Gothic Lolita Fashion is NOT Cosplay (Lolita FAQ)

Or a fetish. Or whatever people from the outside like to assume. In boredom I've went through Yelp raged over and over again. Not only that but I've frequently went to San Francisco's Japan Town decked out in cosplay, lolita, and gyaru fashions but have experienced people call these fashion statements costumes. Of course we can't blame people who aren't educated on their confusion. Though their ignorance can cause rudeness. There was once a time at J-Pop Summit my poor dear friend Trish was decked out fully in a Baby the Stars Shine Bright coordinate all out for a FASHION CONTEST and a very rude woman was automatically assuming and telling people that my good close friend had a thing for older men because of the way she was dressed. Of course I was beyond disgusted with this lady's behavior as I have been at other times when I've been mistaken as a prostitute for being in gal and not even agejo gal which is based on a sexy concept but just as an Onee-gyaru type of style. Yes we're unique so that makes us a target I suppose and now days my group is pretty immune to people's need to be assholes or even just people staring. 

What makes people decide to be so horribly rude towards people who are unique is beyond me. There are of course people who are actually kind and supportive. These are the types of people Japanese fashionistas favor. We're always glad to explain things to those who are polite and kind and seriously are just curious. I've gotten tons of people randomly tell me I'm super pretty or ask where I get my clothes. Usually I get asked for pictures from tourist or those who like the fashion. 

For those of you interested in lolita fashion whether its just to figure out why certain places are flooded with these type of people or if you want to delve into this world yourself-allow me to educate you. This just my outlook on what lolita is and it's probably not ALL correct but I feel like this can translate well to those who aren't familiar with the Gothic Lolita life style. 

Lolita fashion can be considered a revival of the old style European style clothing from the 1900s and further on down in history. Like how trends are brought back with a flare in modern fashion, Japan has taken it to the next level by shortening the skirts, adding prints, and other cute qualities to the style. Lolita is the furthest thing from a fetish but the ladies who wear the style actually are trying NOT to show skin. Think of a porcelain doll elegantly on display for people to admire. That is the living portrayal of what these lolitas are trying to achieve. There are various styles of lolita and depending on that could be the form of people's confusion as well. 

Gothic Lolita is more based probably on the doll concept. They're considered dark and morbid. Age appropriation would be everything between the early teens to late twenties depending on how the clothes are worn. In the West honestly speaking, I feel like we have a ways to go on figuring on what best suits what clothing because it's still a fairly new concept. Shiro Lolita is all white dresses but can also be considered in the gothic category as well as Guro Lolita which is like...blood everywhere. No really. Blood everywhere. Usually it's tainted white clothes. Think of a cute girl going on a rage spree at a hospital or something. Guro is based on a horror concept! In all these are dark concepts that are all gothic lolita. Punk rock can also being incorporated with plaids, asymmetrical skirts, boots, ect.

Ame Lolita (Literally translating into Sweet Lolita) is based on the 'kawaii' concept that perhaps outsiders are more likely to be familiar with thanks to media exposure. The problem is that 'kawaii' was marketed horribly. Kawaii can differ person to person... Tho in this case 'kawaii' is usually cute prints, lots of sweets like cake, whipped cream, cookies, icecreams are seen as prints on the dresses. They usually wear cute pastel colors like baby pink, yellow, brown, ect. and are seen with a light make-up. This is BY FAR the most difficult of sub-genres to pull off because it does look ridiculous at a certain age. Perhaps this is where people get the idea that this is age play, because it looks like something a little girl would wear. I do suggest if you do wear sweet lolita to be in your teens or have a baby faced look or you could come off as too old to be dressing the way you are. 

A good alternative to Sweet Lolita is Classic Lolita. It is a blend of the gothic and sweet style. Classic also focuses on browns as wells as creams, red, green..unique colors! They can be plain prints or solid colors like the other styles. It can be a bit more age appropriate depending on the print and execution. It's kind of a country-fied feel. Straw hats and bags and checker print for the warmer months and velvet  reds, and bonnets for the cooler seasons. Think of Classic Lolita dressing based on the seasons more so than the other two. 

Guys fashion usually aristocrat (tho ladies can be these with frilly blouses and longer skirts!!) or the younger version being kodona. All are based on being dandies I suppose you could say. I don't have much experience in this category but think of really nice coats with buttons and boots.. They can almost look princely if not dapper! 

In all the desire to dress in lolita from experience is not only to feel and be unique but to really put effort into how you dress. These girls usually legitimately feel like ladies. They can feel like a princess or some type of girl in high society dressed the way she is perhaps having tea with the other girls and looking at the latest trends. 

Why are these clothes so expensive? 

Good question! I get asked this a lot and perhaps this is why in the West the lolita community is seen as kind of strange because A LOT of us are older and that's because we can afford it. Not that girls in Japan can but they probably save up for a long time or even have super supportive parents who really like the fact that their child is unique on the weekends. We can't really say the same in some cases because either parents fear what they don't know or are in fear that we'll be targeted by the wrong type of people. So usually a lot of girls here have to wait until they're older and have their own income to choose to be a lolita-and usually its a lot of work, not only getting ready but for the expenses to coordinate an outfit! These items are usually expensive not because they're imported and jacking up the price (they're expensive in both places!) but because they're brand name designs. There are only limited amounts of a said style of dress made making it in high demand. The rarity of the print is based on how many are made but also the demand. Depending on how well the item sells and is liked can determine if the price of the dress goes up or down if it's resold. 

This goes for a lot of different brands, not just lolita. I don't know how Japan works but the US depends on a lot of "fast fashion" places like Forever 21 and H&M for clothing. Our clothing is based on 'trends' that easily come and go with very few staple pieces. Japan also has a Forever 21 and such too and the fashion scene there is definitely changing because of it but the detail placed in brands like BABY, Naoto, BPN, Liz Lisa, ank rouge, ect can not be matched. Usually there are prints that can't be replicate, the name brand plastered everywhere if not, detachable pieces, line skirts and jackets. The list goes on. THIS is why when you step into BABY or Liz Lisa and the clothes are crazy expensive. These are staple pieces that are demanded after because they're unique and one of a kind! 

So, no. We're not trying to look like little girls on purpose. It's just the way you perceive us. No we're not into a cosplay fetish. No we're not cosplayers. While lolita and kodona appear in anime/manga we're not cosplaying. Cosplaying is a recreational art, we're a fashion statement. We're not playing a character. We're being ourselves. Though people do bring the point up of hy is lolita themed into 'Alice in Wonderland' or have even anime collabs. Like many clothes, it's a creative outlet, Forever21 has done Alice in Wonderland and Hello Kitty collabs. BPN collabed with Kuroshitsuji and Shiki as an anime and I think BABY also did Macross F as a collab as well. It also helps the demand for these clothes to go up if it's a collab!

Point is; we're still being ourselves-we don't act as a character. We work hard for our money just like the rest of you do, we probably like the same cosmetics, movies, books, ect. and you just don't know it due to our exterior. So with that said, I hope this helped you guys a little bit on lolita fashion. This is just a little inkling of explanation that kind of turned into a ranty life lesson but I hope this helps some of you!!

Why I Personally Dislike the label 'Gaijin Gyaru'

I've been on a roll lately with entries but this one had been on my mind for a couple of weeks. I'm always lecturing people about pretty much not separating themselves from things if they expect to be treated equally. This goes with sexuality, age, and yes even race...yes even in the fashion world. There is a real big reason why I dislike using the tag or label anywhere on the internet using 'gaijin gyaru'. Human beings are so guilty of categorizing and separating themselves into categories. Why? It's a social norm. We've learnt it probably somewhere around our schooling days and never learnt to get the fuck out of doing it. 

I used to get a lot of crap for labeling myself as just only a gyaru online anywhere where I posted pictures or even articles because I was a westerner or not gal enough to their liking. After a lot of proof that helped caused a self confidence boost later on, I stopped using the tag 'gaijin gyaru' because it was supposedly the right thing to do in the community because I thought it was seriously stupid. Here were great fashionable ladies who loved the same style of fashion and yet here we are separating ourselves based on whether we were Japanese or not..or matter of fact, even from what country we were from. 

Honestly, I found it quite silly. Regardless of what I look like, I am still a gyaru girl. I have been for two years now and nobody is ever done learning and this goes for even honing your own fashion style. Of course a lot of people would bring up the point, of why separate yourself into a fashion style category or genre then? The answer would be because it's something that sets you a part from others in a fashion style It's not exactly the same type of segregation. Yes we're foreigners but we're still rocking the style right?

I feel like saying 'gaijin gyaru' is pretty much screaming "I'm an outsider! I'll never truly be a gal!"

The first step in being gyaru is believing you are and saying that you are. Confidence is a huge factor in being a gyaru. Or so I learnt when I got into the fashion. If you don't have faith in yourself, fake it. Eventually you'll feel comfortable in your skin. I understand for make-up reference using 'western gyaru' or such because all of us have a different facial structure but even so, I learn a lot looking from everyone on what make-up techniques work to what type of circle lenses they use that best suit their eyes. 

It's more so about the acceptance of "I can learn from everyone and learn something new everyday." 

Just a little food for thought readers! Do any of you also agree?

What Have I Been Up To Lately?

Now that we're finished with all of the fun sparkly introductions and such to new readers, I think it's time to show a little love to the older followers that ever so kindly made the move down to this blog. As older readers have known, I've had been doing a shit load of posts on tumblr and suddenly kind of went quiet after SacAnime, however if you follow my instagram you saw that I was updating a lot. What happened? I was out. A lot. All of February I was just never home. Every weekend was a huge outing project with friends and  it felt nice. Usually I'm stuck here at home because I'm so far away from everyone else. I haven't been out so freaking often since high school. Despite the harsh realities of my personal life that take a toll on me, 2013 hit off on a tremendously good note and keeps looking better and better.

First trip? LA. I have actually in all my life of living in California since I was twelve years old, had never ever hit there. There were really close calls where I had almost went. But some super sweet friends of mine seriously made this shit happen. It was a blast. It was a super short trip.The ride down was super intense. We got our friend to beast the Grape Vine which had been closed off for hours due to snow/black ice and had JUST opened up and he literally gunned through it. I hadn't seen snow since I was back in Tennessee so that was pretty crazy to me. Didn't get to our hotel until three or so but it was super fun getting there.

I gal'd myself up in LA the next day and surprisingly provoked quite of a bit of attention that I honestly didn't expect because I thought I'd blend it fairly well. I blame the jean mini and long fur coat..LOL  Yes hooker status I know right? Especially when I was the only girl on the trip. However Little Tokyo was a blast. It's a lot different from my little safe haven back in San Francisco's Japan Town. Younger generation here it seems and surprisingly a lot more otaku oriented. Two HUGE stores. A small lolita shop and supposedly there was more to see but like I said, it was a short trip. The adventure down to SoCal was just crazy. Fucking crazy. But each time we were in the car it was crazy fun. Lots of karaoking to m-flo, L'arc-en-Ciel, ect. in the car and such. 

The food was SO GOOD. Holy shit. Half and Half is a must next time down. The ramen at Yamada-Ya was pretty freaking tasty. I did come to the conclusion after this trip though that I left my heart in San Francisco. LA is great and all but I love NorCal's pace more. I could never ever live in LA as glamorous and absolutely crazy as it looks. Definitely just heading down to chill, see friends, shop, and eat. Regardless, SoCal you were good to me. 

NEXT WEEKEND was AOD 2013. Holy shit you guys, seriously? It was great. The kindness of some people... By the end of the fucking trip I had a neat little stack of gifts all lined up and such. First day I went as Sheryl Nome with Gabby as my super cute Ranka Lee. Got lost in SF via car because I only know the city through the public transit. Eventually we got there though! This was actually the first time Toxic Glitter was together as a group but we all had separate cosplays going on. However I did cosplay with both Trish and Gabby over that weekend. It was also a friend's first time cosplaying EVER and I thought it turned out pretty damn well! They got lots of attention and I was super freaking proud of them. I ran into a lot of lovely people who asked for pictures or came to say hello! I also attended the Animemyu concert to support some lovely friends who do super great things. It was so great seeing everyone. Unfortunately I was SUPER sick both days. Like..so crazy sick that I probably should have been in bed resting but beasted it and went out instead.  Took PuriKura, fell on the floor of the mall, and I kind of just died there until I was scraped off the floor to go home.

Day two I was Luka from the Just be Friends PV with Trish as the forever-emo loving boyfriend. LOL But it was really great. Props to her for changing in and out costumes all weekend on spot. Changing genders and everything. Lots of adventures were in store for day two. Kidnapped another friend to head to SF, fell asleep in the car kind of because yeah..I was sick guys. And hit the piers for food. I didn't even exit the car, I was in the car and STILL got called a 'fucking fairy'. We all lol'd at that one. Heading to the con, trolled around said hello to people, trolled around until I was WAY too cold to even function and then got tea and lattes thanks to lovely Eric/Gigi and Trish. THEN off to Akiba Cafe for the first time ever. That was an experience in itself. The Honey Toast Box is great and the atmosphere is super great. Next time I want to take lovely people for ShabuShabu and Honey Toast!!! :o 


By the end of that trip I was exhaustedly dead but THANK YOU ALL FOR A SUPER FUN AOD. <3 

Third weekend I was and out and about in San Francisco again with a group of lovely people and new friends for the Chinese New Year Parade!! Those two days were so crazy. No sleep and I was off to the BART looking like a gyaru'd out 'Snow White' until I chucked my coat at people's hotel. Then I just was all decked out in BPN. Lots of fooding was involved in this trip. A LOT OF FOOD. I don't think you guys understand how much I eat. It's kind of ridiculous when in SF how I try to fit all the things I crave since forever into one weekend. 

The parade itself was okay. I misjudged how crowded it would be. I've attended San Francisco parades down town before. PRIDE usually but Chinese New Year was just another beast. I took everyone down near China Town to watch it thinking that Union Square would be filled because well..it's a tourist attraction. We ended up climbing light poles and such to see But oh wells we eventually was up in front and decided soon after to get the hell out of there before all of downtown started to disperse because the parade ended. I thought it was the perfect time to outsmart the crowds that would head that way for the public transit and such. 

WRONG. Transit was just down and blocked off and the line waiting for the 38 up to Japan Town where friends were staying was just insane. No fuck that, we were going to walk. I hadn't hit Powell to go to Japan Town in quite a while so I was a bit lost for a second but eventually figured out which way was up. Thankfully we got there safely. Udon was in store for dinner and the karaoke which I believe or not had never done before! Why? I always thought it was crazy pricey. I've sang out in crowds of thousands for Cherry Blossom Festival before but not in a small room before. Regardless, I'm pretty sure I made ears bleed. Left around midnight to head back the next day for round two of Japan Town because I stupidly left crap in the hotel. Got lots of noms and Puri'd the fuck out of PikaPika about six times if I had included the sets we took the day before. In all it was as usually CRAZY with this set of friends. SF is always crazy with them for some reason. Always spontaneous and full of crazies/craziness ect. Totally worth it tho. 

Two weekends later was the NorCal cosplay gathering in San Jose. Went for the hell of it because it was something I had never done before. It was pretty freaking neat. The day before we spent the day hanging around Trish's hood in San Mateo. Had noodles with the guys and Trish was super loner with her sushi. Afterward got T-Pumps which is the drink of the GODS. Then hit the arcade near by to play around. friends are the worst Tekken trolls and I DON'T EVEN PLAY TEKKEN. Fuck ya'lls dance. Haha, I loved the Japanese style of the arcade and such. Unlimited time too. We for sure have to do that again. 

The gathering was the next day. I crashed early the night before after the adventure we had. So I did a yukata Luka. It was the first time I had ever wore a yukata because I refuse to get one until I finally hit Tokyo up (whenever that is..;A; I REALLY want to save up and go one day) so I borrowed Trish's. I thought it was a different approach to Luka that nobody had seen before and with spring hitting it felt appropriate. A friend cosplayed Kotetsu from T&B which was SO COOL. Another friend a samurai of sorts which ironically kind of matched the stuff I was doing.  Trish did Rin from ANE for the first time in awhile. 

Before hitting the gathering got our friend an Oreo cake for his birthday because it just seemed nice to do. Dennis took me for Dim Sum which was suppper tasty. I can't wait to one day try that out again. Gathering wise it was okay. Ran into a lot of lovely and such and did a shoot or two. It was super chill. Eventually we kidnapped Charmie who had traveled down to visit and got to make even more new friends! We went to Kotetsu Ramen because it was just too befitting to bring a Kotetsu cosplayer there. Had a super lovely dinner and then hit mitsuwa for crepes which never happened. HOWEVER mochicream and Fantasia did happen and it was delicious!

After we headed back to our friends place to cut birthday cake and head on home in which daylight savings all fucked us over. I didn't get home until four in the morning and collapsed on my floor until the next evening.

In all? That was all what's been keeping me busy. In the middle of all of that I've been getting job offers and interviews so eventually I'll be employed again which is a super great feeling. There were so many firsts during all of these trips and each adventure was super special. I totally look forward to upcoming ones and for Fanime at this rate. Hopefully all the separate groups of friends I saw can all meet and be one massively huge army of epic derpness. 

My Journey into Transforming Into a Glam Gyaru

Perhaps this is a bit of a personal entry, but I thought that this was a good story to share. Especially for girls who are thinking about getting into gyaru or even girls who want a life style change or confidence boost. You are the furthest thing from alone. Here's my story~

A lot of people go through the phase of finding themselves somewhere in their life. I would go through a constant metamorphosis whether it was due to a huge wave of inspiration or gathering up the pieces of a broken heart. How I stumbled upon gyaru is still a bit vague to me however, I do know that once I heard the term 'Amura', I tried to educate myself on what it was. I think Namie Amuro started it all, she didn't turn me gyaru but she made me aware. I'm not sure if Amura even exists still BUT through that I realized like most girls, you tend to at one point want to base your style off of the idols that create a wow factor in your life. 

I thought Namie Amuro was so freaking beautiful. She always looked flawless. Her make-up was pin-point, her body frame was gorgeous, her hair was something that screamed perfection. I kept having to remind myself that she was a SINGER first and not a gorgeous magazine model. She was unique and influenced me to be more feminine in a classy sort of way. However, that didn't turn me gal. Despite that I ran into tons of gal influenced things in high school that would for sure determine my fate in the future. 

In high school I was a bit of a boy up into Junior year, when I discovered that I had easy access to lolita fashion now that New People in San Francisco opened up. Black Peace Now instantly attracted me. While everyone fawned over Baby the Stars Shine Bright, I fawned over the darkness and asymmetrics of Black Peace Now/Peace Now. Unfortunately, I was a self conscious teenager and would only do lolita and visual kei influenced looks on weekends. But during the weekday I was pretty boring looking. Lots of layers and accessories. I ran both the Japanese Club and Anime Club back at my high school though, so I was always trying to come up with things to keep the kids interested. 

I was more of a pop culture junkie than I was on traditional culture so of course I stumbled into gyaru that way. I started teaching everyone ParaPara routines for fun. I was so behind trend wise but regardless I remember having a lot of fun. Especially with the generic Hinoi Team routines and Koi Buchikage~ Innerly despite my desire of being a gothicy dark rocker chick on the outside, I really at times just from my actions and interior probably secretly wanted to be a cute kogal. One huge move was bleaching my hair back to the original color it was after having it be dyed black for a good four or five years of my youth! 

Around college I started doing lolita a lot more often. I started caring less and less about what people thought. I was immensely involved in the Black Peace Now contest fall of 2010 for the perfect aristocrat coordinate (which was a huge fail btw) and even modeled for Moholy Ground magazine representing Baby the Stars Shine Bright. Somehow though as time went by and my continued to change...slowly and slowly I broke away from the life style of a lolita. Something needed to change. Because of some personal things, I'm pretty sure my confidence was shot. I didn't feel like a woman and I didn't feel pretty.. I didn't feel anything for myself at all anymore. I was slowly tearing myself a part. 

Cosmetics became my best friends, the best anti-depressant, and the greatest of weapons. I did a social experiment to see how I'd be treated if I looked a certain way and wore more make-up and looked girlier in a different type of way. Though that I realized perhaps lolita wasn't my style and I also figured out who my true friends were around that time too. I fooled around with a really crappy 'gal ' style. I even did a tutorial and was instantly bashed. It wasn't great, it was my first delve but it hurt a little so I started away from trying to do gal or what I thought was gal..

For a while, I was a Japanese pop culture junkie but outwardly you wouldn't have been able to tell at all unless you had seen me at an event or convention in cosplay. I had conformed and took a break for a bit until I decided that I would feel better about myself. I would hit Japan Town frequently and roam around Kinokuniya looking for things to do. The first magazine that caught my eye was the glam and glittery cover of Koakuma Ageha. Sakurai Rina was the cover girl for that month and instantly, I was hooked. Every time I hit Kinokuniya from upstairs, I'd HAVE to flip through Ageha for a bit.. The ladies in there were incredibly glamorous and I wondered what it took to look that way. I started looking into circle lenses and bought my first pair to experiment. I did research on gal but was seriously intimidated. It took a lot to be a gal and the community was intense. If I thought the lolita community was crazy, I had yet to see the gyaru one. I was afraid to be a gal.

It took during the summer of 2011 to find serious inspiration. I ran into videos of Tsubasa Masuwaka   runway walking and doing photoshoots. There was something intense but cute about her. I loved her demeanor. Everything was flawless much like the feelings I had felt for Namie or even Rina... I was in love at that point. Finally what cut the cake was seeing Wise and  Kana Nishino's PV collab 'Aenakutemo;. All the ladies featured were gorgeous and Kana Nishino was equally as beautiful. I was hooked. From that point on I was set on turning myself into a gal. 

It took a lot of trial and error. At the time I was doing a lot of healing. I was healing from failure of my future. I was healing from a broken heart more so than anything. Yet again, something needed to change. I didn't feel pretty or worth anything to anyone. BUT I wanted to be and I thought through a lot of hard work gal would help gain my confidence back.

Slowly I made huge investments. Princess Mimi Circle Lenses in a sesame grey color to exclusively rock, tons and tons of fake eye lashes to layer on from Daiso, I started to learn how to grow out my hair long and curl it over time with a flat iron, I invested in a cheap ELF high lighter at the time for my face, and eventually invested in a pink and black plaid Ageha dress and a Sex Pot Revenge Lock necklace in purple... Both constantly differently. The dress to strut my stuff for an upcoming fashion shoot that I talked myself into doing at AOD 2012 and the lock necklace? For the longest time it was the lock to my heart and a reminder to myself 'you have gotten this far'. I still wear my SPR lock to this day actually because of the attachment with it now rather than for the lock that someone needs to find the key to open. The day of AOD 2012, I did my shoot, I met great friends, and the broken heart that I had locked so tightly but wore still on my sleeve had faded away. I was a fucking gal and I had a lot to learn, but my mini debut with lovely people around me to love and support me really had me feeling great... 

I kept working hair on hair styles and make-up. I started adding bottom lashes and teasing my hair to hime-like/agejyo-esque proportions. The confidence gal gave me was amazing. I was wary of starting a fashion blog on tumblr and tagging 'gal/gyaru' on it as well on Instagram but because of that, I've gained so much inspiration and learnt so much. I've gained friends. I've gained people who support me. Friends from across the globe a million miles away. The love and support was great. I felt loved. I felt sexy and a like a woman. Yes I had to cake on make-up and throw in circle lenses to feel that way and prove it. But it was a small price to pay for the feelings that I felt. 

Around that time afterward things looked up for me. I finally had scored my first job and exactly one month before my birthday a huge announcement was made. The infamous gal brand Liz Lisa was hitting the United States for the first time and was holding a fashion contest in San Francisco in August as well as opening a mini-store for two day. Liz Lisa had been the first brand I had heard of when I started researching into what gyaru was and it had a special place in my heart honestly. It was my favorite brand by far despite my tendencies to want to look agejyo.  

 I was scared that I wasn't gal enough for the contest and for days debated on entering. Due to tons of friends saying 'DO IT', I did it. I decided from that point that I'd step up my game and be a fierce gal and debut officially as a gyaru. A good friend lent me her Liz Lisa stuff for that weekend and I felt like Cinderella with a fairy god mother. Hair and make-up was up to me but the coordinate I decided to rock on the stage that weekend felt sexy and cute and fit the them beautifully. 

So then J-Pop Summit hit and no I didn't win but I had felt more confident than I had in the longest of time. The money I had saved up paycheck to paycheck went towards my first brand name dress from Liz Lisa. There was no going back. The more and more I saw things and did shoots and met other girls into the same things I was into, the more sure I felt on being a gal and how I wanted to stay being a gal! I started buying Popteen and EGG and loving the girls who modeled like Pikarin and Kumiky. I started falling in love with other brands too and started incorporating gyaru style into my everyday wardrobe or make-up even if it was for cosplay at a convention. 

The point of this story is; ANYONE can be a gal. It's a lot of hard work. But don't let it stop you. I went to the extremes and it took me a long time. If you're into the style? Don't let anything or anyone stop you. It's not about what brand names you own but how you wear the style and make it yours. Hopefully if you're thinking about delving into being a gal, you will also feel confident, and sexy, and feel prideful on being a woman. Because that's what I felt and perhaps there's different feelings for different people but it honestly healed me. It masked my failure, sheathed and healed a broken heart, and gave me some of the greatest friends and biggest opportunities that I couldn't dream of having. I hope through the blog and through the events and pictures of coordinates/make-up shots I post I can share the feelings I have felt with others.  <3

Essential Items for a First Lolita Coordinate

 This was the first fashion blog entry I ever made but I decided to also post it here because I still stand by all of this. I still even get asked this question and usually I direct them towards this post! It's edited and added a bit to this from last year. To all the new and upcoming lolitas, this post is for you!

"What must a lolita have in her closet?" and I've heard this various times when people interview a lolita or someone who's into such fashion. Replies to this question usually are 'anything cute' to 'socks and accessories.' But this is MY opinion it's a lot more complex on what makes an AMAZING lolita coordinate whether you're a sweet, gothic, or classic lolita. This will be a for sure 'to do' list for you all!

My biggest regret when I bought my first Baby the Stars Shine Bright dress was not the fact that I didn't have the right accessories, wig/hair, or socks. It was the fact that I didn't have an amazing petticoat and one of good quality GOOD QUALITY to hold up the dress I had bought to give it that signature lolita bell-shaped look that any girl into lolita usually aims to achieve.

A GOOD PETTICOAT can MAKE an outfit POP. I don't care if you have an Moite dress or an expensive Angelic Pretty coordinate-without a petticoat, unless you're aiming to look like a drooping circus tent or like you're wearing a parachute-a petticoat is essential. It can make even the cheapest, nameless, no-name brand dresses look great.

I think we all get impatient on getting the cute lacy dresses and bows for the coordinate that we want to create that we forget that there's a signature shape in the dress that fully makes the style 'lolita' looking. Of course certain dresses can get away with a petticoat or if you're lucky like I was with my first skirt from Black Peace Now; it comes with a petticoat inbuilt in it. But best rule of thumb, especially with you first time lolitas on a budge; invest in an expensive petticoat.

Mine from Baby the Stars Shine Bright was around 104.00 minus tax but it's made some of my cheapest skirts and dresses look legitimately more than what they're worth. Those cheap 'Hot Topic' tulle tutus that they claim are petticoats or the ones at Halloween stores, I will assure you, not do the trick and you will have to buy multiple ones to get the same bust as a good one. It's best just to fork in the money for a good one that you can keep forever.

Next? A SOLID COLOR ONE PIECE/JSK DRESS. I can't tell you how many times some of my friends have gotten a dress with PRINT and regretted it. It's out of style soon after or they get JUST a blouse or JUST a skirt and get easily unsatisfied/impatient for their next purchase. A one piece dress or JSK covers most of the work for you. It's a top and bottom and with a petticoat and the right accessories name brand or not-it can look amazing and you can wear it as soon as you get it.

I'm proud to say that my first piece was this:

Baby the Stars Shine Bright's 'BabyDoll' JSK in BLACK. 

Not only was this an amazing choice because it was a full piece rather than a separate. It was a SOLID color. Classic never goes out people Whether you're a sweet, gothic, or classic lolita-if you're on a budget for a first piece or just on a budget-print-less dresses like this one get re-released multiple times with hardly any change or different lace even.

However a regular solid color also works just fine.I could be careful also on MATERIAL. Obviously velvet is too hot to wear in the spring or summer months and fabric with a certain pattern or feel might only be for the spring time or summer. I just found that I was most happy when I did this than getting that gorgeous red or black dress in PLAID when plaid when most likely plaid won't be in style in the next couple of seasons or years. Unless you're planning on making it a signature look? Consider your investments.

Next choice? HAIR ACCESSORIES. True, you could make these but since I had to have a third choice-it would definitely be the bows and headdresses that make a lolita look cute and innocent or even deadly at times. Big bows, head dresses, bonnets-they all really make a lolita. Brand name accessories are usually slightly pricey but worth the money. There are tutorials to make your own headdresses and bows via the internet are through Gothic Lolita Bible ect. but I find that from buying  a couple of hair accessories from Baby the Stars Shine Bright back in the day the quality is super great for the price-there's wiring in the bows and detachable pieces from the headdresses and bonnets. 

Sure you could get lace socks, that gorgeous parasol or nice bag-but I think all of that can wait or even be found else where or made for a cheaper price. But when it comes to the detail of a bonnet, or bow, or head dress-it can sometimes be hard to replicate. Some head dresses like my first one not only had beautiful black lace, but it also had removable roses and the ribbon was such a nice quality that it didn't fray. My first bow was a classic black and white bow to match a couple of my signature skirts, blouses, and my newest and first BABY dress. The lace was so nice on the bow and the bow had wire so I could make it as big or small as I pleased.

I think these three items are the best investments and essential for a lolita to have to start off with. Please feel free to share your thoughts on this! Do you agree that these should be the top three or should there be a different 'top three items'?