Tokyo Kawaii Life order 27 - Liz Lisa Pleats flare OP, Plain & floral top and skirt, Dot flower OP & Champouf pouch
No particularly good reason for this order except I didn't want to miss a chance to try some of these items. I think I was just kind of itching to make one? Which is not too good but I know I could have done worse damage, so I'm glad I showed just a little restraint and only purchased these things I guess lol.
Pleats flare OP in white (152-6013-0) プリーツレースワンピース
I absolutely changed my mind about this dress after seeing it on Michiko. Well actually I thought I quite liked it before going to Japan in August and anticipated purchasing it, but I never even picked it up to try on in store wtf. And so I came home without it. I thought that maybe it looked too heavy and shapeless for me, especially because it's an autumn item. But I saw the pink version on Michiko a bit after coming back and I was like DUDE. So I kept stalking the dress a bit online and convinced myself that I might buy it on sale but it actually sold out a few times. It had actually been restocked at the point at which I made this order, so I decided to just bite the bullet and get it since I practically missed my chance earlier. Also Rebby said she had it and that it wasn't too heavy! I thought about getting it in pink but decided the white version would be better on me.
with Flag J sandals -
with Flag J pumps and Liz Lisa rose quilted purse -
with Liz Lisa OTK boots & Liz Lisa double-breasted coat with fur collar -
When I first saw it in person and put it on, I thought about why I didn't purchase it in the first place and I was like...this is exactly why lol. It did seem heavy and shapeless. But the more I looked at it on, the more it kind of grew on me. The skirt is a lot longer than I thought it would be for some reason but it's still quite girly and kind of princess-y in a way. It can be worn with the sleeves on your shoulders but I definitely prefer it off shoulder.
Plain (& floral) browsing top in white (151-1061-0) 無地＆花柄ブラウジングトップス
This top is super light and the material is thin but not overwhelmingly cheap feeling. It definitely seems like a summer item. Back when this top and the matching skirt were first released, I really wanted the colorway with the pink flowers for both the top and the skirt, but they sold out and haven't restocked. When I made this purchase, the top was only available in this plain white color and I was like hmmmm idk. But when I really thought about it, I realized that this is actually the most practical color because it will easily match with many other different bottoms besides just the skirt.
with Liz Lisa wagon skirt, Liz Lisa knot wedge sandals & Liz Lisa ruffle ribbon purse -
with Liz Lisa panel floral skirt, Liz Lisa knot wedge sandals & Liz Lisa faux leather riders jacket -
In the end, I'm happy I decided to purchase this top even though it wasn't in the color I thought I was initially going to buy. I think it all worked out for the best lol. I really like this top, and I think it will be another great basic but cute top option to wear with all of my printed skirts!
(Plain &) Floral flare skirt in blue (151-4043-0) 無地＆花柄フレアスカート
Again, like for the top, I initially pictured myself buying this in the colorway with the pink flowers. When I was making this purchase, only this blue color was in stock and I wasn't super sure about it. I don't have anything against blue but I was just so set on pink. In reality, I don't know why I hesitated so long because the blue version is exactly like the pink version with just the flower color switched out. It's not like the whole skirt color base and chiffon is overwhelmingly blue. The other thing I was worried about was that it would be an awkward length on me. I don't own a lot of skirts this length (on purpose) because I have this (unreasonable?) thing about my legs and feel like I need a lot of them to show otherwise I feel extremely stunted lol wtf.
with Liz Lisa lace sleeveless top, Liz Lisa flower lace up back wedge sandals & Samantha Thavasa ruffle ribbon handbag -
with Liz Lisa off shoulder ribbon blouse and Liz Lisa ribbon pumps -
with Liz Lisa plain browsing top (tucked and untucked), Flag J pumps & Kate Spade New York purse -
The length is actually quite nice imo! I really don't mind it at all. I really wanted to get both the top and the skirt in this set up and wear them together and I do quite like the combination. I was worried about being able to wear them separately, but actually because of the color choices, I don't think it's too hard to mix and match! The chiffon on the skirt is really nice and soft. My only complaint is that the skirt is...big. There's a ribbon tie at the waist but in order for the skirt to actually sit on my natural waist/where I want it to fit, I actually have to use the ribbon tie to make it tighter and this causes the back of the skirt to scrunch up because there's too much material/fabric there. If you want to wear it lower on your hips, maybe it's not too much of a problem, but I would suggest this skirt for size S-M more than size XS-S. I don't think I use much of the shirring when actually wearing the skirt (although ofc I need it there for when I'm putting it on or taking it off) and I hate the bunching of material and then the affect it has on the overall look and sometimes skirt length if I'm not careful (see video).
I purchased this dress in white during my summer Japan trip and wasn't at all planning to get it in any other color, but I realized how suitable the white dress was for a lot of the places I go (lately) which is largely in part to the silhouette and general look of it. Since I was already making an order, I decided to just throw this in too. I figured I could still easily wear it for years to come. It's great for Hawaii weather and can easily be made more conservative for work with just a simple cardigan. I can also see people in colder places layering a white turtleneck under it. White was obviously my first choice color (and that's why I bought white first) but actually the print is very bold on that colorway. I chose pink this time because I thought it was a bit more subtle.
with Liz Lisa ribbon pumps & Liz Lisa x Yui Kanno collab rose drop cardigan -
with Liz Lisa heart suede pumps -
with Flag J pumps & Liz Lisa 3-way side corset bag & Liz Lisa lace peek cardigan -
No surprises. This dress is exactly as expected except maybe I like it even better than anticipated lol. I really wasn't feeling the pink when it was first released but as time passed, it's really grown on me and now that I have it, I have no regrets. And because the overall print appears quite different between the white and pink colorway, I don't think it's too repetitive to have both in my wardrobe.
Okay. So, I already have this pouch in pink and don't use it except for display purposes and I keep it in a clear plastic bag so it won't get dusty lol. I just thought it was too fluffy and pretty to use. And....I got another one because? Well I think it's mostly because I just really like Champouf and I jumped on the Champouf bandwagon so late, so I feel like whenever I have the opportunity to nab these sleeping lamb items, I should just go for it since they're not produced as often anymore. This restocked so I just...bought it lol. There wasn't any particular motivation behind it except I didn't think it would be a bad idea haha.
I made a quick YouTube video for this order as well.
I tried to make it so quickly, in fact, that I didn't notice that for the wide coordinate shots, the frame is crooked until after I had finished shooting each outfit and uploaded all the files. Sorry, I just didn't feel like reshooting everything :| I know it's annoying but I'm just going to take this as a lesson learned for next time lol.
The color palate of this order as a whole is actually kind of nice coincidentally lol. I think the roses in the dot dress and the roses in the skirt are actually quite similar too which I hadn't really noticed before. I'm really happy I was finally able to try the skirt and top combination. Even though I didn't get my first choice in color, I'm not disappointed in any way and welcome both items together and on their own. Overall, I would consider this a very pleasant order. I typically order really safe items (because online shopping means you can't try on things) and that was the case for the one of the clothing items here, but for 3 of 4, I really wasn't totally sure until I got them what they would be like, and I'm happy it wasn't terrible lol.
Wow, as usual, these items seem like they were made for you- or you for them! <3 I am really surprised about something, though: Most of the items you picked this time - except the pink dress - didn't really look all that interesting or exciting to me in the stock photos. Versatile, maybe, but ...kind of meh. But now, seeing them on you and how you style them, I kind of regret not trying to buy one or to of them. Lovely coordinates!
I think most of the time, I get excited about items from the shop staff photos actually! And the Pleats flare OP definitely isn't done justice in the stock photos. I think because it's all one color, it's hard to see the nice detailing when it's washed out.
Hehe, yeah, I only recently decided to follow your example and check the shop staff posts more instead of mainly stock imagery. You're right, they do sell you on some stuff one would have missed otherwise (not always a good thing for the wallet though, haha). The shop staff girls make items work, I would normally not intensely look at twice. ^^ Sometimes the lighting in the shop staff images is a little too yellow (thanks to the warm shop lighting setup, I presume), so I really do like your lighting in your photos actually. It is very good for showing the actual items more naturally lit! It's true- I've noticed that, while the shop staff photos are sometimes yellowish or too dark, Liz Lisa stock images, on the other hand, are often much too light. All white and other monochrome toned items are so washed out sometimes, that you can barely see anything on bright screens.
I definitely agree that there are positives (you get great items that you might have otherwise missed) and negatives (you spend money that you would have otherwise saved) by looking for more photos lol. And definitely the lighting in these photos can play tricks on you. Sometimes the actual color of a garment is a complete surprise to me when I receive it lol. And I'm glad my posts are actually useful. My main motivation in blogging my orders is to share what the items are actually like because I know how hard (international) online shopping can be and I hope to help others make the most informed decision possible if interested in items that I've purchased. (Idk if that makes sense lol.) That being said, I wish I had a better lighting set up in my room. As it is now, I rely completely on natural lighting from my window and if the sun goes behind a cloud for a few minutes and I don't notice, the color can be completely different for those few photos lol. And I also can't ever blog at night or after about 3:00pm because the sun positioning is just too poor. I wouldn't mind investing in some actual lighting equipment but don't have the knowledge to pick the right products lol.
What you write makes total sense and your blog posts do exactly for me (and more) what you seem to have set a one of the goals/motivations for them. ^^ I do like the lighting in your room, believe me, it is better than mine. If it happens at all, one can only see the cloud-suddenly darkening-the-room-problem in your videos imo, not in your pictures (hooray for post production). And I do have the same problem with timing in general, I am hardly ever home when the lighting would be greatest in my room because of work, haha. I recently bought some soft boxes and really didn't know what I was doing...So I bought the wrong light bulbs for them... three times! Hahahaha, I really should have checked more. But I think a good tip if you ever want to invest in some artificial lighting is probably to see videos on the topic uploaded to YT by pros (it's what I should have done before buying just the first well rated lighting equipment I could find on Amazon, ahem).
I really didn't like the dot flower dress in pink originally but you're right, the print is more subtle and low-key then the white one. I think it's a great dress IMO, easy to dress up or down.
I agree with both of you, it would make a perfect dress for work even, which is really great because not all himekaji style clothes can be worn work appropriate, some are just too...frilly or cute or loud.^^;
I think the white floral browsing top would look lovely with the sunflower set up, I was originally going to get the top and matching skirt in white so I can have two versatile items... but I hesitated too long because I was scared of the length of the skirt. I'm definitely going to get the top later and possibly the dot flower OP cuz they look so damn good on you.
I can definitely see you in the dot flower OP. I think the waist of the dress would actually hit you in the right place (it's a little high on me) and it would be really flattering. And good point! I never thought about pairing the top with the sunflower set up...Hmmmm.
Wow, as usual, these items seem like they were made for you- or you for them! <3
ReplyDeleteI am really surprised about something, though: Most of the items you picked this time - except the pink dress - didn't really look all that interesting or exciting to me in the stock photos. Versatile, maybe, but ...kind of meh. But now, seeing them on you and how you style them, I kind of regret not trying to buy one or to of them. Lovely coordinates!
I think most of the time, I get excited about items from the shop staff photos actually! And the Pleats flare OP definitely isn't done justice in the stock photos. I think because it's all one color, it's hard to see the nice detailing when it's washed out.
DeleteHehe, yeah, I only recently decided to follow your example and check the shop staff posts more instead of mainly stock imagery. You're right, they do sell you on some stuff one would have missed otherwise (not always a good thing for the wallet though, haha). The shop staff girls make items work, I would normally not intensely look at twice. ^^
DeleteSometimes the lighting in the shop staff images is a little too yellow (thanks to the warm shop lighting setup, I presume), so I really do like your lighting in your photos actually. It is very good for showing the actual items more naturally lit!
It's true- I've noticed that, while the shop staff photos are sometimes yellowish or too dark, Liz Lisa stock images, on the other hand, are often much too light. All white and other monochrome toned items are so washed out sometimes, that you can barely see anything on bright screens.
I definitely agree that there are positives (you get great items that you might have otherwise missed) and negatives (you spend money that you would have otherwise saved) by looking for more photos lol. And definitely the lighting in these photos can play tricks on you. Sometimes the actual color of a garment is a complete surprise to me when I receive it lol.
DeleteAnd I'm glad my posts are actually useful. My main motivation in blogging my orders is to share what the items are actually like because I know how hard (international) online shopping can be and I hope to help others make the most informed decision possible if interested in items that I've purchased. (Idk if that makes sense lol.)
That being said, I wish I had a better lighting set up in my room. As it is now, I rely completely on natural lighting from my window and if the sun goes behind a cloud for a few minutes and I don't notice, the color can be completely different for those few photos lol. And I also can't ever blog at night or after about 3:00pm because the sun positioning is just too poor. I wouldn't mind investing in some actual lighting equipment but don't have the knowledge to pick the right products lol.
What you write makes total sense and your blog posts do exactly for me (and more) what you seem to have set a one of the goals/motivations for them. ^^
DeleteI do like the lighting in your room, believe me, it is better than mine. If it happens at all, one can only see the cloud-suddenly darkening-the-room-problem in your videos imo, not in your pictures (hooray for post production).
And I do have the same problem with timing in general, I am hardly ever home when the lighting would be greatest in my room because of work, haha. I recently bought some soft boxes and really didn't know what I was doing...So I bought the wrong light bulbs for them... three times! Hahahaha, I really should have checked more. But I think a good tip if you ever want to invest in some artificial lighting is probably to see videos on the topic uploaded to YT by pros (it's what I should have done before buying just the first well rated lighting equipment I could find on Amazon, ahem).
Thanks for the tip! I was definitely going to google around (when I had the time) but didn't consider YT!
DeleteI really didn't like the dot flower dress in pink originally but you're right, the print is more subtle and low-key then the white one. I think it's a great dress IMO, easy to dress up or down.
ReplyDeleteI felt and feel the same way lol
DeleteI agree with both of you, it would make a perfect dress for work even, which is really great because not all himekaji style clothes can be worn work appropriate, some are just too...frilly or cute or loud.^^;
DeleteI think the white floral browsing top would look lovely with the sunflower set up, I was originally going to get the top and matching skirt in white so I can have two versatile items... but I hesitated too long because I was scared of the length of the skirt. I'm definitely going to get the top later and possibly the dot flower OP cuz they look so damn good on you.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely see you in the dot flower OP. I think the waist of the dress would actually hit you in the right place (it's a little high on me) and it would be really flattering. And good point! I never thought about pairing the top with the sunflower set up...Hmmmm.
Delete