I have a confession to make, guys and girls.
I used to be a "skirt length extremist"!
Anything shorter than a couple of inches above the knee was unacceptable to me, until just around a year or so ago. That must sound kind of counterproductive, considering that I am 5'9 (179-180 cm) tall and in need of dresses that are around 100 cm long to reach my knees. The average BTSSB jumperskirt is 91-93 cm long, so you can see where this is going.
If I cared so much about skirt length, how could I be a Lolita? Especially since I do not own an underskirt (now, one is on my "to buy-list)
I used to purchase replicas. I was a plus sized Lolita, so I had to buy replicas anyway to be able to fit into un-shirred dresses, and I preferred to purchase un-shirred dresses, as full-body shirring has never been to my tastes. I felt like that gave me the right to be a skirt length extremist, because well.. All my dresses reached my knees. I felt like that excused my closet of replicas, because, as a tall girl, I would never be able to wear brand without it being quite short on me. There's also the possibility for us tall girls to get custom made Taobao or Fanplusfriend pieces- There's plenty of ways for tall people to have pieces of an appropriate length.
Time has passed since then, and even while the trend of short Lolita skirts (luckily for me) seems to be dying out in favor of "OTT Classic", and multiple layers of long chiffon underskirts, I have only gotten more and more... relaxed, about the idea of short Lolita skirts.
Here's what has changed for me, that has made me open my mind up to the idea of short(er) skirts:
I used to care a lot about the idea of modesty in Lolita fashion. And I still do, kind of. I still think you should wear a blouse, a cutsew, a light bolero or the like, with your Lolita outfits. But this is almost as much because of the look in itself- to me, most pieces look better with that extra layer that they were made to have. The intricate detailing of blouse also adds more interest to an outfit. However, not all dresses look good with an underskirt. It looks off with a lace or chiffon border underneath some dresses, even if the underskirt matches, colorwise.
Also, as long as the shorter skirt length looks alright- that is, is able to acommodate a petticoat, create the correct silhouette and is not so short that it becomes a mini-skirt, I do not see the problem. I draw the line at a mini-skirt, because some people would consider a mini-skirt too "sexy", and that is not exactly the point of the Lolita aesthetic.
Tallness is also a part of a person's physical being, and maybe exactly the one that definetely cannot be changed. As long as it looks alright, I think the community needs to be openminded about it. Being unusually tall, if you'e not a super model, or short can be enough of a hassle in a person's daily life. Believe me!
So, what do you guys think about skirt length in Lolita fashion?
Is it OK to break the skirt length "rule", if the rest of the outfit is spot on? Is the knee-length skirt the most important rule? Do you agree that this rule should be taken with a grain of salt by tall people specifically?
Let me know!
And thank you to you guys for wishing me a happy birthday! I had a great time, and am now a little closer to having a Lolita themed home, thanks to my presents! I got the most gorgeous tassels for my curtains, and a new antique cabinet for my books.
Untill next time, folks! And good luck if you're also still working hard on your exams!
I used to be a "skirt length extremist"!
Anything shorter than a couple of inches above the knee was unacceptable to me, until just around a year or so ago. That must sound kind of counterproductive, considering that I am 5'9 (179-180 cm) tall and in need of dresses that are around 100 cm long to reach my knees. The average BTSSB jumperskirt is 91-93 cm long, so you can see where this is going.
If I cared so much about skirt length, how could I be a Lolita? Especially since I do not own an underskirt (now, one is on my "to buy-list)
I used to purchase replicas. I was a plus sized Lolita, so I had to buy replicas anyway to be able to fit into un-shirred dresses, and I preferred to purchase un-shirred dresses, as full-body shirring has never been to my tastes. I felt like that gave me the right to be a skirt length extremist, because well.. All my dresses reached my knees. I felt like that excused my closet of replicas, because, as a tall girl, I would never be able to wear brand without it being quite short on me. There's also the possibility for us tall girls to get custom made Taobao or Fanplusfriend pieces- There's plenty of ways for tall people to have pieces of an appropriate length.
Time has passed since then, and even while the trend of short Lolita skirts (luckily for me) seems to be dying out in favor of "OTT Classic", and multiple layers of long chiffon underskirts, I have only gotten more and more... relaxed, about the idea of short Lolita skirts.
Here's what has changed for me, that has made me open my mind up to the idea of short(er) skirts:
I used to care a lot about the idea of modesty in Lolita fashion. And I still do, kind of. I still think you should wear a blouse, a cutsew, a light bolero or the like, with your Lolita outfits. But this is almost as much because of the look in itself- to me, most pieces look better with that extra layer that they were made to have. The intricate detailing of blouse also adds more interest to an outfit. However, not all dresses look good with an underskirt. It looks off with a lace or chiffon border underneath some dresses, even if the underskirt matches, colorwise.
Also, as long as the shorter skirt length looks alright- that is, is able to acommodate a petticoat, create the correct silhouette and is not so short that it becomes a mini-skirt, I do not see the problem. I draw the line at a mini-skirt, because some people would consider a mini-skirt too "sexy", and that is not exactly the point of the Lolita aesthetic.
Tallness is also a part of a person's physical being, and maybe exactly the one that definetely cannot be changed. As long as it looks alright, I think the community needs to be openminded about it. Being unusually tall, if you'e not a super model, or short can be enough of a hassle in a person's daily life. Believe me!
So, what do you guys think about skirt length in Lolita fashion?
Is it OK to break the skirt length "rule", if the rest of the outfit is spot on? Is the knee-length skirt the most important rule? Do you agree that this rule should be taken with a grain of salt by tall people specifically?
Let me know!
And thank you to you guys for wishing me a happy birthday! I had a great time, and am now a little closer to having a Lolita themed home, thanks to my presents! I got the most gorgeous tassels for my curtains, and a new antique cabinet for my books.
Untill next time, folks! And good luck if you're also still working hard on your exams!
I'm not a skirt length extremist in that I don't mind it on other people, but I do mind it on me. Fortunately I only have one dress where this is an issue: I'm only 5'3 or 5'4 but I have kind of a ballerina neckline, and so my Bodyline dress hits strangely on me (the shirring, which is supposed to start under the bust, hits on the lower part of it)
SvarSletI still live by the "a little bit above the knee is okay, but not too far" rule, and I make sure that, if my dress hits a few inches above my knee, then it's still something church appropriate.