Indie Tights Review : Baroque X Sakizo Antique Frames and Royal Jewelry

When I started wearing lolita, it started a love affair in finding and collecting fashionable tights. Please feel free to tag or share this with other people and please by all means comment questions about any of the brands I review. I am happy to help as best I can. 

My review is a 1 to 5 scale, 5 being the best, in regards to: 
Construction
Quality
Elasticity
How well the print holds up stretched
Print placement, Crispness, Alignment

I will also list :
Tights inseam to toe
Cost
Denier
Tall or Petite friendly

For reference in regards to size, I am 5'9"  / 175 cm and my inseam all the way to bottom of heel is 31.5" /  81 cm, hips 40" / 102 cm. The thickest part of my thigh is 23" / 60 cm and calf at  14.76 " / 37.5cm. In the visualization of the tights stretched I used a glass growler which is approx  15.5" / 39cm around.For my original review my reference for petite was 5'0" but  one of my smaller petite friends was so kind to relay some additional info regarding her experience with the lengths of some of the tights as well. She is 4'10" leg inseam 25 "/66cm and shoes size 3.5 / 21cm.

Baroque Frames and Royal Jewelry Collaboration with Sakizo

• Construction: 4  They were dyed evenly with no smell or residue. The waistband itself is pretty accommodating and the print is pretty and eye pleasing much like the Sakizo pair I reviewed. 
• Quality: 3.9 Being made of shantung polyester they have a smooth soft feel to them and felt like a good thick denier. The printing was all very well done for having such intricate details, exceptionally so since Sakizo loves to ridiculous detailing in her illustrations.. My main gripe is the wine coloring for this specific pair. I'm not sure if its the color printing or what. It is exactly like my Sakizo pair where the bordeaux is a brownish merlot color, albeit not as bad as the first pair, but still the coloring is a bit of a challenge to match. If you obtain these with a matching main piece from Baroque it should be no problem but matching it to other items may be a challenge. 
• Elasticity: 4 They were not as short as the Sakizo pair that I had but still a bit on the short side for my height.They were not very tight around my calves but not so much that I had bunching as if they were too big. The tights were really accommodating around the waistline but pretty snug around my upper thigh. I believe if you are very careful and patient with slow stretching from the ankle up, you can ease the tights to a higher resting point. They did however shrink down to size with no distortion afterwards which was great.
• How print holds up stretched: 4 The print lightens up quite a bit. But ist still pretty opaque and the print distinctive when I have them worn. They tend to fade considerably over my upper thigh but that can't be seen when wearing a dress or short pants. 
• Print placement, Crispness, Alignment: 5 The print is really intricate with bold crowns to contrast the dark tone of the tights. Placement is perfect and alignment also on point. These are great in this area.
• Inseam to toe: 29" / 73.66cm
• Denier:  80
• Cost: 35 USD
• Tall or Petite Friendly: I do not think they would accommodate anyone my height very well if they might have bigger measurements than mine and don't want the print distorted or to potentially rip after a few wears.I would be cautious if you are a taller lolita considering these. For someone smaller than me they would accommodate pretty well, though, they might be a bit big for someone shorter maybe like 5'^" or so
  
  Here below are some detail shots of Baroque tights :
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Thank you for taking the time to read this review and stay tuned for more as I round out my tights collection.
  

Thoughts of a Millinery Collector: Spotlight on VooDoooDolly

 A while back I was fortunate enough to procure a very special item and add it to my millinery collection. It was a handmade headdress by Mallory, owner of brand VoodoooDolly. I was allowed to commission something tailored after one of her one off test runs that I had fallen in love with. During the production time, I got to do a Q and A about her and her works and am happy to share my findings here with you. At the end I'll be sharing how my headdress came to be and the finished product. All professional and personal photographs have been so graciously donated by VoodooDolly and I again thank her for all of her time and effort!

Materials for a ooak tudor headdress

How long have you been into millinery? 
Millinery is actually a bit of a new world for me as far as my artistic endeavors go! I started playing around with buckram and wool felt after a hat making workshop at Dragon con three years ago. Since then, I’ve used my previous pattern making experience and sewing to play with hats! It was too much fun to not stick with.

What inspires you when you think about creating a piece?
When creating a piece, I have endless inspirations and thoughts constantly flowing through my mind. Even as the piece begins coming together my inspiration might suddenly change or something else will work so much better than what I had planned. I really let the inspiration come from anywhere! My favorites though are traditional costumes from around the world, and historical headpieces from the Tudor and Elizabethan time periods. I could look at Russian Kokoshnik headpieces forever and never run out of inspiration!

When drafting a piece together is there anything you watch or read to help with the creative process? 

I often times find myself putting on historical fiction dramas, or any of the Lord of the Rings movies or Harry Potter films. The historical fiction ones are for when I need some beautiful costume inspiration, and the others are pure background noise. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE lotr and Harry Potter, but I can recite the lines from memory and I think it helps to have a story, but not have to look at the picture on the screen. I had a marathon of The Tudors tv series while making my first headdresses and love any show or movie involving Queen Elizabeth I. Then there’s Salem and Oulander with its gorgeous dresses… I could go on forever!

Are there certain materials that you like working with more than others?

There are materials that I like for their versatility more than others, but I often times find myself experimenting with new things. Buckram, millinery wire, interfacing, and (lots of) beads are my go-to items, but that’s just for the basics. If a piece feels like it’s missing something, I’m not afraid to reach out of my comfort zone and try something new- that’s what keeps me going back to make more!

Handmade Crown

Tudor Headdress

So after getting the idea for a particular piece, about how long does it take from beginning to end? It really varies from piece to piece- but assuming I’ve already gathered all the needed materials, I’d say an average of two weeks. I work a full time job during the day, so as soon as I get home I get right to work. The weekends are my big chunk of time when the majority of the magic happens.

From the looks of some of the hand beaded tudor style headdresses the intricate beading alone looks pretty intense. What areas do you seem to get the most interest from?

The beading or the layering of patterned fabric, lace, and transparent fabrics. I love to make new ‘textiles’ through layering or by really packing beads next to one another. The patterns and play on scale I can create really peak my interest the most.

Some of the headdresses have gained a lot of popularity in the states, do you think you'll be evolving to other kinds of hats and perhaps bonnets in the future?

 I do! I’ve been experimenting a lot lately with more diverse buckram hat patterns and I’ve already got a few worked out J One that I’m excited about is a large brimmed Victorian-style hat with a low profile cap. The other’s are still being worked out to get the patterns juuuuuust right- but they’re almost there!

As far as bonnets are concerned, I don’t see myself making them. So many very talented people already make beautiful bonnets, so I don’t really feel like that’s a niche that needs more filling.  I’ll leave bonnets to the experienced bonnet pros! Also, my poor face looks so bad in bonnets that if I ever pattern tested them, I wouldn’t be able to tell if I’d done a good job or not!!

The Victorian Style Hat

Veiled Tudor headdress

My Headdress experience:

My headdress was very similar to this test run she did in the photo pictured below. It looked perfect for a certain dress I own, Sweet Devil, and it instantly clicked that this was something I needed to get my hands on. 

The Original Rough Draft Piece

My Commissioned Piece

Mallory was exceedingly helpful and provided tons of WIP photos and information. She even went as far as to give me wearing and cleaning instructions for my new piece when it arrived in the mail. The documents included these fantastic small touches like a sealed wax mark. And this was a little awkward to wear at first but with some successful pinning it was a dream and as light as most bonnets I tend to wear.

Below are some photos of the finished product of my headdress. In the first photo it looks like more of a rounded edge but it actually looks more like a heart in person. I got to wear this piece for the first time a San Japan in San Anotonio and it was a superb hit. Since then I've been patiently awaiting to obtain another to match more of my OTT pieces because they are a style all their own.

It was a wonderful experience and I'd like to hope her pieces gain in popularity as the craftsmanship is extraordinary. VoodoooDolly will be vending this year at Rufflecon 2015 in Stramford, CT so please be sure to stop by her booth in the marketplace! If you can not make this event, it I would advise contacting her through her many forms of social media that can be found here: VooDooDolly.

Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned I have a few more reviews u my sleeve including Baroque's new tight release collaboration with Sakizo!

Traveling Lolita : New Orleans: Mechacon : BTSSB / AATP

This will be another volume in my convention travels in search of new lolita encounters, swag, and the ever elusive perfect tea party experience so thanks for tagging along for the ride. Since my brief excursion a few months ago for a wedding, I was happy to return to New Orleans again for Mechacon, a New Orleans anime convention which sported two jfashion brands this year, H. Naoto as well as Baby the Stars Shine Bright / Alice and the Pirates. 

I want to mention that, sadly, a lot of my photos didn't turn out so some very gracious individuals in the community were kind enough to lend their visuals to make this blog post 9000 times better; so thank you Thomas Lin, Renee Martin, and Amy Ngyuen. ( more of Amy's photos can be viewed by clicking her name which will redirect to her photography page. )

The event this year was held July 17th to the 19th. The badge prices were about as much as a regular conventions ranging from $35 to $55 and the tea party was $50. Since this convention was a bit closer than others that I fly out to, I took the Megabus to New Orleans from here in Austin. The trip in its entirety cost me $9. I'm serious. The longer you plot out your trip the cheaper it is. 

There is also free WiFi, tables, outlets, and reserved seating. I highly recommend using this service as a traveling option instead of driving if you can. Granted this was a longer trip than if I would have flown, but I really can't complain with those kind of prices.

Skipping ahead, the convention itself was laid out over three floors of the Hilton hotel with skyways and underground tunnels connecting the hotel to a kind of boardwalk mall. Everything was pretty well organized except for the registration lines and the large gaps that made it kind of easy for people to cut from one line to the other. A big thing that I particularly enjoyed about this convention was that the block of rooms I was lumped with were on higher level floors. They had their own set of elevators which there was never a line for. On almost every occasion when I wanted to use them there was one already waiting at the floor for me. It was magnificent.

The brand booths were located in the dealers room on the first floor of the convention. I was really surprised that H. Naoto was there since they were not promoted at all like Baby was and for some reason were also not on the roster for the dealers room. Their booth was packed to the gills and a lot of the items they had were sold out on the website so it was cool to be able to try on items that you would normally not have the opportunity to. On the artist alley floor, which was the floor above, there were various booths that catered to lolita as well as an information booth run by the local NOLA Lolita Community.

The Baby brand booth was really well stocked with at least 4 racks of dresses as well as one off sample piece bonnets that were used in the Anime North Fashion show earlier this year. This was Baby San Francisco's first year to attend an event here in Louisiana and the girls did not disappoint in buying them all out. There was also a small changing area as well as mirror so you could try on items, very much like how their set up at PMX was like. Nearly two racks of stock were sold on the first day!

As for in the artist alley the people of the Nola community did something that I have never seen before at a convention. They had a fan table where people interested in the fashion could ask questions and find out more information about lolita related events that were going on during the weekend. I found this to be a sensational idea and a great step in positive education for newcomers and a great way to get to know other lolitas in the area or new to this event.

Photo by Thomas Lin

The booth was all volunteer run and there were samples of different lolita styles as well as educational flyers, mooks, GLBs, and other reading material that interested parties could thumb through and ask the lolitas manning the table about. They also handed out cards which told you about the swap meet, lolita 101 and other good tidbits like the time and place of the fashion shows and tea party event.

On the subjct of other jfashion events, there were indeed lolita 101 panel as well as a swap meet. Suffice to say, these were the best parts of the convention for me since this was such a small con. I really like teaching new people about the ever changing fashion and being able to sit in as well as contribute really meant a lot to me cause I like to mentor.. and stuff.

This lone jacket was the only thing I purchased the entire convention besides food. I know, I suck right?

Incidentally, I procured this garment during the swap meet and bless the young soul who sold it to me. I got so excited I think I scared her to death. I was really bummed that the Baby booth didn't stock anything ouji related or cool headwear except for some ill fitting ( on me ) salopettes but thankfully with the swap meet I didn't go home empty handed. The H. Naoto booth had a ton of really great pieces, but after this lone purchase I was riding the winds and really felt like I didn't need to buy anything else.I took part of the community fashion show that the New Orleans community put on Saturday so I haven't any photos of the event. It was a very big labor of love for all of those who were involved. I got a couple of outfit photos while we were doing rehearsal, but I'm sure if you google " Phantasmagoria Fashion Show " some links should pop up for you to view it yourself.

Impromptu photo behind the stage during the kill scene!

There was also a brand fashion show put on Baby the Stars Shine Bright as well Alice and the Pirates. I was a little confused as to why H. Naoto didn't also have a fashion segment but maybe they were just using this convention to test the waters with their company and thats why they were so under the radar. I hope next year they might come to the south again, I would have really liked to see them showcased since they're such a popular alternative Japanese brand as well and the two catering to a broader audience.

Sunday was the day of the tea party and it was held in a room overlooking the river as steamboats came by. The theme was Pirates and Princesses and each individual table was decorated in the theme of New Orleans, lolita fashion with elements of Baby and Alice. They didn't have actual physical tickets which would have been a nice piece of memorabilia as the case with prior events I've attended, but the decor did not disappoint. It was by far some of the prettiest table settings for a tea party I have seen so far.

Photo by Amy Ngyuen

Photo by Amy Ngyuen

When entering the room you got a cork for you number for the raffle and instructions on a game they played throughout the course of the tea party. I liked that this encouraged members to mingle with one another as well as get some face time with the guests in a laid back atmosphere. think this is the first time I've seen this executed so well. At the tables there was a flyer hand drawn by one of the community members as a keepsake which was really impressive and a nice touch by the tea party team. There was a raffle, bingo and at last winners of the "like" game. 

Photo by Renee Martin

Postcard Artwork by Reve Lullaby

I've also included a video filmed by one of the local NOLA lolitas Renee Martin; her youtube channel can be found here.

In the end it was a very pleasant endeavor but would suggest maybe some different options in the course of food. There was a enough for everyone to even get seconds, but the sandwiches were not the best and there was chocolate in on or around almost all the desserts and as someone who is allergic to chocolate.. it left something to be desired. If anything this has to do with the hotel catering. As with other tea parties, a lot lack that certain je ne sais quoi needed for perfect food to compliment the event. I think by far my favorite has been PMX's tea party who actually outsources with local lolita favorites for their events.

The hotel itself as well as the staff was really quite nice, and to be honest I was taken aback. I was prepared to be dealt with rather badly; given my negative experiences with multiple Hiltons in both Texas and California for other lolita events, but was instead greeted and treated really well and would even be willing to congratulate them as this was the first Hilton I don't hate.

I think overall, I would attend this event again. If not for the fact I live kind of close and it is quite a good alternative event to attend instead supporting Anime Matsuri, it has obtained the beginnings of popularity and success I think can evolve into something better and more worthwhile for congoers an jfashionistas alike. They have a hard working fairly organized staff and seem to show that their work is a labor of love and not just profit. And while some things ran a little long or late, for their first year showcasing brands I think they did pretty well and are worth seeing if they can do a bit better next year.

I didn't get to snag as many good outfit shots as I had liked, but thankfully I got good ones of my favorite. I really hope next year they have the tea party in the same area as the lighting there and the dealer room were the best the whole con ( who woulda thunk? )

I was very lucky to get to hang out with some fellow friends after the convention before my journey on the way home. And I've got to say, this city does it's very best each time to tug so hard on my heart strings and make me not want to leave. 

We ate at a place called SLICE, which hands down has the most intriguing flavor combinations of pizza.There was an Arugula, Gorgonzola, pear and honey pizza! Me naturally got the shrimp po'boy ( I loooove po'boys now that I've tried authentic ones.. oh my god ) and did a family style of trying all the food on the menu. It was sooo terrific and the best possible way to end and a fantastic weekend; with good friends and good food. 


Thanks for taking the time to read about my experiences this year and hold fast because next week I'll be covering San Japan in San Antonio, Texas with Enchantilic Enchantilly and Harajuku Hearts. Stay tuned!

Triple Fortune Bonnets: A Buying Tutorial

Hey there and welcome to my buying tutorial for Triple Fortune's bonnets and other items. I will be showing the various ways for procuring these items and the turn around time including process for each. First I will be showing you how to make a purchase through KERA Online Shop which you will need to have a Tenso account to complete. Second will be via a special order and third through second hand markets. This is a very image heavy post so please be warned! Please click the images to pull them up in the gallery to see the notations I've made as well.

Purchasing tactic 1: Kera

When purchasing or making a reservation through Kera Shop Online it's good to make an account with Tenso first. Tenso is a forwarding service from Japan. What they do is give you a Japanese address that you use to fill in as your  mailing address ( so instead of your home address in whatever country you are in ) when purchasing from a Japanese website and will act like a PO Box for you in Japan. Once your parcel arrives to them in Japan you can get it forwarded from your personal PO Box to yourself. 

After setting up your Tenso account you should be able to view your Jp PO Box address on their website. It will look like this. 

I would keep this page, or at least the address handy for when you're getting ready to order. As of 6/25/15 Kera has updated their website so some of the ways of finding items might be a little bit different. I'm still going to keep the old information images just in case it wasn't updated for all browsers just in case though. If you are using the old version you can click on the the Triple Fortune header, if you are using the new version you might have to search using keywords " トリプルフォーチュン "

Old version:

New version: 

You'll pick whatever item you'll want to order and depending on the indication of the info on the item you'll be able to tell if its a reservation item or a ready stock item. If it's ready stock it usually ships within 24 hours of received payment. If it is a reserve item, they will notify when your item gets sent to them and then it will be shipped to your Tenso account. In the screen caps of the old version you'll see I was purchasing a reserve item; in the new version of the website, a ready stock item.

Old version : 

New version: 

After you have made your selection please hit the pink ( old version )  or green button ( new version )  and it will add the item to your cart. Keep repeating the process with other items you would like to procure until you are ready to check out. Your check out screen will look like this.

Old version:

New version: 

After proceeding to check out they will ask you to register or to login to your account to proceed with checkout. When filling out your registration form you should fill it out like this, and make sure to use your Tenso account address if you do not live in Japan.

You will then hit the next button will prompt you with payment options. I've also included a payment key in the images below. Since COD and bank transfer are only available to residents of Japan you will have to use a credit card. After picking your payment option, click to the next confirm screen ( right button on the bottom. )

After doing so you'll come the last confirmation page before completion of your order. It will cover going over everything you've entered so far. After confirming that all your information is correct you'll hit the button with the exclamation points to send the order. You'll get brought to a page saying that your order has been completed. 

After you order is completed you will receive an email from Kera Shop Online about the notification of completion for your order and when it will ship.

Turn around time: 
The turn around time for ready stock items from Triple Fortune is almost immediate and should arrive at your Tenso PO in 5 to 7 business days. If it is a reserve item it is true to the statement that the turn around is between or 1 to 3 months. They will send you an email whenever your item has reached them and is getting ready to ship to you. After receiving this email they will charge your credit card so make sure to have the amount available to be debited/credited from your account. As of current, I have reserved 2 bonnets through this method and have received one at 2 months, the other at 3.

Purchasing Tactic 2: Special Order and in store

The Kera Shop Brick and mortar located all through out Japan usually offer a special order service. With the aide of a Shopping Service or SS for short, you can make a request at their local Kera for a special request bonnet where you can pick the colors, types of flowers chains etc. Currently as of 6/26/2015, Special orders are now closed  until further notice. one of the seamstresses for their brand was inured and endured surgery so production for their stock has been slowed dramatically since April of this year to as of current. They will reopen services again but it has not been eluded to when that will be.

Now if you are lucky enough to be in Japan to do your own shopping, I would suggest hitting up Atelier Pierrots as well as multiple the Kera Shops and even Dangerous Nude. They offer Triple Fortune products brand new but the stock is very random. You may also send an SS to do this but again since the stock is random you can never guarantee the color you are looking for will be there or that there is stock on hand. 

Turn around time:
Turn around time for special order bonnets vary on their schedule and can range from 3 months to over a year. I have ordered 2 bonnets this current method. The first bonnet came at 6 months but was not the colors I had requested. My second bonnet has been over 1 year now and am still waiting. As for purchasing in store well.. thats instant satisfaction, isn't it?

Purchasing Tactic 3: Second hand

Purchasing items second hand items are always a gamble but you can sometimes land a really great deal or special colorway of an item that hasn't been released in a long time. My suggestions would include second hand stores like Fururun, Usagiyouhinten, Auction Grand Bazaar on Rakuten as well as mbok and Yahoo! Auctions and even Lacemarket and some occasions. 

Now something to consider when searching for these items is it always wise to search in English as well as Japanese [  トリプルフォーチュン  ] for more hits.  In some screenshots I have included you can see all the items that pop up using these methods. 

While it is not as for sure bet you'll get your desired item as purchasing something directly in person or via online, you can sometimes manage a deal and find them cheaper than retail.

Turn around time:
Since you are buying from a seller or second hand store the shipping with EMS from Japan is usually 4 to 5 business days to the USA, it might be a little longer to other countries. If you are purchasing your parcel from an auction site it may take a few days to a week later depending on how long it will take for the money to transfer as well as it to ship to them before they can ship it to you. Majority of my bonnet collection has been procured this way but it has taken quite some time to find them and it is by far not an exact science. 

Thank you for taking the time to read through this lengthy tutorial and I hope this helps with your future purchases! I tried to be as through as possible but if there is anything that you might need help with in your purchase process please just give me a shout and I'll try to help you out. Please stay tuned for more  from your local Texan lolita!