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 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
🎃 Go looking for the perfect sweater to pair with coords through the cold months, eliminating the choice between being cold or fashionable
🎃 Find cute halloween themed accessories at the store! If your fashion is on the sweet or spooky cute side I have found some surprisingly wonderful accessories at the dollar store and pharmacy this time of year.
🎃 Give orange a chance! It’s the most underrated color in egl in my opinion and instantly gives a spooky but festive vibe to any coord
🎃 Carve pumpkins to get into the Halloween spirit! Maybe carve a cute cat or an elegant design!
🎃 Try making your own pumpkin spice mix and use it to bake or make your lattes at home!
🎃 Wear as many gothic or gothic inspired coords as you can this month!
🎃 Watch Creepy Cute Movies like Coraline or anything done by Tim Burton, the Nightmare Before Christmas is my personal favorite
I have talked about this multiple times on this blog and will continue to as I am still learning and trying to share my learning journey with you all. Money is hard for me and I have really expensive hobbies with lolita fashion probably being my most expensive hobby. I think it’s pretty well known in the community that lots of lolitas struggle with impulse buys and emotional spending. I don’t think it’s talked about nearly enough in our community and I want to add to the conversation in a productive and realistic manner.
I tried to go on a low-buy this year, it was one of my new year’s resolutions and I failed it spectacularly. I tried to commit to only buying accessories and only buying things under 25$, I was able to stick to this for about 4 months and then I went on a lacemarket binge. I bought a ton of things in a row far exceeding that 25$ budget. I felt so ashamed but still enjoyed what I had received. I decided to talk to my fiance about it because I wanted to get a handle on my money while still enjoying myself. I think that complete drop in my spending just spilled over into other things and then into one big buying spree.
I had heard of that happening when people decided to try to do low buys in finances but had convinced myself that it wouldn’t happen to me because I was only doing it in one category, but the category I had chosen was the one I got the most joy from. I think it could have worked for a different person but it just didn’t work for me. I did learn a ton from the experience though, I learned that I am a collector. I get enjoyment from collecting things and I think a better way to save space in my wardrobe and money in my wallet is to think of alternatives instead of restrictions. I have been really into gyaru lately so I’ve been collecting press ons every paycheck, and also I will open a separate account for my “fun” spending so that I can buy a new JSK from time to time without worry or go on a trip and know I have all the money I need for my bills.
This is an ongoing journey and I know my current system won’t be perfect but I think it’s important to talk about taking responsibility for your finances while still enjoying this fashion and lifestyle, it can add up super quickly if you aren’t careful. Best of luck and I hope all reading this have a wonderful day!
I decided I wanted to have little calling cards for once I’m able to go to events again! It was super fun to make and I hope I get to use these next time I go to a big event! I ordered some of these off of snapfish
1.) Accept that you won’t actually be able to wear it literally everyday and that that’s okay and makes you no less of a lifestyle lolita, there’s a lot more to it than just the clothes for a lot of lifestylers!
2.) Get in the habit of planning coordinates the day before! I have Stylebook on my phone so I will often plan out the outfit on there instead of rifling through my closet. Then I put it all into a cute little box on my bureau for the next day so I’m not scrambling looking for a headpiece 20 minutes before I need to be out of the house for work
3.) Get really familiar with your office’s dress code if you work in an environment where you don’t have to wear a uniform. That way you can be sure that even if your outfit may offend a coworkers tastes you know that you are in the clear and you don’t have to stress about whether or not your coords are work appropriate.
4.) Develop a makeup routine that will work with most of your coords, I personally love experimental makeup with egl but in the morning you aren’t always going to have time for that. I like doing a simple soft girly makeup the majority of the time, I have toned down dolly eye makeup down pat. Japanese magazine scans that you can find on pinterest are great for daily inspiration
5.) Make a laundry system and do your best to stick to it! I actually got a smaller basket so it would be the size of what I could feasibly handwash and not feel overwhelmed and it is also coincidentally the same size as a single load in my apartment buildings washer and dryer. I have only recently gotten this down and I have had many pieces that could have been saved and had their life prolonged if I had only figured this one out sooner
6.) Keep your closet organized! Find a way that works for you to quickly locate the items you need particularly accessories, they can accrue much faster than you think and can add 20 minutes to your time getting ready if you can’t find them
7.) Make a budget. Lolita’s joke a lot about their spending habits and although it is fun to joke about it’s important to make sure that you’re able to enjoy your lifestyle and hobby worry free. Being super stressed about money isn’t kawaii. ( I am honestly still working on this one so it is coming from a place of personal experience and love to you all.)
8.) In the same vein as the makeup get some go to hairstyles down pat as well that are under 10 minutes, anything heat free with a little bit of practice can often end up falling in this category. I personally love twin tails at all heights and a half up hairstyle with a bun or braids on the side. I also like braids plopped on the top of my head into an updo.
9.) Let yourself romanticize your life, this subculture in a lot of ways is based on escapism but don’t drift so far you leave reality, let that princess mindset allow you to see the bright side of life and give you extra motivation where their might not normally be any. Don’t feel like going to work? Remind yourself that you need more gold and silver to fund your kingdom. It sounds silly but it helps a lot for me and I’m hoping it might help some of you too.
10.) Don’t isolate yourself entirely in this world, allow yourself to have other interests! Be a broad and dynamic person. I personally do things like karate and going to the gym and although those aren’t always associated with the lolita style I am made happy by those things. Let lolita fashion add to your life not take away from it
I made a moodboard like I suggested in my lifestyle lolita tips blog post! I decided to go with images that made me think of romantic adventures and fun times with my friends! I’m very lucky to live in an area that it’s possible to start seeing people again and going out to do things. I want to live my summer to the fullest this year! I also have a lot of new interests this year I didn’t have last year like swimming and mermaiding! Water is going to be a big part of my summer this year as well as egl meetups. I am so excited.
☀️Get a kawaii swimsuit, and enjoy a trip with a friend
☀️Get outside! Go for a hike, swim or bike ride
☀️Watch the sunset one night
☀️Enjoy some ice cream! Try making one of those over the top harajuku ice cream shop style sundaes
☀️Try mixing in chiffon blouses and lighter fabrics into your coords to deal with the warm weather
☀️Create road trip mixtapes for when you’re able to road trip again
☀️Update your travel bags for when you can vacation again add bows and lace!
☀️Try a blouse less coord on a really hot day and take advice on how to coordinate that from much more experienced lolitas from warmer climates, I plan on trying one myself this month!
☀️Make a moodboard for how you want your summer to be and make it a
Luna By The Lake With Cake 