne@parfaitdoll.com
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