Winter ILD at the Bristol Clock & Watch Museum

Winter ILD at the Bristol Clock & Watch Museum

Group photo in the big clock room (missing a few folks that ran across the street for pizza) Standing: Carl, Caroline, Jax, Morgan, Van, Colleen, Aly, Pahl, Danielle; Kneeling: Van and Aerial

The last fashion meeting that I attended in 2025 was for Winter "International Lolita Day". ILD day happens twice a year, every first Saturday of June and December, and it is an event that is done worldwide in every community so that people who wear the fashion can showcase their summer and winter looks. I had taken a big pause from planning meetings for the group to prepare for my next big international trip that involved even more elaborate historical fashion than last time, so Jax came up with a wonderful plan to go as a group to the American Clock and Watch Museum in Bristol, CT wearing either Holiday or Steampunk inspired outfits. Of course I managed to pull off both Steampunk and Holiday at the same time, if you count the Winter Solstice as a holiday.  

Dedicated completely to white and gold, Danielle represents the return of the light on a cold winter's night

I had been building this white and gold coordinate for several years. About three years ago, I ordered the "Wishing Stars" JSK Style 1  (see a Witch's Tea) from Chinese Indie brand Soufflesong through 42lolita.com in the navy color way and I fell in love with the design so much I went back and ordered it in the white and gold color version. What arrived at my door step was a completely different design using the same materials. I was sent "Wishing Stars" JSK Style 2. When I reached out to 42lolita.com, they basically said it was an accident, and that it was actually nearly twice as expensive as the other one and I should just keep it and enjoy it. I'm never one to turn away a more expensive gift, but it did take time for me to build a new coordinate with this more elaborate styling. 

To keep in the theme of more elaborate styling, I had purchased the mini tricorn hat from the Chinese indie brand Fox Cherry. It is white with white ribbon and feathers and gold trims. About two years later, I ordered an elaborately pleated white and gold button down blouse with bishop sleeves from Chinese indie brand Miss Point. The tights are wonderfully opaque with a gold stamping design (similarly to the dress) gothic style design from Chinese indie brand Wulala Mew, and the shoes are a pair of Gothic style white velvet boots from Chinese indie brand Sosic called "Meteorite's Wound", which I had originally purchased for my white rabbit ouji coordinate. As far as jewelry I turned to USA based indie designers TxarraOtsoaOriginals for their Ivory Fairy Circle Crystal Heart Necklace in White, and to Dearest Victoria for their Filigree Heart earrings and ring set. For my bag, I added the Alice Clock Crossbody Purse by Chinese indie brand Kira in white and gold, in honor of the clock museum, steampunk fit in general, and that the time of daylight while brief, was going to get better from the solstice on out. For the finishing touches, I took a gold belt chain from a completely different coordinate and attached it to the front panels on both sides of the dress. It draped in such a way to promote additional gold and mystical symbols to commemorate the return of the light in the world around the time of the Winter Solstice. 

Up close look at Danielle's makeup

Even with my makeup, I used a warm gold eyeshadow on my top eyelids to indicate light and a silvery white eyeshadow on the bottom lid to indicate frost. I made my cheeks extra rosy, to show that it was cold, and as practice for my next fashion adventure in historical 18th-century costuming. The hardest part was getting the tricorn hat to stay on my head. It has two alligator clips on the bottom sides, and basically I weaved my hair into two sections secured by copious amounts of bobby pins and hairspray to attach it to. Much to my dismay, of course I could not drive with this hat attached to my head, so I had to carefully remove it and secure it once again when I arrived at the clock and watch museum. 

Danielle completely matching one of the fireplaces decorated by local organizations for a charity fundraiser

Clock and watch museums are inherently great places for Steampunk style meetings, because they indicate themes of industry, ingenuity, time and time-traveling. You could say that my Steampunk contribution outside of my clock bag was an outfit comprised of styling from different centuries.

​The other reason that Jax said that we could wear Holiday styling was because the museum itself was having a charity contest within for best decorated fireplace from local organizations. You could buy tickets to vote at the front desk, and the organization with the most votes would receive half of the funds raised while the museum would receive the other half. I was totally surprised and excited that I matched this particular fireplace design. 

Jax and the CEL fireplace

Jax's coordinate matched this fireplace design really well. I recognized the organization who designed it as one I know and love, so I put nearly all my votes into their basket, even though I liked the other fireplace that matched my outfit just as much. Jax made their Grinch dress last year for their Mystic Aquarium meeting, and it was so cold, I think I saw their coat more than their dress, so it was nice to be able to see it and admire all the nice trim placement and styling. 

Morgan in the big clock room; I think Aly took this photo

Another cute winter holiday look I enjoyed was Morgan's black confectionary and rocking horse design skirt paired with a more elegant bishop sleeve blouse and black opaque tights iwth gold stamping. The gingerbread man purse balances the sweet styling of the skirt and the bow headdress compared with the elegant blouse, tights, and shoes. I wish we got a photo side by side, because we could have been an nice juxtaposition between dark and light. 

Aly in the clock room

Aly went for a candy cane holiday look and crafted this outfit herself. She is also part of the local steampunk community, and is able to modify clothing she has used for other events again in a new way. She was wearing a cross body purse that looked like one of those round red and white striped peppermint candies. 

Can you spot the differences between Pahl and the Clock Man?

Pahl was also both decidedly Steampunk and Holiday. He wore a dark green wool tweed suit with a red linen waist coat, a white blouse with I think a banker's collar, a green bow tie that he tied himself, black circular rimmed glasses, a black bowler hat, and shiny black oxfords. He also had two different pocket watches attached to his waist coat, and a slightly different wine colored pocket square to complete his look. I gasped when we turned the corner from the ticket office and found the gentleman clock. Pahl was dismayed that he did not bring one of his top hats or his great coat to match the clock man better. 

Aly kindly took this photo of Pahl and I in the big clock room.

I tried my best to match the posture of the Gentleman Clock

The museum itself has two floors and the big clock room is a phenomenal sacred experience every hour, on the hour when all of the big grandfather clocks and all the other clocks in that room begin to chime. They are all on a little bit of a delay so after one starts, another joins in and they are different tones and timbers. The whole experience is like a sound bath of bells and deep toned chimes and goes on for roughly two and a half minutes. When the chiming started, everyone was in quiet wonder and looking all around to see which clock may have made the sound. It was a magical experience, and I daresay it might have cleansed my aura. 

Danielle, slightly underexposed next to the tiffany glass windows (but you can see the details on the dress better)

Cleansed by both the white and gold of my outfit and the chiming of the sacred bells of clocks marking the passing of time, I was ready to enter and embrace winter and prepare for my next time traveling adventure in 2026!