Lolita Survival Kit

(IMG SOURCE: Trevor Brown, Fix-Me-Doll)

Do you frequent in lolita? If a lolita emergency strikes, are you prepared? With your own Lolita Survival Kit, you'll always be prepared for any emergency, big or small!

Start with a storage box or bag.
A small-medium sized one will do, but it must have handles for convenience.

Next, a travel-sized sewing kit. Preferably one with various sized buttons, sewing needle, various rolls of thread, and a small pair of scissors.

Angelic Pretty At Sakura-Con 2014

(IMG SOURCE: Angelic Pretty)

So its just been confirmed that Angelic Pretty will be making an appearance at Sakura-Con this year with guest appearances: AP designer Maki and model Rinrin. It will be a meet and greet event. The two guests will be at Sakura-Con for the full three day event. April 18th through the 20th. No other details have been released yet, but rumor has it, there will be the typical tea party hosted by Angelic Pretty, a Angelic Pretty merchandise booth at the con's exhibition hall (AP's last appearance at the con was in 2012 with a merchandise booth only), and a Angelic Pretty fashion show. Exciting, exciting! 

Many More Lolita Fashion Tips

(IMG SOURCE: Marie Antoinette Cake by Elizabeth Solaru)

1. Plan on driving in lolita ? Ditch the petticoat and shoes until you get to your location. They can make driving difficult, therefore hazardous. Consider having a pair of cute 'driving shoes' in the car for easy access.
2. On a tight budget? Buy blouses with detachable sleeves. Now you have a blouse suitable for warm and cold weather.
3. The key to perfect poof requires 2 things:  a casual petticoat and a monstrous petticoat, both either a-line or bell shaped depending on style. Wear the casual when not in need of much poofiness; the monster petticoat when in need of decent poof; and lastly, the casual and monster combination if in need of serious poof. Can you say heavy velveteen dress?
4. As a lolita that does foreign purchases online, know your measurements in centimeters. It is also helpful to know your shoe size in centimeters. It doesn't hurt knowing the japanese equivalent of your ring size either.
5. Are your Over-The-Knee socks slipping and not staying in place? Consider using a garter belt or sock glue! 
 6. If you're uncomfortable with the fashion's name: lolita, don't use it. If you feel like you have to, use the technical term gothic-lolita instead. You're free to call lolita fashion whatever you are comfortable with like cupcake fashion. Be warned that it may confuse those that already know the existence of lolita fashion.
 7. Ok, you have the fashion down but not sure what to do with yourself? Join your local lolita community! Lolita communities have events going on all the time. Teaparties, swap meets, sewing circles, etc. If there are no events going on, make one yourself! As a newcomer, host a social event to introduce yourself and break the ice.
 8. If you plan on having the 'fashion talk' with your parents, not using the word lolita would be advantageous to getting their approval of the style. Only if, they dont know the fashion is called lolita already, otherwise it may be difficult. Some parents disapprove of the fashion not because of how it looks but just because its called lolita. 
9. When dining in lolita, try to avoid foods that are prone to stain clothing. It also helps if you avoid the optional sauces . Sushi is great but can get messy if you eat it with soysauce and/or wasabi. The downside of being precautious on a paranoid level is having a bland meal. (Haha)
10. Thus far, the fashion has officially two holidays. International Lolita Day occurs twice a year. The first saturday of June and the first saturday of December to celebrate the summer solstice and the winter solstice.

Sakura-Con 2014 Lolita Coordinates

Friday, Day 1

Sweet
JSK, Handbag, Barette, Cardigan, Parasol: Angelic Pretty
OTK Socks: Chantilly
Blouse, Underskirt: Innocent World
Shoes: Secret Shop
Jewelry: Emily Temple cute, Jand Marple
Star Clip: 6%DOKIDOKI

J-Fashion / Lolita Happenings:
Lolita Panel - To Be Announced

More Lolita Fashion Tips

(IMG SOURCE: Gothic Lolita Bible. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu)

1. Dress too short? Grab an underskirt. If your dress has detachable shoulder straps, tie them to transform the dress into a halterneck dress. Ta-da! Instantly an inch to 2 inches longer!
2. Keep a list of flattering and unflattering dress cuts, that way you can be a smarter shopper. Less returns and marketplace headache.
3. Like gyaru fashion, swap meets, and saving money? Buy a Liz Lisa new year trunk case LP during the start of the new year. Not only can you use a cute carriage trunk for swap meets, you get a bargain on cute loli-able clothes. 
3. Planning on ordering from overseas? Save on shipping by joining or creating group orders. Split the shipping bill!
4. Selling or buying? Look local first to save on shipping and the hassle of online purchases.
5. Did you know e-MOOKS are gaining popularity in the west? Keep an eye out for them. Cute totes, umbrellas, stationary, etc. at low prices!
6. Its good to have at least 4 default poses as a lolita. You never know when someone will ask for a photograph. Look at fashion magazines for inspiration and practice in front of a full-body mirror. Also a great self-esteem booster!
7. Keep stock images of items you buy in a folder. Use the stock images to create coordinate collages. It makes a great coordinate improvement timeline.
8. You don't have to purchase expensive japanese magazines to keep up with the fashion. Tumblr is a great way to obtain up-to-date information about brands, including upcoming releases. The facebook group "Lolita Updates" is great as well. If you insist on reading the whole magazine instead of snippets, http://jmagazinescans.livejournal.com/ provides full scans.
9. Speaking of magazines, zines are wonderful. If you're the creative type and your community is too, why not start a local lolita zine? You can include local lolita events, advertise the different talents of local lolitas, lolita news/updates, etc. Zines can say a lot about a lolita community and new emerging lolitas would definitely be interested in reading them. Think of it as a heirloom. Zines are traditionally physical, but e-zines are totally okay!
10. To change up your footwear, use a variety of ribbons instead of traditional shoelaces. Make different clip on bows for your shoes if you're feeling crafty.

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.

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~ :)