Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Lolita Fashion Tips

(IMG SOURCE: http://natazilla.tumblr.com/)

1. Do not hang dresses on your room wall if your room gets sun exposure because it could, over time, fade  your dresses. If you store your dresses on a rack, cover the entire rack with a piece of cloth. Otherwise, if you have a closet for your dresses, definitely use it.
2. Under humid conditions, pleather can mark other pleathers, therefore cause a stain. Japanese lolita brand bags are mostly made out of pleather. If you store your collection of bags together, make sure the bags don't touch, especially dark bags with lights. To avoid this, separate your bags using dividers and/or store the bags in a cooler place.
3. Similarly, pleather shoes (or shoes in general) can cause discoloration on your brand socks, especially light colored ones. Test the shoes before wearing them with brand socks by wearing them with cheap leg wear you don't care about. Afterwards, examine the leg wear for discoloration. If the shoes do cause discoloration, wear dark brand socks with them or continue to wear the cheap leg wear.
4. If your underarms tend to sweat a lot, consider investing in underarm guards to avoid pit stains. You may have pit stains nonetheless depending, but it will be less of a mess than if you didn't.
5. To avoid boob loaf, do not wear padded bras or anything that enhances the size of your breasts with lolita. I would recommend sports bras.
6. If you machine wash your lolita garments, consider investing in mesh bags intended to protect delicate clothes. Using the bags can extend the longevity of your garments, especially those with delicate lace.
7. Using proper clothes hangers when storing lolita helps a lot. Consider hanging your dresses on padded hangers. Shoulder bumps are especially common with knitwear and difficult to fix, so avoid using too large of a hanger size for them. If possible, research the different types of hangers available and if needed, invest in some. Another option would be to store tops in a drawer instead of hanging them up.
8. When wearing real silver jewelry, specifically rings, avoid handling salty or acidic foods. Handling foods containing sulfur will damage the jewelry if not promptly cleaned afterwards. If possible, use utensils or take the ring(s) off.
9. If your petticoats are too long for a particular dress or skirt, roll the waist to reduce the length. However, by rolling the waist, the shape of the petticoat is enhanced. If it is a a-line petticoat, this tip may transform the petticoat into a cupcake shape. This tip is also helpful if your petticoat does not have enough poof.
10. It is good to know which dresses you own tend to bleed when wet. Find out by doing spot tests. If you must wear lolita on a day that may potentially rain, wear a dress that doesn't bleed. Don't forget your umbrella/parasol, of course. Cute rainboots are a must. Pleather footwear may peel if worn in the rain.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Introduction



(IMG SOURCE: Kagrra, 珠 album cover
Give them a listen)

Okay, I finally took the first step of a new journey: blogging. I'll be blogging about anything and everything orbiting lolita fashion. This includes upcoming brand releases, lolita item reviews, trends, outfit snaps, DIY projects, lolita lessons, etc. Now a little introduction about myself. 

Thus far I have two years of experience dressing in the lolita style, but I have adored the look for years and years. My favorite style when i started was strictly classic, but I have learned to incorporate and appreciate the other styles of lolita as well. Now my style is more of a fusion between classic and sweet. This combination is quite common in the western lolita world right now. Of course I can't speak for japanese lolitas because I don't live in Japan, assume I am only speaking of the west unless otherwise stated. 

My current favorite japanese lolita brand label is BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT. The brand is a perfect fusion of sweet and classic. I simply adore their long, frilly underskirt trend right now. I believe the Japanese lolitas have been embracing the long underskirt trend for years, but only now does it really hit the west. I figure its the exposure. Gothic & Lolita Bible is featuring more BABY coordinates with long underskirts, which helps to escalate the trend. It's still early in the year, but BABY has already released numerous underskirts(all sold out, of course). Almost every series have their own. I am tempted to jump on the trend-wagon myself.

Next time you see me, i'll be talking about Angelic Pretty handbags. Until then, stay beautiful~ :)