A cornucopia of styles!

Lolita and J-street wear are divided into so many awesome sub-styles that anyone who's "bent that way" is bound to find something to suit their tastes.Pictures are here to demonstrate two of the less-seen styles; Gothic Aristocrat and Sailor Lolita.

Gothic Lolita

Gone are the times when GL only meant black and white. Rich shades of electric or dark blue and jewel-tones like ruby, amethyst or emerald are just some of the examples that may be paired with black to create a striking, yet elegant and somber look. Contrary to a general belief, Gothic Lolita is quite versatile. The style can either be very sophisticated and dressed-down, or it can be very ornate and detailed. It can even flirt with Sweeter styles, and still be undeniably Gothic! What I love about the style is that by wearing it correctly, one may take on a slightly creepy, morbid and still cute and doll-like appearance.

Kuro Lolita

What applies to Gothic Lolita, applies almost equally to Kuro, apart from the fact, of course, that it has no colour whatsoever (black is not a colour, remember? Nitpick nitpick) but is entirely and without exception, full-on black.The style, worn, was originally "meant" to always be paired up with Shiro Lolita (full white), to supposedly make a formidably noticeable monochromatic twins -effect. In the western countries, however, the style can stand just fine on its own.

Gothic Aristocrat (female version, of course)

The west and the east seem a bit ambivalent as to what this style includes, but here, at least, we seemed to have found a consensus of a very mature, Victorian mourning-style. Corsets, feathers, lace gloves, veils, elaborate hats, dark colours, jewelry, even furs and taxidermy accessories have established themselves as parts of Gothic Aristocrat. It was, just like its little sister-style, Gothic Lolita, originally created by Mana with the added term "elegant" in front of their names (no need to explain who this guy is, right?).

Shamelessly stolen from Iira's Tumblr (Rosanitida), but you know nobody really does it like her.

On the left, although a bit too simplified and MMM-standard for my liking

Ah, now that's better! ...me and my amazing MS paint skills show you how it's done.

Sailor Lolita

I love the ocean, I love the seaside and I love boats, ships and sailing. Only natural that I would find this nautical sub-style of Sweet Lolita super attractive! It seems to be a reoccuring theme for me every summer, a buring desire to wear Sailor-inspired Lolita clothing. It's somehow so fresh and crisp with its often two-toned white, black, navy blue and red colour combinations that it never fails to remind me of sunshine on my face and salty waves splashing against rock or sand.

 

Old School

Yes, well, it's not technically a style of its own, but it is the way Lolita looked for a long time. It's not just the nostalgic combination of black and white that's currently coming back into the fashion, but has a sort of a clumsy, home-made look to it in many occasions. This is very much the case when looking at old street snaps from associated magazines. The style was developing, and many of the so-called rules and regulations of Lolita were created by us westerners. Headdresses, clunky shoes and even black lipstick were all the rage way back in yesteryears, and let me tell you - not all Lolitas wore petticoats. (GASP) Styles develop and change, but that doesn't mean we can't appreciate what they used to be, and even be inspired.

Tea flower

I thought you might appreciate this short comic I made for my comic-blog. The text says "Tea flower - the tastier Ancient One." You can see the original, larger one (and other entries in Finnish & English) here: http://kultapanda.sarjakuvablogit.com/

Jubilations!

1. Innocent World babydoll -JSK.

Black velvet! I got it for only 60$ because the hem-lace had been removed. I'm not too picky on whether my brand items are pristine, if they can be fixed. All I have to do is find some nice lace and sew it on, and that's that.

Picture by Elegantsolitude

2. Heart-apron!

I managed to persuade the keeper of Sweet-Sweet Shop (now closed) to make me this apron, despite her "retirement". I've wanted it since 2008, and soon I can finally quit boring my friends by frequently including it into my musings.



In full black, of course



3. White, ruffled bloomers

At last I got around to ordering them. I'm sorry, but when it comes to ruffled underwear, F+F really has what I want. I already have the same model in black, but wanted white ones as well. They really are super fluffy!

4. Parties, parties, parties

In addition to us hosting a halloween celebration at my boyfriend's already creepy-looking old wooden house, (we affectionately call it "Chernobyl" - it really is a place of eternal childhood, like Never-never land!) there's two of my friends' birthday bashes coming up, both will require dressing up in themed Lolita (or Kodona/Aristo) as well. The other party will be carnival-themed, and the other will be casino-themed. Awesome. :)

Elitism, drama and cattiness.

They're an often reoccurring phenomenon whenever young women are present in large groups, especially when those groups are in any way related to the way one looks. Your worth is measured by how much your outfits cost, how well you dress, how much you weigh and how well you fit the current standard of beauty. There's no denying it, we all resort to judging now and then. Even if it's just inside our head, thinking "why is she wearing that"  or "why won't she get that nose fixed". It's so easy to get carried away on something that requires little more of you than the ability to follow guidelines and look pretty. If you're not careful, it stops being an element in your life which brings you happiness and self-contentment, but instead, becomes a source of stress, dissatisfaction, hurt feelings and obsession to achieve elusive perfection.

Let's face it, a surprisingly large percentage of Lolitas were bullied at school, or at least weren't among the popular kids. In the school environment, often, they were the runts, the freaks and the outcasts. Then, suddenly the opportunity to be a part of the "in-group" presents itself, and backstabbing, petty gossip and "more-brand-than-you" or "prettier than you" -attitude seems to be rewarded just like in high school (etc)where the girls with the most expensive clothes, best hair, skin and teeth, not to mention shallow attitude, were the ones to be.

Weren't these the exact people no one really wants to be in the end? These mockeries of human beings with nothing more to aspire for than the next print by such and such brand, to fill some emotional void of being accepted and admired? And yet, the secrets-community thrives and prospers, and "e-fame" is so coveted it becomes a virtue all on its own. I don't know about you, but I'd say we do a pretty crappy job at not making fashion personal.

Here in Finland, the situation isn't as bad as it could be. There are a lot of us in relation to how small a nation this is, but generally newcomers that take advice and act like any decent human being are quickly accepted as part of the community. Everybody pretty much knows everybody at least to some extent, and we tend to try and solve issues openly. And still...the occasional bad-mouthing secret appears in BTB, when some coward decides they have to let some other Lolita know how much they hate her.

I've been a part of this community for a long time, and although the issue of being "ancient" comes up sometimes, I try not to make a big deal out of it, since it really isn't. At the end of the day, these are just clothes, made of fabric, to cover our bodies with. I've been dressing a bit funny all my life - what's so unique about Lolita?

What is your purpose?

Something makes me come back to the frills even after a period of hiatus. Something in it beckons me again and again, and while the thought of eventually growing too old to pull the style off doesn't horrify me, it certainly irritates me. Why do I love it even when my closet isn't one of those that are full to bursting and I don't spend every waking hour wearing it?

What initially drew me in was the quintessential girliness, it was the complete opposite of what I'd been wearing, which is probably one of the reasons why I was especially fascinated with Sweet Lolita. The pastels, bows, flowers and lace were an unabashed declaration of princess-like femininity in its most stereotypical sense, and it offered me a wonderful alternative after clothing myself in goth-style for such a long time. Suddenly I found myself "thinking pink" and instead of always picking something red or black, I would go for the colours more suitable to my new style. I guess it was a time of transition of some kind, maybe even a slight rebellion against growing up. I've been an "all-at-once" -kind of chameleon with plenty of things, and this was no exception.

After finding the gothic colour-schemes again later, the style has grown on me in a more mellow and less "radical" way. It's still a kind of an imaginary world -bubble that I share with likeminded individuals, but it seems to come more naturally these days. I've always had plenty of girls I like in the Lolita-circles, but only some I could've called actual friends. That changed when I became more active in my local community a few years ago, meeting people whose company I enjoy in and out of the style. That, I think, also keeps up my interest in wearing Lolita and inspires me.

Like many of you, I was also a bit of a tomboy growing up, and often, instead of being the princess, I opted for being either the wicked witch or even the prince. Certainly I had some dresses for special occasions and I would play faerie/mermaid stuff as eagerly as I would play gangsters or Tarzan, but I guess I was never a very girly girl. I was also a bit of a pushover when I was smaller, so I would let my super-girly friends have the pretty dresses and play the prince instead, when it came to princess-dressup. So this might be my way of taking back what was stolen, haha!

Me, I think at the age of 3 or 4. That Luke Skywalker hair
and spiffing flowery dress, not to mention funny teeth!

Lolita doesn't only make me feel pretty, it seems to suit me far better than any other style. I'm relatively short (just under 5'2) and my features are somewhat youthful and round, and I still get that cheerful feeling of accomplishment after putting together an attractive coord. The way the hem spreads out on top of the petticoat, the way headwear adds that special finish and the way I completely transform from my normal, frumpy appearance is magical every time.

That's a feeling worth holding on to.

Casual post 1

It's autumn, and despite the colourful trees and quiet, rainy evenings, I'm already looking forward to some snow! Not to mention Christmas, I'm such a Christmas fan I start buying first batches of presents earlier every year. You're definitely going to get a Yule-tide entry in this blog, maybe I'll even try to put together some sort of an Advent calendar and a potential give-away. We'll see how much time I have.

Next week it's time for autumn-break at work, but of course not for me. Just the students and the teachers. But that, my dears, means I'll have time to prepare updates beforehand. Perhaps even participate in a challenge if I find one that seems like fun.

Have a great week, everyone!

Lolis doing unloli things

Most of us have things we do that aren't considered very compatible with the style. At the end of the day we aren't just a bunch of stereotypes, but there are so many interests and features that define us or are a part of us besides the way we dress. However, I wanted to write about the "unloli-things" that are on my list. Some of you are sure to have interests in common with me!

1. Bad habits

Swearing, weekend-smoking and slouching (I have the worst posture). I do at least try to avoid them when dressed up fancy, since two of the aforementioned are especially frowned upon by most Lolitas, but then again - it's only clothes. If someone is terribly offended by swearwords, it's not me they have to avoid, but most of popular culture today, not to mention walking outside where strangers may splurt out naughty words! And when it comes to smoking, I tend to stay away from non-smokers so as not to afflict them. If it's just the habit that bothers others, tough luck - it's still my body.

 

2. Violent entertainment

I know for a fact I'm not alone on this one; there's plenty of film buffs and gamer geeks among Lolitas. I've suggested a shooting-range meetup, and the idea was met with great enthusiasm. So games that involve guns and hack'n'slash, horror and action movies/shows with gore are a part of what I like to do and watch. Sadly I haven't had much time for gaming in the past few years. When time is scarce, there has to be a certain amount of trade-offs.

 

3. Junk food

I don't indulge very often, but I can't help but enjoy hamburgers, french fries, potato chips, pizza or popcorn now and then. Very few of us are immune to the alluring call of salt and saturated fat, and I'm no exception. I have a balanced and healthy diet most of the time, but sometimes there's just no substitute for some good old-fashioned bacon.

 

4. Going to the gym 

It's not calmly horseback-riding side-saddle, it's not waltzing at a costume-party or walking about in the beautiful countryside with a parasol. It's hard work, sweat, pain and an endorphine-rush. Not very graceful or ladylike at all, but rewarding and energy-boosting for sure.

 

5. Having a sex-life

Nothing special about that, as most of us over the age of 18 are dating, or at least have done it a few times, right? Nope, this still seems to be an issue that one should pretty much stay quiet about as much as possible, because the lolita circles are, in this case, divided into three groups; the underaged oblivious (who mostly still live under the impression that all lolitas are eternal virgins and boys are yucky if they're not Japanese pop-/rockstars), the refined ladies/innocents who deem all talk of bodily functions and needs inappropriate, and the "radicals", who have no need to hide any aspect of their lives, including pornography or what goes on in the sack. But just because you can never be sure who belongs to which faction, it's better to get to know people before sharing intimate stuff with anyone. It's like a reverse High-School; almost everyone's doing it, no one's talking about it. For some reason it's easy to be labeled as a fetish-dresser or age-player if you both dress in Lolita and are vocal about things like these.

 

6. Questionable sense of humour

Derpaty hurr-durr derp durr. In addition to enjoying intellectual satire, play-on-words and witty banter, I also go for the immature, infantile humour, centering on lower parts of one's body. Making faces, physical comedy and putting on my head things that shouldn't be put on one's head are another great source of chuckles. These should be enjoyed in the company of people who enjoy it as well, otherwise a generous serving of awkward is on the menu.