How to Look Like a Retro Shoujo Heroine

One of the ancestors of lolita back in the day was the artwork created by fanciful shoujo manga artists - artists drawing for the audience of young girls and women. Often their work was peppered with intricate lace and beautifully cascading ruffles, as well as the dewy eyes and luscious locks we associate with shoujo manga today. I ran into a few illustrations that reminded me strongly of lolita style's original concepts, and I just had to share!

xoxo,

Labels: inspirational

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 9:01 PM 1 Comments

Miniature Marie Antoinettes: The Complete Hime-Lolita Guide

After writing the much-loved guides Sweet, Sweet, Sweet!: Guide to Over the Top Sweet Lolita and Pastel Pop Darlings: The Complete Guide to Fairykei, a loyal reader requested I add a hime-lolita addition to the growing guide collection. Hime lolita is one of my favorite styles, so naturally I couldn't resist!

This guide will cover hime-lolita (princess lolita style, or lolita fashion that looks like clothing a fairytale princess might wear). Hime lolita is considered to be one of the more extravagant styles. There are no hard-and-fast rules for this subset of lolita, so feel free to experiment and be creative with any notion that says 'princess' to you. A sweeter lolita may be inspired for a fantasy, pink-haired version of hime lolita; a classic lolita might want a more opulent western historical royalty theme.

Some consider hime-lolita to be a blend of himegyaru (princess gal) style and sweet lolita style; others consider hime-lolita to take its inspirations from fairytale princesses or royal historical fashion trends, usually the Rococo period and Marie Antoinette. Fashion is entirely about how you interpret an idea, so there is no wrong or right variation. Anything that represents a princess ideal for you can be considered hime-lolita, so long as enough lolita influence is present.


So when considering your coordinate, decide which inspiration you prefer. A Rococo styled dress is for a more historical or fairytale look; a dress with more himegyaru leanings obviously will feel more at home with himegyaru accessories.


Baby the Stars Shine Bright is, in my opinion, the queen of Rococo-worthy dresses and jewelry, especially with their new spring line boasting Versailles Rose series. They like the look of bell sleeves, square necklines, and stomacher-style detailing down the bodice; stack pearl bracelets and chokers, or items with hanging crystals are also on the list. Baby has also long made tiara combs, woven with images of roses, ribbons, and their royal B crest.


Two street snaps of hime lolitas wearing Angelic Pretty. A delicate floral, layers of lace, and roses in her curls create a very innocent hime lolita style. The lolita on the left has chosen an ornate rose bonnet rather than a bow or tiara, making a gorgeous statement.

Angelic Pretty, on the other hand, creates clothing made for the more modern princess, often releasing dresses on par with the look of Jesus Diamante and other himegyaru styles. Large roses, dresses completely covered in net lace or delicate florals, with bows worked into the structure (say, ribbed down the otherwise open back of a jumperskirt) fit their idea of princesses.

For any lolita outfit, start with your basics: you need to have the bell-shaped silhouette; a dress without the capacity for one is simply himegyaru, a dress lacking a petticoat when it should have one is just sloppy if you're going for a full hime-lolita style (for casual days, see hime-kei below). The dress is your choice; mostly hime-lolita revolves around the very opulent onepiece or at least jumperskirt - the skirt and blouse combo says more innocent and childlike than princess. If you really do prefer a blouse however, choose something with a square of heart neckline, with bell sleeves. Chiffon is a very elegant material for a hime-lolita blouse.


For a more elegant, royal look, you could also consider adding a corset or a more mature style of blouse as shown above in the style on the right. On the left is an Angelic Pretty coordinate with a very princess-like dress styled with lace gloves and a beribboned rectangular headdress (both modeled by Kyoko Fukada).

You don't need a specific color for hime lolita: Misako Aoki, above, is wearing royal blue. While many hime lolita outfits end up being rose pink or Cinderella blue, I've also seen hime lolita in lilac, ruby red, wine, black, or white. So long as the dress is opulent enough, the color isn't as important.

After choosing your dress, add your hime accessories. Hime lolita is all about the following motifs: lace (usually net lace), roses, pearls, crystals/rhinestones, and florals. Satsify these motifs in any way you like - whether it's roses in the hair, or as earrings, or on shoes, or on purses; lace stockings, lace-patterned nails, or lace-covered bows.


There are a few accessories that are typically make the hime lolita roster. Usually considered a no-no to typical lolita, the elbow-length glove or longer can make an appearance (velvets for winter, lace for summer). Lacy arm-warmers are rarer, but go well with the himegyaru version of hime lolita, especially since they allow plenty of room for rings, bracelets and fanciful manicures on uncovered fingers.
Particularly frilly parasols (Battenburg lace is still out, sorry ladies), pearl jewelry, and mini tiaras or floral combs are also a must-have for hime lolita style. Any accessories that look very princess-like and sweet with a touch of class or bling usually work. Hime lolita also has a love of fans for the summer - paper or lace fans possibly decorated with pearls, roses or rhinestones (I'm hoping to deco a new fan for this summer!)


Scepters were once popular for hime lolita as well, but they have dropped off in popularity for little more than the occasional photoshoot. Glittery, children's toy type scepters could be used with a very sweet styled hime lolita outfit; fanciful, ornate an expensive gold scepters were sometimes sold by brands, but their cost usually deterred them from popularity among many lolitas.


Hime lolita often skips the knee-high socks in favor of opaque or lace tights, for a more elegant air. Shoes may either be high-heeled lolita shoes or rose-draped himegyaru heels or boots.

Hime lolita almost always involves curls, whether you choose to go with a more Rococo styled coordinate or a more himegyaru look. You can curl your own hair, or you can choose some kind of added piece. Prisila and Cyperous (ships overseas) both have a wide range of curled and bouffanted styles the make a great base for a hime lolita hairstyle. If you want a more fantasy-styled princess look with a sweeter twist, consider perhaps a very full curled pastel pink wig. Long blonde ringlets are often popular as well.

Large hair is just the thing for filling with roses, pearled bobby pins, or tiny tiaras. An ornate bow or simply very large and lacy matching lolita bow would also look nice. Or you could check out some himegyaru hairbands - they often make very large, elaborate bows or rose-themed hairpieces. This one is a heart filled with pink, white, or black roses as you like (ships overseas through Rakuten). In more historically inspired cases, wide-brimmed bonnets with much lace and rose adornment are also a very sweet option; adding a bow hairband or a tiny tiara to the base of a bonnet is popular.

Makeup can be your usual lolita makeup regimen, or you can add a more himegyaru aspect with extra eyelashes and liner. Pink cheeks or the newly popular 'lavender' blushes might be just the thing for adding some color to your face.


Hime lolita usually takes its cue from himegyaru in the manicure department and includes lavishly decorated false nails with roses, pearls or crystals. You can find beautiful hime nails from FullMoon Nails. If you prefer not to wear false nails, a simple pink or glitter polish would also be appropriate.

Hime lolita is not so much embracing a substyle (like you would classic or sweet or gothic lolita) so much as it is designing a themed coordinates, usually for an event or photoshoot. With this in mind, there are plenty of inspirations you can use for your hime lolita style. Fairytale princesses such as Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, or Cinderella could make interesting themes to follow in your coordinate; even something simpler as your idea of a fairytale princess or a rose garden theme would unify a coordinate well.  As I said, there are no strict guidelines you need to follow for hime-lolita, so feel free to style it as uniquely as you wish.

I hope you enjoyed this guide! Have a wonderful time dressing up, princesses! 

love & roses,

Labels: fashion, guide

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 5:14 PM 0 Comments

British Tartan Princess

Yumetenbo has taken over my wardrobe. I just can't get enough, I'm always checking it for new things (I have a shipment of shoes coming...be afraid!). But instead of using these items in a gyaru way, I mostly incorporate them into my lolita wardrobe. Case in point: I received my new spring trench coat today and immediately knew it'd make an adorable lolita coordinate! (You may remember it from my March Style Tips collage!)

DreamV/Yumetenbo is really a great company - I ordered this a few days before the tsunami and earthquake struck, and I still received it on time (they're also based out of Osaka, farther from the disaster area). I always get my clothing from them in record time, often less than a full week (7 days).

I love this light-weight coat, the style is very cute! I added a photo from the back to show you the bow detail! This coat is really more of a dress-coat, the fabric is very soft and very lightweight - the light shines through it from behind. Still I think it's just the thing to pop on over an otherwise plain outfit, as it's an outfit almost all on its own. Its light fabric will make it great for sudden rainy spring and summer days, when New England goes haywire and plunges from 85 to 45 within days.

I wanted to make sure this outfit said lolita rather than gyaru, so I skipped the teased curls and instead chose a large bouffant style bun inspired by some looks Misako Aoki has done. (Yes, my hair is dyed brown... I'm still missing my pink hair, but I think it's a nice switch for now!) Then I made sure that the rest of the outfit was framed with lolita touches - the glittery pink tweed ruffle of the BABY skirt peeking out, lace cuffs and collar, and a pearl-studded bow, also from BABY. The gold buttons on the jacket also pick up the gold chain on the bag, a very true gold, butter cookie tone which I love - it's so refreshing after America's fascination with 'gunmetal' metallics.


Outfit Credits

Labels: outfit post

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 11:27 AM 0 Comments

But Being a Lolita is HARD!

Recently I have seen this term floating around the Internet: 'closet lolitas'. I originally thought this meant, like the term for 'closeted' Pagans or homosexuals, that this was a reference to lolitas who wore and loved their lolita fashion while keeping it a secret from their friends, family, and significant others. While it sounded rather difficult (how do you hide a giant wardrobe of poofy technicolor dresses and $300 dress bills from your parents?!) I figured it must be possible, if people were using the term. Today I finally got it, from a few new comments and messages left on my Youtube videos: the term 'closet lolita' was being applied to girls who considered themselves to be lolita despite not dressing in, owning, or even ever having tried on the fashion. I can only assume then the 'closet lolita' just consumes media, mostly through the Internet (tumblr, Facebook, forums, blogs, etc.).

Now to clarify my stance - I believe a lolita is someone who has worn lolita clothing with a genuine attempt to follow the lolita style/anatomy/archetype (wearing a cheap lace monster to cosplay an anime character does not count; nor does donning a brand skirt with a t-shirt, converse, and no lolita hair/makeup - lolita fashion is a whole-picture look, not just the clothing or its pedigree - offbrand and handmade count!). No matter how much media, community or interest one has in lolita fashion, I don't believe you can be a lolita until you have tried to wear the style in its entirety - at least once, though others might argue multiple times or ownership of the clothing and accessories is necessary. Until you've actually tried to portray the lolita style to the best of your ability, you are an admirer and lover of lolita fashion. (Nothing wrong with that, if you love the look but it's not something you'd personally wear.)

I received an email recently with a plea for help from just such a 'closet lolita' who has been a 'lolita for years' but wanted more help being lolita 'style-wise.' To sum her letter, she says her family will support her, but her location is not 'lolita-forward' and lolita is 'far too expensive and far too difficult!'

Okay. Mama Victoria is gonna get a little tough love and speak the truth. Being a lolita... is hard. 


Here are just a few things lolitas do on a routine basis to keep up with, well, being lolitas:

Ordering from expensive shopping services, saving up money, making the same dress work in six different outfits rather than buy a new one, darning socks, studying makeup magazines, cleaning wigs, coloring their hair, gluing on nails, gluing on eyelashes, learning katakana, matching up coordinates, buying makeup, dealing with customs, working hard jobs (again to save more money), flying cross country or internationally to buy clothing, curling hair, conditioning out teased bouffants, dealing with strangers, dealing with coworkers or family members, driving hours to meetups, uncomfortable shoes, stockings that slide down, petticoats that deflate, reading handbooks, running group orders, currency conversions, not to mention all of the inside workings and social learning curve of lolita culture...

Lolita seems to be making the list of subcultural trends for teens lately, making blog rolls and Tumblr dashboards all over the Internet. Other fashion trends the average teen or young person can invest in aren't nearly so stringent, such as scene or hipster trends. Lolita is more on the level of old-school goth, back when goth was both a daily rigorous fashion and lifestyle, rather than its modern descendant, watered-down and sold next to the GAP (who actually owns Hot Topic, for the curious.) Which is why many girls beg the question of why lolita has to be so, well, hard.

Lolita looks sweet, soft, delicate, like an ornate maiden or perfect princess... and, like any princess, it looks effortless. I think that is why, for those on the outside looking in, it seems like it must be easy. To those who haven't tried it, it seems like for the lolitas pictured, life is a perfect fairytale, a (excuse the pun) piece of cake, and the only reason that the viewer hasn't attained lolita nirvana yet is due to an external locus of control. You know, the usual, things you hear all the time: "It's too expensive", "My hometown is not lolita", "Going outside would be weird". Or other times, you hear girls say, "Lolita is my inside self and heart, but..."

Here is the truth: lolitas are strong. Lolitas are brave. Every day, they decide to wear things that are not popular or accepted. They have been mocked, alienated and harassed for their choices, in every location from big cities to rural towns. Why? Because as a lolita, the fundamental belief is that making yourself happy is the most important thing. Even if you feel awkward, standing alone in a pink-and-blue ruffled dress, knowing that the rest of the world is staring... you are standing up for your right to make choices about your happiness, not others'. If this dress makes you feel happy when you look at it and put it on, then it should be your choice to embrace that.

As Maki of Angelic Pretty has said, 'Lolitas are always fighting for what they believe in.' If you want to be a lolita, to wear lolita fashion and in doing so truly have the 'lolita experience' so to speak, you have to fight. Lolitas around the world face adversity in becoming lolitas, whether that's cost, time, location, culture. I have had letters from Muslim lolitas who want to dress in adorable fashions but still honor their religious standards, like long skirts. I have had letters from girls who are exceedingly poor but have been carefully saving their pennies or learning by nights how to sew.

Like I've said in the past, anyone can have a successful blog. The same is true of lolita fashion, or really anything you want to pursue. In our culture we chase endless small hobbies and interests, a culture well-known for dabbling: the ability to play a few songs on a bass, a brief love affair with knitting, or a dusty collection from when coin collecting seemed cool. Fleeting interest is commonplace. Passion is an abstract word few understand these days, something we reserve for ballet dancers or astronauts. Obsession we are readily familiar with; addiction, an old friend. To become a lolita, no matter your circumstances, it's not really clothing you need. What you need goes by many names - drive, passion, determination... I suppose in this case I will call it a healthy obsession. Decide a goal for fashion self - what you deem to be the perfect idea of lolita. Obsession is your friend. I think all lolitas who truly love the fashion are always thinking about lolita, considering how they're going to meet their own daydreams head-on. Novala Takemoto's 5 Rules For Becoming a Lovely Girl says 'If you long to be a maiden, then define yourself as your own rival', if you'd like to think of it that way.

Every lolita starts as an ordinary girl, accidentally stumbling onto a dreamy world of fashion that makes her want to fulfill that dream, no matter how hard or long the road is. Even as seasoned lolita, after five years, I am always trying to 'better' my style, and redefine it to fit myself. It's been a long journey that I know I have yet to complete - if I ever will. A journey not just about clothes or hair, but also who you want to become. I think that defines the lolita experience... that no matter what, to be a lolita, don't give up.

To finish this article, I thought I'd include a long-beloved favorite poem from Novala Takemoto, who I hope is safe.

I want to become a lolita, you say.
So become one, I reply.
What can I do to look like a lolita?
I have no words with which to reply to this.
You need a headdress, don't you? And a pannier.
Is this coordinate strange?
Is it not wrong for lolita?
Why do you want to do lolita?
Because it's trendy, because my friends do it...
If that's the case, you have no right to wear lolita.
If you just do what the others do, you will look like a lolita.
But I want you to think about something.
Who do you live for?
You think you want to be yourself, but you are afraid of isolation.
You yell that you want to be free, but you take comfort in following convention.
When you are praised for something you don't even feel comfortable with, are you really satisfied?
Girls who wear Vivienne Westwood but don't even know the Sex Pistols.
Even when wearing a jersey, a princess is a princess.
My lolita rules are mine alone.
So you are the only one who can find your own lolita rules.
My god and your god are different, aren't they?
There are angels who wear elegant dresses and play tamborines,
But there are also angels wearing armor and carrying swords whose job it is to fight.
I can't answer your question.
But there are a lot of hints all around you.
You just haven't noticed yet.
What you feel is right is your answer.
Sew frills onto the hem of your heart!
Put a tiara on top of your soul!
Have pride.

Please excuse the previous recent lack of updates to Lolita Charm. Not only was this week my college midterms, but I have been feeling unable to write about Japanese pop fashion while seeing so much tragedy in Japan. Please continue to keep the Japanese people in your hearts and prayers. Click here for more on what you can do to help Japan.




xoxo,

Labels: cultural, discussion, inspirational

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 6:54 PM 2 Comments

Prayers for Japan

I was planning on debuting my new side-project, Ichigo Diaries, today, but in light of the recent tragedies I thought it'd be better to simply offer this small part of Ichigo Diaries in support of Japan. Please keep the victims of the tsunami and earthquake in your thoughts and prayers. Feel free to reblog/repost this image (created by me).

Labels: ichigo diaries

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 12:31 PM 1 Comments

How to Wear a Wig (And Look Like a Model Doing It)

As lolitas, especially the girls who are sweet lolitas, we've amassed a pretty large collective group of wigs in the past few years as they rose to popularity (What is the collective known for wigs? Perhaps a tangle of wigs?) Whether you're in love with candy colors, unique blends, fades, and splits, or simply soft natural tones, there's nothing like a wig to instantly transform your appearance. Girls sick of long hair can have bobs to avoid the big chop; girls with cute pixie cuts can play Rapunzel for the day. I myself own plenty of wigs - long, brunette, lilac, curly, wavy, short, you name it. In lolita, wearing wigs is common, among some groups considered almost necessary, if you're looking for a place to pin all of your hairclips, bows, and kitschy 80s toys. But how do you take the wig - often associated with costumes - from the meetup and runway to the classroom or office?

Some days when I get ready in the morning, my hair is throwing a protest. Won't be straight, or curly, or sit flat. Rather than fight it, I simply tame it under a wig for the day, ready to negotiate with terrorist hair (and conditioner) later that evening. But how do you wear a wig for school or work? Won't it be... like, weird?


Not so! There are plenty of ways to make your simple wig look like the best head of hair on the block.

The first thing about your wig is to make sure you've styled it before putting it on. Nothing looks weirder than an unstyled wig plopped on and run with! Start by gathering your hair under a wig cap, in a dark or light color depending on your wig (light for blondes and pastels, dark for brunettes, blacks, deep reds, etc.). I find it best to not only pin up my real hair, and put on the wig cap, but also to pin the wig cap in place with snappy clips or whatever your pleasure is. If you have bangs, make sure to sweep them deeply to the side, not just under the front - they'll stay under better and look less crazy when the wig comes off.

After you have the wig cap on, put on the wig, front to back. Make sure the elastic in the back is securely around your head, just above the nape of the neck. If you are wearing a wig with bangs, get yourself some scissors (I use nail scissors to trim a wig and my real bangs) and start trimming the bangs until they fit your face. I leave mine about eyebrow level, useful if your eyebrows are nowhere near the wig's color. The front of the wig's base should be at the same level of your wig cap, and the bangs trimmed to fit that position. Eve if you're planning to sweep the bangs to the side, you gotta trim 'em. Trust me. I went to a meetup once without the bangs trimmed and looked like a doof; wish I knew then what I know now...

If you want to wear this wig often for daily use and don't trust yourself not to be Edward Scissorhands, get yourself to a salon and ask the stylist to trim it best to suit you. Wigs, layers, the whole nine yards. This will make a huge difference in the way your wig looks.




If you want some of the ease and great look you get through a wig but don't want to wear the whole deal, there are plenty of options for you! I'm fascinated with half wigs and extensions right now, specifically those from Pink Age and Gabalnara (Korean brands - they don't ship overseas, but this group will be running another group order in April for Canada and possibly USA). They sell full sets of extensions (9 - 12 clip-ins, heat-resistant synthetic), half wigs (which you wear with both the wig and your real hair), ponytail clip-ons, and bun covers ad bun scrunchies. You use them to supplement your real hair, meaning they look much more natural. The hairstyle above is achieved with a full 9-piece set of pre-curled extensions.

Here's a basic collection of illustrations from wig company Prisila that explain:




Here's the test. Grab a friend or family member, without telling them you've decided to don a wig, and ask if they like your new 'do. Do they think you really went to the salon? People at school often remark 'oh, you changed your hair!' and I simply smile and say, 'For today.' You don't have to tell everyone it's a wig, but don't be ashamed or secretive about it either. You're just fashion-forward after all!


Here are some of my favorite wig shops! I've worn many of these companies' wigs both with a editorial lolita style and for a casual school or work appropriate lolita style.

Cyperous - full and half wigs *ships overseas*
Prisila - bangs, half wigs, rope wigs (basically a long boa of curly hair), scrunchies, volumizers...
Gabalnara - full, half wigs; extensions, scrunchies, bun covers, bangs
Pretty and Cute - a limited selection of wigs and extensions, but cheap and heat-friendly; I just ordered a scrunchie bun from them for $5! *ships overseas*
Yumetenbo - sometimes a few limited styles of gyaru stretchy wigs or bun covers *ships overseas*
MintyMix - A personal favorite for unnaturally colored wigs; my pink and lavender fade wig is wonderful quality, and so 'natural' in style if not color that it passed the natural test at school! *ships overseas*
Cosplay Wigs USA - Typically lolita wigs; very full bases. I wore my light brown wig to school last week with wonderful results. *ships overseas*

Don't be afraid to try something out, to stand apart, and show off your style! Keep on being fashionable!

xoxo,

Labels: cosmetics, guide

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 7:59 PM 0 Comments

Pastel Pop Darlings: The Fairy-Kei Guide

My past article about fairy-kei and lolita fusion, thereafter dubbed 'fairy lolita' or fairy-loli, has been generating a lot of interest and traffic after being posted to an online fashion community. Some commenters remarked that it was the only in-depth guide available to the style. Since that article was more of an overview, specifically meant for those with a lolita background, I thought I would write an additional article as a complete guide to fairy-kei, in the tradition of my complete guide to over-the-top sweet lolita style. Without further ado...

Marshmallow Stars - Fairy-kei Links
TokyoFashion.com - Fairy-kei & Japanese Decora Nails in Harajuku




Stick around for Part 2: The Complete Fairy-Lolita Guide! I wrote this for all the girls interested in fairy-kei. If you're a lolita at heart, like myself, you're probably more interested in fairy-lolita (lolita blended with fairy-kei). I think if you're going to blend two styles, you need to have a dependable basis in both - whether you're interested in decora, punk, fairy-kei, hime-kei, mori-girl, or any other street style. So study up and be prepared for Part 2: The Complete Fairy-Lolita Guide!

Labels: fashion, guide

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 8:50 AM 0 Comments