I was chatting with a fellow Lolita-chan today about just what makes up the ‘basics’ of a Lolita wardrobe and the sort of things you should start off with and invest in. Myself, I make a lot of my clothes, but there are some things I will buy by choice because I know I’ll get a lot of wear out of them. So I sort of put together an informal list/guide on how I approach building up my collection, this might be of some use to new lolita’s who aren’t sure where to start or just for general interest ^_^ Its from my own personal experience however, so I don’t expect everyone to agree. This is really for Lolitas who want to wear the style often.
Lolita Base Colours: Black, White, Antique White
The first thing to keep in mind is that the base colours of most lolita outfits are black or white, with ‘antique white’ as an optional third colour. Therefore most of your basic items should be in these colours if you want to get the maximum use out of them. Sure those bottle green mary janes might be cute, but how many outfits will they go with? To figure out the base colour of a dress or outfit look at the colours and trim. If the trim is black, your base colour is usually black. If the trim is white your base colour is usually white etc. Dark rich colours look better with black or antique white, pastels go best with pure white.
Seasonal dressing
Smart Lolitas are Comfortable Lolitas. Always keep the weather in mind when choosing items for your wardrobe. Don’t buy things that you could only wear for one month a year because it doesn’t get hot/cold enough in your climate. Try and balance out your wardrobe between summer and winter items so that you always have somethign to wear, no matter the weather. And be practical, you might have to branch outside your favourite colours and styles to accomodate to the climate, kurololi is gorgeous but sweaty smelly kurololi on a 40 degree Celsius day is not.
Petticoats: One white, one black
It is very hard to pull off Lolita without a good petticoat/pannier. It is really worth investing in one of these, either comissioned or bought from a brand store. For a cheaper option make one yourself, they’re one of the simplest items to sew. Start off with a black one and a white one, or just a white one if you don’t wear many black skirts. Later on if you have time and money you might wish to have some of different lengths and thickness.
Blouses: White with removable sleeves
The one item I will always buy from brand names, because its really hard to find a good lolita blouse outside of japan and the money invested is well worth it because they are the staple of your wardrobe. If you can only afford one blouse, get a white one with removable sleeves. This is the most versatile style. Later you might like to get a black one, an antique white one and try different sleeve lengths and styles. As for collars, peter pan is best as a basic blouse and will look good under Jumper skirts. One thing to keep in mind is how a blouse looks on top of a skirt. A lot of blouses are designed to be tucked in and have rather ugly or plain bottoms. Blouses with a little ruffle or lace at the end will usually look better over a skirt.
Shoes: Black Mary Janes
Lets face it, white mary janes are not easy to find. I reccomend buying a pair of black mary janes locally or off ebay (Demonia has some great styles) and then saving up for a nice pair of brand name white ones. You can actually get away with black MJ’s with almost anything other than pure shirololi, so they’ll serve well for the time being. I don’t suggest buying coloured mary janes (red, pink, blue) unless you wear a LOT of that colour, as they tend to look awful with anything but that colour. Rainbow Lolita is just.. x.x.
Skirts: Make them or buy handmade.
Skirts are the easiest thing in the world to make! If you have never sewn in your life you can still make a lovely lolita skirt fairly quickly and cheaply. If you’re short on money I do not reccomend buying brand name skirts because you can buy or make similar quality ones for a lot less. The main thing with skirts is that you should some how ‘tie them in’ with the rest of your outfit. If its a printed skirt, get a matching printed headdress or accessory. Velvet ribbons around the collar of your blouse can match the colour of your skirt, the same goes for ties. Another option is getting a matching capelet, this can really dress up an otherwise bland blouse/skirt combo.
Jumper Skirts: Buy Brand or handmade, Summer and Winter styles
Jumper skirts are a step up from skirts when it comes to sewing, but they’re fairly easy once you have a good pattern that fits you. Brand name Jumper skirts are a good investment however, as you can wear them with or without a blouse and mix and match them a fair bit. Just keep in mind the material of the jumperskirt you’re buying, some are better for summer and others better for winter.
One Pieces: Special occaisions
The problem with one piece dresses is that they are an outfit in themselves, you can’t really change them (though some have removable sleeves) and thus they’re great if you want an entire outfit in one go. I personally find that I save my one piece dresses for special occaisions, tea parties, birthdays etc.. otherwise I feel like I’m wearing the same thing all the time. If you like one full outfit go for them, if you prefer to mix and match for the season/occaision then stick to two-piece outfits.
Socks: Black, white, knee highs with lace
I’m of the opinion that a lolita can never have too many socks. But to bring it down to basics, a black pair and a white pair of knee highs with a lace trim are a good start. You might like to invest in a pair of simple black stockings and a pair of white too, especially if you have long legs. Brand name socks range from $20-$35, however if you keep an eye on the sock department in your local department store you’ll occaisionally find some perfect pairs for a lot cheaper. Sock toppers can be easily added to plain knee highs for another cheap option.
Headgear: Make or buy locally
This depends a lot on your personal taste and style. I, for one, look awful in the traditional rectangular headdresses so I opt for bows, mini hats, round headdresses and flowers. Its good to try different head dresses and find which ones flatter your face shape and hair cut. Look around at the brand sites for ideas and then see which ones you could easily make or buy locally. Flower corsages are quite easy to find in the shops as are little bow barettes and hair ties. For traditional headdresses try making your own, they’re very simple. Go with staple colours that will match a lot of outfits, as usual black and white are good to start with.
Jewelry: Collect from various sources.
Lolita jewelry is really quite easy to find. Try antique and second hand stores for classical pieces. Asian jewelry stores often have a lot of lolita motifs like crowns, roses, wings, hearts etc. You can make your own fairly easily too. Of course jewelry is really an optional thing but the following is what I found on a quick dig through my jewelry box: lockets, charm bracelets, pearls, chokers, cameos, rosaries, cross and crown pendants, key pendants.
Bags: Find or make
I always have an eye open for interesting bags that can fit in to my style or be easily adapted. I choose colours that I wear a lot, red, pink, white, black. And usually go for small bags over larger ones because they look cuter. Coffin shaped bags can be found in a lot of goth shops. Its also really easy to make your own bags out of fabric. Look for ideas and patterns in the Gosu Rori or online. A lot of store-bought bags can be added to with a simply bow or touch of lace. Look in the childrens section at luggage stores! I’ve found some really cute poodle bags and heart shaped bags there recently.
Accessories: Parasols, Gloves, Fans
Ok, I’m a bit of an addict when it comes to accessories.. in particular parasols. I have an umbrella stand that looks like a large lacy pot plant due to my collection ^^; Anyway, for parasols go with the basic colours - black, white and antique white. Brand name parasols can be quite cheap actually, but other alternatives are costume stores and making your own using an umbrella as a frame. I Like gloves too, they can add that little bit of finesse to a simple outfit. One pair of black and one of white lace works well. Hand fans are a delightful accessory and practical if your area gets hot too.
For the 24/7 Lolita-chan
If you can’t bear to wear ‘normal’ clothing under any circumstance then make sure you have a lolita night gown and an apron! No point in selling your soul for lolita clothing only to get it dirty or crumpled.
copyright fatalfille/princess 2005
