More things we all need

   I think all lolitas need certain things. Blouses, pettis, and camisoles were one thing, the essentials, for Lolita 52, but now I want to go into more specific things that aren't always essential but are incredibly helpful. As I'm also browsing around for what I might want to get with my money, this doubles as a secret undercover wishlist post. >v<

1. A coat- or multiple coats!

   Coats are so perfect! When it gets too cold to wear the just frills, you can put on a coat and you'll still be in lolita. Except warmer! Infanta sells really nice classic or gothic ones (left), but BABY also sells nice coats (right) in sweeter styles. I've been looking for a coat myself, because unless you live in the desert, you'll need one! On the other hand, if you live in a bad neighborhood, or are wearing brand, OTT sweet, guro, or something a bit less casual, you can put on a trench coat and no one will be able to tell you're wearing a petticoat. Most of the time.

2. Cutsews

   On the opposite end of the spectrum, cutsews are perfect for when it's too hot to wear a blouse- and definitely too hot for a coat. My reason for putting these on here is that they are super cute, and perfect for if you aren't quite ready to dive head first into the kawaii lagoon of full-on lolita yet. I'm assuming these'd also be good for school, as they're just like decked-out, expensive, loli T-shirts! All these ones come from Infanta. (Can you tell what sites I'm at right now? XD) I personally want the second one, titled Little Red Coat and the Wolf.

3. More casual, non-cupcake pieces

   Not exactly easy to find, but they seem like they'd be really nice. These are the kind you might just barely get away with wearing at school, or something you can wear to ease yourself, your friends, or your family into wearing or seeing you wearing lolita. Because I think we all know how hard it is to sit down at the table with your parents and convince them lolitas are not, in fact, all pedophiles obsessed with the book called Lolita. 

4. Adorable yet bizarre bags.

    I think this is where the post really veers off into "I think you need this" instead of "you actually need this". At my first meetup, everyone was talking about their bags, and how they had just gotten some new ones from Baby or something else. I think the brand Loris (you can find their stuff in QutieLand) has some pretty funky little things that I find to be the most adorable fuzzy wuzzy little bunny and moon bags everrrr! This is also the last thing I can think of putting in this post, so goodbye peoples.

Lolita Wardrobe Overview- 2013-January 2014

1: This JSK from Bodyline:


















This was my first lolita dress, and it is also (currently, hopefully not for long) my only lolita dress. I got it in the pink version, aka the one Venus is wearing in the main picture. For anyone who wants to get this dress, no, it does not have that ridiculously huge detachable bow that looks like it's trying to strangle her. I think that's part of the blouse.

I would recommend this to a new sweet lolita, but the bottom button on mine fell off the second night I wore it and we have to sew it back on. The inner lining also is prone to ripping, it's cheap tulle, so be careful in it. It's not all that durable, but it's not busy and an old lady who spoke almost no English told me I looked beautiful while I was wearing it.

2. White Tea Party shoes

I got them from QutieLand and they fit perfectly. I also spent an entire evening at the movies with a boy in my neighborhood (and my mom, of course) seeing Frozen wearing these shoes and didn't cringe from tightness once. So, yes, because tea party shoes are nice, I would also recommend them. However, I had some trouble with the bows! *~*

3. A Super-fluffy Chiffon Petticoat

Okay, I admit it. I was kind of hesitant to get a petticoat at first... But, really, I needed this, and my chiffon petti from Classical Puppets is a dream. It hasn't deflated at all, even though I sat on it for about 2 hours total (in a car, at a pizza place, at Frozen) in one day. 

4. My lacy parasol!

Since I got it this winter I haven't had much use of it yet, but my stepmom Kit got me a really nice lacy parasol for christmas... She also got my a lace fan. Apparently she got them on ebay... I'm glad everything worked out, because I've heard more than enough troubled stories about ebay to become worried easily.

My Thoughts on the Term ITA

Picture from Lolita Confessions

   I feel that personally, the whole "ita" term is a bit overused. Or rather, quite over-enforced. I mean, I understand the "don't have your butt hanging out, and don't look like a pole dancer" parts, and I strongly believe in those. However, I don't like people being shamed because they think cat ears would look super cute with their outfit, or wearing a rectangle headdress because they think it looks nice on the anime characters and want to wear it. I myself love both of these things, and think having a slight anime influence is okay.

Picture from IcicleDolls

   We also seem to come down too hard on itas. They're beginners, and most of the time, don't know that they're offending us. If we calmly explain what they've done wrong, their ita-ness will, slowly but surely, disintegrate. Just give the girls (or boys!) some breathing room. This also goes for people saying what you're wearing is a costume. If they compliment my friends for it, they usually go deadpan and walk past. I believe we should explain why it's not a costume, and also thank them for the compliment! They thought you looked nice, right? At least thank them. But say, "thank you, but it's not a costume," or something to that degree.

Okay, I better stop before I become a ranting ball of anger.

Lolita 52, Week 3: 3 trends I wish would come back

1. CAMO LOLI

  Ah, yes, the infamous camo loli. Originally made by BABY for Aya's concert and popularized by the oddball, Metamorphose. I strongly dislike this trend, but it's also so hilarious! I want it to come back so that I can tell stories about seeing camo lolitas at meetups to my little sister, and being able to (mentally) criticize bizarre pink JSKs.

2. Black and White

  Yes, I know bringing black and white back into style would spawn a hoard of itas once again assuming they are so loli goth desu anime while wearing the disgusting lace monster from that one unfortunate G&LB street snap. But black and white can be really pretty, and I'd love to see more achromatic (no colors) coords out there.

3. Fawn Fur!!

  Okay, I don't know if this trend is over yet, but I want to see it more often. It's just so pretty! I don't encourage using real fawn fur, but a fake fur collar or caplet would be so pretty.

  I'll be posting more non-52 stuff so my blog can be better, so look out for the wave of posts that may or may not be coming your way!

Lolita 52 Challenge: My First Meetup

   In my opinion Sunday is the last day of the week. I don't want to do this on the last day (tomorrow), so since today was my first meetup, I decided to do it today and get it done.

   The place was the Texas Renaissance Festival, the time was supposed to be one o'clock. I was late; I got there at one thirty. I didn't find them until waaaay later. My dad pointed out the two parasols; and I knew I had found my species the Houston Lolita Community. I asked nervously, "Are you, um, the HLC?" They said yes, and I was so happy. So so so happy, oh my gosh. They told me their names; we introduced ourselves, and I was in awe. These girls were... So gorgeous!!
   They asked me questions like how long I had been in the frill, how old I was, and if I had any dresses. They asked if this was my first meetup. It was so awesome! Being asked questions by a bunch of (real live) cool lolitas was really fun- even better than I expected it to be.
   We watched the joust, too. Before everything started we made jokes and discussed brands and I called my dad to let him know where I was, and one of them (I dare not say any names, lol) bought me a pretzel and complimented my skirt. She asked where I got it and I said that someone made it for me, which was true. It was sooo cool! And I also realized I was the only one not wearing a wig (laugh). The only awkward part was that the white horse was literally pooping the entire time.
   This was also the first time I had ever touched anything brand- I was allowed to hold a Baby parasol- and the first time I met a real life model. Also the first time I had ever seen a real lolita, seen a Rhapsody wig (actually, I saw two of them), and more. And ALSO the first time I've had so many pictures taken of me!

Week 1: 5 pieces that every Lolita wardrobe should have, regardless of style

Okay, so here is the first week's question for the Lolita 52 Challenge: "5 pieces that every Lolita wardrobe should have, regardless of style". Here goes!

Underwear (Pettis, Bloomers, and Camisoles)

I don't know if this counts as one piece, but whatever. Petticoats are an absolute must for obvious reasons, they are the staple of all outfits! Specifically a Classical Puppets petticoat in your preferred dress shape would be the best, because classical puppets is amazing.  Camisoles are good for when you're wearing a less-than-opaque blouse and don't want everyone seeing your bra. They're amazing for modesty, and would be good in black or white depending on your blouse. Bloomers are also mostly worn for modesty reasons, and are yet another good thing to have. They're also quite warm! They help to make sure you aren't flashing everyone.

A blouse in your base/wardrobe theme color

Because, as we all know, you need your blouse to match your JSKs and skirts for it to look good! For sweet and shiro, you should have a white blouse, for classic, I'm assuming off-white would be a nice option, and for kuro and gothic, you would have black as your base- and blouse- color. These base colors go for shoes and purses, too!

Comfortable Shoes in your base color!

These shoes will match everything. The same base colors as above will apply, as well as pink and sax for sweet. These shoes should also be nice and comfortable. Apparently tea party shoes are great for this, so I think all styles besides punk need a pair!

A "Special Piece"

Generally should be something special, limited edition, or expensive. If you're mostly offbrand, your "special piece" could be a Angelic Pretty JSK like this one (Melty Royal Chocolate), or a limited edition OP from an expensive shop.

An Easy-To-Coordinate JSK

Something in all one color, either in your base color or in one you use a lot. This could be your one for everyday coords, a meetup that you haven't prepared for, etc. and is an easy way out, basically. You should have at least one and preferably two of these.

My Do-Able Wishlist - Image Heavy Warning!!

   If you look at any other lolita's wishlist, you will most likely see a lot of BABY, Angelic Pretty, Meta, and basically, a lot of brand pieces. But if you read my previous post, you will understand why this is not the case with mine. I want a doable wishlist, so I didn't include any brand anything! The brand things I can buy, however, include necklaces, basically any jewelry, and headgear; along with anything that you cannot grow out of (bags, socks, etc.)

1:  Pink Sakura Alice Bows - SugarcoatEmporium
  These are so cute! I love the sakura/cherry blossoms pattern details and the white lace edges~ I would definitely use these in a sweet coord. Wouldn't you? I think they look really cute and delicate! Of course, you would only be able to wear one of the bows at a time though. *Laughs*

2:  L390 OP - Bodyline
   And of course here comes bodyline- a standard in my lolita wishlists. I seriously love this site... About the colorways in here! I love the pastel colorways but somehow I can't stand how the dark red and black ones look- they work much nicer in other prints; but the sharp change in scene doesn't work for me here. I like the sax and pastel pink the best!

3: This Pink JSK - Anna House
  As you can tell, I love pink! This JSK is just so cute with its solid colors and lace... For $88 I think it's worth it. I need more skirts and dresses because I have a blouse overload at the moment, maybe because of the fact I just started? But anyway, I need a JSK that can look good with a lot of stuff and this seems to look nice with both pink and white, so yay! May be a dream dress.

4: Deer Antler Headband - NerdyLittleSecrets
   I have been eyeing the deer lolita trend ever since I first saw it on my tumblr dashboard, and somehow these little guys have sneaked their way into my wishlist. I would love to wear deer antlers with a mori girl inspired or classic coord (if I ever get into classic, that is). These are really tiny and perfect, they're just too cute!!

5: Cute Kitty Shoes - Provence
  I know these in black and white with a cat themed coord may be kind of ita, but I can not resist the cuteness. Again, a cat themed coord. When I say that, I mean that I may not wear cat ears- I may just wear a cat cutsew or hoodie and a black and white lacey skirt, maybe with white tights? A well planned coord can look very non-ita even if it is a cat theme.

6: Simple White Heart Bag - Loris
  I don't know what else to say than I need a lolita purse. Badly. It's secretly a shoulder bag, too!

Lolita 52 Challenge~!!

I'm sure all you cool, senior lolitas have heard of the Lolita 52 challenge. I'm also sure that you have all tried it out already as well. I got the idea myself from F Yeah Lolita, who is like my lolita idol in blogging. :) So, here's the list. Hopefully it'll inspire me to blog better and more!

1. 5 pieces that every Lolita wardrobe should have, regardless of style
2. 5 movies for Lolitas
3. What my own Lolita lifestyle is like 
4. Favorite thing to put on my head
5. My wardrobe turnover
6. My favorite Lolita brand
7. Why I wear Lolita?
8. Why don't I wear Lolita more often?
9. 5 keywords that describe my personal Lolita style
10. How I first found out about Lolita
11. 3 trends I wish would come back
12. Combining other fashions with Lolita
13. Lolitas I have met in real life
14. Lolitas I would love to meet
15. 3 things I wish I was told when I was a new Lolita
16. 10 facts about my Lolita wardrobe
17. My first meetup
18. Trends I thought I would never get into, but I now love
19. Trends I thought I loved, but now I'm not too keen on
20. How satisfied I am with my current wardrobe
21. Plan for a trip! A week's worth of Lolita outfits I can fit in a small suitcase
22. How I accessorize
23. What influences my Lolita style
24. What's in my makeup bag
25. Best places to wear Lolita
26. How I get out of a wardrobe slump
27. Purses that I love
28. Bloomers or no bloomers?
29. Lolitafying things in my everyday life
30. How long it took me to build a complete wardrobe
31. Impulse buys that were totally worth it
32. My best deal
33. Something that I made
34. Wardrobe blunders! Things I bought that I ended up regretting!
35. What I thought when I got my first real piece of Lolita
36. Nails to match my favorite looks
37. Something that's not my style, but I love anyways
38. Favorite hair style
39. Most versatile Lolita item I own
40. 5 inspirational fictional characters
41. Fondest meetup memory
42. The ways in which I fit the cliche
43. The ways in which I do not fit the cliche
44. How strangers react to my clothes, and how I react to their reactions
45. Something that was a gift
46. Parasols: Vital or frivolous?
47. The item in my wardrobe that was the hardest to get
48. My "signature" outfit
49. My favorite Lolita print
50. What's in my closet, but I haven't worn yet!
51. Predict the next Lolita trend!
52. How Lolita has changed me

My Birthday is Today! Plus some updates

  Yay! Today's my birthday!!~ My mom ordered me a new chiffon petticoat and a pair of white shoes from QutieLand last week as an early present!!!

  Also: Here are some updates/changes I've made to the site:
-Changed a few fonts
-Changed the background picture
-Added some sites to my list
-Sorted site list into alphabetical order
-Changed page link color for easier reading

Good Sites List Update 1

  Hello! I don't know if any of you know about My-Lolita-Dress.com, but it is, according to a lolita who's been doing this a while, a milanoo-type scam site. You guys do not know my ultimate disappointment. I had so many things I wanted to buy (but luckily have not bought yet), that I now can't. Also my safety program censored Google drive, which had in it my wolf research and lolita wishlist. Jeez, why is this happening to me!?
Okay, so this post is for part one of my "good sites list" (to be posted on a separate page of this blog). It's a list of sites that I approve of. If any of these sites are a scam/milanoo-type thing, please tell me so I can edit the post and take them off. If they have incorrect information, also tell me so I can correct it. None of these are brand sites unless stated otherwise.

-* QutieLand * A site used for reselling lolita clothes.
-Dear Celine A good quality taobao site. In Chinese.
-Kidsyoyo A good quality, well known taobao site. In Chinese.
-Anna House An inexpensive korean offbrand lolita store.
-Bodyline A good, inexpensive offbrand site selling lolita clothes and other styles.
-Sock Dreams An online sock store.
-FanPlusFriend A popular store specializing in lolita and cosplay.