Japan trip Summer 2014 - Part 2: Liz Lisa shopping/items

During my trip, I wanted to try to go to as many reasonably close Liz Lisa store locations as possible. There are 5 in Tokyo and 3 in Osaka. I made it to 4/5 in Tokyo (Shibuya 109, Harajuku, Shinjuku Alta and Ikebukuro Parco, but not Machida 109) and 2/3 in Osaka (Hep Five and Tennoji Mio, but not Abeno 109). I was also planning on going to the Kyoto Avanti store, but we didn't end up going to Kyoto at all! Near the end, I was mostly just looking for the Ribbon pattern romper in white, but I wasn't able to find it :(. The stores either only had the pink version or didn't have the romper at all! It was one of the few items on my must-buy list, but I didn't even get to see it, boooo. I'm still happy that I got to do quite a bit of Liz Lisa shopping though!
The reason we went during the summer, and specifically the beginning of July, was to catch the summer sales, and particularly the Shibuya 109 7 days bargain!

There was a Sailor Moon theme! (It was raining the first day, thus the grey, gloomy looking sky.)

The first weekend (July 5 and 6), they were giving out the circular fans and the second weekend (July 12 and 13), they were giving out the file folders!
Photography isn't allowed in Shibuya 109 (and I'm not the kind of person who just tries until they get caught + don't want to disrupt the privacy of other shoppers who don't want to unknowingly be posted online), so I don't have any photos of the inside. I was also really nervous for no reason in the stores, so I didn't even try and secretly take photos in Liz Lisa.

Here's one of me leaving the Liz Lisa Harajuku store though

And one outside the Liz Lisa Hep Five (Osaka) store!

If you've never been shopping in Japan/in a Liz Lisa (and plan to), you may want to note that you typically can't try on tops or more than two items at a time, and you should remove your shoes for the dressing room.

Anyway, onto the things I bought!
Just the items! (coordinates to follow in later posts)
   Clothes -
Ribbon lace off shoulder OP in white

I really love the lace pattern on the skirt! It's so dainty and girly. I initially wasn't sure about this OP because it's not as fitted in the waist as I would like it to be + I'm not a super fan of the tie straps on the shoulder, but the buttons and the lace definitely won me over. I had a hard time deciding what color to get, but as you will see, I ended up with a LOT of white and pink and basically ignored every other color option for some reason lol.

109 limited set in white

I knew this would be a must-buy when I went to the 109 store! It (probably?? seriously they're always surprising me with what they release these days) won't be available online, and since I'm in the store, why not get it? When I first saw the promotion pictures, I thought the top make Minami look a little lumpy for some reason, but I liked the dress under it enough for that not to matter too much. Any residual doubts faded away when I saw the shop staff wearing this set in person! It's so so girly and cute! I hadn't yet bought into the floral on sheer (tulle-ish material) trend that was included on several Liz Lisa items this summer [see 1 2 3 4 5], so this was a great chance to get into it. I tried on the pink OP version, but definitely liked the white set better.

Sailor fuwafuwa OP in white

While I was shopping with my mother, she noticed a shop staff wearing this dress and thought it was really cute! I also thought it was super cute in the blog photos, but hadn't taken any initiative towards purchasing it because I decided I'm too old for sailor collars :| Yet somehow I ended up trying this OP on and getting it anyway lol! It was mostly because I wanted to purchase a second item to get the sale price, and the sheer overlay is actually incredibly soft and not itchy at all! Win. I hadn't bought any sailor items this season yet (...right?) so I suppose I can allow myself one...

Border lace with flower details OP in white

 

[Pardon the very minimal effort edit job that I attempted for the back of the dress. It wouldn't zip up on my mannequin, but I wanted to cover the gap that wouldn't typically be there wtf. I know I didn't do a very good job at all haha.]
This was another dress that my mother was a fan of lol. I think it's the language barrier, but I was super confused about certain dresses being limited (I can identify the kanji for "limited"), but I think it was just one of a few pre-release items Shibuya 109 (among other stores) had? Obviously, it's available online now, lol. Doesn't really matter tbh because it's still cute! I like the slightly open back and the cute details on the front. I wasn't really a huge fan of the pink version on myself, so another white dress for me lol! I like the flower buttons against this white dress a bit better anyway.

Ribbon lace faux 2-piece OP in white

 

I wasn't super in love with this dress online, and it's been released for awhile, but my mom (yes again I am swayed by my mother's interest) found this one really cute on the hanger. It was really hot out so I didn't feel like trying it on + I needed another item to make it to the novelty item minimum so I just threw it in my shopping bag. As it turns out, I quite like it! The fit is just about as great as it can be and the details (which can't be seen very well in the stock photo) are very nice as with most lace detailing on Liz Lisa items. They only had it in white (no blue or pink) which is why I ended up with another all white dress wtf. What am I going to do with all this white???

Sweets pattern OP in white

I bought this dress on my first day shopping! (Another item I was confused about the "limited"-ness of.) I don't overly love the shirring in the chest area for any tops or dresses, but one of the shop staff was wearing it in this color, and I thought it looked lovely on her which convinced me enough to buy it. Plus I quite like the ribbon tie and the small ruffle there as well. I ended up wearing it while I was still on the trip, and I think it was a great choice! The ruffle straps are actually removable.

Check open back OP in pink

I liked this dress a lot online because of the back - open + ribbon tie! I thought I would get it in white, but I like the lighter (less heavy) material for the blue and pink versions better. Plus, I needed to get less all white dresses -__-. I tried on this dress in pink, and after I saw it on, I'm not sure why I doubted this color so much! The cut and style of the dress more than make up for anything I thought the print was lacking lol.

Lace collar gingham OP in pink

 Sorry very wrinkled lol

 

Another dress I liked online, but it somehow never made it to my final cart in the past! This dress is so lovely and thanks to the ribbon tie back, the fit is great + the fuller skirt is fun and flattering. The straps in the back are a cute touch as well. I like this dress in the other colors (red and blue) too, but ended up with pink. The color is not as washed out as the stock photo makes it look, and it's actually a somewhat heavier and sturdier material than I anticipated. Not a bad thing at all, but I'm glad I got it in-store instead so I didn't have to pay for the EMS shipping because of the weight lol.

Ribbon pattern romper in pink

Sorry! This romper doesn't fit on my mannequin. I had to pin it just to take this picture. The view from the front didn't look good at all lol.

 

Sigh, my big regret of the trip is not finding this romper in white. I was so sure that one of the stores I went to would have stock :(. Some of them I walked into purely to look for this romper in white and when they didn't have it, I just walked out lol. I don't hate it in pink, but I'm just not a huge pink + blue fan. I finally broke down and bought it in pink on my last shopping day from Shibuya 109, one of the few stores which had stock of the romper at all. There's a little room at the waist (a small negative for me personally because I want everything to show off my waist wtf), and since it's a romper, the skirt is a little shorter than I'd like to be wearing these days, but I love love love the bows in the back which was the huge selling point for me.

Hep Five limited OP in brown

I was excited that another store location that I would be able to get to would have a limited item available during my trip! Although tbh, I wasn't super thrilled when I saw the actual dress online because of the heaviness of the brown, so I wasn't necessarily planning on buying it. They also had the dress in a white color option, but I saw the shop staff wearing the brown version, and for some reason wasn't drawn to the white + purple combo (maybe if it was white + pink...), so I tried on the brown one and decided to just get it. Because limited item. There's a sheer panel near the hem of the dress which is really cute, and I also like the sheer check over the brown check as an interesting print. I ended up wearing it during my trip on a rainy day which it was better suited for than any of my white dresses lol. I actually like it quite a lot even though the color is so brown lol.

トリコット set up (top and bottom) in pink

[Sorry couldn't get the skirt on the mannequin! :\]
I was buying way too many OPs and wanted to get a top and/or a skirt, however I didn't want to get a jumper skirt or a suspender skirt. I didn't necessarily want to get a set up either, but that's what I ended up with lol. This sheer detailing (as if two different pieces for the top, sometimes off shoulder, but not removable) style has been repeated in a few different designs this season for Liz Lisa [see also 1 2 3 4 5 6]. I wasn't extremely keen on it and wasn't sure if I wanted to gamble on it for an online purchase previously, but since I was looking for something to bump my total for a novelty item, and this set up was new, I decided to just go for it (tops can't be tried on in-store anyway) wtf. I don't hate it! I'm a bit unsure about where I will wear this, but it's a typical Liz Lisa set up, so I still like it haha. (Not sure what the translation for the item name is supposed to be...toricotta? is that what the design on the hem is called?)

Organdy puff cardigan in white

[I was in a huge rush to get the pictures done for this post, and I completely forgot to take pictures of this cardigan! I had to take some last minute iPhone pictures of it because I was eager to publish this post. Hopefully I can replace these with better pictures later!]
I really wasn't intending on getting any more of these little cropped length little cardigans from Liz Lisa, especially considering I sort of have the long sleeve version of this (sheer with lace detailing in the front panels), but, as it turns out, after purchasing this on the first shopping day, I wore it a LOT throughout the rest of the trip. My white cardigan that I brought with me for a cover up? My father killed a spider on the back of it before I even got to Shibuya 109 the first morning, and there was some resulting spider blood on it that I, for some reason, couldn't get rid of. You very rarely see women go sleeveless in Japan, so I desperately needed something that didn't have a somewhat tiny red dot on the back to wear for the rest of the trip, and this was actually much more perfect that I could have asked for. The short sleeve length was great for the weather, and the lesser amount of material meant less bulk in general. I decided on this particular cardigan because a shop staff was wearing it with the Sweets pattern OP! Not a combo I would have personally come up with (idk why but these sheer lace things actually look okay on patterned prints, who knew ??), but it really did seem to work! And worked for the rest of the trip lol. One of my best purchases in terms of usage.

   Accessories -
Lace up back flower wedge sandals in white

 

I wasn't extremely keen on any of the shoes from Liz Lisa this summer (I'm not sure why) compared to last summer, but I was half-considering these shoes for purchase in-store before I left. I didn't end up buying them (or any shoes) during the first few shopping days, but my feet were really dying from repeated use and frequent walking and standing my pink wedges, so I knew I needed to change it up every few days with a different pair of shoes. I looked around the store, but finally ended up back at these. The store was extremely busy at the time I went, but I managed to ask if I could have them in my size. Unfortunately, they didn't have any new pairs, but I was pressed for time and pretty desperate, so I decided to just get the floor model pair since they were my size anyway. Best decision ever. Much more comfortable than my pink wedges and somehow matched pretty well (maybe even better) with all the things I brought/bought to wear on the trip as well! The inside sole needs to be reglued (mostly my fault for how poorly I treated them during the majority of the trip + the heat), but I couldn't be happier that I bought them. Sorry they already look pretty beat up right now in the pictures lol.

Flower heel wedge sandals in white

On my last shopping day, I was looking around for things to buy, and I was like...why don't I get another shoe? They cost the most to ship anyway so might as well buy them in-store! (Besides purses/bags which somehow always manage to trigger a customs check for me -__-.) Again, my problem was that I'm not in love with any of the shoes this season, but my mom really liked the floral pattern on the heels of these, and I had to agree. I tried them on in L (my usual size that always fits) but, it seems rather big in the straps that aren't adjustable and even a tiny bit big in the base as well, so I tried on the M. The base was a tiny, tiny bit too small but the straps fit a lot better even though it was slightly more of a challenge to put on (very humid weather probably wasn't helping). I really wanted to get them, but didn't know what to do. The shop staff told me that the tiny bit that the shoe was too small is okay and pointed at her own shoes lol. I decided to get them in M. Tried them on again at home, and they're definitely a challenge to put on because the multiple straps don't stretch at all and M is always just this ---> <--- much too small for me, but I like them. Cute summer shoe, and I really do like the heel design.

Seashell wicker shoulder bag in white

Ahhhh, I really wanted this bag when it was released! Totally goes with the mermaid/nautical theme this season but still not so outlandish that it can't be used casually imo. The size seemed good, and I don't have one of Liz Lisa's wicker-type bags yet. It wasn't on my must-buy list, but I ended up getting it on my last shopping day. I forgot that it would be such a pain to pack lol. The bag will be really screwed up if it's twerked or smashed the wrong way (as it very easily could be if packaged wrong/handled poorly) so I ended up putting it in my carry-on luggage wtf lol. I'm glad I got it though - the only bag I got from Liz Lisa during this trip even though many were on sale!

Angel pattern handkerchief in pink

I completely forgot that some bathrooms in Japan don't have paper towel dispensers/air dryers so I didn't bring a small towel with me. Easily solved by just getting one of these from Liz Lisa. I liked this print from the jumper skirt and set up earlier this season, but didn't want to purchase either of those items for some reason. Now I still get to own the print! This will be slightly less useful to me at home in America, but was very useful while in Japan :)

   Novelty items -
June 28 Marine Girl pouch set in pink

Made sure I hit the novelty item minimum at least once when I arrived! I wish I could have gotten the matching tote from earlier in the month, and then this pouch set would be even cuter/better used :|

July 12 Sweets clutch bag in pink and white

These were the novelty items that I was really after, and I was so so so glad that they were available before I left! I got them both on the same day with purchases from two different stores lol. They're actually a bit bigger than I thought lol. I'm not someone who uses clutches very often (I really prefer a purse to free up my hands), but these are so cute, it's about time to start! I wish I was able to get the July 19 novelty Sweets pattern thermos and handkerchief too lol.

It took me a long time to organize this photo lol

This was supposed to be my haul photo, but I forgot to include the 109 set and the sailor dress (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ

My new things don't fit on my clothes rack (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ

White items

Pink items

Lonely brown dress

Novelty items

Anyway, I probably hopefully won't be buying any more Liz Lisa for awhile, haha. I guess I'm glad I ended up holding back and not buying too many things online prior to my trip...And it's good that Autumn/Winter is coming up so I'll be better able to resist buying things since cold weather clothes aren't suitable here at all. [Usually doesn't stop me from wanting to buy them because everything is so cute though wtf.]
Coordinates with the clothes will probably be in two future blog entries rather than one. It took forever to shoot all of these because there's so many things wtf, and I rarely have such a large chunk of time where I have the right lighting + the weather is not too hot. You can probably tell that the lighting was already failing for half of them lol. I can't wait to wear these :)
>> Coordinates part 1 post here!
>> Coordinates part 2 post here!

As a small reminder (and I'm sure those of you who actually read my posts are tired of reading these blurbs, but I am constantly getting blamed for not warning people of this, so here I go again) - I am extremely uncomfortable with my personal photos being used for the profit of others especially without a simple source link. In general, I would prefer for my photos not to be reposted without my permission at all, but if you feel the extreme need to do so, I simply ask that you just include a simple link back to my original post. Regardless of whether I watermark every single photo, I do still own the copyright to these pictures and you finding them on Google Image does not mean I do not own them anymore?? (There has been some confusion on that front apparently. And to be clear, Google does even warn you when you click on a photo that the image may be subject to copyright, and Google does not sever the photos from their original pages, so it's easy to find their source if you choose.) I do not blog and post these photos so that others can sell their products that are not associated with me in the slightest. And the response I get when I just ask for my photos to be sourced really discourages me from sharing and continuing to blog. I mean this in the least aggressive way possible, but I'm not just going to throw 80 smiley emojis in this to "soften the tone" because I am serious, and I honestly feel like you should be able to read a paragraph like this without emoticons and not be offended by its message.

  Japan trip Summer 2014 posts -
Part 1: Getting around/Hotels
Part 2: Liz Lisa shopping/items
   Part 2a: Liz Lisa coordinates post
   Part 2b: Liz Lisa coordinates post cont.
Part 3: Other shopping
Part 4: Sightseeing & Food