Wardrobe Building Part 2: Working With What You Have

As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, I think a good place to start whenever you're building up a wardrobe in a new style is to scavenge your closet for pieces that might work already. Even with a small capsule wardrobe, 37 pieces can still add up if you're buying all new clothing! That's not counting accessories. So it's nice to be able to save a little money by starting with a base of clothes you already own, if possible. It's also nice because it makes the transition into a new style a bit easier. It might be a pretty drastic change in look, but at least there's still some tie ins to what you wore before the wardrobe change. This way, you're at least still recognizable to those around you, and people might think "Wow, she sure is looking stylish these days!" rather than "She went out and bought all new clothes didn't she."

So, after gathering some information on the style you're aiming for, the next step in the process is to go through your whole closet and pull aside anything you think might fit. In my case, I pulled out almost all of my skirts and casual dresses, some of my button up shirts and anything generally frilly, floral, or elegant looking.

My alpaca standing victorious over my wardrobe's potential beginnings.
The next step, unfortunately, is to take a long hard look at your actions, and then cry because your clothes aren't cute enough. ...Just kidding! But  you might actually cry when you realize that, even with all of these clothes... it just doesn't come together in a cohesive style. For some reason that vintage dress is just too vibrant, your eyelet dress just doesn't quite fit, and even though that peter pan collar shirt is adorable, the print is just too bold for the new look you're going for. It might take you a few days of deliberation over it, but eventually you have to kick it from this season's wardrobe. But never fear! Just because you're not going to wear it this season, doesn't mean you never will! Maybe you can fit it into some future wardrobe... but that wardrobe is not this one. That dress will see the light of day yet!

Anyway after paring it down I came to 11 items which I felt might be able to work as a starting point for this himekaji inspired wardrobe I'm working on. I might end up changing my mind on some of these as my wardrobe develops, but for now I'm happy with it.

Tops:


I managed to find four tops that I think might fit. As it turns out, most of these items were thrifted! (I love thrift stores~) The first top is the one I'm most sure about. The floral lace is really cute, and I love the ribbon in the front and the scalloped collar and I think it is really feminine and cute! I think the tag says Mono B, but it's a bit hard to read and I've never heard of that brand, so I'm not too sure.

The second top is a bit more casual, but I thought it was a good color to match with my chosen color scheme and since I am assembling an every day wardrobe, it's important for me to have these more toned down background pieces which I can dress up or down depending on what I'm doing that day. 

The third top is cute, but I've actually never worn it since I bought it on sale from Forever 21 years ago. The fabric is adorable and it's a good color, but it just fits me kind of awkwardly, the sleeves especially. So, I'm going to keep it for my summer wardrobe, but I'm going to modify it a bit to be short sleeved. I think that with light poofy sleeves a top like this will look a lot more natural, and I'm excited for the quick project! I've actually already started on this, which is why I've snagged the stock image for this post instead. 

The fourth I'm not really sure about... I feel like I've seen these kind of sheer crop tops in recent j-fashion coords before, not specifically himekaji but maybe larme-kei or something else? But of course when I went to look for them for inspiration I wasn't able to find anything... if I can't manage to pair it with anything else in my completed wardrobe I'll probably toss it but the floral pattern and lettuce hem was cute enough that I decided to keep it in for the time being.

The last top I've decided to include is probably the least notable of all. I debated not including it because it seems a bit too close to the kind of thing an office lady might wear, especially the two breast pockets. But it's made of a really soft light material, and the ribbing on the side make it fit really well. Since it's a very light soft peach color, I thought I'd see if it works for a more toned down coordinate for daily wear. Perhaps an item like this would be good for dressing down an otherwise overstated skirt? I'll decide later.

Sweaters:


I feel like these sweaters are both a bit too dark for my color scheme, but since I won't be wearing sweaters so much during the summer anyway I figured these would go well enough to bring along in case I feel cold through the day. The brown one is really chunky and over sized, so it kind of reminds me of some mori sweaters I've seen. The maroon cardigan is still dark, but I think that kind of red goes well with pinks and creams, so it might tie together somehow.

Bottoms:



After taking fit, color, and print into account, it turns out I didn't have any skirts which matched the style I'm going for! However, I did find some pants and shorts which I think have a place in my wardrobe.

Although pants are not typical of himekaji, I wanted to incorporate a few pairs of jeans in for every day wear. I think the blue floral jeans will work with a fancier top for a more casual but still very elegant look. It will definitely be a bit unconventional, but I think it has it's place! 

The light grey jeans are probably not very himekaji at all, but even with an easily stylish wardrobe, there will always be days that I feel like dressing very casually, so I wanted to give myself one super casual option.

That being said, I'm happy that my peach pleated shorts will have a place in this style! They're so soft and comfortable, and absolutely perfect for hot weather! I especially love these shorts because thanks to the soft fabric and generous pleats, it almost looks skirt-like, so they're both convenient and cute as well.

Finally, I have these bunny-print shorts which I bought a while ago. I thought they were so cute, but I was never able to figure out what to wear with them, so I haven't really worn them too many times. They're high-waisted and really short, so the silhouette is a bit different from the usual fluffy and poofy himekaji stuff that I see, but I think the print is very appropriate to the look, and with the right coordinate I think it might really work.


So, there's what I'm working with! I actually did all of this before making my eBay order. I'm still waiting on a few of my eBay items to come in before I write a review, and I also have shoes and accessories to worry about... but that will all come in a different post.

Until next time!


Afternoon Projects: Eyelet Off the Shoulder Blouse


A little while ago I went to the thrift store and found a shirt with this cute eyelet and pintuck design to it. I was inspired by an off the shoulder Liz Lisa top I had seen and wanted to make it cute and summerey! This was a pretty quick afternoon project, and I'm happy with the results! Lose fitting tops don't normally flatter me, but I think the stiffness of the cotton is just great enough to hang nicely.

It's a bit different from what I'm used to wearing, so I was a little self conscious wearing it yesterday, but I got a lot of compliments! I think it looks cute and doll-like without being too over the top.

Before
After!

I also got the first few items in my ebay haul in the mail recently, so I've got a review on the way, as well as some cosplay updates and hopefully more afternoon projects to post of.

Until next time!


Wardrobe Building Part 1: Daydreaming

I'm in the process of building a himekaji capsule wardrobe for the summer. My first step in this process is research. I know I like himekaji styles, but what makes these outfits himekaji in particular, and where do I fit in this style? Before I could dive into building my wardrobe, I had to familiarize myself with the style by reading blogs and searching through catalogs related to this style.

"Himekaji Summer" search results
I began with google images, trying to pin down the true meaning of himekaji. From the start, it's clear that this fashion is all about pastels. The colors are a bit limited, but that's all the better for a capsule wardrobe. It's a good idea to pick a color scheme before continuing with your wardrobe, so my color scheme will be pink, peach, and cream with sky blue accents.
Generally, the vibe I get from this style is light, elegant, and fresh. Himekaji literally translates to casual princess, so these vibes make sense. I'm liking what I'm seeing so far, and I'm pleased to see that I've chosen a fashion which has a very wide range of both casual and formal clothes.
A very casual himekaji coord.
A much dressier himekaji coord.
It turns out that himekaji is a very laid back style without too many rules. However, I did notice a few things that seemed to really hold the style together. Things like florals, sheers, frills, pin tucks, shirringbows, lace, and satin accents seem essential to this style. Pants and shorts seem to be allowed, but short skirts and dresses are easier to pair with, mainly gathered and with slight poof. It doesn't seem like petticoats are used, but instead bloomers or ruffled underskirts might add a nice flare. Blouses seem to mainly either have a square neckline or a peter pan collar. It seems like your basic summer himekaji wardrobe is going to consist of dresses, jumper skirts, blouses, skirts, sukapan (shorts+skirt combo), frill and sheer socks, and platform sandals.

Cute details.
I'm still not totally familiar with the style, but I felt that I had a decent grasp on the concept of this style, so I began delving into brands. So far, although I've found several taobao and eBay sellers who happen to carry this style of clothing, the only real brand I've been able to attach to this style has been Liz Lisa, so of course I've been spending lots of time pretending like I'm actually a princess with lots and lots of money to spend on clothes. After browsing the catalog, I've developed some inspiration for a basic himekaji summer wardrobe.


Unfortunately, I do not have infinite money, so I'll have to work with what I have. However, what I do have at my disposal are keen thrifting skills, eBay-fu, the fabric district, and my trusty sewing machine, so I'm not at a total loss! The next step was seeing how much I could scavenge from just my existing closet alone. I'll write about that in my next entry and discuss the perils of transitioning to a new style such as wishful thinking and self-delusion!

Yes, that will be a good distraction while I wait for my eBay order to arrive. <//3
Until  next time~


Ebay Haul: Origin Stories

Today's Haul

Cute fashion has been something I've chased after for several years now. After a lifetime of being the homely nerd down the street, it's difficult to break out of my shell and try to become cute after all. But little by little I've been making small steps forward, and I'm finally ready to commit to a casual princess lifestyle!
As I explore beauty and fashion, I've become interested in the capsule wardrobe. Many other fashion bloggers have talked about this concept extensively, and I'll also write about how I see it applying to certain j-fashions in the future once my first real capsule wardrobe is complete. The basic premise of the capsule wardrobe is a 37-item wardrobe good for one season (including shoes but not including accessories). What I love about this idea for someone who is new to fashion like me is that it limits my wardrobe to a number which is manageable, and forces me to be creative with what pieces I choose to add to my collection. My choices are small enough that I can compare each piece to the rest of the wardrobe and easily identify which pieces fit to create a cohesive style and which pieces stand out. This is a skill that I want to improve, and I hope that building capsule wardrobes will help me with this goal.

Enough talk, onto my purchases! I did some research into the himekaji (literally casual princess) style and tried to determine what would comprise a basic himekaji wardrobe. After collecting all of my cute frilly, lacey, and floral clothing, I decided that I'm really lacking in dresses, skirts, and cute blouses, and also that most of my T-shirts are not really appropriate for this fashion. I did some window shopping and found some cute items to fill in the gaps in what I already owned, and determined what I will buy and what I will make myself. Of course, skirts mostly fall into the second category! I thought I would buy a lot of blouses, but I actually couldn't find many offbrand blouses which were appropriate for the style, so I'll be modifying some thrifted blouses instead. After all was said and done, these were the 8 items that I settled on for my first summer himekaji haul.

Item 1: The Dress

Pink Liz Lisa JSK
This is the purchase I was most excited about, and also almost half the cost of my total purchase on its own! ... Don't freak out guys, it was under $30, I'm just a poor college student. I knew I wanted a cute dress that I could dress down and wear casually or dress up and wear in a more dressy coord. I actually found a dress similar to this at a thrift store in earth tones which I love and wear all the time, so when I saw this dress I was instantly in love with it!
On top of being excited about the style, it's a Liz Lisa piece and also the very first brand item that I have purchased. Due to the low price, I was worried about the authenticity of this dress. However, the eBay seller was very quick in responding to my inquiries with a photo of the Liz Lisa tag. (Perhaps it's so cheap because it's fallen out of style? Oh well, I love it anyway!) My earth tones dress is very cute, but the fabric is quite thin and the skirt isn't quite full enough so it hangs to my legs a bit awkwardly sometimes. I'm excited to receive this dress to see the quality of brand!
This maybe doesn't scream himekaji in particular, but I think it still fits the style loosely. I'm expecting to wear this dress more for casual daily wear, but I bet with the right blouse and accessories it could be dressed up to something really resembling himekaji.

Item 2: The T-Shirt

Offbrand Watercolor Strawberry T-Shirt
Although blouses lend themselves more properly to himekaji, since I'm assembling this wardrobe for daily use, I know I'll get sick of wearing blouses every day if I don't give myself some variety. Maybe some days I'll want to wear a T-shirt, but still want to feel like a princess on her day off when I go out. I already have this Jiji T-shirt, which despite being a men's shirt is very soft and comfortable, and would be easy to pair with a cute skirt for a lazy day coord, but I wanted to give myself a bit more T-shirt variety. This shirt which you can find on eBay looked just dreamy enough to work with my closet, plus I thought the strawberry motif could work in a summer wardrobe anyway. 
This is still probably the biggest risk purchase I made, since I have no idea how the fit will be on it. The listing is marked as plus-size, but also one size fits most. I've also never bought a batwing T-shirt before. But, it was quite cheap and even if it doesn't quite fit out of the package, I can probably salvage it under the sewing machine.

Item 3: The Lace Summer Cardigan

Offbrand Lace Summer cardigan
I'm a sweater kind of girl. When I go outside without anything covering my shoulders, I feel absolutely naked. Unfortunately for me, I also live in southern California, and it can't stay winter all year long. I've been wanting to get something thin and light like this. My hope is that I can wear it and feel like I'm wearing a sweater even when it's boiling hot outside.
I was a bit worried about how this would fit in with a himekaji vibe, since to me it has more of an almost cult party kei look to it... but I'll see if I can coordinate it so it doesn't look too out of place.
You can find the listing for this cardigan here.

Items 4, 5 & 6: Undergarments

Offbrand Lace Safety Shorts and socks
Oh man I am so ready for these shorts to suck. With shipping they were a grand total of $4 and I am not expecting it to be pretty. But for so cheap, I couldn't resist holding out hope that they might be decent. I've been wanting a pair of these since they first became popular. I think they're so cute and would look great poking out under a short skirt.
And of course, what would a himekaji wardrobe be without frilled socks? The pink ones were listed as "light purple" so we'll see if they actually end up being like in the picture... but they were also extremely cheap so it's not a big deal if it's not the right socks. I might find a use for purple frill socks in the future anyway.

Items 7 & 8: Jewelry

Jewelry was never something I've ever really been able to get the hang of. I've managed to collect a couple of cute necklaces, but I actually have zero bracelets, save for one plastic bead bracelet a friend made for me a long time ago (which is decidedly too bubblegum pink for the muted pinks, peaches, and creams I'm going for in this capsule wardrobe) so I found both of these on eBay for under $1 each. I like the bow motif and I think the fake pearls will create a cute and elegant appeal. Their listings can be found here and here



Overall, my wardrobe still has a lot of work to be done. Since this is going to be meant for daily wear, I wanted to give myself a lot of freedom in how closely I want to follow the style from day to day. I hope that once I add some cute blouses and skirts this collection will start to look more like himekaji. Including items I already owned, the items I just bought, and items which I have plans to make myself, I have about 31 items which I'm pretty sure about. I need to decide on 2-4 more pairs of shoes, which leaves somewhere between 2 and 4 items left as wild cards (and of course, the capsule wardrobe is only a guideline, so if I break 37 by a couple of items that's ok too). I want to get a solid everyday wardrobe going first, and for my final couple of items I'll probably pick a couple of more distinctly himekaji dresses to top off this summer's wardrobe once I've learned a bit more about the style.
I'm excited to learn more about himekaji and dive into a cuter and more fashionable lifestyle!