Lolita Charm: Season of the Lolita

Monday, August 9, 2010

Season of the Lolita

Novala Takemoto has always called winter the 'season of the lolita' - a time where knee-socks, tights, layers of velvet and blouses and fanciful berets - are appreciated. The more clothing, the more room for ornamentation. Summer, pretty as the sunlight and flowers are, tempts many girls away from their petticoats and bloomers and blouses - light and cute, but hard to accept the idea of draping your elaborate coifs with stars and bows and clips. I consider the summer to be a lax season - a time for forgoeing decorated socks, for saying to hell with mincing high heels in favor of flip-flops, and for banishing hairspray to the back of the closet. Winter, on the other hand, is a time to get fully donned to the teeth, even with gloves and coats and boots. I think that's why I always try to have a winter 'theme' for the upcoming season - What do I plan on wearing in New England's long dreary days, running from mid October until nearly late April. Instead of hunting through magazines or reading up about 'trends this season' I decide to make my own trends. Because I'm first and foremost a writer, I write. If you're an artist, a collager, a Polyvorer, a list-maker, a doodlers, a daydreamer - get started! Make your own trends for this season of the lolita and make your own fairytale. Here's mine:

Be the pink froth at business school and lend cuteness to briefcases - a black lesson bag embossed with a crest of swans. Hang your royalty from everything and dangle crown-shaped charms from the bag handle. Inside: a pink Netbook, a rose-encrusted cellphone, an ever-growing collection of gold-topped Sanrio pens, a laquer bento box with moon rabbits on it and full of fruit and healthy starch.

Color themes choose a hint of sophistication in black silk bows and tiny black-printed hearts on white or egg-shell-pink backgrounds; a look of French dots and Coco Chanel, fashion icon to anyone who ever cared about what to wear today. Don't be afraid to play the brunette coquette in wigs, tucked under a fluffy pink beret spangled with crystal pins of music notes and scottie dogs with diamond collars - don't be afraid to give up a week's worth of blow-drying and pin back your bangs in a 40s' style poof. Wear pink fur ruffs and sling long, pink cashmeres around your neck and pretend you never got out of bed (just like last winter). Become a maven of old rhinestone and new rhinestones, next door to glass, as touted by Blanche. Lace tights and black velveteen heels. White dresses dotted with tiny black stars. Do whatever you have to do to finally find the blouses you've dreamed about - white chiffon for lady pirates with unicorn-horn swirled sleeves, pink heart-and-eyelet lace, tall soda blue collars.

Stay up late making strawberry daifuku and miniature coffee jellies. Confirm your love of espresso with your first espresso machine, and tout its glories over the usual teatime. Make gingerbread houses in Merry Sweets Castle and see The Nutcracker dressed like a marzipan shepherdess. Wear huge falls of curls down one shoulder and be glad to be a modern-day Rapunzel. Find a brocade carpet bag and bejewel - in fact, buy a hotfix and bejewel everything. Spangle your best ruby-colored dress for the holidays. Turn your vintage hoopla into a white cage skirt and cover it with rescued net lace. Follow the teachings of Misako, but with the bold influence of Kera. Don't give up on cutesy tee-shirts and wear them with the pink sheep of the lolita fashion tree, the motorcycle jacket. Bow ties should be soft and suede and be making a comeback. A ruffle-edged turtleneck is just the thing under a jumperskirt. Spend time in the countryside and get snowed in; take winter photos by the abandoned train station. Use cross-stitch to embroider something small with snowflakes and tiny German-looking houses. Buy tall boots and stand on tiptoe to reach books in bookshops. Hint at polka dots everywhere. Own a battillion of cardigans and shamelessly shop the cute chintz of Wonder Rocket. Nails are fresh, ultra-glossy, solid, and always immaculately unchipped. Wear thick, sweatery socks. Pin vintage cameos and plastic glittery brooches onto the same coat lapel. Find out all the different ways you can wear usamimi and tell everyone you use them to get HBO. Wear your summer sunglasses for snowglare and sprinkle your hair with iridescent glitter when the flakes fall.

A full head of burning, burnished pink hair is exactly the way to get through days without sunshine.

What does your season of the lolita look like? If you could create the perfect wardrobe for your upcoming season, what would you like to see? What inspires you? What makes you feel comfortable and what make your eyes pop? What makes you feel like an illustration and what makes you feel like a fairytale?

all photos via tumblr; last is of me.

Labels: fashion, guide, inspirational, winter

15 Comments:

At August 9, 2010 at 3:47 PM , Anonymous said...: This is my first time commenting on your blog :) I love it. These ideas are all very fun!

I'd love to see a full ice-skating coordinate. With a winter or holiday themed print maybe, a cute short coat (to show off the skirt/ bottom of the dress). Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to pull it off, as I do not have figure skates (wearing hockey skates would ruin it!)
At August 9, 2010 at 4:40 PM , Jo said...: So cute! I love winter and autumn, because those are the 2 seasons when I don't get stares from others for piling on oodles of layers.
At August 9, 2010 at 5:50 PM , Tabitha said...: I used to draw out very detailed wardrobe themes when I was in college for each new semester, but I haven't very much since I graduated... you have inspired me to do it again! :) thanks!
At August 9, 2010 at 8:06 PM , asuka ☆ said...: It's posts like this I read this blog for.
Very inspiring! ♥
At August 9, 2010 at 10:40 PM , Anonymous said...: I have to say I love all the pics in this post! So pretty! As for what to wear this winter, I'm going for a sort of "Snow Ballerina" look. This means I'm getting myself lots of tutu-like skirts in various colours, lots of cute tights in all shades of white and pink, and buying as many swan-related accessories as possible! I know this isn't necessarily lolita, but it is related as I always try to incoorporate my mainstream wardrobe into my lolita wardrobe. That being said, does anybody know any good prints that might match this theme?
At August 9, 2010 at 10:48 PM , Mykki said...: Lovely!
At August 10, 2010 at 2:30 AM , Anonymous said...: I love the idea of season outfit themes! My best friend Jules recently came up with the thought of being a snow prince this year (he even wants to have his hair dyed to match the theme) which led me to thinking about my theme, too. I think there will be some of a Charles Dickens story in it as well as a lot of a young witch in dark dresses, but not without a cute twist, a little bit of a pie or sweets maker. I'm eager to begin sewing for this project!
By the way, I love your idea of house embroidery on clothing and I think it would fit quite well if I depicted some of my beloved town on a skirt...
At August 10, 2010 at 10:12 AM , Anonymous said...: This post was so beautifully written, Victoria! I love your lush descriptions of outfit ensembles, your passion for lolita really shows in your words.
At August 10, 2010 at 5:58 PM , Anonymous said...: I think this is a reason to look forward to winter. My theme will be "Young Victorian Lady playing on the streets on her way to Christmas shopping" or so. I want a burgundy/dark red velvet dress so badly for that and the victorian-looking IW replica hat I found on Qutieland.
I also need boots (I already have fitting boots but I want some knee-high ones). I also have a school loli theme on my mind (with dark plaids) for the beginning
of winter.
At August 10, 2010 at 10:36 PM , Melody said...: For Autumn/Winter, I am going to focus on getting more drab greens, burgundy and brown into my wardrobe, to accent pink and teal from this summer. I'm going to go with a brown fleece full skirted coat, lined in pale pink, and then try for a dark burgundy wool jacket in a similar style, and I'm ordering some custom knee-high boots in pink from Qcutie for the winter months.
At August 11, 2010 at 10:56 PM , Frannie said...: Saved!

This is really inspiring I love it!

Also you're from new england? I am too! Cud u maybe give me suggestions on where to find lolita here?
At August 12, 2010 at 4:13 PM , Anonymous said...: Winter is not a very good season for lolitas in the Pacific Northwest--it rains and rains and rains all winter!
At August 15, 2010 at 9:29 AM , thebabydollprincess said...: This is so inspiring that I just had to write an entery for my blog about it, I hope you don't mind ^^;
At August 15, 2010 at 9:17 PM , Kara said...: My inspiration for this winter is "starting to wear Lolita" I'm planning to get my first piece-a skit-soon, and then I'd love to get a big poufy lolita coat for the winter-I already have my eye on one!
At September 9, 2010 at 4:14 PM , the moonlight seedling said...: I love this post - it inspires me so much! I've designed and knitted a hat like in the first picture, I just need to run it through a washing machine to felt it! I'm also designing a sweater like in the second picture... it's so pretty and comfy-looking, I covet it so much! Maybe this winter I'll have the chance to dye my hair pink again...

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Lolita Charm

Monday, August 9, 2010

Season of the Lolita

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