FUCK YEAH WIGS

SO. I ordered a kick ass wig from Cyperous- for the record, here's my ugly mug without it

Excessive camwhoring/review past the jump if I can get this thing to work D:

AM I SMISING ENOUGH FOR YOU TYRA>?! AM IIIIIII?! D:

Anyway here's the link to the wig on Cyperous's  site: http://cyperous.com/wig/wig.cgi?cmd=dp&num=1143&Tfile=Data&dp=english.html

Came exactly as pictured, and with two hair nets and a matching wig cap :D

What can I say- I love ittttt!  It's longer then my old wig but it's MUCH less tangly and it has a nice luster to it- not dull but not the super reflective fake party store wig quality either~   It's also really easy to style because it's smooth- I could just twist and clip sections without getting my hands caught in knots and I've heard they'll bounce right back after minor teasing (hahaha I must admit I'll need to work up my courage a bit before i try that) also if I was so inclined, these wigs are heat resistant so I could curl it more or straighten it out using hot water.I was a little afraid it would be too small for my head (because the old wig was) but it's fine~ so unless you have an extremily big head you should be fine xDD Also for an extra fee they can actually make the wig a little bigger so if you have really long hair or just a large noggin, they've got you covered!

Verdict? These wigs have a great reputation already in the cosplay community and I can see why!  I think they look really realistic (from my wig and from other people's pictures that I've seen) and I think it's absolutely worth the price, but if you buy one I'd suggest you hop on a group order like I did! Shipping is killer Dx

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Screw the rules I have model drawing

I thought I would post some of the model drawing we've been doing so far :D

also here are some heads we drew for last week's fashion illustration assignment~

(Kyo's hair was quite popular :'D)

also for those of you intrested in fashion illustration, my instructor Miguel has a bunch uploaded on his facebook for resources, so definately check it out if you want references or inspiration! (for the curious, you can see his own work, here and here- his stuff is amazing *3*~~~~~~~~~)

Kind of random but we have a Korean International Textile Week (or something) going on @ the CA Market Center- it's pretty exciting being in the midst of fashion industry business but I'm just curious... why LA? :'D 

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Sock dreams review!

Honestly I've never heard a review of sockdreams.com that wasn't positive.  Their communication is good, offers free tracking (although this  may be due to the size of my order), shipping is prompt (recieved my items in less then a week even with the free shipping!) and their selection is quite extensive.

anyway first up:

red x white striped socks 

What Sockdreams says: Soft and stretchy, these stay up well and look great doing it. More sock-like than nylon-like. Leg Avenue label. One size fits most 90-160 lbs. Women's shoe sizes 6-10. They seem to be more of an over the knee on larger legs. Also worked great as a cuffed knee high on our tester with a 19inch calf.

What I say: A good opaque striped sock- I wanted to get these because it provides a bit more cushioning then tights, also I like the look of socks better in this case.  However, on my calves (16 inches at the widest point) the socks are stretching enough to show a bit of the elastic in the fabric.  It's not too visible, but I thought I would point it out.  Also I'm a shoe size 9 and the 'feet' just fit, it shouldn'treally a big issue though unless you're wearing footwear that would show this.  For reference, I'm wearing the left sock cuffed to knee high, and the right one as an OTK eventhough it's difficult to see.

nurse sock garters

What Sockdreams says: Are you a nurse or a candy striper? Maybe you just want to dress up like one for fun... If so, these are a perfect finishing touch for your outfit! Sold by the pair with cute little matching thermometer barrettes.Medium to large, up to 20 inches. They have two red snaps to adjust width.

What I say: I've said it before, and I'll say it again- it's the thermometer hair clips that won me over :B  (pictured clipped onto the left sock garter),  yes, if not obvious I have a weakness for cute relatively useless things that I don't need D:  The sock garters them selves are as pictured, cute, and the adjustable snaps make it so you can wear it on your thighs or around your calves.  Constructionwise, they decorations are just glued on which was a dissapointing, however there's no globs of hot glue visible, so it's all cool. All in all I'd say they weren't the 24$, but they're cute and serve their purpose.

(shoes pictured are from Naturalizer and ring was bought in Santee Alley)

Trouser socks  

What Sockdream says: Floral lace pattern from the tops of the feet to just below the cuff. Beautifully hand-screen printed with no overlaps or gaps in the pattern. These look amazing with a skirt and your prettiest shoes. Made in the USA. Tube style socks which will fit most feet and will look best on women's shoe sizes 6-10.5 
Maximum top stretch 17.5 inches.

What I say: These are everybit as gorgeous in real life as they look on your screen *3*~ Also I guess I made a good decision to buy them when I did because the blackxgold is sold out! (haha I think I got the last pair~ I'm sure they'll restock eventually though)  White x black looks just as lovely and probably more versatile.  Again, the max measurements sock dreams gives are a bit generous.  I probably wouldn't go over a 9.5 in shoe size, because with my size 9 feet combined with my calves, the socks already fall a bit shorter then I'd like.  Also, there is some minor crackling in the screen print near the top that I feel like would be visible if your calves were the max 17.5 inches.  

The final say: Sockdreams ships quickly and delivers true to photo.  Although some of the prices on the items listed as 'hand made' or 'made specially for sock dreams' are a bit high, if you don't have the knowlege/knowhow to construct certain things or want something unique but don't have the time to make it your self, I'd say go for it.  Also, when ordering if the stretching of a print bothers you I'd definately err on the smaller side of max measurements given by them.

Shipping: 5/5

Customer Service: 5/5

Quality: 4/5

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Takamasa Ishihara is one fierce bitch

You heard me- second fierce bitch is none other than Takamasa Ishihara- founder of J-glam, ex. Loop, ex. Due le Quartz, formerly under PSC- AKA Miyavi.

Let me just say I have the utmost respect for this guy not only as a musician but as a human- each interview I read from him I only respect him more.  I know a lot of people aren't exactly fans of his style or music, but you can't deny he's overcome a lot to get where he is now.

Starting from the beginning- a little background for those who aren't familiar with Miyavi(I'll try not to gush too much).  As a half Japanese half Korean ( happas representttttttt) he probably got a lot of shit growing up, but at the age of 17 Miyavi moved to Tokyo with only a guitar and not much else.  Eventually he was scouted as a model and after appearing in the gothic & lolita bible for brands like Atlier Boz, Fotus, Alice Auaa, Black Peace Now and H. Naoto, he ran into the band Due le Quartz who were missing a guitarist.  After joining, Miyavi took over composing their songs and song writing as well as lead guitar and background vocals (which honestly mostly ammounted to screeching sounds).  Eventhough they were indies, Due le Quartz soon became popular, but seemingly at the height of this, they disbanded.  In a move that might seem cold hearted to many DLQ fans, Miyavi announced he was going solo and changing his stage name from Miyabi the next day.

From the start people didn't know what to expect from his solo career.  Let me be frank- listening to early live tapes, he was clearly capitalizing on his popularity from DLQ- his singing was pretty bad.  However when edited nicely on CDs, they sold well with the help of his comosition, guitar skill and charisma.  He lost quite a few fans at first-  instead of sticking with the more typical indie Visual Kei style that DLQ was categorized as, he made it clear very quickly that he was all about trying new things and experimentation.  If you listen to his discography, you can catch hints of hip hop, rap, folk, blues, jazz, rock, metal, pop, and much more! With his signature tattoos and rapidly changing hair styles, he managed to be a chameleon- cyber one day, goth the next then sporting baggy pants and a trucker cap- and some how iconic at the same time- catching the eye  of many.  With the progression of styles, he finally started playing shows internationally as well- he did a world tour last year, and is doing one this year as well.  At each stop he makes the effort to talk to the audience in their native language, and arrives through the front door to wave to his fans.

Most recently, Miyavi's managed to make most of the jrock fandom shit brix announcing his leave from PSC which has managed him for 10 years and start his own company JGlam to be able to expand more over seas and become closer with his fans.  Indeed- check out his home page linked to at the end of this post- he has feeds from his myspace, twitter, youtube, and facebook among other things.  Also he's recently announced his marrige to the Jpop singer Melody and the birth of their daughter Loveli. (Please note, as much as I love this man, I'm afraid naming things isn't his strong suit.  I suppose Loveli is quite a bit better then 'This iz the japanese kabuki kid' or 'Vblong' which were a couple of the predictions.)

Anyway why is he such a fierce bitch? He started out as a model and it shows-his personal style is always interesting and often questionable-  whether he's wearing booty shorts and brightly colored leggings, a trucker cap askew on his head, or wildly patterned PJS- he rocks it. 

On with the eye candy!

 

LINKS-

Official Website

J-glam official site

An awesome bio by jrock revolution- part one and part two

All the eye candy you could ever want

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Reviews pending~

A bit of a minipost right here becauseI have quite a bit of work to get done for tomorrow (Thank heavens for noon classes! I'd die if I had an 8 AM tomorrow!), but I managed to have some *ghasp* extra money this month from doing commissions, and decided to splurge at sock dreams-  if you refer to that socks post a couple entries down, I ordered the black x gold trouser socks and a couple things for my halloween costume :D

Of course I'll give pictures and review when it comes!

Also, just a word of warning, for those of you looking to purchase fake hair or dread falls, STAY AWAY FROM JADED DREADS -  I ordered from them 7 months ago and they finally sent me my stuff!  I gave them my home address this time because honestly I was expecting them to drag on another 7 months.  I am happy that they've decided to improve their customer service lately (which honestly isn't saying much seeing as previously it was literally nonexistant), but I'll try to give a nonbaised review when I can go get them on break.

I'm not saying that Jaded Dreads are total scammers (well technically I don't know, maybe there's a  pebble in that box or something lololol)  but they dissapeared with a chunk of my money for quite a while with no communication whatsoever and didn't respond to the multiple emails/myspace messages which I worded politely. (and one which I wasn't so polite in :B)  Finally after a snarky myspace reply to the notice that they were having a sale, I got a response...  and then nothing to confirm that they took note to the new address, but my mom called and confirmed they'd gotten the package, so I suppose that's fine.  

However I do have friends who have ordered stuff from them before me and still haven't gotten their products, so just make sure to research sellers before you commit! If I'd googled jaded dreads before paying, I could have saved myself a lot of grief and nail biting.

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Agh it feels like it's been forever since the last update!

It's because I've been busy with school!

Hahaha and I figured it would be lame if each day I was all 'I learned _____ today in modeldrawing/patterndrafting/studio/fashionillustration/textilescience' but was again too busy to do a write up on something else interesting ...

but tadah~ our first illustration project- kids swim suits!

ah the more I look at it the more I dislike it actually!  I'll definately do a better job on our next assignment! (male model heads- yum<3)

(next time I'll just scan in the fashion figure part if I can do so without wrinking the paper...)

Speaking of assignments though- I just got back from doing a shopping report for my illustration class.

We were supposed to hit up some designer stores at Melrose and then sneak photos/notes so we could draw flats of the clothing later and take notes on things like price, fabric, current trends, customer base ect.  

It was a little nerve wracking- I'm sure it didn't take that long, but it felt like scribbling down the fabric blends and taking pictures took forever! And I felt super bad when not buying anything,  the sales girl at Betsey Johnson was especially nice.

Agh but that skirt was around 200$! I'm not starving (YET) but a purchase like that would K.O. my wallet!

Where did I end up hitting up? Diesel (omg LOVE how their store is decorated!), Marc by Marc Jacobs (I love the neon reversable leather bags ;3;~~~~if it had some sort of closure I'd be all over it!), Paul Smith (I didn't know about this store before and fell in love with SO MANY of their stuff! The jacket I took photos of was around $2500 but it was gorgeous ;3;~), Theory, and Betsey of course!

We also went into Alexander McQueen to drool eventhough it wasn't on the assignment!  In real life.... it's breath taking. It almost justifies over 200$ for a screen printed t-shirt! Almost!

On our way back we decided to go to Beverly Center to check out some stores we could actually afford and eat.  I ended up buying a pair of black opaque leggings.  Yes, I've given in to the trend...

At Forever 21 we spotted the actress Bai Ling trying on crazy sunglasses xD I know she's always getting ragged on for her clothes, but hey, flats, booty shorts, and an Ed Hardy hoodie? More power to you home girl!

(so far for random celeb sightings, we have a gay porn star, Will-i-am and now Bai Ling- LA is an intresting place xD) 

Annnnd I believe I said I'd be doing daily snaps in this too? hahaha sorry for not including them so far-

here's what I wore on tuesday~ (Yeah I'm wearing the same blouse today xD') 

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Hair dye!

SO.

I'm not sure at all how relevant this is going to be to the rest of you but I recently redyed my hair :D

Over the years I've had literally every color in the rainbow in my hair, and so far I've exparmented with green hairdye using three diffrent kinds-

Brand: Manic Panic

Color: Electric Lizard, amplified formula

Results: Came out streaky yellowish green and not bright at all- I even dyed twice and I still didn't get results I was happy with! Dye faded out into a yucky brown-green within a week.  In Manic Panic's defense, my hair was aznblonde (aka that orangy color asians get when they bleach their hair half assed)  and it was left over from a previous dyejob that had faded.  However, I've had this problem when I had prebleached so I haven't really had a good experience with the brand ):

Brand: Splat

Color: Neon Green 

Results: I know it looks like seafoam green but it was more of a super bright blue toned green. I was definately happier then I was with the manic panic dye, but the color was much lighter then I was expecting it. (Splat works decently for all the other colors considering there's no reference photo on the box... just models with badly photoshopped hair!)  The color was completely faded in the back to blonde and brown in under three weeks.   (umm plus side is it comes with bleach?)

Brand: Special Effects

Color: Iguana Green

Review: I was kind of weary of it because in the past I've always gotten better results from dyes which you have to mix beforehand.  Also when I applied it I was expecting the color to be quite streaky because my hair wasn't evenly bleached- when I washed it out suprise suprise! A dark rich true green! So far I haven't seen any fading (well honestly it's been less then a week so I'll keep you guys updated) and I get tones of compliments on my hair :]  Even some areas that were dyed dark brown before turned green- also it didn't fry my hair at all! Do I even need to say I'm super happy with it? 

note: Another green hair dye I've heard is popular is punky professional's Apple Green- I haven't tried it out yet but maybe in the future... I've heard people like this because the product looks less like dino snot then special effect's product.

I still don't see why looking like dinosnot is a negative ):

 

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DUCK ON HEAD! DUCK ON HEAD!

A new fashion craze is sweeping the lolitas!

Even among a fashion where the wierd and the wonderful are both viable options for head wear- this new bizarre trend is...

DUCKS!

That's right ladies. Ducks. So stick a duck on your head and head over and submit a pic over here

She explains it better than I ever could, so basically it's a project in the spirit of this glorious post that toujourspret made to EGL way back in 07.

I mean we need more of those inspirational kinds of posts instead of melodramatic teal deer bawwing without understanding the facts.

Before you get your bloomers in a knot let me say this,  I'll be the first one to admit that back in the day when I was starting out lolita if lolita fucks had been in existance at that time, I probably would have been a regular on there. Not posting there, but being posted on there.  In fact eventhough I have never considered myself one of the 'e-famous' or rather 'e-infamous' girls, my pictures have pretty much made the rounds of any relevant fuck/wank comm and even a couple non related ones.   Some times it's been justified and other times it was obvious delicious vendetta omnomnom.  I've even had anon trolling on my old account on unlocked entries.

ANYWAY what I'm trying to say is young lolitas,  if you get posted to a fucks/drama/snark comm, don't dispare. We've all been there.  And before you go crying off about it remember it wont make you any more popular and go ahead and re-read the ducks post.  I know sometimes it's terribly difficult to distinguish snarking on your outfit from snarking about you personally, but take it nicely, don't run in defending your self, don't run away to a diffrent account, don't flounce dramatically.  We may seem like bitches but all we want you to do is maybe adjust that duck on your head a bit because you have it on backwards, and then we can all go to a tea party together, or catch a movie, or play mini golf, or what ever it is frilly girls with ducks on their heads do.

Wear your duck proudly girls!

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DIY or die!

So the other day I was walking around down town LA and picked up a bunch of nifty trim.  I was kind of bewildered what to do with them untill I realized I had a plain heather grey shirt laying around that needed spicing up!

BEFORE:

And after a little bit (a lot actually...) of hand stitching tada~ brand 'new' h. eaven inspired cutsew :D

I went to the H. Naoto website to grab some reference images to follow but they just restocked so I was all SON I AM DISSAPOINT and went off to BS it :'D

Ah it didn't turn out too badly x3

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omg socks

Some girls are shoe girls, some girls are purse girls...

I like socks.

Don't get me wrong, if I see a sufficiently drool-worthy pair of platforms or a fabulous clutch I'll lust over it all the same, but socks are my true obsession.

I have estimated that all of my socks, tights, leggings, and similarly related paraphenilia make up at least a fourth of my wardrobe. Right now, they take up approximately 1.5 drawers of my dresser, and there's more at home.

(in case you were wondering,  yes I am wearing tights right now- dark blue with silver threads mixed in from Express)

Anyway I was looking for appropriate leg wear for my halloween costume today and decided to pay a visit to sockdreams.com.   The result of course, was a wishlist miles long...

despite the descriptions of the products sounding eerily like the the errr describer having a huge sock fetish, this is probably one of my favorite shopping sites.

http://www.sockdreams.com/_shop/pages/socks_detail_ProductID_1124.php

mmmmm sock garters... with o-rings! I don't think I'd let myself be lead around on a leash like that, but it certainly add a bit of an edge (and jingle!) to an outfit~

http://www.sockdreams.com/_shop/pages/socks_detail_ProductID_1349.php

Do I even need to say how perfect these are? I'm itching to buy this in black x gold *3* Perfect for lolita, ouji (haha it might be a stretch but I could see it working!), rococo inspired visual kei, steam punk and everything else~

http://www.sockdreams.com/_shop/pages/socks_detail_ProductID_513.php

Not going to lie, I will probably end up getting these for the free thermometer hair clip included.

http://www.sockdreams.com/_shop/pages/socks_detail_ProductID_1519.php

These make no sense what so ever but I NEED them for layering D:

http://www.sockdreams.com/_shop/pages/socks_detail_ProductID_1601.php

Lovely *____* The lace detail is super adorable~

http://www.sockdreams.com/_shop/pages/socks_detail_ProductID_172.php

Okay, I already own this in paprika (lol) but seriously- best. tights. ever. They're completely opaque, soft, warm and snag resistant~ (need white + black + cream + all other colors plz)

http://www.sockdreams.com/_shop/pages/socks_detail_ProductID_407.php

Yes I am tacky.

http://www.sockdreams.com/_shop/pages/socks_detail_ProductID_1483.php

I can not tell you how many awesome vk/punk coordinations I've seen use these!

http://www.sockdreams.com/_shop/pages/accessories_detail_ProductID_1294.php

Okay, yeah it looks stupid at first, but after I saw these I kept seeing situations in which these would be REALLY usefull

http://www.sockdreams.com/_shop/pages/socks_detail_ProductID_1393.php

In case you didn't know, I love polkadots. Black x white and white x black plz!

huh you wouldn't really think of socks as something that could empty your wallet but I guess it really adds up :'D

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Gothic White

So the other day I was thinking, why don't you see many white gothic outfits?  It would be an intresting change from the all black outfits which turn into a person shaped black hole when photographed in bad lighting.

Sadly though, in this day and age the common misconception that 'goth' is basically just wearing all black all the time.  In lolita there's the disturbing rise of the use of the term 'bitter loli'. Ignoring the fact that in japanese it sounds like Nigga Loli (as a kind anon on loli secrets poinded out), I think it's pretty rediculous that just because a dress is mostly black it is no longer in the 'sweet' category.  Call Toy Parade or any of the other sacherine sweet prints by Angelic Pretty 'bitter', all you want- I'm still getting a tooth ache over here.  Also, if I had a nickle every time I saw someone with a frilly cupcake dress with lace everywhere and bows exploding all over it BUT in a black x white colorway, calling their outfit 'gothic' I would be able to afford those delicious (overpriced) tempura rolles at the food court under the fashion campus.

Anyway, aside from an obvious sweet print (pastel colors, stuffed animals, candy, puppies, bows, ect.) what design features mark a printless dress as gothic rather then sweet?  Gothic clothing is more mature, it presents more of a streamlined sillouette.  Accessories may include crosses (both normal and inverted), chunky jewelry, choakers, gloves, high platforms, and fishnet are definately more prominant then in 'normal' lolita style.  Also on a more mature note, occasionally more 'fetishy' elements are present like corsets.

But in conclusion let me say this is by no way an official guide ; although I enjoy the gothic style I am by no means a goth and am definately not an authority on the style!  

Anyway goth (I presume) is usually in black because of the connotations the color has where the style originated- death, darkness, night ect.  However, white also shares some of theses- even in the west, ghosts are usually portrayed as being pale ethereal forms, and in Asia, the color white signifies death and mourning.

Dresses by alice auaa

Skirt by H. Naoto

Bandi's Pandas runway show

Blouse by alice auaa (is it me or do those sleeves look like internal organs?)

Blouse by Moi meme moitie

Advertisement by H. Naoto

Alexander McQueen runway show

Skirt by Atlier Boz

Candy Spooky Theater

Kaya

Velvet Eden

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