My local community is utterly, completely lovely. We don't meet up often, and when we do, it isn't usually more than 3-6 of us (except for that one 2010 meetup which will live in infamy), but the size of the group doesn't matter because all of the local girls are wonderfully kind, fun people. Most of us have known each other for years at this point, and I honestly can't think of a single person who isn't a total sweetheart! We're so lucky to have such a low-drama community - it's always a topic of discussion .

For this meetup, we went back to an old favorite of ours, a small-town tearoom called Tea with Tracey. Coincidentally, I returned to an old favorite as well, because holy crap I cannot stop coordinating my Little Prince JSK, someone please send help. Friends are berating me, insisting that I can't wear the same dress to every meet; in this they are wrong, so long as that dress is a galaxy print that depicts roses, princes, and foxes. What is the limit for Little Prince coordinates on Her Lumpiness? Say it with me now: the limit does not exist.

In conclusion: as long as you don't run out of ways to coordinate it, I don't think there's such a thing as over-wearing your favorite piece. Sure, I wouldn't ACTUALLY wear it to every meetup, but any time I want to be sure I look and feel my finest? You'd better believe the Little Prince is coming out!

Rundown, more photos, and all sorts of antics below the jump!

Introductory image from BABY official website

BREAKING NEWS: Today on their blog, Tokyo Rebel announced that they would be reopening their New York City storefront, which is super exciting, and wonderful news. However, it was slightly overshadowed by another announcement in the same blog post: that Baby, the Stars Shine Bright will be opening their first official storefront in NYC on the same weekend, side by side!

This is a historic event: the first-ever dedicated brand store on the East Coast of the US, something us Eastern lolitas have been begging anyone who'll listen for ever since the San Francisco BABY store opened (and before!) The stores will open on July 19th, 2014 - almost exactly a month from today - though no other information is available. I'd love if this was treated like the San Francisco opening, where the first 50 or so people to spend over $200 received a ticket to a tea party with Misako and the designers, but I don't know if there will be that much fanfare. Either way, you can bet your boots that I'll be trekking into NYC on opening day!

Are you all as excited as I am? This is quite the momentous occasion for American lolitas, and I must admit I'm all in a flutter myself over it. I hope to see many of your beautiful faces at the opening with me, and if not, here's hoping that all of you get the chance to visit someday! Even those who are not my American compatriots should see this as a great sign - every official shop that opens outside of Japan increases the likelihood that one will open near you as well. The more brand shops that open around the world, the more likely it is that lolita will have more of an international presence. That may not seem like a good thing to all the hipster lolis who knew about it before it was cool, but personally I'm excited for the prospect of more brand sightings at international events, or even BABY-hosted tea parties or release events around the city!

If you could pick, where would you open the next international brand store, and which brand would it be?

TOKYO REBEL: website   twitter   blog

BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT NEW YORK CITY: facebook   twitter   website