Let's face it: Winter can get really cold and knee length skirts can leave your legs freezing. So what's a girl to do? We want to look cute all year round, but we don't want to be so sick we can't show off our ensembles. Well, with the right additions to your wardrobe, you can look cute year round. Here's a list of my top four ideas for keeping warm while dressing cute.
#1: Headgear
This first one might seem a little obvious, but it still doesn't hurt to point it out. Be it a knit cap, earmuffs, or cat eared hat, anything that can cover your ears will help prevent issues such as frostbite in colder areas. In windy areas, knit hats aren't as useful as woven fabrics such as fleece or faux-fur since the wind seems to blow through every crack in the knit. Hats with ears sewn on or other items such as pins, charms, and flowers can be just as functional as plain ones while still allowing you to dress cute. Can't find one? Take a simple fleece cap in a color you like, some ribbon, flowers, or any other decorations you like and hot glue or sew them to your hat. Don't want to mess up your hairdo? Earmuffs keep your ears covered without covering your whole head.
#2: Tights
To keep your legs warm, tights are a must. I highly recommend getting multiple pairs of dance tights as they are thick and durable. I can't tell you how many times I've pulled on a pair of regular nylons just to have my thumb go through them the first time I wear them. Unlike regular nylons, dance tights are designed to be pulled on and off quickly for fast costume changes off-stage. Having been in dance since I was a kid, I know for a fact that dance tights are made to last. I have pairs that I've had for nearly eight years now and they still work wonderfully. Don't be afraid to layer on multiple pairs as the more you have on the warmer your legs will be. I personally have one pair each of pink, tan, and black tights that I layer in that order for warmth or wear one or two at a time for days that are still cold, but not excessively so.
#3: Coats
Like hats, this may seem a bit obvious, but the type of coat may not be quite as obvious. Coats that end at your waist can look cute, but your tush can get a lot colder than with a knee length version. I personally recommend a thick wool coat if you live somewhere that can get especially cold. I got one that's surplus from the Swedish Air Force from Sportsman's Guide, a seller of military surplus as well as hunting and fishing gear. You can also get really cute Lolita themed coats from places such as Bodyline. I can't say how warm Bodyline's coats are though as I haven't gotten one before, so feel free to comment if you know.
#4: Layers
Layers upon layers is a key to staying warm. Wearing a long sleeved T-shirt under a long sleeve blouse, wearing multiple petticoats, or wearing legwarmers are all examples of how you can help keep warm. Be careful not to overdo things though! While you might be perfectly warm outside, you have to be careful you don't over-heat inside. So make sure you have layers that can easily be removed such as a coat or cardigan and always be prepared to slip into a bathroom to take off a layer of tights of petticoat.
Stay warm lovelies, this season and many more yet to come!
Follow me on Twitter: @animlolicouture
Showing posts with label tights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tights. Show all posts
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Lolita on a Budget: Punk Lolita
Punk Lolita is probably my least favorite Lolita, but that is mainly due to the fact that I'm not especially good at putting together punk outfits. Also it's partly due to personal preference since I prefer more cute styles of clothing. Here I've done my best to put together a Punk Lolita outfit using clothing from Bodyline! exclusively. The total for this outfit is $142 plus shipping and handling. Let's go!
The asymmetrical skirt, in blue and black, is one of my favorite parts of the outfit as I like the way that the blue underskirt stands out from the black over skirt. The blouse was a little difficult to decide on, but I eventually found one that I thought would work nicely. This ruffled vampy blouse in off white is very elegant, but still works for a punkish look. To add a bit of color to the top I chose to use this dark blue ruffled pin at the neckline of the blouse over the ruffle. For a slightly Gothic feel, I decided to pair the outfit with a pair of spiderweb print tights, but a pair of lacy black tights could be substituted as well if spiderwebs aren't your thing. My next favorite part of this outfit is the shoes, chunky heels with chain accents. I love how these shoes retain the more innocent look of the mary jane shoes while having a punk accent with the chains and little skull charms on the backs. The last item is optional: take a couple chous or scrunchies in black and put them around the top middle part of your upper arms as sleeve garters to add a bit more color to the blouse. Alternatively, one can buy or make sleeve garters instead of using the chous. If you don't mind spending a little more, you can also get some cute skull accessories from Bodyline! to match the ones on the shoes. I hope you enjoy this outfit!
All of the items in this outfit plus more in this style can be found on the Bodyline website. No pictures due to the fact that I haven't received permission to use Bodyline!'s images. Check me out on Twitter.
The asymmetrical skirt, in blue and black, is one of my favorite parts of the outfit as I like the way that the blue underskirt stands out from the black over skirt. The blouse was a little difficult to decide on, but I eventually found one that I thought would work nicely. This ruffled vampy blouse in off white is very elegant, but still works for a punkish look. To add a bit of color to the top I chose to use this dark blue ruffled pin at the neckline of the blouse over the ruffle. For a slightly Gothic feel, I decided to pair the outfit with a pair of spiderweb print tights, but a pair of lacy black tights could be substituted as well if spiderwebs aren't your thing. My next favorite part of this outfit is the shoes, chunky heels with chain accents. I love how these shoes retain the more innocent look of the mary jane shoes while having a punk accent with the chains and little skull charms on the backs. The last item is optional: take a couple chous or scrunchies in black and put them around the top middle part of your upper arms as sleeve garters to add a bit more color to the blouse. Alternatively, one can buy or make sleeve garters instead of using the chous. If you don't mind spending a little more, you can also get some cute skull accessories from Bodyline! to match the ones on the shoes. I hope you enjoy this outfit!
All of the items in this outfit plus more in this style can be found on the Bodyline website. No pictures due to the fact that I haven't received permission to use Bodyline!'s images. Check me out on Twitter.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Cosplay Tips 3
Hello all. This will be a continuing series of tips and suggestions I have for cosplayers and anyone interested in cosplaying or just dressing up for Halloween. I'll try to do a few examples if necessary for each of these posts. So, without further ado, here is
Cosplaying tip #3: When to Wear What Cosplay
I chose this topic for my cosplaying tips because of one of my friends. In my last cosplay tip I mentioned that I had altered a hoodie for a friend's cosplay. My friend wore that cosplay costume to a convention at the end of summer and got a case of heat prostration because of it. To help avoid this happening to others I chose to write this post as a tip and a warning.
DON'T WEAR COSPLAY COSTUMES WITH SWEATERS OR HEAVY JACKETS DURING SUMMER.
The main exception to this rule is if you plan on being inside an air conditioned building that is NOT overly crowded. Another cosplayer I met who was cosplaying as Death the Kid from Soul Eater at that convention was mostly hanging out in a less crowded part of the convention and highly recommended against doing a photoshoot in the desert in the middle of summer in a Death the Kid cosplay.
Another recommendation I have is to avoid wearing shorts, thin clothing, and other summer weather clothing at conventions taking place during winter or fall. The original shirt I had for my cosplay costume for Liz Thompson from Soul Eater was made from and old pair of stretchy pajama pants. As ingenious as this shirt was, I was freezing cold outside. And it was worse when I wore the same shirt with shorts for my cosplay costume for Patty Thompson, Liz's twin sister from Soul Eater. If you do wear shorts or a short skirt for a cosplay costume during cold weather, I highly recommend you wear pink or tan tights, depending on your skin tone. Not nylons, tights. Tights tend to be thicker than regular nylons and I frequently wear a pair of footless or convertible tights under my jeans when it's cold outside. They work very well for insulation without being too thick or bulky. One of my dance teachers used to take her old tights and convert them into a shirt by cutting off the feet and cutting a hole in the crotch for her head to go through. If you do this, I recommend using clear nail polish on the edges to avoid runs in the tights.
Cosplaying tip #3: When to Wear What Cosplay
I chose this topic for my cosplaying tips because of one of my friends. In my last cosplay tip I mentioned that I had altered a hoodie for a friend's cosplay. My friend wore that cosplay costume to a convention at the end of summer and got a case of heat prostration because of it. To help avoid this happening to others I chose to write this post as a tip and a warning.
DON'T WEAR COSPLAY COSTUMES WITH SWEATERS OR HEAVY JACKETS DURING SUMMER.
The main exception to this rule is if you plan on being inside an air conditioned building that is NOT overly crowded. Another cosplayer I met who was cosplaying as Death the Kid from Soul Eater at that convention was mostly hanging out in a less crowded part of the convention and highly recommended against doing a photoshoot in the desert in the middle of summer in a Death the Kid cosplay.
Another recommendation I have is to avoid wearing shorts, thin clothing, and other summer weather clothing at conventions taking place during winter or fall. The original shirt I had for my cosplay costume for Liz Thompson from Soul Eater was made from and old pair of stretchy pajama pants. As ingenious as this shirt was, I was freezing cold outside. And it was worse when I wore the same shirt with shorts for my cosplay costume for Patty Thompson, Liz's twin sister from Soul Eater. If you do wear shorts or a short skirt for a cosplay costume during cold weather, I highly recommend you wear pink or tan tights, depending on your skin tone. Not nylons, tights. Tights tend to be thicker than regular nylons and I frequently wear a pair of footless or convertible tights under my jeans when it's cold outside. They work very well for insulation without being too thick or bulky. One of my dance teachers used to take her old tights and convert them into a shirt by cutting off the feet and cutting a hole in the crotch for her head to go through. If you do this, I recommend using clear nail polish on the edges to avoid runs in the tights.
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