Some photos from our recent meetup. I had a lovely time at this super cute café and it was a great last meetup before moving away <3

not to keep only posting abt things i’m doing in japan BUT

i did a little lolita pilgrimage the other day!! i reserved a whole afternoon of my tokyo trip for this and it was so nice ;-; seeing the brands’ storefronts in person really changes how you look at them though bc btssb’s boutique was this gorgeous sunlit room with floral wallpaper and pretty decorations and two very sweet ladies working there who slowly and carefully wrap your purchases in pink tissue paper before sending you off (i can’t stress how slow and careful the tissue paper wrapping was) and then bodyline looked like a theater prop closet where you could turn around from the racks of lolita and practically already have your nose buried in a sexy school uniform with nightcore disney covers playing and an employee squealing greetings in an eardrum-piercing anime voice for minutes on end. whiplash

Out of nowhere lol: atelier pierrot is one of my favorite lolita fashion brands and maybe worth checking out if you like gothic lolita, or some of the old school lolita look in terms of simpler colors/less patterns/more plaids/more frills. Atelier pierrot ships overseas so you can purchase it from their site instead of a reseller, the prices vary and during sales is a good time to check out. They carry a few gothic lolita brands (I like marble, atelier pierrot, and moi meme moite).

And for plus size specifically they have a Physical Drop line that I love. Personally I love every physical drop piece they've got ToT. I have 4 pieces from that line... the free waist is fairly generous (as in I think American XL fits it easily and comfortably, American 2XL would probably fit it as well, and if you like me often find yourself unable to fit lolita brand sizing or needing to buy like the 2XL-4XL on bodyline, the physical drop line is such a relief tbh) then you control the tightness of the waist with a tie bow. I really personally like the way the free waist was designed because like with my health situation sometimes I bloat 10 or more pounds within a day, or my abdomen hurts a lot, and being able to control how loose a dress feels immediately is really nice. If I'm having a bad health day I can still wear my physical drop pieces without pain or discomfort. Whereas a lot of my other lolita dresses are pretty unforgiving and only have about 1-2 inches maximum give room if I'm in pain (and usually the give is more like 0.5 an inch on most of them). For comfort reasons this line is my favorite line period of any fashion I've gotten... it's nice to be both styled cute the way I wanted and comfortable ToT also an FYI on the physical drop pieces, they're all made of thin breathable cotton and I love that about them. The quality feels amazing, and because of the thinness of the material I wasn't too hot wearing them in the summer. They're like my favorite dress clothes/professional clothes for work hands down. The sleeves also have breathing room if you have big arms like me, my problem with a lot of lolita brands is I usually can't even buy long sleeves (I have to get jsks usually) because if the arms aren't loose elastic cuffs with looser very roomy sleeve sections then my arms won't fit through them. So most of my stuff from other brands is jsks with straps.

I own this physical drop dress which probably surprises no one

The whole look of the pieces also hits the kind of lolita look with frills on the sleeves and solid color/plaid patterns that looks more like the kind of lolita dresses that got me into it in the first place. Over the top sweet lolita fashion is super popular right now (and I get why, it's very cool) but like my tastes are not big on accessories and many patterns to work on coordinating together. Also I personally tend to use some of my lolita fashion pieces also for pieces of work outfits, or with vintage clothes i have, when I'm just making fun outfits not particularly lolita styled ones, and the simple colors make it easier for me to coordinate with more of the rest of my closet.

Ahh this marble dress. I'm in love. I dont own this cause I feel with a coat I own I could make a similar look but. Man I remember playing The World Ends With You and wanting to get the lolita brand clothes in the game that reminded me of this kind of look, and that's what I was really into honestly style wise

This dress is also!! Although it's way too much for me

Hello!!!

Today I wanted to post something about me and my wardrobe, I think is clear because of this coord that...I'm wearing a replica!!!! hall of SHAME for me, honestly. That's everything I could afford at a time where I wanted to dress the way I do now but I had other priorities, a.k.a my toy collection, but now that j-fashion is my main priority I've been spending on brand pieces and slowly but surely constructing a new wardrobe with pieces that do not harm what I love which is lolita fashion. Currently, I own a whopping amount of 5 (five) brand pieces!! I know it's little, but this year is the year that I've been focusing the most on building a wardrobe with actual pieces, and not just a "meh, I like it and it's whatever" thing. I'm actually putting effort and investing now.

Thankfully, now I own more brand pieces than replicas, including BTSSB, Emily Temple and Cornet (which was my first lolita piece actually! back in 2018 when I was 15, I've been exploring jfashion since my teenage years but not taking it seriously until now, I guess you could still say im a novice lolita) most of them bought second hand including the replicas, actually the one I'm wearing in this picture I got from Facebook marketplace and what I can say about this specific piece is that quality is clearly not the best, I'd put it almost paring with my bodyline pieces but at a lower level, and the construction....you can't see from this pic but the heart, does not look like a heart at all!!!

What am I going to do with these pieces? Well, they're still clothes at the end of the day and I'm still looking to get the real deal, that would be BTSSB heart apron in sax and BTSSB Millefeuille JSK in sax too (That one is way better constructed than the heart "apron" replica, which is not an apron in any way but a full on JSK) I will wear them in the meantime, but once I get the authentic pieces I will recycle them or just say goodbye, there is no resale value for them and I don't want to continue the cycle of replicas floating around, and I also love sewing. So, I'll probably make new things out of what I already have.

The only positive thing about having these dresses that I can say is that it was like a testing stage for me to see if I actually liked how these pieces looked on me, I loved 2 and ended disliking one which is my babydoll replica, I know now that I don't like how that JSK fits on me and for a black and white piece I will rather go for the lace frill jsk or cul de paris jsk, both currently on my ISO list. For the millefeuille and heart apron, if I felt pretty wearing a shitty replica I know I will feel like a real life princess once I get the nicely constructed real pieces, and once I get them it's time to say goodbye to my old versach-universal studios lolita pieces.

It's hard to build a wardrobe on such a tight budget like mine, and now I'm saving up for a Vivienne Westwood bag, and that is not friendly for my pocket at all, but I know at the end of the day it's going to be totally worth it to invest in genuine clothes, the key for me is going to be: patience.

The coord pictured is all offbrand except for the OTKS which are bodyline.

Thanks for reading!

♡ My 2023 retrospective: egl version ♡ PART 9/9

This post continues from the previous one.

These are some of the things that I received from my Secret Santa:

Precocious Lady Cutsew by Angelic Pretty and a taobao shirt that is actually less pale yellow-y and more mustard yellow-y.

We also went to another meet-up, and this is what I wore to it.

JSK: Gather Frill JSK by Alice and the Pirates Blouse, wristcuffs: Bodyline Bag, socks: Tomoyo's Atelier Everything else: Off-brand

This bag was actually part of the gift of my Secret Santa. It's handmade by Tomoyo's Atelier and really big! It can fit a lot, not just by lolita standards, even for a normal non-lolita bag. She made is especially for me because I said I didn't have any lolita bags and I wasn't interested in buying any because they're always too small and you always end up having to use more. Plus it's all white, so it's really versatile. The Marie bag charm was a Christmas present too, from my aunt, who also gave me a Marie wallet when I needed a new wallet. I love them, it's so nice when people actually try to understand your taste and get you something that you'd appreciate.

That day we actually met up later than usual (in the afternoon) and we went to the local Christmas market and a café.

The place was really cute!

I also bought a lot of Larme magazines on Vinted for 20€! It's not strictly lolita, but you know... I love collecting jfashion magazines and books!

These are some of them.

I also bought a white Maxicimam blouse with detachable sleeves and collar, but I haven't received it yet. I'm really looking forward to it as my Baby blouse is getting older and I don't wanna ruin it too fast (I bought it at Btssb Paris in 2008).

Aaaaand that's it! We reached the end of the year.

I started writing this post on December 31 and I added to it little by little during all the month of January. I didn't expect it to take this long! It made me realize that this year I finally went back to actually wearing lolita more consistently. I'm overall happy with how it went. I wore all of my main pieces except for one JSK and one skirt that don't fit me. I am planning on getting them altered so I will be able to use them, because I don't like having them sitting in my wardrobe collecting dust. My goal for 2024 is to buy less and to be smarter with what I have. In fact, I am happy with my small wardrobe, and I think I have enough stuff already. I only wear lolita 1-2 times a month, so it wouldn't make sense to expand in that sense. But I'm thinking of getting one or two new pairs of bloomers, some cutsews and a couple of extremely casual skirts to make wearing lolita for everyday occasions easier. For the last years, my style goal has been to try and have everything fit together. I want to incorporate lolita items in casual outfits, and I also want to be able to wear my lolita pieces with more casual, normie clothes. But it's not easy. I'm still not there at all. But since I won't be spending my money on lolita, I think I will be able to take more steps on that direction this year. Having a lolita seamstress as a friend will certainly help me a lot this year too, both with lolita and non-lolita clothes.

While I was still writing this post, some things happened inside my community and it split. I thought of quitting. A new community was founded. Conflict is something that occurs frequently with groups (ALL groups), and I think it's totally normal and expected. Even right. In the end, I will continue to hang around with all of the 3 local groups of lolitas that I know. They're all okay with it. So in the end, even with this small downside, I think that having a comm was a good thing for me. It gave me something else to look forward to, ideas for new coords, easier access to lolita clothing, it allowed me to meet new people and visit pretty museum and places. I hope that in 2024 we will continue to have fun and get better with our coords. Sadly I already know that I won't be able to attend any international events, since I have to save money for psychotherapy school. I hope it will be a good year for me and for the people that I care about, and that I will be able to work and find my place in the world.

Thank you if you reached the end of this extremely long post, I hope that it wasn't too boring! I'd love to have lolita friends on Tumblr too, so if you want to, you can comment or send me a DM. THANK YOU!!!!

Is the ask game still going? If it is 2,3, and 6

2. What was your first piece?

So my first ever piece was an awful Gothic Lolita & Punk JSK that I bought in camden when I was 14. I've shared it on here before, and tbh I don't really count it as proper lolita.

The first real lolita piece I bought was this Bodyline dress:

3. What is your most recent piece?

I've bought (& traded) quite a few pieces recently. One of those was Strawberry Princess OP by Angelic Pretty

6. How has the way you wear lolita changed since you’ve been in the fashion?

So as you can see from the photo above, my style has changed quite a bit since I started wearing lolita. When I started, I was 14/15 and relied on saving up pocket money to buy bodyline which was basically all I could afford. Since I was new, it was very easy to get caught up in what's popular, so in the early days I was very influenced by the OTT sweet trend and by Princess Peachie since she wore a lot of bodyline. I realised that the ultra sweet look wasn't for me and slowly veered more classic, trying historically inspired coords for a while. In 2014 I kind of realised that trying to follow the trends when I couldn't really afford to wasn't much fun, and that what I loved most was oldschool. That was what I'd originally fallen in love with as a kid. Plus at the time old school was dirt cheap because it wasn't very popular, which was perfect for me as someone who didn't have much money.

Obviously since then I now wear exclusively old school, I wear sweet gothic and classic but tend to avoid ultra sugary sweet, and my wardrobe is majority 2nd hand brand compared to mostly new bodyline. Also my makeup skills are better lmao.

Funnily enough I still own and use the handbag in the photo above in coords today lol.

These make me want to wear gothic more(TOT) also I haven't posted in a while because in all honesty I kind of forgot I had a TumblrΣ(･口･) I'm gonna talk about things I've collected while I was gone, I don't have many gothic pieces and I want to get more but I don't have a lot of money haha.. so all of these are sweet lolita.

So at the beginning of summer break I bought a soufflé song dress 2nd hand, it was the Strawberry Bunny dress! it's one of my favorite dresses- although I don't have a lot of places to wear it. I didn't go out all that much during breakأ‿أ

2nd was a diamond honey dress and was the Fantasy Snowball jsk in pink. So gorgeous, I was literally staring at it the whole day it was so pretty, I also bought it 2nd hand and it still had the tag! I wish it had the waist bow though.. Still cute! Its my most recent and I haven't worn it yet.

3rd was the Angel's Tea Party dress by bodyline in green, I bought it during a sale! I don't have any green dresses and I fell in love with how it looked in green but I also wouldn't have minded getting it in purple! I wore this one the most hehe〓D

This part is about blouses! I'm on a blouse shortage so right now so I bought a purple blouse with cute little crosses on the collar in purple and I ordered 2 blouses that where black and pink. I'm waiting for them to arrive right now.

Also sorry if this is long(;´Д`) anyways I'm also getting into Jirai kei, I think Jirai kei is soooo adorable! I want to get more pieces, hopefully I will soon but I think I need a break on buying things because now I'm SUPER broke! haha.. anyways If you read all of this tysm!

CUTSEW 015 // Lolita JSK Pattern Review - Whatever Else and Conclusion

Design

ISSUE?: I feel like the overall design is much too plain. The skirt design isn't border-print friendly, since the skirt panel is interrupted by the lace ruffles. Usable border-print fabric for Lolita is also really really really hard to find anyways, and a pretty penny to boot.

Thusly, most people will be gravitating towards solid colors or all-over prints (floral, gingham, brocade, tartan, etc). But I don’t feel like the design is strong enough to support these types. Even if you do decide to sew in the crisscross straps, IDK it still want more.

The pattern is very open-ended, to say the least. I wish the pattern had more tutorials/guidelines to help people be able to do fill that open space, then.

Instructions on how to make pintucks and where you can add them, what types of lace to use (rectangle, border, venice, eyelet, etc.) and where you can apply them on the dress, different types of straps (straps with lace, straps with ruffles on the outer side, adding halter straps, etc.), the list goes on.

If the original pattern was over-cluttered, then the user would have been able to omit the details they didn't want and still have enough to look good. But here, we don't enough and it's the user that has to learn how make their own additions, and if you're a beginner like me, you're not going to know how to do that in the first place.

Tip: Here are some items close to the pattern to mimic. Bodyline Elise Ball JSK Bodyline Lace Overlay JSK AP Candy Pop OP AP Heart Marine OP AP Twinkle Tartan Pouch Skirt (2007)

Insides

The bodice pieces are lined, but the insides are not perfectly smooth, like SRH JSK is. The instructions say to just sew the bodice parts together, side by side, so the edges are exposed. It's kind of sad, but also easy to do, and also doesn't look as bad as I once believed it to have looked.

Tip: If you're a casual sewist, don't buy a serger unless you're 100% sure you'll use it. I'm depressed now.

Lace

When choosing lace for the decorative skirt seam, or for the princess seams, or for, like, any "mirror image" type area, do you get what I'm saying? Make sure you pick a lace that is non-directional.

(non-directional lace, symmetrical design)

(directional lace, not symmetrical) If you have a lace that is directional, and you try using it in an area in the "mirror image" style, you will have lace going in opposite directions (because lace has a good side and a bad side) and it’s ugly AF.  

...

Conclusion idk Like I said I'm a total novice, so I have no experience with what is standard for home sewing but just difficult for me, and what is just plain unreasonable. And this is my first time writing a review for a sewing pattern, and also my first ever full-fledged sewing project that I haven't even made a Final Version of yet, if you didn't catch that earlier. Anyways, I'm too lazy to write a proper conclusion so just go read the TLDR in the first post again bye

♡52 Weeks of Lolita Questionnaire♡

In a recent Lovely Lor video, Lor answered questions from Loliprompts’ questionnaire “52 weeks of lolita”. It seems like a fun list of questions and I thought I would answer them too~ ♡

1. What is your favorite brand, and why? What’s its history? ♡  I guess my favorite brand would have to be Angelic Pretty. I love a lot of other brands, but the majority of dresses in my wish list right now are Angelic Pretty. As for their history? I don’t really know haha, I guess I should research that a bit.

2. How would you describe lolita fashion to a curious person you met in passing? ♡ I always just say I am apart of a fashion club? People don’t generally require more than that but if they did I would probably tell them that it’s an alternative fashion based on Victorian fashion and we have a fashion club and we get dressed up and meet for tea and stuff.

3. What style do you think is the most underrated, and why? ♡ qi and wa lolita. I almost never see them, or see interest in them which is a shame because there are some really beautiful dresses out there that are suited for these styles.

4. What does the phrase “lolita lifestyle” mean to you, and do you, or would you like to, adhere to it? ♡ lolita lifestyle is when you try to bring lolita or lolita-esque aesthetics into every aspect of your life. Maybe wearing lolita every or most days, and having a very “loliable” home/room. I could never be a lifestyler because I have other fashion interests. Also lolita is not appropriate at my workplace.

5. What do you think constitutes lolita etiquette or good manners? ♡ I don’t believe there is any “lolita etiquette” I think you should just be yourself. Good manner are good manners, don’t be rude to your comm members, don’t dance on the tables at a tea party. But that’s just commonsense I don’t think there is a way to behave that is lolita.

6. Does your style change with the seasons, or do you dress the same and try to bear the cold/heat? ♡ I try, but admittedly I am awful at it. I try to keep berets in the cooler months, as well as long sleeves. BUT I’m a sucker for ankle socks and I wear them all year despite the cold and I do freeze my legs off at winter meets. 

7. Do you have a fashion role-model? What do you admire most about them? ♡ I actually have several! I will list them and their instagrams here: sleepyriri  - Her coords are so dreamy looking, very light floaty aesthetic which I love. She also has her own lolita brand! Le_verger_sucre - Her coords are so pink and princess-y. I find myself sharing her photos a lot. Fannyrosie - the classic lolita queen. Need I say more? Tokimeki.bunny - I love the cuteness of her coords. They always have a lot of extra elements and are so well balanced. She’s also really good at coordinating printed tights which I am awful at. Tsumikko - Lavender QUEEN! I love her use of aprons, layering, and color balancing. Very light, floaty vibes.  Milkcircus - Print QUEEN. Her use of prints and patterns absolutely inspires me. Coords are always very multi-dimensional  Cursed.Kaiser - They’re coords are honestly so cool, there’s a kind of drama in them that I really like. Darkxdelirium - She almost made me want honey cake with her impeccable coording skills. 

8. What are the top 10 things you love most about lolita? Can you also compile a list of things you hate? ♡ I don’t think I can come up with 10 but I’ll do my best. ♡ Loves: The community aspect, the ability to reclaim my femininity through lolita, the creativity that goes into building coords, crafting to make one of a kind pieces, being able to feel beautiful without being “sexy”, having a hobby to focus on when I need something to escape to.

♡ Hates: Second-hand market price fluctuation, brands still releasing dresses with a max 96cm bust, buying petticoats, storing my stuff (especially purses), brands who charge astronomical prices for low quality materials (AP purses, Q-pot jewelry, etc).

9. How strict are you in applying the rules to yourself? To others? ♡  I am pretty strict on myself. For a long time I was terrified to be seen as ita. I was even afraid to wear bodyline for fear of being ”ita” even though my coord was good. These days I am less strict on myself and worry much less about these things, but I still struggle to get out of the strict mindset from time to time. others? I love experimentation even if I am afraid to do so so I am really not too strict on others, if it works, it works, and I am not going to criticize anyone. 

10. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever incorporated into a coord, or the weirdest material you’ve ever worn? ♡ The weirdest thing I think I have ever worn in a coord were a pair of korilakkuma bell earrings. As you can imagine, bells on your ears? not great.

11. What’s the story behind your discovery of lolita fashion? ♡ When I was a senior in high school, a new girl started attending my school. She wore fairy kei and sweet lolita to school. We became friends through art class and eventually she ended up teaching me about the fashion. She sold me my first dress, and later my first brand piece. I am really glad to have met her and to have been exposed to lolita. You can follow her on instagram here

12. What is the one item that you’ve owned the longest? ♡ I still own my very first dress I got in 2012. Bodyline Squirrel Party. However, I am planning to sell it since I’ve worn it in everyway I can think of.

13. Do you think lolita is only about clothes, or does it also encompass a certain attitude or mindset? ♡ Lolita is about the fashion. All kinds of people are lolitas and they like it or wear it for different reasons. 

14. Have you ever decorated a room or other space (car?) with lolita aesthetics in mind? ♡ My old bedroom used to be very “kawaii”. I love pink so my car stuff, my desk, as much as I can get away with, is pink. 

15. Is it possible to be too obsessed with lolita? ♡ If lolita is interfering with your ability to pay your bills, or to be happy, or to focus on school or work or family then you should probably pull back. Some people do get very absorbed by things and in those cases it can become too much.

16. What are you favorite and least favorite trends? Do you think it’s important to follow them, or to do as you like regardless of them? ♡ My favorite trend ever is the chiffon half blouse. So comfortable, affordable, light, cute, and much more size inclusive. Least favorite trend? mis-matched shoes from the 2010 era. I like my shoes to get equal wear. I think these days more than ever, you can really just do whatever you want. Wear the fashion is right now is like anything goes which I think is great,

17. How do you define “lolita cosplay” and how do you feel about it? ♡ Lolita cosplay is stupid. sorry

18. Are there other fashions that you wear regularly, or are you an everyday lolita? ♡ I don't wear other street fashions anymore. I used to wear fairy kei and himekaji but these days I just dress regular outside of lolita.

19. Do you look for bargains to save as much money as possible, or are you willing to make sacrifices for high-quality products? ♡ I try to find the best prices when applicable but if I am in love with something I’ll do what I have to do.

20. When was the last time you wore lolita, and what did you do that day? If you wear it daily, when was the last time you went OTT or extra-fancy? ♡ The last time I wore lolita was in April lmao. For a virtual meet-up with my comm.

21. If you were to combine lolita fashion with an unrelated style or theme, what would your new creation be? ♡uhhhh I honestly have no idea at all. 

22. What is your favorite accessory, and why is it your favorite? ♡ I have 2, 2-way bow clips from back when bodyline had a massive “sundries” section. They're no longer available and haven't been for a long time. I am really glad I got them, I wish I had bought more sundries when that section was still there.

23. What’s your favorite online lolita community or forum? Are there any that you avoid?  ♡ I don’t have a favorite tbh. I have never been on 4chan and I never will be.

24. What is your favorite theme (e.g. school loli, pirate loli, nurse loli) or motif (e.g. deer, music notes, stars/constellations)? ♡ black and gold stars! Valentines day! fruits! gingham!

25. Is there any music that you associate with lolita? ♡ orange caramel lol

26. Will you ever be too old for lolita? ♡  never

27. Do you enjoy sewing? Why or why not? ♡ I don’t know how to sew :(

28. How does your location affect your involvement in the local lolita community? Would you like to move elsewhere to be closer, or perhaps farther away? ♡ I drive about 1.5 hours for meetups because that’s the closest active comm. I do not mind so much. I’d like to maybe be closer.

29. Does your sleepwear resemble lolita at all? ♡  not at all. I sleep in oversized t-shirts

30. Can you admit to any unpopular opinions regarding lolita? ♡ I hate peeking bloomers. I’m sorry :(

31. How do you feel about Visual kei or Jrock, and do you feel it’s related to lolita, or not? ♡ Love it, and absolutely. Visual Kei is like lolitas relative. 

32. Whether or not you wear them (looking at you, Ouji), do you prefer the look of skirts, JSKs, and OPs with or without prints? ♡ I like both, but these days I am appreciating non-printed items more.

33. How has your style evolved over time? ♡ It hasn't really, just gotten more refined. 

34. If applicable, what other communities do you belong to? What other identities do you adopt? ♡ I’m queer, so the LGBTQ community is important to me.

35. What are your favorite shoes to wear with your style, or what’s your dream pair? ♡ I love heels. I do not like flat shoes because I like to elongate my legs. I don’t have a dream pair.

36. Would you, or have you ever, dressed your pets in lolita? ♡ lol I’d try but I don't think it would work.

37. How do you feel about people who wear lolita for Halloween? Does it depend on whether that person is already a lolita? ♡ Wearing lolita for Halloween as a lolita is fine, but wearing it as a costume is kind of meh.

38. Excluding fashion shows, what’s the most amount of outfits you’ve ever worn in a day? ♡ just 1 haha

39. What’s your worst lolita horror story? ♡  I don’t really have any. I one time went with some of my college friends to a con and I left my dorm building in full sweet early in the morning. I was afraid my dormmates would see me cause I did not want to explain but luckily no one was awake and I made it to the van unscathed. 

40. Do you like sweets? If so, what’s your favorite dessert? ♡ I love angel food cake 

41. Do you have any beauty products, health routines, or special diet to keep you at your best? ♡ I take co-q-10 for my eczema, I like laneige lip sleeping mask, especially in the winter.

42. What were the best and worst meetups you’ve hosted? If you haven’t hosted, would you like to someday? ♡ I wanted to host a garden meet this summer but covid ruined that. Maybe next year.

43. Who is your favorite artist? If not famous for lolita art, do you think they have lolita appeal? ♡ I love a lot of artists, some of them I think are lolita-adjacent because their style is kawaii. I’ll list some here: jisaaaa!  ubokhee MISOART_ meowwniz gojio_ hanavbara Fancy Surprise Arcade Healer Yurie Sekiya and many many more. Go stalk my following on instagram for lots of kawaii artists.

44. How do you feel about wigs? Do you wear any, or style your natural hair? ♡ I used to wear wigs, but my hair is too long now so I use my natural hair with fake bangs.

45. What’s your favorite animal motif? ♡ bears?

46. Have you ever visited a brand’s shop/boutique? If so, what was your reaction? If not, what shop would you most like to visit? ♡ I want to visit AP San Francisco 

47. Do you think posting photos of your coord online is a crucial part of belonging to the community? ♡ YES, it’s how we all stay connected and inspired 

48. How has the lolita community changed since you became a part of it? Where do you see lolita heading in the future in terms of community and networking? ♡ I think it’s become way more accepting and accessible. When I got into lolita there were virtually no legit resellers, the community was entirely on livejournal, buying second hand was a nightmare. Buying anything! was a nightmare. There was so much stress around looking “ita”, and the superiority of brand. These days its just not like that. So much amazing taobao brands have really helped even the field for lolita. We have so much more access to the clothes, the community, everything. It’s great. I only see it getting better as years go on.

49. What advice would you give someone who is nervous about starting lolita? Or do you think they should learn their own lessons? ♡ I think too many lolitas today rely on seasoned lolitas to tell them everything. I would say, go watch lovely lor, read @lolita-tips and look at other peoples coordinates. Lolita Tips tumblr taught me basically everything I know back in the day and it a wealth of info and concrit. Part of what makes the lolita journey so great is the research, the learning, the mistakes. You don’t wanna be like someone else, you wanna be you. So you really need to do the work yourself so you can put your personal flair into the fashion. That’s when it’s at its best. 

50. What’s your dream dress/garment? Is it a faraway goal or have you obtained it? ♡ My dream dress was AP sweetie violet jsk in lavender. Which I got in 2019. My new dream dress is AP rose tea garden jsk in navy. It’ll probably be a while before I can afford to buy one.

51. How do you feel about the stereotype that lolitas are full of drama? What’s the worst drama you’ve ever witnessed or been involved in? ♡ I think any and all groups of people are bound to have drama. I don’t believe that’s specific to lolita at all. I personally have not been involved in any lolita drama.

52. Are you loyal to any particular makeup brands? ♡ I am very particular about my makeup because I do not like to use certain ingredients. I really like Pacifica. But I also like some Korean brands like The Saem, MISSHA, and TonyMoly.

This was super long but I had fun answering all the questions. Have you done this questionnaire? I’d love to see your answers~

A Brief Look at Lolita Fashion

There is a difference between Lolita and lolita—one referring to the Nabokov novel from 1955, and one referring to the Japanese alternative fashion. Unfortunately, those not familiar with anime, Japanese culture, or alternative fashion, are confused when people use the term “lolita” to describe the fashion because of the association with the Nabakov novel. To be clear, lolita fashion has nothing to do with the book, and with this article, I want to explore the history of lolita, the assumptions of sexuality about lolita, and feminism in this “cutesy” fashion.

Lolita fashion started gaining prominence in the Harajuku district of Japan in the 1980s. Referred to as Elegant Gothic Lolita, or EGL, the style drew on inspiration from historical clothing from the Victorian and French Rococo, the lavish dresses and oh, the frills! Despite the idea of lolita being all pink, there are actually several substyles within lolita—including classic, sweet, and gothic. Each substyle has their own general color schemes and accessories, but they all follow the same respective silhouettes and guidelines.

(Diagram from PenguinLolita)

An outfit is called a coordinate, and there are multiple pieces that make up a single coordinate. PenguinLolita uses a great diagram to showcase the anatomy of a coord (shorthand for coordinate). A coordinate includes either a one piece dress (OP), a jumperskirt (JSK) with a blouse, or a skirt with a blouse, a petticoat beneath the dress to help achieve an A-line shape, bloomers beneath the petti, usually worn to preserve modesty in case any curious outsiders try to pull the skirts up, socks or tights, shoes (typically a tea party shoe or Mary Jane style), and a head piece. The idea of the head piece is to balance out the volume and shape of the coordinate. Coordinate-inspired accessories are also encouraged, and Over the Top (OTT) coordinates are all the rage. Accessories can include, but are not limited to, rings, bracelets, wrist cuffs, necklaces, and bows. Parasols and purses are often seen to round out the look!

So where does the EGL community and the Nabokov book overlap? Well, they don’t. However, because the fashion shares a name with the Nabokov novel, it is easy for outsiders of the community to perceive EGL as something sexual. Coined as a “lolita complex,” or “lolicon,” this is the idea of older men, typically middle age, being attracted to younger girls, in line with the Nabokov novel. The EGL community is a place for women of all ages to honor this fashion and its roots as a fashion inspired by French Rococo styles. As PenguinLolita puts it, “The lolita subculture emphasises modesty and youthfulness, as well as drawing from the Japanese kawaii aesthetic, and isn't considered overtly sexual by its followers.” 

It is, unfortunately, a common occurrence for lolitas to come across those who have assumptions and perceptions of what lolita is. Because of its youthfulness and cute fashion, members of the EGL community are often assumed to be dressing up to play out some sort of sexual fantasy. This really could not be further from the truth. Some lolitas have been attracted to the fashion because of its lack of sexualization and emphasis on expressing oneself. Lolita fashion inherently subverts the  social expectation of how women should dress. I’m not saying it’s not impossible for people to be attracted to the fashion and try to use pieces that are “lolita” inspired to fulfil some sexual desire, but that would not be lolita—plain and simple.

Coordinates can be incredibly expensive, especially when considering that pieces are not mass produced, thus emphasizing paying for the unique print, manufacturing of the garment, waiting for the garment to be made, and shipping. Buying pieces from brands such as Angelic Pretty and Baby, The Stars Shine Bright can reach up to $1,000+ USD. Considering everything that goes into a basic coordinate, this can be an easy deterrent for those who are not devoted to the fashion, or for those looking at it in a way that is purely sexual, so it is relatively easy to spot someone who is claiming to be part of the EGL community for all the wrong reasons. Additionally, the EGL community tends to use the terms lolita (lowercase ‘L’), EGL, and “lolita fashion” when discussing the fashion, and they avoid using the words Lolita (uppercase ‘L’), and loli.

What is the appeal to lolita fashion, and is it for everyone? As discussed before, the fashion is inherently nonsexual, and is something people of all ages can enjoy and wear. It is not just for women, though. The idea of lolita is to embrace non-traditional femininity, something that is incredibly important when masculinity is favored so prominently throughout the world. It defies this idea that women need to dress to attract work, love, and have kids. Lolita embraces cuteness and fun, and you can embrace everything that makes you YOU, all while engaging with the EGL fashion, whether you are Black, White, or part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Lolita is about honoring femininity and oneself, and there is a substyle for everyone. Recently, ouji has been becoming more popular to accompany  lolita fashion. The term “ouji” refers to a “prince-like” style. If lolita is a “princess-like” style, then ouji is its counterpart. Frills galore, but add pants; and this is the perfect fashion for individuals who love and appreciate the fashion, but do not feel comfortable in dresses or skirts (for a variety of reasons).

More than ever, lolita fashion is accessible to those not living in Japan, or individuals who do not fit in the “one size” (one size fits small) many name brand lolita companies use. Bodyline offers lolita pieces at a low price, and it is easy to buy directly from their Japanese site if you live out of the country. Additionally, Taobao lolita brands are becoming increasingly popular, and consumers outside of China and Japan can use shopping services for both Taobao brands and Japanese lolita brands. There are U.S. stores and websites for Angelic Pretty and Baby, The Stars Shine Bright, so North American lolitas can buy directly from there in English. Lolita has become so much more than an alternative fashion seen on the streets of Harajuku, Kei-Con, a convention for kawaii alternative fashion enthusiasts, popping up in Toronto, Canada, and Paradiso, a J-fashion convention based in the Midwest. With tea parties held at the Angelic Pretty stores around the world, the alternative fashion is becoming increasingly visible outside of Japan and accepted through various local EGL communities.

What about plus size lolitas? Many Taobao brands offer custom sizing on select pieces to help lolitas that don’t fit in the small sizing “standard.” Dollbe on Etsy offers JSKs and OPs up to 5XL, and their sizing is so inclusive. Dollbe is also  a Black-owned lolita company! Another size inclusive shop is Lady Sloth, a lolita brand from Poland. They offer custom sizing, as well, and their pieces range from sweet lolita to gothic lolita with classic disbursed between.

The EGL community is wonderfully inclusive and accepting. It embraces differences in those who participate in the fashion. The EGL community is, at its core, alternative fashion, which is accepting of all individuals who want to embrace femininity. Aside from the beautiful coordinates, lolita is about being yourself, truly. It can be an amazing and breathtaking experience to put on your first full coordinate. If you’re interested in lolita fashion, don’t be afraid to reach out to your local lolita community. Additionally, there are many lovely lolitas on Youtube that can aid you in your quest to build the lolita wardrobe of your dreams.

For links to my sources and additionally readings can be found here: Google Doc

A special thank you to the lovely lolitas from my own community in Michigan for helping me with this piece! 

So I’ve been adding some cute scalloped lace to a dress that’s too short for a bit, taking forever because my machine doesn’t like the edges so going at it by hand. I just got this Bodyline-esque* Dress I the mail. While it fits alright and I like the print, but the lace is a joke. The scalloped lace would be perfect for it. Is a social faux pas to use the same special lace on two different dresses? I’m still wardrobe building and feel really nervous. *Bodyline quality but unsure of print name.

Honestly, unless you have a way to wear both dresses at the same time, I don’t see how anyone would even know you did that.

There’s people out there who buy the OP, JSK, skirt, and special set of the same exact print, and that’s not considered unusual or incorrect.

Generally speaking, no one keeps track of what’s in your closet that’s not in your coordinate, so there’s no real social issues with using the same fabric or trims, if they’re used well and distinctly. If you make 100% of your dresses with the exact same pattern or print or something, someone might notice and comment that it’d be nice to see more variety in your wardrobe, but no one’s going to care about the same line of lace at the bottom of two dresses, if it works well with both dresses.

In fact, you can make an entire collection of garments that are all the same solid color and the same lace, and style them differently. That would be both socially acceptable and a very cool way to show off your designing skills.

Good wardrobe building is mostly how many different looks you can get out of the whole wardrobe, and isn’t too much about how cohesive a style you have across multiple garments. Many people like to keep to a style or concept through the whole wardrobe both because that’s a personal style they like and because of the reuse of pieces, but having a really eclectic wardrobe is also totally fine. People tend to judge you based on your individual coordinates and not as much on your variety or consistency between coordinates.

(Pretty sure I came off way the fuck annoyed right now, but this ask was totally fine and really cool to answer and I’m going to post it publicly so that other people can see it, becuase I think it’s probably a common question. I just have no electricity right now and it turns out that worrying about if my fridge is getting too hot and I have to throw out all 10 pounds of frozen meat products puts me in a great mood, so I can’t churn out my usual level of excitement and tact. Apologies for that).

It’s really fascinating to me just how many of bodyline’s pieces were re-worked from pieces from brands. I feel like as time marches on and people become less and less familiar with older brand pieces, but bodyline keeps selling their same knock offs, there is more loss of context? This one is one I kind of always assumed was based on a MM or VM dress, but when I went looking for such a dress, I didn’t find one. What I did find, was that there were a lot more similarities between this and bodyline piece and this older AP dress, which due to the fabric bodyline used, I never would have made the connection to. The froofy bows on the hem of the bodyline one, however, are still a bit out of place / different, but knowing they were looking at an AP dress as a base, brings them a bit more into context. I still hate bodyline’s fabric choice though! Angelic Pretty Halter Neck JSK (2006) https://lolibrary.org/items/ap-halter-neck-jsk https://lolibrary.org/items/ap-halter-neck-jsk-solid VS Bodyline  L223 AKA Lune Letters Halterneck JSK (2010) https://lolibrary.org/items/bodyline-lune-letters-halterneck-jsk-l223 Putting dates on some of these bodyline pieces also brings us back to one of the challenges of putting bodyline into lolibrary. They don’t clearance out their items. So the same dress that was for sale in 2010 when it was entered into lolibrary is for sale now in 2019. 

also I spent a fair chunk of yesterday and today browsing places to buy blouses, petticoats, and shoes. I think I want a beret for the headwear, which I should definitely check etsy for. I’ve also found reasonably decent petticoats on etsy, and at least vaguely passable for now blouses on amazon (yes yes I know but I really don’t feel like spending the money on a brand blouse unless it’s something that is obviously either both versatile and quality or a specific style that’s hard to find (sailor TnT I’d love to pair a sailor blouse with marine bear but there’s like 2 on lacemarket right now that aren’t ap and they’re both dark)). kinda struggling with domestic retailers for shoes tho. apparently there’s a made-to-order brand called cotton candy feet in brazil that seems pretty popular based on lacemarket listings, but they’re kinda spendy, and also. made to order. which means they take a while.

bodyline is considered relatively reliable for shoes and not at all for blouses, although they run into the same problem of international shipping. and their blouses probably aren’t any worse than amazon gambling.

I’m not really worried about socks for now because tights are not that hard to come by, y’know? I also actually have a ton of knee-high socks from back when they were still comfortable for me to wear and I can definitely check my collection for something suitable.

I asked arin if we can go to the mall this weekend since there are some styles of dress shirt that are fairly reasonably loliable especially in the context of a jsk rather than a skirt so the fit is less vital. plus there are certain styles of shoes that are also very loliable even tho I’m obviously not gonna find any tea parties :v some mary janes or something tho. I’m just running on the assumption that I’m gonna have to order the petticoat tho, that’s not really something you find in new clothing retailers.

I’m gonna look at berets on etsy now. (and I am not gonna pester my friend who coincidentally knows how to felt hats and also sew clothing about whether or not xe is open to any commissions -n- I don’t think I can afford to pay xem fairly rn for the absurd amount of work hand-making a beret takes. I could probably afford fair compensation for a sailor cutsew tho..... and I never did commission that wheelchair cover last year because I lost my job......... having my wheelchair look nicer is indirectly also a part of the outfit..........)

So I’m a bit bored today, so I decided to answer 45 questions for lolitas! I got these from Livejournal, so if anyone knows the original source, feel free to tell me!

1. Please tell us your Hand Name (name that’s used ONLY in internet.) and hometown. PinkyMaggie! I’ve rarely had the experience of someone calling me by Maggie since my real name is in my description ^^” And my hometown is Miami! 2. About how long is your history as a Lolita? Two years and a half! Oh how time has passed! :O 3. What first motivated you to do Lolita fashion? I really liked the overly cute style of it which was something I never saw before! It’s also my first step into fashion! 4. After knowing Lolita fashion, have you had any time-gap or resistance till you actually started to be Lolita? Definitely! I discovered lolita when I was 13, but only started wearing it when I was 15. 5. Please define your Lolita style as much as possible. (eg. gothic Lolita, sweet Lolita, white Lolita…. Etc). I wear sweet lolita, from OTT all the way to casual! I prefer Angelic Pretty and mainly prints from 2010 and earlier. 6. About how many Lolita friends do you have? I have a few lolita acquaintances, but no one who I’d call a friend yet ^^” 7. What is the best thing about doing Lolita? It gives me a way to express myself in ways I could never imagine! While lolita is seen as a fashion with “little variety” because of its rules, there is still a ton of creative ways to wear it!  8. Conversely, what's the worst thing? I think the drama and hate that’s in the community is what brings the fashion down. I’ve seen people who want to start wearing it get turned off due to sites like cgl and Behind the Bows. 9. Which Lolita Brands do you like? Angelic Pretty!!!! That’s an easy answer! ^o^ But I also like Metamorphose and Moi meme Moitie as well. 10. What was the first Lolita item that you’ve owned? While Bodyline’s Bunny Cinderella skirt was the first lolita piece I ordered, the Squirrel Party JSK in pink was my actual first lolita piece I owned in person. 11. What is the “must have!” Lolita item? Petticoats!! A good one at that! It’s really looked over, but it’s vital to lolita! 12. Do you wear drawers? An odd way of saying bloomers, but I don’t. I just wear plain short shorts under my dresses ^^ 13. Do you have any favourite Japanese music? Ohhh gosh is there a lot ^^” Malice Mizer is the band that originally got me into lolita, but I also love Lareine and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu! 14. Where do you particularly visit as Lolita? Now I don’t really go out much both in lolita and in general, so I’d say to meets and conventions. 15. About how many times per week do you dress as Lolita? I rarely do, but I’d say once a week when I’m in the mood. 16. Please tell us about one embarrassing episode from the time when you were just beginning Lolita. Well the first time I wore lolita, I decided to do a bittersweet coord with Squirrel Party for Halloween. It ended up with me wearing a black Walmart blouse underneath with really cheap black accessories. And I didn’t have a petticoat! I went to school wearing it, and the kids there kept asking if I was trying to become Japanese. 17. What's hairstyle and color that you think Lolita would suite the most? I don’t have a preference with color as long as it isn’t neon, but I love pigtails! Specially the ones Maki tends to wear. 18. Have you ever thought of stopping Lolita? The reason? I don’t think I have, but I really hope I don’t! 19. Please tell us your heart's bible as a Lolita. (anything like a book, magazine, CD, idol...) Gothic & Lolita Bible! Mainly those from around 2006-2008. They feel so nostalgic to me despite not being from that time period. 20. Do you own a doll? Tell us your feelings about her intensely! I used to own Blythe and Pullip dolls, but I sold all of them ;-; I hope I can get the AP collabs with Pullip and Blythe dolls again. 21. What kind of make-up do you wear when you wear Lolita clothes? Pink eyeshadow with black eyeliner and false lashes, pink blush, and pink lip gloss. I’ve just started wearing make-up, so it isn’t much ^^” 22. Have you ever secretly changed clothes in a train station bathroom on Lolita day-out? Nope! 23. Are you composed when doing Lolita all by yourself? I’ve gone out in lolita all by myself and I would say so. I just pretend that I’m the only person there. 24. How much do you spend in your Lolita clothes& accessory monthly? I’d say around $200? I like to sell a lot of my stuff as well, so it’s a constant flow of money. 25. What is the most expensive Lolita thing you've bought so far? How much was it? My first release Sugary Carnival JSK and headbow in lavender all together, including shipping and SS fees, came to $250, so pretty much retail price. 26. So far about how much has the expense been for Lolita goods? I’m going to say $2,000...which really sounds like a lot for being in lolita for less than two years and being a student. I certainly know that a big chunk of that money came from my internship last summer. 27. Lolita outfit really costs money. How do you raise money to cover the cost of Lolita? Like I said before, I sell a lot of my stuff in exchange for newer lolita purchases. My old doll collection was worth around $300-$400, and I put all the money towards lolita. I had a summer internship last year where I earn quite a bit of money in a month (around $1,500). Thankfully, I’m doing the internship again this summer, so I’ll have even more money! :D 28. Have you ever bought from an online store? If so, please tell us its good and bad points and some advice for the future. If not, please tell us why not. Yep! All my lolita is from online shops! The good thing is is that you can find pretty great deals for cheap brand. The downside is that I haven’t experienced walking into a lolita shop in person. 29. Even if you sort of want to keep it a secret, please clandestinely tell us about a private manufacturer that is the best. I literally do not understand this question, so....NEXT! 30. Is there a brand and/or an item that you think, "I could never get it! But I unreasonably want it!"? AP’s Carnival in sax! I highly doubt I’d ever be able to get it because it’s so rare and expensive ;-; But then again, I have found some pretty rare lolita pieces for a cheap price. 31. What do you think about people who only do Lolita at music-lives or cosplay? You can really see the date of this question lol. I’ll assume this will be for lolitas that only wear it to conventions, and I don’t have a problem with it. Some people just don’t have the opportunity to wear it out. 32. From what age to what age is it acceptable to do Lolita? Do you think that there's a state in which someone must graduate from Lolita? (you can answer as ‘never graduate’) You can start lolita at any age! I started fairly young, and there are lolitas who are younger than me! There are also lolitas who are pretty old as well. If the person feels like the time is right to quit, it’s ultmately their own choice. 33. Is there a Lolita fashion or behavior that you think "I don't want Lolitas to do this!" about? Never talk behind someone’s back while pretending to be their friend...*cough* most embarrassing behavior *cough* 34. Is there something you think "Lolita has to be this way!" about? Uhh not really. I mean the only thing I can think of is the rules. Every fashion has its own rules, even if they can be bent. You wouldn’t wear jeans and call it lolita, but you get away with not wearing a blouse. 35. While doing Lolita, has something changed from earlier than you did Lolita? I think the amount of Bodyline and offbrand has drastically increased. Now that I know how to find secondhand AP, I’ve been wearing it a lot more lately. 36. Do you go to school/work as Lolita? My school has a uniform policy, but I wear it whenever I can! 37. Do you wear Lolita clothes as casual wear? Sadly, no ;~; 38. Do you have a boyfriend (or husband)? Do you understand each other? Nope! I’m a single potato~ 39. What do the people around you think of your doing Lolita? Do they accept it? Yeah for the most part they accept it. My friends think of it as cosplay, though, no matter what I say ^^” 40. What Lolita has impressed you the most up until now? Ohh boy....Takulu, Maki, Kaya, Lunie-chan, Princess-Peachie, Lovelylor, Shelbycloud, Mintyfrills, and a TON more! 41. Have you ever made your own Lolita clothing or/and accessories? If so, what was the best item that you’ve made? I’ve made my own accessories! The best thing I have made was a cute, pastel bracelet with a mint star charm ^-^ 42. If you have an ideal Lolita outfit or coordination, please tell us. I like have 2-3 color combinations in a coord (like pink, sax, and lavender). I really like cardigans and a poffy petticoat. Really cute, fluffy pigtails with a headbow + hair combs is also nice. Matching accessories, socks, and shoes obviously!   43. Is there a motif that you think “this is a symbol of Lolita”? The classic bell/a-line shaped dress. Petticoats have always been a defining factor to lolita for me. 44. Would you want to dress your children as Lolita? I’m going to be honest and say that I would love to! Only if you choose to, though. 45. What's your image of the ideal Lolita? Someone who truly enjoys their clothing and are happy inside and out!

♡ My 2023 retrospective: egl version ♡ PART 5/9

As I announced on my previous post, here are the other photos from that same day:

Dead things!

Me and the girl with the unicorn headband won best coord! We got to pick our prize and I chose this lovely Sanrio notebook. I loved @puredeathwish's coord too.

Tea parties and a cute couple pic from our meet (unfortunately they broke up shortly after, it's sad, but this pic is so cute).

Later that month I received the JSK I commissioned Tomoyo's Atelier. It's tartan and very comfortable! I love how poofy it looks in casual non-lolita outfits without wearing a petticoat.

She also graciously gifted me her brown tea party shoes because they didn't fit her. I have only worn them 2-3 times since, but I'd love to use them more. Almost all of my lolita shoes are tea parties.

After I received my jsk I got obsessed with the idea of having a tartan necktie so I commissioned her one. I think it came out very pretty although it's not perfect. I love it!!!

I also went to a unofficial Halloween meet-up with my other lolita friends!!! It was very nice as I didn't see some of those friends in a long time (something like 7+ years), while some of them I see more often (@puririna being one of them). We went to one of said friend's house and drank tea, talked about our lives, it was very informal and chill. We didn't do anything Halloween or lolita related really, but it was nice. I hope we can see each other again.

Look how pretty her home is! I was wearing Rosary Princess Corset Skirt by Alice and the Pirates, a Bodyline blouse, and Killstar bag. Everything else is off-brand.

And my friends are really cool too obviously.

November

The colder season started with November, which meant more frequent visits to our tea shops and cafés. I always want to go there, but people seem to only remember about them in winter, so they are also often only open during these months.

One day my friend @puririna visited me and we spent the afternoon browsing my Larme magazines, drinking tea, eating marshmallows, and swapping clothes we don't use. She gave me these really cute clothes from japanese and taobao brands, wow!!! I'm so lucky!!! We really need to do that more often (but I think we'll get together and bake pastries soon btw hehe).

Then it was time for our comm's monthly meet. I had planned to wear something different, but in the end I ended up wearing a sweet gothic coord in black and red that you'll see in the next post. I really liked how I looked, I felt pretty, which is something that almost never happens to me. I wonder if I should lean towards these kinds of coords more and forget about the ones that I like but don't feel just as good in.

Since we get stopped by random people a lot and it takes time to reply to everyone, and a lot of us are shy and don't really want to explain the fashion to strangers, I decided to make these flyers. We used them for the first time on that day and they were really useful! I'm glad I did something good.

This time we went to a modern art museum. Even though it's not necessarily my genre, it was interesting because it featured local artists and it was so cool to see all these 1800 ladies walking around the touristy places that remained basically the sames through the centuries! I especially liked looking at how people were dressed in the different time periods and enjoyed the statues - that are more my thing.

More photos of November in the next post!

[END OF PART 5/9]

My (not so?)Frilly Wardrobe 2017

First of all

I started with Lolita fashion last year which is why my wardrobe is still pretty small compared to all these other wardrobe post people out there, but I’d still like to present this as a work in progress. I also take suggestions on what is lacking regarding main pieces. This post also includes some pieces that are not strictly speaking Lolita, but loliable imho.

I didn’t take photos of accessories and some of my clothes aren’t “complete” because I keep some waist-ties, bows etc. with accessories rather than the piece itself. Also, my camera and the light situation in my room suck :’(

Enough said, let’s start:

Dresses

Metamorphose Crown Label Heart Print High Waist JSK I just received this yesterday. Kinda unsure on how to wear it best because of the babydoll cut - any suggestions are highly appreciated!

Alice and the Pirates - Snow Dot Princess JSK I’m actually currently trying to sell this. It was my very first Lolita piece but I haven’t worn it at all ever since I bought it used since it’s just not my style and doesn’t fit me quite right. It comes with a bow that I keep with my accessories.

Soufflesong Neverland Eternal Sirius JSK The first of my dresses I actually wore and still pretty much my favorite :)

Soufflesong Neverland Steampunk Cat Double Breasted JSK Another one of my favorites. I really like all the details such as the belt, the lace on the sides and the fact that the straps are adjustable. Still working on making this part of a good Steampunk Lolita coord.

Soufflesong Choosing Frill Sleeves Mini OP The first OP I bought. I also own the matching tights. I find it pretty easy to wear, albeit a bit short (I guess I should get an underskirt? >_<)

Metamorphose Romantica Train OP I recently bought this used. I’m keeping the waist-ties and the detachable waist bow (which sort of confuses me btw) with my accessories. The bow that is supposed to be on top of the dress is unfortunately gone, but I like it this way as well!

Miss Point - Travel in Time JSK A really nice piece that I recently bought. I wouldn’t count it as Lolita strictly speaking, but it’s definitely loliable (and some online shops do sell it as Lolita).

Skirts

Soufflesong Arabian Nights Skirt The first Lolita style skirt I ever bought. I tend to wear this as an everyday item because I like it so much <3

Metamorphose Fantasy Parade Mini Skirt I got this skirt from a lucky pack and really like it. The waist is super stretchy!

Bodyline l368 Was 666 Yen, so I had to get it. It’s pretty cute :)

Bodyline l276 A yummy print (๑╹ڡ╹๑)

Miss Point Vintage High Waist Fishbone Skirt Just received this yesterday. The bones/corset(?) are pretty interesting - I’ve never had such a skirt before. Still trying to figure out how to combine this. I’d count it as loliable.

Miss Point Baker Street Velvet Skirt This feels so nice and warm! Just received it yesterday. Not sure about how loliable this is though...

Miss Point Antique Glassware Skirt I really like this print! Just received it yesterday (I had placed a larger order with Miss Point)

Blouses & Tops

Offbrand(?) White Blouse The first Lolita style blouse I had. I bought it from Soufflesong, but it’s actually not one of their original designs. I think the same blouse can be found on Aliexpress from several sellers.

Offbrand Blouse I bought this from Pro-G Deal on Aliexpress. It’s a winter blouse and is really warm!

Offbrand Blouse This is the same blouse a above, just in a different color.

Soufflesong Girl’s Dream of Hana Bowknot Heart-shaped Bottom Trumpet Sleeve Blouse The buttons are heart shaped (╹◡╹)

Soufflesong Neverland Steampunk Cat Blouse I bought this together with the Steampunk Cat JSK. It’s veeeeery stretchy pretty much everywhere.

Bodyline Cutsew l557 It was only 199 Yen. I couldn’t resist! The little bow on the bunny’s dress is an actual little bow!

Bodyline Cardigan l559 This was also extremely cheap. I guess it will do its deed when summer comes :)

Others

Miss Point Baker Street Velvet West The matching vest for the velvet skirt. Really warm!

Body Line Jacket l473 This keeps surprisingly warm.

Bodyline Ouji Set l584 The pants are so comfortable, I could wear them every day.

Undergarments

Soufflesong Short Petticoat The first petticoat I bought. You can probably already tell from the picture that it’s not very voluminous but it’s ok for casual wear or if you need an extra layer.

Classical Puppets Bell Shaped Petticoat I hear people saying that Classical Puppets’ quality has declined and I sure hope this petticoat won’t fail me too soon. Right now, it’s just the right amount of poofy to me.

Classical Puppets A Line Petticoat For some reason, when I started buying Lolita, I thought I would get many many A Line dresses and almost no cupcake shaped ones. So far, I don’t even own one single dress that I would wear with this petty. Hm. ;|

Metamorphose Bloomers These were a part of the lucky pack I got from Metamorphose and their really comfortable :3

...and, we’ve reached the end of my post. I feel like my wardrobe is at a good starting point, but there’s tons of things that can still be improved. I’ll be really happy to hear your suggestions! (＾ν＾)