Lolita Charm: May 2010

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Lolita Vs. The Perpetual Manstand

Lolita is a hobby and subculture that most girls enjoy for themselves. They build their lifestyle around what they find is cute and appealing; they purchase the clothes they think reflect their idea of an ideal lolita. And while many lolitas have friends also into lolita, they still go home at the end of the day and are in their own cocoon of frills.

But life at home is not always alone - there comes a time when signifigant others come into the picture. Friends, roommates, and family are all privy to the lolita's lifestyle, but living with a signifigant other is another story. This person lives so closely to the lolita lifestyle and culture that they can't help but be part of it. For S.O.s (signifigant others) just adapting to the lolita lifestyle, it can be a confusing place. How do you involve your S.O. in your lolita hobby? Are you doomed to spend hours alone in the bathroom curling your hair, while your loved one is watching reruns on the couch? Is your loved one completely baffled by how much underwear (underwhere?) you don for lolita, or doesn't understand why Angelic Pretty has so many prints named Milky _____? (Hey, nobody does.)

Consider it very much like the female version of videogames. Many girls have boyfriends who are entrenched in videogames - and at first, they might be left in the cold while their darling finishes another round of Smash Bros. (or whatever you crazy kids are playing these days! :P). But rather than complain about the games or spend less time together, these girls grab a controller and a handbook and learn how to play themselves - maybe even discovering that they like it! Both videogames and lolita are time-consuming hobbies, and mostly single-player (if you'll pardon the expression) - meaning they're not typically a couples activity. But with some practice and accommodation, nobody has to feel neglected while their S.O. kills orcs or shops for new hairbows.

Here are a few ideas on how to involve your S.O. in your lolita hobby (without resorting to making your manly man pop on a bow!)

Go online shopping with him. Whether you do it with him leaning over your shoulder or by sending him emails with cute links, involve him in the process of selecting clothes and defining your style. Any guy is interested in what his girl wears, because visual appeal is a big part of the male psyche. The big part here is to dialogue - talk about it! You love this dress for the lace, but maybe he prefers another because surprisingly, he thinks polka dots are cute! Giving him the opportunity to have input will definitely interest him in your hobby without demanding he take an active role in it.

Play dress-up. The real-life version of online shopping, this gives your S.O. the chance to see not only what you have for lolita clothes (your chance to show off!) but also a crash course in what goes wear, how to ties bows, and to see what he finds appealing on you. Maybe he never would have thought how much he likes to see ribbon lacing on you, or how practical bloomers really are. Again, it brings him into your world and he gets to have input.

Don't go alone. Take your S.O. to a lolita meetup so he can get the gist of what goes on and what lolita is all about. Although reluctant to attend a frilly tea shop, most guys I know would rather go with their girl and endure the poof than sit at home waiting for her to get back - after all, they just want to be with you!

Dress-up Round Two. Maybe your boy doesn't want to be dressed up as a girl (shock!) or even as a devilish, Oscar-Wilde dandy (too many frilly sleeves and Seinfeld-esque poet shirts?) but that doesn't mean he can't dress up with you. Find what he likes to wear from flipping through magazines of any kind - whether he's into an urban style, cowboy look, skater boy, steampunk, or industrial goth. Some other good inspirations are period action films where the men are time-appropriate but still masculine and swash-buckling - my boyfriend loves the look of many outfits in the new Sherlock Holmes film. Essentially, it doesn't matter what he wears or whether or not you 'match', but getting to join in the fun of shopping and dressing to kill when with you is sure to be a mood booster.

Polyvore It. If you've been working with your S.O. on lolita fashion and you think he has a good handle on it, give him free reign and let him choose your outfit for a day. Depending on his skill (and your trust level), it can be for either a meetup or just out to get coffee.

All Caught Up. Don't just keep it between yourself and your pals and an instant messenger - share all the gossip with your S.O. Being privy to all the lolita crowd in-jokes or the current goings-on is a great way to have things in common, and even guys love to dish the dirt. They'll fit in better with meetups if they can snort along with you at Angelic Pretty's latest crazy caper of merchandising, and they won't be staring off into space while everyone chats.

Meet in the middle. If your boyfriend has a specific hobby he's in love with, is there a way for the two to meet? A wonderful friend of mine, Crystal of Pretty Wonderland, told me that she and her husband enjoy one of their mutual hobbies LARPing (live-action roleplay) for a steampunk group, where she plays a lolita-based character set in a steampunk world. They can both have their cup of tea (if you'll excuse the pun) and still spend time together.

When it comes down to it, your S.O. just wants to be with you and involved with you - just like you want to be involved with and spending time with your S.O. Nobody has to give up what they like to be in a healthy relationship. There have been countless articles in women's magazines on 'relating to your man and his desire to fix carburetors/grill/play Halo' so why not an article on 'relating to your girl and her desire to wear frilly clothes/paint things pink/explore old graveyards'? Do you have other ways in which you share your lolita hobby with your S.O.?

Note: I have chosen to mostly write this from a heterosexual viewpoint, as a girl discussing boys, but please apply these to the gender of your current relationship in whatever form that might be.

photo courtesy of tumblr - though obviously the point of this article is that your S.O. would prefer not to look like Akira! :P

Labels: boys, guide

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Cutesy Shop Wig Review

I've decided to expand my wardrobe of wigs as of late, and going on recommendations from a few online communities, ran across Cutesy Shop wigs (also known by their eBay seller name, snowygurl). Miss Lumpy and I decided to group order and get a wig each. I chose a blonde bob and she chose a dark, short and curly style.

For your convenience, I've broken down the shopping experience into a few distinct categories to rate.

Ease of Ordering: Ordering these wigs was a very convuluted process. First, you need an eBay account, for which we had to enlist Miss Lumpy's very patient boyfriend - neither of us regularly shop on eBay and prefer to use Paypal for shopping places like egl_comm_sales. But before you can buy the wigs you have to send the seller a message and inquire as to if your particular wig is in stock. After paying them, they then informed us that the wig I originally wanted (long, blonde, curly, and no longer on the website) was out of stock. At this point I chose the bob instead. However it is rather irksome for them to advertise merchandise and accept payment for merchandise that they do not actually have for sale.

Shipping: This was an entire other kettle of fish. Each wig is shipped for $25, which is how it gets from China to an intermediate seller to your doorstep. The reason Miss Lumpy and I wanted to group order was to get two wigs shipped for $25 and not $50. The seller informed us that she does not combine shipping prices for the wigs, meaning we would have to pay the full, individual price regardless of how many we bought. After much discussion, she relented to shave $8 off the fee a we were buying two after all. We were much affronted to discover that the wigs were shipped together in an unpadded paper envelope, hardly worth the money paid to ship them.

If you are interested in purchasing wigs from this seller, it is NOT worth it to buy more than one wig at a time. Your shipping charge will be ridiculous to ship, say, three wigs in the same unpadded paper envelope.

Product as Described: Perhaps the wig on the model is style differently, but mine is not quite the same shape (more of an angled bob than a typical bob) and is distinctly less blonde. I make a comfortable blonde and a comfortable pinkhead, but this wig borders on dark blonde to light brown. The photos make it look a very Barbie doll blonde, not the light caramel color it turned out to be. It's actually strands of blonde and brown mixed together, which looks very hilighted from far away but odd up close. I'd prefer a solid blonde wig, but that's just my preference. I may also try to style the wig more by trimming the bangs into a rounder shape, and possibly trimming away part of the angled portion to more resemble the stock photo.

Quality of Product: The wig I got I am mostly pleased with. The fiber is soft and silky, and has great movement just like real hair. The wig does not look thin at all and the cap cannot be seen when being worn. It's also fairly lightweight and doesn't seem like it would be too hot or unable to breathe in warm weather. However, upon combing it with my fingers, a few strands routinely come out of the wig. They are small and light, but this is highly common. While it doesn't show on the wig that its losing hairs, they should not be so lightly anchored as to come away with simple arranging.

In all, I would not order from snowygurl again. While the wig is of moderate, workable quality, it is not worth the hassle and very poor service we received in purchasing the wigs, let alone the exorboritant shipping cost. For my next wig, I will be trying to find a more reputable, hopefully Japanese source rather than a Chinese-to-eBay one.

If you want to see photos of the wig being worn, click here to see it coordinated with a sweet/punk casual lolita outfit.

Labels: cosmetics, review, shopping

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Introducing...Misu!

So why has Lolita Charm been so on hold for the last few weeks? Time got lost between finals, my beautiful boy, and... a hairy surprise.

Are you sitting down?

This is Misu, my new Pomeranian puppy! Some fast facts: she is 12 weeks old, 1.8 lbs, 'beaver' colored (meaning orange and light chocolate), and gets into everything. Her name, Misu, is short for Tiramisu, the Italian dessert - which translates as 'pick-me-up'.

As a child I had a family dog, a pretty cocker spaniel all-American mutt, but this is my first time doing all of the raising and training. It is exhausting! She is queen of chewing, temper tantrums (which sound like a parakeet being tortured), and seems to think her name is, 'What are you eating?!'

For scale here she is next to the infamous Angelic Pretty bear. She's actually a little scared of it! When I put it down, she sat next to it, then sat a foot away. When I put it next to her again for a photo, she sat another foot away. She looks a little unsure in this photo! And no wonder - the bear sits a full three inches taller than she does!

But nothing is cuter than a pretty baby asleep, right? Here she's snuggled into her kennel with my pink shirt, aptly printed with 'Who is the cutest in the land?' Unanimously Misu ;)

Hopefully with the help of her auntie Miss Lumpy we'll have a little Charm Channel episode for her up this week, so keep your eyes peeled for more Misu!

And as said in the last post, if you attend Kinokuniya's International Lolita Day in New York City, you can meet the fluffball herself :) This little diamond dog loves attention and new people and was made for Manhattan - so see you there!

Labels: misu

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Kinokuniya x International Lolita Day '10!

Kinokuniya, long-time patron of lolita subculture and the lolita arts and purveyor of Japanese magazines such as Kera, Gothic and Lolita Bible, and Alice Deco A La Mode, not to mention occasional carriers of Angelic Pretty and Victorian Maiden, are collaborating with a cast of New York City lolitas to put on 2010's spring session International Lolita Day! Click the above image to enlarge the poster for all the information you need to visit Kinokuniya on ILD. I'll be speaking at 2 o'clock as part of the Lolitas in the Wired panel along with my lovely fellow bloggers and longtime friends Crystal of Pretty Wonderland and Dalin of La Vida Frills. And for any who stick around after the panel, I have a special - fluffy - little surprise that will make its official debut this Saturday!

International Lolita Day has always been one of my favorite events to attend. It is so great to see lolitas celebrating their culture and fashion both within their own groups and welcoming newcomers and interested outsiders. It is a wonderful chance for lolita fashion to be recognized and appreciated by new people and groups. I'm especially pleased to be able to support Tokyo Rebel, Kinokuniya NYC, I Do Declare, and Morrigan NYC in their endeavors. So if you're in the NYC or tristate area, please stop by! I'd love to see you :)

(Psst - posting has been slow because of the little surprise coming to LC Headquarters this weekend! Keep your eyes peeled for rhinestones and cuteness!)

Labels: event, international lolita day

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Angelic Punk & Retro Pretty

I haven't been updating my outfits lately so when I got dolled up this weekend I thought I'd make sure to take some photos!

Thusday's outfit was casual sweet/punk for class:

Skirt, socks, bow: Angelic Pretty
Shoes: Harajuku Lovers
T-shirt: unknown
Wig: Cutesy Shop

I love this t-shirt but am never quite sure how to wear it - it's a picture of a British queen with roses, a heart-shaped beauty mark, and 'NEVER MIND' written on it. But wearing it with this all-pastel outfit and simply patterened skirt makes it really pop without looking too mallgawth.

I'll be reviewing my Cutesy Shop wig this week. It's a light brown/dark blonde bob, a style I hadn't tried on my own hair before. I think the look is very much like a Kera punk lolita style, but I'm not sure I'd pair it with straight-up sweet style. I also combed my pink bangs into it, so you can see that it's mildly highlited with pink streaks. Just can't give it up!

Friday's outfit was for attending the Connecticut Film Festival, where Loligirls was being shown.

Dress, bow: Angelic Pretty
Socks: Baby the Stars Shine Bright
Gloves: vintage

I was so excited to get my Angelic Pretty Cosmetic print onepiece! It's what I consider 'vintage' Angelic Pretty, because it was made before 2006 (in this case 2005 - click here for Angelic Pretty's print chronology) when their prints and style started transforming into the ultra-sugary marshmallow style it is today. This dress lends itself well to a more refined, retro style - the print is simple and monochrome, with embroidered lace that doesn't have the AP letters in it. The sailor collar is edged with high-quality soft ribbon, and three antique-glass looking rhinestones. I played off the retro motif with the vintage gloves and beehive-style hairdo. (And if you're wondering, yes, that's my Bumpit inside the bouffant!)

I know that many consider Angelic Pretty to be a one-stop, preassembled sweet lolita brand, but I love to play with the individual pieces you may not expect to produce more unusual outfits. Don't be afraid to mix brands, pinks, colors, or print series pieces. Though their Print of the Month Club is highly publicized, they still produce cute, wearable items that receive less attention, like the dot sherbet lilac skirt shown in the first outfit. And their older pieces, while sometimes hard to track down, have an elegance much needed in today's world of sweet lolita fashion.

While I'm on the subject, here's a photo of myself, Crystal (of Pretty Wonderland), and Dalin (of La Vida Frills) all celebrating our favorite brand, Angelic Pretty, in New York City's own Tokyo Rebel.

Sorry if we look a little frazzled, the heat that day was 90 degrees and humid!

photo thanks goes to Miss Lumpy & my darling boy :)

Labels: outfit post, shopping

Friday, May 7, 2010

Anime, Lolita, and You

Go to any Japanese pop culture convention and you'll find a veritable melting pot of hobbies and people. Anime. Manga. Cosplay. Videogames. And sometimes, lolita. But where does lolita fit into the hierarchy cast of congoers? Why is that many lolitas seem to dislike anime, or are nervous about 'otaku'? Some lolitas like anime, while others vehemently don't - what causes the split, and what does anime have to say about lolita, feminism, and women as a whole?

Anime Is a Gateway Drug

Many girls find their way to lolita through anime, or at the very least begin their interest in Japanese culture with anime or manga. Often this is because they admire the fashion inspirations of their favorite characters, or because they're also on the convention circuit. On the convention circuit, the average cosplay will probably encounter at least a small gaggle of local lolitas there for a few sparse lolita events and to flaunt their stuff. And thus, when they next decide to plan their outfits, they may be influenced by these girls. That's no crime - just a fact of life. By knowing how many girls come to find lolita through anime, we can use this as a jumping-off point on the rest of the conversation.

Anime Characters and Their Effect on Real Girls

The talk of media effect on girls is never-ending and never-decided. There is constant issue with how women are portrayed on television, in movies, in music, in magazine ads, and in books. While most girls find themselves studying Blair or Serena on Gossip Girls, there is a small percentage of girls who are more attracted to Japanese or other Asian media. This means that the ideal girls presented to them are girls like Tohru of Fruits Basket, Kagome of Inuyasha, Miwako of Paradise Kiss, etc. To briefly analyze the attraction of the characters, they usually seem to have it all: cute, attention from everyone, and sweet, offbeat mannerisms that are endearing to the other characters. The girls who consume this media think that to be loved and as popular/cute as the characters they love, they should try to imitate them as much as possible (in extreme cases). This is how you end up with girls throwing peace signs, screaming 'KAWAII!' and wearing cat ears. They're emulating the characters that seem to be so perfect and well-loved. As they are anime characters however, this doesn't mean that their personalities or style should be imitated in real life. The reversal of this would be if everyone went around talking like Bugs Bunny in the hope of seeming as dry and non-chalantly cool as he is. Instead however, you'd come off socially obtuse. This is because comics and other animated media are not portrayals of real life - they're fantasy and often parodies, which doesn't translate well into real social interactions. This is usually more often apparent when you are from the culture and background that the comics are parodizing, but without that basis the irony is often thought to be realistic.

Females as Presented Through Anime

As anime is purely for entertainment in an unrealistic world, this means that the author is free to create any kind of fantasy for the intended audience. A large portion of anime lovers tend to be male (or it could be considered that more male-based anime reaches overseas, which is not unlikely), and this means that females are often depicted as sexual objects. How many 'fan services' are commonplace in anime and manga? How many female characters are depicted as supremely cute and innocent, as well as highly sexualized by the male readership and characters? Or if not just those traits, the popular archetype for female characters is the 'high school ditz' - sweet-hearted, adorable, but scatter-brained and usually poor at schoolwork; some examples are Usagi of Sailor Moon or Ichigo Momomiya from Tokyo Mew Mew. There are few strong female characters in anime; they are more likely to be damsel-in-distress ladies. If they do happen to have any power, it's more of a 'I Dream of Genie' type (such as Ah! My Goddess) - a powerful girl who prefer to focus on the male protaganist's desires (which sometimes reverts back to the sex object motif).

To sum, animes present an idealized and pedestaled view of women and girls: as perfect and loved to female viewers while to male viewers they are sexually perfect and with passive personalities. Now please bear in mind that there are exceptions to any and every rule, but it seems as if this is the most common archetype and them presented to mainstream anime (i.e, that which is mostly consumed by American audiences).

Lolitas in Anime

Lolitas or lolita-inspired characters are often represented in anime. This makes sense, as the Japanese artists and storyboard writers draw from their inspiration around them. They may take bits and pieces from the fashion and girls they see on the streets to inspire their own original characters, which then creates a lolita-esque (usually side) character. The Japanese population these medias are originally intended for get the connection easily enough, because they also observe the same fashions and trends going on around them. The problem is that when translated back to Western audiences, it's the other way around. The Western population consumes endless media first, which while entertaining, is out of context to the viewers. They see these lolita-esque or inspired characters and unfortunately come to two conclusions: one, that this style is unique to anime and media (as they have no basis for comparison), and two, that these girls are a special breed all on their own. As stated in the above paragraph, the girls of anime are usually idealized and unrealistic images that girls struggle to measure up to.

Therefore, the argument leads us to the concept that anime girls are highly stereotype and pedestaled by both male and female fans of anime and anime culture.

When East Meets West

So, knowing these facts about anime and how it interacts with both western and Japanese pop culture, we come to the point when the two meet. A lolita meets an anime fan and the way she perceives herself (as a fashion-devoted, princess/classy lady aesthetic) is not what she is greeted with. The brain makes connections based on similarities, and the anime fan's previous experiences dictate that lolitas are more like anime characters or at the very least, cosplayers. (I won't get into the cosplay-versus-lolita arguement in this article, or else we'd be here forever.) So if their main view of lolitas is as anime characters, they are typically treated as such - which not only is uncomfortable for the lolitas, but also causes speculation into other characteristics like how sexually promiscuous they might be, how smart they might be, and whether or not they only like pink, etc., etc.

The perceptions of each group are so different that often the two groups do not get along. If, however, there was more education to the anime and general community on lolita culture, then we may be able to reach a kind of understanding and mend the rift that has formed between the two. This is why lolita panels and fashion shows are such an important part of convention culture - to expand the jpop movement overseas and educate people on the growing number of lolitas that are appearing on the streets.

As the lolita prescence continues to increase outside of Japan, the urge for us to be accepted as a part of the subculture umbrella strengthens. That, I think, is why so many lolitas are concerned with stereotypes and the way they are portrayed by the media and others (who may be improperly informed). We refuse to be typecast as something we are not, and want to quash any misconceptions or rumors before they take hold in the public mind. This again is why education on lolita subculture to the general public is so important to the fostering of our community.

Redux: Lolita Anime

I am not, however, here to demonize anime or manga in any respect. It is an important part of Japanese pop culture and an increasingly important part of western culture. So are there some animes or mangas that lolitas naturally tend to gravitate towards?

There are some animes that lolitas typically find enjoyable. Anime and manga as a genre is produced on a broad spectrum in Japan, for many different demographics. There are animes for children, creepy old businessmen, young boys, housewives, punk kids and yes, the lolitas too. While one's tastes in anime are individual and not dictated by subculture or fashion, a few subcategories and motifs continue to appear in lolita's top list of recommended anime or manga. These are, in no particular order,

Mahou Shoujo or Magical Girl, such as Sailor Moon or Tokyo Mew Mew;

Historically based like Emma or Rose of Versailles;

Fashion-inspired like Paradise Kiss [ParaKiss] or Rozen Maiden;

Fairytale- and folklore-inspired like Kilala Princess or Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch;

Realistically portrayed lolitas (slice of life) like Momoko from Kamikaze Girls or Miwako from Paradise Kiss;

To sum, these are essentially animes that interest lolitas due to content they are already attracted to like fanciful fashion, romantic time periods, or fairytales. A lolita character may be an interest to the lolita reader/viewer, but not the sole draw to watch a series. For example, there is long refuted to be a lolita-inspired Pokemon character - this does not mean all lolitas will rush to watch Pokemon (season 1 - endless).

I was inspired to write this piece after talking to the crew of American Lolita (formally of Loligirls: The Story Behind the Frills and Bows) and realized that the world in general is unaware of the interaction between anime and lolita culture, whether that is a marketing perspective down to why lolitas avoid large groups of otaku at conventions. There is so much we do not discuss in lolita culture and how we are continuing to develop, and the only way to to develop in a beneficial path is to analyze ourselves. In some small way, I hope Lolita Charm can continue to puzzle out the mysteries of what makes lolita fashion and culture, as we know it, tick.

Labels: culture, discussion

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

May Style Tips

Pick a theme for the upcoming summer season, like berries, shortcake, or ice cream. Then hunt up a few accessories or color schemes that support that theme (for me, ice cream motifs and 'ice cream' colors). It'll bring the flavor of the season and freshen your coords all summer long.

Go looking for local wildflowers to observe, photograph, or press. My current favorites are dwarf violets - so amazingly tiny!

Visit local parks or forests for cute photographs and an escape from the city sun. All the better if you bring someone with you to enjoy it (or take pictures! ;)

Just like others choose summer reading, decide on a summer project to persue. Maybe you want to swell the ranks of your bloomers, or you're looking to pickup crochet again? These projects can be slung into a bag to take with you to the beach or park as simple entertainment.

Floral corsages make a brilliant appearance for pinning up overheated hair in May. Make some with craft supplies and a glue gun, or buy one from your favorite brand. I love Victorian Maiden's flowers like that can be found at Tokyo Rebel.

Start planning for International Lolita Day (June 5th!) Will you be attending an event, making sweets with friends, or going for a solitary walk in a flower garden? Make plans for yourself to celebrate the place lolita has in your life.

Find yourself a fan. Paper or fabric, it doesn't matter, but it will most likely save your life on a humid day.

On a warm day off, eat ice cream for breakfast. Rocky Road is a great way to start your day ;)

Don't be afraid to forgoe some underwear (petticoats, I mean!) if the days start to warm up. Cutting back a layer will loose some poof, but can give a more delicate silhouette and lower the temperature. The same goes for socks, especially over the knees!

Make it a personal mission to find your local ice cream truck (or for the lucky, cupcake trucks! Connecticut's Cupcake Truck can be tailed using their blog here).

Labels: style tips

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