#lolita corset jsk

[lolita-wardrobe]

【First-rate Student】 Lolita Short Jacket, Vest, Blouse and JSK Are Back In Stock

◆ Shopping Link >>> https://lolitawardrobe.com/first-rate-student-vintage-classic-lolita-short-jacket-vest-blouse-and-jsk_p6575.html ◆ Very Very Limited Quantity!!!

[ghost-for-hire]

Moi-meme-Moitie Cross Arch lace up JSK in black x navy and blue

[royalsealy]

🖤and Romeo Classic Black JSK🖤

[hauntings4hire]

Alice and the Pirates Belle Fleur JSK in black x off white and navy x ivory

[rougeaerie]

Outfit 1: JSK, Blouse: Metamorphose temps de fille; Socks, Shoes, Pochette: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright; Headdress: Angelic Pretty; Wrist Cuffs: Hot Topic; Jewellery: Vinvienne Westwood, Omnia, Vintage

Outfit 2: JSK, Headband, Wristcuffs: Innocent World; Tights: Red Maria; Blouse: Atelier Pierrot; Shoes: Yosuke LECHE; Jewellery: Vintage, Omnia, local jeweller

Outfit 3: JSK, Headband: Innocent World; Wristcuffs: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright; Cardigan: Metamorphose temps de fille; Shoes: Yosuke LECHE; Jewellery: Bloodmilk, Omnia

Still didn't make my goal of once a week for wearing lolita for February, alas. I had planned a coordinate for lunch on one other day, but I caught the corset lacing of my OP on a doorknob and it absolutely wrecked the corset lacing loop, so I quick-changed into not-lolita for that day (though I did wear the green Meta cardigan that's a match to the ivory one in my third coord in this post, haaa).

Hopefully, I can wear lolita more often now that summer is slowly ending. It's still very hot the last few days, but autumn will be here soon.

I also want to repeat the second coord with my black blouse next time. I had hoped the white in the tights would balance the white blouse, but it just wasn't effective enough. But my black blouse was in the wash, alas. Next time!

[doll-lashes]

Inside look at small business manufacturing in Japan

Written by Connie from the Atelier Pierrot team

(transcript available later in the post)

I wanted to document and share this informative post that was shared by Connie who works at Atelier Pierrot, containing an inside look into small businesses' manufacturing in Japan, which is a category that covers almost all Japanese lolita fashion brands. The post is focused on releasing plus sizing, which is not very common for a lot of Japanese brands. Below are the charts which were included in the post.

It was noted that for the Bustle Corset JSK, the sizing between Size 1 and 2 had more overlap, in the hopes of finding the best proportions. This was due to experimenting with sizing proportions and ranges, the goal of this was to potentially increase the range of sizing, while producing fewer sizes.

Below the "Keep reading" section is a plain text transcript, for anybody using a screen reader. I have made use of formatted headings in order to make it easier to move between sections, as the text is quite long.

Inside look at small business manufacturing in Japan

Japanese brands' manufacturing processes are usually quite mysterious, and I think there are lots of misconceptions overseas, especially when it comes to plus size releases.

Although there's some points I can't go into too much detail for, as the person leading the plus size releases for a Japanese brand I have done a lot of research and have a lot of stats to facilitate the development of these releases.

This will be quite long, and with a lot of interacting factors but I've tried to break it up into sections to make it more manageable for people with no executive function (like me).

General Release Size

The first thing to understand is - Japanese brands are all small businesses. They are not huge companies making 1000 of each dress. Typically, even the "big" brands are making 200-300 of each release, across all colourways. Popular releases will sometimes be larger scale. (AP is an exception, but their manufacturing process is very different and they're generally an anomaly in lolita - but still a small business that is at risk if just one of their releases is enough of a flop. They've also said that they have no interest in doing plus size releases, and they have a sufficiently large market in China currently that they don't need to take the financial risk of starting plus size).

Plus Size Market Size

Within this general market, the plus size market is actually incredibly small, and most overseas lolitas completely overestimate the size.

(For reference, in Japan Bust 100cm, Waist 80cm would be considered L/XL. Anything above this is definitely plus size. Remember that when a Japanese brand uses the term "plus size", they are likely to be referring to Japanese plus size which makes up the majority of their market).

For releases that have a plus size version, the plus size sales make up about 15-30% of all sales. Typically, it's 22-25%. This is the same for both Meta and AtePie (with overall sales numbers being comparative).

Say there's 300 items across colourways for a release (Meta's "regular" size and AtePie's Size 1), proportionally, it might have 75-100 items for all plus size pieces, across all sizes.

I've tried to show these ratios with the graph shared on this main post, but have not said the exact sales numbers. It's worth noting that the Douceur Cutsew had a particularly good sales ratio for plus size, and the Bustle Corset JSK is currently in progress, ending 7/21. The number of plus size sales will increase a little until then, but so will the Size 1.

Doing small-size runs (less than 50 pieces per size) is incredibly costly, which I'll go into more detail for later.

Differences in Japanese Vs overseas buying practices

Although of course they still buy some items secondhand, Japanese lolitas are FAR more likely to buy new and support the brands they love. However, most overseas lolitas tend to buy secondhand, or very rarely new direct from Japanese brands (even for accessories).

This obviously doesn't mesh well with the plus size manufacturing system, which has to be MTO due to the small market and risks of production.

Generally, when Japanese customers request an item be rereleased/made in a new colour etc, typically 80% of people requesting will actually purchase. When overseas lolitas make item requests, typically 30% will purchase. This obviously has a huge impact on each market's buying power, and is something that has to be considered when releasing items.

The influence of overseas customers is much less strong/reliable. However, the plus size market is largely overseas, making up about 80-95% of plus size purchases (regardless of brand). As you can imagine, this combined with the lower amount of overseas customers buying new means that the actual demand for plus size releases is very small.

(Actual demand = people who actually buy the items, not just a desire to have them made)

Plus size actual demand

As you might have noticed, Meta has stopped doing their Plus Plus size releases due to insufficient demand. Atelier Pierrot plus size releases (especially size 3 and 4) are currently under review, based on previous plus size sales.

I am really pushing to find solutions to continue plus size releases, but short of putting the manufacturer or brand at risk, there's very little extra that me or AtePie can do.

Japanese brands absolutely should not put themselves at financial risk for any release just for the sake of it being made, especially if there's insufficient support.

In general, the solution is - customers who want to see more of certain releases should support these releases by purchasing new, especially for plus size where the Japanese market cannot be relied on to bolster the sales. This is actually how I've been able to propose more purple releases with AtePie recently! Purple is relatively popular in Japan, but people really love it overseas!

If people don't order plus size items new, they simply will not be manufactured.

It's very unlikely to find the size that you'd need secondhand, especially in the colourway you like best, if only a small amount were ordered in the first place.

Manufacturing process and costs (general)

During the manufacturing process, the item is first designed (and print, if applicable), fabric, trim and colourways are chosen, measurements/pattern is modelled and decided. A sample is made (in the real fabric, to determine how it drapes etc). Adjustments are made to the sample and if necessary another sample is made. Brands will typically try to avoid making the second sample wherever possible because it's very expensive, but sometimes it's unavoidable. Then, the pricing is determined and if it's a general release the number of each item to be released is decided. Colourways are released in different numbers based on demand. As a gothic brand, Atelier Pierrot produces more of the black colourway of each item.

The price is determined by the overhead manufacturing costs, material/trim costs, pattern making, shipping of materials/products, among other things.

The sample commission and pattern cutting are the most costly parts of item development. Designers really don't make much at all and work long hours - for many of the "big" brands it still works out as approximately minimum wage, which is about 1000 yen per hour in Japan.

If the main designer is also the brand owner (e.g AtePie, Sheglit), of course they make more money but they still aren't millionaires by any stretch of the imagination.

Lolita is a passion project for many of the people involved, which is why brands may just stop if people get burnt out/lose that passion (Boz).

Manufacturing process and costs (plus size)

Plus size releases follow this same general process. However, multiple sizing means that multiple samples must be made. Samples must be made in all colours and all sizes to make sure that they come out as expected. For reference, the current AtePie Bustle Corset JSK samples were:

Size 2 - black x white, purple

Size 3 - navy, bordeaux

Size 4 - purple, black

These additional samples add a huge amount of cost (usually it's 200-300k yen for main piece samples in each size, but this varies). If an item is rereleased in the same fabric, another sample wouldn't be necessary. Items released in another fabric would need another sample.

Having small runs of less than 50 of each Plus Size sizing increases the cost per item.

Another additional cost is adjusting the patterns to fit plus size bodies. AtePie adjusts all measurements, not just bust and waist (shoulder width, arm circumference, arm scye, bodice length, skirt circumference etc). Most Japanese brands and manufactures aren't familiar with how to adjust patterns for plus sizing (especially Western plus size), so this stage often has to be outsourced, which is more costly. As time goes on, the measurement range would become more familiar and require less work/lower costs each time (which could be passed on to the customers). However, this could only happen with long term plus size production.

However, plus size dresses are always going to cost more than the size 1 to manufacture. I'm sure a lot of people are aware that the material cost is significantly higher. If a waist circumference is 20cm larger, to have proportional gathering it usually requires ~60cm extra fabric. Adding gathered chiffon on top means an additional 180cm of fabric. These material costs quickly add up.

A cost that many people aren't aware of is the "pattern cutting cost". Most Size 1 lolita releases fit on a single pattern sheet, to be cut out onto fabric by the manufacturer. However, plus size releases have larger measurements and usually require two or more pattern sheets (for main pieces). This is paid by sheet, meaning that this stage of the manufacturing process costs 2-3x as much as Size 1 for every single item made.

To avoid these additional costs raising the price of plus size pieces too much, AtePie absorbs a lot of these extra costs. However, this of course means that the profit margin is much lower despite all the extra difficulties/hard work involved, which is a strain for a small business (which all lolita brands are).

AtePie Size 1 and Plus Size Blooming Rose Corsets were the same price because we just absorbed all extra costs. The Douceur Cutsew had less than 1000 yen price difference (due to much higher manufacture costs), but most was still absorbed. The Bustle Corset JSK has a larger price difference because it's an incredibly expensive piece to produce (difference in volume of fabric due to all the ruffles, requires 2-3 pattern sheets to be cut, more QC costs etc), but AtePie is still trying to absorb as much of the costs as possible.

We absolutely will not force the plus size manufacturer to absorb these extra costs because we do not want to put them at risk of closing.

If Japanese brands were to spread these extra plus size costs to the Size 1/"Regular" size, it would alienate the Japanese market and greatly affect sales, which is really not possible when Japanese customers still make up the vast majority of customers

Quality control issues

It can be hard to find manufacturers that are capable of making lolita pieces. Lolita is much harder to make than regular fashion pieces, with lots of unique details and construction techniques. Brands really try to hold onto long term partnerships with specific manufacturers to minimise mistakes, but they still sometimes happen.

A common mistake is the skirt circumference, especially the lining - often the manufacturer can't believe that there'd be so much VOLUME to the skirt and make a mistake with the measurement. This is often at the initial sampling stage, but sometimes it's the occasional stock item and caught during the Quality Control stage.

Whenever possible, these are returned and corrected to minimise waste. If it's not possible to correct something, they may be sold as B Grade items.

AtePie works with a few different manufacturers for different types of items. For the one of the main manufacturers, we've been working with them for more than 30 years and they have a very good understanding of our designs, but mistakes are occasionally made still.

Manufacture in China usually has a much higher number of mistakes/QC issues, so although it's cheaper than Japanese manufacture it involves a lot more QC, and sometimes expensive/time consuming shipping back to be fixed.

These problems are all exacerbated by adding plus size releases. Manufacturers are unfamiliar with the larger measurements and more likely to get confused/make mistakes. It's more common to have mixed measurements (e.g. the bust is Size 3 but the hem circumference is Size 2). This adds a much longer QC period to make sure defective items aren't sent to customers, which is also costly in terms of labour.

This is why it's so vital that AtePie works to support the manufacturer capable of doing plus size releases without adding additional financial strain to them. We really really want the manufacturer to be able to continue making plus size pieces.

Risk for brands and manufacturers

Meta almost became bankrupt when they started doing plus size releases, and their current manufacturing system is not really sustainable or ideal for the future of plus size releases. Often doing plus size releases is a huge financial risk both for manufacturers and the brand involved.

As mentioned before, manufacturers that can do plus size are very rare in Japan. If one of the very few places that can do plus size closes down, it is highly unlikely it reopen. The current manufacturer in Japan that can do plus size pieces is currently in a very weak financial position due to a former contract with a (non lolita) brand doing plus size. If it is forced to close, it'll be a HUGE blow to plus size availablity in Japan (again, not just lolita).

Summary

As you can see, the plus size market is really not big at all, and on top of that it's financially risky for lolita brands to get involved with.

AtePie (and mostly me as the person in charge) are working really hard to try to make releases more accessible, but it is done out of passion for lolita and not because it's a lucrative market. If there is sufficient support, over time it may become easier to release plus size items more often, and with very little/no price difference (this is my goal!)

However, this is a goal that is entirely dependent on overseas customer support.

Buying new from lolita brands is the best way to show the brand where the market might exist and encourage more of the items you want to see. Supporting AtePie plus size releases will also allow us to in turn support the plus size manufacturer and hopefully allow them to continue making plus size pieces (not only lolita) into the future.

Even though this is a hugely long explanation, I've still barely covered the basics. I hope it was still informative for people!

[20dollarlolita]

Just a little coord dump

I don't post every lolita fashion coordinate that I wear here, so here's a few:

I bought this JSK on Depop because it's boned and strapless, and I wanted to do a tutorial on how that works. Previous owner did some damage to it trying to wear it like a corset. Boning does not equal corset. Blouse: Baby | JSK+Bow: AATP | Shoes: Bodyline, all else offbrand.

I made this skirt in 2016 and I've been looking for the best way to coord it ever since. The bottom tier is the art from the Legendary Hero opening of The Wind Waker. Opted for the same tights+socks combo here, but not as fond of it. Bows: Handmade, Iris Garden, TJMaxx's baby section | Blouse: Innocent World | Overskirt: Neverland Lolita | Skirt: Handmade | Shoes: Bubble Cat | Ocarina necklace: STL Ocarina, all else offbrand.

More images on my friend's Instagram.

As some of you know, Typewriting Squirrels was one of my dream dresses for a long while. Since I owned the JSK in two colorways, I decided to twin with my friend. Pictures of the two of us at the link above.

Blouse: Handmade | JSK: Meta | Shoes: Bodyline. I don't know where the other items are from, since my friend loaned me many of them.

And here's a JSK I made myself a while ago. This one had a great moment where I was checking my tire pressure at the gas station, and someone calls out from their car with, "Do you need help?" and I hear from inside the car someone go, "Shut up, Steve! She's doing fine!"

JSK: Handmade (Manikin by Cosplay by McCall's) | Socks: Handmade | Shoes: Bubble Cat | Bow: BTSSB | Blouse: Bodyline

My tire pressure was totally okay. (Remember, kiddos in CA, gas stations are legally required to provide you with an air compressor and tire gauge, for free, as long as you bought gasoline at that station. You don't need to pay for the air. Just go inside and ask them to turn it on)

There's something about old school that makes me feel the need to stare into the camera like I'm dead inside.

I'm trying really hard to figure out what angle this was taken from, because it's the opposite side of my kitchen from my normal shots. I think I stuck it in the ice maker in my fridge.

I really need to get some better pink hair accessories. I know that tote bags look better when they're not absolutely full, but I needed to take my utility apron somewhere, and this was the appropriate sized bag. At least this coord convinced me to buy some pink socks.

Headdress: From an anime convention | OP: AP | Bag: Baby | Socks: Handmade | Shoes: Bodyline

[lolitaknot]

New Arrival: Alice Girl -A Farm in The Forest- Classic Lolita Corset JSK

Shopping It >> https://www.lolitaknot.com/Alice-Girl-A-Farm-in-The-Forest-Classic-Lolita-Corset-JSK-p622720.html

[ange-la-ange-ootd]

Casual Holy Lantern coordinate because HI it's my anime vampire blorbo Beth's birthday on this 7th of August.

Holy Lantern JSK - Angelic Pretty blouse - Fan+Friend beret - handmade ya it's from my Beth cosplay boots - Unif Blood Drive earrings - Kikay everything else - offbrand

Image descriptions below the cut.

[ID: A black and wine red gothic lolita fashion coordinate. The main piece is a red jumperskirt with corset-style detailing on the bodice and a print with chandeliers, crosses, stars, and birdcages. It's paired with a black short sleeved blouse, dark brown tights, black boots, and a beret. The accessories include a black lace choker, bracelets, and red acrylic earrings shaped like a blood drop. There is a detail photo of the accessories and dress print.

A gif of Beth from Visual Prison is included in the post. They look up towards camera with a hand posed against the side of their face. The shot is monochrome grey, except for selective pink tones in Beth's hair and visible eye.]

[anna-neko]

˚✧˚ lolita fashion themed ask game ˚♡˚

15: do you have an unpopular opinion about the fashion?

Absolutely! and will just repeat what said before: “JSK/jumperskirt” is a dumbass word! yeah yeah, jumpers in UK english are sweaters, and in US english are sleeveless dresses. Japan made-up a rando word while PINAFORE DRESS is right freakin there! (Meta used it in old non-machine translated english site)

but here's a fresh one - I looooooathe the way the Western side of this fashion insists on over-categorizing everything and placing it into very narrow niche boxes. Oh, you're a sweet lolita but this print isn't pastels colored? well, then, you're a bitter sweet! Corset outside the dress and skirt too short? must be ero; no comments accepted! Your petticoat isn't a "paradefloat" full and the blouse too basic: i dub thee "casual" because reasons

which activates every possible atom of a gremlin in my brain, and I start combining everything to create nonsense such as these

[lolita-wardrobe]

Restock: 【-Singing Prayer for You-】 Lolita Dress Set and Ouji Set (limited quantity, quick shipment)!!!

◆ Dress Set's Shopping Link >>> https://lolitawardrobe.com/singing-prayer-for-you-lolita-dress-set_p7438.html ◆ Ouji Set's Shopping Link >>> https://lolitawardrobe.com/singing-prayer-for-you-ouji-lolita-cape-blouse-and-short-pants-set_p7439.html

[ghost-for-hire]

Baby, the Stars Shine Bright Pearl Bouqet Princess JSK in saxe blue and rose pink

[jennkitty]

Today on Rufflechat: Connie of Atelier Pierrot made a post detailing the work put into making plus sized releases. For those unaware they are the International Marketing Manager for the brand and has worked to bring out the new plus sized items. I’m reposting it here to make it a bit easier to reference later outside of fb. This will be a long read!!

✨Inside look at small business manufacturing in Japan✨

Japanese brands' manufacturing processes are usually quite mysterious, and I think there are lots of misconceptions overseas, especially when it comes to plus size releases.

Although there's some points I can't go into too much detail for, as the person leading the plus size releases for a Japanese brand I have done a lot of research and have a lot of stats to facilitate the development of these releases.

This will be quite long, and with a lot of interacting factors but I've tried to break it up into sections to make it more manageable for people with no executive function (like me).

⭐ General release size

The first thing to understand is - Japanese brands are all small businesses. They are not huge companies making 1000 of each dress. Typically, even the "big" brands are making 200-300 of each release, across all colourways. Popular releases will sometimes be larger scale. (AP is an exception, but their manufacturing process is very different and they're generally an anomaly in lolita - but still a small business that is at risk if just one of their releases is enough of a flop. They've also said that they have no interest in doing plus size releases, and they have a sufficiently large market in China currently that they don't need to take the financial risk of starting plus size).

⭐ Plus size market size

Within this general market, the plus size market is actually incredibly small, and most overseas lolitas completely overestimate the size.

(For reference, in Japan Bust 100cm, Waist 80cm would be considered L/XL. Anything above this is definitely plus size. Remember that when a Japanese brand uses the term "plus size", they are likely to be referring to Japanese plus size which makes up the majority of their market).

For releases that have a plus size version, the plus size sales make up about 15-30% of all sales. Typically, it's 22-25%. This is the same for both Meta and AtePie (with overall sales numbers being comparative).

Say there's 300 items across colourways for a release (Meta's "regular" size and AtePie's Size 1), proportionally, it might have 75-100 items for all plus size pieces, across all sizes.

I've tried to show these ratios with the graph shared on this main post, but have not said the exact sales numbers. It's worth noting that the Douceur Cutsew had a particularly good sales ratio for plus size, and the Bustle Corset JSK is currently in progress, ending 7/21. The number of plus size sales will increase a little until then, but so will the Size 1.

Doing small-size runs (less than 50 pieces per size) is incredibly costly, which I'll go into more detail for later.

⭐ Differences in Japanese Vs overseas buying practices.

Although of course they still buy some items secondhand, Japanese lolitas are FAR more likely to buy new and support the brands they love. However, most overseas lolitas tend to buy secondhand, or very rarely new direct from Japanese brands (even for accessories).

This obviously doesn't mesh well with the plus size manufacturing system, which has to be MTO due to the small market and risks of production.

Generally, when Japanese customers request an item be rereleased/made in a new colour etc, typically 80% of people requesting will actually purchase. When overseas lolitas make item requests, typically 30% will purchase. This obviously has a huge impact on each market's buying power, and is something that has to be considered when releasing items.

The influence of overseas customers is much less strong/reliable. However, the plus size market is largely overseas, making up about 80-95% of plus size purchases (regardless of brand). As you can imagine, this combined with the lower amount of overseas customers buying new means that the actual demand for plus size releases is very small.

(Actual demand = people who actually buy the items, not just a desire to have them made)

⭐ Plus size actual demand

As you might have noticed, Meta has stopped doing their Plus Plus size releases due to insufficient demand. Atelier Pierrot plus size releases (especially size 3 and 4) are currently under review, based on previous plus size sales.

I am really pushing to find solutions to continue plus size releases, but short of putting the manufacturer or brand at risk, there's very little extra that me or AtePie can do.

Japanese brands absolutely should not put themselves at financial risk for any release just for the sake of it being made, especially if there's insufficient support.

In general, the solution is - customers who want to see more of certain releases should support these releases by purchasing new, especially for plus size where the Japanese market cannot be relied on to bolster the sales. This is actually how I've been able to propose more purple releases with AtePie recently! Purple is relatively popular in Japan, but people really love it overseas!

If people don't order plus size items new, they simply will not be manufactured.

It's very unlikely to find the size that you'd need secondhand, especially in the colourway you like best, if only a small amount were ordered in the first place.

⭐ Manufacturing process and costs (general)

During the manufacturing process, the item is first designed (and print, if applicable), fabric, trim and colourways are chosen, measurements/pattern is modelled and decided. A sample is made (in the real fabric, to determine how it drapes etc). Adjustments are made to the sample and if necessary another sample is made. Brands will typically try to avoid making the second sample wherever possible because it's very expensive, but sometimes it's unavoidable. Then, the pricing is determined and if it's a general release the number of each item to be released is decided. Colourways are released in different numbers based on demand. As a gothic brand, Atelier Pierrot produces more of the black colourway of each item.

The price is determined by the overhead manufacturing costs, material/trim costs, pattern making, shipping of materials/products, among other things.

The sample commission and pattern cutting are the most costly parts of item development. Designers really don't make much at all and work long hours - for many of the "big" brands it still works out as approximately minimum wage, which is about 1000 yen per hour in Japan.

If the main designer is also the brand owner (e.g AtePie, Sheglit), of course they make more money but they still aren't millionaires by any stretch of the imagination.

Lolita is a passion project for many of the people involved, which is why brands may just stop if people get burnt out/lose that passion (Boz).

⭐ Manufacturing process and costs (plus size)

Plus size releases follow this same general process. However, multiple sizing means that multiple samples must be made. Samples must be made in all colours and all sizes to make sure that they come out as expected. For reference, the current AtePie Bustle Corset JSK samples were:

Size 2 - black x white, purple

Size 3 - navy, bordeaux

Size 4 - purple, black

These additional samples add a huge amount of cost (usually it's 200-300k yen for main piece samples in each size, but this varies). If an item is rereleased in the same fabric, another sample wouldn't be necessary. Items released in another fabric would need another sample.

Having small runs of less than 50 of each Plus Size sizing increases the cost per item.

Another additional cost is adjusting the patterns to fit plus size bodies. AtePie adjusts all measurements, not just bust and waist (shoulder width, arm circumference, arm scye, bodice length, skirt circumference etc). Most Japanese brands and manufactures aren't familiar with how to adjust patterns for plus sizing (especially Western plus size), so this stage often has to be outsourced, which is more costly. As time goes on, the measurement range would become more familiar and require less work/lower costs each time (which could be passed on to the customers). However, this could only happen with long term plus size production.

However, plus size dresses are always going to cost more than the size 1 to manufacture. I'm sure a lot of people are aware that the material cost is significantly higher. If a waist circumference is 20cm larger, to have proportional gathering it usually requires ~60cm extra fabric. Adding gathered chiffon on top means an additional 180cm of fabric. These material costs quickly add up.

A cost that many people aren't aware of is the "pattern cutting cost". Most Size 1 lolita releases fit on a single pattern sheet, to be cut out onto fabric by the manufacturer. However, plus size releases have larger measurements and usually require two or more pattern sheets (for main pieces). This is paid by sheet, meaning that this stage of the manufacturing process costs 2-3x as much as Size 1 for every single item made.

To avoid these additional costs raising the price of plus size pieces too much, AtePie absorbs a lot of these extra costs. However, this of course means that the profit margin is much lower despite all the extra difficulties/hard work involved, which is a strain for a small business (which all lolita brands are).

AtePie Size 1 and Plus Size Blooming Rose Corsets were the same price because we just absorbed all extra costs. The Douceur Cutsew had less than 1000 yen price difference (due to much higher manufacture costs), but most was still absorbed. The Bustle Corset JSK has a larger price difference because it's an incredibly expensive piece to produce (difference in volume of fabric due to all the ruffles, requires 2-3 pattern sheets to be cut, more QC costs etc), but AtePie is still trying to absorb as much of the costs as possible.

We absolutely will not force the plus size manufacturer to absorb these extra costs because we do not want to put them at risk of closing.

If Japanese brands were to spread these extra plus size costs to the Size 1/"Regular" size, it would alienate the Japanese market and greatly affect sales, which is really not possible when Japanese customers still make up the vast majority of customers

⭐ Quality control issues

It can be hard to find manufacturers that are capable of making lolita pieces. Lolita is much harder to make than regular fashion pieces, with lots of unique details and construction techniques. Brands really try to hold onto long term partnerships with specific manufacturers to minimise mistakes, but they still sometimes happen.

A common mistake is the skirt circumference, especially the lining - often the manufacturer can't believe that there'd be so much VOLUME to the skirt and make a mistake with the measurement. This is often at the initial sampling stage, but sometimes it's the occasional stock item and caught during the Quality Control stage.

Whenever possible, these are returned and corrected to minimise waste. If it's not possible to correct something, they may be sold as B Grade items.

AtePie works with a few different manufacturers for different types of items. For the one of the main manufacturers, we've been working with them for more than 30 years and they have a very good understanding of our designs, but mistakes are occasionally made still.

Manufacture in China usually has a much higher number of mistakes/QC issues, so although it's cheaper than Japanese manufacture it involves a lot more QC, and sometimes expensive/time consuming shipping back to be fixed.

These problems are all exacerbated by adding plus size releases. Manufacturers are unfamiliar with the larger measurements and more likely to get confused/make mistakes. It's more common to have mixed measurements (e.g. the bust is Size 3 but the hem circumference is Size 2). This adds a much longer QC period to make sure defective items aren't sent to customers, which is also costly in terms of labour.

This is why it's so vital that AtePie works to support the manufacturer capable of doing plus size releases without adding additional financial strain to them. We really really want the manufacturer to be able to continue making plus size pieces.

⭐Risk for brands and manufacturers

Meta almost became bankrupt when they started doing plus size releases, and their current manufacturing system is not really sustainable or ideal for the future of plus size releases. Often doing plus size releases is a huge financial risk both for manufacturers and the brand involved.

As mentioned before, manufacturers that can do plus size are very rare in Japan. If one of the very few places that can do plus size closes down, it is highly unlikely it reopen. The current manufacturer in Japan that can do plus size pieces is currently in a very weak financial position due to a former contract with a (non lolita) brand doing plus size. If it is forced to close, it'll be a HUGE blow to plus size availablity in Japan (again, not just lolita).

⭐ Summary

As you can see, the plus size market is really not big at all, and on top of that it's financially risky for lolita brands to get involved with.

AtePie (and mostly me as the person in charge) are working really hard to try to make releases more accessible, but it is done out of passion for lolita and not because it's a lucrative market. If there is sufficient support, over time it may become easier to release plus size items more often, and with very little/no price difference (this is my goal!)

However, this is a goal that is entirely dependent on overseas customer support.

Buying new from lolita brands is the best way to show the brand where the market might exist and encourage more of the items you want to see. Supporting AtePie plus size releases will also allow us to in turn support the plus size manufacturer and hopefully allow them to continue making plus size pieces (not only lolita) into the future.

Even though this is a hugely long explanation, I've still barely covered the basics. I hope it was still informative for people!

[hauntings4hire]

Alice and the Pirates Dafne Frill JSK in black x off white, navy x off white and purple x black

[pa-stella]

Lolita Fashion and 3Gumi!

| Leaders ⁜ 2Gumi ⁜ 3Gumi |

Yamada Saburo // M.C. L.B.

Simple wardrobe with subtle school vibes. Piano and book related details. Main pieces from left to right: School Girl Set (AATP), Antique Piano Skirt (Abilletage), Apprentice School Suspender Skirt (Meta), Dance of the Black Cats Skirt (BTSSB), Regimental Stripe Mini OP (JM), School Tartan 3 Stage Frill Salopette (AP), British Library Square JSK (JM).

Amaguni Hitoya // Heaven & Hell

Simple black and white wardrobe with rockabilly and vintage vibes. Main pieces from left to right: Doll Coppelia JSK (Aatp), Biker Jacket Style OP (Meta), Irregular Tuck Skirt (Sheglit), Stripe Biker Style JSK (MR), Buckle Belt Jsk (IW), Ribbon Trim Skirt (MmM), Crown Salopette (Aatp).

Busujima Rio Mason // Crazy M

Basic wardrobe with military influences. Poisoned food details. Main pieces from left to right: Aya Set (Meta), Fantastic World Map OP (AP), Punkuma Camouflage Biker Jacket (Meta), Elegant Army Doll Skirt (AP), Name of Guardian Jsk with Hood (Meta), Alice Print II OP with Apron (BTSSB).

Amayado Rei // Mastermind

Queen themed closet with a lot of gold and red. Main pieces from left to right: Vampire Princess ~Forest Princess in the Solitary Old Castle~ OP (AATP), Victorian Maiden OP (VM), Girly Leopard OP (AP), Promenade Plantee Pearly JSK (BTSSB), Hocus-Pocus in the Rose Blooming Night Queen OP (BTSSB).

Arisugawa Dice // Dead or Alive

Chaotic wardrobe featuring playing cards and violin details. Main pieces from left to right: Antique Playing Cards OP (IW), King of Spades and Queen of Hearts Skirt amd Jacket (IW), Classical Coin Corset JSK (IW), Trump Applique Pleated Skirt (AP), Card Playing Kitty Mini Skirt (Meta), Cartes Et Squelettes JSK (JeJ), Violin Print Jacket (JM).

Kannonzaka Doppo // DOPPO

Mostly black and white wardrobe inspired by the life of a salary man, with old school and subtle cross details. Main pieces from left to right: Vocaloid x Metamorphose Set (Meta), Embroidery Tie OP (Meta), Pleated Wrap Skirt (BTSSB), Arietta Suit (BTSSB), Long Sleeve Carol OP (Atelier Boz), Houndstooth Double Pleated Skirt (BTSSB), Karen Cross OP (Atelier Boz).

[plasticpony4]

♡ My 2023 retrospective: egl version ♡ PART 1/9

I did the same thing last year, but I posted it to my private blog that nobody can read. This year I'm less scared of being posted to cgl, so I'm gonna try doing this.

January:

First thing first, my comm actually started existing at the end of the last year. Most members are new to the fashion, many are underage, and no one has a big budget. We actually grew quite a bit during this year, but we remain a small community of poorlitas who try to make do with what we have. At first, I wasn't very confident this comm would last and that people would try and get informed about the fashion, buy all the proper garments, make sure they're of good quality, and so on. I was used to being a lonelita and a solitary person in general, so I didn't really care that much if the comm lived or died, I could always wear my clothes by myself. But I can say now that I'm glad to have a community, because it makes it easier to stay involved in the fashion, and it's easier to get new stuff because we can always split the shipping fees, plus one member is a seamstress and we can have her alter our clothes or make new clothes and accessories at a really convenient price. I get along well with all of the other members, we don't have the never-ending amount of drama that is so common in other comms, and it's nice to see other people who share the same hobby and do our silly little activities together.

It's funny how I was still playing Shining Nikki at the time, it feels like a century has passed.

In January, I also started organizing my smaller accessories like this, and I'm very satisfied of how it's going. This set-up actually works!

I got this BPN velvet blazer from lace market♡ and I ordered the sax Milky Planet headbow. I actually have the yellow skirt that I got in 2011 from Closet Child in Japan, and I don't have the yellow headbow, but I thought the sax one would match more of my clothes. It was a mistake.

I went through a bunch of old paper stuff that I printed in like 2007 and things like cute tags and flyers, and these were some of the lolita-related ones:

I still love that pink coord, I want it so bad...

Then I received my first ever Closet Child website order, and it was mostly non-lolita stuff, but there were some exceptions.

This Beauty & the Beast Axes Femme blouse is made of polyester and quite simple, but I think it could work for some more casual coords, and this Milk cardigan is technically not lolita, but I love it and it's perfectly fine to wear in a lolita coord.

And then I got the Toy Parade skirt by Innocent World in brown, that I love, but haven't worn yet because it's too small, and the Tea Cup Print Sleeveless OP by Emily Temple Cute that I did wear in a casual outfit, but it wasn't a lolita coord. I am planning to wear it for our comm's next meet though.

I also got these ivory Axes Femme wristcuffs (they were cheap and they're nice!), the Innocent World Karenina JSK (I love it, I wore it quite a bit this summer), and the Alice and the Pirates Rosary Princess Corset skirt (gorgeous, but I wish it wasn't so tight, and I wish the bustle in the back was black instead of white).

And I finally finished acquiring all the volumes of Innocent by Shinichi Sakamoto. Look how beautiful the details of these rococo clothes are!

February:

I placed my first taobao order! I didn't do it by myself though, it was a big order with a lot of italian lolitas from all over the country. This is what I got:

I wanted to get more wristcuffs, but the ones I liked were sold out.

[END OF PART 1/9]