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Changing With The Seasons in Lolita Fashion

Good morning, world! I’m participating in this month’s blogging theme of change and gratitude, I really liked the prompt questions so I decided to answer each one!

What are you thankful for in J-fashion and your community?

I am grateful for all of the friends I have made and how they helped me find a sense of identity young in my life. I felt a lot of pressure to be a certain kind of person and I never knew how to navigate the pressures to be hypermasculine or treat myself as an object made for consumption, in Lolita Fashion I found a way to express my femininity in a way that gave me freedom

Have you made any friendships due to this fashion?

I most certainly have!! I joined my comm my freshman year of college and am still friends with all of them today! My comm is some of the sweetest people I’ve ever met and it radiates positivity when I’m with them. I also have been introduced to other hobbies than just lolita with them! Another girl in my comm got me into mermaiding.

Has your life been impacted for the better because of your experiences in J-fashion?

It 110% has been! My life holds so much more positivity and love due to this fashion. This fashion has helped me be able to accept myself as I am, not as what others see me as and it has been a constant journey growing and changing with the world as I have also grown and changed as a person over time my style has come to reflect that. I don’t think I would have as strong of a sense of identity or community if I had never joined the J-fashion community.

How are some ways you’ve changed from when you first started J-fashion?

Considering that I started when I was 16 and am now 23 I have changed quite a lot! When I first started I wanted to perfectly mimic the other girls I saw online and I think that helped me get a sense of the fashion but now I want to make my own look and style within the fashion. I also have grown and matured a lot! I am now a “real adult” I have a 9 to 5 and I pay bills and I rent out a small apartment. I also recently came out as bigender. I think my 16-year-old self just starting out would be really proud of me.

Will you be switching out your wardrobe for colder (or warmer) weather?

Yes, and no. I will just be adding warmer pieces to my coords but I won’t be putting anything away right now. Recently I put into storage all of the pieces that didn’t fit perfectly into storage so I would stop squeezing myself into them so at the moment I don’t have a ton to work with. I imagine I’ll be using my long sleeve blouses and fleece-lined leggings more.

Do you have any holiday plans to see friends/your community?

Yes!! Winter International Lolita Day is coming up and we are having a tea party at a local inn here soon! It will be wonderful, we went for afternoon tea there this summer and it was amazing. I cannot wait to see everyone! We are also doing an ornament exchange that I am super excited about that. My comm decided to do two different gift exchanges this year. We have a secret Santa and then a lower-pressure ornament exchange.

How has this year been different than last year? Are there changes that you are looking forward to going forward?

I think the biggest change this year was coming to terms with my gender identity literally this month. It has been on my mind for about a year now but I kept pushing it to the side because for the most part, I am happy with the body I was born in. So I figured there was no way that I could be trans. However, as I explored more and more I discovered that being called a boy made me really happy. However, I didn’t want to give up being a girl. Then I discovered that being genderfluid or bigender is a thing. That feels really right to me. In the next couple of weeks, I will be taking my first steps to visually and noticeably transitioning. I’m nervous but also excited.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this blog post! I have been really enjoying participating in the Biblioteca blogging community and I highly recommend all of the bloggers in this community! I’ll put a link to last month’s issue below

October Bibliotecha Gazette

lolita fashion

November Lifestyle Lolita Tips

🍁 Do a photoshoot in the fall leaves

🍁 Wear a seasonal coord to your family’s thanksgiving! Dress it up with festive flair

🍁 Look for Christmas lights in the hardware store to use as fairy lights, they are usually cheaper and more durable than thin wire lights

🍁 Practice glam makeup looks for the upcoming holiday season, there’s tons of fun tutorials out there for this time of year

🍁 Consider getting those cute cableknit tights to both be warm and stylish

🍁 Get some faux fur trim and make cute seasonal accessories

🍁 Experiment with the color red in some Coords

🍁 Try a new recipe to add to your hosting or bringing repertoire for the holidays!

🍁 Get yourself a giant hoodie and decorate it to match your style, for days when you just want to be comfy and cozy

lolita fashion

5 Tips for Posing for Outfit Photos

1.) Figure out what your favorite part of your outfit is then highlight it!! Above I really like the Princess sleeves on my blouse so I made sure to pose in a way that wouldn’t hide them. My shoes were the least important part of my outfit so I didn’t worry so much about getting them in the shot

2.) Have energy in all of your body. Now this doesn’t mean you have to be stiff or post as enthusiastically as I do, but be sure not to look limp or disinterested unless that is important to the concept of your photoshoot

3.) Play music that suits your mood and your outfit! I find taking self portraits in silence to be completely unbearable and it’s a lot harder for me to be creative

4.) Experiment with your poses, there will be some that don’t work but just don’t post those ones

5.) Take a test shot before you begin, use that photo to double check that your makeup shows correctly and isn’t smudged and that your clothes are sitting correctly! I have forgotten to do this in the past and would have saved myself hours of editing.

Other posts you may like!

How Makeup Can Change a Whole Look

What to Bring for Location Based Photoshoots

5 Tips for Securing a Wig Without Getting a Headache

lolita fashion

Trying to defeat my Style Pile

If you have ever watched Annika Victoria you will be aware of the term the style pile, a pile of clothes that need repairs or to be resized. A few months ago I dedicated myself to putting all clothing in need of repair or tailoring into storage to fix it, but now this pile has been haunting me. It sits and stares at me and I struggle to get to motivation to go through it!

It’s not that I don’t like the clothes in this pile, in fact if I didn’t I would have donated them away when I first cleaned out my closet. However these projects just loom at me. I think one thing that’s been keeping me from motivation, is that I know that I already struggle to keep up with laundry so adding this in would add to the laundry I already can’t keep up with, as well as many of the projects in this pile being multi step projects.

The one I have been slowly but surely making progress on is working on replacing the shirring panel in a skirt to elasticate it since the zipper broke and I hate zippers but it has been so much trial and error to go through. I’m determined to finish the project in order have my skirt back.

I also think altering some of these clothes is hard because it’s accepting that time has passed and I have changed. I have changed for the better but it’s still hard. I’m not the same person I was when I bought that skirt when I was 16, I’m 23 and I have a whole new wonderful life now. It’s weirdly nostalgic and bittersweet to think about. As I write this it’s giving me motivation to work more on this ongoing project I think it’ll be a good representation of how my journey with lolita fashion has changed

lolita fashion

5 Ways to Keep your Lolita Clothes in Good Condition

Lolita Fashion wardrobes are often made out of expensive investment pieces meant to last a long time! Here are some ways to keep those pieces lasting longer

1.) As soon as you receive your pieces reinforce any of the buttons, taobao pieces often have somewhat flimsy sewn on buttons. There is special thread specifically made for buttons you can get at seeing shops

2.) If you’re someone like me who sweats and needs to wear deodorant you may be familiar with yellow stains, getting cheap undershirts can help your especially light colored garments from staining

3.) Treat any stains you see upon purchasing or having an accident happen immediately, the sooner you act on it the higher chance you have of getting it out

4.) Keep up with regular repairs if your see a hole forming in a piece of clothing take the time to repair it as soon as you see if before it develops into something bigger

5.) Once every season take the time to go through your clothes and see what you want to keep, it’s much easier to take care of a wardrobe you love

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My Favorite Spooky but Elegant Anime

1.) Another

List of Another episodes - Wikipedia

An absolutely beautiful anime, the art style is gorgeous and if you’re a fan of final destination it could be a great fit for you to watch! Lots of horror references and a very endearing main character. In the OVA she even wears lolita fashion.

2.) Vampire Knight

Vampire Knight (TV Series 2008– ) - IMDb

One of the very first anime I fell in love with an my personal introduction to shoujo anime! It has beautiful European aesthetics and is full of melodrama. It may be a bit much for some but it has a very special place in my heart. I do recommend checking out doesthedogdie for trigger warnings before this one. It’s not very graphic but due to the vampirism has some questionable family dynamics.

3.) Shiki

Shiki (TV Series 2010–2011) - IMDb

This anime has the honor of being the first time that vampires actually scared me! It is an amazing blend of both japanese and european folklore around vampires and it’s a very enjoyable watch.

4.) Elfen Lied

Elfen Lied (TV Mini Series 2004) - IMDb

One of the first horror anime I watched, I really enjoyed it and I watched it with my mom in high school. It even had the honor of being the cover of my sketchbook for an art class in high school as well. It does contain lots of blood and nudity.

5.) Serial Experiments Lain

Serial Experiments Lain (TV Mini Series 1998) - IMDb

This one is much more existential than the previous ones but I think it fits a melancholic gothic tone well. If you feel like having beautiful horror to see this spooky season anything on this list could potentially be a hit.

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Tips for Brushing Out Long Wigs

Photo by meijii on Pexels.com Not Me! An awesome free photo I got from WordPress

Halloween is coming up so it seems time to write this article that covers all the niches on my blog. Wigs! Lolitas, Gyarus, Mermaids, and Cosplayers alike have a tendency to use wigs however caring for them or restyling them for an upcoming halloween coord or costume can be a pain in the neck. As someone who has had to throw out a Miku wig before due to tangles let me share what I have learned!

1.) If your wig has product in it take the time to wash it out in order to detangle the wig, you can use wig specific shampoo to lengthen the life of your wig

2.) Allow the wig to completely dry before brushing it or the fibers will break making it harder to treat next time

3.) Use a wig detangler whether it’s commercial or homemade it helps a ton

4.) Go from biggest to smallest in detangling, for example use your fingers then a wide tooth comb, then a brush with flex bristles then a regular brush and if you’re someone who wants a super deep detangle you can finish with a fine tooth comb

5.) Always go from the bottom to the top so you aren’t ripping the ends

6.) Put the wig into loose braids for storage to keep it from tangling again

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My Favorite Creepy Cute Halloween Movies!

1.) Hocus Pocus

Super nostalgic for me I remember watching it every year and I grew up with a black cat named Binky

2.) The Nightmare Before Christmas

This was always a fun movie to watch cause I have always been a fan of both Christmas and Halloween and it covers both!

3.) The Corpse Bride

This movie is so beautiful and has a really interesting storyline so I always enjoy watching it

4.) Coraline

I adore Coraline I was sort of an only child for 11 years when I was little so I relate to her quite a bit and I find it a very fun story

5.) Any of the Addams family movies

I really love the addams family and find their family to be an inspiration for what I want in my life.

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10 Halloween Lolita Meetup Ideas

Photo by Daisy Anderson on Pexels.com

1.) Have a Horror Movie Marathon!

2.) Have a parlor game party with games like Mafia and Werewolf

3.) Have a Monster Party where each member of your comm is assigned a Monster they have to base a coord off of.

4.) Do a Trick or Treat Party where each person brings a different thing of candy

5.) If everyone is over 21, hit up a local halloween party at a bar together

6.) Have a Halloween craft party and make spooky accessories for your gothic coords

7.) Have a costume competition using a lolita coord as a base.

8.) Have a creepy cute movie marathon with each other! Halloweentown comes to mind, along with Hocus Pocus.

9.) Have a baking party where everyone makes spooky treats together!

10.) Have a spooky makeover party where everybody learns how to do spooky gothic makeup, bat liner is a personal favorite of mine.