Last Minute Halloween Costume: frillSquid

Hey lolitas, need a last minute Halloween costume? That's not very OTT of you, but I get it. 

Why not dress up as another lolita, one with a consistent(ly bad) coording style?  

That's right, this is the one and only guide to dressing up as me for Halloween! I have no idea why anyone would want to dress as a total unknown, but it's your choice, and I respect that.  

Background

Basically , a couple months ago, I was calmly minding my own business at the Maryland comm's mega swap meet when I was confronted with a dress. This dress: 

The Castle of Otranto OP by Enchantlic Enchantilly

On my own, I could have resisted it. Maybe. But my trusty commrades know me as well as I know myself, and they tempted me. Again and again, I was assured it was totally my style, that they were surprised it wasn't mine already, and that they thought it would suit me. Yes, it was the power of friendship that forced me to purchase this dress. 

Like it or not, I have a go-to style, a lolita uniform. I have a default character outfit and my friends know it. This is why there's a running joke in the comm that I can't wear sweet.  

This dress ticked all the boxes-- black colorway, fully shirred, workable as either gothic or classic, architectural motifs, plants-- it was a truly perfect match for all the parameters I might have. 

Instead of meditating at length on my own constancy, the role of uniforms in fashion, and the dynamic relationship between self-expression and belonging in subculture spaces, I figured I'd keep it festive. So, without further ado, here it is: how to dress as frillSquid for Halloween. 

Tutorial

1. For maximum authenticity, wake up late and give yourself no more than an hour after your hygiene routine and meal before you need to leave. Start brewing tea. 
2. Pick out a short-sleeved OP. It needs to be black, wine, or red, and it should preferably be fully shirred. 

   

   Rococo Rose Shirring OP by Chocochip Cookie

   
   
3. Pick out a long-sleeved cutsew or cotton blouse to layer under the OP. It's probably black or offwhite. 

   

   Standing Collar Pullover by Alice and the Pirates

   
   
4. Excavate your sock bin and tights drawer to find motifs that match the OP. Get frustrated and go with lace tights in a color that matches your blouse instead.  

   

   
   
5. Put on your underlayers and tights, go to the bathroom vanity, and check the clock. There's probably not a lot of time, so decide to skip out on most makeup and instead just go with moisturizer, a little concealer, and enough ink-black eyeliner to print a novel. 
6. Put on the blouse, OP, and petticoat. 
7. Consider wearing a wig or styling your hair for a nice rectangle headdress. Consider the clock and wear a wool beret with a bow clip instead. 
8. Rummage through your accessories bin for matching motifs and metals. Keep digging until you find a pendant necklace, at least two rings, and a couple bracelets that kinda work. 
9. Throw on a pair of shoes-- either black Mary Janes, black ankle boots, black Mary Jane heels, or wine Mary Jane heels. 
10. Grab your travel mug and finally remove the tea leaves or teabag. Almost forget your purse. Remember it just as you're opening the door, run back to get it, and check around three times to make sure your keys are still there. 
11. Take a swig of your horribly overbrewed, bitter tea and get moving. You're ready!  

  Reflection

No, I'm not silly or egostistical enough to think anyone would ever actually cosplay as me, much less for the holiest day in the gothic lolita calendar. It's just interesting to meditate on just how distinctive a personal style uniform can become, even within something as seemingly restrictive as lolita fashion. 

I didn't highlight this, but each of my style choices has a reason behind it. The fully shirred OPs? My health condition makes unshirred and partially shirred stuff fit weirdly around my nonexistent bust. The black and red colorways? A strategy to maximize coordination options. Berets? Cover my dyed hair while not limiting my peripheral vision while driving. Even the shoes are a strategic decision-- they're all leather, all comfort brands, and each pair matches with at least half of my wardrobe. 

This post only covers the most basic elements of my style-- I wear plenty of JSKs and skirts of all shirring varieties, ouji coords, blouses in different sleeve lengths and shades of red, and OTKs and tights and rectangle headdresses and that one wig that looks alarmingly like a friend's natural hair. Those don't stand out, though. When I stereotype myself as a costume, I choose those parts that are rare, even within the rarity of lolita. 

Since devising this post, I've been more critical of my coordinate process-- when I adhere to the uniform, it's always deliberate. 

It might be fun for other experienced lolitas to dissect their coordinate patterns into a costume or a starter pack. It's easy for newbies to see the uniformity of the style, but there's really a diverse ecosystem of personal choices, even within lolita's somewhat rigid bounds. So why not break your costume version down for yourself-- see what parts of your lolita style are uniquely-yet-uniformly yours? I think it might be worthwhile.