Book-Inspired Coordinates

November 15, 2013November 17, 2013 / lolitaland / 2 Comments

I am so excited about this week’s LBC topic: “Book Inspired Coordinations!” Reading has always been a favorite hobby of mine, and I am still very pro-books! I know many people want to switch to e-Readers or reading things online instead of borrowing real books from the library or going book-shopping, but I still love the feeling of reading a book that is physically right in front of me. I like the feeling of turning each page, I like the smell of books (especially old books from those random yard sales or library book sales), and I love the personality of used books.

For this topic, I decided I want to post two coordinates. One that I wore last week (and was very much inspired by my love of books and reading) and one that I will come up with and post later (perhaps as a new post), that will be inspired by a specific book or book series.

First up: the book-themed coordinate!

I tried to achieve a classy and elegant look with this coordinate, inspired by my love of books, but more specifically, my love of classic literature. If classic literature could be personified into a Lolita, I hope she would wear something like this! It is hard to see in the photo, but I wearing a lovely vintage cameo necklace. It was such a great find at a thrift shop. ❤

I also love how long this JSK is on me; it reminds me of a high bookshelf, full of a variety of books spanning across time periods and genres. I like to imagine that every item on the skirt is a different book (but I know that there are repeats of the same book printed on the fabric… I can still dream though!).

Now when did I wear this book-inspired coord? For my friend Terry’s birthday party! Here are some photos from the event:

As you can see above, it was a windy (and chilly) day, but nothing could stop us from celebrating a friend’s birthday with lots of frills and fun! ^-^

The birthday girl even purikura’d this selca of us~! Isn’t she such a cutie? I hope she had a lovely time on her birthday!

But back to the book theme… I really love this JSK. ❤ The print even has metallic gold details! Just look at the detailing in the print: the spines of the books are so intricate. Wow, this blog post was truly all over the place. Sorry I haven’t been writing many blog posts! At least the Lolita Blog Carnival gives me a reason to remember to blog. It is difficult to find time for blogging when I’m bogged down with academic life. I will try my best to write posts more often!

I will write up some more about a coord inspired by a specific book or book series later!

~Be sure to read other blog posts on this topic for the Lolita Blog Carnival!

Elegant Poupee, Papillon de Nuit, A Little Bit of This… a Little Bit of That Too, Sweet Indeed, New Vogue Children, Lolita Cor-de-Rosa, FYeah Lolita, Päivänvarjon alla, Daily Fuckery, Snow Rose, Spider Sugar, The Bloody Tea Party, Doll Life

How I Got Interested in Lolita Fashion

November 8, 2013 / lolitaland / 2 Comments

How did I get interested in Lolita fashion?

Well, I remember when I first discovered Lolita fashion, five or six years ago. I was browsing through the manga section of a bookstore, Borders (does anyone remember store? It is out of business now…), and then I found a shelf that had larger print books. Most of the books on this shelf were manga artbooks and books about Japanese popular culture. But then… one book in particular caught my eye: the Gothic & Lolita Bible. This was an issue of the English version, published by TokyoPop (does anyone remember this publishing company?).

I sat down on the floor by the bookshelf and began reading this jumbo magazine. I was amazed by all of the pretty photos… There was even a section displaying releases from Baby the Stars Shine Bright and Atelier Boz! In any case, this was my first time learning about these Lolita brands and what Lolita fashion was all about. By the time I read half-way through the Gothic & Lolita Bible, I had a vague sense of the Lolita fashion aesthetic. I was not sure about the different substyles yet, but I already found this fashion really appealing. After a brief debate with myself, I decided to use my Borders gift card on this magazine/book.

After that, I read and re-read the Gothic & Lolita Bible many times. I also researched the fashion online a bit, but not too much. I forgot about Lolita fashion for a while until I stumbled across the HelloLace website and EGL on Livejournal. When I found these websites, I did deeper research in Lolita fashion and then I realized I really wanted to try wearing this fashion style too.

Needless to say, since then, I have been trying to build up my wardrobe. I always thought I would stop once I got a good petticoat, a blouse or two, and a JSK and a few skirts… but of course, Lolita fashion is addicting and I find myself always wanting more item to add to my wardrobe. I want to mix and match items, play with coordinating, try out different Lolita substyles, and have the freedom of choices when dressing in Lolita. I don’t know if I will leave Lolita fashion in the future, but as of now, I don’t see myself giving Lolita up. Wearing Lolita makes me really happy, even if my coordinates don’t look good or if I wear simple/casual coords.

What about you? How did you get interested in Lolita fashion? And here is a question I always love to ask: How often do you wear Lolita? Every day? A few days a week? Once a month? Only for meet-ups or conventions?

~Be sure to read other blog posts on this topic for the Lolita Blog Carnival!

Gothic Strawberry, The Cute Lifestyle, Her Lumpiness, Sidhe Banshee, Northern Star, Oh Velveteena, Sweet Indeed

3 Trends I Could Never Get Into

October 5, 2013 / lolitaland / 3 Comments

This Week’s Prompt: 3 Trends You Could Never Get Into

I am not sure if all of these are considered Lolita trends, but here is a list of three things in Lolita fashion that I don’t think I could ever get into:

1) Rockinghorse Shoes

I know that many Lolitas love Rockinghorse Shoes, and I think they work well in some coordinates, but this is one trend that I would never be able to get into. I do not like how the bottoms of the shoes are shaped… They don’t look quite like platforms, and I don’t know if I would be able to wear them. If I trip while wearing heels or wedges, I would definitely be falling all over the place if I wore these Rockinghorse Shoes. They look like you could just rock forward by accident… and then BAM! You fall flat on your face. Also, I am not sure if the straps on the Rockinghorse Shoes (at least on the ones pictured above) would be able to stay up on my legs. I like the criss-cross strappy look, but I don’t know if it will work for me.

2) Stuffed Animal Bags

Stuffed animals are cute, and lots of Lolita bags and purses are cute, but I honestly do not like combining stuffed animals and bags for Lolita fashion. Many brands release stuffed animals with straps, pockets, etc. to be used as purses and small backpacks. I don’t know… but the idea of storing stuff inside a plush toy creeps me out a bit. Especially if there is a zippered pocket behind the animal’s head or in the back of the animal… It’s as if you were going to rip open the cute little creature’s skin and then stuff a wallet and some extra bobby pins and a camera into the thing’s flesh. Before I go into any more imagery… I’ll simply say that this is one trend that I will never get into. I do think stuffed animals can be cute accessories though! But not as purses.

3) The Christian Cross in Gothic Lolita

I love the Gothic Lolita style, and I would like to get more into this substyle of Lolita fashion in the future, but I honestly do not feel comfortable wearing Lolita items that feature the Christian cross. I know some people feel comfortable with it, but personally, I do not feel comfortable wearing an item with this religious symbol on it. I am not a Christian, so I would feel awkward if I was wearing a clothing item with the Christian cross or the Crucifix on it. I do not want to feel as though I am appropriating a religious symbol for fashion. I know some people who are not Christian love wearing the cross on their clothing or cross pendant necklaces as part of their fashion style, and that is okay if they feel comfortable with it and do not use the religious symbols in an offensive way. But for me, personally, I do not feel comfortable wearing the cross. I do think the cross motif on dresses is very pretty to look at, and I love seeing Gothic Lolita coordinates with or without the Christian cross. I love looking at those gorgeous Moi-Meme-Moitie dresses with crosses but I would never buy the dresses.

And those are the 3 Lolita trends that I could never get into! I hope no one is offended by this; these are all only my opinions. I have friends who love Rockinghorse Shoes, stuffed animal bags, and/or Christian cross motifs on their clothes, and it’s totally okay. Everyone has their own personal preferences for fashion, and that’s one reason why I love fashion so much! Everyone can express themselves through the clothes that they choose to wear.

What do you think? Are there any trends that you could never get into? Or perhaps are there trends that you would like to get into, but are afraid to?