Demolish the Verbal Monolith

I'd like to briefly rehash an old argument about terminology and Chinese brands here. 

Bibliotheca: Farewells

This is my last post of 2024, so it only seems right to make it about farewells. Once again, this is a Bibliotheca theme post. This time, I'm going to extend it past fashion topics and into the realm that got me into this mess to begin with: conventions. 

Away from the Influence

This post precipitated out of the current litigation over whether mainstream influencers with near-identical content have defensible intellectual property rights to the stylistic aspects of their work and personal image. Influencers seem to have a role in so many fashion ecosystems, yet the lolita community doesn't really support this niche. 

Bibliotheca: (Laundry) Soup

This is the first of two Bibliotheca theme posts I'm doing for this rotation: I recommended both themes, so I feel duty-bound to speak on both farewells and soup. I'm a big soup person: I love calling coffee and other such concoctions soup. 

I recommended soup with the intention of discussing the most important lolita soup of all: laundry. Wash your damn clothes. 

Oldschool is a Substyle Now

And I'm mad about it.

In 2021, I wrote about how old school isn't a substyle and I stand by that. However, I think that oldschool (which I'm spelling all one word for contrast) has morphed into its own subculture within the style.

Lolita Skills

The past couple of weeks have been rough. As a trans person in the thick of U.S. politics, I haven't felt this concerned about domestic policy and its immediate ramifications for my friends and family in a long while. Fashion is a solace in this trying time-- moreover, it has given us all important skills for the future. 

Halloween: Foolishness and Fashion

I'm here for a surprisingly timely post to celebrate my favorite season: Halloween. Today, I'd like to share a little about why Halloween is the most lolita holiday. 

Bibliotheca: Mirror

It's Bibliotheca time! Between High Holy Days and various October occurrences, I've been forgetting to blog; that's on me, and I'm now going to budget time for it just like how I budget time for appeasing the Duolingo owl's endless hunger. 

For the post of mirrors, I'm reflecting on lolita's role as what I'm calling a "documentary fashion". I'm not sure whether or where I've heard this term before, but if the (chunky-soled, bow-festooned) shoe fits, we might as well strap in. 

Bibliotheca: Banana for Scaled Production

 The Bibliotheca theme has shifted to being bimonthly. Due to my ongoing health concern (hopefully fixed at the end of July), this schedule shift is pretty darn helpful. So, when asked for ideas for prompts, I threw out a silly one: banana for scale. Because my fellow bloggers are also goofballs, now a bunch of Real Fashion Experts are writing about bananas and scales. Putting my own twist on things (as usual), I've decided to write about the scale of production for lolita.

Bibliotheca: egg

Welcome to egg, where I talk about egg. 

People unfortunately seem to like my themes, so it's time for egg. 

Note that this is a trans-themed post as well. 

Bibliotheca: Femininity

 I'm late for this, but it's time for Bibliotheca, with the theme of femininity. 

I've been getting ready for a move and dealing with a series of large work events, but I'll be able to blog more after! With that in mind, this post will be shorter and less well-cited than most of my posts, but I hope it's up to snuff anyhow.

Anyway, this is a great time for me to expound on one of my favorite topics: I am not a woman but I respect women a lot. 

Bibliotheca: Time Loops and Jokes

My good friends, I have made the mistake of jokingly suggesting Groundhog Day as this month's Bibliotheca theme. This joke became the actual theme, and now I am faced with the consequences of my actions: having to write a damn Groundhog Day post. However, I stand stalwart in my insistence on continuing to be a silly little guy in public, because every village needs an idiot, every court needs a jester, and every class needs its clown. It is my fated duty to goof, and goof I shall. 

On the topic of Groundhog Day, I think the easiest interpretation for me is that of a time loop or recurring event. This dovetails nicely with my biggest February event, Katsucon. 

Bibliotheca: Dreaming of Dresses, Praying for Pieces

It's a new year, it's Bibliotheca Time, and the bosses at the Content Factory (where I have been imprisoned for skipping a month of blogging) have given me the admirable task of writing about Wishin' and Dreamin'. And for what do lolitas wish, and of what do they dream, if not Wishlist Items and their Dream Dress?