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!

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I Have Nothing To Wear!

Hello everyone! Today I'm going to be talking to something that happens to many of us all too frequently: Looking at all the clothing strewn about one's room after trying on a bunch of different items and going: "I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!" This is a bit of a follow-up to my wardrobe building series of posts (Part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4) since I've had plenty of time to build a new wardrobe. I recommend you read them first if you haven't already, since they're the foundation for this post. Otherwise, let's go!

 So I said I had plenty of time to build a wardrobe, right? So why am I saying I have nothing to wear now? Well ya see, there's this thing called changing seasons and not planning ahead because who wants to buy a sweater when it's so hot and humid you don't want to even think about leaving your nice, air conditioned room? So, thanks to my planning, I was able to build a very nice Spring and Summer wardrobe, but now the weather is turning and I have no idea what to wear anymore. So what's a fashionista to do?

#1: Re-evaluate your style preferences.
 Alright, so maybe you had the perfect, pastel Fairy Kei wardrobe for warmer weather. Do you want to keep wearing pastels in Fall and Winter though? Or do you want to indulge your inner Goth or rockstar and switch things up completely? It's time to go visit the mall or thrift store and try on everything you can again. I would suggest avoiding buying anything the first few times or keep purchases small and limited to things you already wanted for your wardrobe. If you want to try wearing a different style from what you already own, try to limit your purchases to main pieces that aren't too expensive so you aren't impacting your budget too heavily. *cough*totally did that*cough* Try wearing the new style you're trying for a few days in a row using what you have and any additions you got to see if it's really something you want to wear that'll make you happy.

Here's what happened for me: I have a very cute, pastel versatile wardrobe based around Fairy Kei for the Spring and Summer. When the weather started getting colder, I decided to start wearing Goth fashion more to go with the changing colors of fashion. However, I found myself still wanting to wear my Fairy Kei outfits more than Goth or jewel toned items. I've decided I want to start wearing Lolita more often due to its built in layers as well as ease of layering underneath as well as some warmer Fairy Kei based outfits with some off-white pieces mixed in.

#2: Decide what additions your wardrobe needs.
 Now's the time to go through your wardrobe and pull out all the out-of-season clothing you've been hiding away. Can you make your new style plans work with what you already have, or are you going to have to sell off all your sweaters or shorts and buy new ones? This is a good time to evaluate condition as well as if it fits your wardrobe, so if you have an item that's got a ton of holes and snags that aren't supposed to be there, now is the time to throw it away or fix it. (If you have a sweater that's just shrunk in the dryer, you can stretch it back out with some work. I found this tutorial extremely helpful when recovering a cashmere sweater.) Make a list of any items you feel you need to make your wardrobe more complete and wearable during the changing seasons.

 Since I'm keeping my wardrobe mainly pastel, but still need to stay warm, I decided to talk to some of my fashion friends in the area and see what they do to stay warm as well as re-watch Lovely Lor's Lolita Fashion in Extreme Weather video for ideas. I decided I needed some layering pieces as well as some patterned statement pieces (my wardrobe's mostly solid color), a long sleeved blouse, and some comfy, yet cute shoes that will survive snow.

#3: Go forth and buy.
 Now's the time to start buying the additions your wardrobe needs. Try and get more basic or generic pieces from places like Target, Walmart, or thrift stores (or your country's equivalent) in order to have more money to spend on the main pieces. Probably most of us don't have the money to go buying 1000 bucks worth of Angelic Pretty dresses new, so look into less expensive alternatives. There's a lot of US and international sales groups on Facebook, you just have to search for the type of fashion you're interested in along with sales. (In addition, if you're already in a few sales groups, Facebook will suggest some similar groups in the side bar while you're browsing that group.) Lace Market, eBay, and Storenvy are some good places to look for used or less expensive pieces and there's always Bodyline for inexpensive pieces.

 I want a couple statement pieces with prints, but I very much do NOT have $400 to drop on used Angelic Pretty or Baby the Stars Shine Bright dresses, so I'm considering a couple Bodyline JSKs as well as searching through Lace Market for some less expensive pieces. I also want a long sleeved blouse and colorful socks which can also be found on those sites. I've already got one short sleeved blouse on the way which, even though it's not great for Winter, is something I've been wanting to add to my wardrobe since my current short sleeved blouse is a bit big on me.

 I hope you all have fun with dressing for the changing seasons and that I've given you some ideas to help avoid over-spending!

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Online Shopping: Be a Good Buyer!

Hello everyone! Today I'm going to be talking about buying online and some general guidelines for how to be a nice seller. Enjoy!


 So why am I talking about being a good buyer, you ask? One of the main reasons is because of stories I hear and experiences I have with selling online. Another reason is that I find a good number of people tend to forget common courtesy when they're online because they aren't talking face to face with someone. So here are my top 5 suggestions for buying things online from others who aren't running a store.




#1 Be Polite
 You'd think this would be common sense, but apparently common sense does not apply on the internet for a lot of people. I say this mainly because of people who decide to be jerks to others just because there's likely to be no real repercussions on them since there's no face to face contact. When contacting and talking to a seller, please try to be polite. Even if they're blunt, grouchy, pessimistic, or otherwise a downer, it's better to be polite than to be a jerk back as that's more likely to cause you to get in an argument. Save arguments for debate class. Here's an example of a somewhat blunt statement that can come off as rude and a more polite version that's more likely to get you better feedback as a buyer (and keep you from being blacklisted if they take it really badly): "give me this for 20" versus "Hello! I was wondering if you'd be willing to part with this for $20?" So what do we see with these sentences? First of all, use proper grammar and punctuation if you can. This comes across as more polite since you took the time to type it out nicely. Second of all, it's nicer to ask a question rather than state something as it can come across as less demanding and more just inquiring. Lastly, how would you feel if someone messaged you like that? You may still sell to them just because they're the only one showing interest, but you probably won't be writing quite as nice a note for them.




#2 Don't Lowball
 People tend to price things the way they do for a reason. Whether it's because the item's damaged, in mint condition, or super rare, they ultimately have the last say in the matter of pricing. With that being said, some sellers do take offers on items or just not be sure how they should be pricing an item and put the price a little higher than they really should be. If you've done your research and approach in a polite way, you could end up getting a really good deal by making an offer. However, the last thing anyone wants is to have someone offer $20 for something that originally cost $150, is in near perfect condition, and worth at least $100. That's just not cool. Yes, some things are really expensive, it's just the way things are sometimes, especially with custom prints, buttons, apparel, and handmade items.




#3 Don't Give Unwanted Opinions
 This kinda fits in with the whole being polite thing, but is sometimes overlooked. If you see something you don't like, don't go posting to the whole world (anyone who can read the comments) how ugly you think that particular shade of mustard yellow is. The same goes for making offers, don't start an offer off with "this is rlly ugly" and then proceed to lowball the seller. While this doesn't seem to be as common in alternate clothing sales, I hear about this all the time on Vinted. Why would you tell someone how ugly their item is and then go on to try and buy it from them? It's more than likely going to get you ignored by the seller or possibly blocked.




#4 Reply Back
 This makes perfect sense if you're buying an item from someone, but people seem to forget to let folks know when they've changed their minds about something. I can't tell you how many times I've had someone show some interest in an item only to disappear after I answer their question. The least you can do is reply back with something simple like "Dang, that's too small. :/" or "Alright, not sure if I really want this after all." so the seller knows that they can continue to market their item to try and sell it. I always try to respond back and thank the seller for taking the time to respond to my questions, even if I'm not going to buy the item, so that they know if they should get a mailer or let someone else know that the item's still up for grabs.




#5 Pay for What You've Bought
 This seems common sense, but apparently not so. I have a friend who's had to deal with multiple potential buyers making a bid on something listed up on eBay only to not pay for it when the auction ends. This means wasted time and money for him. Please please please make sure to let your seller know if you need time for a Paypal transfer, but don't just decide you don't want it, don't pay, and don't message the seller to let them know your change of heart. It's just plain rude.


 I hope you all remember to use common courtesy when buying online even though we don't talk to sellers face to face.


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Building a Wardrobe: Part Four

Hello everyone! Today I'll be covering the last step in my wardrobe building series: Buying your wardrobe. Enjoy!


Step Five: Buying your wardrobe
 Last and certainly not least! Let's get to buying the pieces to build your wardrobe up. Use the list you made in step 4 to help you decide on what to buy and start hunting for clothes. I highly recommend checking out second hand sales groups on Facebook as well as Etsy, Storenvy, Amazon, and eBay. Just be sure to read reviews and price compare for online stores. Thrift stores are great too as you can find clothing at much cheaper than regular prices most of the time and have the advantage of being able to try the clothes on too. Make sure you have your measurements handy for online buying so you can make sure you're getting something that will fit you properly.


 Budgeting is one of the most important things when building your wardrobe. Make sure you're spending your money wisely by comparing your desired wardrobe list to your current wardrobe list and only buying items you need. You can always buy more expensive pieces to start with, but I'd suggest focusing on less expensive basics until you have a functional wardrobe. For example, I really want a Kawaii Goods dress, but due to the price I have to think harder about if I want one than if I want ten more pettis from Bodyline (I must own every pastel one). Realistically, I'd actually be buying a petti and shoes or a cutsew and jacket or something similar to that with the same money I'd spend on that one dress. In addition to that, I don't really have a lot of basic pieces I could pair said dress with to make it look good, so my money's better spent getting those right now. In addition to smart spending, budgeting also involves smart saving. If you want to buy a brand new Baby the Stars Shine Bright JSK from their store when you visit with your comm, you probably will want to avoid eating out and buying anything unessential for a while so you don't spend your rent or food money for that month on a dress that you'll probably only wear every once in a while. If you've decided to start saving up for your dream dress, you'll want to put more of your spending money aside so you can buy it if it pops up in your sales group. This can mean less time spent going out with friends or eating out for you, but if you're really serious about buying a piece or saving up to make a large purchase, it's worth it.


 One final word of advice on buying: try to avoid impulse buying if at all possible. This is not to say that you should pass up a good bargain on a piece you want or to not buy anything when you're at the mall though. Rather than grab something and buy it immediately, whether online or in store, take some time to think about a purchase. Whether you text your friend to ask their advice, walk around the store to look at everything else they have for sale, or just make sure you actually can use a particular piece with your current wardrobe, take some time to consider purchases before you make them. I have quite a few items that I'm either selling or tend not to use as much that I wish I'd thought about a little more before jumping and buying them. Sure, that sheer black cardigan is nice, but I have nothing in my closet that it works with and most certainly can't wear it on its own. That cardigan's really cute, but I already had a blue-ish green one in my drawer and most of my tops are blue or green. Just think things through a bit before you buy them. There's nothing wrong with messaging a seller and saying you're interested in an item they have for sale as a way to get your foot in the door, but you can always back out and tell them you've changed your mind after thinking about it for a bit.


Have fun building your wardrobe and don't be afraid to experiment, just don't spend too much on anything you're unsure about!


Check out my shop: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
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A Whole New World~

Hello everybody! So, lately while I've been getting back into Lolita I've discovered that there's a whole different side of Lolita than what I originally knew. Sure, I might have every major sub-type and several minor ones memorized as well as descriptions of each, but I've never bought Brand. Heck, I've only just recently made my first purchase from Bodyline despite years of drooling over their cute items. So I'm learning that all the knowledge in the world about the Lolita style itself comes down to diddly squat when trying to figure out how to buy that dress you've had your eyes on from Closet Child. So here's what I've learned so far about actually buying and obtaining Lolita clothing.

Paypal: A Girl's Best Friend
 The first thing I learned about when buying clothing online is how to pay for it. A lot of places such as Amazon and Vinted accept your credit or debit card, but when ordering Lolita clothing or buying second hand, Paypal is where it's at. Paypal allows you to transfer funds from your bank account to your Paypal account allowing you to buy items without any transaction fees. This takes 3-5 days (or more if there's a holiday) to acchieve though, so it's not the best option for buying something unexpected such as a desperate sale or an auction. Paypal also allows you to use your debit card like regular, but does charge a small fee for it. One of the nice things about Paypal is that should you not get your item you can always file a claim to get your money back. This only works if you use the 'business' option as oposed to the 'family' option when you're paying though, so be careful!

Budgeting
 Budgeting makes it a lot harder to spend all your money on that Twinkle Mermaid auction that just popped up when you really should be paying rent or bills. While it takes self control, I've found that budgeting helps me keep my finances stable so that when I do obtain pieces I enjoy I don't have to turn around and sell them in order to pay utilities. You can do whatever you want for your budget, but I chose to set a weekly spending limit of $40 for myself. This makes it so that I can still buy cute stuff, but I have to wait a while before buying which also makes it easier to avoid shopper's regret as I'll have several weeks to think about a more expensive item before actually buying it. What's that? You just bought a $200 JSK from Angelic Pretty? No problem. Your budget hasn't been completely blown as long as you lower your spending money for the next few weeks to make up for it. In this example, I'd lower my spending limit by $20 for 10 weeks (or 8 if I didn't buy anything else that week) so that I'd still have a weekly spending allowance, but not have to worry as much about the impact of that JSK on my finances.

Second Hand
 There's plenty of different places to look for second hand Lolita clothing. Lolita sales groups on Facebook and Lace Market. There's also eBay, Closet Child (in Japan and online), and EGL sales on LiveJournal. Prices vary depending on the item and its condition, but usually you can find Brand pieces for significantly less than originally priced. If you're good at removing stains and fixing small damages, you can get even cheaper items this way as many sellers will significantly decrease their prices if an item is damaged. I have yet to buy from any of these platforms, but I know most personal sellers take Paypay. I haven't figured out how to order from closet child yet, so I don't know if they would require a buying service or not.

EGL Forums, YouTube, Lolita Groups, Blogs, etc.
 There are numerous resources for finding out how to buy inexpensive Lolita online. Most of what I know has been gleaned from various sources. If you can, I would recomend finding a friend who's either into Lolita and used to buying online, or just one that frequently orders from overseas or online. Thanks to the help of one of my friends I was able to figure out how Pay Pal works so that I would be able to buy clothes and accessories online without having to worry as much about the integrity of my bank account.

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