2021-01-17
2021-01-15
Wardrobe post 2021: the old school
As you will notice I am very generous in my interpretation of old school: mixing new and old releases, mixing materials, but still keeping it pretty monotone and pretty much the same silhouettes. My interpretation of old school is a romantic nostalgic interpretation, a mix of actual items I used to have from when I started in lolita (2001!) and something that looks like or the actual items I wish I had.
And so I present to you select items from my old school corner of my lolita wardrobe. ❤
2021-01-14
2021-01-12
Wardrobe post 2021: my brand novelties
Wardrobe season is here! I have photographed my whole wardrobe except for accessories mainly because I have started cataloging what I own in the app Smart Closet. I'm hoping that will help me with avoiding too similar purchases by giving me a better overview. And also to avoid me thinking "do I already have these socks in this colorway or not?"
In this first part I would like to present my small but cherished brand novelty collection.
2019-12-31
2010-2019: My decade in (and out of) lolita with trying to find my place and myself
I started this decade with a waning interest in lolita for several reasons, the main reasons being my declining mental health and a change in my career path. There was little to no energy left in me to engage in the lolita community which is ironic considering that lolita fashion has been the very catalyst for my energy and happiness up until then.
In 2012 I started selling off my wardrobe and kept only two pieces: an OP and a handbag from Kazuko Ogawa. They were my first lolita brand items that I ever bought so I just couldn't bear parting with them. I think every lolita has that kind of item in their wardrobe that they just never will part from.
I kept following the lolita fashion from a distance, adoring it as much as I felt detached. Having friends that are also lolitas helped keep me anchored in the community. Thank you Bella, Nadde, and Frida.
Late 2015 I got encouraged to travel to Under the Sea in Amsterdam, an international event arranged by Street Fashion Europe. The main guests were Juliette et Justine so I felt like I just had to go since they once were one of my most favorite brands. I was so excited, a huge international lolita event was a distant dream when I was the most engaged in the community.
To be honest, I struggled with feeling comfortable again in the fashion because I had gained a lot of weight (age, medication, desk job, etc). I used to be able to fit into just about any brand JSK. The only JSK I could find for Under the Sea that I also would feel comfortable in wearing again after the hiatus was Rogue Aeries Nightmare Rising in size AU14. I was very worried and anxious about not belonging, not being pretty and feeling that maybe lolita fashion no longer was for me. It turned out that all my worries were unfounded. While being at Under the Sea I felt energized, happy and especially surprised that there were other attendees there that I recognized from the Livejournal days. I felt like I had come home. Again. I felt like myself. Again.
I have since 2015 visited at least one international lolita event every year. I have made several attempts at blogging again (case in point). I have met up with lolita friends for hanging out, going to museums and having some afternoon tea. I feel alive. Again.
2019 has been a year of fortifying my self-esteem in lolita. I have been actively looking for lolitas on Instagram and other social media that are norm breakers in any sense of the word and there are a lot out there! I look at their feeds and I feel less alone. Just by existing, they have helped my self-esteem a lot. I thank them all.
I have discovered that hunting for brand garments that fit me is time-consuming and sometimes even disheartening. On the other hand, it makes me put in extra thought and effort before adding items to my wardrobe. The pieces I have in my wardrobe actually get worn a lot more. Some brand garments are possible to alter in size in order to fit me, all thanks to Nadde again for being an outright magician with sewing.
I refuse to let body shaming restrict me from being my true self. I look forward to another 10 years of living my best lolita life. Again.
2019-11-06
If a lolita wears an outfit and does not post it online, are they actually a lolita?
Safe to say, photo evidence of lolitas either out and about or flaunting our shopping hauls is the most common way of connecting with other lolitas. So much so that some see it as a crucial part of dressing in the fashion. How come?
These are the main contemporary cultural contexts of the early '00s that I think about when answering this question:
- Digital cameras started replacing analog cameras. Phone cameras were a thing but the photo quality was subpar. Analog cameras were bulky and the developing time of the film was just too slow. Digital cameras were slim, quick and affordable in comparison.
- Fashion blogging in general and street fashion, in particular, was on the rise. Showcasing what you were wearing or had bought for the day was something people were genuinely interested in seeing and in a sense also a form of escapism into a life more frivolous than one's own.
When lolitas outside of Japan, mainly North America and Europe, found like-minded peers on mailing lists and Livejournal in the early 00's the fashion was considered somewhat hard to attain. Not to mention somewhat of a challenge to fit into one's existing daily wardrobe. By the time that daily_lolita emerged only a very few Japanese brands had started to acknowledge international customers and lolitas knew of at least one person in their vicinity that owned a digital camera. This was where it all took off.
The main point of daily_lolita was to showcase the outfits you wore while going about in your everyday life. It was a reaction to the then-common view on lolita being so expensive and special as a fashion that it only found it's place on special occasions, like photoshoots or meetups. Daily_lolita wanted to help by inspiring you to make the most out of your expensive clothing by trying to wear it as much as possible.
Most of the posting in daily_lolita was done by lolitas that could afford brand, could wear brand and/or owned a digital camera. But most importantly they had an occupation or daily activities that allowed, enabled or encouraged casual or creative fashion.
Daily_lolita photos basically became the main inspirational source for non-Japanese lolitas outside of the Bibles and the brands' own photoshoots. Through these photos, there was proof that yes, lolitas do exist, and yes, there is a world where you can wear the fashion as often as you want.
As sharing photos online got easier, the lolita community spiraled into centering around a Descartesque way of thinking: "I post, therefore I am". Nowadays the fashion is well known enough to have regular meetups and international events. The level of ambitiousness put into coords is getting deeper and the level of what is considered casual has adapted. As a result, most photos of lolitas online are well thought out and planned ahead when it comes to the outfit and very much when it comes to the surroundings in which the photo is taken.
So the photos we are used to seeing of lolitas today are much like well-composed artworks: depictions of someone's reality in a certain slice of mind and time. Posting your outfit online is a part of lolita fashion, hardly crucial though since there is so much more to the fashion than that.
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