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