A Valentine for my Style Icons: Shout Outs for Some of My Favorite People

This is a bit of a fangirly post, but I don't care. It's Valentine's Day and I wanted to make a post giving a little bit of love to those who have influenced the way I dress and, more importantly, the way I think about my clothing. They're style and attitude icons for me, examples of what I aspire to be in different ways. They're also people I would love to meet in person because they seem like beautiful people inside and out.

I've listed some of them here with links to their tumblrs but with no ranking system whatsoever. Perhaps someday I will make more lists, because there are many more people who have influenced my style. These are just the ladies who most came to mind.

Megan Maude

Not only is she a fantastic seamstress, but look how freaking cute she is! Her style is really pretty and very wearable for the most part, which is something I aspire to. She also tends to wear her skirts a tidge longer, usually just below the knee to tea length, which is where I like my skirts to fall.*

Lovely Lor

She's not precisely a style icon for me so much as an attitude icon. Yes, she did do my favorite example to date of guro Lolita, but it's about attitude more than the clothing. This chick has FUN with her style, and that's what counts. I mean, hello, Lor is the girl who has made multiple side-splitting "Shit Lolitas Say" videos. How can I not want to hug her after that?

Princess Peachie

She's so freaking cute! Her videos on youtube always make me smile, especially her video on confidence, and she always seems like the sweetest girl. Again, not precisely a style icon as sweet lolita isn't really my thing. But definitely a lolita who inspires me. She marches to the beat of her own drum - it's probably made of candy - and I love that about her.

Jillian Venters

And nobody who reads my blog should be surprised by this one. Jillian Venters, aka the Lady of the Manners, runs the Gothic Charm School website and has a delightful goth style that falls somewhere in the Victoriana-in-Tim-Burton-y-stripes-and-cupcake-pink range. She's also an eldergoth and living proof that you can still wear what you love once you're older (and sometimes even wear it to work). What could be more awesome than that?

Fanny Rosie

I love her. She's gorgeous. Her style is the most like what I want my wardrobe to be like: elegant, vintage-y, and wearable in many different settings. She wears a lot of brand skirts and dresses, but she's also got a fair bit of offbrand and vintage that she throws in and the effect is lovely. It's like she stepped out of a painting.

Kairii

I have one thing to ask Kairii: Kairii, how you be cute? Seriously, this girl is so adorable that sometimes she looks like she's not human; she looks a doll. She works several different styles into her wardrobe and is adorable in all of them.

Samantha Crossland

This lovely lady runs Blasphemina's Closet and lives in Minneapolis, so she's part of my local (by local read "state" because we're talking Minnesota here) lolita community. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to meet her, but I certainly admire what I've seen of her style and thoroughly covet her designs.

Ivy Frozen

This girl is lovely, her style is just as beautiful, and she seems to be just as beautiful on the inside. One day, I hope to commission a dress from her. Her style tends toward the classic and she does beautiful work. I mean, seriously, look at that book dress. She even makes custom sailor dresses.

Like I said, these aren't all the lovely ladies I admire. These are just the girls I thought of off the top of my head. Most of them are lolitas or at least lolita-inspired, which probably tells you a lot about the way my style tends at the moment. And all of them seem like lovely people.

Happy Valentine's Day, ladies!

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*It's an "I really don't like how my knees look so I'd rather cover them up if at all possible" thing for me. To each their own, right?