Hello Everyone!
As I'm sure many of you have noticed, I've been following with the Lolita 52 Challenge from F Yeah Lolita for a while now and thanks to it I was able to write a good number of posts. However, it's time for that to end. While I have yet to finish the challenge, I feel that I'm spending more time dreading writing posts based off of the prompts rather than having productive post writing sessions about a topic that interests me. In addition, I actually don't really identify as a Lolita as much as a pastel cutie or Fairy Kei girl anymore, so I end up having to change the topic of the week a lot (example: The Not Really post). Because of these two things, as well as just not being interested in a lot of the remaining prompts, I will not be writing any more Lolita 52 Challenge posts. (I might still use the prompts for some inspiration though.)
So what does this mean for my blog? As I'm sure many of you have noticed, I've been posting very sporadically lately, in part due to the afore mentioned problems, but also just because I don't have as much inspiration or time to write anymore. I'm really sad I haven't been able to keep this blog as active as I once had it, but alas, life doesn't always go the way we like. I will still do my best to post somewhat frequently, but I'm not going to be able to stick to a regular schedule, at least for the time being. I hope you all understand and still continue to read my posts, both past and future~
Got any topics you'd like to see me write on or prompts to share? Let me know in the comments below!
Check out my Insta: @animelolitacouture
Showing posts with label lolita. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lolita. Show all posts
Saturday, October 21, 2017
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Lolita 52 Challenge: Bloomers or No Bloomers?
Hello everyone! I'm here again with another Lolita 52 Challenge: Bloomers or no bloomers? Let me know your opinion on this in the comments below!
So I personally enjoy wearing bloomers under my Lolita coords for the most part, but it can be a bit frustrating at times too, so let me list some of the pros and cons I've found for wearing bloomers.
Pro Bloomers
So one of the biggest pros of bloomers for me personally is chafing prevention. They're cute and go with the Lolita aesthetic and make it so I don't get a rash on my thighs just from walking, presuming they're longer. Even with shorter bloomers, it adds a feeling of cuteness to the look, just like wearing cute or matching undergarments can make you feel better about an outfit even though no one can see them. Plus, if you live somewhere windy or are prone to tripping or twirling a lot, bloomers help protect you from flashing your underwear unintentionally. Bloomers are also good to wear should you end up in a fashion show so you aren't giving everyone in the front rows an uncomfortable view up your skirt and instead a cute, ruffly view of bloomers and petticoats!
Bloomer Cons
One of the biggest cons for bloomers can be their price point and sizing, especially for people with wider hips or that are plus sized. While it's possible to make one's own bloomers, having a good fabric, lace, and pattern to use can add up (especially lace) costing as much or more than a pre-made pair of bloomers. Also, even on nicer bloomers the lace can be somewhat irritating if no tights are worn under the bloomers. Bloomers also add an extra elastic waistband and layers to what can already be a somewhat uncomfortable fashion and make it even warmer too. Since a simple pair of pajama shorts or spandex can easily work the same as bloomers for modesty and chaffing reasons, many may opt to skip the pricier bloomers. Thanks to anti-chaffing products and lack of thigh rubbing in the first place, many people can get away with wearing only underpants with their Lolita and may want to, especially on hot days.
So all in all, while I do enjoy the aesthetic of bloomers, for me personally they can be annoying or uncomfortable if I plan on wearing a Lolita outfit all day. In these cases I'll usually wear pajama shorts and anti-chaffing cream instead for better comfort without the worry of accidentally flashing someone. Do you like to wear bloomers? Let me know in the comments!
Check out my Insta: @animelolitacouture
So I personally enjoy wearing bloomers under my Lolita coords for the most part, but it can be a bit frustrating at times too, so let me list some of the pros and cons I've found for wearing bloomers.
Pro Bloomers
So one of the biggest pros of bloomers for me personally is chafing prevention. They're cute and go with the Lolita aesthetic and make it so I don't get a rash on my thighs just from walking, presuming they're longer. Even with shorter bloomers, it adds a feeling of cuteness to the look, just like wearing cute or matching undergarments can make you feel better about an outfit even though no one can see them. Plus, if you live somewhere windy or are prone to tripping or twirling a lot, bloomers help protect you from flashing your underwear unintentionally. Bloomers are also good to wear should you end up in a fashion show so you aren't giving everyone in the front rows an uncomfortable view up your skirt and instead a cute, ruffly view of bloomers and petticoats!
Bloomer Cons
One of the biggest cons for bloomers can be their price point and sizing, especially for people with wider hips or that are plus sized. While it's possible to make one's own bloomers, having a good fabric, lace, and pattern to use can add up (especially lace) costing as much or more than a pre-made pair of bloomers. Also, even on nicer bloomers the lace can be somewhat irritating if no tights are worn under the bloomers. Bloomers also add an extra elastic waistband and layers to what can already be a somewhat uncomfortable fashion and make it even warmer too. Since a simple pair of pajama shorts or spandex can easily work the same as bloomers for modesty and chaffing reasons, many may opt to skip the pricier bloomers. Thanks to anti-chaffing products and lack of thigh rubbing in the first place, many people can get away with wearing only underpants with their Lolita and may want to, especially on hot days.
So all in all, while I do enjoy the aesthetic of bloomers, for me personally they can be annoying or uncomfortable if I plan on wearing a Lolita outfit all day. In these cases I'll usually wear pajama shorts and anti-chaffing cream instead for better comfort without the worry of accidentally flashing someone. Do you like to wear bloomers? Let me know in the comments!
Check out my Insta: @animelolitacouture
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Lolita 52 Challenge: Purses that I Love
Hello everyone! So today's topic is purses that I love. I only really have one specifically Lolita purse, so for the most part these will be purses I want to eventually get or that I appreciate the aesthetics of. Be sure to let me know which ones you also like or your favorite Lolita purse in the comments!
All pictures are sourced from Lolibrary unless otherwise noted.
#1: Old school heart purses
My number one favorite style of purse (and coincidentally the only one on this list I have one of) is the old school heart purses with round metal handles, lace around the border, and a big ribbon in the center. I really fell in love with them after watching Kamikaze Girls and seeing Momoko carrying them around with her. Unfortunately the one I have is only a design replica, but I love it all the same and am less concerned about it being used heavily.
https://images.lolibrary.org/file/lolibrary-images/5655531d-754d-5302-a53f-cc24145b94f9.jpeg
#2: Angelic Pretty Candy bag
I'm a huge fan of sweets inspired pieces, so naturally I adore Angelic Pretty's Candy Stripe Bag. I'm hoping to get one eventually, but I'm focusing more on main pieces for the moment, so I'll have to wait on buying it.
https://images.lolibrary.org/file/lolibrary-images/29350813-7264-5430-bf4b-d7df28df0792_thumb.jpeg
#3: Book shaped bags
While they don't generally fit my personal style, I really love the look of bags that look like books! I think they look very elegant and are a fun idea while still being a practical shape, unlike the previous two bags I've listed. (Trying to set down a heart shaped purse without having it dump half it's contents out is a bit of a challenge.)
https://images.lolibrary.org/file/lolibrary-images/e70aba5b-3c7d-55de-93c1-3f9987241480_thumb.jpeg
Go like and follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Subscribe to me on Youtube: WatashiWaChoCho
Peruse my wares: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
All pictures are sourced from Lolibrary unless otherwise noted.
#1: Old school heart purses
My number one favorite style of purse (and coincidentally the only one on this list I have one of) is the old school heart purses with round metal handles, lace around the border, and a big ribbon in the center. I really fell in love with them after watching Kamikaze Girls and seeing Momoko carrying them around with her. Unfortunately the one I have is only a design replica, but I love it all the same and am less concerned about it being used heavily.
https://images.lolibrary.org/file/lolibrary-images/5655531d-754d-5302-a53f-cc24145b94f9.jpeg
#2: Angelic Pretty Candy bag
I'm a huge fan of sweets inspired pieces, so naturally I adore Angelic Pretty's Candy Stripe Bag. I'm hoping to get one eventually, but I'm focusing more on main pieces for the moment, so I'll have to wait on buying it.
https://images.lolibrary.org/file/lolibrary-images/29350813-7264-5430-bf4b-d7df28df0792_thumb.jpeg
#3: Book shaped bags
While they don't generally fit my personal style, I really love the look of bags that look like books! I think they look very elegant and are a fun idea while still being a practical shape, unlike the previous two bags I've listed. (Trying to set down a heart shaped purse without having it dump half it's contents out is a bit of a challenge.)
https://images.lolibrary.org/file/lolibrary-images/e70aba5b-3c7d-55de-93c1-3f9987241480_thumb.jpeg
Go like and follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Subscribe to me on Youtube: WatashiWaChoCho
Peruse my wares: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Lolita 52 Challenge: How I get out of a Wardrobe Slump
Hello everyone! Today I'll be talking about another Lolita 52 Challenge topic: How I get out of a wardrobe slump.
So we've all been there: We go to put together an outfit and either everything's dirty or we just don't want to wear anything we have because we wear it so often we're tired of it. I can't tell you how many times I've stared at my wardrobe until I give up and just throw on a T-shirt and some jeans or a tried and tested outfit I've worn some variation of for the past week. My wardrobe's still fairly limited, so I have a lot of wardrobe slumps. So what do I do to get out of these slumps? Well outside of checking to make sure the slumps not just due to weight gain, here's some of the things I do.
#1: Why aren't you wearing what you have?
One of the first things I do when I'm in a wardrobe slump is figure out what I haven't been wearing and why. Does it still suit my style? Does it still fit and is it flattering? What would it go with? If I can't find a way to wear a piece, I'll usually figure out what I need to wear it or get rid of it if it's something that doesn't work with my wardrobe. If it doesn't fit properly or look good, I'll get rid of it as well.
#2: Try new combinations
After going through lesser worn pieces, I'll usually start trying to make new coordinates. I'll take a piece, put it on my dress form or lay it on my bed, and start holding up other pieces next to it to see what would go with it. Sometimes I'll start building an outfit, then change out the piece I started with to make a more congruent look. Don't be afraid to try different things. Once you have an outfit you like the look of, try it on and make sure it still looks good on you and change a few pieces as needed.
#3: Determine what you need
One of the advantages of getting rid of pieces is that you can add new pieces instead. If you find yourself saying things like "If only I had [ ]" or "This would look so much better with [ ]" keep track of what those items are so you can decide if you want to add them to your wardrobe later on. Also, if you're finding a piece is just getting too old and worn looking, make a note of it and start looking for its replacement. Feel free to try something in a different style or color when replacing an item if it's not a staple item (such as a white blouse in a Lolita wardrobe).
#4: Catalog
Once you've put together some outfits that work, take pictures! Having a reference to go back to really helps when you don't know what to wear. This also gives you an opportunity to decide if it really was something you'd wear or just a mess that looked good in the moment. You can also look back on those outfits for inspiration when putting together a new outfit, similar to a street snap on Pinterest, except with your own wardrobe!
What do you do when you're in a wardrobe slump? Let me know in the comments below!
Go like and follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Subscribe to me on Youtube: WatashiWaChoCho
Peruse my wares: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
So we've all been there: We go to put together an outfit and either everything's dirty or we just don't want to wear anything we have because we wear it so often we're tired of it. I can't tell you how many times I've stared at my wardrobe until I give up and just throw on a T-shirt and some jeans or a tried and tested outfit I've worn some variation of for the past week. My wardrobe's still fairly limited, so I have a lot of wardrobe slumps. So what do I do to get out of these slumps? Well outside of checking to make sure the slumps not just due to weight gain, here's some of the things I do.
#1: Why aren't you wearing what you have?
One of the first things I do when I'm in a wardrobe slump is figure out what I haven't been wearing and why. Does it still suit my style? Does it still fit and is it flattering? What would it go with? If I can't find a way to wear a piece, I'll usually figure out what I need to wear it or get rid of it if it's something that doesn't work with my wardrobe. If it doesn't fit properly or look good, I'll get rid of it as well.
#2: Try new combinations
After going through lesser worn pieces, I'll usually start trying to make new coordinates. I'll take a piece, put it on my dress form or lay it on my bed, and start holding up other pieces next to it to see what would go with it. Sometimes I'll start building an outfit, then change out the piece I started with to make a more congruent look. Don't be afraid to try different things. Once you have an outfit you like the look of, try it on and make sure it still looks good on you and change a few pieces as needed.
#3: Determine what you need
One of the advantages of getting rid of pieces is that you can add new pieces instead. If you find yourself saying things like "If only I had [ ]" or "This would look so much better with [ ]" keep track of what those items are so you can decide if you want to add them to your wardrobe later on. Also, if you're finding a piece is just getting too old and worn looking, make a note of it and start looking for its replacement. Feel free to try something in a different style or color when replacing an item if it's not a staple item (such as a white blouse in a Lolita wardrobe).
#4: Catalog
Once you've put together some outfits that work, take pictures! Having a reference to go back to really helps when you don't know what to wear. This also gives you an opportunity to decide if it really was something you'd wear or just a mess that looked good in the moment. You can also look back on those outfits for inspiration when putting together a new outfit, similar to a street snap on Pinterest, except with your own wardrobe!
What do you do when you're in a wardrobe slump? Let me know in the comments below!
Go like and follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Subscribe to me on Youtube: WatashiWaChoCho
Peruse my wares: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Worst Places to Wear Lolita
Hello everyone! Going off of last week's post, I wanted to do a list of the worst places to wear Lolita. This is going to be a bit more humourous of a post needless to say, so I hope you enjoy!
#1: Hiking
Ima be honest here, while I haven't been hiking in Lolita, I did go hiking in Fairy Kei a few times and boy was that a mistake.... And Lolita is even less versatile than Fairy Kei. Fancy shoes now caked in mud and dirt, wig and petticoat snagging on stray bushes, headbow constantly being knocked off by branches... All in all, Lolita would be very impractical and frustrating to hike in, plus you're more likely to overheat from all the layers!
#2: Swimming
While there are swimsuits available from various Lolita brands, jumping in the pool in your AP dress would be a very bad idea. Not only would you have to worry about the print running, the chlorine or salt water (if you jump in the ocean) would likely bleach or damage your dress. Plus those pettis would be a lot more weighing down than floofy and fun after hitting the water.
#3: Running from the authorities
While running from the authorities generally isn't a good idea in the first place, doing so in Lolita would be even worse. As many of us know, Lolita can be quite constricting around the chest, which would lead to getting winded sooner and climbing a chain link fence would be near impossible, especially if you're wearing platform style shoes. Not only that, but can you imagine trying to hide or blend in with a crowd in Lolita?
#4: The jungle
Let's face it: It doesn't matter what jungle you're in, it's gonna be hot and humid, there's probably going to be bugs trying to eat your headbow, and chances are the footing won't be the best. Not to mention snakes, monkeys (we all saw what Jane had to deal with in Disney's Tarzan), big cats, and who knows what else. If you were lucky, you'd probably get away with a shoe lost in quicksand at the very least.
Where do you think would be a terrible place to wear Lolita? Let me know in the comments below!
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Peruse my wares: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Lolita 52 Challenge: Best places to Wear Lolita
Hello everyone! Today I'm going to go over what I feel are the best places to wear Lolita. For this list, I'll be excluding meetups and conventions since you're generally expected to wear Lolita or something similar to this type of event. (Obviously you can cosplay or just go in jeans and a nerdy tee to conventions, but generally if you aren't cosplaying and you're into J-fashion, you'd want to wear Lolita or another J-fashion style at a convention, so that's why I'm not including them in this list.)
#1: Special events and shows
Generally it's fun to dress up when you're going out, so having a special excuse can make it even more fun. Whether you're going out for Easter brunch, watching an opera, or screaming your full head off at a One Direction show, there's plenty of events you can wear Lolita to. I would not, however, recommend moshing in Lolita. Fellow metal heads might be very confused when attacked by petticoats.
#2: Hanging out with friends
I'm sure we all have friends we adore, but just can't hang out with too often because of distance or merely time constraints. So needless to say when we do get to hang out with those friends, it's also normal to want to dress up and go do things together. (Granted there's nothing wrong with hiding out and playing video games in jammies together.) Though you may want to tone down your look if your friend doesn't wear alternative styles and is uncomfortable with people staring at you, it's still possible to have fun and look frilly as well.
#3: Bakeries and tea houses
Since bakery sweets and tea are generally a staple in a Lolita's lifestyle, going out for some cake or tea in Lolita is a great idea! Many Lolitas do meetups at local bakeries and teahouses, so there's no reason you couldn't dress up in Lolita and go by yourself or with a few friends. Plus you'll fit right in with all the cute tea sets and cakes. Just make sure to put a napkin on your lap if you're a messy eater like me!
Go like and follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
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Peruse my wares: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
Saturday, April 8, 2017
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
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
Saturday, April 1, 2017
The End of Kera and the Gothic & Lolita Bible
Hello Everyone! Today I'll be giving my thoughts on a very sad topic: The ending of Kera's print edition and the suspension of the Gothic & Lolita Bible (G&LB). I considered making a video on this topic, but since I don't currently have any editing software and I know there will be a lot of crying, I decided it would be best to stick to writing a blog article.
As many of us in the J-Fashion world have learned over the last few days, Kera and the Gothic & Lolita Bible will no longer be releasing printed magazines. After learning about Fruits magazine's cancelation earlier this month, this is coming as a very hard blow to many of us who have loved and collected these magazines over the years. While I only recently started to collect Kera and have one copy of G&LB, my original love for Lolita was due to a friend introducing me and my sister to the fashion and lending us copies of the English edition of G&LB to look through. I would never have gotten into Fairy Kei when I did if it hadn't been for my interest in Sweet Lolita and finding a more wearable option for day-to-day. Even though my introduction to Kera was within the past couple of years, it quickly became my favorite magazine and I was looking forward to getting more and more copies in the future. However, due to it's cancelation I won't be able to get any more after the last print issue comes out this month. I personally like having a physical copy to flip through when it comes to fashion magazines, though I can understand their decision to switch to a digital only copy due to the decrease in popularity of print media in general. I'm going to miss being able to collect new issues of Kera, though I will treasure the ones I have (especially the one with a street snap of Mana-sama).
So with the end of three of the most iconic J-Fashion magazines, what does that mean for Harajuku fashion? I at first presumed that their closures were merely due to printed media being less popular nowadays due to the internet allowing easy access to so many things, but I might have been wrong. After finding out about the end of the magazines, I saw a video by one of my favorite YouTubers, Cathy Cat, a German Lolita living and working in Japan, where she expressed her feelings on the matter. To summarize what she said in her video, the generation of Harajuku kids and Lolitas that started and promulgated many of the crazy, over-the-top styles that Harajuku is known for are getting older and changing to more demure styles that suit them better or completely giving up J-fashion to fit in better with the general populace. Because of that, those fashions are not as present in Harajuku as they once were because the younger generation aren't wearing them. Cathy Cat goes to Harajuku a lot for her and Kawaii Pateen's videos, so she gets to see what's going on there regularly and she said that she's seeing less and less bold fashion present in Harajuku. She ends her video stating that in order for these fashions to survive, the older J-fashion generations need to bring the younger generations into our fashions and stop discriminating based on experience in a style.
So, from what I've seen, I've gathered that Harajuku fashion isn't so much dying as changing. In the Keras I have as well as street snaps I see online, styles are getting more toned down and changing to more muted pallets instead of brighter colors like Decora or OTT Sweet Lolita tend to use. In the G&LB I got recently, I noticed almost everything in it was Gothic or Classic Lolita and seeing as how many of the original Lolitas I know of are getting along in age, OTT Sweet may not suit them as well as when they were younger. Even outside of Lolita, styles such as Cult Party Kei with more muted color pallets are getting more popular. Softer pastels are more in than bright colors as are black pieces and detailing. As to the end of Fruits, cancelation of Kera's print edition, and GL&B's suspension, these are most likely due to the drop in popularity of print media and could also be affected by the change in popular J-fashion present in Harajuku.
What do you guys think? What are your thoughts on the end of many J-fashion magazines and the style shift in Harajuku? Let me know in the comments below!
Go like and follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Subscribe to me on Youtube: WatashiWaChoCho
Peruse my wares: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
As many of us in the J-Fashion world have learned over the last few days, Kera and the Gothic & Lolita Bible will no longer be releasing printed magazines. After learning about Fruits magazine's cancelation earlier this month, this is coming as a very hard blow to many of us who have loved and collected these magazines over the years. While I only recently started to collect Kera and have one copy of G&LB, my original love for Lolita was due to a friend introducing me and my sister to the fashion and lending us copies of the English edition of G&LB to look through. I would never have gotten into Fairy Kei when I did if it hadn't been for my interest in Sweet Lolita and finding a more wearable option for day-to-day. Even though my introduction to Kera was within the past couple of years, it quickly became my favorite magazine and I was looking forward to getting more and more copies in the future. However, due to it's cancelation I won't be able to get any more after the last print issue comes out this month. I personally like having a physical copy to flip through when it comes to fashion magazines, though I can understand their decision to switch to a digital only copy due to the decrease in popularity of print media in general. I'm going to miss being able to collect new issues of Kera, though I will treasure the ones I have (especially the one with a street snap of Mana-sama).
So with the end of three of the most iconic J-Fashion magazines, what does that mean for Harajuku fashion? I at first presumed that their closures were merely due to printed media being less popular nowadays due to the internet allowing easy access to so many things, but I might have been wrong. After finding out about the end of the magazines, I saw a video by one of my favorite YouTubers, Cathy Cat, a German Lolita living and working in Japan, where she expressed her feelings on the matter. To summarize what she said in her video, the generation of Harajuku kids and Lolitas that started and promulgated many of the crazy, over-the-top styles that Harajuku is known for are getting older and changing to more demure styles that suit them better or completely giving up J-fashion to fit in better with the general populace. Because of that, those fashions are not as present in Harajuku as they once were because the younger generation aren't wearing them. Cathy Cat goes to Harajuku a lot for her and Kawaii Pateen's videos, so she gets to see what's going on there regularly and she said that she's seeing less and less bold fashion present in Harajuku. She ends her video stating that in order for these fashions to survive, the older J-fashion generations need to bring the younger generations into our fashions and stop discriminating based on experience in a style.
So, from what I've seen, I've gathered that Harajuku fashion isn't so much dying as changing. In the Keras I have as well as street snaps I see online, styles are getting more toned down and changing to more muted pallets instead of brighter colors like Decora or OTT Sweet Lolita tend to use. In the G&LB I got recently, I noticed almost everything in it was Gothic or Classic Lolita and seeing as how many of the original Lolitas I know of are getting along in age, OTT Sweet may not suit them as well as when they were younger. Even outside of Lolita, styles such as Cult Party Kei with more muted color pallets are getting more popular. Softer pastels are more in than bright colors as are black pieces and detailing. As to the end of Fruits, cancelation of Kera's print edition, and GL&B's suspension, these are most likely due to the drop in popularity of print media and could also be affected by the change in popular J-fashion present in Harajuku.
What do you guys think? What are your thoughts on the end of many J-fashion magazines and the style shift in Harajuku? Let me know in the comments below!
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Saturday, March 25, 2017
Lolita 52 Challenge: What Influences my Lolita Style
Hello everyone! Today we have another Lolita 52 Challenge topic: What influences my Lolita style. I'll be doing this in a bullet style to list my influences. Let's go!
#1: Bakery goods and sweets
As I mentioned in my 5 keywords Lolita 52 challenge post, I have a bit of a foodie theme to my wardrobe. The main reason for this is that I really love the look of cakes and candies and such. I love how delicate frosting roses are, how delicious a spongy jelly roll looks, how jewel-like, yet sweet candies are, and many other aspects of sweets that definitely translate into the general theme of my wardrobe. Additionally, due to its white base color, frosting more often than not turns out pastel even with stronger gel food dyes, and the aesthetic of that is clearly translated in my Sweet Lolita wardrobe.
#2: Trends that I never got to try
While there's still a lot I want to try out, I find that both current and outdated popular trends can influence my Lolita style a fair amount. Some aspects of my wardrobe and aesthetic are more oldschool Lolita since that's the era I discovered Lolita during and I have plans to add some more oldschool pieces like rocking horse shoes to my wardrobe. Additionally, I'm kinda catching up with Sweet Lolita trends I missed when I wasn't able to afford Lolita clothing.
#3: Fashion Icons
Lolitas and other J-Fashion enthusiasts I follow on Youtube and Facebook have a HUGE influence on my wardrobe since secretly I kinda wish I was them to some extent. For example, I got a blue/pink mixed wig because Lawl Factory (Now Anna Drake) wore one in a couple of her videos. Additionally, I decided to add a yellow JSK and a pink blouse to my wardrobe because of Lovely Lor's coordinate for Japan Festival Houston. The people I follow are big inspirations to me, so I copy trends and looks they do as much as I can, but I also don't try to force myself to try a look that wouldn't suit me just because someone else looks good in it. Like I tried Decora out since Mahou Prince is such a big inspiration to me, but I learned pretty quickly I don't like it on me as much, so I focused more on styles I do like on me.
#4: Dolls
I've always really loved the outfits you see on porcelain dolls as well as just dolls in general, so they were kinda the underlying influence that made Lolita such a perfect fir for me. I've always loved dressing up dolls in pretty clothing and having porcelain dolls dressed in elegant fashions, so being able to dress myself up in similar styles is a lot of fun.
What influences your guys's wardrobes? Let me know in the comments below!
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#1: Bakery goods and sweets
As I mentioned in my 5 keywords Lolita 52 challenge post, I have a bit of a foodie theme to my wardrobe. The main reason for this is that I really love the look of cakes and candies and such. I love how delicate frosting roses are, how delicious a spongy jelly roll looks, how jewel-like, yet sweet candies are, and many other aspects of sweets that definitely translate into the general theme of my wardrobe. Additionally, due to its white base color, frosting more often than not turns out pastel even with stronger gel food dyes, and the aesthetic of that is clearly translated in my Sweet Lolita wardrobe.
#2: Trends that I never got to try
While there's still a lot I want to try out, I find that both current and outdated popular trends can influence my Lolita style a fair amount. Some aspects of my wardrobe and aesthetic are more oldschool Lolita since that's the era I discovered Lolita during and I have plans to add some more oldschool pieces like rocking horse shoes to my wardrobe. Additionally, I'm kinda catching up with Sweet Lolita trends I missed when I wasn't able to afford Lolita clothing.
#3: Fashion Icons
Lolitas and other J-Fashion enthusiasts I follow on Youtube and Facebook have a HUGE influence on my wardrobe since secretly I kinda wish I was them to some extent. For example, I got a blue/pink mixed wig because Lawl Factory (Now Anna Drake) wore one in a couple of her videos. Additionally, I decided to add a yellow JSK and a pink blouse to my wardrobe because of Lovely Lor's coordinate for Japan Festival Houston. The people I follow are big inspirations to me, so I copy trends and looks they do as much as I can, but I also don't try to force myself to try a look that wouldn't suit me just because someone else looks good in it. Like I tried Decora out since Mahou Prince is such a big inspiration to me, but I learned pretty quickly I don't like it on me as much, so I focused more on styles I do like on me.
#4: Dolls
I've always really loved the outfits you see on porcelain dolls as well as just dolls in general, so they were kinda the underlying influence that made Lolita such a perfect fir for me. I've always loved dressing up dolls in pretty clothing and having porcelain dolls dressed in elegant fashions, so being able to dress myself up in similar styles is a lot of fun.
What influences your guys's wardrobes? Let me know in the comments below!
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Subscribe to me on Youtube: WatashiWaChoCho
Peruse my wares: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Lolita 52 Challenge: How I Accessorize
Hello everyone! Today I'm back with another Lolita 52 challenge topic: How I accessorize. This has changed a little bit as I've gotten more accessories of different types and it also varies depending on the event and my energy. I'll also be covering how I accessorize with Fairy Kei, my main style outside of Lolita.
So with both Lolita and Fairy Kei I generally have some type of hair bow, a necklace or two, some bracelets, and rings or earrings if I remember them. For Lolita hair accessories, I usually wear a bow or two in a coordinating color or a large matching bow on the back of my head for more toned down looks. For one of my recent coordinates that I wore at a convention, I used the second detachable bow from my JSK as a headbow by slipping it onto a headband and added a giant resin star clip on one side and three smaller pink and purple bow clips on the other side. Generally my hair accessories for Fairy Kei are a bow or two that go with my outfit or the giant resin star clip and some bows. For necklaces, I generally do a choker and a longer necklace for Fairy Kei and just a longer necklace for Lolita coordinates. Generally my longer necklaces have a large statement pendant, like a big plastic heart or plastic lettering saying "mahou shoujo." For bracelets I generally use my wrist cuffs and pastel arm kandi or pearl bracelets, but I will occasionally wear a simple metal bracelet or a half pearl, half charm bracelet. For the most part though, I put on as many bracelets as possible! Rings and earrings are typically forgotten when I do everyday cords, but I generally wear two to four rings on each hand and a pair of pastel earrings when I do remember them. I'm trying to get better at changing my earrings to match my outfit so I'm not just wearing the simple fake pearl earrings I generally wear day to day since my job doesn't allow flashy earrings. I'm also looking at different ways to display my rings and my smaller hair clips so I'm more likely to actually wear them instead of forgetting they're in a small jewelry storage box. Other than jewelry and hair accessories, I'll occasionally put a decorative pin of some sort on my outfits as well, and that's pretty much the extent of my accessorizing.
What sort of accessories do you guys wear? Let me know in the comments below!
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So with both Lolita and Fairy Kei I generally have some type of hair bow, a necklace or two, some bracelets, and rings or earrings if I remember them. For Lolita hair accessories, I usually wear a bow or two in a coordinating color or a large matching bow on the back of my head for more toned down looks. For one of my recent coordinates that I wore at a convention, I used the second detachable bow from my JSK as a headbow by slipping it onto a headband and added a giant resin star clip on one side and three smaller pink and purple bow clips on the other side. Generally my hair accessories for Fairy Kei are a bow or two that go with my outfit or the giant resin star clip and some bows. For necklaces, I generally do a choker and a longer necklace for Fairy Kei and just a longer necklace for Lolita coordinates. Generally my longer necklaces have a large statement pendant, like a big plastic heart or plastic lettering saying "mahou shoujo." For bracelets I generally use my wrist cuffs and pastel arm kandi or pearl bracelets, but I will occasionally wear a simple metal bracelet or a half pearl, half charm bracelet. For the most part though, I put on as many bracelets as possible! Rings and earrings are typically forgotten when I do everyday cords, but I generally wear two to four rings on each hand and a pair of pastel earrings when I do remember them. I'm trying to get better at changing my earrings to match my outfit so I'm not just wearing the simple fake pearl earrings I generally wear day to day since my job doesn't allow flashy earrings. I'm also looking at different ways to display my rings and my smaller hair clips so I'm more likely to actually wear them instead of forgetting they're in a small jewelry storage box. Other than jewelry and hair accessories, I'll occasionally put a decorative pin of some sort on my outfits as well, and that's pretty much the extent of my accessorizing.
What sort of accessories do you guys wear? Let me know in the comments below!
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Saturday, March 11, 2017
Lolita 52 Challenge: Plan for a Trip!
Hello everyone! Today I'm back with another Lolita 52 Challenge topic: Plan for a trip! A week's worth of Lolita outfits I can fit in a small suitcase. I'll be going over this from the perspective of what I own as well as a more generalized perspective. For both I'll be planning a Spring-time trip, so temperate weather with no heavy coats needed.
First up, how would I pack for a week with my current wardrobe. Since I only really have three Lolita dresses and a couple skirts, I would begin by laying them all out on my bed to decide on tops and accessories. Since I generally travel somewhere with access to a washer and dryer, I'd be able to get away with bringing my one blouse as well as camisoles for underneath, a nightgown, and my two cardigans and sweater as tops. Then I'd just alternate which days I'd have to wear a blouse with days I can wear a cardigan or my OP. For petticoats, I'd bring my two hand-made ones as well as a couple of the longer party store ones I have. Shoes, I would bring my tea parties, a pair of white heels, and my white boots (in case it rains). If weather was expected to be especially sunny or I planned on going to a beach, I would pack my white sandals instead of boots. I'd bring my white heart-shaped purse and pastel Ita bag as well. For accessories, I'd bring socks or tights as needed, my bloomers and spandex shorts, wristcuffs, and any necklaces, bracelets, and earrings I decided on for each coordinate. Most of my pieces come with a detachable bow or matching headbow, so hair accessories are simple, but I would bring some small pastel bows too if I didn't feel like wearing a larger bow that day. I'd also bring a colorful umbrella in case it rains or I need to shield myself from the sun.
For a non-specific wardrobe, we're going to assume that all of the pieces are either all in the same style or two different styles that can interchange basic accessories (like a simple white blouse). I would recommend packing two versatile JSKs and two skirts along with two or three blouses and two cardigans that work for all of the pieces and a cutsew that goes with one of the skirts. I'm also going to assume all of these pieces have similar lengths for the sake of this example, so two to four petticoats that can be easily packed down depending on the level of poof your skirts allow. (As an example, I generally only require two since I have larger hips and don't want a large amount of poof due to shorter skirts. However, someone with smaller hips or longer, classical skirts might need four to have a proper silhouette for their style.) In addition to these, two pairs of Lolita shoes that can work for two or more of the main pieces each and a weather specific pair of shoes (like boots or sandals) if needed. Otherwise three pairs of typical Lolita shoes, like teaparties, in colors that work with the main pieces. For accessories, I'd do the same as for my example, matching or coordinating headbows and/or smaller hair accessories, and necklaces and other pieces that work for each coordinate. In addition to those, any bloomers, shorts, camisoles, etc. needed for the wearer's comfort and a compact parasol or umbrella as needed.
What would you pack from your wardrobe for a week-long trip? Let me know in the comments!
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First up, how would I pack for a week with my current wardrobe. Since I only really have three Lolita dresses and a couple skirts, I would begin by laying them all out on my bed to decide on tops and accessories. Since I generally travel somewhere with access to a washer and dryer, I'd be able to get away with bringing my one blouse as well as camisoles for underneath, a nightgown, and my two cardigans and sweater as tops. Then I'd just alternate which days I'd have to wear a blouse with days I can wear a cardigan or my OP. For petticoats, I'd bring my two hand-made ones as well as a couple of the longer party store ones I have. Shoes, I would bring my tea parties, a pair of white heels, and my white boots (in case it rains). If weather was expected to be especially sunny or I planned on going to a beach, I would pack my white sandals instead of boots. I'd bring my white heart-shaped purse and pastel Ita bag as well. For accessories, I'd bring socks or tights as needed, my bloomers and spandex shorts, wristcuffs, and any necklaces, bracelets, and earrings I decided on for each coordinate. Most of my pieces come with a detachable bow or matching headbow, so hair accessories are simple, but I would bring some small pastel bows too if I didn't feel like wearing a larger bow that day. I'd also bring a colorful umbrella in case it rains or I need to shield myself from the sun.
For a non-specific wardrobe, we're going to assume that all of the pieces are either all in the same style or two different styles that can interchange basic accessories (like a simple white blouse). I would recommend packing two versatile JSKs and two skirts along with two or three blouses and two cardigans that work for all of the pieces and a cutsew that goes with one of the skirts. I'm also going to assume all of these pieces have similar lengths for the sake of this example, so two to four petticoats that can be easily packed down depending on the level of poof your skirts allow. (As an example, I generally only require two since I have larger hips and don't want a large amount of poof due to shorter skirts. However, someone with smaller hips or longer, classical skirts might need four to have a proper silhouette for their style.) In addition to these, two pairs of Lolita shoes that can work for two or more of the main pieces each and a weather specific pair of shoes (like boots or sandals) if needed. Otherwise three pairs of typical Lolita shoes, like teaparties, in colors that work with the main pieces. For accessories, I'd do the same as for my example, matching or coordinating headbows and/or smaller hair accessories, and necklaces and other pieces that work for each coordinate. In addition to those, any bloomers, shorts, camisoles, etc. needed for the wearer's comfort and a compact parasol or umbrella as needed.
What would you pack from your wardrobe for a week-long trip? Let me know in the comments!
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Saturday, March 4, 2017
Developing your Wardrobe
Hello everyone! Going off of last week's post, I decided to do an article on developing a basic wardrobe to a more complete wardrobe. This article is intended to help someone who already has a defined style, but may not have all of the pieces they want for an everyday wardrobe. If you want advice on starting to build an alternative style wardrobe, check out my Building a Wardrobe series (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4). Otherwise, you're in the right place!
So before we get into the steps, let's start with a definition of what a basic wardrobe is, mainly in reference to J-Fashion, but this can also be applied to other styles too. I consider a basic wardrobe to be one that you are able to make enough unique outfits for a week or mix and match the pieces you have to make a two week's worth of similarish outfits (like using the same tee and shoes with a different bottom and outer piece).
#1: Assess what you need
Once you have a basic wardrobe, you'll likely have a fairly good idea of what your style is, so you should be able to assess what your wardrobe is lacking or what it doesn't need. Take some time to go through your wardrobe and pick out pieces that you don't wear and decide if you don't wear them because you need new pieces to go with them or because you don't like them as much as you thought you did. Take some time to determine what you would need to wear the pieces you haven't been wearing and write them down. Once you've done this assessment, go through the pieces you do wear regularly and determine if the pieces you would need for your unworn or less worn pieces would work with what you already have. In addition to those, write down any other items you would like to add to your wardrobe such as weather specific items as well as anything you need to replace due to wear or fit issues.
#2: Prioritize
Once you've made a list of what you'd like to add to your wardrobe you can prioritize which pieces to buy first based on what works with the most pieces or what needs to be replaced. You can either rewrite your list in order of most needed/wanted or just write ranking numbers next to the items or something similar. A good way to decide on priority is to think what items you need sooner rather than later, like if it's getting cold out and you need a good coat and boots, you'd want to put those higher on your list than a light Summer blouse. Also, you can prioritize based on rarity of an item or how many items in your wardrobe it'll work with.
#3: Research and buy
Once you know what you want and what order you want it in, you can start to research which items specifically you want as well as start looking for auctions and sales with what you need. I highly recommend researching prices for specific items you want by looking through sold listings. For example, when I decided I wanted to buy Jewelry Jelly, I looked it up on Lolibrary to decide which style I'd prefer (JSK or OP) and make sure the measurements would fit me. After that, I pulled up sold listings for it on Lacemarket and compared the prices based on colorway, style, and what was included (matching headbow, socks, etc). From that I was able to get an average price to expect and was later able to buy the OP with matching headbow second-hand from Storenvy! Great places to look for used J-fashion are Lacemarket and its spinoffs (Kei market, etc, linked at the top of the page), Facebook groups (usually searching the style and sales works well for finding them), and eBay or Storenvy (just be careful and check their feedback). You can also check in local Lolita and J-fashion groups to see if there will be a swapmeet or if anyone is selling anything and willing to do a local trade/sale.
Do you guys have any plans for your wardrobes? Let me know in the comments below!
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So before we get into the steps, let's start with a definition of what a basic wardrobe is, mainly in reference to J-Fashion, but this can also be applied to other styles too. I consider a basic wardrobe to be one that you are able to make enough unique outfits for a week or mix and match the pieces you have to make a two week's worth of similarish outfits (like using the same tee and shoes with a different bottom and outer piece).
#1: Assess what you need
Once you have a basic wardrobe, you'll likely have a fairly good idea of what your style is, so you should be able to assess what your wardrobe is lacking or what it doesn't need. Take some time to go through your wardrobe and pick out pieces that you don't wear and decide if you don't wear them because you need new pieces to go with them or because you don't like them as much as you thought you did. Take some time to determine what you would need to wear the pieces you haven't been wearing and write them down. Once you've done this assessment, go through the pieces you do wear regularly and determine if the pieces you would need for your unworn or less worn pieces would work with what you already have. In addition to those, write down any other items you would like to add to your wardrobe such as weather specific items as well as anything you need to replace due to wear or fit issues.
#2: Prioritize
Once you've made a list of what you'd like to add to your wardrobe you can prioritize which pieces to buy first based on what works with the most pieces or what needs to be replaced. You can either rewrite your list in order of most needed/wanted or just write ranking numbers next to the items or something similar. A good way to decide on priority is to think what items you need sooner rather than later, like if it's getting cold out and you need a good coat and boots, you'd want to put those higher on your list than a light Summer blouse. Also, you can prioritize based on rarity of an item or how many items in your wardrobe it'll work with.
#3: Research and buy
Once you know what you want and what order you want it in, you can start to research which items specifically you want as well as start looking for auctions and sales with what you need. I highly recommend researching prices for specific items you want by looking through sold listings. For example, when I decided I wanted to buy Jewelry Jelly, I looked it up on Lolibrary to decide which style I'd prefer (JSK or OP) and make sure the measurements would fit me. After that, I pulled up sold listings for it on Lacemarket and compared the prices based on colorway, style, and what was included (matching headbow, socks, etc). From that I was able to get an average price to expect and was later able to buy the OP with matching headbow second-hand from Storenvy! Great places to look for used J-fashion are Lacemarket and its spinoffs (Kei market, etc, linked at the top of the page), Facebook groups (usually searching the style and sales works well for finding them), and eBay or Storenvy (just be careful and check their feedback). You can also check in local Lolita and J-fashion groups to see if there will be a swapmeet or if anyone is selling anything and willing to do a local trade/sale.
Do you guys have any plans for your wardrobes? Let me know in the comments below!
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Saturday, February 25, 2017
Lolita 52 Challenge: How Satisfied I am with my Current Wardrobe
Hello everyone! Today I'm back with another topic from the Lolita 52 Challenge: How satisfied I am with my current wardrobe. Let's get started!
So I kinda waited to write this until a few weeks prior to it posting to make sure I wouldn't have to entirely rewrite it a few months down the road. So you can reasonably assume that this post is up to date for the time being as I have zero money to spend on wardrobe additions right now... Currently, I feel like I have a pretty good base wardrobe in Lolita and J-fashion. I have enough pieces I could probably put together a different Lolita outfit for every day of the week and still have each one be somewhat unique (a challenge I've considered to be a good goal for a basic Lolita wardrobe). As for J-fashion, I've been able to put together two weeks worth of outfits in the past and I know that I could easily do the same now as well. So for workability, I feel my wardrobe's in pretty good shape.
In terms of items I don't know how to coordinate and pieces that don't suit my style anymore, I did a bit of a closet cleanout several months ago with my Gothic clothing and realized I didn't want to wear the majority of it anymore. I still have some pieces I'm dithering over and some I've yet to reassess for both J-fashion and other styles. I also have a lot of fabric and half-made pieces lying around my crafting area waiting for me to get back to sewing that I need to assess if they're still something I want to make and own.
I still have a plan of items I wish to add to my wardrobe, but I feel like I have a fairly decent basic wardrobe that's lacking a little bit in cold weather items such as gloves and tights. I would like to add more to my Lolita and Fairy Kei wardrobes so I can have more variety to work with and have less similar looking outfits or having to change clothing plans because both of my cutsews are in the hamper all the time. So I'm generally happy with my current wardrobe, but still want to add a lot more pieces to it.
Do you feel satisfied with where your wardrobe, J-fashion or otherwise, is at? Or is it a huge mess that you can't wear any of? Let me know in the comments!
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Saturday, January 14, 2017
Lolita 52 Challenge: My First Meetup
Hello everyone! Today I'm going to be talking about my first meetup. I thought I'd already written a post on this, but I must have lost inspiration and never finished it... So without any further ado, here's my experience from my first Lolita meetup!
So, while I've been into Lolita fashion for quite a few years now, I didn't go to an official Lolita meetup until fairly recently. I was living in a different area from where I grew up and hadn't really met any Lolitas in 'the wild' or at cons. Fortunately I'd managed to find the local Lolita communities on Facebook, so I was able to find out when meetups were happening. After about a month, I finally found a meetup that I wasn't working during and that I could drive to. Since I was unfamiliar with the area, I didn't realize that the meetup was in the city and only had my GPS to rely on to get to the meetup. I was fortunate that even though I was kinda late to the meetup, I was easily able to find everyone else at the tea shop we were meeting at and was just in time to look through the menu and decide what I wanted to order. I'm not really a fan of tea, so I decided to try what the waitress recommended since I haven't really tried a lot of different varieties before. I kinda wish I had ordered something iced, because I ended up having a pot of tea I didn't really drink much of until it cooled down a bit. Everything else was wonderful though! We all got the same set that came with a few little deserts, some sandwiches, and a scone. Everyone was really nice too. I wasn't too talkative since I had just met everyone, but I still made friends and had a fun time. After tea, we all took coord pictures and then headed off to a paint your own pottery place. I accidentally went to the wrong one first, but the people there were able to direct me to the correct place and everyone else was already there, thankfully! I hadn't gotten anyone's number at that point and didn't have data on my phone, so I wouldn't have been able to contact anyone if I'd gotten lost. We all had fun choosing and painting our own pottery pieces, after which we all said goodbye and went our separate ways. I really had a lot of fun meeting everyone and keep in contact with them through Facebook as well as occasionally see them at events, so I'm really glad I decided to go!
Have you ever been to a Lolita meetup? Was it at a convention, or did a friend bring you along? What was your first experience meeting other Lolitas in an organized event? Let me know in the comments!
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So, while I've been into Lolita fashion for quite a few years now, I didn't go to an official Lolita meetup until fairly recently. I was living in a different area from where I grew up and hadn't really met any Lolitas in 'the wild' or at cons. Fortunately I'd managed to find the local Lolita communities on Facebook, so I was able to find out when meetups were happening. After about a month, I finally found a meetup that I wasn't working during and that I could drive to. Since I was unfamiliar with the area, I didn't realize that the meetup was in the city and only had my GPS to rely on to get to the meetup. I was fortunate that even though I was kinda late to the meetup, I was easily able to find everyone else at the tea shop we were meeting at and was just in time to look through the menu and decide what I wanted to order. I'm not really a fan of tea, so I decided to try what the waitress recommended since I haven't really tried a lot of different varieties before. I kinda wish I had ordered something iced, because I ended up having a pot of tea I didn't really drink much of until it cooled down a bit. Everything else was wonderful though! We all got the same set that came with a few little deserts, some sandwiches, and a scone. Everyone was really nice too. I wasn't too talkative since I had just met everyone, but I still made friends and had a fun time. After tea, we all took coord pictures and then headed off to a paint your own pottery place. I accidentally went to the wrong one first, but the people there were able to direct me to the correct place and everyone else was already there, thankfully! I hadn't gotten anyone's number at that point and didn't have data on my phone, so I wouldn't have been able to contact anyone if I'd gotten lost. We all had fun choosing and painting our own pottery pieces, after which we all said goodbye and went our separate ways. I really had a lot of fun meeting everyone and keep in contact with them through Facebook as well as occasionally see them at events, so I'm really glad I decided to go!
Have you ever been to a Lolita meetup? Was it at a convention, or did a friend bring you along? What was your first experience meeting other Lolitas in an organized event? Let me know in the comments!
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Saturday, January 7, 2017
Lolita 52 Challenge: 10 Facts About my Lolita Wardrobe
Hello everyone! Today I'm back with another Lolita 52 Challenge: 10 facts about my Lolita wardrobe. It was pretty hard coming up with 10 things, TBH, but here they are nonetheless.
#1: It smol
As I mention over and over again, I have a fairly small Lolita wardrobe with only a few main pieces and a few more basic pieces. I am still working on building my Lolita wardrobe and I have a finite amount of time to shop and plan as well as money to use on items, so it's not progressing as fast as I would like.
#2: Most of my pieces are L or 2L
Due to size differences between Japanese people and American people, I generally find myself ordering a large or extra large size when buying from brands. I'm by no means obese or even especially fat (though I am a bit chubby), but due to my frame and build, I will never be able to wear a smaller size like what a Japanese girl might wear.
#3: Pastel e'rething
I love bright, cheerful, pastel colors and as a result the majority of my Lolita wardrobe is pastel. Pastel jewelry, pastel shoes, pastel dresses, etc. I have a couple Gothic Lolita pieces, but I don't wear them as often.
#4: Serious lack of wristcuffs
I love the look of wristcuffs and they are also very popular nowadays as an accessory and yet I have all of one set I made that's more suited to Fairy Kei or Decora coordinates than Lolita due to their simplicity.
#5: Do plushies count as clothes?
I have a lot of plushies, especially plushies on keychains, that I use to accessorize my room and my bags. Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to really use them in a coordinate, but I think it could be fun!
#6: I wear 2 out of 20 pairs of shoes I own
I might be exaggerating just a bit, but I generally wear the same two pairs of teaparties with my coordinates as I only have one pair of pink and white ones and one black pair. I occasionally will wear my non-Lolita shoes with a coordinate, like my combat boots on a rainy day or my sandals on a warmer day, but for the most part I don't wear a lot of the shoes I have.
#7: There's a lot of cool tones
On top of everything being pastel, most of my wardrobe's blue toned. Be it mint, light blue, or purple, I don't have a lot of pink or any yellow pieces in my wardrobe. As I mentioned in my Rosa Hermetica review, I did try to get a pink dress, but due to a miscommunication I ended up with the purple colorway instead.
#8: Not well suited for the cold
When Winter first started blowing in this year, it hit me full force how unprepared for cold weather my wardrobe is. Especially since I got rid of some long sleeved tees I had gotten, which in hindsight wasn't the smartest idea. I have some cardigans and a coat, but with as frigid as the wind gets where I live, that's definitely not gonna be enough.
#9: All my blouses look the same
I have three short sleeved, white/off-white blouses and despite them having different details, they all kinda look the same under a JSK. I'm thinking I might try dying the one I stained if I can get the stains out with bleach or a color remover so I can have a pink blouse or something.
#10: Contrary to popular belief, I didn't make it all.
A lot of my friends and folks who know me know that I am capable of sewing, so a lot of people just assume I make everything I wear. In reality, only three clothing pieces in my Lolita wardrobe were handmade by me. And two of them are my petticoats. ^^;;
Well, that was a lot harder than I anticipated. What are some facts about your wardrobe, Lolita or otherwise? Let me know in the comments!
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#1: It smol
As I mention over and over again, I have a fairly small Lolita wardrobe with only a few main pieces and a few more basic pieces. I am still working on building my Lolita wardrobe and I have a finite amount of time to shop and plan as well as money to use on items, so it's not progressing as fast as I would like.
#2: Most of my pieces are L or 2L
Due to size differences between Japanese people and American people, I generally find myself ordering a large or extra large size when buying from brands. I'm by no means obese or even especially fat (though I am a bit chubby), but due to my frame and build, I will never be able to wear a smaller size like what a Japanese girl might wear.
#3: Pastel e'rething
I love bright, cheerful, pastel colors and as a result the majority of my Lolita wardrobe is pastel. Pastel jewelry, pastel shoes, pastel dresses, etc. I have a couple Gothic Lolita pieces, but I don't wear them as often.
#4: Serious lack of wristcuffs
I love the look of wristcuffs and they are also very popular nowadays as an accessory and yet I have all of one set I made that's more suited to Fairy Kei or Decora coordinates than Lolita due to their simplicity.
#5: Do plushies count as clothes?
I have a lot of plushies, especially plushies on keychains, that I use to accessorize my room and my bags. Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to really use them in a coordinate, but I think it could be fun!
#6: I wear 2 out of 20 pairs of shoes I own
I might be exaggerating just a bit, but I generally wear the same two pairs of teaparties with my coordinates as I only have one pair of pink and white ones and one black pair. I occasionally will wear my non-Lolita shoes with a coordinate, like my combat boots on a rainy day or my sandals on a warmer day, but for the most part I don't wear a lot of the shoes I have.
#7: There's a lot of cool tones
On top of everything being pastel, most of my wardrobe's blue toned. Be it mint, light blue, or purple, I don't have a lot of pink or any yellow pieces in my wardrobe. As I mentioned in my Rosa Hermetica review, I did try to get a pink dress, but due to a miscommunication I ended up with the purple colorway instead.
#8: Not well suited for the cold
When Winter first started blowing in this year, it hit me full force how unprepared for cold weather my wardrobe is. Especially since I got rid of some long sleeved tees I had gotten, which in hindsight wasn't the smartest idea. I have some cardigans and a coat, but with as frigid as the wind gets where I live, that's definitely not gonna be enough.
#9: All my blouses look the same
I have three short sleeved, white/off-white blouses and despite them having different details, they all kinda look the same under a JSK. I'm thinking I might try dying the one I stained if I can get the stains out with bleach or a color remover so I can have a pink blouse or something.
#10: Contrary to popular belief, I didn't make it all.
A lot of my friends and folks who know me know that I am capable of sewing, so a lot of people just assume I make everything I wear. In reality, only three clothing pieces in my Lolita wardrobe were handmade by me. And two of them are my petticoats. ^^;;
Well, that was a lot harder than I anticipated. What are some facts about your wardrobe, Lolita or otherwise? Let me know in the comments!
Go like and follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Subscribe to me on Youtube: WatashiWaChoCho
See my shameless spamming: @ChoChoButterfly
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Saturday, December 31, 2016
Lolita 52 Challenge: 3 Things I Wish I Was Told When I Was a New Lolita
Hello everyone! Today we're back with another Lolita 52 challenge topic: 3 things I wish I was told when I was a new Lolita. Let's go!
#1:Lolita in anime is different from Lolita in real life
One of the main places I saw Lolita fashion outside of the Gothic & Lolita Bible was anime when I first started getting into the style. Because of this, I saw a lot more "Lolita style" rather than actual Lolita outfits. While many of the dresses I saw in animes were similar to some Old School styles, which at the time were more current than they are now, it took me a while to separate anime Lolita from actual Lolita mentally and come to accept the changes in the fashion as well as learn how to not look like a horrible ita.
#2: BODYLINE: YOU CAN BUY IT
I really wish I'd been a bit more savvy about buying things online when I was getting into Lolita because I could have started building a decent wardrobe much sooner. I'm not sure exactly how long Bodyline's been shipping overseas and been decent quality, but judging from Princess Peachie's wardrobe tour, I'd hazard a guess that I would have been able to get some pieces a few years after I discovered Lolita. One of the things I wish I could have done is experiment more with my wardrobe in J-fashion during my mid-teens, so if I'd known how to order on Bodyline, I could potentially have a stronger wardrobe by this point like many of the Lolitas I admire.
#3: For the love of all that is good, DON'T BUY THOSE SHOES
Yeah, I still feel really stupid about buying a pair of really clunky shoes that were three sizes too big for me at the thrift store thinking I could throw some lace and ribbons on them and have them be Lolita and magically fit me. Basically, I wish I could have told myself what would and wouldn't work for Lolita and prevent myself from making horrible fashion mistakes as well as wasting money. I wish I had had someone who could have showed me what good quality Lolita looked like, what nice lace felt like, and generally given me some more knowledge of what is good quality Lolita VS poor quality Lolita or things better suited to Lolita's earliest days.
Is there any advice you'd give your younger self about the style you currently wear? Let me know in the comments below!
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Saturday, December 24, 2016
Lolita 52 Challenge: Lolitas I Have Met in Real Life and Lolitas I Would Love to Meet
Hello everyone! For today I'm combining two of the Lolita 52 Challenge topics: Lolitas I have met in real life and Lolitas I would love to meet. Due to the ambiguity of this prompt, I'm going to be talking about well known Lolitas, brand designers, and other popular Lolitas rather than just every single person I've seen in a frilly dress over the years.
Lolitas I have met in real life
So as you probably know if you've been following this blog for a while or read all of the back-log I'm friends with a Californian Lolita designer, Miss Carlyfornia. She's not a big company name or even all that popular outside of the Northern California con scene as best as I can tell, and her products are becoming less and less Lolita due to product costs and customer interest unfortunately. Other than Miss Carlyfornia, I'm friends with Mahou Prince (Typically Decora, but he does wear Lolita on occasion) and his girlfriend Danni (She's the cutest) as well as Mina or Minaminakawaii as is her username on YouTube.
Lolitas I would love to meet
Some of the more famous Lolitas I would like to meet are Lovely Lor, Yui Minakata, Misako Aoki, and Mana. Lovely Lor is one of my favorite YouTubers and I love how creative she is with her coordinates with items like a pancake stack headdress and Rilakuma ears. Yui Minakata is my personal Lolita rolemodel. I just adore how cute and innocent she looks and acts and would love to someday meet her in person and get a picture or purricura with her. Misako Aoki is, of course, the Lolita queen in a way and as such I would like to meet her at least once as she somewhat reminds me of Momoko from Kamikaze Girls with how her lifestyle is centered around Lolita. Lastly, Mana is the main reason Lolita really took off back in the day and he is also one of the most beautiful and handsome people I have ever seen. I'm still in awe of how androgynous he can be looking amazing as either a male or female. I would probably be the happiest person alive if I could ever meet him or even see him in person as deep down he's the main reason I came to love Lolita and eventually expand into other J-Fashion.
In terms of slightly less famous and widely known Lolitas I would like to meet in person are my two lovely friends Alis Rosen (owner of Rosa Hermetica) and Nonobunny. Both are very sweet ladies, but are unfortunately in a different country from me and so I have never met either of them in person.
Are there any famous Lolitas you've met or would like to meet? Let me know in the comments below!
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Lolitas I have met in real life
So as you probably know if you've been following this blog for a while or read all of the back-log I'm friends with a Californian Lolita designer, Miss Carlyfornia. She's not a big company name or even all that popular outside of the Northern California con scene as best as I can tell, and her products are becoming less and less Lolita due to product costs and customer interest unfortunately. Other than Miss Carlyfornia, I'm friends with Mahou Prince (Typically Decora, but he does wear Lolita on occasion) and his girlfriend Danni (She's the cutest) as well as Mina or Minaminakawaii as is her username on YouTube.
Lolitas I would love to meet
Some of the more famous Lolitas I would like to meet are Lovely Lor, Yui Minakata, Misako Aoki, and Mana. Lovely Lor is one of my favorite YouTubers and I love how creative she is with her coordinates with items like a pancake stack headdress and Rilakuma ears. Yui Minakata is my personal Lolita rolemodel. I just adore how cute and innocent she looks and acts and would love to someday meet her in person and get a picture or purricura with her. Misako Aoki is, of course, the Lolita queen in a way and as such I would like to meet her at least once as she somewhat reminds me of Momoko from Kamikaze Girls with how her lifestyle is centered around Lolita. Lastly, Mana is the main reason Lolita really took off back in the day and he is also one of the most beautiful and handsome people I have ever seen. I'm still in awe of how androgynous he can be looking amazing as either a male or female. I would probably be the happiest person alive if I could ever meet him or even see him in person as deep down he's the main reason I came to love Lolita and eventually expand into other J-Fashion.
In terms of slightly less famous and widely known Lolitas I would like to meet in person are my two lovely friends Alis Rosen (owner of Rosa Hermetica) and Nonobunny. Both are very sweet ladies, but are unfortunately in a different country from me and so I have never met either of them in person.
Are there any famous Lolitas you've met or would like to meet? Let me know in the comments below!
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Saturday, December 17, 2016
Lolita 52 Challenge: Combining Other Fashions with Lolita
Hello everyone! Today's Lolita 52 Challenge topic is combining other fashions with Lolita, which somewhat confuses me. I'm not entirely sure what this topic's asking for, but I'm guessing I'm supposed to talk about how to mix Lolita with other styles or mixing other styles into Lolita? So that's what I'm going to talk about.
So, as we all know, Lolita has a lot of "rules" or guidelines that make it what it is. Modest knecklines, skirts at the knee, cupcake shaped skirts, so how do you mix this in with a different style without it looking like you did a terrible job making a Lolita coordinate? I'm going to be talking about mixing Lolita pieces into three different non-Lolita styles: Goth, Decora, and Fairy Kei.
#1: Goth
So as many of us seasoned Lolitas know, Lolita started out with a lot of takeaways from Gothic and Visual Kei fashion. It's since grown and changed into its own separate thing, but there are still ties such as Gothic Lolita. Because of this, it's fairly easy to wear Lolita and still be consided to be wearing Goth clothing. However, much like Lolita, Goth fashion has many different substyles, so what works for Lolita might not always work for a different substyle of Goth. So let's work with just one of those styles, Romantic Goth. Rather than just say wear Elegant Gothic Lolita (EGL) and sending you on your way, let's talk about what some things you can add to a typical Gothic Lolita outfit to make it have more of a Romantic Goth feel. First of all, choose a dress with a corset detailing on it and change the ribbon so it contrasts to create a more noticeable look or wear a skirt and blouse combo with a corset on top. Choose jewelry with black or dark jewel toned gems in it such as a choker and rings. If you're wearing a skirt or JSK, add a lace or chiffon blouse with flowing sleeves underneath. Choose a skirt with an asymmetrical or hi-low style cut or put a sheer to semi-sheer overskirt on over or under the skirt (but over the petticoats to retain the shape) to add more detail. Choose accessories such as lace gauntlets or gloves, fishnet or patterned black tights, and a coffin shaped purse. Shoes with a more pointed toe or a narrower rounded toe than teaparties would look best for this.
#2: Decora
Back when I was first getting into Lolita this new sub-style called Deco Lolita was just coming into style. It combined Lolita dresses with more than typical accessories, colorful wigs, and colored tennis shoes instead of mary janes or teaparties. Nowadays we have styles such as OTT Lolita (Over the top Lolita) that are accessory overload. What I want to talk about is taking Deco Lolita and revamping it by incorporating more modern Decora trends into a coordinate. One of the first things you can do is layering pieces differently. While Lolita tends to have a very put-together look, Decora can be all over the place. Try bringing that look into a coord by layering a skirt in a different colorway and print over a JSK, wearing a bulkier jacket, or having colorful petticoats peeking out from under a skirt or even on top! Rather than the typical OTT layering of accessories, try adding pieces in different colors from your main pieces. Add bulky bangles, watches, legwarmers, and lots of hair clips to your coordinate. Also, similar to the Deco Lolita of old, wear brightly colored tennis shoes, fuzzy slippers, or platforms instead of typical Lolita footwear.
#3: Fairy Kei
Fairy Kei definitely uses Lolita pieces a fair amount, so let's talk about adding Fairy Kei to Lolita! Obviously there's Sweet Lolita and Casual Lolita, but I want to talk about ways to make a Lolita coord that stands apart from those and resembles Fairy Kei more. My first recommendation for this is to incorporate typical 80s cartoon characters from Fairy Kei into a coordinate and avoid prints if you don't have one with these characters on it. For example, wear a cutsew with My Little Pony or Carebears over a blouse, add accessories with little characters on them, or even carry a plush with you. Another idea is to wear the typical colorful Fairy Kei tutus rather than a skirt (though a longer length would be best) or layer them over your skirt instead of having petticoats under your skirt. Like with the Decora look, wearing colorful tennis shoes instead of typical Lolita shoes would add to the look. Be careful to keep typically Lolita elements such as skirt shape and blouses in mind to help ensure your outfit looks more Lolita with a Fairy Kei twist rather than just Fairy Kei using Lolita pieces.
What do you guys think? Would you try any of these looks out? Let me know, and be sure to post a picture on my facebook if you do any of these!
Go like and follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Subscribe to me on Youtube: WatashiWaChoCho
See my shameless spamming: @ChoChoButterfly
Peruse my wares: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
So, as we all know, Lolita has a lot of "rules" or guidelines that make it what it is. Modest knecklines, skirts at the knee, cupcake shaped skirts, so how do you mix this in with a different style without it looking like you did a terrible job making a Lolita coordinate? I'm going to be talking about mixing Lolita pieces into three different non-Lolita styles: Goth, Decora, and Fairy Kei.
#1: Goth
So as many of us seasoned Lolitas know, Lolita started out with a lot of takeaways from Gothic and Visual Kei fashion. It's since grown and changed into its own separate thing, but there are still ties such as Gothic Lolita. Because of this, it's fairly easy to wear Lolita and still be consided to be wearing Goth clothing. However, much like Lolita, Goth fashion has many different substyles, so what works for Lolita might not always work for a different substyle of Goth. So let's work with just one of those styles, Romantic Goth. Rather than just say wear Elegant Gothic Lolita (EGL) and sending you on your way, let's talk about what some things you can add to a typical Gothic Lolita outfit to make it have more of a Romantic Goth feel. First of all, choose a dress with a corset detailing on it and change the ribbon so it contrasts to create a more noticeable look or wear a skirt and blouse combo with a corset on top. Choose jewelry with black or dark jewel toned gems in it such as a choker and rings. If you're wearing a skirt or JSK, add a lace or chiffon blouse with flowing sleeves underneath. Choose a skirt with an asymmetrical or hi-low style cut or put a sheer to semi-sheer overskirt on over or under the skirt (but over the petticoats to retain the shape) to add more detail. Choose accessories such as lace gauntlets or gloves, fishnet or patterned black tights, and a coffin shaped purse. Shoes with a more pointed toe or a narrower rounded toe than teaparties would look best for this.
#2: Decora
Back when I was first getting into Lolita this new sub-style called Deco Lolita was just coming into style. It combined Lolita dresses with more than typical accessories, colorful wigs, and colored tennis shoes instead of mary janes or teaparties. Nowadays we have styles such as OTT Lolita (Over the top Lolita) that are accessory overload. What I want to talk about is taking Deco Lolita and revamping it by incorporating more modern Decora trends into a coordinate. One of the first things you can do is layering pieces differently. While Lolita tends to have a very put-together look, Decora can be all over the place. Try bringing that look into a coord by layering a skirt in a different colorway and print over a JSK, wearing a bulkier jacket, or having colorful petticoats peeking out from under a skirt or even on top! Rather than the typical OTT layering of accessories, try adding pieces in different colors from your main pieces. Add bulky bangles, watches, legwarmers, and lots of hair clips to your coordinate. Also, similar to the Deco Lolita of old, wear brightly colored tennis shoes, fuzzy slippers, or platforms instead of typical Lolita footwear.
#3: Fairy Kei
Fairy Kei definitely uses Lolita pieces a fair amount, so let's talk about adding Fairy Kei to Lolita! Obviously there's Sweet Lolita and Casual Lolita, but I want to talk about ways to make a Lolita coord that stands apart from those and resembles Fairy Kei more. My first recommendation for this is to incorporate typical 80s cartoon characters from Fairy Kei into a coordinate and avoid prints if you don't have one with these characters on it. For example, wear a cutsew with My Little Pony or Carebears over a blouse, add accessories with little characters on them, or even carry a plush with you. Another idea is to wear the typical colorful Fairy Kei tutus rather than a skirt (though a longer length would be best) or layer them over your skirt instead of having petticoats under your skirt. Like with the Decora look, wearing colorful tennis shoes instead of typical Lolita shoes would add to the look. Be careful to keep typically Lolita elements such as skirt shape and blouses in mind to help ensure your outfit looks more Lolita with a Fairy Kei twist rather than just Fairy Kei using Lolita pieces.
What do you guys think? Would you try any of these looks out? Let me know, and be sure to post a picture on my facebook if you do any of these!
Go like and follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Subscribe to me on Youtube: WatashiWaChoCho
See my shameless spamming: @ChoChoButterfly
Peruse my wares: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
Saturday, December 10, 2016
3 Lolita Trends I Never Got Into
Hello everyone! Going off of the last Lolita 52 Challenge topic I did, I decided to do a flip-side post: 3 Lolita trends I never got into.
#1: Animal ears
Back when I got into Lolita, animal ears were highly discouraged because of their costume-like nature and the struggle to differentiate Lolita from cosplay. The style of Lolita has changed a lot over the years and doesn't resemble the style typically portrayed in anime now, so animal ears are more widely accepted in the style. While quality of animal ear based head accessories has improved a LOT over the years, I just never really got into the look.
#2: Gigantic collars
A few months back I got a new blouse from Bodyline that has a HUGE collar that almost extends past my shoulders. I very quickly realized that it looked terrible on me as I have a somewhat large frame to begin with, so I took the outer part of the collar off and made it smaller to suit me better. I'm not entirely sure if this would suit most people, so I'm glad it's not a very prominent trend.
#3: Chocolate prints
So, little known fact, I don't enjoy the flavor of chocolate, even in small quantities like with red velvet cake or candies. And because of this fact, I've had people telling me my whole life things like 'something's wrong with you,' 'are you even American?' and 'that's just weird!' (Another little known fact, we're about as common as left-handed people: About 10% of the population.) Because of jerks like this, I now have a deep set loathing for chocolate in all forms that aren't of the Reeces holiday variety (it doesn't even taste like chocolate). So, because of this, I never really got on the chocolate everything Lolita bandwagon. I truly try to appreciate the prints, but I just don't care for them all that much.
Do you have any trends in your style you never got into or just downright hate? Let me know in the comments below!
Go like and follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Subscribe to me on Youtube: WatashiWaChoCho
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Peruse my wares: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
#1: Animal ears
Back when I got into Lolita, animal ears were highly discouraged because of their costume-like nature and the struggle to differentiate Lolita from cosplay. The style of Lolita has changed a lot over the years and doesn't resemble the style typically portrayed in anime now, so animal ears are more widely accepted in the style. While quality of animal ear based head accessories has improved a LOT over the years, I just never really got into the look.
#2: Gigantic collars
A few months back I got a new blouse from Bodyline that has a HUGE collar that almost extends past my shoulders. I very quickly realized that it looked terrible on me as I have a somewhat large frame to begin with, so I took the outer part of the collar off and made it smaller to suit me better. I'm not entirely sure if this would suit most people, so I'm glad it's not a very prominent trend.
#3: Chocolate prints
So, little known fact, I don't enjoy the flavor of chocolate, even in small quantities like with red velvet cake or candies. And because of this fact, I've had people telling me my whole life things like 'something's wrong with you,' 'are you even American?' and 'that's just weird!' (Another little known fact, we're about as common as left-handed people: About 10% of the population.) Because of jerks like this, I now have a deep set loathing for chocolate in all forms that aren't of the Reeces holiday variety (it doesn't even taste like chocolate). So, because of this, I never really got on the chocolate everything Lolita bandwagon. I truly try to appreciate the prints, but I just don't care for them all that much.
Do you have any trends in your style you never got into or just downright hate? Let me know in the comments below!
Go like and follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Subscribe to me on Youtube: WatashiWaChoCho
See my shameless spamming: @ChoChoButterfly
Peruse my wares: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
Saturday, December 3, 2016
I'm Dreaming of a Angelic Pretty OP~
Hello everyone! With Christmas just around the corner, I wanted to talk about how to help your family and friends who aren't into J-Fashion choose gifts that you'll enjoy. I'm sure we all have that relative who likes to give us socks or some other 'useful gift' every Christmas and birthday and a few lucky ones have a relative who goes above and beyond to buy things you really really want, so these are recommendations to help everyone inbetween to find things you like for Christmas.
#1: Ask for giftcards to specific places
Nowadays a lot of my relatives just send me giftcards because they don't really know what exactly I'd like to receive or they don't have much time to go shopping for everyone on their list. Unfortunately, I can't always find things I want at Target and Walmart fashion-wise, so I try to ask for ones from places I would shop at. For example, Etsy has an abundance of cool handmade and J-fashion items to choose from, so you could ask for gift cards from there. If you like making your own pieces or accessories, you could ask for Michael's or Joann's gift cards. I've found that Forever 21 is a great place to look for cute bags and layering pieces for Cult Party Kei too!
#2: Make an Amazon wishlist
A lot of people shop on Amazon nowadays, so if you send a wishlist of things you like on Amazon to your friends and family, they can still surprise you with something and get you something you like at the same time. Just be careful to make sure the item will fit you and it has good reviews. I've found some good quality wigs and cosplays on Amazon too, just make sure none of the reviews mention anything about a wig being thin or fabric being stiff or costumy.
#3: Give them general ideas
Not all people like to buy things online, so it's also a good idea to give ideas for things that family members can buy at physical stores. For example, tea, tea sets, candles, perfume, bath bombs, or scented lotions are all easily obtained at the mall. Make sure to let your friends and family know if you like collecting teacups or have a LUSH obsession or similar things as these are a lot easier to buy than the newest release from Angelic Pretty for people who aren't familiar with J-fashion.
#4: Ask for Visa giftcards or cash
If you let your friends and family know you're saving up for something specific (or paying off a harp...) and that being able to afford that would be a lot better than lots of smaller gifts, you can ask your family for cold hard cash. I know a lot of people may not like sending just plain old bills or checks anymore, so you can always ask for a Visa gift card so you can spend the money they send you wherever you want to. For example, you can spend it on your groceries or car repairs so you can put that money you would have spent in your paypal to get that dress on Lacemarket you really want.
#5: Exchanges and trading gift cards
I know not everyone has understanding family or family that supports their fashion choices (or gets that you aren't a 12 year old in baggy sweatshirts anymore), so if all else fails, ask for gift receipts in case something 'doesn't fit' so you can return items for store credit. I know a lot of my family likes seeing me wearing the clothes they buy me, so I'll take a picture of the item, post it on Facebook or email it for them to see, then donate, sell, or return the item if it's something I won't wear outside of that picture. You can also try to revamp an item with lace and bows and such if you like the color, but want it to fit into your wardrobe better. If you get gift cards from family for places you just don't go, find a friend who does and see if they're willing to get you a gift card to somewhere else in exchange or just give you money in exchange. I know these methods may seem a little shady, but the main thing to remember about gifts from your family is that their purpose is to convey their love towards you. Once you receive the gift, it's purpose has been achieved and you shouldn't feel bad about getting rid of it if it's not something that's useful to you or sparks joy in your life.
What sort of things do you have on your Christmas wishlist this year? Let me know in the comments below!
Go like and follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Subscribe to me on Youtube: WatashiWaChoCho
See my shameless spamming: @ChoChoButterfly
Peruse my wares: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
#1: Ask for giftcards to specific places
Nowadays a lot of my relatives just send me giftcards because they don't really know what exactly I'd like to receive or they don't have much time to go shopping for everyone on their list. Unfortunately, I can't always find things I want at Target and Walmart fashion-wise, so I try to ask for ones from places I would shop at. For example, Etsy has an abundance of cool handmade and J-fashion items to choose from, so you could ask for gift cards from there. If you like making your own pieces or accessories, you could ask for Michael's or Joann's gift cards. I've found that Forever 21 is a great place to look for cute bags and layering pieces for Cult Party Kei too!
#2: Make an Amazon wishlist
A lot of people shop on Amazon nowadays, so if you send a wishlist of things you like on Amazon to your friends and family, they can still surprise you with something and get you something you like at the same time. Just be careful to make sure the item will fit you and it has good reviews. I've found some good quality wigs and cosplays on Amazon too, just make sure none of the reviews mention anything about a wig being thin or fabric being stiff or costumy.
#3: Give them general ideas
Not all people like to buy things online, so it's also a good idea to give ideas for things that family members can buy at physical stores. For example, tea, tea sets, candles, perfume, bath bombs, or scented lotions are all easily obtained at the mall. Make sure to let your friends and family know if you like collecting teacups or have a LUSH obsession or similar things as these are a lot easier to buy than the newest release from Angelic Pretty for people who aren't familiar with J-fashion.
#4: Ask for Visa giftcards or cash
If you let your friends and family know you're saving up for something specific (or paying off a harp...) and that being able to afford that would be a lot better than lots of smaller gifts, you can ask your family for cold hard cash. I know a lot of people may not like sending just plain old bills or checks anymore, so you can always ask for a Visa gift card so you can spend the money they send you wherever you want to. For example, you can spend it on your groceries or car repairs so you can put that money you would have spent in your paypal to get that dress on Lacemarket you really want.
#5: Exchanges and trading gift cards
I know not everyone has understanding family or family that supports their fashion choices (or gets that you aren't a 12 year old in baggy sweatshirts anymore), so if all else fails, ask for gift receipts in case something 'doesn't fit' so you can return items for store credit. I know a lot of my family likes seeing me wearing the clothes they buy me, so I'll take a picture of the item, post it on Facebook or email it for them to see, then donate, sell, or return the item if it's something I won't wear outside of that picture. You can also try to revamp an item with lace and bows and such if you like the color, but want it to fit into your wardrobe better. If you get gift cards from family for places you just don't go, find a friend who does and see if they're willing to get you a gift card to somewhere else in exchange or just give you money in exchange. I know these methods may seem a little shady, but the main thing to remember about gifts from your family is that their purpose is to convey their love towards you. Once you receive the gift, it's purpose has been achieved and you shouldn't feel bad about getting rid of it if it's not something that's useful to you or sparks joy in your life.
What sort of things do you have on your Christmas wishlist this year? Let me know in the comments below!
Go like and follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/CelesteChoCho
Subscribe to me on Youtube: WatashiWaChoCho
See my shameless spamming: @ChoChoButterfly
Peruse my wares: animelolitacouture.storenvy.com
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