Roomwear: A Lolita's Day Off

If you want a casual dress feel...


If your day off includes more puttering in the garden or kitchen than staying inside on the sofa, you might do better to have a 'room dress'. Yuko Ueda says in her Lessons in Lolita:

For your "room dress", chose a simple one that you can wear on its own. Light cotton or soft blended fabrics are recommended. Pretty designs with hems that flare out or round puffy sleeves are ideal for the Lolita style. A decorative under-dress when worn at home can also become a beautiful room dress. Coordinate it with a gentle cardigan or shawl for a lady-like home style.

My idea of a room dress is a dress with a more sundress or natural feeling, that you can wear without a blouse or petticoat if necessary. Perfect for running to the mailbox or tending your garden or even spring cleaning!




I chose Innocent World's Alphabet Rose JSK for its longer length; longer lengths on lolita dresses always feel more casual and innocent to me than knee-length styles, and it reminds me of Jane Austen. The other two dresses were chosen for their simple, clean style and soft textured fabric. Doing your hair in a pair of braids or uncurled pigtails with a simple bow or two will complete a clean, cute but comfortable look for staying home. Skip the petticoat, or if you must wear something underneath, a long vintage slip would add a touch of lace and extra layer.


Do you have a favorite dress or comfy outfit you can't wait to slip into when you get home? I still wear my Goodnight Miss Princess nightgown when I want to feel cute & comfy at home - it makes me feel like a sleepy princess! 

with sweet dreams & good-night kisses for princess misses,

Labels: fashion, shopping

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 8:32 PM 0 Comments

Reader Appreciation Sunday, 1/30/11

Welcome to this week's Reader Appreciation Sunday! It's my little way of saying thank you to the amazing readers and community of Lolita Charm. You always inspire me and bring out the true beauty of the lolita world. So... thank you!

I am really happy to introduce this week's reader blog, as she's been a long-time and loyal 'regular' in the Lolita Charm comment threads for years! Meet...

xoxo,

Labels: reader appreciation sunday

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 2:26 PM 0 Comments

Punk Rock and Formal Beauty

Being it's so snowy here, lately I've been re-reading my copy of Kamikaze Girls (the novel). The first time I read it, I underlined it and made notes in the margins with the idea of eventually writing some deep, meaningful, book-club-worthy article about it. Such an article never occurred. I think the most precious things to me in this book, I can't express, or perhaps am unwilling to reveal - like a secret heart. All of its grace, for me, is locked beyond the silent, promising lace-and-embroidered style of its book jacket.

As I reached the end of the story again today however, I discovered a new section of the book I hadn't read - or, well, I must have, as I underlined and annotated it, but I certainly don't remember it. I thought I would post it here for you to read, and absorb its wisdom. The parts in bold italic are the sections I underlined by hand in my copy.

(Note: this afterword was written especially for the English/American book release, which occurred after the movie aired/became popular in the US. This afterword is specially written to lolita overseas.)

I imagine that quite a few of you picked up this novel after seeing its movie adaptation.

Well, nice to make your aquaintance. I am Novala Takemoto, a Rococo writer who has been racing headlong in full-blown lolita mode for years, in spite of being a straight male.

Momoko, the girl who tells this story, is pretty much my alter ego. So if you found yourself identifying with Momoko's spirit, it means that I have been understood on the other side of the ocean, and this makes me very happy.

Lolita is a unique form of street fashion that emerged in Japan in the late 1970s. There are no leaders in the lolita world. I am sometimes introduced as an authority on lolitas, and enjoy overwhelming support among readers with lolita tastes, but even so if, if my assertions and opinions do not meet with their approval, I face harsh rebuke. Lolita do not recognize any authority. They follow only the values they have chosen for themselves, regardless of what anyone else might say.

In other words, lolita possess a hard-boiled spirit at root that cannot be attained by men today. "Hard-boiled," that stylishly cool attitude that originated among American men, has thus been passed on to a segment of with-it girls in Japan called lolitas. And it is now being relayed back to girls in America. This may have been inevitable. The reason I have been writing books about lolitas since my debut, Kamikaze Girls and other books, is that the hard-boiled sensibility is the source of my own lifestyle and creativity.

While lolita is a fashion genre that sprang up spontaneously, it does have strict conventions. Bangs must be cute straight across in front of the eyebrows, skirts have to be worn over petticoats, and so on. So long as you stick to these basics, the rest is up to you - you are free to adapt the look any way you please, and give precedence to your own original definition of lolita.

Lolita is a fusion of the spirit of punk rock with formal beauty that honors tradition. Lolitas value independence and beauty above all else.

In Kamikaze Girls, the two girls are drawn to each other's independent natures and eventually come to respect one another. Eve though their tastes and principles are different, they become bound by true friendship because they learn to respect the aesthetic behind those tastes and principles.

...Right around here, I pick up the Japanese copy of Kamikaze Girls that I had placed beside me to write this afterword to the American edition, and reread the last part for the first time in ages. Aah, this speech of Ichigo's is pretty great, isn't it? The one that starts with Momoko here ain't my friend, see?" It brought tears to my eyes. (Hey, don't read your own stuff and start crying!)

Actually, though, I was asked to write an afterword to the American edition and I said okay, but you know what? Everything I wanted to say, which is basically the simple message of "let's all get along while following our own paths and doing whatever the hell we want!" is packed right into the book. I don't really think I have anything to add to that at this point. Just connecting with you, who will be fighting this fight with me from now on, is enough for me.

Wow. Powerful stuff, really, when you think about it. Often Takemoto starts to ramble in a cute, mysterious way, but then he has sudden moments of perfect clarity - and this letter has a few brilliant insights. I thought he said several good points we would do well to remember in this simple, oft-unread letter to the lolitas of then - and now. By the way, keep in mind that he wrote this in what we now refer to as the 'old-school days', most likely somewhere between 2004 and 2006 - right before the sudden 'fashion shift' into the lolita of the 2000s (when Angelic Pretty dominated the scene and the multi-color print began to rise in popularity).

To begin with, he's got us pegged: lolitas, for some reason or another, dislike authority. Anyone who claims to be an out-and-out authority figure on lolita fashion makes our guard go up. The touted 'lolita expert', La Carmina, comes to mind. Now, why is that? I think it's our natural reaction to being 'fenced in' by someone who claims to have all the answers. As soon as someone says, 'I'm an expert on _____ (let's say, classic lolita)' several girls also say, 'But you're not thinking of it from this point of view.' As he continues to say, this is because lolita is something personal. I know we think of it as a fashion, a subculture, a community, a set of guidelines, but at the end of the day your love and interpretation of lolita is with you. Just you. I recently read a quote that went something along the lines of, 'You can talk and share all night long, but when you sleep you all have different dreams.' Within the shape of lolita we all have our own fantasy worlds and daydreams - of place, time, locale, color, and fashion, which emerge through our clothes. I personally tend to find a sense of 'place' - when I see certain clothes, I imagine the scene and world whence they come. Pink House makes me think of grassy fields and old orchards in summer, fading to fall; Angelic Pretty makes me think of Barbie-pink doll houses and retro soda shops. But other girls may get a sense of presence, such as imaging themselves in the clothes, or perhaps a sense of sound (imaging a piece of music?) for the aurally inclined. I know one of my friends expresses her emotions and fantasies in film - I wonder if clothes give her the sense of a silent music video?

As you grow into your style, play with others, and develop your aesthetic tastes, you begin to define what lolita means to you. Not the communities, not what's popular online, not in magazines - but to you. Rather than sitting down to follow the guidelines or a subset, make your own. The other day, as I was thinking about Lolita Princess and its pure look, I found myself dreaming up a substyle! Was it lolita? Was it mori-girl or hime-kei? Was it a little bit fetched from lots of places? You bet. The more styles that seem to evolve and explode from Japan, the more they don't seem so different. Girls are beginning to gladly dabble in everything from gyaru to pop-kei, mori-girl and hime-kei. They seem very different on the surface, but below the veneer they are deeply similar. The notion of dolls, femininity, princesses, heroines in storybooks... are all from the same world, aren't they? Defining your lolita style doesn't need to be simply within the confines of by-the-book lolita. Check out his 'lolita style' above - certainly not your cookie cutter coordinate! He pairs his favorite brand pieces (often Baby the Stars Shine Bright and designer brand Vivienne Westwood) to develop his own androgynous style, veering to more masculine or feminine as he sees fit.

Okay, we're not all androgynous writers cobbling together knee socks and bloomers as pants - but plenty of day-to-day girls redefine their lolita styles out of the box. Moss Garden, for example, is a fine example of a 'lolita blog' that feels free to venture into the other realms of style such as natural-kei, dolly-kei, and mori-girl. Fairytale a La Mode, what we would mostly class as a classic lolita, often wanders down other fashion paths as well. Perhaps this is because as lolitas, it never truly leaves us? As Takemoto says, let's all follow our own paths and get along while doing whatever the hell we want! (...I ramble sometimes, too, but not in a cute, mysterious way. In more of a raised-eyebrow, wait-what way?)

In a way, you could also consider this afterword to be a pep-talk, about independence and bravery and even, perhaps, despite our differences, solidarity. Many of his poems also touch on subjects of bravery. As anyone who has ever stepped outside their front doors wearing a full lolita coordinate knows, bravery - and insecurity - can be constant companions. And that's not to say hiding under the quilt will fix that problem - you can find just as much disapproval online as in real life. Especially for someone who has decided to be independent and go their own way. But as the story of Momoko and Ichigo shows us, it's not their common interests or even morals that bring them together. It's that they recognize the same spark of independence within each other - in an interview, Takemoto calls them 'soul twins', kind of like our saying of 'two sides of the same coin.' After all of his reference to going your own way and developing your own style, he also encourages us to support that independence in others (even if 'others' means gross, spitting Yankis, of course - or, basically, other fashion styles that aren't our cup of tea). He wants us to go forth, be brave, and stand beside others who are doing the same.


I could continue the dissertation about Novala Takemoto forever. Since my lolita journey began with Kamikaze Girls, I suppose you could say that without his writing, I wouldn't be where I am today. So in this small way, I hope his afterword stays with you. Makes you think, or stand up. Remember: the lolita values independence and beauty above all else; the punk rock spirit fused with the beauty and love of a fantasy world. The princess, the doll, the maiden - is finally standing up for her right to be herself. I hope you do, too.


xoxo,

Labels: cultural, discussion, inspirational, recommended reading

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 10:57 PM 0 Comments

10 Ways to Cute-ify Your Room

Way back in 2009, I started writing the series It's Your Castle, about lolita interior decorating and home crafting. It's been a while since it had any fresh fodder! I tend to want to craft and redecorate mainly in the winter, when I am snuggled under covers and unable to go very far (three cheers for being snowed in!). Lately I'm not working on any huge redecoration projects, but I have lots of little ones to occupy my weekends! Here are ten easy cute-ifications for your bedroom you can do in an afternoon:

1. Line your drawers. This used to be a very popular past-time, but seems to have gone off the wayside - lining your dresser drawers. They even used to sell scented paper as a substitute for sachets. Typically they were a delicate floral. You can use floral wallpaper, scrapbook paper, or even just wrapping paper. That way when you reach the bottom of the drawers, you see pretty paper instead of the plain bottoms!


2. Line the backs of bookcases. Along the same lines as the previous - use pretty paper to line the backs of bookshelves! I have a very simple, white put-it-together-yourself kind of bookcase, which I hadn't been fond of, but recently found it useful for housing my wig heads and dollhouse for my Byul, Violet. All you need is a little double-side tape and perhaps a trip to the scrapbook shop and you're in business!

3. Add sheer, delicate curtains to bookcases. If you'd prefer a subtler look or wish to minimize ugly storage all together, it's very easy to add simple curtains. I got this idea from looking at snaps of Maki's bedroom, where she camouflaged her hulking PC with simple dot fabric. For bookcases, all you need is a spring-loaded curtain rod that fits along the top - add a length of sheer or simply cute fabric as a long curtain. You could also do this for large computer desks, or even as closet doors.



4. Display like things together in cute vignettes. Recently I re-discovered a mirrored tray and put it on my bureau, then collected together some of my favorite pink things like a pink ring box, Hello Kitty lipgloss, Victoria's Secret mints, and a pink bottle of perfume.

5. Put up a ribbon board of bulletin board to show off your favorite things. I am one of those people that collects and saves little pieces of paper or notecards - I still have letters my friends wrote in me in high school! The ribbon board above my desk is a collection of all things cute - samples of Angelic Pretty prints, my brand tag collection, notes from sellers on cute stationary, and even a ribbon printed with Baby the Stars Shine Bright's name. Making my own ribbon board was easy! I took an old painting canvas (and, thankfully, covered up one of the embarrassing paintings I did as a sophomore in high school) and covered it with a little quilting batting and rose printed cotton, wrapping it around the canvas and stapling it to the wooden frame in back. Next I stapled ribbons on to the frame and held the network in place with big pink buttons, stitched right through the canvas. Here's a tutorial for basically the same idea.

Ribbon boards have the added bonus of keeping all your memorabilia intact - no pin holes - but for those who prefer bulletin boards, I've seen a beautiful sample lately where a vintage lace table cloth is pinned over the corkboard for a delicate, cleaner feel. You can cover the thumb tacks with vintage buttons or cute deco cabochons if you like as well.


6. Canopies! I had a canopy bed when I was little and adored it - the first set was a carousel horse with heart-shaped balloons, the second simply lilac. As a ridiculous teenager I decided they made the room 'too closed in' and thusly my canopy bed went on to greener pastures. You might find a canopy bed at a flea market, but a simpler and cheaper option is a round canopy, often called a mosquito net. You can purchase one for around $20 - $30, or make your own with a large embroidery hoop and a lot of sheer fabric like tulle. Feel free to customize by adding roses, loops of pearl or ribbon, or even sequins. You could even drape your canopy around something other than the bed - like a vanity, desk, or comfy chair.

7. Window clings. If you can find them, jelly window clings look super-sweet on mirrors and windows. I have a set of strawberries and cakes from when Mother Garden had a US location, but they're becoming more popular lately. Look around at Valentine's Day - you may find some hearts!


8. Find yourself a jewelry rack/tree. Ever since I received my jewelry rack shaped like the Eiffel Tower this Christmas, I've loved picking out my most-loved pieces and displaying them in a shiny, trailing mass. Plus, it's easier to see your favorite items, and you'll never have to untangle a necklace when running out the door again.

9. Curtain tie-backs. Let the light in and add some adorability by making curtain tie-backs. Whether you choose something simple like grosgain ribbon (make sure to sear the ends against fraying), antique ropes of pearls, or even strings of faux roses, they'll add some pizazz. I love using pink satin for decor, so I'm going to make a few ribbon tie-backs with easy-to-use snaps.

10. When all else fails... cover it with roses. Or crystals. Or black lace. Find your favorite motif, bust out the DIY, and see what you can make. A great rule to live by: if you can't learn to love it, and you can't replace it, then just cover it up! For example: forget getting an expensive cake-shaped clock shipped from Japan and cover your ordinary wall-clock with silicone whipped cream and cookies. Get creative and get cute-ified!




xoxo,

Labels: lifestyle, lolita living

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 9:09 AM 0 Comments

Reader Appreciation Sunday, 1/23/11

Welcome to this week's Reader Appreciation Sunday! I am really pleased to announce this week's reader blog, I've become totally enchanted with it as I've read it in the past few weeks...

OMG, I couldn't even help myself! I went to MintyMix's site and checked out their wigs since I saw how natural and cute yours looked. I then ordered my favorite one and I should receive it in 2-3 more days (right on my birthday -'w'-)!! I came back and looked at your pix of your wig again and realized that I had ordered the exact same one, O.o" Thank you for inspiring me and I cant wait to make a coordinate with my first wig. In fact, the whole outfit would be my very first lolita coord ever!

with chiffon kisses,

Labels: reader appreciation sunday

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 12:40 PM 0 Comments

She's a ManiaQ

When the post man came I dropped everything and got all dolled up! I was so excited to receive my two new packages: my ManiaQ hoodie & my MintyMix fade wig! I honestly haven't been this excited to dress up in a while! 

Wig: MintyMix
Hoodie: ManiaQ (if you love popkei or fairy-lolita and don't know ManiaQ, you haven't lived yet.)
Cutsew: Angelic Pretty
Necklace: Rement/Little Twin Stars/modified by me
Boots: Grace Gift
Socks: Angelic Pretty
Skirt: Angelic Pretty
Headband: Claire's
Blue Furry Star Bow: Kawaiigoods.com!
Star clip: Chocomint
Earrings: SoGood

Labels: outfit post, photopost

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 5:55 PM 0 Comments

Lolita Princess

Lately I've seen a lot of talk about old-school sweet and modern sweet, more commonly known as OTT (over-the-top) or kote-loli. As I was mooning over clothing on Taobao (the Chinese version of eBay), I ran into a unique take: Lolita Princess.

While not all of their products are wonderful (careful, some of these verge on the side of too-anime-ish, and you may want to make small adjustments, such as removing the corsetting laces), their style is a refreshing, summer-in-love feeling. Both old-school and modern sweet tend to be heavy styles, with either thick layers and buttoned-up collars or oodles of petticoats and accessories. Whereas this easy, carefree style is simple and delicate. Their dresses are mostly composed of clean lines and semi-opaque chiffon, with rows upon rows of tiny cotton lace like meadow flowers. It almost reminds me of a cross between Liz Lisa, Victorian summer dresses, and himegyaru. Here's some of my favorites:

Like the dresses above, they're mostly meant to be worn alone. I think they'd be perfect for hot climes, and could transition easily from lolita to hime-style depending on your hair, makeup and accessories. They typically only come in four solid colors: white, pale pink, black, and cream (beige, milk tea, kinari, etc)


Here you can see one of their more unique items, the matching shawl. I think this is a adorable alternative to the bolero, for covering bare arms when wearing a JSK without a blouse, especially when the temperature can shift in spring and summer. The layers of chiffon ruffles form a beautiful cascading train over the skirts of a dress. They even use a dual-pin broach of pearls and chain for a regal look. The model shown in center of the three above (in cream) is also wearing the matching shawl.

Besides an array of dresses (no replicas - just their own designs), they've got a surprising collection of other products, such as fur collars, lolita-meets-himegyaru coats, and even roomwear. These lolita pajamas feature candy-cane pastel stripes, with a big bow-shaped kangaroo pocket:

xoxo,

Labels: shopping

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 9:16 PM 0 Comments

Blossoming: 8 Checkpoints for Young Lolitas

Recently I got an email from a girl in Norway who wanted to start dressing in lolita fashion. The only trouble was she had just turned 12 and wasn't sure where to buy any lolita clothing, and wanted to know where she could shop locally. I had to break the news to her that lolita clothes are online, or in Japan for the most part, unless you're in the area of NYC, San Francisco, or Paris, France. And when you're young, especially if you're not old enough to hold a part-time job, shopping online isn't easy - usually you need a credit card, too. I'm not even sure if lolita clothing, small as it runs, would fit her younger size. I admit I felt a little bummed for her - and besides the ubiquitous, 'there are patterns' I wasn't sure where to send her. I won't mention her name, as she seemed shy, but I'd also like to wish her a happy birthday!

images from we♥it, Baby the Stars Shine Bright, and Flickr. 




xoxo,

Labels: fashion, guide

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 11:23 PM 0 Comments