Lolita: A Fear

PHOTOCREDIT

Recently I've noticed I've not worn lolita often. I did wear it out Saturday, but it wasn't anything impressive. Just an outfit I've worn a hundred times. I don't make skirts anymore and I only dream of wearing the clothes I love. Why? Because I'm afraid. I'm not at all afraid of what anyone in the community says, except other lolis. I only know one, and she doesn't like me, but her opinion matters. Her friend told me she didn't like me lolita, and it hurt, a bit. This, of course, won't stop me from wearing it, but my fear of failure just might.
I'm severely afraid, phobic almost, that someone will tell me that I'm doing it wrong or that it doesn't looks good, or worst of all, laugh at my pitiful attempts. This fear of being told I'm not wearing good lolita has scared me away from wearing it when I'd like.
I'm tempted to abandon the label "lolita." Maybe I should be simply me. Not wear "lolita" but just wear the clothes I like, be they hand made, with petticoats, lolita brands, or whatever it may be. But I like the idea of a label. Ugh. Life is so confusing!
Any help? Pweez?
<3
Raelynn

School Shopping

I forgot to take a photo of my outfit, but today I went school shopping! All new clothes for an all new year! Here’s the pictures, I’m not in most of them, but only because my tri-pod is broken and the lighting in BOTH of my rooms is horrible! Anyway here we go :

^^The part that looks purple is actually maroon, looks nice

I also found this picture on my camera My baby loves me

-He stole my headband and looked almost as good in it XD I love him so much

Behind the Fashion: Raegan

And finally, from the loverly Raegan of Her Curious Elegance Thanks so much!

What inspired you to wear Lolita?

It’s kind of hard to say, but for as long as I’ve known of the fashion I’ve been interested in wearing it myself. It’s nice to feel pretty and dress in a way to make yourself feel special, putting on a jumperskirt is almost therapeutic to me.

What do you like to wear when not in Lolita?

I wear loli almost daily, but if I’m taking a day off then I am usually dressed in something appropriate for the tropical climate that I live in. I mostly wear shorts, tank tops and flip flops as they help me to keep cool in the heat. Either that or you’ll find me in pajamas.

Are you in school? If so what is your major/grade?

I’m currently a junior studying at a university in Florida. My major is musical theatre and I just can’t get enough of it. Although I love my classes I’m excited to graduate so that I can start auditioning for productions!

What would you say are your “non-lolita” hobbies?

Outside of loli I have an awful lot of hobbies! I have been reading tarot cards for years and absolutely love it. I frequently do readings for my friends and am constantly looking for new spreads. Besides that I am a total bibliophile so my nose is always stuck in a book. I spend an awful lot of time writing songs, singing and making up alternate lyrics to popular hits. And I just adore playing violent, zombie themed video games!

What kind of music do you enjoy?

I have a very eclectic taste in music, the only genres I dislike are rap and hip hop. I love to sing opera and show tunes but I’d rather listen to swing, pop or synth pop when I’m in a happy mood (Lady Gaga and La Roux are my current favorites). If I’m just sitting around reading then I love to put on relaxing music like Feist or Michael Buble. When I feel romantic I listen to Gorillaz, when I’m cooking I like to put on Elvis, and when I’m getting ready for a fun night out my artist of choice is Michael Jackson!

Books?

It is very difficult for me to answer this question without writing a book myself! I love almost all kinds of fiction ranging from historical romances to sci-fi, but I have a particular soft spot for stories about women from different cultures written in first person. One of my favorite authors is Lisa See, both Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, and Peony in Love are heart wrenching and wonderful. I also love Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (I was so shocked when I realized that the book was written by a man), The Time Travelers Wife by Audery Niffenegger, The Princess Bride by William Goldman and The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. I have never been able to get into many fantasy novels though, something about them really puts me to sleep!

What do you think is the least Lolita about you?

The fact that I do not prize modesty the way that most girls in our culture seem to do. I think that the human body is a beautiful thing and I don’t see the need to cover it up with long sleeves and long skirts unless the weather is painfully cold. To me a nude body does not automatically imply sex or sexuality, so I rarely feel any urgency to wear long socks or blouses under my jumperskirts.

Any final words?

Live for yourself and the people you love, never limit your happiness!

Behind the Fashion: Sniper

I am so excited to say that the wonderful Sniper of Aesthetic Lolita has agreed to participate! Enjoy! And check out her blog, I love it so.





What inspired you to wear Lolita?
I love the girlish princess-y look. I always have, as I have loved Disney princess films, shojo manga, fairy tails, and female heroines in all kinds of fantasies. I could just tell that it was something I had always dreamt about but never explicitly seen.

What do you like to wear when not in Lolita?
I like to wear shorts over pastel tights, fluffy tutu-like skirts, cardigans, and floral sundresses. I wear looks ranging from classic black + white to pastel popkei to neons with leopard print. I really dislike jeans and long pants/skirts! I think they are bland.

Are you in school? If so what is your major/grade?
I am in college. My major is computer science. I’m thinking about going for a second degree, but I’m not sure what!



What would you say are your “non-lolita” hobbies?
I like (violent) video games including first-person-shooters like Quake and real-time-strategy games like Age of Empires! I’m also a sucker for the Grand Theft Auto and Metal Gear Solid RPGs. I’m just generally really good at games. I like airsoft guns and sword forms I learned in karate. I own a Sig Sauer P226 gas blowback and a Socom single shot (because Solid Snake has one <3).>

What kind of music do you enjoy?
I like pagan folk metal, preferably Russian or German, and Norse electronica. Most of the music I like is fast and heavy!

Books?
I like the fantasy genre and books on alternative health and metaphysics the most!

What do you think is the least Lolita about you?
Lolitas are supposed to be innocent and naive. I am neither, by any stretch of the imagination. Not only that, but I stick up for myself and regard myself to be a strong, intelligent, and independent person. I may look like a dumb and shallow little girl to some, but I often shock people when I show them that I can actually compose intelligent thoughts into punctuated sentences. My opinions on a lot of things are unconventional and I don’t believe in many of the same things people in my age group are supposed to believe in (example: democracy).

Any final words?
Lolita would be so boring if all lolitas were the same standard two-dimensional caricatures! Isn’t this world boring enough as it is? Lolita certainly wouldn’t last as a movement if everyone interested in the fashion had to act like they were something they weren’t. You could say that I’m looking for the time-travelers, espers and aliens in the world!

Behind the Fashion: Victoria Suzanne

The magnificent Victoria Suzanne of Lolita Charm has agreed to participate in this series. She is the author of one of my favorite blogs to read and I am eternally grateful to her for doing this.



What inspired you to wear Lolita?
I started researching and wearing lolita after I saw the movie Kamikaze Girls, which features a lolita main character. After seeing her style and then finding out about the fashion, I was hooked and started doing my own research.

What do you like to wear when not in Lolita?
When I’m not in lolita, I still wear very feminine clothes that mix the styles of morigirl, otome, or gyaru – basically bows, lilac shorts, anything with rhinestones, and still plenty of curls. My favorite non-lolita brands are Pink by Victoria’s Secret and Juicy Couture.

Are you in school? If so what is your major/grade?
I’m a junior in college, and majoring in marketing with an aim to work in fashion merchandising.

What would you say are your “non-lolita” hobbies?
I’m not sure I’d say there are lolita hobbies versus non-lolita hobbies, but these are some of my more unusual ones – bellydancing and hoop dancing. They’re both great workouts that keep me in shape and include a lot of grace and artistry.

What kind of music do you enjoy?
Mostly I listen to anything that strikes my fancy or reminds me of something or someone. I’m really sentimental about music in that way – I really listen to the lyrics as opposed to just the sound. But my two ‘genres’ are Lady Gaga (in a class by herself!) and country music. The latter might sound surprising, but I’m from the boondocks and have a lot of family in the south, so it reminds me of home and especially my dad, who plays country on his accoustic guitar.

Books?
Books are like music – they have to strike my fancy. A few of my favorites are fairytales by Francesca Lia Block, anything by Diana Wynne Jones (who wrote the original Howl’s Moving Castle), and of course the classics like Alice in Wonderland and a Little Princess. Anything in that old-school ‘books for girls’ style is cute, too – like this little secondhand book I have called Adopted Jane. They make pink lemonade the old-fashioned way and all the girls wear white party dresses to church sociables – very Anne of Green Gables kind of flavor.

What do you think is the least Lolita about you?
Least lolita about me? That’s like asking me what is least American about me – I’m American all over! I wouldn’t say I have lolita and non-lolita parts of my life. I am a lolita, I live my life, and therefore everything in it makes up my lolita lifestyle. So I don’t feel like I have non-lolita parts that I should hide or seperate.

Behind the Fashion: Princess Raelynn

What inspired you to wear Lolita?

I really found it by accident while searching my life long interest, the Victorian Era. I love the fashion of the time, the life style, the arts, and especially the etiquette. I mean, now I can dress in Victorian style, look good doing it, and not have everyone thing I’m from a renaissance fair! YAY!

What do you like to wear when not in Lolita?

I usually wear jeans, but I’m trying to break that habit in favor of slacks and casual but nice tops, rather than tee shirts. I also love sun dresses!

Are you in school?

If so what is your major/grade? Yes, I just finished up my 11th grade year in High School! Senior next year!

What would you say are your “non-lolita” hobbies?

Hmm, I suppose video games. I love to play Oblivion and DDR, as well as others. I also have a strange fascination with card games, though since the Alice movie I think Lolis have picked cards up (again, maybe.)

What kind of music do you enjoy?

I really like anything except hip-hop, rap, and screamo. I really like Miranda Lambert, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Linkin Park, and Shinedown.

Books?

I really like romance books, historical fiction, and books about mythical creatures (vampires, werewolves, valkyrie, witches, etc.) My favorites are the House of Night Series, the Immortals After Dark Series, and the Vampire Academy Series.

What do you think is the least Lolita about you?

My speech and my eating habits. I have the tendency to not be very nice when I talk, threatening is my biggest problem, though I can sound like the stereotypical loli at times. My eating habits are also not very loli. Most lolis I know try to take care of their bodies and eat healthy, I don’t. I don’t eat the stereotypical sugar all the time, but I eat potato chips and fast food ALL THE TIME!!

Any final words?

Uh sure, whether I’m in lolita or I’m not, I am who I am and that doesn’t ever change. There so much more to girls then the clothes they wear, and I am no exception.