What's My Japanese Clothing Size?? -- An Easy Guide

hey everyone! i get a lot of questions from all of you about what size to buy japanese clothing in, usually trying to convert it from US or UK sizes. let me tell you, that's not the way to do it! the process is very easy and works with bodyline, angelic pretty, rakuten, etc-- ANY site that shows the measurements of their clothing in CM.

so let's look how to find your size!

whatever you do, do NOT convert your clothing size using any kind of online chart. for one thing, numbered sizes vary a lot. for example, medium isnt the same with every company or country, and a size 5 might be a lot bigger in japan. THE SAME GOES FOR SHOE SIZES!! i cannot stress this enough. girls in my lolita group are always asking how to find their shoe size to buy from bodyline, because japanese shoe sizes are in centimeters instead of arbitrary numbers. i made the mistake of trying to convert my shoe size to japanese using a chart and ended up getting shoes that were either too big or too small.

so in short, whatever size you are in your native country, you might not be in a japanese brand. 

as japan uses the metric system, the measurements of japanese clothing will be given in centimeters. even if they're sold in lettered sizes like S, M, L, etc. they will usually have a description of the measurements in the details of the page.

to find out how to measure yourself for clothes, click here! to measure for your shoe size, simply take a tape measure and measure the length of your regular ol' foot without any socks or shoes on. 

now, consult the measurements on the site. for example with bodyline, they will have the measurements for each letter size in a little sidebar above where you add the item to your cart. make sure to double check everything before you buy it, and always buy a few CM bigger-- you don't want buy something that has your EXACT measurements because that would make it skintight (unless that's what you need). if there's elastic measured flat instead of stretched, then buying something that matches your measurements should be okay.

with shoes, you just want to buy a size that matches your foot measurement. always round up! you might find sometimes you'd want to buy something a half centimeter bigger in case of socks/tights/etc.

and that's it! it's really easy, and i only went into so much detail to make sure i covered everything. if there's still anything you have questions about, feel free to ask me and i'll get back to you as soon as i can! i hope this helps.

Bodyline Seifuku (Sailor Uniform) Review

hey everyone! sorry i haven't been posting. this summer has been unexpectedly busy for me, and when i'm free i'm honestly too tired to do very much! but it's been a fun summer so far.  

so for today i will be reviewing bodyline's summer short sleeved seifuku! i got this for my birthday recently. the model on the website is COSTUME410. they offer it in many different colors, but i chose very pale lilac-y pink (the model is wearing it). 

now, usually when i buy anything from bodyline their M is a pretty good choice for me. the measurements for the M on this seifuku looked good to me, but when i got it it was pretty small. the top fit okay, but it was too short-- it's a sort of cropped top that hits around the end of your natural waist, and then a high waisted skirt. but the skirt was very very tight and too short, and though the top wasnt exactly too small it ended too high on me.

i also didn't know about the thread connecting the pleats at the bottom you were supposed to remove, but i was informed of that pretty quickly.

so i went back and ordered a 2L and it finally arrived recently. it fits pretty well! i'd still like the skirt to be a little longer, but if i wear shorts i would feel perfectly comfortable with it.

as you can see, the ratio of where the top ends and the skirt begins is perfect and just as intended. the skirt fits perfectly fine. there are two little spots of elastic in the waistband of the skirt, and it closes with a zipper and a hook. 

the seifuku top closes with a zipper straight up the front, but it's covered by a seam. this makes it a little hard to zip, but if you're careful it's fine. it also created a few stray threads on the inside after a few times of zipping and unzipping, but i just pulled them off. i don't think it would cause any long-term damage even if that keeps happening.

here's the seifuku on the hanger, looking a little wrinkled from wear. the construction is nice and it looks very clean-edged. my favorite element is the bow, as it's so big and adorable! the material of the white fabric on the top is relatively thick and somewhat rough, but that's (to my knowledge) how actual seifuku are, and i've seen some people complain about this like it's an issue of quality, which it isn't. i think if you were to buy an authentic seifuku from j-list or anywhere, it'd be the same texture. it didn't bother me at all, as i fully expected it.

the white middle section of the top is sewn into one side of the collar and snaps closed on the opposite side. the little triangle of fabric is the same as the rest of the white on the top. i always wondered how those little triangles worked, so it's interesting to see that and i'll have to file away the info for cosplay!

the skirt is very very lightweight and almost see-through, but it is opaque. it's perfect for hot weather! i will probably wear this with ankle socks and my light pink converse in the summer, but it would also be great with tights or high socks and cardigans when it's colder. 

here is what the bow's strap is comprised of under the collar. the bow is fully independent of the top (as in, it doesn't snap on anywhere.) it's basically a bow sewn onto a bra strap- theres a place to hook it on like a necklace underneath the collar, and an adjustment piece just like any bra strap has to make it longer or shorter so that it fits well. i had to make mine a lot bigger to fit around the collar.

❤REVIEW RECAP❤

quality-

 i think the quality is pretty good. i'm not crazy about the zipper making stray threads, but it's not too big of a deal. i did have to buy a size up as measurements on the original size weren't super accurate. 4.5/5

 services -

i love bodyline and have never had any problems with them, and i've ordered from them a lot. the second seifuku took a while to arrive and update on the tracking, but that was just the US post's fault. the seifuku didn't come in a heart bag, but i think they just do that for lolita fashion items. 5/5

so, that's it for today! if you've been looking to get this seifuku, i think it's really worth it. it''s adorable and i can't wait to wear it! 

don't forget to like PKC on facebook for updates!

Lolita 52: How strangers react to my clothes, and how I react to their reactions

hey everybody! sorry for the slowdown in posting lately. i have another lolita 52 for you all today!

a popular topic, especially among new lolitas, is how strangers typically react to lolita fashion. a lot of new lolitas fear being made fun of, or especially being bullied in school environments. i've had kind of a mixed bag of reactions, but dealing with them tactfully is the most important thing to keep in mind. 

in the 6th grade i started to get into wearing gothic-lolita-esque outfits. it was all things altered from hot topic because i was afraid to buy brand because i was still growing and i didn't want to drop a ton of money on something that might get too small for me quickly. i got really made fun of by other students, but my middle school is notorious for TERRIBLE bullying situations. a lot of people complimented me as well and teachers and friends supported me too, so i never let it get to me. i hated the school and switched to homeschooling after one year there. but while i was there, the way i dealt with it was by just either ignoring jerks or snapping comebacks at them. 

for example, i wore a punk lolita sort of outfit to the valentine's day dance. during the cha cha slide (ahh, when i was twelve!) a boy said "where did you get your clothes, the UGLY STORE?" i replied "yeah your mom told me about it actually!" as a 12 year old i was very proud of my simple defense. it shut the kid up, so i was satisfied.

in high school, i wore lolita a lot, including simple sweet lolita outfits as well as gothic lolita. i got onto the fashion page of the yearbook for it every year, because the girls in the yearbook committee were in some classes with me when we were little and they liked my outfits.

i got made fun of a bit, but it was honestly by a bunch of jerks whose opinions i didnt care about, and some people who were close to me. my friends loved it, one of my teachers made me get up and show the class, and for the most part it was really pleasant! i got a LOT of "little bo peep"s in high school, though, to which i would just say "yeah i've gotten that a lot."

in college i've worn lolita a few times so far. one day no one said a thing about it to me, another day i got showered with compliments and a girl asked for a photo! but i never got any negative attention or creepers. if you do, just use caution and your best judgement on what is a safe situation or not.

my general advice on dealing with people who make fun of your lolita is to simply ignore them. comebacks are useful in certain pinches, but i would generally avoid them unless you know it will help and will stop the other person instead of making them fight you more. if you are ever harassed in a way that makes you uncomfortable or is really aggressive, tell someone like an administrator, teacher, or campus safety. i recommend to EVERY girl to take a self defense class. but with simple insults, if you just ignore them and show them their opinion doesnt matter, they will usually shut up. that's what i've discovered over my lifetime of wearing alt-fashion in a close-minded area.

to all lolitas reading this getting ready to wear it for their first time, good luck!

and to everyone, never let anyone ruin what you enjoy!

"I think we should enjoy life. We should wear whatever we think looks nice and wear it with confidence. That will put you in a better mood, and I think it will lead to an abundant society." -Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

Wearing Lolita to Prom

hey everyone! it's getting pretty close to prom season for most schools, i think! my senior prom was about a year ago, and i wore lolita. i've seen other people asking about wearing lolita to prom around the internet, so i thought i would do a little post about my experiences and what it's like to wear lolita to prom.

here was my coord! i don't have a good picture of me by myself saved on my computer, but i'm the one in the center (kind of obvious). i wore:

OP- bodyline's "chocolate maiden"

headbow, tea party shoes- bodyline

tights- target

jewelry- all vintage, earrings lended from my mom

here's a closeup!

one of the reasons i chose to wear lolita to prom was because i'm always looking to have good reasons to build my lolita wardrobe. i thought getting a nice quality bodyline dress would be a good idea, because getting a whole coord (an OP, shoes, tights, and a hair accessory, plus tights) would be relative to the cost that many girls would be paying for JUST their dresses alone, even neglecting to take other costs into account. so, it was a great excuse to get a beautiful dress i was guaranteed to wear more than once!

choose only what you are comfortable in! one reason i chose bodyline is because their M size dresses are never too small for my bust so i knew i would be comfortable. it wasn't too expensive though it was one of bodyline's more pricey OPs so i knew the quality was probably going to be great.

  i think the biggest point to keep in mind when choosing a lolita dress for prom is to wear something you will be comfortable in. would you be worried about getting something on "brand" all night and not have any fun with your friends? or, would you not mind and use those AP hidden pockets for your phone while you dance? just think about what would make you the most comfortable.

if you're an everyday lolita, don't feel pressured to wear lolita to prom if it doesn't feel special. however, if you want to go all out and OTT for prom, go for it. make sure you are comfortable but also take extra steps to feel extra cute and give yourself that extra princess sparkle, inside and out. step up your usual lolita game a bit, whether it's by having your hair or nails done or by wearing a vintage brooch.

speaking of hair and makeup, if you're spending a lot on a coord, you may not want to spend a lot at a salon to have someone do your hair, makeup, and nails. i did my own nails, and had my mom do my hair and makeup for me. i bought her some flowers in return, because it was a lot of work and turned out so beautifully! if you can't have someone you know do it for you for a compensation that might be less than a salon, you can always look into tutorials. there are good online resources such as Lovely Dyed Locks and their many hairdo tutorials, Violet LeBeaux's tutorials, and other places online if you just search around. same goes for makeup! this time of year, if you look on any makeup channel on youtube they are all about prom looks.
magazines are good resources too, but the only one i can really wholeheartedly recommend is teen vogue. i've been buying it since i was 12 and i love their prom issue every year. i probably will through my 30s.

in the dining section of prom, my petticoat was hard to maneuver through all the chairs and tables. in the dance, everyone was pressed together so tightly that it actually helped to get some space around me and my friends! so, depending on the reputation and location of your school's prom, and what you're expecting for your experience, keep in mind the volume of your petti.

the dance room was really tightly packed, and sweaty. my tea parties are a half size too small and several other friends of mine took our shoes off and set them on a ledge while we danced. my tights are still in great condition and the dirt they got on the feet washed right out. wear comfortable shoes for dancing if you can, so you might not have the problems i did!

and, remember as with any event like this to stay hydrated and be safe. lolita can be constricting and cause problems, so in a hot dance you don't want to faint. my dress wasn't constricting and i made sure to drink a lot of water.

for after prom, my friends and i went to steak and shake and rented movies, and for that i didn't want to wear my nice dress. so i brought along a cardigan and cutsew i often wear with lolita along with some jeans to wear into steak n shake. so if you're going to do some after prom activites, you might want to bring along another little outfit that complements your hair and makeup.

my after prom outfit

so, i think that wearing lolita to prom is really, really fun. i think it's pretty cost-effective, since you get to add lolita to your wardrobe for roughly less or the same price as a regular prom dress, but you wear it more! you get to feel extra sweet and magical. i was really comfortable wearing lolita to prom, and it was tons of fun for me. i think that as long as you can do it and feel comfortable and happy doing so without stressing or feeling unsafe about it, go ahead! ♡

March 2013 Indiana Lolita Meetup ミ☆

hey everyone! ♡ how are you all? i have been feeling pretty under the weather but i had my first time organizing a lolita meetup for my group!

 it was a lot of fun, but at first the place we chose, sugar daddy's canceled on us by very rudely yelling at me over the phone when i had already made a reservation... it was awful!

but thankfully, annie had a backup plan and we went to sweet claire's bakery.

they were awesome, accomodated us perfectly and quickly, and had tons of delicious bread and iron pot teas! i got a delicious giant sweet bread with cream cheese and blackberries.

we all chatted about clothes and fandoms while having a delicious little meal.

afterwards, we walked around bloomington and went to the sample gates to take some photos!

everyone in our group is always dressed so cutely!! i loved everyone's outfits. 

i wore my "princess dress" from pinkly ever after. i will have to do a review soon, because her products are amazing and i absolutely love the dress. it is so glittery and tulle-y *o*

 

here is my coord, taken by ashli.

♡ coord breakdown ♡

OP - Pinkly Ever After

tights, headband- target

shoes- bodyline

cardigan- vintage

bracelet- 6% dokidoki (reviewed here)

necklace- ebay (closeups here)
ring- angelic pretty

after taking our photos and chatting we walked to a chinese restaurant to get some boba/bubble tea!

while we were out and about, we got SO many comments from people. they were all pretty much positive aside from a few creepy guys on the sidewalk on kirkwood. several people asked if we were having a "princess party" and they all wondered what it was for. we always replied "for fun!"

 later on we went into baked, which i had never visited before. you basically pick a dough and a bunch of ingredients and they make cookies for you! they also have milk and stuff, and you get your cookies in a pizza box. they invite you to decorate the boxes and they line the walls (even the ceiling!) with them. i loved seeing all the awesome art.

 i made a box to contribute and i hope to return later to see it hanging up. i wasn't in love with the cookies, but maybe i'd like another dough better.

after relaxing in baked for a while with our cookies we all parted ways and headed home. it was a little bit stressful hosting my first meet at first, but it ended up being so much fun and i didnt feel any pressure at all to organize it. it was a blast, and i had so much fun walking around b-town with my lovely lolita friends! i can't wait for next month's meetup~ ☆ i miss everyone already.

thanks to all the girls who came and hung out at the meetup! i hope you all had a great time!!

Buying From Bodyline for Fairy Kei

hey everyone! i recently joined the cutest (and to my knowledge, only) Fairy-Kei Forum. i recommend checking it out if you're into fairy-kei! it got me thinking about writing a post about starting a fairy kei wardrobe, and i think a good place to get some items from is Bodyline.

if you're a lolita, you probably already know about bodyline. but if you don't know, it is a japanese company that sells really affordable, generally good quality lolita pieces. but they also sell punk and cosplay items like seifuku and full cosplays as well as random other sundry accessories and jewelry. i can't vouch for the quality of anything but their lolita section personally, but if you can't tell by looking if it is good quality, you could look up reviews or trust your shoppers' instincts. asking for a second opinion from someone with a good sense for that is always a good idea!

many people buy from bodyline for lolita, but i think it is an underutilized resource in terms of fairy-kei. there are some really good staple items there and not to mention, lolita and fairy-kei often have a big overlap in terms of what items can be used.

first of all, buying from bodyline is pretty easy. you just pick your items and add them to your cart like you would anywhere else, pay for it with paypal or credit or debit, and get it shipped to you. they do ship outside of japan, but i'm not sure of every place they ship. i think they have a fairly wide coverage of where they will ship to, so most likely, you do not need a shopping service. just always keep in mind that you have measurements and conversions correct!

so, let's take a look at what bodyline has to offer for fairy-kei!

let's start with the lolita section. there's a huge aesthetic similarity between fairy kei and sweet lolita-- pastels, fluffiness, and a huge interest in anything super cute.

but, some lolita items don't really look right in fairy-kei. FK doesn't have strict rules, but i tend to find coords intended as fairy-kei that use a lolita JSK or skirt more like sweet lolita. which is very cute, and i think a healthy amount of rulebreaking is necessary sometimes!! but it looks more like lolita to me. sometimes skirts can be successful with fairy kei i suppose, but these choices from their skirt section i think are better geared for fairy-kei than lolita.

i think this skirt looks more fairy-kei than lolita, and would work well in a FK coord. why? well, the sheerness of the fabric suggests the dreamy aesthetic of fairy-kei to me. it looks like the model is not 

wearing a petti, and while that is a big no-no in lolita, it would look adorable just like this with a pastel t-shirt and cardigan with cute accessories, wouldn't it? i even think it'd be cute in fairy-kei with the shoes and socks combo used here. the skirt also comes in black, white, and cream, and i think those are more lolita, but i think it'd be way too short for lolita with a petti.

i think this skirt is just perfect for fairy-kei. there are some variations of it on the site, and i like this one the best. it doesnt really seem lolita with the faux-acid-wash and near-miniskirt length. but i think the precedent of denim and dip-dyed jeans in fairy kei would make this a perfect addition to a FK wardrobe. i've heard acid wash jeans are bad for the environment and for workers who make them, but this item is just printed. i can imagine it with some pastel tights, high tops with legwarmers, and a cute hoodie!

bodylines' "cardigan" section has not just cardigans, but also boleros and cutesy sweatshirts (commonly called "parkas" by lolita brands). a lot of these are perfect for fairy-kei!

these cardigans are all cute for fairy-kei. i especially love the second one. check out the section for yourself! i think that "parkas" (sweatshirts) tend to look most fairy-kei oriented, over boleros which to me seem very lolita. cardigans sweaters really can go with any style and are a good versatile buy.

 

LET ME TELL YOU BOUT BODYLINE'S PANNIER SECTION.

in my opinion, a staple and necessary part of the fairy-kei wardrobe is pretty, fluffy tutus!! and if you look up reviews of bodyline's panniers, they SUCK as petticoats. but when poof for holding up a skirt isn't your objective, they have the prettiest tutus in tons of colors. plus: they're adult sized! a hard thing is finding tutus in sizes for adults, so this is a perfect opportunity.

a lot of these are sold out, but it just shows you how cute and perfect these are. check back for restocks. there are some i really want that are sold out!!

their drawers section has bloomers, which are commonly used in fairy-kei and look very cute!

 

 i think these are perfect just as shorts in some warm weather fairy-kei. they would also look cute with a tutu over them.

 

the headdress section is mostly awkward looking alice bows. i have no idea how well these look on an actual head, but mostly they look stiff like they're placed on the headband wrong. this one is cute, but we'll get to more bows in the sundry section.

 

 the socks section has a lot of cute socks in pastel colors, as well as some printed socks and legwarmers. 

the bag section doesn't have much pastel, and for whatever reason has a lot of new year's looking cat bags? but there are a few bags matching prints bodyline has sold.

 as for shoes, there is pretty much a usual range for lolita shoes, made the same way as brand shoes, but a tenth of the price. there are pastel mary janes, tea party shoes, and the like. i don't think lolita shoes are at all necessary for fairy-kei, but they can definitely be used and look very cute.

just make sure that when you buy shoes from bodyline, you measure your foot in centimeters before buying. their shoe sizes are in centimeters, and i've found that using a size converter will get you way different results.

the punk section actually has replicas of those pastel doc martens everyone loves!

other than that, not much for fairy-kei, but that's obvious. the tights section has some cool printed tattoo tights, but i don't know about the quality.

i have heard good things about bodyline's wigs, which are in the cosplay section. while i dont think wigs are at all required for fairy-kei, if you feel like you need a pastel wig to match your outfit, their wigs are reportedly good quality and pretty cheap. i would look for reviews of any potential purchases. i think natural hair looks really good with FK, but sometimes you just want to have pink hair for a day.

as i mentioned before, i dont really know much about the sundries section's quality as i've never bought much from there. i did get one headband and i really think it is cute and nice quality, but i think the quality depends on the item. they have a lot of bows, clips, and other such useful and cute accessories in this section. i haven't extensively looked at the other things, but the categories are mostly self-explanatory and you can check them out for yourself if you're looking for that kind of item.

 

 well, i hope my post about using bodyline as a fairy-kei resource was helpful! while they are more expensive than they used to be a couple years ago due to the exchange rate, they still offer a lot of good stuff for fairy-kei. i mostly buy from them with the intention of building up my lolita wardrobe, but i have used some of their items in fairy-kei coords before and maybe now you will too!!