August album feature and theme, go!!

So, those who actually watched through the videos in the last post, you know what this is about. I'm basically making a format for me to be more active in this blog by featuring an album of choice for the month and a theme to make coordinate ideas over, as well as a monthly big post, illustrated as usual, and a vlog post. Any events will be reported on, as well, mainly meet-ups and/or cons I go to, as well as personal outings that could inspire a meet. I'm also going to do a seasonal wishlist of what's going on with brands and possibly a monthly off brand look out, though this month won't have it as I think I really ought to do that at the start of the month and it's already the 11th.

Anyhow, with the albums, I'm going to now change up the playlist on the side to feature songs from that album, as well as some other songs to go with the theme, so have a listen! I'm making it a mixed playlist still, because 1) I find it more interesting that way and 2) you can go buy/download it yourself.

So, the album this month is No Doubt's Return of Saturn. This album is big for me, 'cause it's the first new album I bought in 2000, and the end of the '90s was a big deal for me; I had just become a teenager and the real figuring out of what I was and wanted to do started. Return of Saturn was fitting 'cause it kinda themed around the feel of figuring out everything as life changes, more than the big break up focus of Tragic Kingdom. Also, it was the last album of No Doubt's that I like over all (Rock Steady didn't quite do it for me). Overall, it just has this awesome appeal of being melancholy but also bright, poppy and girlish.

The playlist for the month in full is:

• Ellie Goulding - Under the Sheets (Baby Monster Remix)
• No Doubt - Suspension Without Suspense
• No Doubt - Six Feet Under
• Xaphoon Jones - the Jackson Pit (it's a mashup of Jackson 5's Want you back and Passion Pit's Sleepyhead)
• No Doubt - Magic's in the Makeup (Acoustic)
• M-flo and Chemistry - Now or Never (Astrosexy Mix)
• No Doubt - Bathwater
• No Doubt - Artifical Sweetener
• Kouda Kumi - Twinkle (English Version)
• Goldfrapp - Ooh La La
  

So, here's a coordinate based on the album art:


Yeah, those were the days of bright pink-haired Gwen. Like the playlist, this is the sweetest/poppiest thing I've coordinated for lolita. I desperately covet Dream Sky in navy and it's the first thing I thought of when I decided to make Saturn the featured album. I pulled out the deeper pink and lavender from the print and threw in a bit of sporty/skater punk influences with the rest of the coordination.

Outfit rundown-

• Hoodie, skirt, sneakers and the blue bow clip are all Angelic Pretty
• Purple long sleeve shirt is Dreamv
• Shirts on the side are Uniqlo x Disney and one from the Uniqlo x Milk collection
• Socks are from Sock Dreams (alternately, I like these more)
• Other hair clip and star bracelet are from MintyMix
  
• Nails from Sephora by O-P-I
• Lip color is Stilla's lip color in Intriguing (they don't sell the liquid kind anymore, though)
• Bag is from Journey (You can find many like it from Fydelity, and the speakers are real)
• Wig is from that Taobao shop I got my birthday wigs from

As for the over all theme for the month, I've settled on space-based sci-fi and fandom with lolita. Largely because I'm watching Doctor Who and not getting down from my Otakon high still. So, nerdy lolitas: this is for you.

THE DAY OF LOTS OF VIDS

Now that that's done, here are the lengthy reviews and more of my rambling.

First, Forever21 stuff, my relevant opinions regarding replicas and such, and then unpacking. All this was this, mind, just upon observing and a first time trying on in the pics added later. I haven't worn the Taobao wigs out yet, nor tested them for heat, which they are supposed to be resistant to.





And here are the wigs worn:



The first wig is from Wigs & Plus in Manhattan. Some of the wigs they sell there are available on 123Wigs, but I can't find the one I have there. Their Miko wig is pretty similar, though, even though it's not synthetic. Over all, I give it a 5 out of 5. It got a lot of compliments during the con and several people thought I actually cut my hair again.

The second and third I still have yet to really wear out, partially due to the weather, but the first one is growing more on me each time I try it on. I still have to play around with the second one and my eyebrow issue, but from just their look and quality, they both get a 4.8 from me.

On to the clothes!

Unsurprisingly, I can't find either of my Forever21 purchases, as they were from mid July. This means I can't give any links and I'm also extra stuck with the dress, since I seem to have lost the receipt. I'm going to quickly cover them anyhow.


This thing doesn't fit me so well. Largely, it's my fault as I have a bad habit of not trying on things when I shop frequently on the store and I'm certain I want the item. I only try on things at Forever21 when I'm nervous that they won't flatter me in general. Let this be a lesson to me.


It's not horrible though, and considering the cost, this with the belt isn't the worst purchase to make with what will be my last F21 buy for an unforeseeable time. Plus, the belt makes it a world better. It can only improve with a cardigan or similar garment to cover the fact that the arm hole is a bit big on me. Worse comes to worse, I'll trade it with a friend or something.

On to the Infanta!

Now, I'm not going to show the petticoat without a skirt, 'cause that really tells you nothing about what it's supposed to do. It's this petticoat in black and more or less looks as it does on the website.

Pardon the messy mirror, too.

In hindsight, I probably should have also gotten a pic of the skirt without the petti, but you'll see a good poof/no-poof comparison when I go over the dress. Here, it's with the shorter, old Bodyline skirt I mentioned in the video that I still like, and while I did pull it up higher just a bit, it doesn't show. I also tried it a little longer, and while I didn't take a picture, the lace isn't so bad with a bit of peak. It's higher quality than the Bodyline lace, too. It gives just the right amount of poof, too, since I like a little cupcake shape, but not too much. Depending on where I put it on my waist and other pettis, it does quite a lot and doesn't die easily in the day, even after I've squashed it in a duffel bag, as Otakon has proven. I give it a 5 out of 5.

And here is the dress. It's very, very comfortable and fits well on my body. I was nervous about the fit, since I have a bigger bust and I actually went slightly smaller in that department to deal with my waist measurement properly, but the material has a bit of stretch, so everything fit fine. My only issues with it –and you can't clearly see it here– is firstly that the brooch needs an extra pin or two to position it well. There's not enough structural support in the bow to really get the ends to really just sit on the dress, and I have no clue how they got it to do so on the model and dressform for the site unless they did pin it elsewhere.

The second issue, if you can see it here, is that the lining is a little transparent. I'm wearing a hot pink tank underneath and you can see the color peek through. Not a huge issue if you wear a black camisole or want a tiny hint of a different color top coming through, but still something to be aware of. It's an extra minor thing that I'm kind of neutral on, but they have two single chain stitch...er, chains of thread as belt loops on the side. They're a little flimsy feeling, but easily dealt with if you just don't like them and not that noticeable if you just leave them be.

It wears great with out a petticoat for a work situation, though. Here it is again, poof-less and with a cardigan and my F21 belt.

Overall I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

For a shipping service, I used TaobaoSpree. Most issues had were more on my end with the fact that I was working with their spread sheet order form when I don't have Excel (I work on a Mac and Numbers wanted to be a pain with formatting). Communication was pretty clear and prompt and I got everything within two weeks of having it confirmed that my order went through with the Taobao shops, which was way faster than I was expecting. Their service fees are also is pretty reasonable, so I really was pleased over all and recommend them for anyone wanting to try Taobao for the first time.

That's all for now. I'm looking over stuff from Otakon and will be posting on that and the theme/album gig next week.

Also, changing that play list on the side now. Bye-bye, old playlist. I'll miss you!

LE RAFFLE WINNER!

Oh yeah. Totally gonna breeze through French next semester.

Taking the Ita Out of Wa-Lolita and more on that raffle*

*AKA, That time where I cockblock Amber on that post about lolita and sex.

Holy shit, I don't know how much I can ask forgiveness for my epic absence. Remember that big gap of no posts in December? Kinda looked like this?

Yeah, due to a mystery virus that was going around my campus, two relapses, Anime Boston and very poor scheduling choices, my whole spring semester looked like that. Even as I'm typing this, I know there's a chance I won't be posting this until after the weekend (speaking of, I will get to the giant cock blocking of raffle ticket purchases from Paypal).

So, for the umpteenth, sorry for the silence in anything that doesn't involve me apologizing extra and trying to make money.


Ok, 'nuff o' that.

So, for most of us that aren't stuck in weather limbo or cooler climates, we're at that nice point of spring that sometimes feels like summer. Hell, a lot of us have just graduated or are running right into summer break. (Special shout to the lovely and awesome Yanise of the NYC lolis! You are now a certified animator! You can see the fruits of her literal basement dwelling hard studio work here at Amani's blog.)



Summery spring and actual summer for me mean three things, in regards to outings: street fairs, festivals and conventions. Earlier in the month, I enjoyed the Sakura Matsuri at Brooklyn Botanical (OMG, it wasn't as crowded with tourists on Saturday AND was lovely weather!) with our local lolitas, as well as some awesome visitors ('sup, Christina of Ramble Rori!). Surprisingly, there wasn't much in the way of wa-lolita, either by our group or by the cosplayers or visiting Long Island lolitas.

But they were there. A little.

Now, the wa style tends to be a bit cringe-worthy, and not just in lolita. Many cosplayers wear "kimonos" with poorly tied obis (I'm guilty of this when the main obi is made of soft fabric, tbh), and when it isn't worn well, nothing screams "weeboo" louder. Mixing it in lolita gets trickier in most cases, since you'll have beginning lolitas jump right into what is probably one of the hardest looks to work next to ero. At best, they'll be wearing a piece from Bodyline or a sacrificial yukata they cut up as according to this old tutorial (both acceptable, but the most commonly seen style of wa and this blog is about bluntness and mixing it up). Worst case, they did the later with a poorly hacked Chinatown "silk" kimono they got for $10 without realizing how much satin can fray when you don't zigzag or surge the fuck out of it, not to mention the oozing of $1 bin chemical lace from the craft store.

Or they're throwing random traditional Japanese accessories into the mix. Like clunky geta. With tube socks. Yes, I've seen this.


The sad thing about this it that it results in making it difficult to wear wa-lolita items outside of Japan. We always tell ourselves that we can only do it for cons and festivals, and even then, a lot of us shy from it. It's difficulty to wear and it's high rate of complete weeboo fail make a lot of lolitas want to not wear it. We deem it too costumey.

We forget that the same things can be said about lolita as a whole, and that certain styles should really not be judging on the costumey thing in the least. I'm looking at you, Over-the-Top Anything.


The truth of the matter is that wa-lolita can be very fun and elegant if, like the rest of lolita, we consider the taste levels. It's a style that I want to seriously wear more often and be no less ashamed of than lolita in general.

So, let's start off with some general tips:

Knock that synthetic satin shit out.

I don't care if you even actually got it in Narita International Airport and the print is soundly more elegant. If it is made of flimsy synthetic satin instead of silk and it cost under $60, it will not look that good altered for lolita. If you still insist on doing it, you better have a serger, a thick skin and be a fashion and design god, 'cause I have extreme difficulty believing that it'll look good.

Keep balance in mind

If you have a print, especially a busy kimono print, you want to go extra light on the lace. It will look super busy if you put too much lace on where there is a lot going on in the print, as a lot of kimono prints have, and this is the absolute last style you want that issue with.

You can get kimono print fabric, if you are making your own piece, in some quilting sections and through kimono retailers.

You don't have to go and buy a ready-made yukata or kimono and tear it up to make a wa-outfit. It's a great shortcut if you aren't that skilled a seamstress or are pressed on time to do that. However, if you are good at sewing or you are commissioning someone else to make it, you can also get a nice kimono or kimono-inspired fabric in several quilting sections that aren't all dragons and geisha and kanji you don't know. Check out the novelty print section, too. Just keep in mind that you may need to line it, since quilting cotton isn't as heavy as some apparel cottons.

You can also easily get a bolt of actual yukata or kimono fabric. The bolts can be pretty cheap if you look right (though a lot of them to ship straight out of Japan, so keep that shipping cost in mind). I got a brand new bolt of yukata fabric for about $13 through eBay. There are also cut but incomplete kimonos you can buy through online auctions. The fabric is put together with long dart stitches that you can easily cut just to obtain the fabric panels. Just keep in mind, if you go this route, that kimono fabric bolts are woven narrow, unlike the longer bolts we produce in the west. They're about as wide as a kimono sleeve is (from shoulder seam to the hem of the wrist).

As with all lolita, accessorize accordingly.

This does not mean wear those awful, un-lacquered samurai geta they wear in Bleach. If you do want traditional Japanese footwear, invest in a nice pair of zori or a more feminine pair of geta and if you need a split-toed sock, wear them with taller tabi or toe socks. You can get plain OTK tabis through Sock Dreams. Regular lolita shoes work just as well, though. Granny boots with hakama are also a common look, so boots are also good.

Incorporating traditional hair pieces with lolita ones, though? Always a good plan. Keep the neckline in mind for necklaces, though.

Don't wear friggin' geisha makeup. You're probably doing it wrong anyhow.

We don't white face in EGL and we won't be doing it in wa, either. If you want to make an homage to geisha with your wa-lolita outfit, just stick to matte red lips and black eyeliner, please, and keep your lines neat.


Ok, now that we have that defined, there are two main incarnations of wa-lolita: the mini-kimono style and the motif look. When I say "motif look", I'm of course talking about lolita clothes using kimono prints and traditional Japanese motifs, but not the actual shaping of a kimono as it's based. This is wa-lolita's safe haven, more often than not.

The mini-kimono is the style that pops into mind first when talking about wa-lolita. This look, however, tends to be why wa-lolita suffers a serious case of cookie cutter, costumey fashion. It often ends up being literally just a kimono with a flared skirt and peticoat, with a biased hem being the best hope for variety in the look in most cases.
We forget that there are a lot of different looks to a kimono itself that isn't taken advantage of in wa-lolita, and sticking to style only makes it appealing with a sweet, gothic or gyaru-inspired motif when we step away from traditional Japanese-inspired prints. But, if we take into consideration hakama, different styles of obi-tying, jinbei, the changes of clothing in the Meiji period, and combinding it with we can obtain many more looks, including some boy-styles. Some of these looks can come off as more subtle, too, which makes it easier to wear as a style outside of festivals and events.


There are also, of course, full kimonos you can wear, but this is more so kimono with lolita influence than wa-lolita. Now, with using Japanese motifs in more conventional lolita shapes, there is still a lot of exploration that isn't taken advantage of, even by the craftiest of lolitas. For those who want to take a stab at it, though, here are some ideas:

• Cutsews with appliques of traditional motifs (i.e. kokeshi dolls, origami, plum and cherry blossoms.)
• Dresses that feature a panel of more decorative kimono fabric, similar to this Twinkle Journey jsk by Meta.
• accessories made with chirimen crepe fabric or origami
• for more sweet looks, you can make accessories with miniatures or erasers of traditional treats like dango.
• Combine the look of common lolita hair accessories with kanzashi (the traditional flower pins, sometimes with metal tassels).

So, to finally conclude my point, wa-lolita, just like the old school black and white look, isn't inherently an awful ita mess. It only can look bad based on who's wearing it and how, just like any other style of lolita.

But please, still try to stay away from this.



––––––––––––––––––––

Now, on that raffle... I hate to do this again, but I only had two purchases before Paypal informed me that I was promoting illegal gambling. So I'm again extending the raffle to June 11th (one week after Lolita Day) so that more people can enter. However, due to the fact that raffles count as gambling, I can't use Paypal for direct ticket purchases.

There is, however, a loop hole that is win-win for all**:

I have a lot of bookmarks left over from the convention. They're cute, printed on archival cardstock and have a ribbon looped on the top, coordinating with the design. The three I sold at the con look like this:


So that's Meowth, Sailor Moon and Chibitalia with Holy Roman Empire. I am also going to print up some bookmarks using the two lolita prints that are included in the raffle lucky pack.

If you buy one bookmark (which I marked down from the con price to $2), you will automatically be entered for one ticket in the raffle. If you buy more than one, I will put you in for three. Everyone gets some!

Design Options

Sailor Moon $2.00 Meowth $2.00 Chibitalia $2.00 Classic Lolita $2.00 Teacup and stockings $2.00

**For the two who already purchased tickets: just let me know if you want in on this too, and I'll throw it in at no extra charge.

THE RAFFLE, YAY!

Ok, so I made this bag of goods to raffle at Anime Boston, but because it wasn't a giant plus mustache and I was sharing a six foot table with two others, I wasn't able to garner enough attention to it, although I pushed ticket sales. There are as of now only seven tickets sitting in the raffle bin belonging to three people which doesn't make for terribly fair odds, so I've informed those in the raffle that I will be extending the contest to by followers here. The raffle will end the 21st of May, when I'll announce the winner here and promptly ship it out. To be absolutely fair, I'm keeping the prices exactly the same as they were at Anime Boston: $2 for a single tickets and $5 for three. The bag's contents are roughly worth ~$60-70 and all my own design, save the awesome (but still a plastic shopping) bag you'll be getting it all in.

So, content!

Here's the aforementioned shopping bag the pack is wrapped in, from Search & Destroy in St. Marks, NYC. I thought it fitting, given the nature of my blog.


This is the tank I made. It has two actual bows sewn on and has a rough, unfinished edge. I modeled the pattern from a Charlotte Ruse tank I adore, and you get the bonus of it being made of better, opaque fabric with a very cute print. I wear about a US size 4-6 and I made it bigger, so it should be around a US size 6-8.


This is a set of bows I made to compliment the tank. It has both the headband and a set of the hair ties. I seriously wish I could have found more of this fabric to make my own, too, but I only have enough left to make maybe one medium sized clip.


Here's that necklace I previewed down below, hung over the tank to give a decent idea of how long it is, as well as a close up of the Y-section of the rosary.


I'm going to actually upgrade this bracelet to having a suede band instead of the ribbon if the winner wants before shipping it out.


These were really fun to design. The large button in the lolita badge set says "Lolita Not Dead", while the dear image is a parody of Angelic Pretty's Milky-chan and the Sex Pistols' "Who Killed Bambi?" graphic. The other set is Panty's Backless gun and Stockings Stipe 1 & 2 katanas.


Last pair of items: Because it was an actual art table I started this at, I'm also including these mini prints of lolita themed watercolors. They're about 5x7 on cardstock and more saturated in color (I desaturated them for the preview image).

So, yeah. Raffle again goes until May 21st. $2 a ticket, 3 for $5. Button downstairs.

Edit: It would appear that purchasing raffle tickets are against Paypal policy... crap. Any help is good?

Anime Boston and the Raffle

So, I'm sitting on a MegaBus, going from Boston to New York, waiting to pull out. AB was sorta weird for business in that everything I learned was wrong, but at least I did better than last year thanks to the adorableness of Chibitalia/HRE and the cheapness of $3 bookmarks. Unfortunately, this means that I only managed to sell 7 tickets for the raffle to three people (the price changed to 3 for $5 on batches. My father's suggestion.) As great as those odds are, this raffle still is around a $60 value, so I'm extending the raffle to you guys reading my blog. I'm also going to pimp this with my Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr, but you are the bulk of who will care about it. I'm going to update this post with actual photos, but in the lucky pack prize, the winner will get:

• a set of punk lolita badges
• a pair of Panty and Stocking weapon badges
• two lolita mini prints
• a cake bracelet
• a set of purple and gray tartan bows (2hair ties and a headband)
• the rosary necklace from the last post
• a frilled purple tank with a polka dotted bow print (sized S/M)

All made lovingly by yours truly.

Again, tickets are $1 each, 3 for $5, no extra shipping fees required. I'll set up a paypal button and photos once I'm back in NYC.

Absence

Firstly, I'm going to thank those of you who still follow and have recently followed me in spite of the hiatus. It honestly does mean a lot that you guys are still here.

Things have been kinda stressing me out, so I haven't been updating as I've wanted to, clearly. I'm aiming to post soon after Anime Boston, though (BTW, I'M GONNA BE AT AB IN THE ARTISTS' ALLEY!), likely another piece on the fashion itself. After that, though, I promise I'll have the relationship piece up within few of weeks.

Anyhow, do look for me at Anime Boston if you go. I'll be the crazy at Napalm Tree's table, cosplaying fem!America in a bad wig selling prints and tickets for a goods bag raffle ($2 a ticket, 5 for $5). Lucky winner will get, as well as the other fun stuff, this awesome necklace I just made, great for gothic and dolly-kei-inspired lolita outfits:

The gun and rose and Madonna together make me think of Romeo + Juliet. Which now makes me think of Panty & Stocking. Full fucking circle.

On Japan

So, this is absolutely not what I had in mind to be posting when I finally get back to the blog, and I know it's kind of awkward to be blogging about about shock over a devastation like this on a snarky fashion/lifestyle blog (though, Tokyo Fashion gets major props for keeping me updated; they get the pass 'cause they're blogging from Tokyo), but I promise this isn't overdue woes and worries about people in Japan right now, though they all have my prayers. All of it is done in my Twitter (look to the right; I am still alive guys) and facebook, as are most things so I don't just clutter this blog with non-lolita-related thoughts. I'm putting this up here because this blog has several followers, unlike my serious art blog (also the the right. Seriously, look over there more).

...Jeez, that's a giant run on sentence up the–oh fuck it, I'm not going to edit that shit.

See. Still me regardless.

Anyhow, I know we're all watching the news and e-mailing our friends/families/idols/shopping services people, and some of us are donating. I'm posting quickly to state that I firstly recommend 1000 Cranes for Japan as a way that you can help out. As those of us on the more weeboo side of things know, there is a belief in Japan that folding 1000 origami cranes will give you a wish. This group is selling crane earrings and bookmarks and sending the profits to the Red Cross. Giving is great, but it's a cynical truth to life that most people tend to be more willing to give when they get a present than not, unless they're directly cornered with guilt or are somehow directly effected by whatever we are donating for.

I'm buying a pair for myself after this. *cough* (Just kidding, I do donate when I can and encourage people to do the same through the right causes.)

On top of that, they are also getting artists in on the project where the artists pledges that they will send a drawing to whoever gives $10 to the Red Cross and e-mails them proof of their contribution. I've decided to help out in this effort by contributing ink and limited color drawings for $10 donations to the Red Cross with an email to me (at CerridwenStorms@gmail.com) showing proof and your address. I'm considering drawing a full color print for $15 contributions as well. I'll be doing this with the 1000 Crane project until April, which is how long they're doing the donations. I'll be cross posting from my art blog with further details and samples (though you can already get an idea of what you could be getting from what I already have in there).

UPDATE: The print, alas, is not happening, at least not before April. However, I will still be doing ink drawings for anyone donating and emailing me proof. The drawings will be black ink on 6x6in bristol with limited color touches.

Lolita(-esque) Music Beyond the J-rock

I’m moving back into my dorm next week and then starting up class again right, so I’ll legitimately be busy. I wanted to get this up, since it’s sadly/happily illustration free and relatively fast to put up.

Obviously, this blog has a lot of musical influence, and I like the idea of coordinating outfits to the feel of some music or a period of musical influence. I know there are posts about what music is lolita to whoever on several forums and groups for lolita, but here are some of my lolita-inspiring favorites.


Blondie

Punk and quite grown up, but girly with a sweet side. Just like what lolita fashion is to me. What’s not to love? Plus, they wrote my favorite song of theirs in both English and French, and there’s this big Francophile thing going on in lolita fashion [i.e. Magical Etoile, Paris Window and everything Marie Antoinette].

And I’ll admit to being a sucker for French things almost as much as I’m a complete Anglophile. I’ll pin the blame on my sister bossing me around in French and getting me into Shakespeare at a young age.





Brigitte Bardot

Speaking of French things; if you didn’t know what this awesome upbeat piece from Sophia Coppola’s Miss Dior Cherie commercial, it’s Moi Je Joue . I got the Best of Brigitte Bardot, and it’s pretty much my soundtrack for sweet lolita days.





Message of Rouge by Yumi Arai

Ok, this is only one song and it’s J-pop, but this song is freakin’ adorable and has a really groovy (yes, groovy) classic rock ‘n’ roll sound to it. Everyone around me knows I’m a sucker for retro stuff, and I looooove ‘50s/‘60s inspired lolita looks. It’s part of the reasons why I adore Meta. Plus, this was on the soundtrack for Kiki’s Delivery Service in the original Japanese, and Kiki has one rockin’ headbow, aside from being my favorite Ghibli flick.





Pizzicato Five

Alright, another J-pop group, but again, it’s not VK or Nana and I’m a vintage girl, so they go right in. Plus, the song below was on the sweetest episode of Futurama (the one where Leela meets her parents). Really, I squealed when this started playing in the montage at the end of that episode. If you like lounge and retro music, totally check them out.






Siouxsie and the Banshees

Like Blondie, they’re punk (or goth or both, depending on who you’re talking to), but they have a sweet and girly-ness to them. Plus, first track on the Marie Antoinette soundtrack. Really, I might not be the biggest Sophia Coppola fan, but her cinematography and soundtrack choices are fantastic.



(Hnnngh, is that Tom Hardy’s sexy mouth at 1:42? I think it is.)




Buddy Holly

His songs are just adorable and I’m again a sucker for retro stuff. This song gets extra points for being on the soundtrack of Big Fish, which is one of my favorite movies and what I would like to theme my wedding around.



Something magical to add: I was just listening to this on my iTunes and when it was done, Weezer started playing. It would be better if it were Buddy Holly, but it’s Island in the Sun. Alas.




Rasputina

Quirky, chamber, creepy and over all very nice to listen to. If you’re a fan of Kanon Wakeshima, you’ll probably like them.






David Fuckin’ Bowie

I shouldn’t even be explaining this one. The dude use to wear dresses and make-up but could make women pregnant with a look and is still gorgeous at 64. He was doing this shit well before Mana and his music has gone through as many (ch-ch-ch-)changes as his image, but is consistently fantastic. And have you seen Labyrinth? Jareth looks like he stepped out of a Versailles MV, except again, he and that movie predates them. On top of that, he’s the key influence for a movie that not only gave me bitchin’ music, but Ewan McGregor, JRM and Christian Bale all being gorgeously gay for each other in glitter rain.





And last but not least:



Strawberry Switchblade

I was once told that this band was a big influence on lolita fashion. I’m not sure how true that is exactly, but you can totally see in the video below how it’s feasible. Generally speaking, though, looks like this were easy to find in the ‘80s, and that’s really when lolita was starting to seriously form as a look. But yeah; this band. Their music is cute and wonderfully ‘80s.

Oh, god help me...

I made a Twitter. Now if you excuse me, I'll go into the shame corner.

Though, this does at least make for posts of the short shit I'd like to say here sometimes but can never justify. Oh yeah! That's why I did it!

happyface.jpg






[...yeah, no. It's almost 4am. Pretend that there's actually a drawing there.]

Punk (Lolita) Is Not Dead! ...Right?

I was going to do a post about the New Year and how I reflect on what lolita has made me, but fuck that. It was too much me and not enough of what this blog actually is suppose to be. Plus, this has been on my mind a bit, and it kinda goes with EGL's theme for the month and if I ramble as I really should when doing this blog, maybe I'll actually fucking put out something.

Now, it's pretty obvious by now (or should be) that I LOVE punk and love mixing it with lolita. I don't really consider myself that goth for gothic, OTT sweet never really took for me and most classic either doesn't fit me, is out of my price range or both. Primarily, I wear more toned down sweet, punk and really whatever I think looks good, regardless of labels.

But lately, it's been more mixing with punk.


Unfortunately, it's not something I see much of anymore. Really, what happened to it? Did it go away with Nana Kitade's hiatus, or do people just no know how to do it anymore without just throwing on a plaid jsk and studded belt? Is it that OTT sweet has sat it's sugary ass over the dominion of lolita and squashed out the fun but edgy look of pu---wait, this sounds familiar...


...Oh son of a bitch.

Really though, I just went on 4chan and saw a girl ask about rockinghorse shoes on the general lolita thread in /cgl/. I decided to respond, since I'm dying for a pair (thinking about caving to Bodyline again, even though I have tiiiiny US size 5.5 feet and their shoes have run big on me before), but someone posted just moments before I did.


Whaaaaaat?! I did not want to see those words put into print, but really... Go on daily_lolita and search for punk coordinates. There isn't that much up there, and while it's great to see the h.Naoto and Putumayo springing up again, there's a lack to some of the creativity that there was to punk lolita when I got back into lolita, four-five years ago.

Honestly, I'm seeing it start to come back. A little. But really, red and black with a studded belt don't make a loli punk. Look back at some old Nana Kitade. Look into KERA, and you'll find some fucking rad (yeah, I said rad) coordinates that go beyond expectations.

Like, this one from last fall:


I bet you weren't thinking of using Cherry Cherry Fallin' Cherry (...good god, that sounds like a board game) in a punk coordinate. You also don't have to go with dark colors for something to take on a punk aspect. There was also this in KERA not too long ago:


The accessories and hairstyling really reinforce the punk side, while the color scheme and silhouette reinforces the lolita. With punk style, like gothic lolita, it's all about finding the balance between the two subcultural aesthetics.

Punk is an awesome style for lolita because, like OTT lolita, it's highly experimental and you can keep piling on shit and look good. Unlike OTT lolita, you don't have to stick to brand and coordinate a full set to an AP series. Punk is the exact style that off brand is made for, because while Vivienne Westwood is pricey a lot of the original punks deconstructed secondhand for their clothes. Or stole, but I'm not encouraging that.

So, for all you lolis that have admired punk but never thought you could pull it off for some reason, I'm encouraging you to try. Mix and match, watch Nana Kitade's music videos, read some KERA, check out Punk: the Whole Story (which it really isn't, but it's a nice taste to those starting to learn or have a passing interest about the movement and music), listen to the play list on the right and maybe take a trip to a your local punk shop (NOT Hot Topic) or Goodwill and just try it. You might find that it actually can work with what you have.

Clothing Ideas: Sneaker Lolita

I must begin by apologizing for the dead silence. Basically, my return from the turkey massacre went like this:

Luckily, my ass is recovering from the trauma. Don't procrastinate like me, kids. You just get ass-raped by work if you do.

With holiday shopping (and me shopping), I've been looking into additions to my wardrobe that I can make with holiday cash and the ease that I tend to have being off my campus for a month (i.e. not needing to pay for every meal or laundry load). So, going around DSW, initially looking for work shoes to wear to an office job I don't have while my sister looked for herself and considered getting our mother a giftcard, I saw these:


This was a particularly awesome find, since I actually had just been talking about sneakers in lolita with a friend. I really think that sneakers are awfully overlooked in lolita which is sad. They're extraordinarily comfortable, and for urban lolitas, it's really good to have comfortable shoes that are easy to care for and have for more casual meets. Of course, they're beyond difficult to work into classic and gothic style and you certainly can't wear them for a formal meet like a fancy tea party on International Lolita Day, but what about movie meets? Disney World meets? When you're on your feet for a long time, you can rack up a lot of damage if you don't have the right arch or too high a heel, and while there are a lot of alternatives to sneakers like tea parties and rocking horse shoes, I've seen lolita friends' shoes end up getting worn so much that they're beaten to the point where they're loosing their soles, especially since most of them are taobao replicas or Bodyline. Some shoes aren't meant to take the beating of walking cross town in Manhattan several times in a year. I propose that sneakers are a very good alternative to save the live span of your nicer lolita shoes. They're made to take the beating when we need to do a lot of walking and they've been a huge part of fashion for the last few decades, breaking away from their duller gym mold and jumping into many more interesting designs, especially in this past one.

Sneakers look best in more casual coords, but they can work fantastically in more elaborate punk and sweet outfits. There's a fantastic abundance of brightly colored fashion sneakers available, and while they can get pricey... well, firstly, if you're not willing to shell out some serious bucks on foot wear, you're probably in the wrong hobby fashion, and secondly, I'm willing to bet that your folks or S.O.s could be more willing to shell out $40-$80 on sneakers that you can wear just about everywhere but the office than a $250-$300 brand one piece or $150-$20 on a pair of highly embellished lolita shoes.

Another advantage is that with sneakers, you definitely get to play around a lot, as you can with more casual outfits. They add versatility to your wardrobe so that you can wear those loli accessories with your jeans and tee-shirts and balance out everything a lot better. Let's look at the new Chucks I got for example.

I have a coordinate for lolita that I can easily swap out my skirt for jeans and still have a completely working coordinate. I can't really do that with my heart buckle shoes, and my run of the mill boots that I could wear otherwise with other outfits, lolita or day-to-day, really don't add or take from the outfit. The sneakers here, though, are eye-catching but not out of place for both.

For those of you interested in the same pair that I have, you can find them on DSW's site. There were a few more special designs I was going to link like this one, but it's sold out and I haven't seen them elsewhere, sadly. Still, the good thing with Converse is that they come in many designs and colors, and you can even customize a pair for yourself on the site or, if you like to take on craft projects, get a simple white pair and draw on them with fabric markers or paint.



You can also go beyond Chucks, though, and wear more athletic sneakers. A con of this would be that they can be harder to coordinate since, unlike Chucks, they aren't as customizable, as well as the fact that these can get really pricey. A pro is that you now have a good incentive to start running (my sport of choice, btw), and there are also a lot of nice designs and colors of these available that can get you wearing lolita with certain accessories that you didn't think of before. Also, there are some sneakers that give you extra height while not only staying comfortable, but are shaped to give your legs more tone as if you ran regularly just from walking. Who doesn't like having nicer stems?

Honestly, a year ago I would have had my doubts about wearing more athletic-looking sneakers in lolita, since I've seen so many people wear converses before and they're fabulous enough to be featured in Marie Antoinette, but my friend Amber (amanikitty on egl) has work Southpole sneakers with a casual sweet outfit, and I think they work fabulously.


Those other chucks were actually bookmarked with her in mind, but they sold out before I shared them.


So, you might be thinking, "Big deal, you and your friend have worn lolita with sneakers, but I don't think that I've seen any that might work for me..." Well, let's make some fantasy coordinates then, shall we? We could put Meta's recent Kimono Print pinafore with a pair of Ed Hardy's, Meta's Old Rose with a pair from DKNY, AP's Milk-chan in brown with a pair or Pumas and AP's Marionette Girl with a pair of Marc by Marc Jacob. The first and third pairing, though, certainly lend to a lot of other potential coordinates since they're a solid color, but having the second and fourth shoes could really get you thinking about your wardrobe in a different way. For example, accessorizing more solid pale outfits with a lot of gold and cream, in the case of the DKNY sneakers.

There are many other outfits, but I don't want to over flood this article with the possibilities. Plus, in the end, it's all up to you and your own sense of style to really make it work. And also keep in mind that sneakers have this one wonderful thing that can get swapped out to be made just a little bit more girly: shoe laces. Laces can be done up in a variety of interesting patterns and can be bought in many cute ways... or made, if you're really clever about it.

And for those of you who are still doubting hard and thinking that you'll not accept it until you see brand making sneakers... well, you're already late to the party. Done and done.

Now i just need this damn snow to thaw so I can enjoy the first outfit I've coordinated for my boss new kicks.

Happy Holidays!

There's something about being a little disheveled in your petticoats after a long two days with the family and watching the best Christmas movie ever (Die Hard) that makes you want to be a super, frilly badass.


Whatever it is that you celebrate, I hope you had a good one and got lots of good food in your bellies, loot in your closets, money in your pockets and joy in your hearts. We'll be back on a schedule this week.

A Brief Filler of Excusses

I sincerely want this blog to have weekly content, and I have a topic, but due to work load and the distraction of sweet, glorious turkey and vacation, I honestly can’t concentrate as much as I’d like on the post. I’ll try to have it out by Wednesday night, but there are no promises.

For now, though, here are some random doodle of my many distractions.


(Click to enlarge)

And here's some extra eye candy. Mmm, crying Eames.

Lifestyle Lolita: Momoclones, Bloomer-bearing Baddies and Identity

This has always irked me, because for all my foul language and behaviors, I honestly do consider myself lifestyle. Then I turn and see these painful, probably faked personas in girls where they need to be prim, perfect little princesses, talking about how lolita has shown them to be classy elegant women. That’s good and all, but I can’t help be feel looked down upon by these types for...well, being myself. I also can’t help wondering how good or bad those girls were before they fell for the frills of lolita fashion and picked up this Faux-coco persona.



Now, let’s start with digging through the Oxford Dictionary and Wikipedia (yeah yeah, not accurate/can be changed... This isn’t academic, and this is pretty sound and easily backed with a little cross referencing anyhow):

lifestyle(life·style)
Pronunciation:/ˈlīfˌstīl/
noun

• the way in which a person or group lives: the benefits of a healthy lifestyle

A lifestyle is a characteristic bundle of behaviors that makes sense to both others and oneself in a given time and place, including social relations, consumption, entertainment, and dress. The behaviors and practices within lifestyles are a mixture of habits, conventional ways of doing things, and reasoned actions.

...A lifestyle typically also reflects an individual's attitudes, values or worldview. Therefore, a lifestyle is a means of forging a sense of self and to create cultural symbols that resonate with personal identity. Not all aspects of a lifestyle are entirely voluntaristic. Surrounding social and technical systems can constrain the lifestyle choices available to the individual and the symbols she/he is able to project to others and the self.

The lines between personal identity and the everyday doings that signal a particular lifestyle become blurred in modern society.
-Wikipedia


Basically, looking just at the definitions of what a lifestyle is, both views are still lifestyles. You have your “lifestyle lolitas” and you have lolitas with a lifestyle that differentiates from the expectation of lolita from lifestyle lolitas and, often, outsiders. It makes a split down in the culture itself, which is not uncommon with other lifestyles, but I feel it’s a little curious, seeing as how it comes out of something that was just started as an aesthetic and not an ideology, like punk.

Thus, I’m going to look a little closer at what apparently defines a lolita lifestyle.



Alright, I actually found a Wikihow on lifestyle lolita!



Ok, aside from the historical research, this is pretty standard for all lolitas...



Wait, what?



Gee golly, doodle me! Such fiendishly vulgar language!



Yeah... the rest is just common sense (hygiene), preaching and the basics of getting into your local lolita community.*

This is why a lot of people who probably actually are lifestyle lolitas will never admit to being lifestyle. Some people take it to a ridiculous level and are really not at all being true to themselves. If you want to honestly improve yourself through lolita lifestyle, that’s all fine and dandy. Congrats on working to not make yourself into a total miscreant mess, but please stop pulling the “I thought lolis were supposed to be lovelies/how crude and unloli!” card and do not look down on others. That kind of flat out snobbery is just simply antagonizing and puts a bad name on lifestyle lolita.

*(To be fair to those who’ve contributed to the WikiHow article, they do tell people to stay true to themselves, just be more courteous and feminine, etc. Still, though, I know a lot of people would halt right at “rebuild your personality.” I would contribute myself just on principle, but...then I wouldn’t have this blog post.)

On top of all this, I suspect that a lot of this behavior is based more on what one thinks a lolita should act from the perspective of someone outside of the lolita culture. For example: I smoke, and I’ve smoked in lolita on the street. I’ve had people see me smoke in lolita, compliment my outfit and then follow with, “But it looks awkward with you smoking. It ruins the image.” I ask if they say that about any well-dressed smoker they see and admit that it’s simply that the image my clothes give off is that of someone who...well, pretty much follow wikiHow’s steps 8-10. The last thing they’d expect from a picture perfect loli––regardless of whether or not they know about lolita fashion at all––is a smoking, swearing, drinking girl that, clothing aside, is more normal in modern society than the historical fiction fantasy that many lolitas romanticize. People of other alternative subcultures don’t go out of their way to satisfy stereotypes for non-goths or non-punks: why are we doing it?

Honestly, I can’t help but think that some lifestyle lolitas are really just trying to stamp themselves into Momoko’s personality while forgetting some very important facts:

-Momoko was already considerably different and interested in “lolita” hobbies well before she found lolita and Baby the Stars Shine Bright.

-Momoko is a horrible, horrible person (i.e. lying to her already financially troubled father for money) and she acknowledges this fact with little care.

-Novala, though he’s written works that are essentially lolita manifestos and the essay on becoming a proper young lady, has himself said in the English afterword of Kamikaze Girls that he is not the last word in how lolitas should behave.

When we see girls that take it so far that the lifestyle is something that they never were or wanted to be before, especially when it’s less who they were and more of a certain, fictional someone, I can’t help but liken it to doing something else...



Yeah, I went there. People forget that there’s a “play” in cosplay. When I cosplay, I’m wearing the clothes and mean of a fictional character. When I’m lolita, I’m wearing my own clothes and personality. Granted, I do carry myself different in lolita often from myself in tee-shirt and jeans, but it’s still me.

I feel a need now to remind people that I’m not insulting the lifestyle. Again, I consider myself lifestyle, for all my messes and swearing. The lifestyle is all about surrounding yourself with beauty, nostalgia, cuteness and (at least a sense of) luxury. I’m all for this and seek it in my daily life.

So on that note, I’m going to show those of you who sternly say it’s just clothes that you might actually be in what effectively is lifestyle lolita regardless.

Looking at what has lately become the definition of a lifestyle lolita, I feel that we forget that more of what makes a lifestyle is what we do in response to a certain aesthetic or ideology rather than how we fix out personality and demeanor because of a label. When I started lolita and started labeling myself as a lifestyle lolita, it was because of the fact that things I already liked and did fit in with the aesthetic of lolita, rather than liking the aesthetic and wanting to fit in related hobbies into my life. Ditching the newer WikiHow article, I was happy to see that the second Google result is the older post from the sadly often forgotten Lolita Handbook. It, to a certain degree, agrees with my opinion of doing more than simply behaving. Things that the article covers are enjoyment of the arts, nostalgia, going to meets and enjoying decadent/luxurious treats, goods and activities. It still sounds elaborate, but let’s look at it from a different, more simplistic angle:

Do you go to (or try to go to) meets regularly? Have you made lolita friends from said meets? Do you enjoy stereotypically cute/sweet “lolita” foods and drinks at said meets?

Do you (at least visually) enjoy films like Marie Antoinette and Dangerous Liaisons? What about fairytale movies? Do you try to see these movies with local lolitas?

Do you have a strong fondness of classic children’s literature with female protagonists like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Little Women? Do you like other pieces of classical literature or historical fiction with female protagonists in the upper classes, like Pride and Prejudice or a Great and Terrible Beauty?

Do you have interest in going to classy themed parties like Dances of Vice?

Do you have hobbies that you incorporate a lot of lolita into? (this can be anything from video games to writing to knitting)

If you answered “yes” to four or more, you probably actually are a lifestyle lolita just from these actions. That doesn’t make fake or prissy, and yes, you can still smoke and drink and curse if you want to. Hell, I do it. Once again:



Even if the majority of your “yes” answers were to the questions about community, think about it this way: before lolita, did you ever approach someone just because the were wearing the same shoes or a similar shirt as you and make an effort to find people to hang out with them? It’s a small step, but it’s still one in the direction of having a lifestyle based in your fashion choices. You aren’t letting the clothes define you, really... but it is definitely a bigger part of who you are at this point than you probably thought.

The key thing in the end is to not loose yourself in the whole of it, which ever end of the spectrum you lie. Do not fixate on trying to be a perfect image of lolita, and don’t fixate on trying to not look like a lifestyle lolita if it’s not something you are going for. The majority of us are still young: by that virtue, we’re all still exploring ourselves, even as we find ourselves getting married and having children. And it’s ok to not totally know who you are. The exploration gives you character.

Insert Generic Intro Title Here

‘Lo all! So, here’s your generic intro post for me and this blog and blah blah blah...


Who the fuck are you?

I’ve been into lolita fashion for about seven years as of now and dressing it seriously for about three of those years. I’m active in my local meets, so most NYC lolitas are familiar with me. I like all styles of lolita and primarily wear casual coordinates of toned-down sweet, punk and classic. I’m also starting to get into more gothic styles. I essentially am not a brand whore and I mix my wardrobe a lot, though that’s really neither here nor there.

I’m sporadic in my posting/commenting on EGL on livejournal, but I try to follow as much as possible in that community and some related comms. Oh, and /cgl/. Yeah, I know; most of us lurk every now and then. Get over it. I’m also an occasional cosplayer, but save for a couple of exceptions (i.e. characters like Stocking), I’m not going to mix the two. I just love both costume and fashion, like many others.

I’m a girly nerd that gets torn between running to Forever 21 and Gamestop. I’m an illustration major that draws both fashion and comics. My father raised me in a confusing manner where I know all my etiquette and enjoy several traditionally feminine activities like sewing, cooking and gardening, but was also raised as a tomboy and can get rowdy easily.

I got into lolita admittedly through manga and cosplay. Around the time that I was starting to explore my tastes in fashion, my older sister got me reading ParadiseKiss while I was (get ready to cringe!) reading Chobits and Cardcaptor Sakura, so the combination really got me into J-fashion and frilly things. Later that year, I got Kera and G&LB as Christmas presents. As I learned more about the style seriously, I felt less in love with it’s weird Japanese-ness and more in love with the punk undertones of the style and the multi-period influences. I was already mad for period costumes, especially Victoriana, and I was seriously getting into rockabilly and vintage buying. I had a brief ita-phase and then dropped wearing the fashion for three years while still buying Kera and admiring the look. Down the line, I decided to start gradually getting back into the style, and I’ve been---ok, this is now getting boring.

TL;DR; I’m another fucking lolita with a blog. Onward!

So, what are you actually going to write about that will make me follow you? There are a shit ton of lolita blogs now: what makes this one different?

Well, this is largely going to be a blog of opinion pieces. I’ll occasionally be going over the “OMG, THIS PRINT DESU! LOVE!” type posts and a few guides, as is typical of a lolita blog, but seriously?

Sex. Drama. Lifestyles.

Typically things that a lot of other lolitas seem to only want to seriously talk about in wank comms or in private. It makes for difficult topic findings, and the serious posts might be slow in updating, but I seriously love talking about this shit and I want a place where I’m not quite as reserved as I am on egl and where I can do it without anonymity. I can’t help but shake the feeling that a lot of lolitas don’t want to talk about these things because they don’t want them to be associated with the style. But you know what?

By the virtue of diversity, they already are and I’m gonna talk about it.

Also, I have doodles.

So until next week, where I’ll go over the lolita “lifestyle”, I’ll let you enjoy some Max Raabe. Man, I love mixing the old and new.