#lolita fashion fancier

[nuzzle]

[yuri-is-online]

Yo hear me out. Rococo lolita

(Sorry, pictures are blurred to shit)

YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm still a lolita newb but I think these could classify as Hime Lolita? Or Princess style looks... Both of these dresses are so pretty (╥ ᴗ ╥) ty for sending them

[sweetlikehoneystingslikeabee]

Hi! Is it okay to request different Penguins (or only Arkham, if you don't write for all!) with a female reader who dresses in classic Lolita fashion? If you aren't familiar with the style, it refers to people who wear doll-like dresses, accessories and cutesy makeup! She also behaves in a very "dainty" way and is kind of shy, so I guess you could say she has soft mannerisms/personality! Thank you! <3

"Soft Fashion" Penguin Party x Reader

eyyyyy I don't get to write a ton of Penguin parties! Always exciting. Believe me, I'm rather familiar with the lolita style. It's not something I could wear or pull off, but I love looking at the different dresses and styles. I tend to like gothic styles or dresses with richer tones like you see in classic.

TW: some unhealthy/villanous relationship dynamics, doll play if you squint at 2022

Gotham

At first, he confuses the soft personality for someone to be manipulated and controlled. Another pawn to be used in his grandiose plans for King of Gotham. Then he fell for you. It should have been so easy not to but... What originally started as plots for how to use you swiftly became annoyance at the idea of other people trying to use you. It's so annoying! He supposes he'll have to look after you forever now.

Honestly? The fashion itself makes him feel masculine in a positive, non-toxic way. He's rather used to people looking at him or thinking of him as effeminate because of his smaller stature and method of dress- Not that effeminate is bad, not at all. Yet, it's frustrating when your gender identity is distinctly male.

So dating a woman who dresses in a highly feminine style gives him a reason to flash his peacock feathers, so to speak. In some ways, it encourages him to get flashier with his outfits. Why not? The two of you together, a complimentary pair...

And you two will have matching elements when you go out. Whether it's small color coordination, or the same fabric was used for your dress and his handkerchief- It's a subtle way of telling others to back off.

Would be willing to try the Ouji fashion for you. A prince to your princess. He'd look fucking good in it, too.

BTAS

Obviously, you are a woman of status. This put him on guard at first, given his past run-ins with women like that using him for gag amongst her peers. He thought of how he should dupe you first before you could dupe him! Then he saw some cad harassing you for your purse and your genuine gentle nature- Bother.

His assumption was that you must be a lady of some kind to be dressing up like that. Perhaps the last of your true kind here in Gotham. You were everything a Lady should be- impeccably dressed, polite and well-mannered. Of course, some of that could be his own bias painting a perfect portrait of you. He wasn't wrong, in a way. Money and familial status does not necessarily a Lady make.

He has opinions about his favorite style of dresses and he has 0 shame sharing them. Mind you, he won't stop you from wearing things he "disapproves" of, he's not some moronic numbskull who feels entitled to your body and the clothes on it. Yet you might notice he tends to like fancier dresses with longer skirts, to the knee and below. Oh! and the ones with matching gloves, oh, those are lovely. He can't wear gloves himself due to his... condition. He loves seeing them on your delicate fingers.

There are moments you might need to pep him up as he stands next to you. He's aware that no matter how well he dresses there are still "flaws" in his appearance. Then he'll tell you what a lovely creature you are, inside and out!

Burton

Oh boy. Look. You need to know it now, but this man is not soft, nor is he anything related or parallel to dainty. He's crass, he's short and he's rather grungy. But holy fuck all, he likes looking at you.

The big problem is the pawing. He already has a handsy problem when being with anybody because the man craves social and physical intimacy after being denied it for so, so terribly long... Seeing you all dressed up is kind of like finally getting your mitts on the porcelain plate that was in the cabinet for all those years. The ones you got punished if you ever touched them. So now you kind of want to just smash it against a wall and-

No, wait. That metaphor went a little too far. What he means to say is, he wants to see the dress come off. With his teeth, but you seem like you wouldn't like that. Yeah, he figured you wouldn't like that.

It takes so much self control for him not to be a little freak around you but the fact that he does says so much. He'll crack an awful, nasty little joke, expecting to see color rise to your cheeks. Dancing along that line of too much and just enough. Anybody else fucks with you in that way, though, and he'll break their hands.

The two of you are an odd pair. Yet there's no doubt there's plenty of love to go around.

Arkham games

He's so about showing off his partner in nice things as a status symbol and lolita dresses cost a fuck-ton so he's already into it. He actually doesn't need an explanation because unlike some others on this list, he's been to Japan and the harajuku shopping district in his prime crime days. Y'know. Before his wings got clipped (banned entry into the country).

It's about the image. The status. When you're decked out in warm winter lolita fashion to accompany him to his Iceberg Lounge, it just says something to other people. You're his most special companion who gets everything you desire. And you earn it by just being you!

And... you know. Following his rules. Shy, dainty, and soft. You're like the prim and proper ladies at the boarding school he was shipped off to as a lad. To be treasured by some. In his line of work- to be fleeced.

Oh, not to worry, lamb. You do everything he says, and no one will be able to touch you. You keep to his hours, to his place- He's been a bit of a collector for a long time, love. Think of it like an elegant birdcage to keep you away from the filthy vermin that want to sully your wings.

That and don't comment about his eating habits. Follow all that and he'll get you whatever you want. You can be the adorable puffin to his penguin!

Batman 2022

He does not get it at first. Ain't lolita that book about the creepy guy who adopted the teenager he wanted to sleep with? oh. They made a fashion out of it? Why? That seems like a whole mess of implications, ya know? Sure, people dress up in Gotham in all kinds of weird shit these days, he just wants to know why this one.

Once you get into it, that it's only tangentially related, it's fashion, most importantly you like it- He'll tell you you're a cute little doll. His cute little doll.

It is funny given the kind of club he runs. Scantily clad men and women for entertainment about and yet you're... Very fully dressed, for the most part. If you ever wanted to get a little more risque, he wouldn't mind. A shorter gown, a peek at those thighs above the stocking... He could get into that.

Speaking of dolls, he wouldn't mind dressing you up. Or at least picking out those outfits. He's got a good sense for a suit, he'd figure out what dresses and accessories look best on you for an occasion. Gives him a fun sense of control and power play he enjoys. Rolling your stockings onto you, rolling them back down. Kissing your knees and calf. You got him kneelin' for you, sweetheart. Ain't you just a pretty picture looking at him like that?

He's going to teach you how to use a gun. Something tiny you can fit in your bag. He plans on being there if anything should happen, but pretending you're completely safe in his hands given everything is uh. Foolish, in his opinion. At minimum, you're getting a fancy taser. You can make it cute if you want. You're much too nice to not know how to defend yourself if you got in a bad situation!

[demonslayedher]

This is a bit of a throw-away idea, but I can't chase it away. But I also cannot produce my vision. This vision fits no where. Anyway. The vision is goth Butterfly Girls.

Was doodling and I wound up doodling Kanao in an article of clothing I had envisioned her before when I rediscovered some old photos with a particular article of clothing I used to own (and which I must had given to my sisters at some point because I rediscovered it while visiting home and I was like, 'yeah, I still love this').

It's a short sleeve black hoodie with a subtle butterfly pattern and lots of nice details like lace all over the inside of the hood and on the outside of the pockets. Yes, it even had pockets!! It was such a good, good thrift store find. A nice elegant touch of goth, but totally casual! I loved it, and Kanao would look adorable in it. But what goths would the others be? Well, if Shinobu as we know her in the majority of canon, yes, she'd pull off a fancier lolita quite nicely, but nooooo, not in this AU-which-isn't-even-a-proper-AU. If it's openly angry Shinobu who has an older sister who already dresses like an elegant goth anyway, Shinobu's going to accessorize and wear pants with so many chains that she jingles. (Did I base her outfit completely on a friend's signature look? Yes, absolutely. Also, that is the friend responsible for my having gotten into KnY. She has good taste. I also rediscovered a photo from a time she dressed me up in her usual clothes and had me pose in her posture. It was very, very odd for both of us.) She wears boots with very, very thick soles. She had hide a lot of knives in those. But did Shinobu go through a more hardcore phase with daily black lipstick and very very heavy eye makeup? Yes. Kanae teased her a little and after that Shinobu made it worse for a while, but she later toned it back down to a look that's easier to do everyday. Shinobu is no poser, she is committed. She also listens to goth music like an angry teen should. Kanae is the one who started all this. She just pulls it off with grace and looks like she's not trying very hard. Her style is long and flowy. She does tea party fashion get-togethers and stuff.

The first time Aoi tried it, it was because Kanae lent her an outfit and took her along. She liked how people appreciated the desserts she made, and she started getting creative ideas for what sorts of accessories she could make. Next thing you know, Aoi is someone who works very, very hard on each outfit and is very committed to an ideal loli-goth shape. She gets a little stressed out if the petticoats aren't working the way she envisioned. Despite all this effort, she gets embarrassed and doesn't talk much when she's dolled up. It's hard for her to walk in the shoes.

And the little girls? Yes, they want in on this too. Kanae would rather they be more mature before committing to a fashion scene, so they keep things simple with black dresses and tights.

So you got three little Wednesday Addams, and all the boys at the hospital are kind of freaked out by them. Sumi, Naho, and Kiyo change nothing about their tastes and personalities, yet they have mastered goth. No, I will not elaborate anymore than this. No, I will never have the patience to draw the sorts of elegant goth looks I love. No, you don't get to be as cool as I was in that lacy black hoodie. (I don't either, because I don't have it anymore.)

[compassmili]

Gaia, for the send in a character asks?

I'll do both his Illegal Unovian version as well as his LCB version! I should maybe give his LCB version a different name so they don't get mixed up... Under cut for length purposes!

In both universes he's a high femme lesbian :]! Unlabeled gender wise. Her gender is being a lesbian. Stuff like corvidgender fit also.

Illegal Unovian:

Ship: Her girlfriend Ryne!!!!!! I can't even give another response, they're made for one another.

Friendship: Among the other IU characters (And aside from Ryne), she gets along the most with Johan. They fuck around together :] In terms of canon Pokémon characters, maybe she'd get along with Skyla? I'm sort of blanking on who exists in gen 5.

Hatred: SHE FUCKING HATES LEXI. GOD. THEY'RE AT EACH OTHERS THROATS 24/7. NEVER LET THEM AROUND EACH OTHER. Also Gaia has beef with her own Zoroark but it's not quite hatred.

Headcanon: Are they even headcanons if it's the sonas of another sys member... Anyways. Loves gothic lolita fashion if it wasn't obvious. Frequents cafes, especially fancier ones. Loves intricate desserts.

General opinion: He's in my head she's chill. But in all serious Gaia and Ryne might be my fave IU characters, especially since they're so fun to draw. Part of the reason I've been avoiding writing chapters for IU is just because I'm not as interested in the other characters...

LCB

Ship: I haven't decided how Ryne will exist in this world... Aside from that, the only ships I can imagine her in would be with Don or Dante. I'm curious as to what others might think, though!

Friendships: She doesn't allow herself to make friends in order to avoid getting hurt by/owe anything to anyone or anything, preferring to be solely self-reliant. But, she's friendly with Dante. She understands the struggle of memory loss, and feels semi-comfortable with them. Gaia probably chooses to sit next to them on the bus to feel safer.

Hatred: Really dislikes Sinclair and views him as weak. Also dislikes Rodya, viewing her as vain and too casual.

Headcanon: Her cell is almost always dark, and navigation is difficult. It's barren due to her memory loss, inhabited only by pages upon pages of her own writings, trying to piece her life together.

General opinion: I really like him as a Sinner! I think her story works well translated into LCB, and I love that she distorts in her Canto!

I don't have any finished art of his LCB design yet... Artists are tenebsolis and tapir respectively!

[lemme-just-oops]

Hey hey! what would the guide commitee would do and react when they find out that summoner is a fashion designer and wants to design outfits for them?

Like Lolita, Ouji, or runway fancy clothing ?

also do u take rigel

Alpheratz: He is not too picky when it comes to clothing, though if you want to make clothes for him, make sure to ask him what he likes though. He may be a little picky when it comes to the materials though. And for fashion, he actually likes to not stand out, keeping to things that are as plain as sand. So, please be not insulted when you rarely see him in the clothes you make him, but he will wear them on special occassions.

Arcturus: He would never outright ask you to make clothes for him, even when he really wants to. But he may want to talk about different styles with you! After all, he likes knitting all sorts of things and maybe you can help him make some new designs in his project, though he may not make things as brilliant as you do. He will often wear what you make him and keep it clean at all costs!

Pollux: He begs you to make clothes for him! He just gets way too excited about fashion and loves trying new outfits and styles, because they change with his moods. Sometimes he prefers suits, sometimes he looks like a lollipop dropped on a dirty carpet, but you would never get him out of a lolita kind of outfit. Especially if it is pastel. Pastel him up and he becomes a whole new person.

Sirius: Who cares about style, he asks you. He looks great in anything, and he dares you to prove him otherwise. But whatever you make, either he transforms into someone who would look good in that outfit, or he says that he feels extremely handsome in it. You cannot beat his ego. Strangely, on the days you give him the outfits, you find a lot of money. 10$ here, 20$ there, no one seems to be the owner. This happens, even when he paid you directly.

Spica: His tastes are expensive and he does not let you refuse any money he wants to pay. He values your time greatly and that is seen in the compensation he will give you. Carefully calculates the time you need and the materials he wants. He loves looking fancy and healthy, and his fashion must reflect it. This man would not shy away from trying to design his own outfits, but his artistic sketches will never be seen. NEVER. THEY ARE NOT ARTISTIC. THEY LOOK HOOD IN HIS HEAD BUT NOT ON PAPER. Would definitely commission you regularly.

Vega: Believe it or not, as much as he likes casual clothes, he wants to wear fancier and more outstanding clothes too. And he owns a few cheap versions, but always gets too embarrassed to wear them outside,so he changes. He will ask if he can watch you work sometimes, because observing small details unfold to become a design of uncanny effort seems to hypnotize him.

[sinkableruby]

Ougi 1-26

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

BECAUSE. THEY'RE THE BEST. IN EVERY WAY. CASE CLOSED (TOO MANY QUALITIES TO NAME.)

HARD TO SAY... I COULD JUST SAY EVERYTHING BUT I'LL PICK SOME. 1) THEY'RE REALLY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT MYSTERIES 2) HE BROKE NADEKO'S WINDOW 3) HE STOLE KOYOMI'S CAR?!??!?!?!??! 4) THEY'RE A LYING ASSHOLE WHO LIES (NOT REALLY A STRICT ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION BUT I GOT EXCITED OK NEXT QUESTION WAIT) 5) GWEH

THE SCHOOL. IF YOU KNOW YOU KNOW

DIS MENTIONED UMINEKO AND I THINK YEAH ACTUALLY. OUGI WOULD HAVE SO MUCH FUN TRYING TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY. OR HAVE FUN TORTURING BATTLER. OUGI WOULD HAVE FUN TELLING HIM ACTUALLY IT WAS MAGIC. OUGI WOULD ALSO BE A FUN WITCH. (i should stop using capslock i'm just excited and happy)

mother mother - ghosting...........................

balance.... balance balance balance balance reason balance

show them being spooky and weird. ougi must be weird and spooky at all times this is a requirement GOD i love ougi

misogyny, transphobia, homophobia (less this but still)

yes because i love them. i would have to get better at cleaning my room but i definitely could as long as i did that

obviously. i appreciate their tricks and i would go along with their lies and laugh at their jokes because i already do that. we would be so tricky and fun together

11.

12. loves hats and other hair accessories but just never gets the chance to wear them because COUGH always in the school COUGH (i say this bc of the amount of official arts giving them hair accessories n hats) 13. 🤭 14. hmmmm.... it's not quite right to just say "goth." ougi absolutely wears black (could even say another headcanon is that its their favorite color bc i mean. cmon) almost if not all of the time... if i'm going off official art, cute clothes, sometimes with frills. if i'm going off a whim headcanon, fancier, elegant stuff (like smth you might wear at a fancy party), maybe formal attire, or just plain black shirt and skirt/pants. if i'm going off both, lots of dresses, long or short. if i'm picking specific styles/genres of fashion, probably either casual, business casual, or evening wear. maybe some goth too actually, but not lolita and probably no eyeliner to go with it 15. hmm.................. i dont ship ougi so much. but tsubasa/ougi kismesis rivalry ship is real. 16. >:((((((( koyougi. setting aside that it would never happen bc they dont see each other like that bc of who they are, it would put ougi in a really bad spot that i really dont want to see them in to the point where it physically pains me. koyougi can only exist and make sense by being mutually toxic and destructive and i'm fine with torturing koyomi but i refuse to subject ougi to that. 17. was gonna say this for 15 but then saw this. for a more traditional romantic ship, i think ougi/tsukihi is alright 18. well assuming this doesn't have to be romantic... koyomi, probably. she does so much for him and loves him so much. their dynamic is so unique and interesting and... intimate and special. and touching, too :) (and of course, fun and mischievous and all the good stuff) other than that... maybe nadeko? because of nademonogatari. and how nice he is to her 19. mmm don't think i have one of these? 20. TSUKIHI!!!!! TSUKIHI TSUKIHI TSUKIHI!!!! ive talked about this in another post but. they share similar situations and ougi had a heart-to-heart with her in ougi dark!!!! besides koyomi ougis opened up the most to tsukihi, and tsukihi genuinely respects ougi (ln)! ougi can unbalance tsukihi but the reverse is also true so they're on an equal footing. and tsukihi would help ougi out on whatever they needed, too bc tsukihi's just like that. they'd be really good friends i think nisioisin should scrap whatever his next novel idea is and write this instead 21. oh absolutely the gags. its soo fucking funny to think about how the hell ougi would take the piss out of something. i cannot count the number of times i've read my own fics and burst out laughing because god ougi is such a little shit and would totally do this. something i dont like........ second guessing myself on whether they would in fact, say that. alternatively, trying to figure out how to give them character development in a satisfying way because nisioisin forgor 22. there's no one thing because everyone other than me gets it wrong in an unforgivable way. HOWEVER, the thing i see people doing the most (or just remember the most) is making ougi Too intellectual. ougi isn't Not intellectual, but ougi is also not stuck up their own ass. this is the person who said "*blush*" out loud. ougi gets silly with it. ougi is a jokester and disrupts the balance and preserves the balance by disrupting it. if ougi is being too much of one thing, they will take notice and immediately shift gears to be the opposite. ougi is incredibly self aware. if ougi was ever using an average of 6 long and sophisticated words per sentence, they would cotton on and then make "Huh WHUHHHHH" their next sentence. 23. WHAT YOU CANT ASK ME THIS OK I KNOW WHAT IT IS NVM. its this (explanation in the link)

there's two to tie with this, or runnerups perhaps: this, which is just. fun and playful and lonely. a moonlit waltz, and ougi's leading him around wherever she wants. wonderful

and this vofan art! love these so very much. this one just feels like im in school and the sun is shining through the windows. which is what literally is in the picture but it feels like i'm there. ive always loved seeing the sun shine on things and it's no less beautiful here, especially when it's lighting up the euler's identity proof on the blackboard. the big ZERO scribbled a few times over is a nice touch too

(EDIT: WAIT I FORGOT)

THIS VOFAN ART IS ALSO SO SO SO GOOD! LOOK AT THEM!!!!!! IN THE MIDDLE LIKE THAT!!!!!!!!!! AND ALL SMILING AND ACTING ALL HUMBLE WITH THEIR FANCY LITTLE TUX THING. GOOD FOR THEM!!!!!! LOVE THAT FOR THEM LOVE THEM YEAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! 24. thought i didnt know this one, but actually... ena from. ena lol. it's the inscrutability + the gender + the formality 25. "wait who is this? did i skip a part by accident?? am i supposed to know who this is??? ive never seen this character as part of the lineup for mono girls. huh." then this became admiration and joy when she started doing interesting philosophizing and harassing of koyomi. not to mention the GENDER. and how entertaining they always were. without even realizing it i started rooting for them...... and now of course. they're the most important thing to me 26. "Are you really always right about Ougi?" hehehe...

YES. I AM ALWAYS RIGHT ABOUT OUGI!!!!!! *cackle* *cackle*

[theinternetisaweboflies]

Lolita Fashion Fanciers

[ellovett]

Greetings, KC, I have seen that Chiiro is a fan of lolita fashion. Is he, perhaps, involved in a local lolita community for meet-ups or does he prefer to wear it whenever by himself?

(I don't know why I ended up sounding a bit fancier but I am very curious as a long-time fan of the style and subculture.)

OOOO GREAT QUESTION ACTUALLY

chiiro doesnt go to any sort of meetups 😭 he's a hardcore recluse that refuses to step anywhere outside his own domain let alone his own dorm. He's afraid of the outside mostly, and is often extremely hostile/vile towards outsiders of any kind regardless of fashion sense, so he wears it by himself, his wardrobe mainly consists of Lolita fashion anyway gjrkfj

[miraculouscontent]

Gonna deal with all of the asks about the male bodysuits versus female bodysuits in one post:

Anonymous said:

To paraphrase a quote from Doctor Doofenshmirtz, "She's 13/14!"

The age of consent in France is 15, you storyboarding weirdos, and that still wouldn’t make it right.

Anonymous said:

the whole ‘skin tight body suit’ is practical is the sense that you can just draw the anatomy and color in without adding stuff but in that aspect it’s also cheap

Anonymous said:

I always thought the reason why every hero wears a skintight jumpsuit was so it'd be easier for them to be animated. Still doesn't explain all the closeups of Ladybug's ass.

Oh, I fully understand the need to keep things not... “flowy.” That’s why you won’t see me asking for more complex things like wings/capes and just talk about very basic armor/padding. I’ve made 3D models before so I understand that having a lot of physics going on can be a hassle, and thus I avoid designs like that unless I’m just having fun.

But yeah, definitely doesn’t explain the close-up shots.

Anonymous said:

I love the spider marinette design but yeah I didn’t really get why they went with such a basic design either but then again they made hawk moth a fashion designer has created Akumas like the bubbler.

Thanks! I’m glad people like my redesign! (well, more like “me just using Spider-man as a reference”)

And yeah, they really don’t keep in mind the characters personalities in most of the designs or names.

Anonymous said:

This is a really dark idea, but I'm just imagining whenever Marinette detransforms, she takes a few deep breaths because of how constricting her supersuit is.

Okay, so Alya is basically dead then.

Anonymous said:

I guess they didn’t want Natalie exposed like the other girls because I might make the weirdness of the skin tight bodysuits apparent.

Agreed. It’d be even more obvious on the body of an adult woman. Nathalie’s also another person who gets slimmed down in her transformed state soooo, yeah.

libralizard said:

Is it odd that (now that you’ve put them next to each other) I’ve only   just noticed that MisterBug had a waaaay better design than Ladybug? With the black accents to make the dotted red parts pop more - Just like you showed with your spider man comparaison. If they can give Adrien a good Ladybug herosuit, why can't Mari get that sort of treatment with hers?

The difference between Mister Bug and Lady Noire is insane, honestly. Mister Bug gets all that padding and the more complex Ladybug design while you can literally see where Lady Noire’s ribcage is and she just gets this all gray bodysuit with none of the cool stuff that Chat Noir had (like, I legitimately don’t understand what they were doing with her design).

Anonymous said:

I saw someone online say that they liked the simplicity of Ladybug's costume because they thought it sent the message of "I'm here to save Paris, I don't need a fancy costume." Ignoring the fact that she didn't expect the transformation in Origins, it's clear that person forgot that Marinette is a FASHION DESIGNER! By all means, she should have a fancier outfit than the one she's given. Maybe a frilly Lolita dress and a new hairstyle(this IS Magical girl after all)? But no, femininity is bad.

I could see the argument against a dress - not because of the “it’d be harder to work with” argument - but because of the physics issue I mentioned above (a few asks ago).

...I guess an argument could be made considering Mayura has one though.

They could have more feminine outfits and such if they really wanted, but instead they just do bodysuits that end up looking really generic.

Anonymous said:

Could you show us an edit of what the girls would look like with padding/the boys would look like without padding? I just want to see the difference for myself. ;) And yeah, the tight, sexualized outfits of the ladies always irritated me, it's why I like Mayura's the best, since it looks more individualistic and her dress makes her resemble a magical girl more than the others, who just look like generic comic book superheroes. The poses only make it worse, especially Ladybug and Rena Rouge.

I don’t think I would have the skills to edit/remove padding is the only thing. I’m also not great at design so I wouldn’t know where to put padding if it was there.

The other thing is that it isn’t just padding. In the post with the edited Ladybug using Spider-man as a reference. I point out that it’s not totally about the padding; it’s also the colors and where they’re used, as well as the complexity of the design (like, Chat Noir VS Lady Noire is both a padding issue and a complexity issue, not a color issue, among other things).

This basically means that adding padding doesn’t automatically solve the problem. It helps, but doesn’t solve the problem.

[cosplayinamerica]

Princess Daisy : pencils_and_pincushions // photo: that_fedora_photographer

I’m a Canadian cosplayer who has been cosplaying since 2007. I’ve had a love for Victorian fashion since I very young age (my little kid brain basically made the connection that Victorian dresses = women dressing like Disney princesses IRL), but the thing that kickstarted my desire to learn sewing was going to a fabric store with my mother when I was in my senior year of high school and seeing a Butterick pattern catalogue that had Victorian-inspired costumes. Almost instantly I had a lightbulb moment that if I learned to sew, I could actually wear those big fancy gowns I loved.   

I entered university and, over the next few years, spent my free time reading and learning everything I could about sewing. In 2007, my best friend invited me to Anime North - she was going as a gothic lolita-inspired version of the Queen of Hearts, so I decided I would make a Mad Hatter to accompany her.

I was so excited that I jumped in completely head-first, and it ended up being my first foray into both sewing and pattern drafting. In hindsight it was wildly ambitious for a first project (and I’m still a little surprised that I actually pulled it off!), but I’m so glad that my enthusiasm made me persevere and psh through the challenges, because I learned a ton from that experience and ended up with a cosplay I was thrilled with.

I remember seeing myself in the mirror the first time and being so happy when I realized I’d been able to bring something to life from my imagination. When my friend and I got to the con, things only got better from there - the atmosphere was so energetic and colourful thanks to all the amazing cosplays, and it was filled with so many fun, enthusiastic, and friendly people. From that day I was officially hooked on cosplay.

I’m part of the Toronto Steampunk Society and, each year at Fan Expo Canada, we hold an Annual Costume Challenge where we pick a theme and encourage people to make a costume based on the theme. A couple of years ago, the theme was ‘steampunk video game characters’ and one of my friends in the TSS, Modern Myths Cosplay, thought it would be cute to do Princess Peach and Princess Daisy.

I loved the idea and, after more discussion, we decided to do a steampunk twist on the Super Smash Bros Brawl version since it was fancier and seemed to lend itself well to a steampunk interpretation. Though Daisy isn’t officially in Brawl, my friend was fortunately able to dig up some fan edits of Peach in Daisy’s colours, so with that we were set.

I usually make my outfits myself, but since my friend and I wanted to ensure our cosplays matched, we decided to work collaboratively and divide things: I would create the bodices and accessories for both gowns, and she would create the skirts and crinolines.

I started off by drafting the base bodice patterns. Since I draft all my costumes, I used my existing bodice block/master patterns for myself and drafted a bodice block from scratch for my friend based on her measurements. One neat thing about working this way was that it basically turned into a girls’ weekend where I was able to teach my friend more about pattern drafting, which ended up making the process unexpectedly fun and memorable.

After I finished fitting my friend’s bodice block, I got to work drafting our bodice patterns based on the reference pics we had collected. Being able to tackle both bodices ended up working well since it enabled me to draft them in a way that made them visually match identical while taking our respective body shapes into account.

A couple of mockups and fittings later, we had an idea of how much fabric we needed, so we went fabric shopping. My friend suggested that we go with richer, more regal-looking tones instead of strictly game-accurate colours, so when we found a place selling gorgeous peau de soie and sparkle organza, I was instantly sold on a gold and burnt orange colour scheme.

We split the fabric based on our respective portions and worked on them separately. I cut and sewed the bodices, which was fairly straight forward but time-consuming! The part that sticks in my mind the most was the center front panel because it had so many pieces and layers - two types of satin, two types of organza (including one that had to be ruched to the base panel in multiple places), five rows of lace, interfacing...and that doesn’t even include the lining!

I also created our jewelry and crowns. The brooches and earrings were made from filigree settings that I painted, glued gems, and attached pin backs and earring hooks to, and the crowns are made from craft foam painted in gold acrylic, with embellishments assembled from painted filigree stampings and gems.

My friend created our cage skirts from 1/4 PEX pipe and brown grosgrain ribbon, which ended up being the perfect hoop skirt material since it was cheap, lightweight, and strong enough to support the huge, heavy skirts. She cut and sewed our skirts (including attaching meters and meters of trim that I’d painted white to better match the game colours) and she also made our bloomers.

The gowns were a huge undertaking and, thanks to work and general real life eating up time, we did end up engaging in the dreaded con crunch, but fortunately in the end we were able to get them to a state where they were pretty and wearable!

The response at the convention was absolutely amazing - I don’t think I’ve ever had a costume elicit the reactions that Princess Daisy did. We figured that, since we were cosplaying the princesses from Mario, there was a good chance we might be recognized, but the thing I wasn’t prepared for was how genuinely happy and excited people were, especially when they saw us together. We literally had kids waving at us from across the street when they spotted us.

Even grown-ups loved it - we were frequently stopped for pictures, and even a couple of the folks in the dealer’s room who were running booths would break into huge smiles and ask for pictures. Plus, people loved the steampunk twist and were delighted when they realized how much our costumes matched.

The best, most heartwarming response to my Princess Daisy cosplay happened when I met up with some other friends and one tapped me on the shoulder, pointed behind me and said, “I think she wants a picture with the princess.” I turned around and, standing a few feet away, was this adorable, super shy little black girl who was staring in my direction. My heart instantly melted and I went over to her and had a little chat and took a picture with her.

As a black cosplayer who has run several panels on BIPOC cosplay and spoken about the importance of diversity and representation in cosplay, being able to show that sweet little girl that someone who looks like her can be a princess - and showing kids of other races that Princess Daisy can be black - was a vivid reminder that representation does matter.

Since I got into the hobby, cosplay has been a big part of my life and has positively impacted me in so many ways. It has been an incredible creative outlet that has given me the chance to express myself, and it has allowed me to meet so many wonderful people - many of whom are now among my closest friends. However, I think one of the most rewarding things about cosplay has been how it has allowed me to provide BIPOC cosplay representation and visibility within my local cosplay community. I often do Afro-steampunk cosplay, and one of the most unexpectedly moving things I’ve experienced has been other BIPOC saying to me that seeing my outfits make them feel like they can cosplay.

It has been humbling and has motivated me to get more involved in the cons I attend. For the past several years I’ve run panels on diversity in cosplay/steampunk as well as sewing and cosplay construction, which has enabled me to share the knowledge and skills I’ve learned. I also lead the steampunk section of the Anime North Fashion Show, and I’ve made a point to recruit as diverse a roster of models as possible. I’m happy that we’ve been able to showcase steampunk looks inspired by various cultures including Chinese, Indian, and Morrocan.

Another plus is that the sewing skills I’ve learned from cosplay have come in handy in other areas of my life. It has been fun - and surprisingly empowering - to be at a point where I can use my sewing ability to create one-of-a-kind outfits for formal work events (like office holiday parties) that make me feel pretty and confident.

Something I’ve frequently mentioned during my BIPOC cosplay/steampunk panels is that the simple act of showing up to a con or event in cosplay can have an impact because you never know how much that visibility can inspire other BIPOC to get into the hobby, so my advice to anyone wanting to get into cosplay is to do it! Overall I have found it to be a fun, creative, energizing experience.

While I’ve been extremely fortunate to have had overwhelmingly positive experiences while cosplaying, I recognize that, unfortunately, BIPOC do sometimes face harassment and outright racist comments (especially online) that can make getting into the hobby seem scary. Finding welcoming, supportive spaces in person and online can be a big help (the POC Cosplay group on Facebook is great for this) - plus, thanks to things like #28DaysOfBlackCosplay, there is more visibility and inspiration out there than ever before.

The other thing I’d add is to treat each cosplay as a learning experience. Being able to work so closely with my friend on creating a cosplay was a completely different creation process than I’m used to, and it was really cool to be able to learn from each other’s different working styles and experience. It was great to teach her pattern drafting and see how happy she was to learn skills she could apply to future cosplays, and I was so excited when she showed me her PEX pipe hoop skirt method. Looking back on my Princess Daisy cosplay makes me smile because it’s almost like a physical representation of the fun we have cosplaying together.

[tamilkerr]

Lolita lovers

Wondering those busy hallways alone always unnerved Charlotte. Yet here she is  wondering with no sight of her friend, holding down her skirt while she walked around in circles. She was going from the stall that sold the melon soda to the one that sold the figures of pretty girls, and then back round again.

  It seemed that her friend had left the convention without her and she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes “I just want to lay on the floor and cry.” She murmured to herself, but she couldn't, her dress would get dirty.So Charlotte found a solitary corner, crouched down to the floor and started to take many shallow breaths. She did this to stop herself from getting too anxious. She was just about to break down when she heard it. 

 “Hi.” A very soft voice greeted her from above. 

Charlotte looked up to see a hand reaching for her. “Are you ok, you look upset” asked a very cute girl in a similar sort of dress to Charlotte, but this one was black instead of pink. 

“Oh I’m fine, I just..” Charlotte paused and took a deep breath. “I can’t find my friend.” She said.The girl with the black dress and hair to match, simply said “I will help you.” prompting Charlotte to finally take the hand the girl had offered. Soon Charlotte was on her feet. 

 The girls had walked most of the con floor enjoying each other's company and conversation “So you're a gothic lolita then?” Charlotte twiddles her thumbs together, “yes it’s only gothic for me, what about you, what's your style of lolita fashion?”.

 tucking her black hair behind her ear to listen to the answer “well I'm not sure yet, this is my first time wearing lolita” the blonde sounded unsure of herself.    

 Placing a gentle hand on her pink sleeve “well I would continue with the sweet style, it looks really good on you” she blushed at her words but before she could say thanks or give a compliment back.They had walked into the food and seating area and Charlotte’s very loud friend had spotted her “THERE you are!” a tall girl with fiery red hair stood by the small blonde, “I was looking for you everywhere, WHY didn't you tell me you were going to get food” her pink bow almost falling off her head.

 “Aw sorry, I got too ahead of myself” the redhead apologised, the goth girl fixed the blonde's bow and smiled sweetly then went on her way. “Ooo Charlotte, got yourself a girlfriend there” the tall girl teased and a huge blush grew on Charlotte’s face “NO! you just have it all wrong Willow, that gothic girl was helping me find you” wagging her finger in willow face to get the point across.

Much more teasing and walking later the con was at its end, Willow was attempting to join in on a dancing routine with other girls in lolita. While Charlotte was looking about frantically, searching for that kind frilly stranger from earlier “Oh I wanted to give this to her” muttering things to herself as she held a small voodoo doll with black button

eyes “Who’s that for, because it can’t be for you it isn’t pink” Willow gave a toothy smirk.

A little bit of red formed on her cheeks as she answered “It’s for that girl in black from earlier, I just wanted to thank her” Willow did give a small laugh “Nah you just liked her” and with that the taxi for them both had HONKED loudly. 

Backdrop set up and lights just right “Hello my lovely viewers, it’s me Carlottalita” the perky blonde announced “and I’m bringing you the latest in Lolita fashion news.” Charlotte continued the day making videos. As night fell she took her huge ponytail hair extensions out and lay down in bed, posting mindlessly to social media.

“WAKE UP! Charlotte, it’s me willow” a harsh banging on the door, made her shoot straight up in her frilly bed sheets and night dress. “oh COMING! let me find the keys” she had her hand digging around in a bowl filled with many cute keychains. As soon as it was unlocked the women burst through with bags filled to the brim with petticoats, “look at all this, Daisy got rid of everything” she thrust bags into the sleepy girls arms.

“REALLY daisy doo, she’s done with lolita?” Willow nodded at her questions “yup! She announced it with a video early this morning, so obviously I went to console her and maybe get some of her stuff” a very big grin on her lips. Charlotte was still shocked but boiled the kettle to make her and her friend a nice hot cup of tea, so Willow could spill the T.

“That’s not even the best part” Willow stood up after an hour of sitting and chatting “she gave me her tickets to that big con in Paris” Charlotte almost dropped her saucer with her tea cup on it. “Are you serious, France? we are going to France!” her voice went up an octave, she then threw herself at her friend who in return gave her a big bear hug “Yes my tiny friend, so plan out your most loveliest lolita dress yet!”.

That afternoon she was already online looking at bows and socks to match her very expensive dress “wow Lotte that costs the same as a  gaming pc” Willow’s eyes were almost popping out of her head looking at this web page “I know, but this con is really important and special”  twisting and twirling her blonde hair. 

The ginger pinched her cheeks and shook her face from side to side “ohh nah, you're just hoping that you’ll find a fellow lolita girl to fall in love with” Charlotte just swatted her hands away “oh stop it Willow” a big huff escaped her. “just because I fell for someone once, doesn't mean it’ll happen again” the blonde started to daze off thinking of the gothic beauty she had met at one of her first cons.

“she had the loveliest voice as well” unfortunately she had said her thoughts out loud which resulted in her friends endless teasing all through the night. Willow had already made herself comfortable in the pink frilly bed sheets.

Finally the time had arrived to take off “Ahh do you think we have enough bags yet Lotte?” Willow asked as she eyed up the two separate piles of luggage. One pile decorated pink with pandas and the other green with foxes “Haha I worry we don’t have enough” the blonde responded nervously.

After the two had arrived successfully to the airport in separate taxis, with still many hours to go until they got on the plane they messed about in the various shops after putting their luggage through the check in gate.

“Hey don’t I look like Elton John!” the loud mouthed girl bellowed across the shop while she wore novelty pink, sparkly booby glasses. “That is funny because he is in fact gay” Charlotte giggled and nodded as she approached her friend. Against better judgement Willow bought the glasses and wore them as they ate their burgers and fries.

Eventually, they landed in Paris, France after a longer than usual flight due to bad weather Charlotte found one of her bags to be missing. Almost on the verge of tears Charlotte tries her best to hide it from her friend but before they could leave the airport Willow, like a sniffer dog could sense there was something wrong. 

“You had four bags. Now there’s three” she growled. The fiery redhead slammed her hands down onto the help desk “My friend's bag has gone missing” the friend in question watched in horror as she stood alone with the two luggage carts. “Well ma'am luggage does get lost quite often.” She gave a well practiced smile which angered the ginger more “How could you lose it? It's covered in pandas!!!”

Finally leaving the airport the two girls grabbed a taxi heading towards their hotel room. Sitting in an awkward silence the whole journey until they finally got into their pajamas “Thanks Will for trying” giving a soft smile as she spoke.

“I still think we could have gotten it today” still frustrated she wrapped her arms around Charlotte in a supportive cuddle “It’s okay we filled out the form so we should hopefully hear back from them” she returned the cuddle squeezing tighter.

After a while they settled into their beds and put on some TV they couldn’t understand so just ended up chatting to each other “So Lotte what was in that bag anyway? It wasn’t that fancy dress you just got was it?”

seeing the panic in Willow’s eyes she quickly responded, “well it was just some petticoats and a couple of pairs of socks but, you remember that doll I bought for that girl” When she realized what her blonde friend was going on about she gave her a cheeky grin “oohhh I see, you’re hoping you’ll meet her again” giving Charlotte a wink.

Many people stared at Charlotte and Willow as they walked down the streets of Paris dressed in their usual lolita styles. Charlotte in her pastel coloured lace skirt and top with a bow to match, Willow contrasting in multiple shades of brown with the clockwork decoration plus a top hat to top it all off. 

“So how’d you sleep last night Lotti?” she asked her clearly sleepy friend as they sat down outside a cafe “fine! It wasn’t like I was worried about my bags or anything Will” responding in an overly sarcastic tone.

As their tea and assortment of pastries was brought to them the waitress could not help but focus on their garments “Um excuse me but why are you dressed like that?” She couldn’t help but ask as she set down the numerous plates.

“Well we are wearing lolita” Willow couldn’t help but interject. “It’s just an alternative fashion, the woman who had served just looked more confused and with an ‘Oh’ she just walked away continuing to do her job. So the two friends just spent their whole day sightseeing but unknown to them both that girl whom the blonde has been enamoured with was not far from where they have had tea. 

The dark haired girl stood in a room with many lights and cameras wearing a black dress a lot fancier than the one from before “Rio stop daydreaming and get over here” a woman in a very regal outfit commanded “Okay, coming Hina” the two posed in many positions and wore many clothes but Rio’s were always mostly black. 

“That's enough photos for today ladies” a man with very shiny hair and equally shiny blouse told the girls “Well it’s about time, come Rio we must go meet my new friend” linking arms with her gothic friend and guiding her to a very nice car outside. 

Once inside the vehicle a neutral blonde with gray eyes gave them a very wide smile “Bonjour, you’ll be coming to my house for dinner, I’ve got chef’s making it as we speak” she announced as she held her head high “Rio this is Aimee, Aimee this is Rio” Hina introduced them both to each other.

With that they went to Aimee's house and the whole time they were in her home Rio couldn’t help but feel a sense of uneasiness around this new person. 

They were all sitting in Aimee’s bedroom, she had her own small sofa and coffee table which had a beautiful tea set with a matching cake stand next to it “oh you simply must see my lovely collection of vintage polly pockets” Hina’s eyes lit up at those words but her fellow model didn’t really know what these polly things were. On this white wood shelf there were a lot of tiny little pastel coloured boxes that kind of looked like compact mirrors without any glass “Cool” was all Rio could muster. 

After some time Aimee left the room “Hina how well do you know her?” the goth asked, “Not very, I met her the last time I was here for a photoshoot” her friend said it so casually.

 Rio was a little shocked “What! You’ve only known her for a month? Why are we in her house?” grabbing her friend by the shoulders and shaking her a little “Calm down there’s nothing to worry about it’s very unlikely that she’s a serial killer or something” Hina laughed at her and messed her hair up. 

Their conversation was interrupted by the person in question with another big smile plastered across her face. She informed them that a car was waiting to take them to their hotel.

As the two japanese women entered through the door of the hotel, just across the street from them Charlotte and Willow went through the door of the much smaller hotel. 

Hina couldn’t help but tease her friend as she removed her black lipstick “So did you think Aimee was cute?” Rio looked confused by her question “Well I mean, you do have a thing for blondes” responding quickly to her confusion. “N-n-no I don’t” her cheeks clearly flushed bright red.

Frantically they tried to get ready as fast as they could while simultaneously being as cautious and deliberate as they can be, after layers of clothing such as petticoats and tights were finally on both of the girls were ready to put on their fanciest dresses yet for this convention.

“Will! How does this look on me? Was it worth the money?” Charlotte was frantic “Don’t worry Lotte it definitely looks real expensive and you look damn fine in it might I add” Willow thrusted her hips towards her friend in a joking manner,She was not so worried anymore, just really amused because of her friends' antics. 

hair and makeup all done the two of them went downstairs to the hotel's breakfast buffet as they had much time to spare, one wonders why they were rushing or even worried in the first place. 

While getting to the train was uneventful, being on the train the two overly dressed friends were met with many stares and whispering even a few rude words. 

“I had a few words in mind for those people” the fiery redhead snorted “If you just let me Charlotte” she said through gritted teeth “It’s just best to let people be rude and ignore them Willow” putting her hand gently on her friends shoulder in a sort of soothing manner “Be the bigger person” another hand placed on the other shoulder and softly shaking back and forth to get her point across “NEVER!” she grabbed the blondes cheeks in response.

The line outside of the convention hall was chock a block, you have not seen so much ruffles and lace in one place in your whole life, although there was much pastel to be seen there was plenty of goths with their darkness. 

Rio was with Hina, both were staring out of an open window at the crowd below “wow there are a lot more fellow lollita’s this time around” her friend had to agree “It seems that the online shops have really brought more people in” the two of them were dressed head to toe in very fancy attire, Hina looked like pure royalty with her mostly cream and gold dress whereas her fellow model resembled more vampire royalty with her black and purple outfit. 

Our two British besties stood amongst the crowd somewhere in the middle of the line “OMG it’s Carlottalita and The Maiden of the Cog” a young and very hyperactive girl squealed, with her came a group of more squealing ladies. 

“Hi everyone so nice to see you all here!” waving her two hands in the air while her yellow pigtails bounced frantically “What’s up my fellow shipmates” outstretching her arms in the same direction, waving them about to greet the group. “But you’re not a pirate this time” one of the little fangirls told Willow “Yes but I’m in steampunk so I can still have an airship” crouching down with her hands in a diamond shape to emphasize her point.

As the crazy antics went on in the que, the staff were preparing to open up the doors to let everybody into the convention hall. Aimee was standing atop a staircase watching the doors like a hawk “Miss Lamar, we are preparing to let everybody in, you should probably go join the models from in the conference room” she agreed and followed the staff member to the room in question. 

A large hall was lined with stalls that featured a selection of many different J-fashions but mostly that of the lollita variety not to mention plenty of plush toys and much cute art being sold. Although too much pink and purple kind of took over the place, a good helping of black other darker colours were dotted around the place. 

Not long after getting through the doors the ‘Cog Maiden’ dragged her fellow internet personality to the toilet to freshen up, re-applying their lipstick and fixing their lashes made them ready to face the crowds once again.

Suddenly, the door burst open and a very tall woman was dragging someone in with her 

“Come on, don’t worry I’ll get it fixed and I’ll stitch it back up” she reassured the crying girl, pulling a very ornate sewing kit from her equally beautiful handbag. They couldn’t help but watch as she fixed the large rip in the side of the other girls skirt, even adding a few buttons along the way for decoration. Looking at the repair she cried even more “OMG thank you so much waa” she couldn’t keep herself from hugging the tall lady very tightly “No problem” patting her softly on the head.

The newly happy girl ran out of the toilet to leave her tall friend behind “You did a real good job on that repair there” Charlotte couldn’t help but say and Willow behind her gave a big thumbs up and a grin. 

“Why thank you I do never go anywhere without my trusty sewing kit” she tucked said kit back into her decently sized bag. The three of them couldn’t help but gossip and walk around the main hall together, their new friend got along with Willow especially “So my name’s Zoey but most know me as Meime online” explaining as they all sat and had tea and coffee with each other. 

They were already discussing the online lollita community, Charlotte and Willow just got done explaining their online personas “Ah yes now that you mention it, I do remember you two from a daisy doo video” her eyes lit up with the realization that she had seen these two before.

The two Brits side eyed each other “Well I’ve some bad news for you, she’s quit!” Willow was the one to break the news as Charlotte couldn’t bring herself to do it. Zoey looked visibly upset but was quickly comforted by her new friends telling her of all the pretty frocks that they got from the retired internet personality “I think some might even fit you Zo” the bouncy blonde informed. 

The trio were already making plans for their new American friend to come visit the other two in the UK. As this was all going on Aimee was sitting behind the stage where all the lollita fashion models were doing a panel to an audience of mostly bonnet wearers. Hina was just finishing up answering questions from the crowd when it was Rio’s shot to talk, she mostly discussed the many creepy and spooky patterns that she has gotten to wear over the years.

“That's all from Elizabethy, does anybody have any questions?” immediately all of the ladies in black frantically gathered to ask their many burning questions “Aliceness how long have you and Elizabathy known each other?” another model asked Hina “coming up five years now” with that response she went back to watching Rio muddle her way through the question people asked her.

As they all left the conference hall, the wealthy French girl linked her arms with the Asian girl she had become acquainted with “I know of a wonderful place we should go for dinner after the con, my treat” Rio couldn’t help but cringe at her sickly sweet tone of voice, thankfully she did not see her facial expression.

“I absolutely love that idea” the other girl responded much more positively and with that the goth’s fate was sealed. Meanwhile, Zoey was preparing herself to leave with the two mildly ‘famous’ lollita girls “So how far is your hotel from here” satisfied by the answer they gave she texted her sister letting her know she would be spending the night with others. 

A fully decked out restaurant with pristine white walls and the fanciest of chandeliers, although they weren’t poor none of them were quite used to this level of wealth except for Aimee of course. They sat down on very well cushioned dining chairs and the tables were as highly decorated as the walls around them, with at least five different very fancy forks, a couple of knives and a few spoons.

“Oh wow these plates look so regal” of course Hina was mesmerized by this place, Rio couldn’t help but think but she's always been a bit more cynical with people than her dear friend “Oh you must really try the desserts from this place they are fantastic” when they had all finished their meal, they got to try out these desserts for themself. Rio couldn’t help but love her white chocolate and lime cheesecake, looking over Hina was already nearly finished with her strawberry tart with cream and of course the French girl had French macaroons in many pretty pastel colours. 

Eventually getting in after the train was delayed for about half an hour they de-petticoated as soon as they got in “So this is our humble abode Zoey” willow mockingly fanned out her arms to show off the whole room. Charlotte rolled her eyes, took her pigtails out and laid them down on her night stand. All of them couldn’t wait to get their makeup off and watch some internet videos, the conversation went from what they were watching to about Zoey’s personal life.

It mostly focused on her skills as a seamstress but the subject of her sister came up and her eyes seemed to sparkle with pride when discussing her sibling “Yeah my big sister’s so awe inspiring, she’s a photographer” the other two girls were drawn in by Zoey’s clear enthusiasm “that’s why I’ve been here for a week already because of her job” with that Willow couldn’t help but launch into questions about her sister’s photoshoot she was doing and Charlotte quickly followed suit with the interrogation. 

Sleep overcame them all and they continued their discussions the morning “Oh so what are the names of the models” The American looked a bit apprehensive about answering this question but they both promised her that they wouldn’t discuss it outside of this room “Okay there’s Aliceness, she mostly does hime style and Elizabethy is pretty much all gothic” when Charlotte heard the word gothic she perked up a little bit followed by Willow’s teasing. 

None of them really had time to search up the two lollita fashion girls as they wanted to make the breakfast buffet but it was still really cool to them that Zoey’s family member was involved with fashion photography and not to mention their favourite kind. Unbeknown to them across the street the two girls in question were having their own breakfast but they had room service and were preparing themselves for the day ahead which had them on shoot all day in the studio (around the city as well). 

As soon as Zoey found out about the shoot today she was able to convince her sister to let her friends come along. Charlotte promised to help out as they had studied photography in college, Willow wasn’t so quick to offer assistance “But Lotte it’s our holiday” she whinged but reluctantly agreed. The excitement was palpable although they would have to work hard helping out with lighting and such, the prospex of seeing and meeting Japanese models who exclusively wear their favourite fashion was too much Charlotte almost cried. 

The photographer was already hard at work before her beloved little sister came through the door “Emily! It’s me Zo, I’ve brought reinforcements” she yelled with a slight sing song tone. Emily wasted no time in briefing the girls on what she wanted them to do, it was mostly lighting related but they also offered a great deal of help with different backdrops

 “So what time are the models getting here sis?” she couldn’t help but ask as she set down everyone's cup of tea. Emily gave her phone a cursory glance “They should be here soon but the traffic here can always be a bit of a mess” so they sat and gabbed but the mature woman felt out of place with these youngsters but enjoyed their company anyway. 

Everyone’s attention was diverted to Hina and Rio entering the studio, Charlotte’s mouth was agasp; it was her! Their eyes met each other and for a good solid minute they just stared. 

Remembering that she had seen this cute blonde from a convention Rio was surprised that she was here but Charlotte was blushing profusely at the prospex of seeing gorgeous goth again and possibly getting to know her. “This is Hina Satō she does Hime style and Rio Itō is the gothic one” Emily informed “I hope you don’t mind but my sister and her new friends wanted to help out” She explained to the models who assured her it was fine with them and were thrilled when they found out that they too were into lolita fashion.

Although the two of them worked hard on their specific tasks, one posing and showing off clothes the other adjusting lighting and sorting props they couldn’t help but be a bit distracted by their subtle attraction to each other. Everyone was preparing to take the photoshoot outside around different locations in the city, all were very happy to get out of the very hot studio and into the fresh air. 

They did visit many lovely, lush parks but some dingy and dark locations were not out of the question either. One such place was an alleyway that was situated between two very similar looking  bakeries with plenty of seating out front (this is Paris after all) “Okay you two go set up over there, Stand here models, and you hold that reflector” Emily was being very commanding but they all knew to trust her judgement Charlotte was the one holding the reflector and she stood at the entrance of the alleyway, she admired how photogenic Rio was and got lost in thought about her this is how she became unaware of her surroundings.

Suddenly, she felt herself hit the concrete and a weight on top of her. 

It was Rio! “WHY were you just standing there not paying attention” she was frantic but the ditsy blonde didn’t know. What she had failed to realize was while her head was in the clouds someone on a moped was about to knock her down, luckily for her Rio’s sharp eye had noticed her absent mindedness and seen the driver in plenty of time to get her out of the way.

Charlotte upon realizing their position blushed, they both quickly stood up to get out of this awkward situation “Lotte what you doing you twit, almost getting run over”  the redhead was truly fiery now, luckily for the driver he had already apologized and left on his moped otherwise he might incurred the wrath of Willow (even though it was her friends own fault for standing on the road).

The absent minded girl couldn’t help but feel embarrassed about her idiocy however she was very grateful for the dark haired girls intervention. It made her feelings deepen. “Thank you Rio and I’m so sorry to everyone for causing trouble” The whole group was a little bit shook by what happened so all decided it was best to head back.

Not long after they had finally gotten a chance to sit down and enjoy some cups of tea and coffee (maybe some hot chocolate) a fancy looking and very clearly french girl came through the door. Hina's eyes lit up, she went over to her but Rio just sighed and face palmed herself. “I have made more plans for us” she cackled while clapping, of course Hina was overjoyed while her friend was less than amused. The rest of the group didn’t really get much acknowledgement from this girl named Aimee before she left with the two Asians.

Charlotte looked defeated, obviously upset by Rio’s departure. 

The photographer had gone off to tidy up, her sister and the redhead had recognised their friends clear sadness and asked about it. Willow was flabbergasted “You mean to tell me one of those models was that girl you’ve been thirsting after since that con!” she was damn near dancing at this point, Zoey was very amused by this whole thing “Aww it’s like something out of one of those rom-coms” quickly the two were hatching some crazy plans to get these girls together and in this moment Charlotte knew she had messed up. 

After they had all helped clean up the studio Emily wanted to take them all out for some drinks and a meal (nothing like Aimee’s fancy meals) The blonde was thoroughly embarrassed by the other two telling Emily about her crush on the model, “Come on Will and Zo there’s no need for this”. although she’d like to think of herself as the more mature one she couldn’t help but get roped into the other girls romance schemes. 

Waking up a little bit hungover from the night before however, they had only had a few drinks and a meal (they’re probably light weights) When Zoey’s sister called to make sure she was okay she poked fun at their ability to hold their alcohol. lounging about most of the morning till a call came about the bags with the pandas on it “Finally it took them long enough!” Willow obviously got all worked up about it but quickly calmed down after they said it would be delivered to the hotel later.

Delighted at the fact that she would finally be able to give Rio her gift, the two ‘cupids’ were thrilled by this development and were planning to use this (as they are now very much invested in seeing this possible couple come to be) they rested their elbows on her shoulders “well you have to give it to her lotte” they both cooed at her like a pigeon.

Now she couldn’t help but feel a bundle of nerves in the pit of her stomach at the thought of an audience “please don't embarrass me more than I'm going to embarrass myself” Charlotte pleaded. 

Rio lazed about in her hotel room with sweats and hair in a messy bun, whereas Hina was meticulously plucking her eyebrows “I just don’t see what the problem is, she seems perfectly nice to me” was her response to their argument about Aimee “Well I’m glad you like her but I’m not that fond of her” folding her arms in defiance and Hina just shrugged her shoulders, she was filing her nails now.  

Hina suggested they go get some fresh air outside their hotel and raved about a little coffee shop across the street next to the other hotel. As they made their way to the other side of the street they spotted the girls from yesterday that were helping the American photographer, Rio went over to say hi (as she would like some other company that wasn’t some fancy french girl) 

It amused them all to find out that the hotels where they were staying were across from each other. A small delivery van stopped, out came a driver who brought over a suitcase covered in pandas and asked for a Miss ‘Charlotte Rose White’ once it was handed over he was gone. 

Charlotte’s face was flushed, Rio just stood there confused as she watched her shaking hands reach into the bag and pull out a very spooky looking doll. 

Handing over the small gift “I wanted to give this to you at that convention as a thank you...for being so kind” Some parts of what Charlotte just said were too quiet to hear but Rio got what she meant anyway. She did have to admit it warmed her little black heart to know that a small interaction on her part made someone's day (it did help  that she found the girl in question very cute). 

Giving as much of a smile as she could muster “Thanks, she’s my child now” grasping the dolly close to her chest. Although Willow and Zoey were well aware of what was going on, Hina was left out of the loop “when did you two get soo friendly?” placing her arm around Rio’s shoulder and raising an eyebrow. 

Quickly being brought up to speed and flashing a cheeky grin to her friend “Ooh I see well that's nice” she spoke with a teasing tone, the five of them sat in the coffee shop together of course they mostly spoke about clothes and their online pseudonyms. When Charlotte and Rio both needed to go to the loo neither really talked to each other although they did exchange some soft glances and sweet smiles. 

Unbeknown to them that left the two schemers to their own devices and they quickly roped Hina into their plans “So we need to get these two on a date with each other” Some would say they’re a bit too enthusiastic about getting their pals together.

 Both were washing their hands but before they could go back and join their friends, Rio reached out her hand toward Charlotte's face, she closed her eyes “There you go, your little bunny clip was falling” speaking very softly. Opening her bright blue eyes to stare straight into those deep brown ones “thanks, you're too sweet Rio” pink still lay on her cheeks. Giggling a little at her  “your one to talk about sweetness Charlotte, I have the doll to prove it” giving a little wink, when they made it back to the table their friends were giving them a strange look (as if they were planning something).

Hina was the first to speak up “So Rio didn’t you say you wanted to go to Louvre Museum?” she had such a smug look on her face that her bestie was suspicious immediately “Yeah but you said that we didn’t have time for that” She retorted raising an eyebrow . Agreeing but quickly explaining that now they had some new pals who would probably like to go with her “Oh well it definitely won't be me I failed history so I’d just be lost” Willow was the first to back out “Ahh it can’t be me either I’ve already gone with Emily” Zoey just shrugged and smiled.

“Guess that leaves Charlotte then” hina said it in such a condescending way that it made Rio almost want to slap her, whereas the blonde just looked dumbfounded by this sudden request “I suppose I don’t mind museums my favourite part is always the art” her voice noticeably went up an octave when talking about the pretty art. 

Still annoyed by besties meddling Rio couldn’t help but be somewhat happy that Charlotte would want to go with her “Cool I guess we’ll go there tomorrow then” the masterminds were bursting with joy at the two future ‘lovers’.

Worry consumed Charlotte, she hadn’t gone on many dates as it isn't easy to approach women and talk to them (and don't get her started on dating apps). So to say she was inexperienced was an understatement, focusing on things like how should she wear her hair was all she could do to lessen the stress of it all. 

Rio didn’t have much more experience but was just a lot more chill about the whole thing, her friends had often told her she was like a robot with how nothing seemed to phase her. Making a good impression still sat in her mind though, deciding to wear something a bit more colourful than usual (although still very dark) to match pink a bit more.

Staring out the windows of their respective rooms were the masterminds of this whole date, looking down at their two friends meeting each other, chatting a little and walking away from the hotels. Everyone was itching to see how it might go but they knew that following them there to spy was more than a bad idea. 

The walk and subsequent train ride was unbelievably awkward but each other's company was enjoyable nonetheless. Most of what they talked about at first was Rio and her work , unlike other models she didn’t travel too much as Lolita was a fashion subculture mostly localized to Asia. Charlotte was just captivated by it all feeling like she had learned so much more although her date didn’t want to be the only one who chatted, when pressed on her career choice the blonde was hesitant to share because many have scoffed at her  ‘so called job’ as they would put it. 

Far from ridicule she got a positive response when explaining that she made videos about all sorts of things she likes mostly the clothing they both loved so much,  Promising to show some when they eventfully sat down for tea or coffee. Rio took her up on that offer and also promised to share her photo portfolio of some of her best modeling work, the dialogue between them slowed down somewhat as they relished in the egyption section especially our goth girl.

Charlotte’s favourite part was still to come, all that beautiful art with the golden frames she was practically drooling. They both knew that seeing the whole Louvre in a few hours would be very difficult so just focused on enjoying what they could, roaming through the gift shops Rio spied a tiny white vase adorned with pink flowers. Looking at her small gifted doll and back at the vase, she bought it.

Of course the British girl was distracted with the many lovely postcards to notice her date's stealthy purchase, both were finally relieved to sit down as their feet had gotten quite sore. as the two lovely ladies were sharing their many photos and videos with each other a certain ‘la dam’ had spotted them.  

Just as Rio was planning to give her date the little vase Aimee had to stick her nose in and join in the conversation (she took a spare chair at the table). “Hiya Rio, it’s so cool to see you here, where’s Hina?” Looking around until her gaze focused on the blonde her “Oh hello and whom

might you be?” Aimee gave a wide grin that Charlotte found unbelievably uncomfortable. 

Holding in a sigh “This is my date”  she put so bluntly to Aimee and “My name’s Charlotte it’s nice to meet you” cutting in to make this whole interaction less awkward or trying at least. She gave her the cold shoulder and grabbed a chair to sit down next to Rio, preventing the girls on said date from looking at one another. 

Almost pulling her black hair out in frustration at Aimee’s rudeness but Rio didn’t say a word (it would be more hassle to chastise her and cause issues between her and Hina), sitting there and just watching this random French lady completely ignoring her existence.

 Barely an hour had passed before the ‘lovely‘ lady had gotten a phone call and was on her way, leaving them alone at last to bask in each other’s company. 

“I am so sorry, she’s Hina’s friend and unfortunately has spent a lot of time with her” Huffing loudly after finishing speaking. Charlotte couldn’t stop herself from laughing (probably from being too nervous about the whole thing), Rio did join in and they just giggled about the whole thing and made lots of jokes about it on the journey back to their hotels. 

The date had gotten to the point of the goodbyes as they stood where they had met hours earlier,. if this hadn’t been their first date they probably would have kissed at this point but at last it was, so they just gave each other a gentle hug.

“Oh lotte, here I saw this in the gift shop” handing the little vase over to the blonde who’s month was in an O shape and thanked her sweetly for said tiny gift “No problem, after all you did get me my daughter” holding the small doll in her hand and winking.

Charlotte's face was quickly becoming her favourite colour, pink. 

As they both got to the front entrance of their respective hotels they looked back at each other and smiled while also waving goodbye. 

While all this was going on the ones who had set this whole arrangement up were watching intently and fawned over the fact they had cuddled. 

[lolita-tips]

Ask a Lolita: Lolita Fashion in Summer Weather

Lolita is a fashion that is known for its layers. Blouses, bloomers, fluffy petticoats, wigs, layer after layer of frilly decadence. But these layers of adornment can cause problems in the summer months when temperatures rise and heavy covering is undesirable. So what can a lolita do to keep from overheating in the summer? Is it even a good idea to wear lolita in the heat? Which layers can be sacrificed for the sake of comfort?

There are a lot of things to take into consideration if you want to make lolita more appropriate to wear in warm weather. The most obvious step to take is taking away some layers. You don’t have to wear a blouse and JSK, instead you can eliminate the extra fabric by wearing an OP or a blouse with a skirt so you don’t have the overlapping of materials over your torso. Alternatively, you may consider wearing a JSK without a blouse but this is a concept that is often debated among lolitas. Many say that it doesn’t look refined enough to be a suitable option for lolita, that it looks too plain and unfinished. These claims do have some truth to them. Most lolita brands will make JSKs specifically to be worn over a blouse to complete the look and therefore they may look odd worn on their own. However, some brands make JSKs that have a more finished look on their own that can be worn without a blouse. When looking for a JSK that will wear well without a blouse, pay attention to the neckline and the style of the straps. JSKs that have just a straight neckline and plain straps tend to look very plain and unfinished without a blouse. Instead, look for things with fancier necklines, maybe something with ruffles or lace on the straps that lays over the shoulders, a halter style, or even something more elaborate like a sailor style collar or a collar that extends toward the shoulders.

It is also important to keep fabric in mind. Many lolita brands use polyester to make their dresses which is not necessarily a bad thing as there are varying qualities of polyester and big brands tend to use higher quality materials in general, but it can cause problems when it comes to warm weather because polyester holds heat. Cotton tends to be a better alternative to polyester on those especially hot days, but even better than cotton is lightweight, flowing fabric such as chiffon and organza. Both are great options for dresses, skirts, and blouses but they are also common for petticoats as they hold their volume and shape very well. Because chiffon and organza are such comfortable, breathable fabrics they also make for great petticoats because they allow for airflow so even with several layers in your petticoat you don’t feel overheated.

Since the lightweight fabric can allow for air flow, petticoats are not always as big a problem as one might think they are when wearing lolita in hot weather. However, if you do live in a particularly warm climate, some lolitas have taken to wearing short hoop skirts in lieu of a more traditional lolita petticoat in order to cut down on layers. When it comes to keeping cool in hot weather though, the real problem with undergarments comes with bloomers. You still want to wear them for the sake of modesty (especially when you take into consideration the blessing of a good summer breeze that can turn into a curse when big flowing skirts are involved) but they aren’t always the most breathable garment. For this reason, many lolitas will swab out their usual bloomers for regular shorts, especially activewear made for summer. These shorts will still give you the modesty that bloomers are meant for but with more comfort to combat the heat. Brands like Under Armour have become a secret savoir for lolitas because of their HeatGear fabric that wicks sweat away and helps keep the wearer comfortable and dry.

Accessories are also an important part of any lolita coordinate and can be essential to keeping yourself cute and comfortable in the summer. Many lolitas are fans of knee-high and over-the-knee socks as well as full tights, but these may not always be the best options for summertime. A popular option for summer legwear is short ankle or crew socks that keep the lolita aesthetic without having to cover the whole leg. This is also a time where thin, see-through materials are common, especially lace. Lace tights are also popular because they cover the whole leg while still being open to the air. As for headwear, some lolitas like to wear larger headwear such as bonnets, sunhats, and boater hats to help shield from the sun. Others choose more minimal headwear since hats can hold in heat. Many lolitas also forgo wigs in the summer and opt for hairstyles that keep their hair out of the way like braids and updos.

Extra accessories that are useful in the summer are parasols and hand fans. There are many styles of parasols and fans to choose from but some are better for lolita than others. Sometimes beginner lolitas will carry more traditional Asian inspired paper parasols and fans but this is often seen as taking the Japanese aspect of lolita too far and drifting away from the overall lolita aesthetic. More European styles of parasols and fans tend to be better suited for Lolita, such as the styles you might see in the Rococo or Victorian periods which the fashion draws so much inspiration from. Some lolitas like lace parasols but these are not always the best option, especially if you live somewhere with unpredictable weather, because they don’t hold up to rain. If you want to be prepared for any weather, look for parasols that are listed as waterproof. Many lolita brands carry parasols but there are also brands like Lumiebre that specialize in them. Elegant fans can be a bit more difficult to find. Some lolita brands make them but they are not common. Many lolitas get their fans from antique and vintage stores and companies that make historical reproduction accessories.

Wearing lolita in hot summer weather may seem like a daunting task but it is certainly not impossible. With a little creativity and the right accessories your summer coords can look beautiful and effortless while keeping you cool and comfortable.

This article was originally posted in July of 2016 to Cosplay Crisis and has been modified to fit Tumblr formatting. Photos have remained formatted as they were when the article was originally published.)

[lolitain]

Lolita Clothing, A Collection of Cute, Elegant, Cool and Handsome

Lolita is a subculture which originates from Japan. The fashion is highly influenced by Victorian and Edwardian children's clothing and styles of the Rococo period. Lolita is distinctively cute, and its fans love it because of that. The style over the years has evolved to different sub-styles which share the same distinct aesthetic and cuteness just like original Lolita design. The fashion became popular in the 1990s as a radical form of street style. The Lolita clothing subculture is categorized into three sub-styles namely Gothic, classic and sweet Lolita.

The fashion in the 1970s wasn't popular, only a few Japanese fashion houses embraced it. The situation changed in the 1990s because more fashion houses began to merge it with urban street fashion thus making sexier, beautiful and cute. The fashion hit the streets of Shibuya, Tokyo fashion districts and since then Lolita went viral. Music bands like Princess and visual key helped to popularize the brand within and outside Japan. In some districts, the Lolita is nicknamed "Loli".

Classic Lolita

This is the original and purest version of Lolita fashion. Classic Lolita has few decorations compared to sweet Lolita, Gothic or Punk sub fashions. The print on the dresses is simple and has few adornments.  Fashion enthusiasts consider classic Lolita as a more mature style. The reason why they consider it mature is that the design is historically inspired compared to other Lolita styles. The style designers focus more elegance rather than cuteness. Authentic Classic Lolita is made from fabric with muted colors like dusty pastel and jewel tones. Also, the floral prints or solid colors are often embedded on typical Classic Lolita thus making more fancier regarding prints.

Gothic Lolita

Gothic Lolita original fashion is heavily influenced and popularized by the Visual band. The Gothic Lolita frock is made of black but not all of them. At times the brand is called Elegant Gothic Lolita and Elegant Gothic Aristocrat. The names were coined by Mana and Japanese Visual band Malice Mizer respectively.  The fashion is also called Bittersweet Lolita. The design is popular with Harajuku teens, and the clothes are influenced by the fantasy world feel. Gothic Lolita cosplay wearers wear heavy knee length socks and boots, bonnets and sometimes parasol which are influenced by modeled by Rococo period fashion common features. The heavy styles influence comes from the Eastern and Victorian Goth style. Most of its brands are characterized by dark colors, crosses, bats and spiders. Also, other Gothic icons and designs are seen on the dress prints. The skirts have petticoat beneath and are normally worn at knee length.  The blouses or shirts worn together with skirts are usually lace-trimmed or ruffled in Victoria style.

Sweet Lolita

Sweet Lolita has more frills and lace compared to typical Classic Lolita. The brand is different from typical Classic Lolita regarding aesthetics. The fashion uses a lot of pink, parasol and other decorations to represent an authentic baby doll look. The fashion is a hybrid of both Classic and Gothic Lolita. The style originally was inspired by Victorian children clothing and Alice in Wonderland. Sweet Lolita is characterized by pop cultures like Hello Kitty, Rilakkuma and other popular cute culture. Pastel colors together with other mute colors paint the fashion. Individuals wearing Sweet Lolita should wear huge Head bows, cute purses, and elegant parasols. Generally, fashion is worn by individuals to look cute and beautiful.

Punk Lolita

Punk Lolita is an experimental style which blends Gothic Lolita with rock style attributes. The fashion is popular with both gothic and rock lovers.  The style has been accepted all over the world due to its uniqueness, craziness, and cuteness.  The style was inspired by Vivienne Westwood and influenced by British punk style. The style consist of frilly Skirts paired with cut sews and at times it can be worn with a more delicate blouse with a tighter skirt or pant. The outfit is characterized by feminine accessories to lighten the look. Lolita silhouette look dictates that the wearer must have a bell-shaped skirt which falls down about the knees but be shorter if the wearer wants it that way.

Even though Lolita has term has a sexual connotation in the Western world, the Japanese use the name to refer to cuteness, elegance, and modesty. The fashion at first was associated with Japanese schoolgirls, but currently, the fashion trend is being rocked across the world. Before the fashion was associated with Nabokov with tempting school girl but today the fashion it’s about cuteness and beauty. s

The core feature of Lolita fashion is the frilly skirt which is often created with petticoat or crinoline.  The skirt can either have cloak-shaped or A-shaped design components. The skirt or dress can be worn with either long or short sleeved blouse.  Women wearing Lolita frequently wear fashion wig accompanied by beautiful headgears such as hair bows or bonnet.  Lolita street fashion is normally gothic cosplay style and is popularized by visual key Japanese popular music.

Lolita designer brands are darling of many due to their authenticity and cuteness. The Lolita designers make elaborate clothes which go out stock within a short period.

Conclusion

Lolita fashion is a unique style characterized by cuteness, and over the years the love for style has grown over the years across the world. This shows the importance of designers picking up classic and traditional/ ancient fashion trends and blends them with urban fashion styles.  By doing this,  they will promote essence appreciating our fashions, and many will buy and wear the brands. Lolita frocks have brought girlish stylish in our streets.

[gb-patch]

All of the guys are pretty snazzy dressers & some more eccentric than others.. Haha.. How do they & JB react to seeing alternative fashion (lolita, goth, etc)? If so, is there styles that they like/dislike?

JB: Her only approach to style is wanting it to look good and be affordable. She’s also hardwired to tease people for what they wear, so she’d have to do regardless of what fashion they’re rocking. Though, it’d be all in good fun. She actually prefers people who are a off-kilter with the way they dress.

Everett: He does appreciate alternative fashion, but at the end of the day it’s not that alternative ‘cause they’re still following a specific look. He creates a ‘look’ all of his own and that makes him superior (except his hipster approach to clothes is a specific style, but try to convince him of that, aha).

Nate: Nate is very conservative with clothing. He thinks it should be presentable and practical. The fancier/more detailed something is, the worse it is. He’s one of the few students who are very grateful for the school having uniforms. The last thing he wants is for everybody to focus on what they’re gonna wear the next day instead of finishing their homework. If someone wants him to support their style they’ll first have to convince him it’s not going to get in the way.

Shiloh: Well, he’ll compliment anyone on anything, haha. There’s really no way to know for sure if he’s got any kind of preference. The style he seems to like for himself is comfortable/somewhat cutesy.

Bae: Like with most things, alternative fashion is amusing to Bae. He enjoys looking over the unique and flashy types of outfits people come up with. Especially, if it’s a decidedly cute style~

Jeremy: He doesn’t exactly get it. The idea of expressing yourself through clothes is just not something he can relate to on any level. He personally wears whatever his parents get him. But even though it seems pointless to him, he’s not gonna question it. If someone else wants to do it, that’s fine.

Pran: Pran isn’t a fan. He may have eccentric tastes in clothes, but he buys whatever catches his eyes in thrift/secondhand stores. Alternative fashion tends to take work and can be more expensive than even usual fashion. Pran isn’t okay with that. Even if he does think the looks made with the extra effort aren’t bad.

Thank you very much for the question ^^!

[ashycatastrophe]

New Years Resolutions

~Posting to reflect, continue doing things, & see written goals.~

It was a decent year. A lot of mixed feelings & changed views/growing, I made a lot of big & pricey decisions, was a little more social, took more risks, did more things myself, & did so much more this year as far as plans & adventures go.

🎀 I should: plan more beach or various trips, attempt to go to more cons, attempt to see fellow Lolitas, keep in contact with my kpop group, see local friends more, possibly take trips just for shopping or adventuring, go to more bakeries, continue trying new things, meet new people, etc. Also go to all concerts that I have interest in, regardless of going alone. Also seriously look into going to San Francisco & Japan. Possibly try just going on spontaneous adventures.

🎀 Still work on enjoying the babes & driving more; be able to travel more confidently alone. Keep babes constantly looking classy & in tip top shape.

🎀 Continue trying out various fashion if I have interest in it. Also take more pictures in outfits, take more professional pictures, & try wearing my own hair in outfit pictures since I regret not really doing so in the past.

🎀 Actually sometimes purchase things that I want instead of just wanting them for a long time. Also work on finally finding ideal furniture. Continue collecting all things I enjoy.

🎀 Continue to work on adulting: credit, career, etc.

🎀 Find more will to exist other than just for interests/hobbies.

🎀 Possibly look into new skills & hobbies. Possibly try to make various videos with a friend, try my hand at some choreo since I really haven’t ever attempted to dance, & maybe start making jewelry.

🎀 Possibly change my hair, seriously look into doing things with my teeth, try out new makeup looks, dress fancier on the typical day, accessorize more, new skincare, try baking new things, etc.