Snack Time: Pepero vs. Pocky!

Hi friends! <3

I'm doing a comparison of two similar types of snacks. The pepero is from an Asian grocery store and the pocky is from Wal-mart.

$1.69- Pepero: White Cookie/Chocolate- Korea

vs.

$1.25- Pocky: Cookies & Cream- Japan

Packets inside...

Opening them up...

Sticks side-by-side...

Nom nom…

Thoughts:

I thought it was interesting that despite them being similar products and flavors there were some noticeable differences as well. The pepero stick is slightly longer and thicker than the pocky stick. While the pepero one does not have as much of a milk/cream coating as the pocky, it did have a lot of large cookie chunks. However, with the pocky sticks, you do get twice as many as the pepero sticks (18 vs. 9). The pocky had more of a milk/cream flavor while the pepero had more of the cookie flavor.

Both of them were very good. I thought I would like the pocky best since that's what I usually eat. Although I have not tried this particular flavor before. Surprisingly, my favorite one was actually the pepero. I enjoyed the cookie chunks, and the milk/cream flavor seemed less artificial tasting. I would definitely get the pepero again!

Stars: **** (4 out of 5)- Pepero

*** (3 out of 5)- Pocky

Create a Cozy & Comfy Coord...

Hi friends! <3

www.facebook.com/groups/lolitablogcarnival/

 

With the weather getting cooler, it's the perfect time to start thinking of ways to stay cozy and comfy while wearing lolita.

Just because it's chilly doesn't mean you can't still be cute!

This time of year, I love to relax at home in dark colored simple clothes with a fuzzy blanket to keep warm. I tried to convey that in my coord by going with a printed jsk in a dark color, a long sleeved top with a high neck, and cute/furry accessories.

Hat~ Angelic Pretty "Fancy Bunny Fur Beret"

Cutsew~ Offbrand/vintage Long-sleeved Lacy

Jsk~ BTSSB "Milk-chan and Snow Strawberry Print Ribbon"

Otks~ BTSSB "Usakumya Ribbon"

Shoes~ Offbrand Faux Fur Trim Boots

Bag~ BTSSB "Usakumya Rucksack 2014"

Earrings~ Offbrand/vintage Strawberries

Ring~ Angelic Pretty "Ribbon Berry Bunny"

See what other bloggers did at:

The Bloody Tea Party

Create a Coord Inspired by Your Favorite Sailor Moon Character...

Hi friends! <3

Lolita Blog Carnival

This week's topic is one I had suggested. I thought it would be a fun way for everyone to express their love for Sailor Moon while sharing in a different kind of lolita coording challenge. 

My favorite character is Sailor Jupiter (aka Makoto or Lita). She's well known for being a strong fighter in the group, but she's also got a softer, more feminine side that she expresses through her love of baking and cooking. I admire her determination and dedication to her friends.

I thought a classic style coord with pink, green, and florals was a great way to convey this softer side of her personality. What do you think?

Moi Meme Moitie: Rose Headdress

Vintage: Double Collar with Tie Blouse

Victorian Maiden: Noble Queen Jsk

Vintage: Flower Necklace

Innocent World: Rococo Rose Otks

AATP: Clara Short Boots

Feel free to see what other bloggers did over at:

Cupcakes and Unicorns

Roli's Ramblings

What Do You Believe Are 5 Misconceptions About Lolita Fashion...

Hi friends! <3

www.facebook.com/groups/lolitablogcarnival/

I know I shared some of these misconceptions before in an earlier post, but I thought I'd revisit them and add a couple more. I'm a strong believer that everyone can wear lolita. And while it may be easier for some compared to others, it can be done. Though it will take both time and effort on your part.

Lolita is only for girls with small builds-

As a sweet lolita, Angelic Pretty is my favorite brand. But most of what you see online is being modeled by these tiny little Asian girls. You may think there is no way that same dress, skirt, or blouse is going to fit me. I, for one do not see myself as huge or anything, but by Japanese sizing standards I am considered plus sized. For reference I wear US size 8-10 in women's clothing (depending on who makes it and how the sizing runs). For lolita fashion, I avoid anything that does not have shirring. Instead, I look for items that have partial to full back shirring. Shirring is elastic that is sewn into the fabric so that the garment can expand to fit a range of sizes. Big name brands like Angelic Pretty,  Metamorphose, and BTSSB have a lot of items with shirring available. There are also indie brands that are very plus size friendly such as Haenuli, Lady Sloth, and Enchantlic Enchantilly. I recommend you look into them if you are plus sized.

Lolita is only for short girls-
Again Japanese sizing standards will come into play here. Shorter heights means the bodice and skirt length will sit at different places on you if you're on the tall side. I am 5'8" which is considered tall.  I worried that I would get these cute clothes and they would be too short on me. However, I learned that there are a different ways to deal with this issue. You can wear an underskirt; which will extend the bottom edge of your skirt/dress to be of a more desirable length. Or maybe go with a different version. For example, Innocent World makes some of their dresses in both short and long length versions. You could also check if the shoulder straps are adjustable. If you are crafty, there are tutorials online that show you how to create strap extenders as well. I would advise you to check out Lolibrary. It is an online database containing lolita clothes and accessories. A word of advice though. If you do go on there, make sure you are comfortable and don't have anything planned for the next few hours as you will be spending a lot of time browsing ;-)

Lolita is expensive-
You're probably thinking how am I going to afford all these pieces that are required for just one coord? Let me tell you, when I got into lolita fashion I was a student in college. I was excited to start buying and wearing the fashion as soon as possible. I dreamed of getting a job, making that big paycheck, and buying all the pretty things I wanted. Although I didn't gain steady employment right after graduating, I did save up enough over time to be able to buy the occasional item. I spent many hours browsing the sales listings online, noting what I liked, how much different items cost, and trying to mentally prepare myself to spend $40 on a headbow.

Before, I tried to use stuff I already had at home and kept an eye out whenever I went shopping. But it didn't quite work. In all honesty, building a lolita wardrobe is challenging. You are new and just starting to learn things. Such as the different styles, what goes together, how to achieve that perfect level of poof, etc. There are certain aspects of lolita fashion that make it lolita. A certain shape, quality fabrics/trims, and an attention to detail. Ideally you want good quality items that will last awhile as well as be versatile. For example, nice thick cotton fabrics instead of satin. Cotton lace instead of polyester. High quality construction with seams sewn straight and edges matched up neatly. Things like that.

Yes, you can buy direct from the big name brands, but you don't have to. A brand new brand dress  runs about $300 to $500. However, if you buy it second-hand or used, it would be less than that (unless you're after a particular old or rare item). Sometimes you can even get items new tags! There are auction sites like Lace Market, and sales groups on Facebook such as Lolita sales in English. You can place bids, buy it now, or make offers as well. Some sellers are even open to payment plans too. 

If you do decide to get into lolita fashion, I would advise for you to start saving your money now. Once you have a decent amount, it will be readily available for when you do find that beautiful dress or whatever it is, and you can get it. Cut back on eating out, buy things on sale, use coupons or discount codes when possible. If you're getting money as a gift for say your birthday or a holiday, put it aside for lolita. When you're out at the mall shopping with friends, ask yourself, do I really need another pair of shoes or would I rather put that money towards that super cute lolita dress I saw online instead. You'll be surprised at how quickly it can add up!

Lolita is not suited to me-
I admit, I'm not much of a girly-girl. I wear a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers most of the time. And yet, I fell in love with the cute prints and soft pastel colors. The idea of dressing up in pretty skirts/dresses and in pastel colors was too much for me to do right away. So, I wore the sweet prints in the darker colorways (sometimes called 'bittersweet'). I worked my way up to wearing them how I originally had wanted to all along. It felt great to be confident in expressing my love for something so far outside my comfort zone. If you feel intimidated by lolita fashion at first, I think you should try doing something similar. Start small and work your way up. Maybe try pairing a cute accessory like a hair clip with your everyday clothes. Go with what you are comfortable with and at your own pace. You are doing this for you.

Lolita is too much work-
I like my everyday outfits to be simple and comfortable. Lolita fashion is more complex.  A basic coord consists of a hair accessory, op, bloomers, petticoat, otks/tights, shoes, purse, and jewelry. Sometimes makeup. There are many hours spent doing research and constant browsing of multiple sales boards/sites. This leads to the purchasing of items, creating a coord with them, and then finally wearing it. Why would you bother going through all that? Because the reward you get in the end is worth it. And I'm not just talking about looking pretty for pics or having all the brand. There's a sense of pride and accomplishment one feels in being able to say, I did this. You don't have to be perfect from the start. Nobody is. Over time you will learn and improve. So, don't worry about things and just go for it! :-)


Thanks for reading. Feel free to see what others had to say about this topic at:

The Bloody Tea Party 

Cupcakes and Unicorns