This Splendid Goldfish little dress by Royal Princess Alice has been hanging in the wardrobe for a long time, and today I finally brought it out to the outdoor flower field and rose garden. The moment I put it on, I felt that the dress was truly stunning; the collision of black lace and red carries a very charming vintage temperament. As a typical Wa-style Lolita, it integrates the wide-sleeve design of traditional kimonos with the waist-cinching tailoring of Western dresses, offering a very rich sense of layering when walking.
To match the dark and gorgeous feel of this dress, I deliberately put a lot of thought into the styling. The wig chosen was long straight hair with black and red highlights, which can echo the print color of the skirt hem while enhancing visual impact. In terms of makeup, I deepened the blending of the eye makeup, especially the layering of red eyeshadow, plus a deep purplish-red matte lip glaze, paired with a tear mole below the left eye. Overall, I wanted to present a dark, vintage, and tense visual effect. The gorgeous lace hair accessories on both sides of the top of the head are also indispensable embellishments for this styling, making the head contour appear fuller and more three-dimensional.
The outer layer of black sheer lace cover-up is the soul of this outfit; the fabric is very lightweight, revealing the skin texture while retaining elegance. The white lace trim spliced at the cuff edges neutralizes the dullness of the black. The inner blue, white, and red mixed printed skirt hem features delicate patterns, giving it a texture resembling vintage porcelain. The large red bow at the waist and the gold knot brooch greatly enhance the overall sophistication. The lower body is paired with tights featuring black lace patterns, matching chunky-heeled short boots with metal buckles, which can modify leg lines and facilitate walking in a garden full of gravel and soil.
The shooting location was chosen in an outdoor garden intertwined with a purple flower field and pink roses. In the purple flower field, I stood on the steps, spreading out the wide sleeves. The texture of the lace under backlight was exceptionally translucent, as if blending with the flowers behind. In the rose garden, bamboo fences and green leaves were utilized more as foregrounds to create a deep sense of story. The black tights paired with short boots added a touch of coolness contrasted with the softness of the flowers.
Although outdoor natural light is great, the contrast is sometimes too high. When shooting among the flowers, I tried to find some tree shades and gaps between petals to avoid strong direct light overexposing the makeup. Utilizing the shadows of leaves to create a mottled texture is an important technique for shooting this vintage style. The ground for this shoot was covered with fallen flowers; although it was somewhat heartbreaking to let the dress drag on the ground, and occasionally rose thorns snagged the lace, the photo results were indeed satisfying.
After a whole day of shooting, although tired, seeing the state presented by the little dress under natural light and shadow made everything feel worthwhile. The details of this Splendid Goldfish printed dress truly stand the test of the lens, whether it is the white lace trim at the cuffs or the large red bow at the waist, maintaining an excellent silhouette. Looking forward to taking it to different scenes next time to record more unique beauty belonging to Lolita fashion.