Steampunk-Lolita

August 16, 2013August 16, 2013 / lolitaland / Leave a comment

Lolita Fashion Coordinate Mixed with a Different Alternative Fashion Style…

Steampunk Lolita by lolitaland on Polyvore

This week’s Lolita Blog Carnival prompt is: Lolita Fashion Coordinate Mixed with a Different Alternative Fashion Style. Above is an example coordinate set on Polyvore that I made! (It is my first time using Polyvore, so I apologize for the plain set-up… I am still figuring out how to use the website.) Can you guess the mix that I made? (Unfortunately, I was unable to add more items to the set. I would have added a hat and some accessories that would have completed the coordinate…)

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I chose Steampunk-Lolita as my alternative fashion fusion! Both of these fashion styles are really appealing to me. I attempted some steampunk coordinates in middle school and high school, but they were really difficult to figure out, and to be honest, I don’t think any of them were any good.

The Steampunk fashion style, in my opinion, has a very neo-Victorian feel. There are also some key motifs I see in the fashion style, such as cogs and gears, steam-powered machines (does anyone want to drive a dirigible with me?), and goggles.

For this Steampunk-Lolita coordinate, I would definitely add a clockwork pin to the blouse or to the dress, a gold-and-brass-themed floral hair corsage, and some steampunk-y jewelry (necklace, bracelet, a few rings, and earrings!). A snazzy brown leather belt would also be a great addition to this coordinate! Instead of a floral hair corsage, you could wear a top hat or a bowler hat.

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

Reactions to Me Wearing Lolita

July 12, 2013October 27, 2014 / lolitaland / 2 Comments

“Whoa, what’s going on here? Why are you dressed like that?”

“Little Bo Peep, where are your sheep?”

“You look so cute!”

“Are you a Drag Queen?”

“Mary had a little lamb!”

“Nice cosplay!”

“Why is your skirt so poofy?”

These are just some of the comments and questions I have received while wearing Lolita in public. In my personal experience, people have approached me and asked questions more out of curiosity than in a mean-spirited manner.

There have been a few negative experiences, but I do not want to dwell on them for too long. Here are a few negative experiences I have had while wearing Lolita:

-Stranger Sneakily Takes Photos…-

One day I was helping a friend with her photography assignment. I dressed up in Sweet Lolita (Red Gingham, attempt at a Country Lolita coord), and she took some photos of my on the streets in town.

I did not notice anything suspicious, but my friend noticed something. She came up to me and told me that someone was taking pictures of us without our permission. She called out to the man and asked him, “Don’t you want to ask for our permission first?” He ignored us and just walked away, and I told my friend not to go after him. It was just a small incident after all, and at least he stopped. I do not mind when people want to take photos, but I believe it is proper etiquette to ask for permission first.

-Rude pointing- “HAHAHAHAHA”

Okay, I do not appreciate it when people point at me and start laughing really hard. I know that Lolita fashion is something you may not see everyday, and it is definitely different from “popular fashion,” but it is extremely rude to point at someone and start laughing in an obviously mean-spirited manner. In this situation, I ignored the people laughing and pointing at me and kept walking, keeping my head held high but not making eye contact. I did not know the people who were laughing and pointing at me, so I figured I would probably not see them again. I felt awkward because I don’t like being laughed at (especially since I was bullied a lot in middle school and high school). This was an unpleasant experience, but unfortunately, it is pretty common. Some of my friends said that similar instances of rude laughter were directed at them as well.

Advice: How to deal with negative reactions:

1. Remind yourself why you wear Lolita fashion. You love it, right? Why? Remember why you want to wear it and remind yourself that this is your personal fashion choice. Even if people don’t like what you wear, it is not your problem. Just remember why you like it.

2. Ignore the negative reactions. From my experiences with being bullied and teased in public school, I learned that it is best to ignore negative reactions instead of giving the bullies the benefit of a counter-reaction. Bullies (and rude people) usually want attention. It is best to ignore them.

3. Be confident. Even if you do not feel confident, pretend to be confident. I pretended to be confident when I did not feel confident at all, and this helped me by calming me down and making me feel better.

4. If you are really upset about something that happened, talk about it to friends and/or family! Talking to others and sharing your experiences can help a lot.

5. Remember not to take any insults to heart. Do not let the insults and mean words get to you! If your friends, and not strangers, are insulting you, you should talk to them about how you feel and explain why you wear Lolita fashion. Friends should not be saying mean things to their friends.

There have been lots of stares and some people have thrown insults at me, but there have been positive experiences with wearing Lolita in public as well. Let’s focus on some positive experiences now!

“I haven’t seen someone wear a petticoat since I was a little girl! That’s such a pretty skirt!”

When I was waiting for my ride to my first Lolita meet-up, an elderly woman approached me with a big smile and said this. I smiled back and told her, “Really? Thank you so much!” She then asked me if I was going to a party, and I told her that it was something like that. I explained what Lolita fashion was, and told her that I was heading to a meet-up for people who harbor an interest in this alternative fashion style.

She wished me a good day, and I wished her a good day as well, and then she continued on her walk. This was a positive experience for me because it gave me more confidence while I stood on the sidewalk waiting for my ride. When I was walking from my dorm room to the town center, I had received lots of stares, and I felt embarrassed and awkward. I was also feeling nervous about the meet-up because I was not sure what the community would be like and how I would fit in since it was my first time attending a Lolita meet-up. Now that I have worn Lolita more often in public, I believe that confidence is something you can build over time. I still feel nervous sometimes (mostly about my coordinates), but I no longer feel embarrassed to wear Lolita outside, and I am able to ignore the stares and feel good about myself. I still do not feel comfortable wearing OTT Lolita all by myself, but I can confidently wear OTT in public if I have a friend dressed up in Lolita fashion along with me! Maybe someday I will develop the confidence to wear OTT Lolita style whenever I want, even if I am all alone.

“… Hi! I really like your dress…”

An adorable little girl said this to me one day in a shy voice. She looked like she was only five or six years old, and my heart practically melted on the spot. I smiled brightly to her and said, “Thank you! I like your dress too.” She was wearing a cute pink and yellow floral sundress that was in a similar cut to many JSKs that I’ve seen. (Has anyone else noticed that many dresses for little girls look like adorable JSKs and OPs?) Her mother asked if her daughter could stand next to me for a photo, and I agreed. The little girl looked so happy when she stood next to me; she kept staring at the print on my skirt. I felt happy too; I was really glad that I got to make someone smile! This experience also reminded me of another time… A time when I was cosplaying, and a young girl stared at me and asked if I was a princess. I told her that I was not, but that I was flattered that she thought I looked like one. She looked really surprised and happy to see me there in the mall bathroom. It was not a convention or a cosplay event, but a friend and I wanted to meet up to cosplay at the mall for fun. I wonder if anyone will call me a princess when I am wearing Lolita… That would be an amazing thing.

“Excuse me Miss, you are a walking work of art!”

I was walking downtown dressed in Sweet Lolita to meet a friend, and a man stopped me on the sidewalk to say this to me. I was surprised to hear this since whenever I wear sweet, I tend to get “Little Bo Peep” or “Mary had a little lamb” comments. Sometimes the “Alice in Wonderland” comments come up as well. But I had never heard this comment before! I thanked the stranger and he continued to tell me that he loved the details on the dress. He asked where I got the dress and if it was some sort of new style, and I explained Lolita fashion to him and told him that I had purchased the dress online, secondhand. He said he was amazed that Lolita fashion existed and he thought that there should be Lolita dresses sold in local stores. I replied, “Oh my gosh… I would love it if stores in town carried Lolita dresses!” This would be a dream-come-true for many Lolitas… Imagine that: walking downtown and seeing Lolita dresses displayed in the windows!

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

Pretty Little Habits, Annie Old-Fashioned, Under the Parasol

Tips for Surviving the Summer in Lolita

June 16, 2013October 27, 2014 / lolitaland / 2 Comments

How do you make it through the summer in all these frills?

I will try my best to give some tips! I do not wear Lolita everyday, but I hope to eventually become a lifestyle Lolita. In the summer, the weather gets hot, so I have already pondered how to wear Lolita and still be comfortable in the heat of summer.

In my opinion, it is okay to go casual. When it is really hot out, I would rather dress more casually than overheat. For example, I have paired a printed skirt with a solid-colored cotton shirt to battle the heat.

It’s just a plain red t-shirt, but I think the outfit still fits with the Lolita aesthetic. I skipped a wig and decided to keep my natural hair for the coord, since wigs can trap heat and make me feel less comfortable outside. Instead of wearing a large hair accessory such as a bonnet or a jumbo headbow, I wore a small barrettes in my hair. I think less hair accessories can help keep your hair cool in the summer heat (or at least I feel more comfortable with small barrettes when it’s hot out). You could also wear a nice sun hat with a wide brim as part of your coordinate to help shade your face from the sun.

In a more recent casual coordinate, I paired a red t-shirt with a high-waisted strawberry skirt. In my sort-of-curly hair (my friend curled my hair, but it didn’t last too long; my hair does not take well to curling), I am wearing a small barrette and a jumbo hair clip.

My method for wearing Lolita in the heat: go casual! I try my best to stick to the Lolita aesthetic while attempting casual coordinates.. (Although I skipped the petticoat in that high-waisted skirt coord. I only wore a petticoat for the photo. xD)

Here are some items I think would be great for a Lolita in the summer:

1. A one-piece dress

The great thing about this item is that you can skip the blouse and still fit in with the proper Lolita aesthetic. Go with a breathable fabric such as cotton for the dress and choose a short-sleeved piece over a long-sleeved one. Avoid a high neckline style if possible (since necks can be sweaty places!). If it is really hot and you want to wear a JSK without a blouse, go for it! Even though JSKs are meant to be worn with blouses, whether or not you wear a blouse is your personal choice. Do what makes you feel comfortable!

I wore this Bodyline OP and Headbow set that I got off the EGL Comm Sales on International Lolita Day. I paired this set with a necklace, two rings, a barette, a pair of cute crew socks, and mary-janes. I wore a light petticoat to minimize the layers.

2. Ankle socks

In cool weather, I always wear over-the-knee socks or knee socks over tights or leggings to keep my legs warm. When it’s warm, I am usually okay with wearing knee socks (since I’m usually cold), but I know that sometimes, it gets hot! For some people, wearing knee socks or thick socks can be unbearable in the heat. I have seen a lot of cute ankle socks lately, so I think this would be a great summer alternative to knee socks and OTK socks. (If you find cute crew socks, crew socks could also work for the summer!)

Some examples of cute ankle socks!

Here is a better look at the crew socks I wore with my International Lolita Day casual coord. I love the ballet-slipper design!

3. Hair scrunchies

There are a ton of cute hair scrunchies and hair ties out there! Personally, I prefer to tie up my hair in hot weather. When my hair is all over my neck, I feel more uncomfortable in the heat. In the summer, you can tie your hair back in a ponytail or in twin pigtails. You could also do a cute side ponytail, or braid your hair! An updo or bun would be another (very elegant) possibility. You can use hair scrunchies in your real hair, but if you are wearing a wig, you could also style your wig with hair scrunchies!

There are a wide variety of hair scrunchies!~ (I love all of these scrunchies and I hope to use them in future coordinates! I’ve had these lying around since elementary school though. xD I used to wear them all the time as a little girl.)

4. Bolero or Cardigan

A short-sleeved or three-quarter-sleeved bolero or cardigan is a cute way to stay covered up in the summer heat. Look for a thin or open-knit one so you can keep cool while maintaining modesty! You could skip the blouse and wear a bolero or cardigan over a JSK as well. The less layers you wear, the cooler you will be. You can probably find cheap loliable boleros or cardigans easily in local stores too. (Even a plain solid-color one could work in many coords! A basic bolero or cardigan can be worn in and out of Lolita.) If you want a made-for-Lolita bolero or cardigan at a good price, check community sales online, or local swap meets if there are any.

5. A summer hat

There are many cute and functional summer hats out there, and I think many of them are loliable. Go for a wide-brimmed hat for the most protection against the sun, but you can also choose to wear an adorable boater hat or a simple straw hat. If you are wearing a floral dress or skirt, a hat with silk flowers on it would be a cute addition to the coordinate. You might be able to make a cute visor hat work for a Lolita coordinate as well (for example, use a pastel pink visor with a pink sweet lolita summer coordinate).

6. A parasol

I do not have a Lolita parasol or umbrella, but I love seeing this accessory in Lolita coordinates. Parasols provide great shade from the sun while also acting as a stylish accessory. If you want an easy-to-carry parasol, look for a collapsible one or a light one. That way, it will not weigh you down when you aren’t using it. There are so many gorgeous lace parasols and parasols/umbrellas with ruffles along the edges that I’ve seen online. I wish I could find a parasol in a local store though. Unfortunately, I do not have advice on where to find a good parasol. Brand Lolita parasols are really pricey, but also really gorgeous. Maybe someday I will get a Lolita parasol? It’s definitely on my wishlist!

7. Remember your summer essentials!

Sunblock is important: you do not want to get sunburns! Sunburns are not fun. 😦 Bug repellent is also a good idea since you do not want to get tick or mosquito bites. You can easily find combination sunblock and bug repellent lotion! Lip balm with sunblock is also a good thing to stash in your purse. Also, remember to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration! Stay safe in the summer.