Showing posts with label lolita. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lolita. Show all posts

Bibliotheca: Baggage

Here's my first theme post for Bibliotheca since my extended absence. 

I'm not too keen on the theme of baggage, really-- I like being playful and creative with my interpretations, and the allegorical meaning of baggage is far from cheery. I also don't vacation much: my trip to The Great Lace was the furthest from home I'd been in ages. But I'm no coward, so here's a post about what to carry. Since I don't travel much, I'll focus on everyday items. 

Demolish the Verbal Monolith

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

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. 

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: 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: 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: My Favorite Flexible Dresses

 It's Bibliotheca time once more, with the theme of versatility. It's also the end of November, that golden time when Americans are mostly recovering from the feast of Thanksgiving and preparing ourselves for the abject gluttony of the office holiday party. Personally, I'm bringing Krispy Kreme donuts. 

Material Matters: An Introduction to Organza

The specifics of fabrics can often be confusing for lolitas, even experienced ones. Lolita material discourse typically centers around the primary polyester vs. cotton divide, with adherents on both sides. Rarely does the discussion cover the specifics beyond the fiber content. I've covered the basics of lolita fabric in my old school post series, in which I divided the identity of a fabric into four components: fiber content, weave, all-over dye, and print. Any fabric can come in any color or print, but weave and fiber content define a fabric.

Organza (and organdy, which is a variation thereof) is a tricky fabric to deal with. Despite having been a minor part of lolita since its inception, and having many uses, it's a real pain to sew with, and can fail in new and interesting ways that small-scale brands may have trouble managing. Because of this, organza was seldom used until after the OTT sweet boom. So, this unique textile is a perfect introduction to why fabrics are more than just an aesthetic choice. 

Bibliotheca: Royalty, Crowns, and Rebellion

This Bibliotheca theme of royalty has dwelled in my mind since it was decided. Royalty and accompanying imagery (like crowns and orbs) have a strong place in lolita fashion, which apparently goes against the rebellious tendencies of the fashion. But there's much more to the place of royal motifs in lolita (punk lolita especially) than there might initially appear. 

Bibliotheca: Cherry Blossoms

 Bibliotheca's month of florals is almost over, and I am personally 100% on board with this theme for April. Although I try to keep my posts relatable to people outside of my geographical area, I've lived my entire life (except for undergrad) in the D.C. metro area, and so April + florals = cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms shape the local culture and provide a D.C.-Japan connection, so I'm excited to explore this topic.

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. 

Katsucon 2023 Retrospective

My main convention, as many people are aware, is Katsucon. This year's Katsucon, held the weekend of February 17-19, was my busiest yet; with attendance over 25,000, it was also the busiest Katsucon in general. Since my first convention (Katsucon 2011), a lot has changed. This post exists to help break down some of the major happenings of the event.

If I Started Again. . .

One of the more common prompts for lolita bloggers and video creators is starting over: what would you do if you magically lost your whole wardrobe and had to start again? After 8+ years in lolita (and how did that number get so high anyhow?), I think I'm past due to answer this question. 

My answer is complicated by my gender, the current economic situation, and the proliferation of indie brands with variable sizing. In simple terms, if I were starting my lolita wardrobe from scratch today, I probably wouldn't wear lolita at all. 

Bibliotheca: Challenges

 This month's Bibliotheca theme, unless I messed up, is challenges. Not Big Challenges (the unlaunched Sanrio mascot) specifically, just challenges in general. However, if there's ever a Big Challenges print, sign me the heck up.

the man himself

Guide: Mercari JP and Fril/Rakuma for Beginners

This post is inspired by being done with grad school and a request from a pal on a certain discord server.
Today, I'd like to talk about my favorite inexpensive resources for secondhand brand: Mercari.jp and Fril/Rakuma. These are both direct secondhand sales options for buying from other people (instead of whole companies like Wunderwelt). However, they are only available in Japanese and require a shopping service, so they can be a little intimidating to new lolitas. Once you get the hang of them, Rakuma and Mercari are great additions to your lolita shopping roster!

Bibliotheca: Booting it Up

Bibliotheca's theme for May, apropos of nearly nothing, is shoes. Shoes are a must for any public place. However, unlike with fully shirred dresses and stretchy socks, even lolita brands recognize that with shoes, one size cannot fit most. Additionally, shoes have nearly no size alteration capacity and require additional adjustment with insoles and orthotics for various foot issues. Because of these factors, even seasoned lolitas might not rely solely on brand for shoes. Keeping in mind that it's the same shoddy plastic, brand name shoes seem like less of an investment and more of a waste.

Bibliotheca: Growth and Moving Past Anonymity

This post, once again, is brought to you by Bibliotheca, aka the only thing that gets me to write when I'm under the weather. It's been a rough month in tourism and in my life, so I'm glad to have an excuse to write! This month's theme is growth, so it's a perfect chance to tackle a sensitive topic: /cgl/ on 4chan and why I (and most lolitas I know) outgrew it and the illusion of anonymity it offered. 

Bibliotheca: March(ing) Music Madness

It's the time of month when I actually blog, that is, Bibliotheca time! This month's theme is March Madness, and to celebrate, several bloggers are doing polls to create a tournament for their favorite lolita items. My theme is Marching Madness, as in marching bands, because I love music. The winner was Angelic Pretty's Fancy Melody JSK.