Inquiry of the Doll

I hope everyone had a lovely Holiday!  Did you all eat a lot of Turkey and get a lot of shopping done afterwards?

In my last post, I asked you all to email me with some questions.  Every month I will have a special blog post, titled "Inquiry of the Doll".  I am really debating on making this into a Youtube channel and answering your questions "in person" so to speak, but if I do this it will have to wait until I build a new computer... and by that I mean paying my brother-in-law to build me one.

So on with the Questions!  The following questions come from Nicky.

Is there a male equivalent to Lolita?
This is a good question.  I assume you mean a style meant for guys to wear.  There is the Kodona style. A nother way to describe this style is "Prince" like.  From my Train post, I attempted my own version of this style by taking pants that were too short for me and cutting them at the knee, adding embroidery, a vest and frilly shirt.  This look can be worn by both girls and guys, and can has also been called "Boystyle".  Another look that a guy can sport is the Aristocrat which is a more mature Victorian look.  Don't forget, if you're a guy and you really love the Lolita dresses you can still wear whatever style you want.  I don't judge and neither should anyone else.

Where do you purchase lolita accessories? Can you make your own?
Most places that see the clothing, you can also buy the accessories.  www.Bodyline.co.jp does have hair bows and jewelry that you can select from.  Etsy is also a really great place that you can buy some unique pieces from artists.  Myself personally, I am currently making my own because it's cheaper and I have all these materials.  Please keep a look out for updates on crafting videos I have found on Youtube.  I found some really good ones for those of you who wish to make Christmas Gifts this Year.

Are there forms of Lolita that show a lot of skin? That would be gross...

I guess that depends on what you consider a lot of skin.  There are some Lolita styles that have a shorter skirt or the shoulders are exposed.  Most of the time when a garment is considered Lolita it does meet certain guidelines for the standard expectations.  For me one of the things I love about Lolita is looking cute but staying modest.  Ero Lolita comes to mind in regards to this question.  It is a much more mature style and has been seen as a controversial style.  I myself have not seen many Lolitas attempt this in person, but if you are interested in learning a little more please refer to LolitaFashion.org or hellolace.net

What is the Lolita community like? Friendly? Competitive? Are there cliques?
My particular group that I am a part of I feel is fairly nice.  Everyone is always interested in just getting together and having a good time no matter what it is that we decide to do.  There might be some competitive girls in other groups but I have not seen them.  There are cliques, but you are going to find those everywhere.  It's nothing like the movie "Mean Girls"... what?  Yes I watched it, my roommate had it on and she was paying all the bills at the time.

How expensive can dresses be?

This is one of the drawbacks if this fashion!  Dresses can be crazy expensive, whether you are buying brand new from the company, or you are buying it second hand from the EGL Comm Sales or on the FB equivalent Lolita Sales in English.  If you are just starting out, I stress buying from http://www.bodyline.co.jp or browsing Etsy.com.  Dresses can be anywhere from $40-$150 on Bodyline last time I checked. 

Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying not to buy brand or not to use EGL, because you can still find some good pieces at good prices.  What I am suggesting is that if you are just starting out, start with something that is not going to hurt your wallet as much.  If you are then a 100% sure, then start looking around and find that dream dress or outfit.  I did buy a replica dress, and it's nice but it's not brand and if I do find my dress, I'm going to push the money out for it.  So it's all really about how much you want to spend in the end.

How cheap can dresses be?

EGL will have sales for handmade pieces or second pieces from bodyline.  Keep a look out for Lolita's cleaning out their closet, or Leaving Lolita sales.

Don't forget, if you can sew you can always make your own and that helps with the cost a great deal!  Plus it is an awesome way to get creative with this fashion.  Also, if anyone reading this feels that I am missing some very important information or anything, please feel free to post comments below because even though I have been interested in the style for years, I have only been wearing the style and officially in the community for about a 1 year and a half... maybe two years.  Either way there is still a lot that I and everyone else can learn, so please bless us with your awesome Lolita knowledge!

Is it better to keep to yourself at Lolita events, or is it more fun to volunteer and participate?

Volunteer, participate, smile and shake your groove thing.

When I went to my first couple of meet ups I was basically a wall flower.  Just sat down and smiled in my handmade Lolita skirt and ate macaroons.  I did talk to some people and we held a swap meet.  I did have a good time and I was mostly quiet because I was nervous.  It was all very new to me and all I could think was "Oh, what if these girls don't like me?  Am I too old to be doing this?"  What I discovered was that most of the girls were around my age, and we even had older women there as well. 

After that I tired to go to as many meet ups as I could and tried to help out in events as much as possibly.  If no help was needed, I tried to make sure that I was evolved some how.  My job at the time didn't really allow for that to happen too often.  So if you find yourself in that situation I would recommend posting on the FB group you might be a part of, or posting onto whatever message board you are a member of.  Just because you cannot be there in person does not mean you cannot be a part of the community.

Is there any etiquette we should know about? Spoken and unspoken! =^-^=

I suppose this depends on the group of Lolitas you find yourself with.  My group is pretty laid back, but I think for others there might be more strict rules.  I would just try to get a feel for it and judge from there.  The main thing I can think of strongly advising is "Treat those how you wish to be treated" and if someone does display ill manner, do not stoop to their level, they are not worth it and if you find that the others in the group are treating you just as badly for whatever reason then politely leave.  This shouldn't be a community where we need to worry about being bullied by each other.  We should be coming together and showing the world how our fashion choices (however strange it might be to them) are just as valid as anyone else's... Oh my, I might have drifted from the Question... Ah well, I am going to keep going. 

While on this subject of embracing our love for this unique fashion and being able to express our individuality without fear, I cannot help but to think about a great quote from a great woman.

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" - Eleanor Roosevelt


Nicky, Thank you for your questions.  I hope that they not only helped you but helped anyone who is reading with similar questions.  If you have any questions that you would like answered or you would like to read about something specific, please email me at lolita_doll11@yahoo.com  Any and all feedback is welcomed.  You can also post questions in the comments belows.  I would also really love to know if you would be interested in seeing videos in the future.

Until next time Pretties!

-PLV

Turkey Day

Hello Ladies and Gents,

So tomorrow is Thanksgiving, an American Holiday.  For those of you who read my blog and are not familiar with this Holiday, it's a day that families and Friends all come together and have a big meal, in Celebration of all the things we are Thankful for.

So, I wont be online tomorrow to make a post, so I wanted to go over the things I am thankful for.  First and most importantly I am thankful for my family.  Though we drive each other crazy, they are the only people I know I can count on for support (and money when I am in a jam...  But I pay them back!).  I am thankful for my very supportive boyfriend, even being across an ocean he is there for me.  My friends, for all the stupid stuff I do, for some reason you still want to hangout with me.  I am thankful for my church that I found with the help of a friend.  I can't make it a lot of the time to services but I don't feel judged when I can go.  Really thankful for all the people I met in the Lolita Community, and I am looking forward to becoming a bigger part of it.

So I am thankful for other stuff too, but I only have so much time.

Today's plans:  Help mom prep for tomorrow.  Stuffing, buying the booze for consumption and the Turkey! Yum!  Cleaning the house, and then sleep for three hours before getting up to start cooking with my mom!

Tomorrow's plan: Cooking in Early Morning, Talking to Mason which will probably be followed with my Mother talking to Mason (I am 85% sure my mother will ask him what he is doing for Thanksgiving... forgetting that in England they do not celebrate the holiday.  Love you Mom!  Admittedly, I probably will do something equally as funny if not more so!).  Have an early Dinner and try not to pass out from the food coma!  Work on iSaunter's garment, hopefully finish it over the Weekend, and then I also have to work on my dress for my class.

So yeah, probably wont post any Turkey Day pictures as I don't really have a Lolita outfit for the Holiday.  But I will try to post these neat videos for making jewelry and neat gift ideas!  I am probably going to go ahead and actually make some of these items and use them for gift ideas.

If you have any neat crafting idea's, videos you would like to share, have any questions you would like to ask me, or pictures of your favorite Lolita co-ordinate; I will post them on the blog and try to answer the questions as best as I can. Please keep the questions PG :)

Email me at Lolita_doll11@yahoo.com 


Ok, well It's time to finish the work day.  I hope everyone has a happy Holiday!

-PLV

Trains!

So this has to be a super quick post as I am not sure how much time I have on my break. This is basically going to be a photo dump. It's been a while since I posted pictures on here. On here you will see my Attempt at a Kadona. I altered pants and threw stuff together (OMG what is she thinking?!?!).

Anyway, My friend Jeff and I decided to go to the Meetup in PA. It was very small, but nice as I got to hang out with two very awesome Lolitas!  The pictures that you see, almost all of them were taken by Laidech... I suck at taking pictures!  But these are really neat and I will probably use the inside of the Train for the Pretty Little Victorian Holiday Wall Picture!  Please note that the pictures are in random order, because I am tired or trying to fix it.

If You're Going to Do it... Do it Right.

Hello Darlings!

So today I want to talk about something that seems to be a big issue for me.  Now there are many different kinds of Lolita, and if you have been into the fashion for a while, you probably know that there are rules on how to wear Lolita or even how one should behave.  I would like to think of these more as guidelines.  The more extreme Lolitas (and there is nothing wrong with being passionate about your interests) would argue that in order to be considered Lolita you have to dress a certain way and act a certain way.  Those that do not comply with these rules get labeled with the name "Ita".

"Ita" is a term used for those who try to dress in the Lolita fashion but due to whatever reason it is deemed that their attempts are not up to standards.  Examples:  They could just be starting out, so they grab what they can in their closet or at good will and alter it.  They buy a dress online that looks Lolita, but once they get it it turns out that no, it's not what they expected and does not fit into the standards, however they still want to wear it.  The particular style that they like is frowned upon, (Wa Lolita being one of them).
Here is my thoughts on Lolita, whether you are starting out or you just want to do your own thing.  Just do it.  When it comes down to it, Lolita should ultimately be a feeling you get when you want to dress in the style.  You just admire the fashion but don't own any garments.  If that is the case, in my opinion you are a Lolita in spirit and that is what matters. 

When I say "Dress in the style"  it does not have to be brand, it can be clothes you bought at Walmart but thought it conveyed the Lolita style in some way.  I basically had to start out the same way and go through my closet or get lucky at the sale rack at JC Penny.  So girls who have to basically make due until they get the money for their own outfits or learn how to sew will get stuck with the label as "Ita".  I find this term offensive, not only for me but for all girls or guys who enjoy the fashion.
Now before people start filling up my comment box, I just want to address something.  I know that not everyone has these thoughts, and that those who do have these thoughts will have them for different reasons.  You are entitled to your opinion.  All I ask is that before you judge someone, please remember that not everyone has $300 dollars to drop down on one outfit from Baby The Starts Shine Bright, especially clothes they are not 100% sure are for them.  Not everyone is 100% clear of what makes something Lolita, and what they may think is their best treasure (be it bought or sewn), someone could be making a joke out of it.  So like all practical people, these girls or guys will take the resources they have in their own closest.  Even though it is not up to Lolita standards, shouldn't people who try get some credit?

Now the clothes aside, lets go over attitudes or mannerisms.  For those of you who know me, I am a pretty quite girl.  I don't have any brand other than bodyline.  I sew my own clothes (which apparently is also frowned upon?).  I work hard and am respectful of others.  So when I get dressed in whatever outfit I happen to want to wear (Tiny hat tilted to the side and all!) to hang out with my friends, I want the experience to be a good one.  And you know what?  It is a good experience, because not everyone in the group that I meet up with follows the rules 100%, and everyone feels relaxed to be their self without fear of being judged.  Shouldn't it just always be that way?  You don't have to like or love someones outfit, but you also don't have to treat them any less of a human being than you would want yourself to be treated.

Frill and let Frill!

... Ok, my catch phrases still need work.  I hope that those of you who read this understand what I was getting at.  I am not ashamed of the "Ita" outfits I had when I was first starting out, or the ones that I still have.  I'm not ashamed because even though I might not have done it right, I was still Lolita, and I still am today, because despite what I wear it's how I feel.  I hope that others who are also starting out, or who had the same beginnings also feel the same.

Stay pretty, both inside and out.

-PLV

Work, School, Too much stuff!

So it feels like it has been ages since I wore anything Lolita or have been out to a meet... and then I remember that most of my wardrobe is stuff for spring, and I have been too busy to go out and report any Meetups!

I am trying to juggle work, boyfriend, sewing, and school.  My main problem is when I come home from work, I am just too tired to do anything.  However today I am going to work on my Presentation Board for school, provided I get ink for a printer... because... well it's hard to print anything without that.  So speaking of my Presentation Board, I felt that it would be neat to talk about what I am doing for my project.  I have to take a design and basically tell what I think inspired the designer's design.  I chose Channel's 12-13 Collection Cruise line.  I am saying that these designs (I have to pick one though I think... maybe... it was really unclear in the directions and when I asked my teacher, I just got more confused so I am going to do my best here), were inspired by Rococo Interior Design.  Here is the link.  Yeah, I am still not posting pictures on here because Blogger still likes to fight with me.

http://www.chanel.com/fashion/8-cruise-2012-13-chanel-collection-look-26,33#8-cruise-2012-13-chanel-collection-33,26

So, I really need to finish this project this week.  Once I finish doing that, I am knuckling down on the contest winner design!  It's sad, it's just sitting there, all the pieces are there just waiting to be put together!  I might need to get a zipper for it though... maybe... We are still trying to figure that part out.

Anyway, back to the Channel line.  When I saw these, I thought most of them looked Lolita like, some of them not so much, but I really like some of these designs and would love to wear them.  Too bad they are even more expensive than Brand, but that is just how it goes.  I would love to make some more winter clothes for myself, but I really do not feel as though I have up to the task at this point, so I just might be buying some Winter Lolita outfits.  Probably from Bodyline, that is all I can afford, but I am not sure if I want to buy a winter coat from there because I have heard some mixed reviews and it is supposed to be a super cold winter this year.  If anyone has any suggestions for a good Lolita Winter coat, I don't care if it is brand or what so long as it keeps me warm and I cute :)

Really pondering about doing a Webshow... the only problem is that I already do not have enough time to do anything else, and I really don't know what I would talk about other than the pieces I have made and my general day.  That idea is probably going to go on the back burner until I can really think this idea through.

Oh, for those of you who like Trains, there is going to be a Lolita Meet at the Strasburg Railroad.  Lolitas from Baltimore and PA will be meeting to ride the train and possibly venture into the Museum.  I am excited because I have never ridden on a train like this, and having a bunch of us dressed up in frilly outfits will be exciting!

Well, my lunch break is over, so I got to go.  Hopefully I will be continuing with my updates regularly and find more interesting things to discuss when everyone!

Thanks for reading!

PLV