Bibliotheca: Aliases

This bimonthly Bibliotheca theme is names, and it knocked loose a memory long since stuck in the corners of my skull: 

Remember when lolitas all had aliases? 

social consequence, subculture community, and capital

For those who want light-hearted writings to keep you content: skip this one entirely. 

I'm still writing about the lolita fashion community here, but more abstractly and dispassionately than usual. 

This is still a blog post, though, so no proper citations unless y'all specifically ask.  

The Illness Called Nostalgia

I blame this post entirely on Avina and Beby. Go check them both out; they're cool and stylish people who will enrich your life. 

Note that this post, unlike most of what I write, is not entirely (or even mostly) about J-fashion. It's about an essentially global supertrend which envelops almost the whole cultural zeitgeist, from film to advertising to music to clothing. It's also pretty high falutin' language-wise: this is me going hog wild. 

Nostalgia rules contemporary fashion. With the current polycrisis, history seems to be an out for many, from kids just dipping their toes into fashion to the mature creative directors at the helms of established fashion houses. 

The Great Lace: A Chicago Daydream

After giving myself a couple weeks to let things sink in and rub some of the gild off my awe for the gilded 19th century, I've decided to go over my experiences at The Great Lace. In short: I had fun! In long, well. . . 

Lolita Rules Alignment Quiz

The lolita rules are a perpetually lurking bogeyman. Newbie lolitas are, to this day, told to beware breaking the rules, or face the fatal consequence of being called ita. 

whenever we discuss the rules, I think of Fairly OddParents

 The first version of the rules that I remember comes from the Livejournal Lolita Handbook, which is surprisingly still there. Note that, in 2006, the Handbook specifically states:

" This journal is meant as a way to ease beginners into the fashion and provide resources to more experienced lolitas - it is by no means a rule book. Take only what you want from this and use it to help you develop your own personal style."

The later Lolita Fashion Wiki Beginner's Guide doesn't even use the term rules, instead using the terms "hints" and "guidelines". Most recently, Lovelylaceandlies has compiled a wonderfully updated version of the rules, which includes the constant refrain: the rules are helpful, but they're not legally binding. 

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. 

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. 

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: 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?

Bibliotheca: The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known

It's Halloween, it's Bibliotheca, and like the shriveled monkey's paw of a human being that I am, I have to put an unexpected, cursed twist on every wish and prompt unfortunate enough to come my way. More specifically, the prompt of the month is Horror. I'm pretty good with typical horror--  I don't scare easy, though I do startle at loud noises and fascism. But what really scares me in my lolita life is visibility.

Bibliotheca: Being Grateful

Land Acknowledgement: This blog is written on the traditional lands of the Doeg people, who were exterminated after years of sustained genocidal endeavors by colonizers of European descent.