LBC: Lolitafying Things in my Everyday Life

Christmas Vacation!

Original picture from www.hdwallpapers.in

The night is upon us! Or, well, the eve. Christmas Eve is the big night in Denmark when it comes to Christmas. That evening is the one you spend with your family, having a great, big dinner, dancing around the Christmas tree and afterwards everybody sit around it, let peace fall upon the party, and opening up their presents. This year I will be spending Christmas eve with my dad's new family, and I just cannot wait! It's so exciting, having the chance to get to know a whole new part of my family on such a special night. (Christmas is, and will always be, my favorite time of the year)

As my family is a split one, however, I'm getting two Christmas eves, an my first one will be on Sunday. Which means, that I'm gonna be busy-busy-busy! Today I've got a Christmas meet-up at the local art gallery (modern art is really not my thing, but I'm going for the company!), tomorrow my brother will be arriving and I'm gonna be spending time with him, and Monday I'm leaving to go see my grandparents, etc. etc. etc.

Maybe I will post once or twice from now and until New Years, but I cannot guarantee anything! 

As such, I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas, and I hope to see you here again in 2014!

I hope you get whatever you're wishing for, and that you'll have a peaceful time with your families!

52 Weeks: Predict the Next Lolita Trend!

For this week's installment of the 52 Weeks Lolita Blog Challenge, I will be taking a look into my crystalball to predict the next big trend of 2014!

Instead of predicting just one trend, I think I'm gonna mention a few that are kind of connected to each other, in what I think will become the "2014 Lolita Look".

Rose Melody has already got 2014 down.

In 2014, I think Lolita will continue moving forward with what I suppose has been the tendency that has been slowly crawling out of the shadows for a while. It seems that overall, Lolita fashion at least in the global, Western community is turning towards a more Classic Lolita style. I'm doubting that it will turn out to be the OTT Classic that many people have been predicting will come (as much as I'd love for that to catch on!), but a more floaty, light and elegant take on Classic Lolita. I think we will see a lot of florals in 2014, and more AATP style prints (fairytales, flowers, jewels..) in 2014. The colors will vary, but the palette will be Classic Lolita-ish. Jewel tones and the colors of nature.

An example of a sweet, but more mature AP piece.

Longer skirts seem to be the new trend, instead of the shorter ones that AP made popular last year. Baby has been continuously releasing longer skirts, with a very elegant and Classic feels to the themes and prints, and a bunch of non-printed dresses as well. Most of them are very elegant, opulent and princess-like, but they tend to use very light fabric. Instead of OTT, I get more of a porcelain-doll vibe from them.
Angelic Pretty's pieces might still be sweet, but they have moved away from their cavity-inducing, sugary prints lately. Their colors have become paler and more mature, and their prints have become simpler, IMO.

Picture from babyssb.co.jp

Another trend that I think we will see a lot of, will be non-printed chiffon pieces. I think we will see more porcelain doll-like coordinates, mostly all white. Chiffon will be big in 2014.

For make-up, I think we will see a rise in the look that Fyeahlolita recently described- Shironuri. It will be the most OTT part of the style next year, but mostly worn for photoshoots and some meet-ups. Apart from that, I think make-up will be natural. Just a touch of powder to the cheeks for a light blush, and earthy-colors.

I think 2014 will turn out to be a very interesting year, and a fresh breeze after all the sugar and candy of 2012! 2013 was a very quiet year, I think.
Mostly a "transitioning" period from an AP dominated era, to the one that is to come.

What do you think will be the new trends for 2014?

Disney Heroines and Female Ideals

Recently, the new Disney movie "Frozen" was released in cinemas, and this movie has raised voices all over the world! The complaints mainly revolve around the amount of female characters and their portrayal, from what I've heard. 

The argument about the portrayal of women in the media in general is interesting, but in this post I'm gonna talk about Disney in particular, and the ideals that they set for girls and women. I feel that the portrayal of women in Disney movies and TV-series is to some extent misunderstood, but then again, the critics are right on some points as well. 

One must remember, that many of the Disney princesses were written many decades ago. The expectations that people had for a woman was different back then. There was a time where it was expected of a woman to be quiet, delicate and the wife of a husband/breadwinner. 

So is it healthy, pulling those roles out of the dusty old closet and pushing them onto girls today? Are Disney princesses bad rolemodels, just because they're not all "feisty" ?

I don't think so, at all. 

Many people seem to worry that Disney will make girls fall victim to the idea that you have to find a guy to marry, to be "right". What I think some of these people forget, is to reflect upon their own childhood and the worries and goals they had back then.

Growing up, did Disney make you frantic to go out and get married? Was the most important thing in your life finding a Prince Charming, or has it been since?
Maybe it's just me, but I watched every single Disney movie, I had the Disney-Barbie dolls. I still wanted to become a hero I wanted to travel the world and become a Pokemon Master, I wanted to become a secret Spy. The last one was a result of Disney's "Kim Possible", actually. See, that's a great story with a kick-ass female lead!

Disney Princesses were some of my greatest idols, though! I was a huge fan of Pocahontas, especially. 

I loved her affinity with nature, her strength, her willingness to stand up to her parents and to traditions to do the right thing. The John Smith-thing was just a side-plot to me. 

The great story with a strong female lead was in the center.

I found Belle in Beauty and the Beast to be very inspirational as well. She was clever, openminded, independent, and her close relationship to her dad is for some reason some of what I remember the clearest. Many people worry that her falling in love with the one that keeps her prisoner will have a bad influence on how girls view relationships. I never even thought of that when I watched the movie! The only thing I cared about was how she was able to see past his beastly looks! To me, "Beauty and the Beast" is about not judging a book by it's cover, and second chances. And Belle is not all beauty. She's brains as well!

Even the women in the older Disney movies have great traits that young girls will undoubtly learn from. The three fairies in Sleeping Beauty are fun and quirky characters. They're creative, they're motherly and they raised her all on their own with no man involved. I'm not gonna talk about miss. Beauty. She doesn't have much of a personality of her own, in my opinion. I'll give the critics that.

The first Disney princess, Snow White, is innocent but not just that. She has a sense of curiosity that makes her go her own way, and a basic trust in humanity. She moves in with a bunch of nice, little strangers that would probably have been looked down upon and shunned back in the middle ages or whenever this story takes place. She keeps that trust, despite having just been betrayed by a person that she trusted, and having been mistreated her whole life. She turns that into something good. She helps the dwarves and becomes a motherly figure to them, and they give her a place to stay and protects her. Even if she is naive, I think the basic message that little girls get out of the movie is a good one.
It didn't make me trust strangers blindly, but it's central message about friendship went right in there.

I could go on and on, and talk about Jasmin's independence, Mulan's sense of justice and Tiana's hardworking personality and goals, but they speak for themselves.
What I'm trying to say is, that Disney is not all about finding and marrying Prince Charming. That's not what little girls get out of watching these movies. What little girls see, are women that can hold their own in a world dominated by men.
They see that by following your sense of justice, being independent, being something besides "just" beautiful, and doing good in the face of adversity, you become a great and admirable woman!
Those are the traits that make up a princess and/or a heroine!
People claim that Disney has started to make female characters that look the same, but I disagree. Merida doesn't look anything like the Frozen girls, for instance.

Disney have their flaws, but I think their ability to make a wide range of different, but equally rolemodel-worthy heroines deserves applause.

I have yet to watch the movie "Frozen", but I know I will, despite the lack of female characters in the movie. From what I've seen, the Queen looks pretty badass.

LBC: What are You Thankful For in Lolita Fashion?

The logo of the community in which I discovered Lolita.

This week’s Lolita Blog Carnival topic is one that comes straight from the heart- What am I thankful for in Lolita fashion?

Lolita might just be clothes, but they are clothes that awaken strong emotions in most of its wearers. Also, I would argue that Lolita is a subculture, in the same way that Goth is a subculture. That discussion is not one I’m gonna take up now, though.

First of all, I guess like most of the participants in this weeks topic, I’m thankful for my community. My community is a closeknit one. We’re a big circle of friends, that invite each other to parties outside of Lolita as well, and I enjoy every moment I spend with them. I don’t get to see them nearly enough, now that I’ve moved!

Even if I’ve moved to another part of the country, because of Lolita, I’ve quickly gotten into a new circle of people that I can’t wait to get to know better. Almost no matter where you live, Lolita is a fast-track to making new friends in your new city, and the many online communities makes it even easier to sniff out the local Lolitas!

I’m not just thankful for the social aspect of Lolita. I’m thankful for the fashion in itself, as well. I’m thankful for the frills that make me feel gorgeous whenever I put them on. I’m thankful for the whimsy that can make even a grey and ordinary day feel magical. Lolita makes me open my eyes to the beauty of the world around me. I pay attention to the little things a lot more, when I dress up, and it feels like I become a part of that beauty.

I’m thankful for the things that Lolita has introduced me to. New interests, movies, music. All the fun info that I stumbled upon while researching the fashion!

Last but not least, I’m also thankful for the understanding Lolita has helped me obtain, of other subcultures. Lolita made me more curious when it comes to other groups of alternatively dressed individuals, from ordinary Punk, to Mori-Girl, to Steampunk. It has made me question stereotypes a lot more, and less prone to making assumptions about people based on the way they dress.

That goes for how I view ordinary people too. Truthfully, I don’t even really frown when I see an old woman in a fur coat anymore. Who knows how she got it in the first place or why she’s wearing it?

In general, I’m thankful for who Lolita has helped me become, and how Lolita has enriched my life.

I don’t know who I would’ve been without it, and I wouldn’t care to find out, even if I got the shot.

Lolita Glamour
Wild Jackalopes
Wearable Magic

What's the Appropriate Lolita Age?

Time and time again, a question pops up on EGL and "Lolita Fashion Mentoring" on Facebook. Usually it's "Am I too young for Lolita?" but sometimes, we even get questions about if a person can be too old! 

The first is a lot less surprising than the last, but then again, of course anybody can be insecure, and Lolita is a big leap for many people! No matter how old you are, standing out will probably be intimidating to most people, and if you stand out amongst your new "clique" as well, you might end up feeling all alone in the world, with no hope of support from anyone.

Of course, it is obvious that anyone can wear Lolita fashion. Lolita is about the clothes, not the person wearing them, so as long as you fit into the clothes (,which you always can, It just takes different measures if you do not fit into brand,) you can be Lolita.

But is there anything you have to be aware of, if you are younger or older than most people wearing the fashion? Well, not really! I'd say that the reactions you'll face will be pretty much the same. Even if an older person wearing the fashion will turn more heads in the streets that a teenager, since teenagers wearing alternative fashions is more common, teenagers can be a lot more, and will more often be, vicious to each other than adults, from my experience. The adult has the advantage of being able to purchase the clothes without needing the acceptance of parents, but an adult has the added challenge of having to balance their Lolita purchases with paying bills and other important necessities. 

Apart from the above, Lolita is, as I've stated in other posts, a diverse bunch of people. There are very young and very old wearers of the fashion. Some Lolitas I've seen has been as young as about 2-3 years old! (I'm thinking of beautiful Lolita mothers who dress up their children in tiny Lolita dresses. Like the pair in this video!!)

An inspirational Lolita that is a bit older than most other Lolitas I've had the pleasure of meeting, is Arsenic and Old Lace on Livejournal. She's been a great inspiration to me when I started out in Lolita, as she is a clear example of how amazing Lolita can look on anyone above the age of 22. She really knows how to dress to the nines!

In my opinion, you can be a great Lolita, no matter what age you are!
Lolita is a skill to perfect.
It's not about what age you are, or even your personality.

You can wear it for as long as you like, as long as you feel comfortable.

52 Weeks: My Favorite Lolita Print

This week's topic in my battle with the "52 Weeks Blogging Challenge" is number 49, my favorite Lolita print! I didn't even have to think about my answer for this one. I think most Lolitas have a dream print, a print or a dress that has a special place in their heart for some reason or another. 

For me, that print is Alice and the Pirate's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Specifically, in the navy colorway. Even more specifically, JSK II. It is not without reason that this JSK, in this colorway, usually go for a couple hundred dollars on the secondhand market. This dress is a dream, and the first dress that I fell head over heels in love with when I first got into Lolita.

It's like the dress is almost glowing. The pale pink of the ribbon compliments the dark, elegant midnight blue, with just the right touch of purple. The color of the dress itself is like a summer night sky, and the damask pattern in the background adds a depth to it, that to me makes it seem almost other-worldly.

The print itself is beautifully detailed. The grey shadowing on the swirly windows is beautifully done, the roses climbing in the windows. Their pink color matches the pink butterflies, whose shiny wings stand out so lifelike against the background and are spaced out just the right amount. 

The ribbon brings out the highlights on their wings too!

I know I sound like a crazy-in-love tween schoolgirl..
But this dress has everything that I need in a garment! This style is the one that I have been falling for over and over again since, and this particular dress was part of what pulled me over the threshold and into Lolita-dom, along with the people who was, and still are, my greatest inspirations.

I love a print that tells a story, has beautiful artwork, and is in bright and romantic, but mature colors. I love the combination of pale and somber colors.

What is your favorite print, and how has it affected your overall Lolita style?