Incognito Lolita

Recently on EGL there was a theme called Incognito Lolita, basically, how to get away with wearing Lolita fashion at school, college and work. Now, I would not have the confidence to go decked out in my frills for college, so this was an interesting thought for me.
Because I do Art and Design I usually wear my worst clothes to college, not wanting to get paint on anything I love - so Lolita brand is obviously out of the question for me. I'm not even sure I'd have the confidence to go full out with petticoat and headbow, even if I weren't doing a messy subject. So that's why wearing off-brand and handmade clothes is a great option; if you make it yourself and somebody makes fun of you, just say that you made it - that will make them shut up, and will maybe give you something to talk about!
So I'm working on a Loliable wardrobe for college, with clothes I won't mind getting dirty and can easily be washed, rather than needing a dry cleaners.

Or if you're insistent on wearing that gorgeous Angelic Pretty brand you own, keep it to a minimal. Minimal is key to keeping it incognito! Stay away from hyperactive prints, massive petticoats (keep the puff to a minimum), and JSKs to be worn with a blouse. OPs and skirts are best, as they're not so unusual and will keep you cooler in the workplace. Boleros and cute cardigans will add a nice touch to JSKs, so you don't have to wear it over a blouse (which, to non-Lolitas would appear a bit weird to wear a dress over a blouse).
Accessories are a good thing to make outfits more Loliable. Cute attachable collars, perhaps with a little embroidery, would be nice, especially a Peter Pan collar to add to a dress or T-shirt. Lolita jewellery added to 'normal' outfits, and perhaps a branded bag would add the perfect touch and make sure you still express yourself, without going all out and dressing to the nines.
As for colours, darker colours like black and grey are less likely to stand out, even if you are covered from head to toe in lace. Classical and Gothic Lolitas are lucky in this aspect, whereas Sweet Lolitas will have a harder time blending in. For an "inbetween" Lolita look, why not try Classical Lolita?

Here is an incognito outfit that I'm planning to wear for college. Perhaps with a lacy camisole or a simple Peter-Pan collar blouse underneath the bolero, this would be a very cute, Casual-Classic Lolita coordinate.

Blouse - not pictured: Dorothy Perkins
Bolero: John Lewis
Skirt: handmade
Necklace: Dorothy Perkins
Socks: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright
Shoes: Office

Oxfords are really nice casual shoes for Classical Lolita, and the great thing is that they come in all the Classical Lolita shoe shades, such as brown, cream and black. You could even take it a step further and make some white spats to go with them, for a slight Victorian boots feel.

Soon I'll be working on a Gothic Lolita chiffon blouse to go with my Vampire Requiem replica skirt, so we'll see how that turns out for college wear; there are quite a few goth/scene kids at college, and while I don't necessarily wear those styles myself, I won't stand out to much compared with them.

Lovely Sweet Room Altered

The title of this post may sound very misleading, *laughs* but this post is to show an actual brand dress altered to fit someone of a bigger size than BtSSB caters to. First I decided to send my Lovely Sweet Room JSK to the local tailors to be adjusted, seeing as it was my first lolita dress.

I was a little bit nervous at first, but in the end it was actually a good experience. We went into the store and the lady asked me to try the dress on - obviously it was too small in the bust - and we talked briefly about making an alteration to it, as obviously there were only a few things we could do with it. Besides, I didn't want the changes to be too extreme and noticeable. In the end we decided on adding a panel to the bodice, on the left side. They described it as a "triangle insert" of about ten centimeters.
At first I thought it was odd that it wouldn't be symmetrical on both sides, but the end product was absolutely fine; you can hardly notice the changes!

My mother and I went back to the tailors about a week later (they actually make custom wedding dresses and must be very busy, so I think that is a fair amount of time to wait for my alterations) for a fitting and I tried it on again. And it fit! There was a bit of a gape, so we went around the book shops for a bit whilst we waited for the final change to be made.
Then, an hour later, I tried it on again *laughs*. There were so many times that I had to whip off my clothes really fast so as not to keep them waiting! This time it was perfect and I got to take it home. Also, when I took it home, my grandmother asked to do some work on it herself, as the lace that has the corset-like effect in the back was torn when I last wore it (it wasn't done at the tailors, just so that's clear, it happened because it was too small for me sometime last year!).

I'm incredibly pleased with it! So I think that anyone with any doubts about getting a seamstress to make alterations to brand items should rest assured that in the end it will be perfect.

Here are some photos:

Detailed view of the back. Sorry for the flash.

Make sure the lacing is loose so that it doesn't break again!

The triangle insert (and it's so neat!)

The fixed lace - you can hardly tell it was ever broken and frayed!

The adjustments are very discrete. Really, it just looks like normal.

Indy sulking because I told him not to lie on my dress.

Plus-Size Lolita Advice

I really don't consider myself "plus-sized" as I'm a UK size 12, which is fairly average over here, but in Japanese clothing (especially lolita) this is what I'm termed as. Personally, I'm really happy with my body the way it is. I don't want to lose weight just so that I can fit into some tiny (but beautiful) clothes because it's not worth the upset, frustration and disappointment that it causes... I've been there before. Honestly. So, I've decided that as my sizes fluctuates between 10-14 - and even when I'm a size 10 those dresses were far too tight, especially around the bust area - I'll have to choose lolita clothes carefully. Browsing through the internet, I've found some useful advice:

1) Shirring
Find JSKs with either full or half shirring around the bodice. Believe me, it will give you room to breathe! Being comfortable is one of the most important aspects of fashion, so forget that "beauty is pain"! The shirring is especially vital if you're large around the chest area...
Some people say that quarter/partial shirring is friendly for plus-size girls, but I have to disagree in my own experiences. The corset lacing on the shirring makes it harder to breathe in, and may cause tearing in the fabric and lace if you're even just a little bit over the measurements.
So, in a nutshell, full or half shirring is your best friend! Get blouses and JSKs with as much shirring is needed. For example:



2) Cutsews
Cutsews may be a good alternative to blouses as they're stretchy and may provide more room. They can be as dressed-up or as dressed-down as you want, so will suit many different styles. Also, they're much cooler in summer months.
If you're not certain that cutsews will fit you, why not just wear a cute T-shirt instead!  It would look great for casual lolita, and you could always make it more loli-able by using tutorials on the internet to pimp up a T-shirt by adding lace, ribbons, capped sleeves, a peter pan collar or a yoke, for example.  Just be creative!

3) Boleros and Cardigans
As boleros and cardigans don't exactly have to meet in the middle, and can be made of stretchy material, maybe they could be worn by plus-size girls? If it's comfortable around the arms and shoulders, and isn't too tight in the chest area, I think it would be okay.
This may only apply to some girls, so don't worry if this isn't for you! You could always buy cardigans and boleros from high street stores in cute colours. They are fairly common, and again, can be customized to your own tastes.

4) Skirts
If the problem is in the bust area, you could always wear lolita skirts. Some skirts may also have an elasticated waist band. Just look out for skirts with a corset-like waist, as they will be tighter than the usual, standard skirt cuts.

5) Brand accessories
If all else fails and you're completely intent on having some brand items, you could always buy accessories such as bags, head bows, bonnets, socks, gloves, etc. These items are still unmistakably lolita style, and you don't have to worry about them fitting you. Plus, they're not as (*cough* ridiculously expensive *cough cough*).

6) Tailor-made items
I always think it would be nice to design your own dress and have it made by a professional tailor. They would make it to your exact measurements and it would be unique and special to you. Also, you can decide all your own fabrics and components, which is always exciting. Besides, wealthy Victorian ladies always had their clothes specially made by a tailor (and so do royalty!).

7) Altering existing items
Apparently even Japanese lolitas have this done to their brand items to give them more room. There's nothing wrong with altering clothes if it will make you comfy and happy. If there's a dress or blouse that you can't live without, you could always alter it and still wear brand. However, don't do this if you're not a confident seamstress! Hand it over to a tailor or seamstress so they can see what they can do to make it fit better.

8) TaoBao
I've heard that TaoBao shops can make dresses to your measurements. Just be wary of certain shops on there and know that you're going to have to use both a shopping service and a Chinese translator. You can look at how to use taobao on hellolace.

9) Choose clothes carefully
Know your measurements and dress to suit your shape if possible. Of course, this isn't too important, just make sure that you're happy and feel right in your clothes.

10) Final advice
Don't care about what other people say about you. I know that some people (especially in the lolita community) can be nasty about plus-sized people, but just remember that you are beautiful anyway! Beauty is inside, not outside.

Seasonal Lolita Survival Guide

For all you Lolitas out there, dressing comfortably in all seasons and weathers can be rather stressful, right? You're not alone! I find that Summer and Winter can be the worst. To be honest, it gets to the point that I'm so uncomfortable that I put off wearing lolita until cooler weather in Spring and Autumn. Well, here's a guide for each season to make things easier!

Spring

 

• Spring is a nice season~ All those cute lambs, bunnies and chicks are born and the trees start getting leaves again. Not only that, but yay! - no more Winter! No more trekking to school in the snow and certainly no slipping on ice! 
• As the weather can be unpredictable, it's best to buy/wear both long-sleeved and short-sleeved blouses in colours to compliment your wardrobe. That way, when it's hot, you can stay cool - and when it's very chilly, you can wear long sleeves to keep yourself cozy. 
• A good alternative would be a cut-sew with detachable sleeves like the cute ones you can get from Baby and Angelic Pretty.
• As it's not too hot, you can wear JSKs over your blouses. Spring is very good for JSKs with cute, pastel-y Easter prints such as Happy Garden. Not only that, but isn't that when the solid colour dresses come out? 
• An alternative to JSK-over-blouse mode would be to invest in a cute cardigan or bolero in pastel colours (if you're a sweet lolita), black (gothic lolita) or whatever colour you fancy. I have a really cute velvet jacket I picked up from Pop Boutique that's black with puffy capped sleeves and a pink floral pattern. It's very 50s-ish and I think it would go nicely with a lolita co-ord in spring if I don't feel like wearing a blouse.
• I think florals look very cute in Spring. It reminds me a lot of Black Butler and this one time I bought really cute fabric from Joanne's in Florida. 

 Summer

 

• Summer is lovely - but it can be difficult to wear lolita during the months May until August, early September. Despite being my favourite season, even I can admit it's uncomfortably hot and sticky to wear your finest clothes during it. 
• To keep cool- forget about JSKs and blouses! Well, you don't have to... I just think it's easier. Wear one pieces to keep cool and look cute. I especially like those with sailor collars or rounded collars - they look so cute and dolly-like! 
• Wear a toned down petticoat. If you really insist on wearing a full-blown fluffy petticoat, then only opt for one. I hear of girls that wear many and I just think 'HOW?!' It makes me way too bulky looking if I wear more than one. XD
• Underneath your skirts/dresses wear some secret cycling shorts or cropped leggings. Nobody will notice and it will, *ahem* make yourself more comfortable when it gets unbearably hot. 
• Always wear suncream!
• Carry around water if you're going places. It's good to keep hydrated and healthy. 
• Don't bother with wigs if you're the type that wears them! You'll be way, way too hot! D:
• Parasols are great in sunny weather. It's like a portable shade.
• Short socks are your savoir! Wear those that are topped with cute lace. That way, you can pair them with your every day wear and even school uniform if you're lucky! 
• Sailor lolita and sweet lolita prints with berries and icecream sundaes scream summer to me. I can't stop drooling over them. XD If only I had enough money.
• In fact, to keep cool, why not wear a cute off-brand blouse with short sleeves? If it were me, I wouldn't want to sweat all over my brand items, so something cute and versatile would work in this case. There are some lolita-able blouses on the market, you just have to shop around and even try vintage stores. 
• Momoko off Kamikaze Girls would probably use a lacy, Marie Antoinette styled fan during summer to keep herself cool. 
• Some nice head-wear for summer would be a rimmed straw hat with berries and a ribbon on, that, or if you love bonnets, maybe a straw, half-bonnet? To keep things nice and simple, how about two small bows either side of your head. 
• Wear your hair in simple, easy to style hairstyles like plaits and bunches that you can fix up easily in the morning. In fact, I love this hairstyle. It's easy to follow and doesn't take that long at all! As a bonus, it reminds me of Minnie Mouse! :) 

Autumn

• Autumn is kind of like Spring in terms of comfort, so I don't need to write much here. 
• This is where you are more likely to need long sleeves once again. I'd say, get two good long-sleeved blouses for your wardrobe. 
• Here, you may need a light coat/jacket depending on how cold it gets where you live. I think a capelet would look really cute if coordinated in the right way! I especially love those in faux fawn fur that you can get from Innocent World or Baby. 
• For a colour scheme, I think browns and creams look really nice in Autumn. It reminds me of the falling leaves and chai latte. 
• Get some cute ankle boots in a colour to suit your style.

Winter

• Aarg! It's winter - my least favourite season. The only thing i like about it is December when it gets Christmas-y. After that, or even before that in November, I can't stop dreaming of being on some tropical island (Animal Crossing, this is when I need you most of all!). 
• I was once out walking with my Dad in January/February time. For some stupid reason I thought the weather was getting warmer and only wore a longs-sleeved blouse, petticoat, JSK and my typical winter coat with socks and boots. Let me tell you this, I FROZE to death! My legs were so numb that I couldn't feel them when I got back inside. 
• So, wear as many layers as you can without looking like the abominable snowman! Layer those petticoats if you can, and always, always wear long sleeves! 
• You will definitely need a coat - no excuses. Get one that can match all your clothes. If you're a sweet lolita, I'm guessing you have a lot of pink. Get a pink coat. If you're a gothic lolita, it's a no-brainer, you'll most likely want a black one. For the classic lolitas out there, I recommend either a brown, white or black, neutral-coloured coat that will match for lots of coordinates.  
• Boots and long socks are your best friends. No more Mary Janes or rocking horses here. 
• Woolen berets, mufflers, fluffy fur collars and loli-able mittens/scarfs/gloves will all be really cute accessories to keep you warm and look adorable. 
• If you're the kind to wear bloomers, I won't blame you in this season. If you wear wigs (again, optional for the lolita gal) this is the season where you'll be thankful you wore one.