Happy Lunar New Year!đ§§đ Lunar New Year is a holiday my family has always looked forward to and celebrated. As kids, and even as young adults, we would head down to Chinatown and play all the carnival games lined up along Portsmouth Square. Coin tosses, balloon darts, water guns, but the golden gooseâor in this case horseâwas the roll-a-ball horse racing.
My mom loved collecting the huge golden horse trophies, so naturally weâd wait for the all the seats to clear out and my siblings and I would compete against each other so winning that horse trophy was a guarantee. I might have been a little embarrassed that we were so shameless about winning those horses, but looking back, itâs a Lunar New Year memory Iâm really fond of.đ„°
This year is obviously very different from previous years, but that wonât stop me from putting together a festive outfit. Even if itâs just to walk the dog or lounge at home. Like the past couple of years, I loved making them into Disney Style outfits, but what I didnât expect was my new love for BlackMilk to take center stage!đ±
A few months ago, BlackMilk released a holiday collection full of sparkle and merry motifs. But when I caught a glimpse of this red star dress, I immediate knew I needed it for Lunar New Year. Red and gold are always appropriate for Lunar New Year, but stars were such a perfect bonus!âïž
I then knew I had to pair the dress with an accessory from Shanghai Disneyland. One of my favorites is this Minnie crossbody. If you look closely, youâll notice her usual vintage hat is designed to look more like a Chinese courtierâs or officialâs hat. And the addition of the gold coin motif on the brim is just too perfect. Pairing this Minnie bag with this dress was just a match made in heaven.
But letâs be honest, most of us arenât going anywhere fancy to celebrate Lunar New Yearâmyself includedâso I also put together a fun loungewear outfit. I started off with this oversized t-shirt that I bought on sale last year. I love that Minnie is shown as a lion dancer because I LOVE LION DANCERS.đŠ Theyâre just huge, colorful, playful dogs and the music is always gets me so pumped!đ It was just too good to pass up.
I was originally going to wear plain black bike shorts, but I remembered I had this Disney pair from BlackMilk and to my surprise, the color palette matched the colors of the t-shirt! I donât wear these bike shorts too often, but I truly appreciate the side pocket to hold your phone (or maybe some extra snacks). Theyâre also made of performance fabrics so you can actually workout in them. Who doesnât love a good double-duty apparel item.
I want to conclude this lookbook with a reminder that Lunar New Year is celebrated by many different communities. I think a lot of times, Lunar New Year is interchanged with Chinese New Year and although Chinese and Chinese Americans are probably the largest group to celebrate the holiday, theyâre not the only ones that do.
So if you have a minute, definitely check out this page from the Asian Art Museum to learn more about how Lunar New Year is celebrated around the world! For me, Iâll be eating some Chinese take-out since a lavish banquet dinner with my extended family is out of the question this year. But however you decide to celebrate, I hope this Lunar New Year is a memorable one!
If you follow this blog then it’s very likely you’re a fandom lover like me! There’s something about fandoms that really resonates with me and I’m sure many of you. To find people out there that love something as much as you do is incredible. Then you start bonding and helping build that little (or big!) community and in a flash you inherit a family that gets your love of movies, games, magical things, or comics.
So I’m super excited to share my second gift guide of the season, a Holiday Gift Guide for Fandom Lovers! Obviously, there are a lot of Disney-related items mentioned here, but many of the shops listed also carry licensed products from Nintendo, Studio Ghibli, Star Wars, Golden Girls, and Looney Tunes just to name a few. I also mention a lot of apparel and accessories items on this list, but a handful of the shops mentioned also carry books, home items, and toys!
Cakeworthy Elf Flannel with Embroidered Pocket and Collar Details
Cakeworthy: Apparel & Accessories, $20-$80 Cakeworthy is one of my go-to shops for licensed apparel. Most of their collections are Disney, but over the past few years, they’ve expanded their offering of licensed collaborations â including The Golden Girls, Nikelodeon, Looney Tunes, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Nintendo! The character quote flannels specifically are great gifts since the colors, quote, and details are all designed around a specific character or franchise. And one of their newest ones is inspired by Buddy the Elf! But the totes, all over print t-shirts, and dresses also make great gifts for fashion-loving fans.
Buckle-Down Jack Skellington Crossbody Bag, Purse Strap, and Belt
Buckle-Down: Accessories & Pet Supplies, $16-$30 Buckle-Down is another shop that sell products from a variety of licenses. Aside from Disney, they also have licensed products for DC Comics, Warner Bros., various car brands, and even Grumpy Cat! Known mostly for their buckle belts, Buckle-Down recently introduced quirky licensed crossbody bags to their assortment. The bag is on the smaller side, but still roomy enough to carry everything you need! Other items that make great gifts are their Signature D belt collection and purse straps!
PARC Collection: Crossbody Bag Straps, $28 This small shop just released their newest item, polka dot crossbody bag straps! The crossbody straps are meant to be paired with their travel cases, but the clips make it possible for you to attach it to any of your other Disney bags. Although these aren’t officially licensed, I love that the oversized dot print really evokes that classic Minnie style look. I may have ordered both colors and I can’t wait to pair them with my Minnie Mouse Disney bags!
BoxLunch Totoro Sweater
BoxLunch: Sweaters, $60 (but check for sales!) The holiday season is pretty much synonymous with sweater weather. And when I saw BoxLunch’s collection of fairisle-inspired licensed sweaters, I was obsessed! All the designs are so adorable and the sweater itself is soooo cozy. They’re perfect for those homey quarantine nights with a toasty hot chocolate in hand. Aside from sweaters, BoxLunch also has tons of other apparel, accessories, home decor, figurine, and beauty gifts. Plus, for every $10 you spend BoxLunch donates a meal through Feeding America.
DIFF Eyewear: Star Wars Sunglasses & Frames, $95-$105 DIFF Eyewear released a capsule collection of Star Wars sunglasses and frames I’ve had my eyes on them. When the time came for me to write my holiday wishlist, I immediately knew these would be on my list. Each pair is super wearable and has that hint of character inspiration. And they also offer the same frames as blue light blocking glasses, which is great for anyone who is staring at a screen all day, aka me!
“DisneyBound Dress Disney and Make It Fashion” by Leslie Kay
DisneyBound Dress Disney and Make It Fashion by Leslie Kay, $17.99 DisneyBound is now officially a book! Written by the DisneyBound creator herself, Leslie talks about the myriad of ways everyone can DisneyBound and how it’s ultimately a way for Disney-lovers to express their own style and creativity. Although it’s written with newcomers in mind, this is still a great coffee table book for the most avid DisneyBounders. And the outfit illustrations are too cute!
Chronicle Books: The Disney Princess & Star Wars The Jedi Mind Books, $15-$50 A couple other great coffee table book options are The Disney Princess and Star Wars The Jedi Mind from Chronicle Books. The Disney Princess book looks like it’s filled with beautiful illustrations and histories about our beloved princesses and I love how Star Wars The Jedi Mind is pretty much a mindfulness book in Jedi wrapping.
BlackMilk Bambi Slip Dress from Poshmark
BlackMilk: Apparel, $42-117 From Pokemon to the Mandalorian, BlackMilk has released so many amazing licensed collections that I literally could not not get everything. Ok, not everything, but I adore the innovative ways they use characters to inspire their fabrics and prints. The cuts of their dresses are also really flattering and you can’t resist the urge to twirl. And gifting the joy of twirling sounds like a pretty great present if you ask me!
Poshmark, Depop,Etsy: Vintage or Unique Apparel & Accessories, prices vary If you’re looking to shop sustainably this season, definitely turn to shops like Poshmark, Depop, and Etsy. These sites are great for finding vintage or unique Disney finds, but I love when I get lucky and find pieces from past collaborations that I missed out on, like old BlackMilk collections. And of course, you can also find other fandom licenses, like Harry Potter.
Loungefly The Child Wristlet (Background: Cakeworthy The Child Shirt)
Disney Store: Accessories, prices vary An obvious pick for this Holiday Gift Guide, but I want to talk specifically about all things Grogu and the character stretch headbands. With season 2 of The Mandalorian, baby yoda merch, or should I say Grogu merch, is on the rise! Some of my favorite Grogu merch from the Disney store is the Loungefly wristlet and ear headband. Another great stocking stuffer is the character stretch headband, which is available in a variety of characters. I don’t believe they’re available at Disney Store locations, but you can easily order them online. They’re perfect for those self-care nights when you need to keep hair out of the way while wearing a face mask!
Giving your friend or family member a present that supports their fandom is such a meaningful way to say “I support you and what you love.” And for those of us that found each other through our shared love of fandoms, you’ll be able to create an even stronger bond and passion over the mouse that started it all, little animal villagers or even senior citizen cheesecake lovers. For me, passions for fandoms is what brought some of the most important people into my life.
A BIT WONG 