Day 3 – 10 things you hate in lolita.

Sorry, it truly has been forever! But here’s a little update, I suppose. :3

1. The haters.

This is the most important part of all! Haha! And I don’t just mean the people that hate on our style because they just don’t understand, but I mean the other lolitas that feel like they have to hate on everyone just because the clothing isn’t brand name or something, or maybe the coordination wasn’t perfect. It’s kind of sad. It reminds me of this weird girl from high school that used to hate on everyone’s clothes if they were off-brand. She would tell me, “I only buy name brand, and I will NOT buy them from a department store, but from the actual store itself.” HAHA. LOSER. I mean really, if that’s all you care about, then please, just go away. LOL.

2. Having a hard time finding the right sizes or my size at all.

I’m a thick little girl, I’ll admit, so Japanese sizes don’t always fit me. I’m usually just 1 or 2 inches too large sometimes, so I end up buying a replica somewhere else, or I just make my own. It’s time-consuming, and I feel like I get the run-around sometimes, but hey, a girl’s gotta look good.

3. Lolita stores are so far far awayyyyy…

The last time I was in Japan was 3 or so years ago now, and at the time, I was just barely getting into Lolita, so that was the last thing on my mind, actually. Now I regret that I didn’t look, and sheesh, at that time I actually fit the clothes, haha! Maybe I would’ve been more motivated to stay small-waisted, LOL! :P But the other stores nearby aren’t that near at all… San Francisco has some good stores, but I’d end up driving some 6 hours or so, or flying 2 hours or something. I still think shipping is cheaper on my end. Eeps.

4. When otakus ask me if I’m a lolita because of anime.

NO. No no no no! Sure, I’ve seen some otakus pull of a great lolita look, but I didn’t start dressing this way because of anime. It doesn’t even seem associated with anime. In fact, I don’t even watch anime! :T Weird.

5. Figuring out what the hell to do with my hair.

Lolita hairstyles can be simple or they can be challenging. And an even bigger problem is that I have trichotillomania, so there’s not much to work with. However, luckily I’ve discovered Gothic Lolita Wigs, the magical miracle to solving my problems! In fact, I’m waiting for my second wig to come in the mail. I’ve never been so excited in my life. While I have other normal wigs that I wear daily and style to some relaxed lolita styles, sometimes I just want to get extreme, and it’s pretty much impossible for me unless I get a really good styled wig.

6. Finding the right petticoat, and the fact that it’s one more piece of underwear you’ve gotta wear.

Haha! I love the poofiness, but that’s another underthing. Eeps. But a lot of times, it’s hard to find a good, extra-poofy, cupcake-y petticoat. Sometimes I layer two, even, or two with some bloomers also.

7. The shoes.

I’m sorry, I’ve never liked the mary janes with bows and a zillion straps. I guess you can call me a shoe minimalist, where I like the shoes as simple as possible. Just some plain mary janes gets the job done for me. Or even plain boots. Or plain anything really. I don’t want my shoes to outshine my outfit, for goodness sakes!

8. Wa-lolita stuff.

I don’t know… This one just repels me, and I don’t mean to offend anyone who enjoys this style, but it’s really not my cup of tea. Maybe it’s because I’m a very Japanese’d mixed girl, and I wear kimonos and yukatas on a seasonal basis, and that I know wa-loli outfits are spins off of them… or maybe it’s because they come off as too otaku for me. [I always see otaku at matsuri wearing very interesting coordinates with wa-loli clothes, but they think it’s very Japanese actually, and it sort of offends me.] Meh.

9. Getting ready.

It takes me an hour longer to get where I’m going. Yikes.

10. When people mistakenly associate EGL with the Lolita movie/book and then ask me if I’m into kinky stuff, which I’m not, and it’s weird trying to explain the differences.

I think that one speaks for itself. :/

Haha, hope you enjoyed! :3

Day 2 – 10 things you love in lolita.

1. The rarity and unusual-ness of the style — this isn’t something you see on a person on a day-to-day basis.

How many people do you see dressing in lolita? Not many. It’s a little high maintenance and hard to keep up with if you’re dressing this way everyday, kind of like rockabilly, but perhaps more over the top.

2. The frills.

When I was younger, I was a tomboy. Not even kidding. I knew I had unusual taste in clothing, but I wasn’t too sure how to put it all together. I knew I liked girly clothing sometimes too, but none of it was 100% me. I was girly, but I was not sure just how girly. When I discovered lolita, I was astonished at how over-the-top girly it was. All that lace and frilly stuff really makes you feel like a princess, and I’ve never felt like anyone’s princess. It’s the frilly-ness that really makes your day.

3. Coordinating an outfit.

I love coordinating things, from the way my room is decorated to simply the types of pens and pencils that go in my pencil case. Lolita outfits are like a work of art, in a sense. The clothing itself has had time spent on its design and construction. Putting the pieces together is another huge consideration. It’s really fun to see how many coordinates you can come up with when limited to just a few articles of clothing, or trying to coordinate a lolita outfit with clothes you just find at random clothing stores that are not even geared towards lolita.

4. The variety of styles you can choose from.

Whether you’re into sweet, kuro, classical or whatever, there are so many options! :D

5. The shoes are comfortable, for the most part.

Mary janes are much easier on the feet than stilettos are, and they’re available in flats or a low, wide heel. Also, boots are way cute and pretty easy on your feet. And rockinghorse/platform shoes are always comfy! Hehe. :D

6. You can get away with wearing childish prints and patterns, no matter what age you are… Usually.

This is especially true with sweet lolita styles. How many old women look cool with a dress covered in unicorns? Probably not too many unless it’s a lolita dress, haha… Not going to lie. Everything is just swimming in cuteness, and there is nothing wrong with it.

7. It’s a great way to express yourself without caving into hipster, goth, punk, emo, or some other mainstream style.

And perhaps it won’t quite catch on as quickly as those styles did, hoping that I’m not speaking too soon. Sure you can combine mainstream style with lolita, but unless it’s gothic, it pretty much doesn’t mix too well, and I don’t mind that at all. It’s different, and it allows you to get creative with your wardrobe! :D

8. The socks.

Dear goodness, I love socks, and I’ve never seen a cuter variety than those available/that can be used in lolita outfits! :3

9. The accessories!

None are more fun. Enough said. :D

10. The ability to transform yourself. It’s really a wonderful feeling.

I love that you can be someone you’re not when you’re really yourself. Sounds contradicting, I know! But still, it’s true! My whole life, while accepted by many and while I’ve had many friends, I always felt like I was missing that something special… I never really felt exceptionally special. I think that being a lolita allows people to feel good about themselves, to feel included or different if that’s what you want to feel, and to let their imaginations take them elsewhere. And the best part is that everyone’s experience will be different, but that’s always a good thing. :D

Day 1 – 10 things about your lolita bubble.

1. Lolita is so addictive, and since I’m always strapped for cash, I end up making parts of my outfits, such as skirts and dresses and accessories.

2. Since I ended up making my accessories, I began to sell them on Etsy and at boutiques. :D

3. I don’t really have any friends in person that wear Lolita clothes. One of my friends will occasionally borrow my clothes, but no one I know actually commits to the fashion. :/

4. I think I really started wearing Lolita in 2008. My first dress isn’t what is stereotypically a brand dress, although it’s a brand of Gothic clothing in England. After that, I’ve never owned any brand items, except for one dress by Bodyline. I have made everything else or bought secondhand items or bought from offbrand shops.

5. I actually own a lot of wigs, but it isn’t because of Lolita — I actually have Trichotillomania! :[ After getting into Lolita, however, the style has really influenced my choices of wigs later on.

6. I am so thankful that 50’s fashion is coming back because when I do alterations or recycling of clothes, I am able to alter a lot of dresses into the Lolita style. Whew! That just saved me hundreds of dollars! :D

7. I love to see all the different interpretations of Lolita fashion, and I’m generally really open-minded to everything and anything, but I’m going to be opinionated here and say that I believe true “itas” are the cosplay Lolitas. Everything about their expensive costume seems so cheap to me, and I feel bad that they had spent money on it. :[ I don’t like the thought of mixing cosplay and Lolita. I feel like that would be equal to mixing Halloween costumes with your daily clothing, which can work sometimes, but most of the time, people can tell.

8. I love it when I do a boutique somewhere not near my hometown at all, and someone immediately recognizes me or my stuff as Lolita. That is probably the best feeling in the world, next to the feeling I get when my dogs see me when I get home. :D

9. Even if I was not a Lolita, I love everything about it… The clothes, the culture, the tea parties, the dessert, the mannerisms. It really does feel good to be a nice and proper person.

10. I have never really been inspired by anime or the OTT kawaii culture. While I do make and sell jewelry and accessories that seem to be inspired by it, my personal sense of fashion is basically Victorian-influenced, with a little bit of Rockabilly and punk and some colors thrown into the mash. In my extreme Lolita outfits, I love classic and sweet lolita, but when I’m casual… anything goes! :]

i hope i can commit - 30 day lolita challenge.

i haven’t done a meme in a while, and this is a 30-day long meme, hopefully i can commit! i probably won’t do this in consecutive days… just consecutive posts. pardon my slowness. T_T

So this is my challenge! Wish me luck! :D