Lolita Life Hacks: Dollar Store Solutions

Yes, I said it: dollar store.

I am a frequent dollar store shopper. My favorite is Dollar Tree because they quite literally offer each item in the store for a dollar, and that's where all the examples in this post will be from. However, there are a lot of different dollar store options if you look.

And, while dollar stores may seem directly at odds with the way most of us see  fashion - especially Lolita - you'd be amazed how many ways they can help you out. It's a good way to keep your costs down, and you can get some pretty good products, too!

Lolita Life Hacks Strike Back

A while back, I wrote a post on life hacks that are easy for Lolitas to use. These ones are less like “life hacks” than they are general tips, but they follow the same idea as my last life hack post: clever tricks that can make being a Lolita a little easier. And I’m all for easy.

One of these – the last one – is a longer “trick” and more like a tutorial than anything. I hope you forgive me the length of this skirt hack, because I find it terribly useful.

The Little Black Dress: Adapting a Classic For Your Style

"When a little black dress is right, there is nothing else to wear in its place." – Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor

Ah, the little black dress. Popularized by the ever-fabulous Coco Chanel and raised to style gospel in the time since, you’ve probably heard so much about the little black dress (or LBD as it is often abbreviated and will here be to cut down on length a little) that it’s as ingrained in your mind as it is in mine. It’s a classic.

The point of a little black dress is that it works as a simple staple that can be styled up, down, or any which way to suit almost any event. The ideal LBD is a quality piece that will work with a blazer for work wear, with lovely jewelry for an evening event, and in a wide variety of different ways for so many situations.

And I really think we should adapt that concept to every style.

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.