super-cute taobao accessory brands

Recently I've been scrolling around on Taobao quite a lot. I like to keep up with my favourite Chinese brands by checking out the app every so often, because I find Taobao to be a great resource to help build out the smaller parts of my wardrobe, like wristcuffs, jewellery, and hair accessories. I think some lolitas disregard Taobao as a place to find these accessories because they associate it with cheap construction or poor quality, and yet more lolitas find the site too difficult to navigate to discover new shops.

So, in this blog post, I want to highlight some brands I've found on Taobao that offer accessories with super-cute and original designs from small brands with a consistent, individual style. When I'm shopping for myself, I specifically look for items that will:

1. stand alone as unique pieces in my wardrobe,
2. use little to no mass-produced cabochons, 
3. hopefully not disappoint in quality or construction (as much as it's possible to tell from an image and reviews before purchasing).

I've used these as my criteria in building this list. I have not shopped with all of these brands, so I can't speak to the quality of absolutely every store or item featured in this list, but I will include my own mini-reviews where possible. Think of this as a list of stores to go investigate further yourself, too!

It should be fairly obvious but I am a sweet lolita, so I'll also be focusing on brands that produce sweet pieces, particularly jewellery and embroidered patch clips. A couple of brands mentioned also make things like wristcuffs, headbows, and hats.

These smaller, independent shops can be hard to find, especially if you don't speak or read Chinese (I do not), so hopefully it's worth sharing my finds and perhaps encouraging more interest in these brands! (n.b.: I'm using translations of store names from Google Translate where I can't find them elsewhere, so a few names might be slightly off.)

Let your eyes feast on the cute offerings from these lesser-known Taobao shops! 💞

the moon house

(photos from the moon house on taobao)

The Moon House is perhaps my favourite indie shop on Taobao. They make a wide range of accessories, including jewellery, wristcuffs, hats, headbows, and bonnets. Their pieces are definitely directly inspired by Angelic Pretty and Baby The Stars Shine Bright- some of their jewellery will feature AP or Baby mascots or motifs, or will otherwise be designed to complement or draw inspiration from a specific AP or Baby release. They do not produce exact copies of anything that either brand has released, however, so I personally find this to be acceptable, but other lolitas may feel differently. They do also produce lots of pieces with entirely original motifs, characters and themes.

I own two pairs of wristcuffs from The Moon House - and they're my favourite wristcuffs I own! Both feature bunny ears, a cute ear tag, and cherry lace. They are elasticated and have a good stretch to them without being overly itchy, and the construction is great; I can wholeheartedly recommend them. I also have a chocolate square ring with a little Usakumya head peeking over the top. The Usakumya has yellowed slightly (I believe this is unavoidable over time due to the materials used) but I still think this ring is really cute. I'm hoping to score one of their straw hats if they restock again - The Moon House updates sporadically with new pieces and they do sell out very quickly, so I always keep my eye on their shop.

alice in halloween

(photos from alice in halloween on taobao)

Alice in Halloween is a well-known Taobao lolita jewellery brand, but I'd still be remiss not to mention them. Alice in Halloween produces original acrylic jewellery, largely necklaces and rings, as well as some other hair accessories and a few embroidered patch brooch/hairclips. 

Their offering leans sweet but there are some more toned-down styles scattered between the fruit, bear and candy motifs, and some of their more basic ring designs are very versatile. They also have quite a selection of creepy-cute designs or explicitly Halloween-themed items, befitting their name.

I personally own their strawberry ring, as well as two of their basic bow rings, in red polka dot and pink gingham patterns. The rings are of good quality, particularly the strawberry one. I have found that there is some variation in size, despite the brand not offering different sizes, as my red polka dot ring is a little too big for me while the pink version fits well. But for 28 yuan I can't really complain! These are great staple pieces for sweet lolita.

chuan

(photos from chuan on taobao)

I've never heard anyone else mention Chuan but they have some interesting and cute pieces. They offer a lot of acrylic jewellery, especially pieces with resin 'shaker' elements or suspended glitter inside, which I think is quite unique! They've recently released a few pieces themed around AP's French Café. Many of their designs are relatively simple and would match a lot of pieces in a sweet lolita's wardrobe, like the chunky bow rings seen above. They also do have a few embroidered brooch/hairclip designs, like the dog pudding one featured in the image.

I don't own any jewellery from Chuan but I do own a set of the fluffy bows featured in the top right image, and the quality of them is really fabulous. They feel really plush and are decorated with pearls and a silver diamante star in one corner.

dreamy planet

(photos from dreamy planet on taobao)

I suspect many sweet lolitas will be aware of Dreamy Planet because of their collaboration with the greatly-missed CC Cat (R.I.P). They produced the jewellery for CC Cat's Rainbow Dollhouse series, but also sell a variety of other original acrylic jewellery pieces, often made in collaboration with other brands. Their items - necklaces, rings, bracelets, barrettes - lean very sweet, but they do offer one series that is a little more creepy-cute/bittersweet. It looks like they haven't released much recently, so I'm not sure if they are no longer actively creating new jewellery, but there is still plenty of ready stock available.

I own their sheep necklace and both the rings from the Rainbow Dollhouse series. All these pieces are really great quality and feature plenty of detail. I also do remember them coming in very cute, cohesive reusable storage boxes! I'm a big fan of Dreamy Planet and I hope they return with a new collaboration soon.

angel bunny

(photos from angel bunny on taobao)

Angel Bunny seems to be a relatively new brand: the jewellery sets pictured are all of the current and past releases visible on their Taobao storefront. They produce sweet-themed acrylic jewellery, including necklaces, rings, barrettes, and brooches. As I was writing this post, they've also released their first two embroidered patch clips to match their strawberry bunny series (top left)!

I personally own the ring, barrette, brooch and necklace in the yellow colourway from their strawberry bunny jewellery release, and I was really pleased with the quality. Like many of the brands on this list, their pieces use several layers of acrylic to create the final design, which I think makes the end result feel higher quality than a flat acrylic necklace with only printed or engraved details. I did have to re-glue the backing on the brooch as it snapped off in transit, but that doesn't bother me.

Their jewellery pieces are really cute and I do find the pieces I have to be comparable to Angelic Pretty. It's always exciting to find original acrylic jewellery on Taobao - it's a great way to expand your jewellery collection without the sting of brand prices and battling against scalpers! I can't wait to see what new pieces Angel Bunny will release in the future.

soft kitty

(photos from soft kitty on taobao)

Soft Kitty is another jewellery brand that makes really cute acrylic pieces, largely rings and necklaces. They've also produced more traditional sterling silver jewellery in collaboration with the artist Mikko. Soft Kitty favours sweet motifs, often featuring candy, cute animals, or some combination of both. They also have a few styles which are more bittersweet (one series features coffins that might even border on gothic?).

I own one item from Soft Kitty which is from one of their older series - I actually hunted this necklace down on Xianyu secondhand because it was so cute and I really love sleepy/bedtime themes. This necklace is well-made and super adorable. I love the cutout details and the little pom-pom tail.

l. hanajiki

(photos from l. hanajiki on taobao)

L. Hanajiki sells a wide range of headpieces, hats and headbows, with a small offering of original acrylic jewellery mixed in. Their acrylic jewellery largely features cute animals, some with explicitly sweet motifs and others more Halloween/creepy-cute themed. I also couldn't resist featuring the original ice cream hat they released recently, which is sickeningly adorable. Their wider range of headpieces features gothic, steampunk, classic and sweet styles, as well as some staple items like their own take on the Chocomint star clip and simple hair bows.

I don't own any items from L. Hanajiki, so I can't speak to their quality, but they certainly have some really cute items.

candy jun

(photos from candy jun on taobao)

Candy Jun was my inspiration for starting this list, and a very recent discovery, though I wish I'd found them much earlier! They are a small brand that makes a variety of Angelic Pretty-style embroidered patch clips, which can be worn as brooches or hairclips. They have quite a range of motifs and colours so there would be something to match the wardrobe of most sweet lolitas - there's the cute chocolate/biscuit-themed bear above, as well as bedtime/sleepy-themed eye masks and pillows, and candy/funfair-themed pieces in both pastel colourways and bold reds and blues. They also have some creepy-cute styles, and more beyond what I could feature here. It looks like Candy Jun has also produced acrylic jewellery in the past, though all of it is sold out as of writing.

I've already picked up some pieces from this shop and I'll be sure to update you with my thoughts about the quality once they arrive!

meow meow in tokyo

(photos from meow meow in tokyo on taobao)

Meow Meow in Tokyo creates embroidered patch clips themed around desserts like ice creams, parfaits, and cupcakes. They also have some clips with fruit or animal motifs. I can easily imagine their designs complementing an Angelic Pretty coordinate! A lot of their designs use additional textured elements like plastic or shiny glitter which really makes them stand out.

I don't own anything from this store but I'm keeping my eye on their releases!

cat tea party

(photos from cat tea party on taobao)

Cat Tea Party will be perhaps the best-known brand on this list. They offer quite a far-reaching catalogue of items, including blouses, bloomers, hair accessories, embroidered patches, and acrylic and clay jewellery, so they're surely worth checking out if you have a dearth of accessories to fill! They offer lots of simple bow hair accessories and acrylic rings and necklaces that could complete almost any sweet coord.

I own a pair of bows in the lavender x pink colourway pictured. They're slightly larger than expected which I was pleasantly surprised by. The construction is fine (it would be hard to wow with such a simple item) and I think they're a useful staple, though I wish they offered more colourways.

catch bunny

(photos from catch bunny on taobao)

Catch Bunny sells really sweet handmade clay jewellery, including necklaces, brooches, barrettes, and rings, featuring lots of cute animals, hearts and flowers. They have several items featuring a hot air balloon motif which I can't help but think would be so cute coordinated with the semi-recent Baby release, Kumya's Floating Sky Tea Party! Catch Bunny's pieces definitely have their own unique art style which is more distinct than specifically designed to complement the latest AP print, but I think that makes them all the more interesting.

I don't own anything from this store but I'd like to eventually! All the pieces look so delicately constructed.

twinklecutey

(photos from twinkle cutey on taobao)

Twinkle Cutey has a similar style to Catch Bunny, but these clay pieces feature brighter colours and poppier motifs. Twinkle Cutey's brooches, rings, barrettes and necklaces are all adorable and very detailed. There's a focus on bears, rabbits and confectionery, as well as bold, cartoonish flowers and fruits. Super adorable!

I also don't own anything from this shop, but it's on my to-watch list!

cornnn

(photos from cornnn on taobao)

Cornnn specialises in imitation confectionery. Their jewellery features a wide range of themes within their Q-pot-esque brief, including pancakes, sakura flowers, chocolates, berries, and citrus fruits. The styles range from super-sweet to more sweet-classic, even reaching towards gothic at times, so there should be a piece to suit every taste! Cornnn also has a few pieces with a more rococo or vintage feel, like the necklace in the top right.

I don't own anything from this brand but I do intend to pick up something from them eventually!

forest of jingling

(photos from forest of jingling on taobao)

The brand Forest of Jingling sells very cute headbows and headpieces, as well as cute confectionery-themed jewellery and wristcuffs. I think a parfait is a pretty versatile theme for a super-sweet necklace, even if it's not explicitly in the print of the main piece you want to wear, so these look like a good catch-all choice!

I don't own anything from this brand but I have ordered the rabbit ear headbow pictured, so I'll update you about that once I have received it.

That's all the brands I have to share for now! I hope to update this list periodically with any other discoveries.

thanks for reading! 💕

Whether you're completely new to the fashion or a devoted burando lover, I hope this list has inspired you to look into Taobao brands for some of your accessories, or helped you to discover something new!

If you own pieces from any of these Taobao brands, I'd love to know what you thought of them! Alternatively, I'd love to hear about any more brands you think should be included in this list!

This is my first stab at a blog post, so any feedback is also very welcome 💖