Print Bandwagon: Perfume Bottles

There are many motifs that brands like use over and over again, and many times you will easily notice that certain motifs will be used by multiple brands, often all at once it seems. Recently, a couple brands, namely Angelic Pretty and Mary Magdalene, have revisited the theme of perfume bottles for their new prints.

Left: Metamorphose, Perfume Bottle. Right: Angelic Pretty, Rose Toilette

While this theme is nowhere near as popular as something like rabbits or toys or some other ridiculously cute thing, there have been a few stunning pieces in the past to feature perfume bottles. Not only the sought-after Rose Toilette from Angelic Pretty (a personal favorite of mine), but even Metamorphose has released a punchy version of this classy motif.

Angelic Pretty's blobby pale pastel Pale Blobs of Pastels.

With this new wave of perfume bottles, we have a bit of the old, and a bit of the new! The old comes in the form of Angelic Pretty re-using this theme, this time a bit more cutesy. The print on this new Angelic Pretty perfume bottle dress (named Glass Bottle of Tears, oddly enough) is, I think, both a bit hit and a bit miss. I think that the perfume bottles themselves are gorgeously illustrated but I can't find a single colorway of this print that actually looks good. The pastel versions just sort of look like a bland blob from a few feet away, and the black version looks sort of ridiculous. I think it's the stripes in the background that I am just not a fan of. While they are my favorite part of Rose Toilette, which featured elegant and detailed stripes, that looked a bit like fancy Victorian wallpaper, Glass Bottle of Tears just looks like generic fill-tool stripes, and sort of remind me of the quick-fix striped background that are in a lot of Bodyline prints (who also have actually released a dress featuring perfume bottles as well!).

Mary Magdalen's Perfume Bottle print. When you've never released a print before, you don't have to think up a ridiculous name for it!

The new comes in the form of the Mary Magdalene dress, which, unless I'm mistaken, is the first time Mary Magdalene has used, not only a border print, but something other than a solid color or all-over floral. I think this ended up being a completely gorgeous dress! The print is so elegant and classy, and it completely suits Mary Magdalene's style. Now, when I first heard people talking about this dress, I have heard a few people complain that they feel like Mary Magdalene is, very belatedly, hopping on the print trend, and are acting like the next print from Mary Magdalene is going to feature pancakes shaped like bunnies riding on a rainbow made of ice cream. Honestly, I am pretty excited to see Mary Magdalene try something new! The results are obviously gorgeous, and completely fitting for the brand.

Innocent World's Antique Perfume Bottle.

The other perfume print to come out recently comes from Innocent World. I actually wasn't aware that Innocent World released a perfume print until I was writing this. And before I googled it, just to be sure, I was trying to imagine what a print of perfume bottles by Innocent World would look like, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that what they released, looked a lot like what I imagined a print by them would look like! Innocent World's print features a relatively simple and understated print featuring some very elegant monochromatic vintage illustration styled perfume bottles, all lined up along the hem. All in all, it's a very cute dress!

There are very few of the major Lolita brands that haven't released a perfume print, so far as I know, I don't believe that Baby The Stars Shine Bright have released one to feature perfume bottles (although, they have made so many prints, I'm sure one of them includes a perfume bottle somewhere!). Moi Meme Moitie certainly hasn't, although, I can imagine if they did, it would be pretty awesome and feature coffin-shaped bottles filled with electric blue liquid, with some rosary beads and candelabras nestled amongst the bottles. Or, there's also a pretty good chance it might also look like a clip-art disaster.

Personally, I really enjoy seeing brands reuse themes again and again. I know some people might feel like themes get a bit stale after a while, but I feel like so long as brands are picking themes and motifs from a big enough selection of them, and not just doing cherries and rabbits over and over again, I think it's actually pretty fascinating to see how a brand will reuse the same theme, 6 years later, like in the case of Angelic Pretty and their perfume bottles, or how the same theme can look so vastly different when interpreted from one brand to the next!

Ask Miss Caro-chan: Adding More Color To Your Wardrobe

Today I'll be answering the first Ask Miss Caro-chan in a while! I had gotten reeeaaallly behind on the questions (as well as the interviews) in the month of May, so I'm going to try to get back on track with them this month! This question is from Manda, who asks:

How should one go about adding more color to their lolita wardrobe. I presently have a very gothic/classic wardrobe, but I am getting a little bored of the colors. Any tips?

Adding more color to a wardrobe is a pretty simple thing if you are starting with Gothic wardrobe, since pretty much any color is going to match with black. There are a few things to keep in mind when you are looking to color your Gothic wardrobe a little bit, and having several colorful coordinates, without having to buy a ton of stuff.

• Pick a color. Just one color for the time being, try not to go crazy and just buy whatever is colorful and cheap, because you're just going to have to spend a bunch later trying to accessorize each different color. When I first started adding more color to my wardrobe I made the mistake of getting tons of different colored stuff that I never wear because I didn't bother to buy a bunch of matching accessories. Once I learned my lesson I settled on pink as my extra color, because nothing matches black better than pink! Once you have a workable wardrobe in your chosen color, then by all means, go crazy and start buying more colors. The smart way to owning Lolita is to really be able to make the most out of what you have, because that simply means you get to wear it more!
• Look for prints in a black colorway that feature details of the color you chose. This might be tricky if you want an unusual (for Lolita!) color scheme like black and green. But if you are determined you're bound to find something. A print, either as a skirt or a JSK, in a black colorway will let you wear the color of your choice without having to go out and buy any extra accessories since it will most likely match with black shoes, socks, blouse, and head piece. One thing to keep in mind when you are picking out a printed piece is whether or not you are planning to add things of a completely different style. If you plan on sticking with Gothic, try to avoid prints with super cute motifs.
• Pick out some all white pieces in your current wardrobe. Most Gothic wardrobes will have at least 1 white blouse. A white blouse will make a coordinate look a little more colorful, even if it is a black colorway with only a little bit of color.
• Don't be afraid to pair a colorful JSK or skirt with a black blouse. If you really want to add a color to your wardrobe, and add a lot of it, get a skirt or JSK in your chosen color, it can be print or solid, and wear it with a black blouse and black accessories. This might not always work with a JSK, it will usually depend upon the cut and color of the JSK, but a colorful skirt in pretty much any color usually looks good in an all black coordinate, and is something a little different and unique.
• Find a jacket or bolero in your color of choice. It's another quick way to add your color to an all black outfit.
• Accessorize! Finally, add some accessories in your chosen color to your wardrobe. Start with little accessories, like necklaces, rings, or brooches, or things you can easily get for cheap at mainstream stores. Then go on a hunt for shoes, purses, and headbows or other Lolita head pieces in a matching color. If you really want a frugal way to add color to a Gothic wardrobe, skip all the other steps except for this one. Just a few colorful accessories will really stand out in an all black coordinate.

If you have a more Classic wardrobe that may already have a lot of color in it, just in either classical prints or more muted colors, you're probably going to have a trickier time and you're really going to have to know which colors will match, but the basic steps are still the same, just add a little color at a time.

Here are the pieces I will be making a few coordinates with, up top are a few pieces from a Gothic wardrobe, and below are the colorful (I chose red!) pieces that can easily be introduced into a Gothic wardrobe, I have 2 pieces in a black colorway with red details (The bodyline JSK and the BtSSB skirt) a solid red skirt (Mary Magdalene), a solid red jacket (Forever 21), a red headbow (BtSSB), some shoes (Bodyline), and a purse and some random accessories. Now, of course, you should probably have your reds, or whatever color you picked, match, but I'm using Polyvore for this so it's a little hard to find exactly matching colors that have been uploaded.

 Here's an example of one of the easiest ways to add color to a wardrobe, a printed piece in a colorway that matches your current wardrobe, but has details of the color you wish was in your wardrobe. As you can see, besides a few matching pieces of jewelry, the rest of the wardrobe is basic black pieces. One printed piece like this can really go a long way, especially if you are on a budget or are simply unsure if you will like the color combo you have picked.

Here's an example of another, a bit bolder, way to add more color to a wardrobe, and that is solid colored pieces. A purse or a couple pieces of jewelry in your chosen color can help balance the coordinate a bit.

I haven't even used all the pieces in the sample wardrobe! There are still some shoes and accessories that can be played with to either make an outfit with maximum red, or a few more accessories that can spice up an all black coordinate a bit more.

Hopefully this has helped a bit! It's really not that hard, technically, to add more color to a wardrobe, I think the hardest part is just choosing a color and stepping outside your comfort zone.