52 Weeks: How I Get Out of a Wardrobe Slump

This week's topic for the 52 Week Lolita Blog Challenge is one I've not actually thought of before, but I hope it can be a bit of an inspiration for somebody out there!

So, how do I get out of a "Wardrobe Slump"?
Most of us do not have an unlimited wardrobe or unlimited funds to buy new items whenever we get bored with whatever we have in our closets. No matter how great I feel in my favorite dresses or even my favorite usual coordinates, It's always fun to experiment!

Experimentation is what usually gets me out of it. I like playing around with unusual color combinations the most. One of my favorite unusual combinations are blue, red and white. Red and blue can go surprisingly well together, as long as it has a neutral color in the mixture to break it up.

Since most people own prints these days, I'm gonna use a print as an example of my "unusual color" tactic.

Angelic Pretty's "Milky Chan" print, you can see that the obvious coordination choices would be coordinating it with either white or pink items. Maybe a tiny bit of brown, but nothing overwhelming. But I think an interesting choice to do something out of the ordinary, would be to bring out the blue butterflies. Maybe you could coordinate it with a blue blouse and blue socks with pink detailing? Maybe instead of coordinating it with the usual baby pink, try some hot pink to match the fawn's hot pink bows!

Most people probably do this from time to time, but another idea is to look beyond the limited Lolita wardrobe and through your pile of every day clothes. Some of it, or most of it, may not be Lolitable, but if you're just trying to be creative and is wearing it for yourself, it doesn't matter as much!

 Try building a coordinate around a leather jacket, a belt that you like, a cute sweater..

 I wear t-shirts instead of cutsews from time to time in casual coordinates, and I'd still say that my coordinates qualify as Lolita. One of my favorite ideas currently, is wearing "fandom" t-shirts with my Lolita clothes. It combines two things that I love! Think out of just Lolita fashion to other things that you're passionate about, and try to incorporate it into your coordinates. 

It doesn't have to be as blatantly obvious as a t-shirt.
It can be in details that remind you of your passion, like jewelery, hairstyles, shoes, colorschemes, make-up, or whatever you can think of!

These are the ways that I usually get out of wardrobe slumps, and as you can see, they all of course involves poking your brain to make it think a little out of the box. 

Even if Lolita fashion has a lot of "rules" and guidelines, it is not off-limits to color out of the lines. One of the fun aspects is actually turning the guidelines around and see how much you can actually get to fit inside the framework!

I recommend that you go to your closet, rummage through it and pull out a big pile of stuff to play around with! Maybe you will find that perfect New Years outfit somewhere in there!

Review: Corset from Timeless Trends!

For Christmas, my mom surprised me with a present I would never have foreseen: She bought me a corset, which I've been wanting for ages (literally!)

My new corset is from the company Timeless Trends, and it is a White Silk Floral Corset.

The corset feels heavy and sturdy, and the boning is definetely steel, just as it is written on their website.

The ribbon is smooth, but doesn't feel cheap or flimsy. It feels like it will hold up just fine for a while, even under pressure. The fabric is nice. It's smooth, but thick.

The corset feels great on, and bends comfortably to my shape. It provides good support for my posture (haha!). It's a bit short on me, but I'm very tall, so that's probably the reason. I'll just have to go for one of their longer corsets next time!

The only thing this corset is lacking, is more a matter of taste,  I think. I would have liked for it to have a modesty panel in the back, but as I will be wearing it under my clothes as undergarments (on top of a white tanktop), I don't think it will be too much of an issue. 

All in all, I think Timeless Trends corsets are a great value for the price! I don't think there's such a thing as "beginner's corsets", but I would recommend Timeless Trends for anyone who want to find out if corsets are for them. 

They're a very different experience from the cheap costume corsets I have tried on before! 

Not that that is surprising to me at all, but they're just not comparable at all!

If I need a new corset at some point in the future, I will check out Timeless Trends again.

Do you have any recommendations for me? 

I would also like to hear some more experienced corset-wearers' experiences with this company!

Finally, here's a picture of me wearing the corset!

On "Mean" Lolitas

Credit for Original Picture goes to yumi_sanxsushi

"I thought about becoming a lolita, but then I heard that you're all MEAN!"

Sounds familiar? Well, that's not so strange. There has been a lot of talk about how mean we all are, lately. Another phrase that has been used so much that it has become cheesy is that for a bunch of lovely girls, we are very ugly on the inside. 

So, is it true? are we all mean? Are even the majority of us mean?

No, definetely not. And I think that if a person should want to join our community, and then turn away because of the All Lolitas Are Mean-idea, then that person might need to take a deep breath, cool down and then come back to see for herself. Lolitas are people just like all other people, and we are a surprisingly diverse subculture. Some people would say that we are not even a subculture, because they think that the only thing we have in common, is clothes. So, considering that lolitas are a diverse group of people with different personalities, how come that we should all be mean? Well, my answer would be that some people get this idea from secret-communities and a very persistent rumor, concerning the often-referred-to-but-less-often-spotted Elitist Lolita. The Elitist is supposedly a snobbish, mean lolita who only wears brand clothes and looks down upon all new lolitas, lolitas who wear offbrand, and lolitas who are not Perfect. The Elitist is a bit like Bigfoot. People claim that this creature exists, but very few people have actually seen one. This rumor seems to especially thrive in secret communities, which are communities specifically designed to make anonymous confessions. People seem to take advantage of the anonymity to make troll-posts and blatant lies, just to make people mad or hurt someones feelings. 
 So, when people learn about this rumor, I think that many are ready to jump the gun and scream "Elitist!" as soon as they feel that they are being opposed. This tendency is only made worse by new lolitas already being scared of the rumor and of not fitting in.

From what I have seen in the lolita community myself, people tend to be civil, nice and helpful, but! Since lolitas are just people and not all Innocent and Forever Patient Maidens, they can also get a little tired of having new lolitas come into their community very often, which in itself is just nice, but when they all ask the same questions again and again, without taking the time to research their question first, they tend to get a little tired. 
If you are not a new lolita, and still believe the "All Lolitas Are Mean" rumor, maybe you should take a moment to reflect on the issue. Have you ever heard the phrase anywhere other than in Secret Communities or from new lolitas who claim that everybody responded in a mean way to their post? Probably not, but maybe you yourself feel that lolitas tend to be mean to you? Maybe you've just ended up in a bad drama-filled local community, in which case I would say that you should probably just step back and seek the company of more laid-back lolitas online, or encourage your local lolitas to work out their problems! Somebody has to take the first step, right?

If you continuously have bad experiences with other lolitas on the internet, or you are a new lolita  planning to make your first post, let me give you some handy tips!

• Try doing your research before posting a question! Do a google AND a community search and check the archive/memories before posting!

• Try writing your question and/or post in a mature and polite way, but don't overdo it! 1900-century mannerisms can be fun in a sentence or two, but don't use it for your entire post!

• Don't use too many japanese emoticons and the like. Don't use japanese phrases that are not a part of the relevant "Lolita Vocabulary".

• Behave maturely if you receive constructive criticism or if a person tells you to "Stop That!" even if you think that the other person is wrong. No good is gonna come out of starting an argument or slinging insults at each other. It's just gonna make you both look bad. Also, there is a difference between a civil discussion and an argument!

• Don't post stuff that is not lolita related in the slightest, unless the topic in that particular post allows it!

Many of those apply to real life encounters with other lolitas as well! Try your best to behave in a polite and mature manner, and if another lolita does not respond in kind, well, then at least it's not your fault. As I've said before, lolitas are just people with a different aesthetic, so yes, you may meet a mean person in our subculture, but that can happen anywhere! If you meet a person that behaves in a mean or cold way towards you, give that person a second chance and try to be nice. You don't know if the other lolita just had a bad day. Maybe his or her pet died. Simply avoid the other person if she keeps being mean every single time.

If you still want to leave or just not get into lolita because you might risk meeting a person that's not nice to you, or because you have had an unpleasant encounter, then just don't seek the company of other lolitas. Being a lolita is about wearing the clothes for yourself, afterall. You don't need the community to be a lolita.
But you're missing out on a lot of possible friendships if you stay away!

LBC: New Years Resolutions for Lolita Fashion 2014!

2013 is coming to an end as I climb out of my Christmas-related hibernation, and with this post, that is of course prompted by the Lolita Blog Carnival, I say hello to another year in Lolita fashion! This year I will be marking my 4th anniversary as a Lolita, and it doesn't look like I'll be slowing down at all. If anything else, I am getting more and more "evolved" as a Lolita, if that is even a thing. I'm adding to my wardrobe at a more and more steady pace, which has gotten easier since I moved out and am in control of my own funds.

Having the goal of building a workable and "complete" wardrobe comes with some less exciting points as well, though. Less exciting in the Lolita-related sense- as it is always more exciting than regular clothes shopping, IMO.

My top New Years Resolution for Lolita fashion in 2014 must be: 

Acquiring more of the Basic Building Blocks!
I really need some more long-sleeved blouses. Especially white ones. To most people, this might sound really, really dull but I'm actually looking forward to it a little bit. Blouses are nowhere near as eyecatching or striking as dresses, but I have a fondness for them. High-collared ones in all their victorian elegance, adorable round collars, bows and princess sleeves.. Yes, please!

Also, I need shoes. Desperately. I think my bad experience the last time I purchased shoes threw me off of the shoe train. I wore my Bodyline shoes once, and at the end of the day they had gotten some nasty black marks. I didn't even do anything! Seriously! Also, I hate running the risk of purchasing a nice pair of shoes in the correct size, and then they turn out to be too small. That's happened a couple of times as well.

With the "responsible one" out of the way, my next New Years resolution would be getting my hands on some more bonnets. Big, stiff-brimmed ones! I have fallen head over heels in love! A couple of cheap but beautiful ones have caught my eye on Taobao. I can't wait!

Last but not least, I'm gonna start taking sewing classes!
This is a big one for me, as I've been wanting to learn sewing for years now, but I've decided that it's finally time! I'll be working my butt of by the sewing machine a couple of times a week, and I hope to be able to finish with creating my very own JSK out of some gorgeous cardsuit fabric that's been collecting dust in my treasure chest for the last 1½ years. 

(Yup, I tend to push even fun stuff way too far into the future for some reason.)

I might show you guys a sketch I've been working on, soon!

I've got a deal worked out with a friend of mine that we'll make a custom mannequin out of old t-shirts and duct tape, that I can use as a model for my (hopefully many) future sewing project. 

I'll let you know how that turns out!

So, looks like it's gonna be a pretty good year, if I can just grab myself by the collar and get going!
What are your New Years Resolutions for 2014?

Also, if you want a clue at what you can expect for the rest of the carnival gang, check out the links below!

The Cute Lifestyle

Papillon de Nuit

Her Lumpiness

Lace Teapot

Breidholt

Mary Hazelbell
Beyond Kawaii

New Vogue Children

Hello Batty

Fire Extinquisher
Lolita Glamour
Wearable Magic
Ramble Rori
Jess Cosmic Delight

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?