#but regardless of whether or not I ever make a coord

[sol-draws-sometimes]

I hate that I like alternative fashion(not just the colloquial use of the word, as in anything alternative from mainstream), because I want to wear ALL of them.

Currently my two main styles are my everyday(pretty normie) gay ™ button downs/patterned shirts and my vintage/history inspired clothing(I don’t have as much as I’d like but when I had longer hair, a wet set and red lip went a long way).

But I also DO like alt™ fashion. I know all the cultures are different but I think goth and a little bit of punk are the ones that interest me the most! I just love the alt look of it on other people and I want to see if I like on myself! I just feel like I really don’t know where to begin for the goth stuff. Also yes ,I know the culture is more than the clothing and I’m also interested in those parts too, this post is just focusing on fashion.

I’m also interested in Lolita fashion! I don’t think it’s something I’d do for everyday fashion, but I always keep coming back to it, so I’d love to try it out! Mostly what attracts me to the style is that I already like historical fashion, but I don’t know if there’s a particular sub style I’m interested in. I like when other people do Sweet but doesn’t feel like my vibe. I could maybe see myself doing goth Lolita or more classic/traditional Lolita. Though really, in my mind there’s only one coord idea that I want to do, but it doesn’t really fall neatly into any of the mainstream Lolita styles(I guess pirate would be the closest? there are some JSKs I’ve looked at that could fit my idea).

I also really want to get more into medieval/renaissance fair fashion or more piratey/vampire/vaguely 17th century fashion. I have my vintage style that I want to expand but I do want to play around with more time periods and different ways of modernizing them!

I actually really like my current styles but there’s so much I want to try.

In conclusion I WANT TO UNLOCK ALL THE FASHIONS!!!!!

[menhera-info-archieve]

Styling Menhera more "Masculinely"

Recently I've seen more interest in how to wear menhera and related styles if you typically present more masculine, so I'd like to address that today. This post will sort of be a continuation of this ask, but instead of discussing particular brands we'll focus on how to style your coords to have a more masculine feel to them.

Firstly though, a disclaimer: this post is not a set of rules to be followed, nor a statement on what men/masc people should or shouldn't wear. It's simply a list of ideas that might help if you want to present more traditionally (?) masculine for whatever reason. I think part of the appeal of menhera is nonconformity and NOT trying to fit into what society expects, so please don't misinterpret this post as trying to tell you what to do!

With that out of the way, it's worth noting that the tops you wear will largely be the same. Of course, avoiding tops with a large amount of bows, frills, etc also helps, but other than that I believe that most tops can be styled in a masculine way. So like in any menhera coord you'll have a top wth vent art on it. Often it will be oversized, but a regular fit is also okay.

sources: 1, 2, 3

I would say the biggest difference between feminine menhera styling and masculine menhera styling is the bottoms (and the impact this has on the overall silhouette). Where a feminine silhouette often uses short shorts/skirts/bloomers with OTKs and/or legwarmers, you’ll have an easier time going for a masculine look with longer shorts, joggers, other comfortable straight leg pants, or even jeans.

sources: 1, 2

The silhouette will change a lot depending on what type of bottom you choose. Experiment with whether you prefer an overall baggy look (baggy sweatpants with an oversize top) or a contrasting baggy top with a (comparatively) tighter straight leg bottom.

sources: 1, 2

While it's not necessary, some brands also make menhera print joggers/sweatpants if you feel left out of extra prints via OTKs. The ones pictured below are by SoftNGloomStyle on etsy

source: 1

here are a few more examples of different outfits using the same/similar tops.

sources: 1, 2

source: 1

You'll notice that I've mostly been using yamikawaii (dark color) examples. This is because it's a bit harder to make yumekawaii/pastels feel masculine. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try though!

source: 1

Regardless of how you feel about Ezaki Bisuko, he provides us good examples of pastels in a masculine silhouette (I don't think I've ever seen anyone else do menhera polo shirts before? But this could be replicated with a button up!)

source: 1

The pastels are more subtle on this one, but it still felt worth showing. Despite using a few more "feminine" accessories, this person balanced their outfit with the bottoms and layering for a more genderless feel.

source: 1

Including this one to show something a little different: this features a male seifuku top! Just to remind you not to feel like you can't mix elements.

Finally, the last thing I'll talk about is accessories. Most menhera coords should only have a couple accessories and I would say this goes doubly so if you're trying to present masculinely. Keep accessories few and impactful.

One accessory I feel is overlooked in menhera is hats! If you're avoiding hair accessories and bows, hats are a good way to tie together an outfit as well.

sources: 1, 2

hats should be a fairly accessible option as well because

redbubble semi recently started printing on hats, so many menhera designs can be put on them

they can be diy-ed by purchasing a fitting patch or pin and adding them on

you could go even further by making your own design with fabric marker/embroidery/etc. because of the size, hats are probably an easier project than making a shirt design this way

to briefly touch on other accessories: you can use most of them, but be cautious. Overall most masculine coords I have seen use much more simple types of jewelry on their necklaces/bracelets/chokers/etc such as leather, chord, and metal and don't often feature large or elaborate decorations. Still, feel free to experiment with what works!

[mahou-queen]

♡52 Weeks of Lolita Questionnaire♡

In a recent Lovely Lor video, Lor answered questions from Loliprompts’ questionnaire “52 weeks of lolita”. It seems like a fun list of questions and I thought I would answer them too~ ♡

1. What is your favorite brand, and why? What’s its history? ♡  I guess my favorite brand would have to be Angelic Pretty. I love a lot of other brands, but the majority of dresses in my wish list right now are Angelic Pretty. As for their history? I don’t really know haha, I guess I should research that a bit.

2. How would you describe lolita fashion to a curious person you met in passing? ♡ I always just say I am apart of a fashion club? People don’t generally require more than that but if they did I would probably tell them that it’s an alternative fashion based on Victorian fashion and we have a fashion club and we get dressed up and meet for tea and stuff.

3. What style do you think is the most underrated, and why? ♡ qi and wa lolita. I almost never see them, or see interest in them which is a shame because there are some really beautiful dresses out there that are suited for these styles.

4. What does the phrase “lolita lifestyle” mean to you, and do you, or would you like to, adhere to it? ♡ lolita lifestyle is when you try to bring lolita or lolita-esque aesthetics into every aspect of your life. Maybe wearing lolita every or most days, and having a very “loliable” home/room. I could never be a lifestyler because I have other fashion interests. Also lolita is not appropriate at my workplace.

5. What do you think constitutes lolita etiquette or good manners? ♡ I don’t believe there is any “lolita etiquette” I think you should just be yourself. Good manner are good manners, don’t be rude to your comm members, don’t dance on the tables at a tea party. But that’s just commonsense I don’t think there is a way to behave that is lolita.

6. Does your style change with the seasons, or do you dress the same and try to bear the cold/heat? ♡ I try, but admittedly I am awful at it. I try to keep berets in the cooler months, as well as long sleeves. BUT I’m a sucker for ankle socks and I wear them all year despite the cold and I do freeze my legs off at winter meets. 

7. Do you have a fashion role-model? What do you admire most about them? ♡ I actually have several! I will list them and their instagrams here: sleepyriri  - Her coords are so dreamy looking, very light floaty aesthetic which I love. She also has her own lolita brand! Le_verger_sucre - Her coords are so pink and princess-y. I find myself sharing her photos a lot. Fannyrosie - the classic lolita queen. Need I say more? Tokimeki.bunny - I love the cuteness of her coords. They always have a lot of extra elements and are so well balanced. She’s also really good at coordinating printed tights which I am awful at. Tsumikko - Lavender QUEEN! I love her use of aprons, layering, and color balancing. Very light, floaty vibes.  Milkcircus - Print QUEEN. Her use of prints and patterns absolutely inspires me. Coords are always very multi-dimensional  Cursed.Kaiser - They’re coords are honestly so cool, there’s a kind of drama in them that I really like. Darkxdelirium - She almost made me want honey cake with her impeccable coording skills. 

8. What are the top 10 things you love most about lolita? Can you also compile a list of things you hate? ♡ I don’t think I can come up with 10 but I’ll do my best. ♡ Loves: The community aspect, the ability to reclaim my femininity through lolita, the creativity that goes into building coords, crafting to make one of a kind pieces, being able to feel beautiful without being “sexy”, having a hobby to focus on when I need something to escape to.

♡ Hates: Second-hand market price fluctuation, brands still releasing dresses with a max 96cm bust, buying petticoats, storing my stuff (especially purses), brands who charge astronomical prices for low quality materials (AP purses, Q-pot jewelry, etc).

9. How strict are you in applying the rules to yourself? To others? ♡  I am pretty strict on myself. For a long time I was terrified to be seen as ita. I was even afraid to wear bodyline for fear of being ”ita” even though my coord was good. These days I am less strict on myself and worry much less about these things, but I still struggle to get out of the strict mindset from time to time. others? I love experimentation even if I am afraid to do so so I am really not too strict on others, if it works, it works, and I am not going to criticize anyone. 

10. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever incorporated into a coord, or the weirdest material you’ve ever worn? ♡ The weirdest thing I think I have ever worn in a coord were a pair of korilakkuma bell earrings. As you can imagine, bells on your ears? not great.

11. What’s the story behind your discovery of lolita fashion? ♡ When I was a senior in high school, a new girl started attending my school. She wore fairy kei and sweet lolita to school. We became friends through art class and eventually she ended up teaching me about the fashion. She sold me my first dress, and later my first brand piece. I am really glad to have met her and to have been exposed to lolita. You can follow her on instagram here

12. What is the one item that you’ve owned the longest? ♡ I still own my very first dress I got in 2012. Bodyline Squirrel Party. However, I am planning to sell it since I’ve worn it in everyway I can think of.

13. Do you think lolita is only about clothes, or does it also encompass a certain attitude or mindset? ♡ Lolita is about the fashion. All kinds of people are lolitas and they like it or wear it for different reasons. 

14. Have you ever decorated a room or other space (car?) with lolita aesthetics in mind? ♡ My old bedroom used to be very “kawaii”. I love pink so my car stuff, my desk, as much as I can get away with, is pink. 

15. Is it possible to be too obsessed with lolita? ♡ If lolita is interfering with your ability to pay your bills, or to be happy, or to focus on school or work or family then you should probably pull back. Some people do get very absorbed by things and in those cases it can become too much.

16. What are you favorite and least favorite trends? Do you think it’s important to follow them, or to do as you like regardless of them? ♡ My favorite trend ever is the chiffon half blouse. So comfortable, affordable, light, cute, and much more size inclusive. Least favorite trend? mis-matched shoes from the 2010 era. I like my shoes to get equal wear. I think these days more than ever, you can really just do whatever you want. Wear the fashion is right now is like anything goes which I think is great,

17. How do you define “lolita cosplay” and how do you feel about it? ♡ Lolita cosplay is stupid. sorry

18. Are there other fashions that you wear regularly, or are you an everyday lolita? ♡ I don't wear other street fashions anymore. I used to wear fairy kei and himekaji but these days I just dress regular outside of lolita.

19. Do you look for bargains to save as much money as possible, or are you willing to make sacrifices for high-quality products? ♡ I try to find the best prices when applicable but if I am in love with something I’ll do what I have to do.

20. When was the last time you wore lolita, and what did you do that day? If you wear it daily, when was the last time you went OTT or extra-fancy? ♡ The last time I wore lolita was in April lmao. For a virtual meet-up with my comm.

21. If you were to combine lolita fashion with an unrelated style or theme, what would your new creation be? ♡uhhhh I honestly have no idea at all. 

22. What is your favorite accessory, and why is it your favorite? ♡ I have 2, 2-way bow clips from back when bodyline had a massive “sundries” section. They're no longer available and haven't been for a long time. I am really glad I got them, I wish I had bought more sundries when that section was still there.

23. What’s your favorite online lolita community or forum? Are there any that you avoid?  ♡ I don’t have a favorite tbh. I have never been on 4chan and I never will be.

24. What is your favorite theme (e.g. school loli, pirate loli, nurse loli) or motif (e.g. deer, music notes, stars/constellations)? ♡ black and gold stars! Valentines day! fruits! gingham!

25. Is there any music that you associate with lolita? ♡ orange caramel lol

26. Will you ever be too old for lolita? ♡  never

27. Do you enjoy sewing? Why or why not? ♡ I don’t know how to sew :(

28. How does your location affect your involvement in the local lolita community? Would you like to move elsewhere to be closer, or perhaps farther away? ♡ I drive about 1.5 hours for meetups because that’s the closest active comm. I do not mind so much. I’d like to maybe be closer.

29. Does your sleepwear resemble lolita at all? ♡  not at all. I sleep in oversized t-shirts

30. Can you admit to any unpopular opinions regarding lolita? ♡ I hate peeking bloomers. I’m sorry :(

31. How do you feel about Visual kei or Jrock, and do you feel it’s related to lolita, or not? ♡ Love it, and absolutely. Visual Kei is like lolitas relative. 

32. Whether or not you wear them (looking at you, Ouji), do you prefer the look of skirts, JSKs, and OPs with or without prints? ♡ I like both, but these days I am appreciating non-printed items more.

33. How has your style evolved over time? ♡ It hasn't really, just gotten more refined. 

34. If applicable, what other communities do you belong to? What other identities do you adopt? ♡ I’m queer, so the LGBTQ community is important to me.

35. What are your favorite shoes to wear with your style, or what’s your dream pair? ♡ I love heels. I do not like flat shoes because I like to elongate my legs. I don’t have a dream pair.

36. Would you, or have you ever, dressed your pets in lolita? ♡ lol I’d try but I don't think it would work.

37. How do you feel about people who wear lolita for Halloween? Does it depend on whether that person is already a lolita? ♡ Wearing lolita for Halloween as a lolita is fine, but wearing it as a costume is kind of meh.

38. Excluding fashion shows, what’s the most amount of outfits you’ve ever worn in a day? ♡ just 1 haha

39. What’s your worst lolita horror story? ♡  I don’t really have any. I one time went with some of my college friends to a con and I left my dorm building in full sweet early in the morning. I was afraid my dormmates would see me cause I did not want to explain but luckily no one was awake and I made it to the van unscathed. 

40. Do you like sweets? If so, what’s your favorite dessert? ♡ I love angel food cake 

41. Do you have any beauty products, health routines, or special diet to keep you at your best? ♡ I take co-q-10 for my eczema, I like laneige lip sleeping mask, especially in the winter.

42. What were the best and worst meetups you’ve hosted? If you haven’t hosted, would you like to someday? ♡ I wanted to host a garden meet this summer but covid ruined that. Maybe next year.

43. Who is your favorite artist? If not famous for lolita art, do you think they have lolita appeal? ♡ I love a lot of artists, some of them I think are lolita-adjacent because their style is kawaii. I’ll list some here: jisaaaa!  ubokhee MISOART_ meowwniz gojio_ hanavbara Fancy Surprise Arcade Healer Yurie Sekiya and many many more. Go stalk my following on instagram for lots of kawaii artists.

44. How do you feel about wigs? Do you wear any, or style your natural hair? ♡ I used to wear wigs, but my hair is too long now so I use my natural hair with fake bangs.

45. What’s your favorite animal motif? ♡ bears?

46. Have you ever visited a brand’s shop/boutique? If so, what was your reaction? If not, what shop would you most like to visit? ♡ I want to visit AP San Francisco 

47. Do you think posting photos of your coord online is a crucial part of belonging to the community? ♡ YES, it’s how we all stay connected and inspired 

48. How has the lolita community changed since you became a part of it? Where do you see lolita heading in the future in terms of community and networking? ♡ I think it’s become way more accepting and accessible. When I got into lolita there were virtually no legit resellers, the community was entirely on livejournal, buying second hand was a nightmare. Buying anything! was a nightmare. There was so much stress around looking “ita”, and the superiority of brand. These days its just not like that. So much amazing taobao brands have really helped even the field for lolita. We have so much more access to the clothes, the community, everything. It’s great. I only see it getting better as years go on.

49. What advice would you give someone who is nervous about starting lolita? Or do you think they should learn their own lessons? ♡ I think too many lolitas today rely on seasoned lolitas to tell them everything. I would say, go watch lovely lor, read @lolita-tips and look at other peoples coordinates. Lolita Tips tumblr taught me basically everything I know back in the day and it a wealth of info and concrit. Part of what makes the lolita journey so great is the research, the learning, the mistakes. You don’t wanna be like someone else, you wanna be you. So you really need to do the work yourself so you can put your personal flair into the fashion. That’s when it’s at its best. 

50. What’s your dream dress/garment? Is it a faraway goal or have you obtained it? ♡ My dream dress was AP sweetie violet jsk in lavender. Which I got in 2019. My new dream dress is AP rose tea garden jsk in navy. It’ll probably be a while before I can afford to buy one.

51. How do you feel about the stereotype that lolitas are full of drama? What’s the worst drama you’ve ever witnessed or been involved in? ♡ I think any and all groups of people are bound to have drama. I don’t believe that’s specific to lolita at all. I personally have not been involved in any lolita drama.

52. Are you loyal to any particular makeup brands? ♡ I am very particular about my makeup because I do not like to use certain ingredients. I really like Pacifica. But I also like some Korean brands like The Saem, MISSHA, and TonyMoly.

This was super long but I had fun answering all the questions. Have you done this questionnaire? I’d love to see your answers~

[millepara]

aikatsu friends episode 61 spoilers (an ok ep but I get upset for no real reason)

last night I blithely wandered into the aifriends tag as usual looking for some cool gifs to reblog, entirely forgetting I hadn’t watched this ep yet, and was spoiled in the very first post. arghh... it was entirely my own fault this time though (but I really didn’t know if Alicia would be performing or not so it was like the most I’ve ever been spoiled on aikatsu maybe... I haven’t even watched the youtube mv for her song bc I’m so excited to see it be revealed on the anime ;;; sob)

I miss the intro bit from season one. every time Aine says “aren’t friends nice? aren’t Friends nice?” here I, an english speaker, reflexively think they’re the same damn thing even though I know what she means. maybe I’m just crabby today

I guess this is supposed to be a serious moment but these three fluffball hair twins lined up with this grandma like stair steps is really funny

WOW!! these I Believe coords are super cute!!! they’re like a combo between figure skating costumes and the asian-style coords that aikatsu likes to give sexy-type brands. please give them to us on the game... please!!!

I swear to god Alicia if you throw that key out the window again and undo all of my son Charles’s hard work I will. be very frustrated at this dumb plot point. holy shit she’s really going to do it. uuuuhgghghOH Charles knocked on her door and interrupted her. with a message from the Minister of Weather and the Minister of.... Prophecy...? what kind of a country is Sorbet, exactly..........

(ps mentioning Sorbet just now reminded me that a lot of people are calling it fucking Solvette, which was the gd mystery of the year to me until I found out that it’s thanks to the subs apparently calling it that. really? the fuck is a solvette? Alicia’s fav food is listed in her profile as sherbet, are you telling me that’s actually incorrect and what she really loves is to dig into a shervette instead? smh and before you say that it’s too on the nose to name a country after a dessert so it’s clearly not Sorbet... like, while that might be true for some other work of fiction, it’s def not for aikatsu, an anime made for 5 year olds. they’re not even translating the other part of the name correctly, it’s ソルベット王国 / sorubetto oukoku, oukoku meaning kingdom, and they’re calling it a principality?? that’s a wholly different thing, both in japanese (公国 / koukoku) and in meaning. jesus, who knew that learning japanese would lead to such suffering. also maybe I am a little crabby today after all)

those two old guys in the last scene are the ministers?? which one is the Minister of Prophecy?? they both look fairly normal, even if that fairly normal is for about 300 years in the past in europe

so they’re all lying to Alicia about this being a really bad storm that can only be stopped with her personal aikatsu...? as excited as I am about seeing her perform, I really hate tricking people like this, good cause or no... wait huh they’re saying that everyone else is going to do aikatsu, not Alicia? uhh...? I mean clearly the end result is intended to be the same and it’s still also a lie but?? this also means that regardless of whether the blizzard is going to freeze the entire country or not, they’re still planning to put on a show in the middle of a blizzard which has been already established as v unsafe...? unless they honestly think that Alicia’s aikatsu is the key to stopping blizzards?? I’m so. . hhh

the guy with the mustache is the prophecy minister. sure, I guess. see if anyone believes your state-sponsored prophecies after this big old lie, though

they just busted in Alicia’s room to tell her that the blizzard’s coming faster than expected (lie) and so the townspeople are starting to freeze over (lie). uughuuhgh

they’re all pretending to be frozen like some kind of bad flash mob. oh... oh no. now that I’ve thought of this, I’ve gotta say it: a flash freeze mob. anyway this just makes Alicia look really gullible and it makes me feel worse about the whole plan

I hate myself for enjoying this Hibiki/Alicia moment even though it too is based on lies

how did that rock she had a few eps ago get into this box if she didn’t have the key to open it...? best not to ask, probably

the jewel doesn’t care if Alicia’s desperate feelings to save her people are all based on lies, at least. that’s something.

Alicia’s PR is kinda boring, but I really like that her brand is all golds and greens despite being a gothic snowy brand, which you’d typically think would be blues and silvers. I like the shoes w sock garters too, they’re cute.

it’s so cool how she leaves a trail of ice behind on the floor as she dances...!! her aura is whatever but I expected that

everyone wants Alicia to do aikatsu again, she’s happy about it, and all is well. but are they ever going to tell her that was all a big setup? what about the blizzard that’s about to hit?

AH THEY JUST IMMEDIATELY FESSED UP... how’s she going to take it.... she’s crying and jumping into Hibiki’s arms (also the sun is shining...?) well, ok

oh lore!! there’s a legend about the jewels/rocks that’s been passed down in Sorbet Kingdom. apparently they’ve existed in their country as part of the crown jewels for ages, and the legend says that when they shine with light, blessings will rain down from the heavens. Alicia opened the box holding them in desperation one day, and all of the gems shot out, leading to what Hibiki saw from space... so that’s where they came from! I guess the plot is now to collect all of them so Sorbet Kingdom can be saved.

next they’re all (including Alicia) going back to japan, and Wakaba’s going to be there! I’m v happy for all of tumblr who seems to have adopted her

[whileyoureinschoolidothisallday]

Long-ish ramblings about my upcoming reading of CC!!!!!!! =D

So my vision for when I am the Author of Cynical Chaos(TM) is that, at least in public, I’m always gonna be in Lolita. That’s gonna be My Brand. Obviously, I’m not at a time in my life where I can afford to have that many Lolita coords, so instead I’ve been putting the few I have together, full Lolita and casual, and wearing them for any event I have that’s CC related. For the symposium, I wore this really cute black and white casual coord Topaz got me for Christmas, since I feel like casual coords are a little more professional looking in a traditional sense where I don’t feel like I’m drawing unnecessary attention to myself, if that makes sense? Like I want to make my statements, but I also don’t want to feel completely out of place and/or like I belong at a convention.

HOWEVER, that being said, this public reading is NOT a Professional Graduate Seminar. It’ll be my first official appearance as The Author of Cynical Chaos(TM) and the first time EVER that I’ll be reading CC to the general public. It’s also in the prime setting of a coffee shop. The most popular coffee shop in town to be exact, so regardless of whether or not the patrons give a shit about what’s being read, there’s gonna be hella people there. I’m pulling out the big guns. Two years ago, my parents bought me a Mary Magdalene JSK from the lace market for Christmas, and I haven’t worn it yet. It’s a little on the small side--I forgot to tell them it was Asian sizes--so I’m gonna try to see if I can get it let out a little and finally wear it!!

I already bought a blouse to go underneath it, some cute bobby socks, and I’m gonna make a simple lace headband! What do you think?