it's a 3 shop moriism taobao haul!

i'm still working on posting my japan photos, but in the meantime---!!!!!

this package was a gift from mr. bun, even though i picked out the items. it was a bit delayed, understandably, due to the lunar new year holiday, so this was long awaited and i was super happy to receive it (read: biting nails and camping out next to the mailbox（=´∇｀=)

from 蝶希部落日系森女森系 - Rare Butterfly Tribe
This was my first time purchasing from this shop -- they seem to carry items that have been on sale at Cawaii Onepiece Specialty Shop (shop here on Rakuten) previously, or replicas of their items at around the same price point, and also various accessories like mittens, headbands, legwear, and so on, but like Cawaii the main draw is the various onepieces and layered sets. They have a nice variety of slips and long skirts for layering as well.

brown & cream 3 piece mori coordinate
(asymmetrical dress + cardigan + shawl)
WOO this set has everything I need to acheive my dream of looking like a Harvest Moon protagonist, ahaha. i like the angled, asymmetric hems and the versatility of the pieces! i am trying to figure out a creative way to take in or at least mitigate the wideness in the waist area, though -- i really love the oversized look but since i have broad shoulders for a lady, this makes me look really, really wide. creative suggestions welcome?? (｡•ˇ‸ˇ•｡) i tried belting it in a bit but the belts i have currently don't quite work with the overall ensemble as it is, so no luck with that.

Cream OP (piece 1)

Neck detail. You can kind of make out the leafy pattern on the fabric here.

Ruffled lace hem detail

Chocolate one-button long cardigan (piece 2)

Lace shawl (piece 3)

false layer sweater
a lot more colorful than i expected in the knitted area? but nice! it's a camel-brown colored thick knit with flecks of color that are much brighter in person, and the tartan collar area is very soft too. i think i'm on a plaid kick, helpppp! it doesn't help that it's super cozy...

false layer sweater, ready for snugglin'

gray long-sleeve lace hem tee
good basic for an under layer-- just a soft long sleeve with lace at the hem and around the bottom of the sleeves. not sure i would wear it by itself, though. i wish the neck was a little less wide, but it looks nice with the lace neck forestgirlfans tank underneath.

The lace is long enough to peek out of your outer layer's sleeves!!

sailor shawl collar blouse

very cute/ethereal take on a sailor top. in this case, that also means see-through, but it's made for layering anyway. it's not overly nautical or seifuku-looking -- this is great for me, because i love the look of sailor-styled clothing, but i don't want to look like i'm cosplaying when i'm wearing them normally. i like the yellowish, tea-stained color. definitely suitable for warmer spring or summer weather since it's so light and airy. 

Front

Back -- the back is just as cute!!

floral thick-knit tights (beige)

warm warm warm! puffy! and very thick knit. i should have gotten a pair of these earlier on in the winter, though fortunately (or unfortunately) to me, we still have at least 2 months of tights-needed weather left...

Look at how the little flowers pop out, though!!!!!! So cute.

from 鲜格格美衣平价店 (Fresh Princess Attire Discount Shop lol)
This is my first time buying from this shop as well, which I stumbled upon looking for a dress that was sold out elsewhere. They cater to mori and natural styles.

green plaid onepiece
kind of huge, and also long for this short person!!! the hem hits right between mid-calf and ankle on me. and the dress buttons down all the way, so you can wear it as an open outer layer or jacket if you'd like, too!!

My cell camera doesn't pick up the color, but it's true green like the shop photo.

Collar detail

 it's soft and comfy and good for snuggling up and/or hiding in. the waist is cut a bit low and wide for me, so i've been following the styling suggestion above and cinching it with a belt. i like the feminine rounded collar a lot! the one thing that bothered me was it was musty-smelling when i received it, like it had been sitting for a long time. it took a few washes to get the smell out, but mr. bun said he couldn't smell it, so maybe i'm just extra sensitive to musty moldy odors (°ヘ°)

big gingham check onepiece
picnic time! this is cut similarly to the plaid OP (rather big on me, long too!) but there is a waist tie in the back to help mitigate that. unfortunately, though, when you tie it up, it does take in the skirt a bit and make it straighter and less "A" shaped, like in the photo there. pannier needed, perhaps. it's a bit more frumpier han i was expecting worn on its own, but i'm hoping some styling will solve this. or maybe i am just frumpy and the problem is without solution. DUN DUN DUN.

Who invited the ants?!

  森女部落甜美可爱原创 (Forest Girl Fans)

Pleated lace-hem skirt

very cute and versatile, though it is on the lighter side, so there's not much to keep it from ballooning up in the wind or something. it has a stretchy elastic waist with waistband, and the inner layer falls below the pleats with the attached lace hem. the pleats are great. i would like this even better if it were culottes/shorts, though!

The pleats stay in place very well, too.

khaki crazy warm leggings

these leggings... have a lot going on. so warm too! i guess they're more like tights, since they do have feet. really fun!? they're completely opaque, about as warm as wearing a pair of pants, and thicker than most of the leggings i do have.

One does not simply take good legwear pictures! Haven't mastered this...

A very good item-as-described experience, all in all!! tb can be tough, because you can never know what you'll really be getting, but the more i order, the more i know what to look for each time.

dearli haul fall 2013

A break from final project time. Sigh!! There's a lot for me to think about right now. I really should be studying but I'm feeling a little deflated after a long session yesterday. (I don't know what poked the hole in me though! Ouch!) My week is going to be packed, and not in a good way, but if I can just get through this, it's smooth sailing for the Japan/China trip. AHHHHHH impatient jitters

I've been perusing TaoBao shop Dearli quite a lot these days. The coords in conjunction with the photography? Too fantastic to put into words.

 The shop owner and model has been my fashion muse lately, and I'm always checking back for inspiration.
I want to wander around Qinghai etc. looking like a fabulous nomad D:!!

Here are some of the items I've purchased from Dearli recently--

Oversize plaid jacket

...With a darling Dearli logo lining, and very inaccurate price tag.
Made with love, though, clearly!

Tweed-y suspender shorts

The shorts came with suspenders!!

 Aristocratic blouse

Just call me grandpa-kei~

TB in october! it's a fall haul! shopping @ forestgirlfans and platinum angel

Sturm und Drang?

I'm feeling more than a bit gloomy and blah today. Perhaps dressing up a bit will help.

[ETA] It helped. I'm not 100%, but still better. I have a lot of things to be happy about and thankful for, but today is just ehhhhhhhh arghhhhhh harble garble

 

I'm also thinking about getting some macarons later, if I can find them. I'm not one to get excited over OMG PUMPKIN FLAVORED EVERYTHING  but I've heard these are really delicious, and since the only bakery in town that sells fresh macarons closed shop --

 Next best thing, maybe? They've gotten rave reviews but they're $5 for 12, ouch

Anyway....

Here's my fall haul roundup from Forestgirlfans and Platinum Angel!

My thoughts for this selection -- Let's be comfy and warm without sacrificing style.

 I was surprised at how soft everything in this batch was... everything seemed to have a vintage wash softness to it that you just wanna rub your face in. Too bad I had to wash it all first and drip dry it without fabric softener bloo bloo bloo

Also, a surprising lack of loose threads, holes, defects, chemical smells, etc. I think I'm getting better about my shop and item selection!

 Marine dress from Platinum Angel

"DEFINITELY ABSOLUTELY JUST LET THE STRESS LEAVE AND TAKE IT"
I love the repurposed cut n' sewn feel! It's like comfy sweatshirt meets cute dress. This is also available in cream on navy as opposed to navy on cream, which I bought.

 Back view. The jersey DEFINITELY ABSOLUTELY part is sewn to the stripey dress layer so the two are unremovable, but this slit in the back gives the illusion of layering.... neat detail.

 Fur pocket multi-coloured cardigan from Platinum Angel

Kind of eccentric, yet cozy and fun. I wasn't sure about the faux fur elbow patches -- I'm historically not a fan of those -- but this had so many cool details I was intrigued.

"Everybody do it again from the beginning!" on the front left-hand chest, and
and "Rivet and Surge -- I'd rather be a failure in something I love than a success in something I don't"
Some food for thought there, albeit covered by my back??

Much to my surprise and wonderment, upon further research on the good ol' internets, I found that rivet & surge is a thing? Like a legitimate department store chain boutique kind of thing, with locations in Laforet Harajuku, PARCO Ikebukuro, and Shinjuku MYLORD....
And while the price tag lists a typical Japanese department store price, about $50 USD, one would be led to believe that I snagged this sweater for about Y20 CNY, or $11 USD.
SO WHY?
HOW????
I've been pondering this for a while.

Possibility #1: This is a dummy tag just attached to make the item appear like a more legit ~Japanese style~ item. The Japanese checks out (including the washing and handling instructions, not pictured)
However, the giveway is... I'm pretty sure it's mixed materials, NOT 100% polyester.

Possibility #2: This item is an import/export, manufactured in China to go on sale in Japan and then bought by China to sell to domestic consumers on Taobao. I think this is unlikely because I have seen this in practice, i.e. Japanese brands like Milk or Jane Marple or Grimoire Almadel's Verum for sale on TB for what they'd normally go for in Japan (the equivalent of thousands of yuan)

Possibility #3: This item is a knockoff.

Possibility #4: This item is somehow defective, or it's surplus stock from rivet&surge's supplier in China, whoever that may be.

I have no way of finding out whether this is a legit item or not, and I don't really mind either way, but it's interesting to speculate. I have no idea how the international clothing merchandising market works, clearly lol D: I think it's most likely that it's just a fake tag snapped on to make it look more legit when it is not. More on that when we get to the green jacket....

Faux-layer tunic by Platinum Angel

I love this! I do wish it was a little longer though-- I have to wear shorts or leggings I know are opaque under it, since when I'm sitting down the 'button up' part separates, haha.

 The gingham print is super cute, and has little flecks of color that are hard to see from far away. I dig the cute buttons! It is a functional pocket, but kinda small. Perfect for some change or bus tokens.

 Beige & navy stripe tunic by Platinum Angel

This is soft and comfy!! The lace details aren't pockets, but they make me think of snowflakes.

I like the lace neck trim and the hem trim as well. Also, look!! Bikes!! Cute.

Beige button-up tunic by Platinum Angel

This one doesn't look like much all by itself, but it's fantastic when worn and goes with pretty much anything! There are some lace details, and also tabs hidden in the sleeves so they can be rolled up and buttoned to stay at three quarter length. Perfect for me, who needs a bib and rolled up sleeves at all times, especially when eating

Military-style jacket by Platinum Angel

 Really nice olive-green hooded  jacket with lace trim! Not super warm, but great for an unexpectedly chilly, rainy fall (or spring) day. The pockets in front are really roomy and nice to keep cold hands in. It also comes in a dusty rose color, but I was feeling the leafy olive green more for some reason.

Lace details on pockets. The waist is drawstring adjustable.

OK, here's another reason to think the tags are just randomly placed. This tag, which was attached to the jacket, cites the source as GINZA ISEYOSHI Co. Ltd., which is a classy kimono shop. Haaa....

Cute brooches by Platinum Angel 1 2 3

Just some cheap zakka brooches I bought for fun -- all were under 5 yuan, or about 80 cents. The 'Dutch' girly I like to stick on the beige button-up tunic, the bunny I've been wearing on my green jacket, and the ribbon just kind of goes wherever it is needed.

 Long lace panel skirt by Forestgirlfans

 SO PRETTY! A great addition to your wardrobe for mori and romantic fairytale looks. I haven;t been able to wear it much yet, unfortunately, since I get around by bike most of the time and I fear the lacy trim would get caught in the chain and the spokes, but it looks lovely on and I can't wait to experiment with it more.

Contrasting eige lace panel detail.

Forestgirlfans' tag, version 1.

 Lace trim tank by Forestgirlfans

Lovely for layering, but unfortunately fits me a bit too tightly -- glovelike, not enough to be uncomfortable, but emphasizes... what I'm not comfortable emphasizing, usually, lol. So I've been wearing this, as the FGfans model has shown in different coords, under wide neck or off the shoulder tops, so the lace is visible.

Forestgirlfans tag~ my favorite bunny version!