Keep it Simple, Sweetheart: A Love Letter to Basic, Casual Pieces

Source

I’m a huge fan of casual Lolita and otome-kei, not just because they are very wearable (which they are) but because they are easier to throw together with mainstream pieces. It’s surprisingly simple to find cutsew-like pieces in more mainstream stores, especially if you look at stores like Modcloth that specialize in vintage-style clothing and therefore have a lot of tops with more detail to them than a plain white tee.

Because I do so much stuff that’s historically-inspired or edging on OTT here on my blog, I wanted to take a moment to pull together a series of outfits that use basic, offbrand tops with Lolita skirts to create something casual and, more importantly, office- or school-appropriate.

Most of these swing hard toward the retro look – unsurprising given the combination of full skirts and other shirts – but they’d be easy to lolify further with head eating bows, wrist cuffs, or actually Lolita shoes. My own personal style tends to skirt the line between Lolita, retro, and otome-kei, so this shouldn't surprise you.

And the best thing about these shirts is that most of them would be so simple to find in a store or DIY. And I do, of course, encourage you to DIY if you can. Then you get the opportunity to be proud of your own work and you can create something cute along the way.

"I Was Raised To Be Charming, Not Sincere": A Coordinate for 'Into the Woods'

Over a month ago, my friends decided that we should go out to Into the Woods together. I am, of course, not opposed to this idea - I love the musical and the reason they decided we needed to go together was because I was the one who first introduced them to the show. Two of my cousins got in on the act, so the group of five set a date. And, because I love dressing up to go out with my friends and this was a golden opportunity to create something with a theme.

But what to wear?

The answer to that question wasn't really as simple as it ought to be. At first I thought I should channel something dolly kei for the show, something witchy and wild. But, then, I looked at my wardrobe and didn't find anything that spoke to that as much as I should like. Eventually, I lighted upon the world of the princes and the palace. Vain, charming, and insincere, but with a richness to them that I appreciate.

This outfit is a few weeks old, but my friend who took the pictures wasn't able to send them to me until today.

Inspiring Films: My Favorite 18th Century Films

If you'll allow me a personal moment on the blog, this year hasn't been great thus far for me. I've been sick multiple times in the past three weeks, culminating yesterday with going in to have minor surgery to take care of an issue. As such, I've not been particularly frilly of dress lately. I've been wearing a lot of pajama pants and watching a lot of movies.

Those movies, however, have been very frilly, and I wanted to share them with you.

While I'm not really a fan of things Rococo and Georgian in my own style, I do love films inspired by the period and I know there are many Lolitas who find a good deal of inspiration in the clothing of the era. And, because I've been watching a lot of beautiful costume dramas recently, I want to share with you my favorite films set in the 18th century.

These are in no particular order. I enjoy them all and I think they're well worth the watch, but I'm not going to say one is better than another.

Lolita in the Office: Using Lolita Pieces in Office Wear

This might be one of her subtle looks,
but it's probably not right for the office IRL.

As much as I had fun watching Deka Wanko, Ichiko doesn't dress appropriately for her workplace. She's adorable most of the time, but almost all of her looks are not right for her job. She's not the example you should be following.

Being a Lolita at work can be a challenge. While goth is easy to incorporate into the color scheme of office wear, Lolita’s complexity and varied styles can be a challenge. So I’ve thought about it and pulled together a list of pieces from your Lolita wardrobe that should be able to be pulled into your work wardrobe.

Word of warning, though: I’m a classic Lolita. I tend toward classic patterns and simple lines already. Most of the pieces I gravitate toward are “normal” to the point of being almost casual. I turn down the ruffles and stick to classic lines because that’s what I do. If you’re into OTT sweet, this might not be the post for you.

“The Holly Green, The Ivy Green”: More Fashion-Inspired Christmas Décor

Last week I focused on some options for décor inspired by Lolita fashion. This week, I’m going to the other end of things with mori girl, dark mori, and dolly kei.

Mori Girl

While there are a lot of rustic Christmas ideas out there, my idea of a mori girl Christmas is informed by my own family traditions. I grew up with a lot of Scandinavian holiday influences, so when it came time to think of a mori girl Christmas all I could think of was my family’s shabby straw julebok with its red velvet ribbon and its little wheat beard.

Source

Scandinavian-inspired décor is pretty perfect, though, when you think about it. Heavy on straw ornaments with red and white as the primary colors, this stuff is very mori girl. It’s rustic but still has an undeniable charm to it.

Outfit of the Day: Otome-ish Outfit for Tree Decorating

As you may or may not have noticed, I rather enjoy Christmas. I also really enjoy decorating for Christmas. It's somehow become my job every year to put together the holiday decorations at my parents' house, and this year was no exception.

The tree you see there? That's this year's tree. And, because I'm me and rather fail sometimes at being "practical" in the traditional sense of the term, I decorated while dressed up. With all the Christmas decorations I've been posting, I thought I should share some of the pictures I've taken of decorating along with my outfit.

These are a couple of weeks old because I've been busy with the holiday season as a whole - decorating, family events, making gifts, and attending my cousin's wedding - but I hope you'll like them anyway.

“Santa Baby, Slip A Sable Under The Tree”: Lolita Fashion-Inspired Christmas Décor

It's time for Christmas decorating! If you’re not into decorating, I hope you at least like looking at the pretty pictures. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, maybe a few of these will give you ideas for year-round décor.

Classic Lolita

Those of you who like a traditional tree? Classic Lolita is the place to go full tilt Dickens on your decorating. I probably don't need to go into too much detail with this one, because this is the sort of thing many people think of when they think of Christmas.

Classic Lolita Christmas