The 24/7 Lolita-chan

Update: Read this post in Spanish! Translation courtesy of Ana.

I recently started wearing Lolita more and more frequently, on a nearly day-to-day basis. I know a lot of girls wish they could dress up more, but find the process absolutely exhausting! Let's admit it: getting dressed in Lolita isn't nearly as easy as getting dressed in regular Western wear. It's one thing to sling on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and some flats - it's a complete other to put on your petticoat, bloomers, stockings, blouse, jumperskirt, bows, shoes, and jewelry! And then other practical problems set in, from how to fit in bathroom stalls to grocery shopping. The trick is getting Lolita - a fantasy style - to fit into your daily life, DAILY.

With all this in mind, I thought I'd write a little help article for everyone who wants to make the switch to full-time Lolita.

Petticoats & Other Underthings

If you're going to be wearing Lolita daily, you're going to need either one very good, extremely sturdy and poofy petticoat, or multiple petticoats that don't mind being layered. These petticoats are going to get squashed, rumpled, sat on, and attacked by humidity and cold. If you've got a petti you're terrified to sit on lest it die, then you need to start augmenting, STAT! I recommend the Candy Violet fluffy petticoat. It's definitely not going to back down easily! It has enough volume and fluff to withstand some serious sitting and mashing. It's also made out of soft chiffon, and lots of it, not tulle - which generally dies from not standing upright, whereas a petticoat with volume uses its bulk, not its shape. If you don't want to replace your petticoat all together, try getting a second or even third petticoat to wear under or over your existing one. I generally wear two petticoats: an In the Starlight petticoat, and an Angelic Pretty petticoat (Angelic Pretty on top, being more decorative). This can make sure you are full and fluffy no matter what comes your way.

On this note, let's talk about bloomers. If you're not wearing them, start! Livejournal user ugly_kitties wrote a great FAQ on the hows and whys of bloomers, so I won't cover it in this guide. Suffice to say, they are important! They make wearing Lolita a lot easier and hassle-free - all of the perks with pants, but with the look of skirts. Especially important for period time! (I don't think I need to explain this!)

Casual Lolita: Your New Friend

Casual Lolita is a great asset the the 24/7 Lolita. Wearing your absolute finest every day isn't recommended - not only do you want to avoid getting it dirty or worn, but you also want to preserve its specialness :) Just like the Victorians who had 'best dresses' and 'second-best dresses', you need pieces and outfit that can work multiple levels of fanciness. If you're just running out the post office or the market, you don't need to deck out in your best onepiece and tiara! A cute baby tee, a fluffy skirt, some knee-highs and cute, low-heeled Mary-Janes and a bow in you hair is an adorable and easy look. Not to say casual Lolita means you're going to dress like a slob or just sling anything on. Read this great article on casual Lolita. If you follow their guidelines you can look cute and still have a day-to-day look.

Beyond Your Day Dress

The typical Lolita wardrobe has some skirts, a few JSKs, a blouse or two, etc. But there are a few different pieces you'll need beyond the traditional categories if you want to wear Lolita 24/7.

Coats: a coat will practically pay for itself, seeing as it's a piece you'll wear daily for a long period of time, even across seasons (for multiple winters). New England, where I'm from, has a long winter - October, November, December, January, February, and March! The average brand Lolita coat costs 40,000 yen (some can cost as low as 20,000 yen, to as high as 60,000 yen - and Fanplusfriend makes good replicas for an area of around $100 - 150). If you break it down day by day, the average cost of your coat is $2.20 a day (approximately. I'm terrible at math, so don't quote me on this!) And of course, the real point is you'll need something warm and Lolita to keep you through the winter. Because it covers your entire outfit (sans socks, shoes, bag), it doesn't need to match everything you wear, so feel free to buy it in pink, blue, or mocha!

Nightgowns: If you want to put the 24 in 24/7, you'll also need some kind of sleepwear. Some Lolitas sleep in bloomers and camisoles or cute baby tees, a good option if you don't like nightgowns. Nightgowns are your second option. Baby the Stars Shine Bright makes quite a few, and there is also a good tutorial in the egl memories to sew your own - or you can copy a design from Gothic & Lolita scans at Avant Gauche.

Aprons: If you're the baking kind of Lolita, you'll need something to keep your brand from getting covered in confectioner's sugar! I recommend the Alice apron by In the Starlight - it covers the front and bottom of your dress, and because it's not brand, you won't mind getting it a little dirty.

Fans and Parasols: Now, a lot of Lolitas find fans to be extraneous - cute, but not vital. Having been in some very hot places this summer in Lolita, (Paris during a heatwave for one!), my lace fan has saved my life on multiple occasions. I recommend one in white for sweet styles or black for Gothic style (you know which colors you tend to have more of, I'm sure). Make sure the lace is good quality - nothing is worse than poor lace on a fan. Parasols aren't essential, per se, but I know of more than one occasion when I wish I had one and didn't! If it drizzles, snows, rains (not hard! no storms or hurricanes please!), or gets very sunny, you'll want one. Protecting yourself from the elements can swiftly become important if any of the above starts.

Other Ways To Stretch Your Wardrobe (No Shirring Necessary!)

Now that you're wearing Lolita daily, you may find what you previously had thought was plenty of clothes now seems lacking, provided you don't want to wear the same thing every day. JSKs and OPs are great, but unfortunately, they're not as versatile as one would like. Buying more two-piece outfits, such as skirts and blouses/cutsews, are a great way to get more coordinations per item.

And, when you buy an item, make sure it can fit in at least two other outfits. For example, those mint shoes are cute, but can you wear them with anything besides mint? Whenever buying a new piece, try to see how it fits into your wardrobe. Not only will this ensure that your piece gets a lot more use, but you'll have to buy fewer things.

And, if you're a style fluctuator or mixer, like I am (sweet and classic!), it's good to get base pieces that either a) fit into both categories; or b) swing wildly towards one or the other. I know this sounds contradictory, but here's the theory:

If you buy a skirt that could feasibly go either way, then it can fill out, Venn-diagram-style, both slots in your wardrobe. A skirt that looks both classical and sweet depending on how you coordinate can go a long way. I have a Fanplusfriend skirt in red corduroy that fits the bill. The material and cut is classical, but the color and trim is sweet. Depending on your other pieces, you can create very different looks.

On the other end of the spectrum, there is the style-mixing component. Try buying a base piece that's very distinctive. For example, a super-frilly Angelic Pretty blouse is a well-needed injection of sweet into a classical jumperskirt - and a classical sweater or bolero tempers the sugariness of a sweet OP.

Congratulations!

If you've followed these tips closely, you've probably compiled the right things you need to wear Lolita twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week! The trick to continuing it is to think ahead and use your imagination. If, for example, you foresee a beach party coming up, think about what you'd need to survive the day - and then think of the Lolita equivalent. Normally think you'd need a swimsuit, cap, and flip-flops? Find a swimsuit with a cute Lolita print, a broad-brimmed, decorated straw hat, and a pair of sweet sandals. All it takes is a little creativity!

Labels: lifestyle

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 10:30 PM