Getting Into a New Style: You Only Got One Shot

Hey everyone! If the meme title hasn't already driven you away, welcome. Today I'm going to be talking about some recent insight I had relating to alternative fashion. If you don't already know who Safia Nygaard is, I highly recommend checking out her youtube (but pls cone back afterwords), since she's the one who sparked the inspo for this post.

So for those of you who don't know about her, Safiya Nygaard is a youtuber who makes a lot of experimental videos, such as melting lipsticks together, buying from questionable online brands, and trying fashions that aren't hers. The latter is the inspiration for this post. One of the things Safiya is known for is trying out different styles, whether it be dressing up like other popular youtubers, trying different decade's fashions, or trying alternative fashions, she does it all! I've watched her videos for years and these type of videos were always my favorites, but it didn't click until recently when I rewatched her Lolita fashion makeover what made her style experiments different from my own: She goes all in. And I could definitely take a page from her book.

So what does that mean, going all in when trying a style? In Safiya's case it means doing research in the style or styles she plans to represent, finding an expert in that style, and buying and wearing an entire outfit (or outfits) to wear for a video. Needless to say the majority of you reading this probably aren't Youtubers, but there's still a lot to learn from this format, even if you aren't making outfits for Youtube videos or instagram posts.

#1: Research!
The first thing anyone should do when going into a new fashion is research. What are the main aspects that sets this style apart from others? Are there different substyles? Start a pinterest board, folder on your phone or computer, or a list and start taking note of what makes that style. For example, bell shaped skirts, soft lace and ruffles, and bows are some of the key aspects of Lolita fashion. Predominantly black clothing, detailing, and extravagent or edgy hair are key points for Goth fashion.

For substyles of a larger fashion whole, what makes them stand out from each other? Since Goth fashion is such a huge umbrella term, let's use that as an example. The points I used above when describing it are so vauge because there's so many different styles, it's hard to pinpoint specific details and say 'oh yeah, all Goth fashion has _____.' Romantic Goth has softer silhoettes, corsets, lace, and an overall dark, dreamy sort of feel, where as Traditional Goth tends to have fishnets, teased hair, and casual clothing with a general 'eff the world' sort of feeling. (I'm not a huge expert on every Goth substyle, so sorry if I'm a bit off in places.) If you're getting into a style that has many different substyles, you should do enough research to be able to tell the difference between them and decide which you like and don't like. Also worth noting is that different eras can count as different substyles, even if they have the same general name. If you wore Lolita fashion from the late 80s and early 90s today and posted in a Lolita fashion group, you'd have a lot of people telling you that it's not Lolita fashion because the style's changed so much over the years it's become it's own substyle or sub-genera.

#2: Find an Expert
Thanks to the ease of using the internet and searching for things online, it's pretty easy to find an expert on many alternative styles. Unfortunately it may be hard to find an individual who will personally walk you through putting together outfits in a style in one go, but there's plenty of blogs and videos out there where people describe what makes a fashion. There's also groups where you can ask for advice on outfits you've put together or are thinking of putting together. If you're still unsure where to go after doing your research on a style, groups like this can be extremely helpful as you don't have to rely on one person in particular to help you.

#3: Buy an Entire Outfit
So this part of Safiya's videos is what really hit me: She always buys and wears a whole, complete outfit, makeup, hair, and all. When I look back at some of my previous outfits and style attempts, I realized that's what I've been missing. I've done pretty much nothing but research, research, and more research to the point of becoming an expert in a lot of styles while simultaneously half-assing my wardrobe and outfits. So I'm basically an expert, but no one would believe me if they saw the way I dressed compared to others who have more extensive wardrobes than me. And this is why I've struggled with feeling like I fit into certain fashions because I didn't always go all in when I wore them.

I recognize we can't all walk into Shibuya 109 or a giant Goth wearhouse and walk out with an entire outfit, hair, and makeup all put together when we start wearing a fashion, and that's fine. If you have the resources to, I highly recommend buying a complete outfit and taking the time to learn how to do proper hair and makeup to go with that style or find someone who can do the hair and makeup for you. If you're unable to, for example, drop $900 on an entire Lolita coordinate in one go, find pieces you like that would make a complete outfit and buy them one by one as you can afford to. If you can DIY or upcycle pieces while still remaining true to the fashion, great! However, what I highly recommend you DON'T do is be like me and buy things just because they're convenient and somewhat fit into the style you're trying to wear. It's a waste of time and money and you're better off just buying the thing you actually want.

Once you have a full outfit, do your hair (or wig) and makeup accordingly and wear it all together. If you end up liking the outfit, but don't want to pursue the fashion further, no worries! It was a learning experience and you can always hang onto the pieces you got and wear them as a whole some other time, you can wear the same thing as many times as you want! If you do like the style, you can use the pieces you have to expand and build a wardrobe that works together. And if you ever decide it's just really not you, you can sell the pieces or give them to a friend who does wear the style.

I hope you guys enjoyed this week's post and that it gives you an "aha" moment if you're struggling with your fashion identity like I am ❤

Find me on social media!

Instagram: @animelolitacouture

Twitter: @AnimLoliCouture

Facebook: Anime Lolita Couture
Tiktok: @thebutterflychan

Youtube: ButterflyChan
Depop: Butterflychan

Why DIY When You Could Just Buy?

Hey everyone! You might be surprised to see me back with not just one, but now two posts after a very long hiatus, but hey, quarantine and boredom give you lots of time to think. ;) So today I wanted to talk a bit (okay, maybe a lot) about how Do it Yourself, or DIY, has changed over the last 10+ years, as well as people's perspectives, my own included. So let's get started!

First of all, I want to preface this saying I very much support DIY, but I also understand not everyone has the skill set, time, money, or general capability to make their own things. This post isn't meant to shame people who choose to DIY or those who are unable to DIY for whatever reason. We all have our own stories and I'm not here to judge or look down on people in different positions from myself. With that being said, let's get into the actual content here.

When I was a young lass (my father took me into the... Wait, getting off topic here) I was raised to be rather frugal and depend on myself to meet my demands where I could. I learned sewing and crochet from my parents sometime before I have solid memories and many other crafts have come fairly easily to me. (Not including chainmail, but that's a different story.) If I wanted a new doll or stuffed kitten dress, I made it with the plentiful fabric we had lying around from my parent's past projects. When I first started getting into anime and lolita fashion back in the early 2000s, I didn't have the money or resources to buy lolita clothes or cosplays from the wonderful land of Nippon. So I made do and made my own, even if they weren't the best quality. As I got older and my style started changing, as well as my disposable income, I learned how to order online, but my first thought was always "Oh, I could make that." So I'd buy fabric and thread or beads and ribbon and attempt to fashion my own clothing and accessories, looking up tutorials online where I needed to. Sometimes it worked, sometimes I spent my money on a learning experience instead of a completed item. Either way, I forged ahead, convinced that it'd be easier to make things than to buy them. And I know I'm not alone in that.

Many of us who've been into lolita or other J-fashion for years grew up in an age where the only way you could get Japanese brand was by having a friend who visited Japan or going there oneself. And times have changed. Gone are the days of making a JSK with a bedsheet because Baby the Stars Shine Bright doesn't ship to your country. Gone are the days of having to make your own accessories because you don't have access to the style you want. We live in a day and age where you can find and buy just about anything you could want from the comfort of your own home. So why DIY if you can just buy something for 5 bucks off Wish or Amazon?

Well, there's a lot of reasons, but here's a few I personally find myself making:

• For fun
• Internetphobia?
• It's cheaper
• Sustainability

DIY For the Fun of it

A lot of folks who choose to DIY do it for the fun of it. You take time to yourself, you get an enjoyable passtime, and even an end product! Even if none of the other variables I mentioned concern you, it can be relaxing and fulfilling making something for oneself or for others. And if you make a huge mess and don't end up with a useable end product? At least you tried and learned something in the process!

Wait, I Can Use the Internet for That?

So this might just be a me thing, but I find myself forgetting that all the pretty sparklies I see online are only seperated from me by a few clicks and shipping time. I tend to prioritize buying things in person that kinda generally sorta work over the things I actually like and want online because "this is cheaper," or "well I know this fits," or even just "hey, this could give me immediate gratification instead of waiting a month for the end result!" I'd like to think I'm not alone in this, but I'm so used to having to "make do" with what's available, I sometimes spend more money on things I eventually get rid of than I do on the thing I wanted in the first place. But wait, isn't DIY supposed to be an affordable option?

I Could Make That for Half the Cost!

...Or so we'd like to think when we see $500 dresses online and $50 necklaces. Is that really the case though? If you're a skilled crafter who has access to the same sorts of materials used in those "overpriced" items, maybe. But if you're a skilled crafter, you also recognize that cost usually has more meaning to it than just being an arbitrary price. It factors in the materials, the skilled labor and/or specialized machinery needed, the time spent making the item, and how many are being made. The unlined lolita dress you made with $2 a yard fabric from Joann's isn't going to compare to a $200 dress from Angelic Pretty. The $5 necklace you made isn't going to have the same quality and finishing touches and the $30 one from Liz Lisa. If you really can make an item of comprable quality to what you see online, chances are you'll end up spending a lot more money than the original would have cost as well a lot of your valuable time. If you're just making something for fun and you don't mind it looking as professional as the original item though, there's no real harm in buying a $5 bag of beads and some stretch cord and making lots of bracelets and necklaces for yourself. And if you have the skills to turn a bedsheet into a detailed lolita dress, then go for it! Just remember that not everything you see online can be made exactly the same in your living room for a lesser cost. But what about items that aren't expensive? Like that 20 pack of hairclips you saw on Wish for $2?

But is it Sustainable?

An emerging "trend" of sorts that's becoming more and more popular, especially among my generation and younger generations, is sustainability and ethically sourced products. Not to be overly political, but put simply by our favorite Science Guy, "The planet's on [effing] fire," and a lot of us want to do what we can to keep that from getting worse. Sustainable shopping and ethical buying decisions are sometimes more important than simply liking a product for many people. Those impossibly cheap items online? There's no telling what their quality will be until you get the actual item and if you're paying $5 for something that should cost $200, there's a lot more to worry about. As I mentioned before, items made by reputable brands tend to factor the cost of their workers that make the items into their price as well as material costs. So that low quality item you're purchasing could just as easily be made by a very low paid, possibly otherwise mistreated worker. And that's not even factoring in where the materials for that product came from.

So then, you may ask, what makes DIYing better than straight up buying something? Well, that's a tough question to answer. There's really no way to know where the materials you buy came from, especially if you're trying to save money by buying inexpensive materials. And if you buy quality materials from reputable manufacturers, it could end up costing you as much or more than buying the item in the first place. So how are we supposed to decide? Honestly, there's no easy answer. That's the real reason I wanted to write this post, to kinda vent my own frustrations and also give others the oportunity to see things from my perspective. In the short term, everything seems so complicated, but if we start making informed decisions now, maybe there can be less grey area in the future. And that's a start.

What are your guys's opinions? Do you tend to opt to DIY or do you choose to buy things already made instead? Let me know in the comments below!

Find me on social media!

Instagram: @animelolitacouture

Twitter: @AnimLoliCouture

Facebook: Anime Lolita Couture
Tiktok: @thebutterflychan

Youtube: ButterflyChan
Depop: Butterflychan

Lolita 52 Challenge: What's in my Makeup Bag

Hello everyone! Since I'm struggling a bit with coming up with my own prompts, I'll be continuing to use Lolita 52 Challenge topics for a while. This week's topic: What's in my makeup bag? Since I don't really have a makeup bag, per se, I'll just be going over what I typically use in the way of makeup.


Let's start with base makeup: foundations, concealer, etc. For my foundation I usually use a Maybeline BB cream under a matte foundation with SPF from the same brand followed by cream stick concealers from Covergirl (one green, one skin toned), and then set with either a Rimmel London or Essence powder. For contour/highlight and blush I also use Essence cosmetics. After applying my base makeup, I fill in my eyebrows with a pencil from ...Maybeline? and start adding color to my eyelids. I've recently started using Urban Decay's Primer Potion and it makes a pretty good base for colors. Before that I used either a white Nyx pencil (which I still use on my waterlines) or an E.L.F. shimmery primer and both worked well, but I like the Primer Potion's texture better. For colors, I typically use a generic colorful pallet I have, but I've recently picked up Kat Von D's Pastel Goth pallet and I use the colors heavily mixed with white for pastel looks. I also add glitter with a cheap shimmery white eye shadow I got at the dollar tree or my Urban Decay Moonlight? pallet for more intense looks. I also do simpler eye shadow looks with the Essence Bright Eyes pallet. For eyeliner, I don't really have a preference on brand, but I generally prefer felt tipped liquid liners that are waterproof. I like black volumizing mascaras and I vary between a few different ones depending on the look I'm going for. I especially like two part mascaras with a clear base coat and a black top coat right now. For lips I'll usually do a pink lip gloss or a red lip tint if I remember. I don't generally wear false eyelashes or face crystals on a regular basis and I generally forget to wear lipsticks, though I do own a lot of those...


What sort of makeup do you guys usually wear? And do you have a makeup bag you tote around for touchups? Let me know in the comments!


Go like and follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Subscribe to me on Youtube: WatashiWaChoCho
Peruse my wares: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com

Lolita 52 Challenge: Why I Wear Lolita?

Hello everyone! Today we have another topic from the Lolita 52 Challenge: Why I wear Lolita?
 I'm going to break this into a list of sorts so I don't just ramble on endlessly about how frilly and cute it is.


#1: Aesthetic
 I've always loved the cute, frilly dresses that porcelain dolls wear and so being able to dress like that myself is like a dream come true! I generally prefer dressing modestly and Lolita is great for that as well as for situations where it would be more respectful or appropriate to dress modestly while still dressing up such as church and weddings. (I'll be honest, I haven't been to a wedding since I started wearing Lolita, but I hope I'll get the chance to put together a nice, simple coordinate for one in the future.) In addition to the frills and more modest cut of Lolita clothing, it's also very nice to look at even when not worn.


#2: Dressing for my shape
 I have a figure that many modern styles with super short skirts, tight form fitting pieces, and oversized pieces don't work well with, so having Lolita as an alternative is great for me. I like that Lolita emphasizes my waist while minimizing the appearance of my hips with it's higher waistlines and poofy skirts. In addition to that, I enjoy wearing heels and platforms which go very well with Lolita in the right styles. The only complaint I have is trying to find sizes that fit me well and aren't too small for me.


#3: Quality
 As many seasoned Lolitas know, inexpensive Lolita clothing used to be horribly ita with its scratchy lace, weird cuts, and inappropriate fabrics. Over the years however, getting good quality Lolita clothing without having to pay brand prices is a lot easier than it used to be. I like having pieces that last for a good long while without developing holes or wearing out and Lolita generally is much better quality than many typical fast fashion stores such as Forever 21 and H&M.
Go like and follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Subscribe to me on Youtube: WatashiWaChoCho
Peruse my wares: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com

How to Respond to Negative Lolita Views

Hello everyone! So I recently read a blog article about Lolita that was written by someone who has not done proper research into the style and was bashing it based on her very limited, very skewed perspective of it. This prompted me to make this article about some of the more common misconceptions with Lolita and the reality behind them.


Lolita... Isn't that a book?


 First, let's talk about comparison of the Lolita style to the book Lolita. First of all, while they share a name, these two things are in no way related. I have watched and read interviews about the Lolita style over the course of many years and not once have I seen it compared to Lolita from the book. The orgins of the name are unconfirmed based on my researh, but if you look at it in the Romanized spelling of it's Japanese name, it's rorita. In Japanese, there's no real distinction between "r" and "l" sounds, so the Lolita style could easily have been called Rorita, Lorita, Rolita, or Lolita in English. Why it's Lolita, I'm unsure, but it is possible that particular r-to-l translation could have been chosen because an English speaker mistook the name of the style for the name of the book, or just automatically turned "r"s in Japanese into "l"s and it stuck. I couldn't say for sure. Back to the comparison of the Lolita style with the style of Lolita from the book. The Lolita style is based, not off of children's clothing as some might suggest, but the Victorian and Rococo styles of old. While not as closely resembling it as in days past, there are still some common elements such as petticoats or other padding under skirts to give them a distinct shape, use of lace detailing and other adornments on the dresses, and modesty. While the type of modesty is different ("Your ankles are showing! How preposterous!"), they still have this in common.


Are you trying to look like a doll?


 Let's move on to the next presumption people make about Lolita: The dolly look. While many Lolitas tend to go for a dollier look, it's mainly due to wanting to look similar to a porcelain doll or Japanese doll dressed in a similar style since they tend to be dressed in Victorian-like clothes. I myself have a very pretty porcelain doll (you can see her here) with curly blonde hair, a fair complexion, and a pretty, lacy white dress that I have always loved the look of. While I may not intentionally try and copy her appearance, I do like to enhance my features in similar ways to hers. One big note on this: I "doll" myself up similar to this whether I'm in Lolita, Fairy Kei, or just a graphic tee and jeans sometimes. My interest in the dolly look is not related at all to my love for the Lolita fashion, they just overlap at times. Even if I sold off all of my Lolita clothing and never wore it again (or went back to when I didn't own any), I'd still be using my white eyeliner to make my eyes appear bigger and contouring to make my nose look smaller. Some people correlate Venus Angelic, or Venus Palermo, who on multiple occasions has worn the Lolita fashion, both in her videos and in interviews, with Lolita fashion, even though a lot of Lolitas I've known don't. I have followed Venus on YouTube and Facebook for quite a long time and in one of her older videos where she's showing some of her cute outfits (this one), she specifically comments in the description that the style she's wearing isn't really Lolita. It's a mix-up she calls Dollita (doll-Lolita) because it doesn't follow the "rules" of Lolita, but uses similar pieces and themes to achieve a dolly look.


Is this an ageplay thing? Are you trying to look like a little girl? Don't you know you could attract pedophiles?


 One thing a good number of people seem to think is that Lolita is related to ageplay or attracting pedophiles. Again, I can not stress how incorrect this statement is. While Sweet Lolita, one of the most popular sub-styles in Lolita, can appear very little girl like with it's huge bows, pastel color, and sometimes toy related prints, there are MANY different sub-styles that have very different looks. Elegant Gothic Lolita, for example, makes use of long flowing skirts, black and dark colors, and a more refined appearance to create a mature look. Pirate Lolita is dressing to look like a pirate, not a child. Ouji Lolita takes a left turn and creates a more mature, masculine look rather than a youthful, feminine look. There is way more to Lolita than just the main Sweet, Classic, and Gothic sub-styles that everyone sees because they're the most common. And saying that it's also a porn thing because similar styles appear in porn is about the same as saying rabbits are a porn thing because there's Playboy Bunnies.


You'll never get a job looking like that! What do your parents think!? If my child dressed like that [insert overly concerned mother rant here].


 One last thing I'd like to touch on here before I wrap things up. There are people who, due to the alternative dressing style, believe that people who wear Lolita will never get a job, have disapproving parents, and so on. First of all, let me say that for some people, "normal" clothing feels weird. I feel out of place sometimes if I try to dress like a fashionable normal person. It's weird. I don't feel like my usual self. I feel like I'm putting on a mask and saying "I'm normal guys, I swear!" Then when I put on Lolita, Gothic clothing, Fairy Kei, or some other alternative style, I feel normal, at ease, completely in my element. I don't care if people stare, because I feel good in my skin. I'm happy and free. But when I'm not in those styles, I feel awkward. Like I'm trying to be someone I'm not. It's not fun. If I put on a suit (which I do own a few) and walked around in it all day, I'd feel weird. I'm not alone in this. There are plenty of people who dress alternatively that would just feel out of place if they tried dressing in regular fashions. And while some of us like to dress in an alternative style all the time, some of us also like to dress alternatively only on occasion and are usually found in sweatpants, jeans, or just a slightly eccentric style on a day to day basis.


 A typical response to the "How are you going to get a job looking like that!?" question that I've seen is "How do you think I afford this stuff?" For younger alternative dressers, such as teens, this can be a more practical question especially since the majority of their money is likely to come from family and parents. This is not to say that there aren't teens out there that go around mowing peoples lawns, walking dogs, or doing similar tasks to earn some extra money outside of their allowance (or lack there of) to buy clothing they enjoy. For many young adults and older alternative dressers, they already have some sort of income or are working through college so they can get a good job to provide an income. I personally already have a stable day job that I can progress in no matter what I wear (I dress differently for work though due to the nature of my job though) and I am able to take on side jobs such as commissions or sales as well if I so choose. The only real reason I keep a button up shirt and a suit around is in case I decide to go a different route with my life as showing up to a job interview in full on Lolita is not the best of ideas unless you're applying for a fashion related job. Even then, you want to dress appropriately for the type of job. However, I'd feel just as uncomfortable wearing a full suit with minimal makeup as a regular person might feel in a pink wig and dolly makeup.


You'll never be successful looking like that!
 This, my friends, is where many people are wrong. Success is an individual thing and based off of what YOU want to do. Sure, having a college degree certainly helps get a regular job, but is that all success is? For some people, traveling the world and becoming essentially a gypsy of sorts is success. For others being able to get married and raise a family is success. Yet others might say that walking down that catwalk in the latest designs from talented designers is success. Success is up to you and your dreams. If you want to make a living off of your outward doll-like appearance because many find you inspirational, do it. If you want to travel and never settle down, do it. If you want to dominate the world and have total control over everyone, too bad. That's my job. All hail me and go back to utilizing your free, high speed internet and cable. (Someday....)




 Enjoy what you love, and don't let others tell you it's wrong because they have different interests and perspectives on life. You are ultimately responsible for you and if you aren't happy it's up to you to decide how you want to pursue that.




I have a shop: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
And a Facebook: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho