Is That Your Ankle Showing?!

Ever since lolita fashion came west, someone has commented on it with the legendary, 'Isn't lolita about sex?', and the lolitas had responded with a resounding 'No!' I've heard plenty of excellent responses on the debate of sexiness versus lolita versus completely innocent, from both ends of the spectrum. Some girls say that their significant others like lolita and find it appealing; some girls say that when they put on the frills, it might as well be a chastity belt - teacups and kittens only please. And of course there are the girls in between, praying that they'll meet the right Prince (or Princess!) Charming who will think they look adorable, frills or not. Usually I'm one of the girls who says, I don't care what about people think of how I dress - I dress for myself and that's that. My favorite quote is from Dollpart's blog article, which contains an essay written by her friend Minna.

“Well,” he told me, eyebrows raised, “what do you think men are thinking?”
“I think nobody cares what men are thinking,” [she replied]

And yes, this thought-form wormed its way into the documentary when we were asked about feminism in lolita! However, I've recently had an epiphany about girls in lolita. If my past mission was to explain that lolitas are simply real girls in frilly dresses, then my new mission is taking lolita back to wear it belongs - the streets. If we only wear our pretty things on rare occasions, to dress up for events only - are they really fashion or are they more - the dread word - costumes? I would like to see lolita fashion living alongside the modern girl. The modern girl goes to classes, goes to work, runs too many errands, and is typically too busy to eat lunch but would like to; the modern girl walks the dog, giggles at bars with her friends, takes the train, and occasionally, goes on a date.

Oh, my, did I say... date?

Yes, that modern girl, who loves her frills, her job, and her dog, she also dates. As I have heard it said, all human beings and how we present ourselves has some basis on the part of the brain labeled 'sex' - be it in the way of, 'Come hither' or 'Dear God get away from me'. And if you're looking to catch a cutie's eye, you might consider dressing a little differently.

I can hear you all now: Give up lolita?! Oh certainly not! Some girls choose to not wear lolita on dates or perhaps even at all with their loved one, but I'd like to think there is a way to mix the two together for something that pleases both parties. Do I mean, why hello there, meet the girls, Left and Right? Should shorter skirts be on the menu, or parading to dinner in naught but one's bloomers?! No and no again! I believe that being classy and being a little flirty can all be bundled up into the same outfit. The Victorians, who we seem to have inherited our sense of modesty from (does anyone else feel naked when dressing without bloomers?!) preferred to cover up absolutely everything, even things like the legs of chairs (which are said to have excited the poor fellows who couldn't help themselves, which leads us to - wait, what?). But we also may draw on our other parent of historical influence, the Rococo period, which if we may remember from Kamikaze Girls, involved quite a bit of sex and hedonism. I can't claim to have researched any of these methods (field study? gosh!) but they are the one Miss Lumpy and I have considered, somewhere between the realm of pseudo-science and a woman's wiles.


It's important that lolita not come off as too sexy or trampy, so as said, playing up cleavage, thighs, and bum (can anyone even perceive your bum in all those petticoats?!) are out. I would recommend either staying above the collar bone or below the knee. The collarbone, neck, wrists, and ankles, can all be excellent places to show a little skin.

Collarbone: As said in Looking Older in Sweet Lolita, square necklines instead of Peter Pan collars look less childish. By subtracting the fabric from the throat, it looks stands out after the rest of the outfit, that is built up in many layers. One of my outfits was a square neck cutsew with a heavy military jacket, and no necklace - leaving a bare patch of skin. A necklace would have put the focus on the jewelry instead of on the skin.

Neck: The neck is a very swanlike and curved area of the body, and with the correct updo, can be very attractive. Leave the neck bare of ornamentation with simply a few curls to draw the eye, or add a very thin ribbon as was popular in the time of Napoleon. Red ones look especially dramatic with Gothic style for the historical influence, but any color can be used.

Despite the fact that the cover up skin, high collars can also be quite pretty if left unadorned without a large bow or ribbon. They draw attention to the shape of the throat without showing skin, and when there is a gap in the back of the collar, adds to the allure. For this style it's best to do up all of the buttons - leaving one undone will look more casual than flirty.

Wrists: Some Rococo dresses had three-quarter length sleeves, which can still be found making an influence today. Leaving these without jewelry or by winding a thin length of chain around them can make them quite beautiful. Move your hands delicately to match this idea - bellydancers are told to pretend there are no bones in their hands. Or bring in the new trend of wrist ribbons - supposedly the next big thing. Random excuses for ribbons? Lolitas, make this trend a reality!

Ankles: Shoes with pearl loops, adding anklets to either your boots or simply in compliment to your socks, and the scandalous notion of going without socks (for you southern hemisphere ladies approaching warmer weather!) or even very low socks that peek just above the shoes. The ankle has a curving bone to its credit, making them look dainty and feminine.

Waistline: The lolita silhouette, that of the bell shape, accentuates the natural waist, which is the smallest part of the torso. Draw attention to this nipped-in area with a waist cincher or thin belt, or simply a ribbon sash.


Doll-like Lips: By doll-like, I mean with a very pretty pout. A lot of Japanese lolitas focus on minimizing their lips in photographs, presumably to appear more childish. Instead, use your lipstick or lip liner to form a rounder shape, possibly drawing a little outside the lines (make sure to set with concealer around the edge to avoid bleeding of color). Then add a dot of clear or shimmery gloss only to the center of the lower lip, enhancing its round pout. You can also use lip-plumping gloss, which has a slight bee-sting feel as it delivers a dose of collagen. Mine is from Victoria's Secret and it works well enough, but I've heard that Duwop's Lip Venom (found at most Sephora stores) packs a bigger punch.

Beauty Patches: Popular in the Rococo period, a beauty patch is an artificial spot applied to the face at a strategic location - a corner of the eye or mouth, for example. (I was always pleased as a child to think I looked 'French' because I have a real beauty mark on the left corner of my mouth!) Vivcore's Fancy Girl explains them very well here.

The Illusion of Cheekbones: Skip the super-round blush for a more delicate hilight of the cheekbones. By sucking in your cheeks and applying a darker tone in the hollow, you can fake sculpted cheekbones; then I use a little highlighting powder in crescent-moon shape on the bone around the outer edges of the eyes.

Curls: We all know that curls are a staple of the lolita look, but the loose or slightly out of place curl can be very feminine and attract the eye, especially if used to draw attention to the shoulders or collar bone. Try curling your hair without product, if possible - being touchable is an important feature of the look. Usually if you must have something for texturing or slight hold, Candy Fluff powder will come to your rescue.


This section is a little more for the witch in every girl, or just for the Victorian fun of it - if you're looking to attract a sweetheart, use a little attention from the universe in how you dress.

• Wearing a pair of any animal - a pair of birds, a pair of kittens (perhaps a brooch or pendant?) is a feng shui trick. Swans are best, as they're said to mate for life.
• Want a sweet, innocent love? Wear pink. For an exciting romance, wear red or bordeaux.
  
• A key or heart motif can represent the key to your heart.
  
• Rose quartz or pink pearls can attract romance. I have a set of antique earrings with a 1920s-cut rose quartz.
  
• Wear roses pinned as a corsage to the neck or strap of your dress. Just not yellow ones, as they're only for friendship or jealousy!
  

It's fun to play around with old ideas and twist them into something slightly different. I'd love to see what you do! May you be lucky in love and fabulously flirty!

Labels: culture, fashion, guide

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 11:30 PM