Goals for 2020

2019 has ended with me starting a full time job. While it is not science related, it is a start. Because of that I can now afford to buy more Lolita clothing. However, there is one issue... most of my current Lolita wardrobe does not fit me. I knew I gained weight doing my Honours degree but I thought I lost a good amount of it.

Despite the aforementioned issue, I wore Lolita to a meet up once this year after more than three years since wearing it. I was nervous at first, but did get more comfortable with it. Maybe I'll wear Lolita more often in 2020.

In order to expand my wardrobe and feel ready to buy more, I will need to lose weight. For me, this isn't just about losing weight, it is also about getting healthier. This is because some of my habits are not that healthy. For example, I do have a tendency to overeat which is difficult to overcome when there is an abundance of food and being short does not help.

Therefore, in 2020, I intend to get healthier, lose weight and wear Lolita more often. If I can fit into more of my Lolita wardrobe, I intend to buy more Lolita clothing in the new year. Speaking of buying more Lolita clothing, I do like the Eternal Doll Set lucky pack from Angelic Pretty for 2020 but it would not fit me at my current weight and may also not fit at my healthy, natural weight but I'll see where my weight loss leads me.

I also intend to post a few health related posts as well as Lolita related posts. I don't know what I'll post about in terms of health yet but if anyone has any suggestions feel free to comment.

少女の夢 (A girl’s dreams)

これは初めての日本語と英語のブログポストです。良くないですけど、読んでください。英語の訳はポストの下にあります。This is my first blog post in Japanese and English. Feel free to read it. The English version is on the bottom of this post.

甘ロリが好きです。なぜなら、可愛いし、パステルカラーが好きだし、モチーフも可愛いのです。今まで、ロリータのブランドの洋服はプリティーさんのCream cookie collection のジャンパスカートと Dramatic Roseのスカートです。けど、プリティさんと他のブランドの洋服を買いたいと思いますが、お金をもらう為に、就職しなければなりません。これは優しくないです。

そのことを待っている間に、ロリータ関係のヘアメイクを勉強してみたいです。例えば、カチューシャを持っています。けど、着方を知らないので、青木美沙子に書かれた「ローリタファッションBook」の考えをしてみたいと思う。そして、マニキュアを使いませんけど、使いたいので、練習します。長い髪が持っているので、色々なヘアアレンジをしてみた方がいいと思います。

ロリータをもっと着たいと思います。でも、生活なロリータになりたくないです。今、ロリータのサークルを所属していて、楽しいです。

自分として、ロリータのために、体型をキープすることが必要と思います。太り過ぎないように、ヨガをしたり、低カロリーダイエットをしたりします。今、ヨガに対して、鶴のポースとか、逆転のポースとか、車輪のポースとか出来ることが目的です。

ロリータの以外の夢、研究者になりたいですが、今こそ、難しいです。それから、頑張ります。

I enjoy wearing Sweet Lolita because it’s cute, I like pastel colours and it uses cute motifs. Up to now, the only brand garments I own are Angelic Pretty’s Cream Cookie Collection jumperskirt and Dramatic Rose skirt. However, I want to buy clothing from other brands as well as from AP. In order to get the money needed to do that, I have to get a job, which is not easy.

While I am waiting for a job, I want to learn more about hair and makeup that is related to Lolita. For example, I have a katyusha but I do not know how to wear it. Because of that, I will try some of the ideas from Misako Aoki’s Lolita Fashion Book. Also, while I do not wear nail polish, I want to try using that too. Because I have long hair, I think it would be good to try various hair styles.

I want to wear Lolita more often but I don’t want to be a lifestyle Lolita. Currently, I am part of my local Lolita group and enjoy it.

As for me, because of Lolita, I think it is necessary for me to keep in shape. In order to avoid gaining weight, I do things such as yoga and watching what I eat. My current goals for yoga are to be able to do inversions, crow pose and full wheel pose.

My dream that is not related to Lolita is to become a researcher. However, it is difficult to do that at this moment but I will try my best.

New Years 2016

Happy new year!

To start off the first post of the new year, I am going to update on the yoga goals I created in June. Currently, I am able to hold shoulderstand and forearm stand for one or two seconds and have improved on my headstands. As for arm balances and backbends, I have improved a fair bit.

As I have done a Loliday post a month ago, I will only describe my hopes for my Lolita life in 2016. I would like to wear Lolita more often and post my coords online using my new Instagram account. While this is mainly a Lolita fashion blog, I will be posting yoga related photos in there as well.

Photo from See To World.

Loliday June 2015 letter

For the original (January) letter, click here.

Dear Kalle Sweet of January 2015,

At present (7/6/2015), I am a uni graduate who is still waiting for her first job during her enforced gap year and a Lolita who has only worn it once this year and hopes for more opportunities.

I have not found a job yet due to a job market that is small and with employers exploiting that fact (How can I have experience when I have never held a job?). Because of that, I have not had any money to spend on Lolita. Speaking of, I have been to one meet up, which was enjoyable and that was the only time I have worn Lolita this year.

As for Honours next year, my chances do seem to be pretty good and I do have a good chance of getting something I want (that includes opportunities that were not available last year). This is one of the few times in life where I can be picky about what I do. With the extra free time, I have been improving my Japanese but am unsure about whether to do the JLPT or not. I don't need to decide right now though. Despite the free time, I have forgotten about sewing and should start doing it, even if it is a little bit.

This extra free time has also allowed me to get fit and lose the excess weight I'm carrying. While you took up yoga in order to get slimmer in the hopes of increasing the range of Lolita clothes in Japan so you can find a few new pieces (one new item bought and one second hand JSK that did not), I am continuing on with it to do what I have mentioned. I have gotten fitter and hope to do an inversion (even if it is just shoulderstand) by the end of this year as well as being able to do backbends and arm balances well.

As a Lolita, I have not expanded my wardrobe for reasons mentioned previously but my Dramatic Rose skirt does fit better on me. I did say better because I am not ready to wear it yet. When I won the skirt, I did consider selling it if it did not fit in June but the longer I own it, the more I fall in love with it. I did find another Milky Planet JSK on sale online and if I did have the money, I would consider buying it as I believe with my weight loss, I would have been able to wear it or if not, be close to it. Overall, as a Lolita, I feel that my last coord was a bit better than before but there is room for improvement if there are more opportunities (no upcoming meet ups/big events at present).

As for the last paragraph, thank you for reminding me not to give up. While the beginning of the year was tough, things have improved and I am no longer doubting myself regarding the choices I have made for this year. I hope things do improve in the future (for Honours, getting a job and Lolita).

Love Kalle Sweet of June 2015

A letter to myself in the Loliday of June 2015

For the Loliday of June 2015 letter, click here.

Dear Kalle,

When you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you see? Today (31/1/15), I see a University graduate who is taking a gap year in between her pass degree and Honours due to circumstance. As a Lolita, despite more than a year of experience, she is still developing as one.

During the gap year, have you found a job? If so, was there anything special that you spent some of your first pay on? There does not seem to be much available as a life sciences graduate (if only science was better supported/funded in Australia). However, there should be something there. Speaking of Honours, how are the chances of doing it in 2016? Did your last minute decision to give up on Honours this year for something better next year pay off? I hope so. Also, with the extra free time gained by not doing Honours, are you going to apply/applied for the JLPT and study for it?

As a Lolita, do you feel that you have improved since January? Can you fit into the Dramatic Rose skirt that was too small for you? I hope you do and if so, you should grab the next Milky Planet JSK/OP that is available within your price range. After all, I do not want you to have to farewell another Milky Planet dress as I had to do in Tokyo. Speaking of, do you have any plans for a next Lolita purchase? Regardless of your next Lolita purchase, you should continue sewing and expand your Lolita wardrobe in that way as well. Also, have there been any big Lolita events you have attended this year or are planning to attend?

Even though things are going to be hard, do not give up on being a Lolita and developing as a young scientist. While you are living in a country that may not be perfect and seems to be against you at times, just remember you are unique in a good way.

Love Kalle Sweet of January 2015

P.S. How is Australia? Is it still claiming to give everyone a "fair go" when it is not?

First Brand Event

While I was in Japan, I attended my first brand event, which was Angelic Pretty's Princess Dreamy Carnival. For the event, I wore my first piece of brand clothing, which is Angelic Pretty's Cream Cookie Collection JSK.


Above: Princess Dreamy Carnival Coord. JSK and necklace are from Angelic Pretty, hair clip is from me% (a store in La Foret), shoes are from An*tai*na and everything else is offbrand. This was taken after the event. 

Given that I wore a JSK that I bought less than a week before this event and as a result, had limited time in which to create a coord, I thought I did a pretty decent job with some new purchases as well as some items which I packed for a back up coord.

The event consisted of a five course dinner (I skipped one course as it had beef), a fashion show, free time for taking photos (was not fully aware of this but if I ever attend a brand event again, I will take advantage of this time), a raffle and prizes for the best dressers. However, I did not take pictures of the best dressed winners and of the fashion show.

The entree

The soup

The fish course

The custom dessert, which was based off Sugar Dream Dome.

The Christmas cake. Interesting how the Japanese celebrate Christmas despite being Buddhist/Shinto.

The dinner consisted of an entrée, soup, fish course, meat course (which I did not eat) and a dessert. After dessert, there was a Japanese style Christmas cake, which is a sponge cake decorated with cream and strawberries. The drinks I had were iced oolong tea and normal tea.

In between the meat course and the dessert was the fashion show, which showed the upcoming prints from the 2015 Spring/Summer collection. There were some prints that I loved and would consider buying if I had the money. After the fashion show, there was an opportunity to have a picture of yourself with the guest models. It was a very long line as everyone seemed to have wanted a photo.

A short while later, the raffle prizes were drawn and I won a Dramatic Rose skirt. I would not buy AP skirts because they seem to be too small for me and I was right as it was too small when I tried it on. But I do want to wear it some day.

Above: Stock photo of the Dramatic Rose skirt. This was the colour of the skirt which I won. Photo from Lolibrary.

Overall, this was a nice event to go to and I would like to attend a brand event in Australia (If it does happen) or in Japan, if I do go there at the right time.

All photos were from my camera except for the photo of the Dramatic Rose skirt.

Starting off

One day, you wake up in a strange room. However, the room for some reason, looks like yours. When you come downstairs, your mother begins talking to you in your second language (In my case, Japanese). You think you can manage it at first, but it seems to be more difficult than you thought it would be. Then she starts speaking about a "Saihorn". You look up what it is then you see a picture of a Rhyhorn. Then you make new friends and they too speak the same language your mother was speaking. Now, you've just received your second badge and each day, you are gradually understanding more and more. In time, you will be able to manage the language barrier with the occasional need to look up a word.

In the previous paragraph, I was talking about a challenge I am taking with Pokémon X (which I recently bought). The challenge for me is to complete the game in Japanese. Even though I do not have the Japanese version (Unfortunately, the Nintendo 3DS does not like using games not from its region), you can choose from a list of languages for your game. From the top of my head, there is English, French and Japanese as well as some other languages.

By the way, for anyone living in a country where the national language is/ blogging/reading blogs in a language that is not your mother tongue, what were your experiences at the beginning in terms of the language barrier? Did you formally learn the language beforehand or did you have no knowledge of the language previously?

Speaking of, this relates to my experience of starting to wear Lolita as I have to learn how to create co-ordinates even though you have seen many of them done by others. Also, as in playing Pokémon in Japanese, you start off with a vocabulary/pieces that you think would be sufficient but they end up being a bit insufficient. For example, For my first Lolita outfit, I did not have a petticoat and everything I was wearing was offbrand/handmade. Also, the cutsew I was wearing was too long, in my opinion (Do clothing manufacturers think that all Australians are tall?).

In the future, things will improve. Now, armed with a petticoat (and a slowly improving knowledge of Japanese) as well as more experience, I feel that the next Lolita co-ord will be better (as well as my ability to be immersed in Japanese).

Two Lolita Firsts

On the previous weekend, two Lolita related firsts happened to me.

First, I went to Sydney matsuri and wore a casual Lolita coordinate there. I enjoyed the festival and saw the Kawaii Fashion show. It was interesting seeing the Australian brands as well as the Baby outfits. Also, I liked Misako Aoki's outfit for the day. As there seems to be plenty of photos of said outfit, I am not going to place any on my blog. However, this is the link to her post about the fashion show. Unfortunately, I did not take a photo with Misako as I had no idea there would be such an opportunity. Maybe she'll come back to Australia one day. It was nice seeing her on stage and I was able to understand a lot of what she said in Japanese.

Anyway, the photo below is what I wore on the day.

Outfit Details

 

All of this except for the skirt is offbrand. The skirt is hand made. No petticoat is worn though because I do not own one at the moment.



 

Even though everything is offbrand, I think it is decent enough to pass for a casual coordinate. Wearing Lolita for the first time was an amazing experience once you get used to the attention it brings. Despite the bit of extra effort for Lolita, I really want to wear it again.

During the same weekend, I found the Angelic Pretty mook in Kinokuniya, which came with a Sugary Carnival tote bag. Due to the only way of buying brand in where I live being online and the cost, this is my very first brand piece and I love it.

 Seeing it for the first time, I was surprised at how it looked with a black background. Unfortunately, photos of Sugary Carnival don't do the black colourway justice. I wonder if this is true for other AP prints. Also, I would like to use it in the future, as part of either a Lolita or a non-Lolita outfit.