More changes

We all know that life changes and sometimes it takes a completely different turn than you expected. No, I am definitely not quitting Lolita, but my life is changing and I thought I should make it clear because this blog will probably change too.

First of all, summer is coming. And I live in Texas. So yeah, it's going to get very, very hot, very soon. Which means from now on I either have to wear pretty casual Loli coordinates ( Which never seems to work out for me because somehow they all end up not so casual... ) or just dressing cute. Therefore I will still continue buying Lolita, but I will probably also try out some cooler ( in a literal sense! ) fashions such as fairy kei or just my own cute kind of style. So don't be surprised if I make a post that has nothing to do with Lolita fashion, but some other sort of fashion instead. I probably won't do that often as I still love Lolita the most, but I might do it sometimes.

Second, I start a tumbling class tomorrow ( a type of gymnastics ) and not only will that take up a lot of my time, it takes up a lot of my money too. The rest of my money ( besides tithe ) will usually be devoted to purchasing more clothing, speaking of which I have just ordered an adorable new dress and whenever it gets here I will definitely be doing a review! I'll probably also have to learn to sew to add more clothes to my Lolita wardrobe because of my lack of money, but oh well. :)

Finding the time for Lolita

If you're like me, then a lot of your daily activities require more practical clothing than the frills and poof that make up Lolita fashion. Exercising, chores and sometimes even shopping cannot be done while wearing Lolita. What's a Rufflebutt to do? When can one ever find the time to feel like a princess in such a busy world?

Hopefully this will help.

Tone it down a little...or a lot.

Casual Lolita or simply wearing a nice blouse with a good pair of jeans are better than no Rori at all and can still make you feel cute. Add some adorable accessories if your time and activities will allow them, even just a cute necklace with otherwise normal clothing can make your day a little brighter.

Paint your nails

Paint them, decorate them or just put on fake nails. This simple touch ( hopefully ) won't be too time consuming and will make any outfit, no matter how casual, cuter.

Wear Lolita when you go shopping or to church

It may seem silly to get all dressed up just to go shopping or to wear something like Lolita to church, but I must admit that I enjoy doing these things. If you don't feel comfortable in full out Lolita, you could always tone it down or just wear some cute accessories instead. Depending on what church you might attend, it might not be accepted as much as it should be ( especially Gothic Lolita, unfortunately, with the stereotypes surrounding Goth ) but you really should think about trying it out. I wear Lolita very frequently to church or at least something cute and I always get kind reactions to it and I hope it works out that well for you too! It will also make you look forward to each coming Sunday and being able to wear your frills out.

Wear a nightgown to bed

If you can't find the time to wear Lolita during the day, you can still wear something frilly and beautiful at night, even if it's just to bed.

Plan when to wear Lolita

 If all else fails, just make some space in your schedule to wear Lolita for a day. You could plan to go out for a  nice walk at the park, or you could just stay at home and rest in your favorite dress. 

What is most important to remember is that you don't have to wear Lolita all the time, so don't feel bad if you don't have time to wear it today or even just don't feel like it. Just have fun when you do have the time to wear it!

Five Loli things to do when you're bored

Feeling bored? Are you in a ladylike mood but don't have a clue what to do? Whether you're a Lifestyle Lolita or not, here's some fun ideas!

1. Play dress up

What's the fun in having a wardrobe full of cute clothes if you can never play around with them?  Create a crazy new style, pretend it's Halloween and dress up as a character, or just have fun wearing what you love. Or if you don't feel like getting all dolled up, why not dress up a real or virtual doll instead?  Or maybe even a pet!

2. Do something creative

Crotchet, knit, embroider, do some crafts, practice calligraphy, write a poem or a short story, sew up something beautiful, deco something, paint, draw, sing, cook, anything! You could even get creative with your makeup, think of your face as a canvas and create a work of art. 

3. Listen to music

Classical music, Japanese music or any music that may remind you of Lolita fashion and make you feel like a princess will do. While your listening to that, start dancing! 

4. Redocorate your room to reflect your personal style

You don't have to have a Loli bedroom to be a Lolita of course, but it could definitely be fun!

5. Go outside in your frills

Go to the park and have a picnic with friends or just go for a walk around your neighborhood. Remember to bring a parasol!

Casual Guro Lolita?

Guro Lolita is a somewhat rare sub-style of Lolita, usually used as a costume for Halloween, at an anime convention or worn for a photo shoot. I have yet to hear of a Lolita who wears Guro Lolita on a regular or daily basis.

( Above and below images from HelloLace )

This unique style certainly does look like somewhat like a costume ( one could argue that Lolita fashion itself can look like a costume to someone who doesn't know anything about it, but anyway... ) and might not be the most practical thing to wear regularly, but could it be made to be a bit more suitable for your everyday life? Well, let's find out!

The fake blood is the first thing that not only makes this style look somewhat costume-like, but perhaps a bit scary to strangers and younger children especially. It is usually a big thing of what makes Guro Lolita, well, Guro Lolita, but no one says you need a lot of it or even any fake blood at all. Eyepatches, bandages, band-aids and other such accessories will still keep with the broken doll look and will be a little less scary.

White is the usual color for Guro Lolita, but it isn't the only color you can wear. A deep red might look nice if you want to go for the style but spare the fake blood, or why not try mixing styles to create something like Gothic Guro Lolita? Practice mixing and matching until you find something that works, it's more fun that way!

Though eyepatches and arm slings may look great with your co-ordinate, they can get in the way of everyday life. Try to choose accessories that won't impair your movements!

The point of Guro Lolita is usually to look like a broken or injured doll, a good way to do that is to carry around something like a teddy bear. Some Lolitas don't like doing this as they feel it's too childish and that's fine, but if you want to, then a stuffed animal purse is a good accessory as it's both functional and stylish! You could dress it up a bit to match the Guro Lolita style, putting bandages on it and such.

Have fun experimenting everyone!  :) 

I Dare You

To use a term from Elementary school, I double-dog-dare you to be creative with your Lolita style.

I love the styles we already have, Classic, Gothic, Sweet, Kuro, Guro, you name it. Lolita has a style for every girl. Or is that so? It's true that Lolita fashion is very varied, but it's also true that it could be more varied. Lolita has some very unique styles, which is why it surprises me that sometimes when someone wants to try something new with the style, their ideas are shot down. "No, that could never work with Lolita, don't even bother trying it!" I'm sure this is what some people thought of Punk Lolita before it gained popularity.

So, I dare you to make your own style. I'm not saying you shouldn't wear what's already been invented of course, but why not be creative? You don't have to get it perfect the first time, you don't even have to post pictures of it online, just do it for you.

Or instead of creating your own style, why not wear one you've never tried before because you've been too afraid? If you love Sweet Lolita but are past your 20's, why not try it on anyway? Even if you aren't Asian, who says you can't wear Wa Loli? Even if someone has said you can't wear it, who cares?

My point is, if we shouldn't care about what other people think about how we dress, shouldn't that include other Lolitas? Of course you should listen to constructive criticism, but at the end of the day, how you dress is up to you. Not even other Lolitas have the right to tell you "No, you can't wear that.".

Trip to an Anime Convention

Yesterday, perhaps one of the busiest days of my life so far, was my first trip to an anime convention. I was nervous, excited and all dolled up! A couple shots of my outfit.

 I just now notice that the bow on the cupcake was a bit sideways, of course. And don't ask what happened to these gloves, but I wasn't wearing them later and never will again.

I LOVE these socks!!

I was able to attend some Lolita panels as well as one Steampunk panel before I began to feel horrible for multiple reasons ( I think I'm getting sick... ) and had to go home. I still had a wonderful time though, and was able to purchase a few things with what little money I had!

 The first thing I bought was this adorable little Bunny Bear...thing. It was just so cute I couldn't resist... ^_^"
I have to say though, with all the good things I've heard about brand, what I saw at the Baby the Stars Shine Bright stall was pretty...disappointing. There were beautiful things, don't get me wrong, but, well... I felt one skirt and I was absolutely shocked with how thin it was. The Bodyline skirt that I was wearing was softer and thicker than that! And the lace on the bunny bear I bought, both the lace around the neck and the head, was somewhat scratchy. I still love what I bought, but I was very disappointed in it's quality. Still, I did see some beautiful things there that did seem to be of much better quality than the skirt or the bear, and I wish I'd of had a lot more money to spend! :) The socks looked particularly nice!

Then I bought a cupcake necklace, a cupcake ring and a cute little poptart ring! I love the necklace the most, it's friggin adorable.

I also got to meet some other Lolitas there, they were very sweet and I'm so glad I got to go!

Ten Tips on How to be a Lolita

I thought I'd give a few tips on how to be a good Lolita! So you can go ahead and read them, or just watch this video!

1. Always match your style with your attitude

If you're a Sweet Lolita, make sure to act super sweet and nice all the time! If you're a Classic Lolita, never raise your voice and always have proper manners. If you're a Gothic Lolita, be mysterious and moody. 

2. Wear as much lace as physically possible

Sure, the silhouette is important in Lolita, but not nearly as important as lace! This picture is a good example of how much lace you should wear at once, or more if possible.

3. Only listen to Classical music.

Lolita fashion is based on the past, so if you are a true Lolita, your head has to be in the past too!

4. Always wear bloomers

It doesn't matter what you're wearing or doing, always wear bloomers. Wear them under your pants, wear them in the shower, never be caught without them!

5. Have a strict diet of cupcakes and lollipops

Because if you don't have diabetes, how can you call yourself a Lolita?

6. If you can walk through a doorway, you aren't wearing enough petticoats

Scratch that, there is no such thing as "enough" petticoats.

7. Every inch of skin except your hands and head must be covered. 

Doesn't matter how hot it is outside, going without a blouse is unacceptable!

8. Lolify all the things!

Lolify everything from your toothpaste to your car, everything must be SUPER KAWAII!!!

9.  All of your money must go directly into your Lolita fund

Who needs food when you can look cute?!

10. Don't take any of these tips seriously. ( Except for this one. )

Because this is an April Fools joke, if you haven't figured that out already. Happy April Fools day everyone!