Mozarabic Chant: Something a Little Different in Lolita

I admit, like many a lolita enthusiast, I've gone a bit mad for the Mozarabic Chant print by Krad Lanrete. It's just so darn pretty!

This dark ages inspired print had me when I saw the rune detail along the waistband of the dress and incorporated into the details of the manuscript, but there's so much more to it. From the Byzantine image of Mary and Jesus to lace and the faded handwriting of a manuscript used as background texture, the print is rich with detail. And, since I'm thoroughly obsessed with the look of the skirt in particular, I thought I'd do a few coordinates on Polyvore. Get ready for a LOT of outfits based on the same skirt.

To Fur or Not to Fur

I'm just going to get this out of the way right away: dolly kei involves a fair bit of fur. So does lolita. So does much of retro style. So do a lot of alternative fashions. So does mainstream fashion, couture and otherwise.

And I'm just one person giving an opinion, so take it with a grain of salt.

The subject of fur is something that most people, at some point in time, will form an opinion about, and fur is one of those things that people disagree wildly on. Some people would never wear any fur, real or fake. Others will wear faux fur but not real. Others will wear both. Still others eschew faux fur entirely, preferring real fur.

There are many articles floating about online on the subject of how to wear fur, how to tell real fur from faux fur, how you can't tell real fur from faux fur, and many more subjects.

It's a lot for a girl to sort out when she's looking for some warm winter wear and, strangely enough, there are rarely articles that talk about the decision of whether or not to wear fur.

So I'm going to share my opinion.

Personally, I'm not a really fan of real fur. I don't like the idea that the creatures whose pelts I would be wearing died solely for their skins to be worn by people like me. I own many pieces that feature faux fur as an alternative, from a warm stole I purchased recently to boots with faux fur accents.

However, I do own two pieces of real fur. Both are vintage, secondhand items that have been around at least since the 1950s. I have one fur collar, given to me by my aunt from her vintage collection. I also have one fur coat, the story of which I must tell you another day because it makes me feel connected to something much larger than myself.

Why?

Both of these pieces are items that I frequently think about when I consider the ethics of fashion. On the one hand, I do not, as a rule, wear fur. However, these items both have special meaning to me. They are more than just clothing; they are mementos of particular occasions, of people I love in the case of the collar and of a story I uncovered in the case of the coat. They are my connection, physical and tangible, to someone else. They are also one form of recycling. Rather than just throwing them out or leaving them to languish in dusty corners of storerooms or antique shops, they are being used. For those reasons, I am willing to make an exception.

But that's me.

The truth is, though, that I cannot decide for you what you do on this issue. I can only give you a few things to consider as you try to decide.

• Cost. Real fur tends to be much costlier. Vintage coats can be purchased for reasonable prices, but in general it is far and away cheaper to buy faux fur.
• Weight. Faux fur, by the nature of the process by which it was made, tends to be very different in terms of texture. Faux fur often has a very heavy base fabric holding the individual hairs together. Real fur, on the other hand, has leather, which tends to be softer and more flexible.
• Origin. Yes, real fur comes from animals. If you have issues with animal products, that's something you will need to wrestle with when it comes to real fur. You can always bypass the issue with faux fur.
• New or vintage. This is a big factor in my decision. New fur bothers me. Vintage fur does not, because I am not supporting the fur industry. Instead, I am recycling.

If you make a decision that is different from mine, that's fine. I understand. This is something that we each need to weigh out for ourselves. It's something, though, that we do need to weigh out, to consider thoroughly before we act.

Sweet Skirt, Classic Eye: A Few More Examples

After last week's clothing sets based on the skirt I gave my cousin, I was inspired to break out of the limited wardrobe I used and do a few more. It's a challenge for me, being so much on the gothic and classic end of things, to play in the sugary world of sweet Lolita. So, in light of the fun I had making a few outfits for my cousin, here are a few more.

Sweet Skirt, Classic Eye III by bespectacledbibliophile featuring a turtle neck sweater

This first outfit is, obviously, a winter outfit. I wanted to create something that would be just as adorable outdoors as it was indoors and, living in the upper midwest, that means warm accessories. Fur boots, a wool coat, a hat, gloves, a scarf. They're all pretty necessary. So are a nice thick set of tights or leggings (layered if it's really chilly) and a warm layer of actual clothing underneath. It's pretty simple, but it's adorable and in keeping with the style of the skirt.

Sweet Skirt, Classic Eye II by bespectacledbibliophile featuring beige tights

Another nice, simple outfit. I wanted this one to pick up on the green in the skirt. I was hoping for green flats, a blouse, or tights that matched that particular green, but I couldn't find any. Instead, I went with some accessories that will add touches of the same color.

Sweet Skirt, Classic Eye I by bespectacledbibliophile featuring an ivory shirt

And, finally, the one that looks most like me. It's vintage-inspired with deep, rich shades. It's got a ruffled umbrella/parasol. It takes its cue from the early 20th century.

It's very me, and that surprises me.

What I've loved most about this project is that it got me out of my aesthetic and dumped me straight into a style that I know very little about and have a very tough time connecting with. Does this mean I'll be adding sweet skirts to my wardrobe? Probably not. Does it mean I have a much greater appreciation for girls who wear this on a regular basis? Yes, indeed.

"What do I wear with this thing?": One Skirt, Many Outfits

As a very early graduation present, I got my cousin a skirt from Bodyline. It's sweet lolita, full tilt, but my cousin is not a lolita. She asked me, after trying on the skirt, what I thought she should wear with it.

So, of course, I made a blog post.

I limited the store choices to Target, Wal Mart, Maurice's, Claire's, J.C. Penney, and Kohl's. They're all stores my cousins shop at and all sell their wares at fairly reasonable prices. Megan, I know you're into cheap. I tried to reflect that in my choices.

The outfits are all lolita-ish. I wouldn't classify most as lolita. My cousin, as I said, is not a lolita. However, I tried to make them cute and fun, which is really all that matters. Also, most of them are simple. I wanted to make sure they reflected the need to throw it on and go that I know my cousins have sometimes.

One Skirt, Many Outfits: Wardrobe I by bespectacledbibliophile featuring sheer stockings

This is really just a basic accessory wardrobe. Three different colors of shoes to choose from, one plain pair of tights, one wild pair of tights, a couple of hats, a headband, a sparkly hairbow, and a pair of suspenders for fun. I kept everything to a very basic color scheme so it will pretty much all match.

Styles to Seek: Otome-Kei

Otome-kei is one of the next big things. A lot of Lolitas are turning to otome for their fix of frills when the rules of Lolita become too rigid. Some Lolitas are taking otome items and using them for Lolita. Some Lolitas are taking their Lolita items and using them for otome.

So, what the heck is otome?

Otome-kei is a Japanese style that focuses on dressing like a young lady, or otome, for lack of a better term. There really isn’t a clear definition for the style. Outfits are generally cute, elegant, and feminine. You could say that it is a mixture of styles, and that is technically true. You could say that it is inspired by the clothing of the 20th century, and that's often true but not necessarily so. Each outfit can be completely unique to the wearer, and the style is more about the feel you get than from the actual clothes.

That doesn't mean there aren't brands that cater to otome style, of course. The big three are MILK, Emily Temple Cute, and Shirly Temple. But even these aren't necessary; otome is pretty easily found from offbrand sources.

Now, otome can look like a lot of things. Here are just a few examples:

Pixie-late looking adorable and ladylike.

As you can see, they're all girly, but past that there isn't really much in terms of a hard line set of rules. Skirts are usually shortish, knee length or shorter, but that isn't a hard rule. Prints can vary from quirky silverware to bunnies to polka dots to old-fashioned florals. Sleeves or sleeveless work. From a-lines that flow from the shoulders to dropped-waist dresses, there isn't a defined silhouette. The style is just... ladylike.

And that's a large part of the draw. There aren't really rules. There's just a feel of girliness, of youth.

And you know? I can't say it doesn't appeal to me.

Corsets for My Cousin IV: Unlaced

The most important piece of advice I can give is to make sure that the pieces you buy to wear with your corset go with your wardrobe. You need to have a complete wardrobe. You need to have a working wardrobe. You can't just get an item to go with one outfit; it doesn't justify the cost. You have to be able to wear the item multiple ways or many different times.

I have a friend who put down over $450 on a corset, skirt, and blouse at the Renaissance Festival. She didn't wear it for more than four hours the day she bought it and has not worn it since. It's simply not worth the money.

So, in the final installment of this series, here are several day-to-day outfits without the corsets using the same wardrobe.

Unlaced I: Menswear by bespectacledbibliophile featuring flat shoes

I do so love a menswear-inspired piece. This is pretty monochrome, but most of the tops would work very well with this, adding a single color to the outfit.

Unlaced II: Plum Fantastic by bespectacledbibliophile featuring vintage skirts

Another very simple outfit. Mixing a couple of purple tones and a neutral.

Unlaced VI: Bookish by bespectacledbibliophile featuring mesh stockings

And a mashup of the two! It really is amazing how many outfits you can create when you've got a good base of neutrals to play with.

Unlaced V: Purple Lady by bespectacledbibliophile featuring beige tights

And another one! I didn't mean to go with a purple theme; it just sort of happened.

Unlaced IV: Business Class by bespectacledbibliophile featuring beige tights

This one is definitely office wear. Without the blazer, it's a bit less relegated to the office, but I think it works with or without.

Unlaced III: This Dame Means Business by bespectacledbibliophile featuring flower tights

Another vintage-y number, this one with a pairing of the classic menswear blazer and the very feminine cloche hat. Pin the butterfly to the blazer to soften the edge of that item, and I think they blend nicely.

Unlaced VII: A Little Bit Pink by bespectacledbibliophile featuring beige tights

And lastly, something a bit cutesier and more pink. Just for the sake of doing something a little different. Personally, I'd put the flower at the waist to break up all the white and ivory.

I hope this has been helpful. I'll see you in the new year!

Corsets for My Cousin III: Black

And now it's time for the black corset!

This one, as I mentioned before, is a better approximation of the one my cousin might be getting. Personally, I found the black to be more inspiring because of that; I could glance over at the corset sitting on my bedside table and say "Yes. That outfit would work."

The black, however, also carries with it the risk of being limited to all black gothy outfits and, while I do love the dark Victorian aesthetic, I wanted to make sure I incorporated a variety of different looks.

Black Corset I: Purple and Plaid by bespectacledbibliophile featuring mesh tights

This is the outfit that kicked this whole project off, and I am very pleased with how it turned out. It's pretty traditionally girly, with the flower motifs and the rich purples and pinks, but I find it to be a very classy look. You could easily replace the corset with a vest and get a very similar feel, but the corset enforces the hourglass silhouette established by the full skirt and really kicks the femininity up a notch.

Black Corset II: Corporate Goth by bespectacledbibliophile featuring bronze flats

Corporate goth. With a corset. I tried to incorporate a few traditionally feminine details to complement the corset's obviously feminine shape, so i added the ruffles around the neckline of the shirt, the floral accent on the shoe, and the more traditionally feminine look to the earrings. To that, I added the pencil skirt (traditionally feminine but with a harder edge than full skirts), the blazer, the trilby (the hat; the brim's narrow, so it's a trilby), and the boxy look to the bracelet. All together, it makes what I consider a nicely cohesive whole.

Black Corset III: Antique Damask by bespectacledbibliophile featuring bronze flats

I admit, this one's a little bit boring. Classy, but boring. I love the combination of black and ivory, and the textures of the fabric of the skirt, the blouse, and the detail on the shoe all add visual interest. But it's still much less colorful and much more subdued than the other outfits in this set.

Black Corset IV: Pink and Black by bespectacledbibliophile featuring steelers shirts

I love the combination of soft, girly pink with the hard edge of black. Personally, for this particular set of clothes, I'd tie a pink ribbon around the waist to break up the hard black of the corset, and probably clip the flower to that ribbon.

Black Corset V: Into The Woods at Night by bespectacledbibliophile featuring pave earrings

This one is another simple outfit, but the little punch of color in the green gives it more visual interest to me. I'd probably use the little black flowers or the black bows for earrings, just to pull the floral motif more into the accessories. Fairly simple, altogether.

Black Corset VI: Night Blooming Flowers by bespectacledbibliophile featuring mesh stockings

This is probably the most traditionally gothy of the bunch. It's also the simplest. Throw on a ruffled top, interesting skirt, tights, corset, and shoes and you're pretty much good to go. This combination could work with almost any of the tops in the set I used, but I felt like having at least one really gothy outfit, so here you go.

Black Corset VII: Halloween Costume by bespectacledbibliophile featuring sheer stockings

This is, of course, a costume, but I wanted to throw something in here to show how costumes can be made from ordinary wardrobe choices (something that I do yearly) with a few additions. This is, of course, a raven/dark angel/something ooky spooky and feathery. I took some of the same wardrobe elements, added a pair of wings and a mask, and pulled in one feather headband that would still be entirely appropriate in other outfits. Voila! A costume.

So there you have it. Six day-to-day outfits utilizing a black corset and one costume.

Next week, I'm going to have more outfits from this set, but without the corsets (because versatility is important with any wardrobe). For the final installment of this series, we're going to have a few outfits unlaced.