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. 

Bibliotheca: Headwear pt. 2: Who needs it?

For the second half of my Bibliotheca headwear themed posts this month, I'm trotting out an even hotter take than usual. 

I love headdresses, hats mini and huge, stupid little clips and cakes and bows that make people look like the most conspicuous shoplifter in Clair's. But with all that affection for headwear, I still don't think headwear is required. 

Bibliotheca: Headwear pt. 1: Mini Hats, Proportions, and a Defense of Camp

It's headwear time at Bibliotheca, and that means it's time for me to cart out the hottest of opinions. 

I am a serial mini-hat apologist. This will never change, because I am unashamed of my tackiness. But there's so much more behind the strength of my commitment to kitsch. 

Scary Post: Am I a Perma-Ita?

Ita, for lolitas, is a word laden with fear, making it perfect for the spooky season! As most lolitas know, ita comes from both the second half of the word lolita and the Japanese exclamation "itai", meaning "ouch"! Accordingly, lolitas use the term ita to describe coordinates so ugly that they find them painful; it's generally expected that a new lolita will have a brief ita phase before they grow into their coordination skills. The idea of being bad at a fashion is a complex topic, so I will probably expand on the idea of ita-ness through more posts.

Several mutations of this term have developed in the English-speaking community, including perma-ita, or permanent ita. As the name implies, a perma-ita begins with an ita phase but never grows out of it. I don't claim to be perfect, despite my comedic self-aggrandizement. But, horror of horrors, am I stuck being an ita? I can't really judge my own bad taste, but I will definitely try.