When the Magic's Gone

It happens slowly, but the signs are there: you don't want to spend the day together anymore. Somehow, it doesn't seem to fit into your life - or like your friends. The little habits you used to overlook now annoy you to distraction. In a crowd, you look to others. And one day, you realize that you haven't seen each other in weeks.

It happens to everyone: the magic in your dress is gone.

When you first bought your dress, it was gorgeous. You took photos of it in the package. You wore it thousands of ways. You couldn't wait to put it on and show it off. You loved to look at the lace, the trim. It made you feel beautiful.

But eventually, you got bored with it. Or maybe your style changed. Or perhaps you don't work around those colors anymore.

But sometimes, it's the magic. If the dress doesn't make you feel beautiful anymore, if it doesn't excite you at the idea of putting it on, then it's time to go.

Turnover is a common thing in the Lolita community. It especially happens as the seasons change. There is a sudden rush of 'closet cleaning' which means anything that isn't wanted anymore gets sold. Sometimes, the sellers just sell whatever was in season, so they can now buy the new season's clothes. That's also a common practice, even in Japan: the Lolitas sell last season's items to the consignment shops, like Closet Child. Then the money from the item goes into next season's clothes. In this way, their closets are always fresh. But I think the transient nature of the trend-following wardrobe is a little impersonal.

But there are also people who don't want to sell their items at all. It's still useful, they say. It works. I shouldn't get rid of something based on a feeling. But that's like a loveless marriage, I think.

I get attached to my pieces. Each piece is like a relationship. You develop a repertoire with each one, and they all have a specific feel. Wearing my violet dress is different than, say, wearing the pink skirt. They almost start to take on personality traits.

Fortunately, the magic isn't gone from the items. The magic is waiting to be discovered by someone new, who will love and wear the item just as much as you did. They'll be fresh and fully charged out of the box when the new person gets them. Pass the love along.

This is a sort of unusual article, (which I wasn't sure of posting), more a musing after a friend of mine admitted that she was tired of her wardrobe. This is my view on resell and owning Lolita clothing... in a rather romantic point of view. What do you think? Do you get attached to your clothes, or are you unattached to them? Do you believe in turnover, and selling your clothes regularly, or are you more apt to keep them? Let us know!

Labels: inspirational

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 12:56 AM