Michigan EGL Society's 2021 Fall Tea

 

Hey all! Hope you're having a wonderful pre-holiday weekend. 
My lovely local lolita fashion community held our annual fall tea this Saturday, and since I documented some great photos I thought I'd share! 

I woke up slightly late on Saturday morning and had to scramble a little bit getting ready. I was caught in a rut deciding between two dresses, and even once I decided on the dress I had an even harder time deciding on shoes! Ultimately, though, I decided on the following coordinate. 

     The jumperskirt I wore was the amazing Plus Size 3 Tier Frill JSK in Red by Metamorphose. I love this dress and would honestly probably live in it if I could. It's super comfortable and has a really nice quality to it. It's weighty enough to be a good dress for the fall/winter season, but not so heavy that it would be impossible to wear in the summertime either!
     The blouse is actually from Target! Their summer collection this year had so many great staple pieces for lolitas, specifically their blouse selection was really impressive. This blouse has tiny embroidered flowers all over it, along with some folded detailing on the sleeves. It's even complete with ruffled details on the peter pan collar! 
     The socks, bracelets, and necklace I believe were actually from SheIn. I really don't recommend shopping for actual lolita main pieces on sites like SheIn, but they are a great affordable resource for things like basic purses, costume jewelry, and socks. 
     The shoes are the Bodyline rocking horse shoes in white. This was the first time I had ever worn these outside of the house and I'm proud to say I did not break an ankle like I feared! The foam platform makes these shoes feel pretty supportive, almost bouncy in a way I did not anticipate. 
     Lastly, the rectangle headdress was from TaoBao! 

I'll preface this by saying that this was my second-ever meet in the Michigan community, and it was amazing! We visited a local venue, Tonia's Victorian Rose, to partake in a little brunch/tea party. It was my first time in the area (and at this tea room) and I have to say I was really impressed. I arrived just in time and proceeded inside after nearly forgetting to put money in my parking meter. I was greeted by a kind host and could immediately see a bunch of members of my community in a side room! I took a seat and was able to pour myself tea from a selection of either raspberry tea or earl grey. They were both great. 

The tea room was amazing. There was so much attention to detail in the decor, and I absolutely loved looking at each of our unique teacups and saucers. As more and more people arrived we all chatted about various topics including but certainly not limited to Thaksgiving plans, Kumya phone holders, and glittery blouses. One of my favorite things about being a part of a community and attending meets is being able to chat about the fashion with people who understand and actively participate in it. The fact that a room full of lolitas can find the tiniest details you put care into when planning a coordinate and compliment them always fills me with joy.

Shortly after taking a seat and enjoying some tea, we were served our first course. Cream of Asparagus soup - I had never had it before but it was a smooth, pleasant soup great for a cold day. 

We enjoyed our soup, and after a few more refills of raspberry tea our hostess came out to provide us with our food and explained a little bit about what we were eating. It was really cool to learn so much about the differences between an American style tea party versus a British tea party. I learned that we were served American scones, which are a little sweeter and richer than a British scone which would usually require a side of clotted cream to combat the dryness of it. I never knew that! 

Our trays of food were delicious and perfectly arranged. They included chicken salad on croissants, cucumber tea sandwiches (a favorite of mine), salmon tea sandwiches, quiche lorraine, scones, lemon curd filled pastries, fruit, chocolate, and even a small serving of whipped cream which was prepared in-house. 

The food was all to die for. The chocolate and quiche were big hits among the group. I loved the lemon pastries and the adorable cucumber sandwiches. I even took a photo of one! 

The food was deceptively filling, a fact I was very pleased to discover! After we had all gotten the chance to eat and finish our tea it was time to take some photos. We ventured our way outside to discover it was even colder than when we arrived! I looked around and got to admire everyone's adorable jackets, which has inspired me since to start shopping for my own lolita-friendly coat. I guess I had underestimated the weather and didn't even think to bring a coat until I was already halfway to the venue - and whichever coats I did have, none of them would have matched very well. 

Not to worry, though! The no-coat conundrum was worth it for the super cute photos. 

A group photo of my wonderful community, and...

Another one of us who wore red! Everyone looked so great. The group of us split from here, with some community members heading home and some of us opting to explore the downtown area. I stayed, determined to get some hot coffee to warm me up before the trip home. 

As you can expect for the group of 10+ of us who decided to stay, we definitely gathered some attention. I'm very pleased to report that we had no major negative interactions and were able to share a bit about lolita fashion with a few curious passers-by! We were even lucky enough to meet a person who was familiar with the fashion and wanted to join but didn't know where to start! We directed them to a few beginner friendly resources and invited them into our comm, so hopefully we have a new member soon! 

After a long journey (and by long I mean a few blocks of walking, if that - just stopping a lot more than anything) we arrived at the coolest coffee shop I've seen in a while, called Dessert Oasis. It was warm and the jazz music (and promise of hot coffee) was enticing enough to lure us in. 

It was a really cool spot with a nice vibe about it, and some really talented baristas. The line basically stretched throughout the entire store, but the coffee was well worth the wait. I ordered one of their signature drinks called "The Versailles", which they described as a spin-off of the 18th-century hot chocolate - an espresso drink with dark chocolate and a spiced syrup that was created in-house. After I placed my order, I was handed a mysterious playing card - this is how they would find me to deliver my drink. Once it arrived, the coffee definitely lived up to my expectations!

After enjoying our coffee and some more conversation, a few of us realized that our parking meters had run out! It was time to say goodbye, and as we hustled outside to our cars a block away we realized it had begun to drizzle! The drizzle was sort of a wintry mix and by the time I was in my car driving home, it was definitely snow. 

Overall, I had a lot of fun out with everyone on Saturday. I hope this post inspires you to try something new, go somewhere you haven't been before, or just to spend time with friends! It was a much-needed excursion for me and the perfect way to welcome the winter season ahead.

Until next time!