I’ve been working out more and have two yoga mats, one of them I lost the strap for and found a cute way of upcycling a scrap of lace I had.
Here’s the strap I sort of copied to make mine
I wrapped the elastic around the yoga mat to get the elastic length, then I laid my lace against the hanging part of the strap to get that length.
I hand stitched the two loops here.
I used a blanket stitch to keep it from fraying.
I sewed a square of stitches to join the lace and elastic, on the side of the raw edge of the lace I used a blanket stitch, and I used a backstitch on the other sides of the square.
I finally did it! I have the lifestyle lolita closet of my dreams! Well, my daydreams at least due to living in an apartment I am pretty limited in what I can do but I really like how it came out from just a couple of small tweaks
I have a hook on the inside of my closet door that is perfect for planning coords! I’m working on a Christmas coord there.
I have rechargeable closet lights I put on with some Velcro strips so I can see what’s in my closet better!
I also added a cute cherry blossom garland to the edge of the shelf
Also my closet doubles as a voice acting booth so I’m happy for the lights since it means I won’t have to audition and record in the dark! I was working on a tight turnaround on a podcast once and I was in my little closet for four hours in the dark which wasn’t great so I think I’ll be happy for the lights
Honestly this closet upgrade was just minor things since I already had the pink velvet hangers but these little details went a long way to helping me feel a little more put together and closer to my ideal lolita lifestyle.
Thank you so much for reading! Drink some water, eat good food, get some rest. Have a wonderful rest of your day!
The most obvious thing a lifestyle lolita could doto spruce up their work life is to wear lolita fashion to their job however for many of us this just isn’t something we can do! Especially at jobs that can afford us more of the fashion we love.
I actually wore lolita to work regularly at my lost job and I just got an upgrade in employment! For safety and practical reasons I no longer wear lolita to work but I find myself wearing it way more now that it’s reserved only for my leisure time.
1.) Plan cute office outfits/cute hair accessories
I love planning my outfits the night before as it helps me actually get my butt out of bed on time since I’m excited for a cute outfit. I love pretending that I’m trying to beat a love Nikki challenge on office wear while making sure that it will still fit my offices vibes. Pearls are always an elegant choice! Or simple clip in hair bows Depending on your job you may have limited freedom with uniforms so in that case a focus on accessories that make you feel good may fit better.
2.) Listen to Music that makes you happy on the way to work/at work
Depending on the nature of your work you may be able to listen to music at work, in that case get a cute pair of headphones and make a playlist that makes you feel happy like when you’re in one of your favorite outfits. If you aren’t able to listen to music at work you can listen on the commute.
3.) Pack cute food!
Learn about bento boxes, (which can be cute or elegant depending on your preference) or pack a cute country inspired picnic! Whatever matches your mood and aesthetic and bring food that’ll bring you joy when you open it up in the middle of your day
4.) Develop a Go To Makeup or Skincare Routine
Work on finding something that makes you feel good in the morning going to work! For those of you who wear makeup practicing a cute simple makeup that you love and can wear to work may help bring some of that joy and fashion to work, for those of you who don’t maybe some extra tlc for your skin will help you bring a bright spirit to work.
5.) Plan a Work Outfit and an Evening Lolita Outfit!
This is a little bit of a cheat since it’s not at work but I’ve been doing this recently and it’s so much fun! I have planned my work outfit and then an evening coord to change into when I get home. It’s been helping a lot mentally with a home and work life separation. Also, having day and evening clothes makes me feel like a fancy aristocrat.
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you got some ideas for your own life! Drink some water, eat good food, get some rest and have a wonderful day!
This is the simplest! Just take hair from the side of your face, twist it then pin behind your ear, I like wearing it when I have earrings I want people to notice
Half Up Twin Tails
Pull your hair back from your temple as if you were going to put your hair half up, then divide into two, use your brush to smooth out and get your tails as high as you want them, clip on accessories once your done!
Gyaru Poof
I got this hairstyle from the Gyaru community it takes no time at all and looks adorable, grab all the hair from the front of of your face pull it up and then twist and clip! Be sure to push it forward a little bit before you clip it so it makes the poof
Twist Crown
Start on one side of your part and twist adding a little bit more hair each time you twist, it’s important to keep sections as small as you can for structural integrity with the shorter hair, do this all the way around your head and tuck the end behind the beginning of the twist at the top of your head. Then attack with Bobby pins until you feel secure.
I have a lot of breakage in my hair due to swimming in chlorine and just now starting protective measures for that. Since mine had lots of flyaways, I sort of hid it with a flower crown and bow and I think it looks really pretty!
Hopefully this inspires you to try some hairstyles of your own!
A pic from the crown center when I went to Paradiso
Ever since I cut my hair short I have fallen in love with clip in bows as “headpieces” I do still like KCs, Berets and Rectangle headdresses but I found that when I cut my hair to my chin they were eating my head and making the coord feel unbalanced. I had used flower crowns as headpieces in the past but it felt like it didn’t fit the vibes of some of my coords.
I also find it a cute way to hide flyaways as mentioned in a previous blog post!! Also, clip in bows can be used for more than just hair! I also really like using them like blouse bow ties to help balance colors in coord or dress something up
I tied in the shoe and wig color with a clip in bow in this coord
Also, clip in bows can be so cheap!! I get most of mine from the dollar store and have an amazing cost per wear for them. Accessories are honestly the best thing you can save on for Lolita Fashion, since the quality between a 1$ bow and a 10$ bow is pretty slim, the difference between a 20$ dress and a 100$ is vast.
I haven’t tried it yet and it might look weird but it just occurred to me I might also be able to use clip in bows as shoe clips as well for an OTT coord perhaps. I’ll be sure to share if I do!
Do you have any accessories you think are underrated?
❄️ Sew rhinestones onto white accessories or tights for a glittery look that mimics when snowflakes fall onto your hair
❄️ Get bundle up into cute outdoor gear go sledding then drink some hot cocoa
❄️ Put on festive music for whatever winter holiday you celebrate and sing along
❄️ Go on a walk and take pictures of the festive storefronts you see!
❄️ Try baking a pie!! I associate pies with the holidays and with winter
❄️ Watch cute festive movies!
❄️ Do a closet clean out and home declutter, see if there’s anything that your friends may enjoy and give them a gift! (Be sure to be thoughtful though)
❄️ Try using winter themed stickers on your Instagram posts
❄️ Build a snowman!
❄️ Make yarn snowballs and have a faux snowball fight at a meetup
A screenshot from Alice Closet! It’s free and really fun to play
For my last YouTube video I read an article from the Princess Portal “Undefining the Lolita Lifestyle” and it was filled with examples of how lolitas participated in the culture of the fashion even if they weren’t able to purchase or wear the clothing. I also have been seeing a ton of debate on replicas on Tiktok. This inspired me to write this article for aspiring Lolita’s to be for ways they can participate without supporting things that harm the creatives and artists we depend on for our fashion.
6 Free or Very Low Budget Ways to Participate in EGL culture
1.) Decorate your space to match your desired aesthetic!
Often there can be ways to make your room or your home cuter! Take inspiration from lifestyle Lolita’s and “lolify” your space! You can add lace trim, put fake skulls, or put up temporary floral wallpaper, whatever matches your desired aesthetic.
2.) Check out the music associated with your desired substyle, and Visual Kei!
Learn about the musical inspirations behind our styles. Visual Kei helped kick it off for us all but especially for gothic lolitas. If you’re into the gothic substyle, try listening to goth bands. If you’re into the Classic substyle take a look into classical music. If you’re into sweet Lolita take a look at 90s and early 2000s jpop!
3.) Follow Lolitas on social media and on their blogs!
It will go a long way once you get in the position to be able to participate in the fashion portion! You can get different perspectives, fashion inspiration, ideas and opinions all around you. You can check out older blogs to learn about the history of the fashion and look to newer ones to see what’s going on now!
4.) Decorate your electronics!
I’m a big fan of using Picsart to make cute mobile backgrounds for my phone. You can also decorate the outside too! Whatever your aesthetic is, with electronics it can be easy to create and change with your whims.
5.) Start a Fashion Journal or Inspiration Board
This can be physical or digital, take whatever inspires you and put it in a place where you can look at it all together. It can help you plan what you’ll actually want to wear and buy once you get into being in a place where you can participate in the fashion
6.) Check out cute fashion video games!
My absolute favorite for this is Alice Closet, it’s free and the fashion is clearly lolita inspired. It’s a lot of fun and even if you can’t collect physical clothing it’s really fun to collect the digital outfit sets.
I hope this gives you some ideas on how to participate in the community and the culture of lolita fashion even if you are on a completely bare bones shoestring budget. Remember you need to take care of yourself first. This fashion is a luxury hobby and I have gotten myself into too much stress overextending myself. I hope you take these ideas and have lots of fun!
🎃 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
Luna By The Lake With Cake 