Lolita Blog Carnival - Create a Lolita Zodiac

Moment of truth for just a second: as much as I love and respect Astrology, I really just wanted to have fun with this particular topic. I hope you find something to enjoy in whichever "sign" you fall in with!

1. January - The Snow Maiden

The Snow Maiden has a certain sense of refinement to her, and understands that beauty can come from even the most physically unpleasant of seasons. She is content to watch the snow fall outside the window while she sits near a cozy fire, or even to take a quiet morning stroll in the frosty air.

2. February - The Winged Angel

The Winged Angel is delicate and moves with a sort of natural grace that others find difficult to capture without practice. Lolitas with this sign tend to make friends easily with those born under the sign of the Unicorn.

3. March - The Hind

The Hind is a gentle but curious spirit, with a strong desire for helping others and learning more about new acquaintances. While it's hard for anyone to not get along with the Hind, she will oftentimes find herself paired best with the Lamb.

4. April - The Sugar Fairy

The Sugar Fairy is the definition of sweetness, coming alive during the time of year when Spring starts to arrive, and nature wakes up once more. Sugar Fairies have an eye for decoration and a love for pretty collectibles, but don't think that these Lolitas are nothing more than materialists; they enjoy sharing their happiness and lovely environments with others.

5. May - The Lamb

The Lamb is almost innocent to a fault, preferring to believe the best in others rather than approaching people with suspicion. Their sweetness makes them fast friends with the outgoing Hind, and Lambs in that partnership will find themselves being brought out of their soft shells.

6. June - The Strawberry Maiden

The Strawberry Maiden greets each day with a diligent optimism, seeing all of the possibilities ahead of them and planning how to best tackle each challenge. Strawberry Maidens bring a refreshing energy to group projects, and will often inspire those around them to work just as hard.

7. July - The Fire Witch

The Fire Witch is lively and excitable, ready to meet everyone and everything head-on and with a bright smile. The gentler signs may think of the Fire Witch as exhausting, particularly the Snow Maiden, but a Fire Witch will always find a friend in the Forset Cat or the Night Rider.

8. August - The Shooting Star

Shooting Stars are natural showmen and have a great love for the performing arts. This doesn't mean that they are attention-seekers; rather, they enjoy coordinating group efforts so that everyone can bring their talents together to create something amazing! Shooting Stars shoud be wary of befriending the Fire Witch-- so much energy in one place can lead to explosions!

9. September - The Toadstool Maiden

The Toadstool Maiden likes to use her spare time in the pursuit of knowledge and expanding her understanding of the world. This can make for an excellent listener or councellor, as her experience gives her a wealth of advice for anyone who comes seeking. Toadstool Maidens tend to prefer solitude to company, but won't say no to the right Hind or Night Rider.

10. October - The Unicorn

The Unicorn is regal and dignified-- so much so that the other signs may find her unapproachable! They would be wrong, though, in their assumptions, as the Unicorn is a fiercely loyal and lifelong friend. Often, the Unicorn gets along best with the gentle ways of the Winged Angel.

11. November - The Forest Cat

The Forest Cat is playful and sometimes fiery, but with more caution than some similar signs. Though she welcomes new experiences, the Forest Cat also likes to plan ahead before she acts. Thinking before leaping gives the Forest Cat an excellent advantage in her major life decisions, but for the Cats who overthink, they will find that a Fire Witch for a friend will give them an extra push to chase after their dreams.

12. December - The Night Rider

Elegant and sophisticated as the winters' night through which she rides, the Night Rider is the most solitary of the signs, and finds great peace and opportunities for reflection when alone. Meditation makes for a great activity, though they can find outlets for action in unexpected places: the Fire Witch and, most surprisingly, the right Sugar Fairy can balance out the Night Rider's instinct to withdraw from the world.

✿✿✿

~ Others Participants in the Lolita Blog Carnival ~

Lolita Blog Carnival - Four of Your Favorite Fall/Autumn Motifs

Several months back, I joined the ranks of the Lolita Blog Carnival -- and then promptly started a job that made my blogging opportunities quite limited. However, this week, I'm proud to present my very first entry as an official member, and it's a fun one: four of my favorite Autumn motifs!

1. Fawn Fur

Alice and the Pirates' Bambi Fur Collar
Short Coat in beige.

If I could just have an entire Fall wardrobe that was trimmed in or went with fawn fur, I'd be over the moon. Seriously, it's so warm and cozy that it makes me almost believe that the harsh bite of winter won't be nearly as awful-- so long as I have a capelet and matching beret modeled after Bambi.

2. Apples

Angelic Pretty's Classic Apple shoulder bag

Apples are the quintessential Fall fruit, and make for a perfect print or coordination theme during this time of year. While fruit's generally a very sweet motif, Alice and the Pirates has put out a couple of prints that have a smaller emphasis on the apples themselves (while they feature in the print, they don't overwhelm it), and tend to lean towards Classic or (if coordinated properly) even Gothic Lolita as a whole.

3. Classic Florals

Innocent World's Antique Bouquet V-Neck JSK.

Floral prints come in a few flavors, and I have a sharp preference for the ones you can dig up in any Classic Lolita's wardrobe. Earth tones, muted pastels, and classic cuts are an easy way to hold onto the beauty of spring and summer flowers well into the chilly weather.

4. Books

Surface Spells' Dusk Library Gobelin
Velveteen Bookshelf JSK.

As an avid bookworm since the tender age of... hell, I don't even remember, I desperately need more book prints in my life. Innocent World puts them out every now and again, and I enjoy what Surface Spell did with the idea. If only we could get Baby to pump out a classic book print...

What are your favorite motifs for this time of year? Let me know in the comments below, or link me to posts of your own!

✿✿✿

~ Others Participants in the Lolita Blog Carnival ~

✿ Vanilla Bear ✿

October Style Theme - Hold the Halloween

Brace yourselves: Halloween Lolita is coming. Soon, the coordinate posts will be plastered all over the internet of beautiful Lolitas sporting witches' hats, animal ears, scepters, and so much more. It's become a yearly "tradition" that you either enjoy or despise, and it seems that there's little room to feel sort of nonchalant about it. Then again, this is the internet: those of us who are nonchalant probably just don't say a whole lot.

Granted, I love a good witch coordinate as much
as the next person.

That being said, if you want to put together coordinates that are perfect for October without falling in line with the more costume-like outifts, here are a couple of fun ideas!

1. Grey is Great

Mary Magdalene's Bérangère OP in Grey

Seriously, whatever time of the year it is, grey is one of my favorite colors in Lolita, and it's vastly underrated. It's a shade that's gentle enough to be used for most styles, and can be combined with all kinds of accent colors. Try seeing what you can come up with in your currently existing wardrobe. The most surprisingly elegant combination I've ever seen was grey and pastel pink.

2. Embrace the Pumpkin

Check these out on Etsy!

I'm not talking jack-o-lanterns; like apples or strawberries, try to appreciate pumpkins as a theme! I know there isn't much in the way of pumpkin prints out in the world, right now, but there's a plethora of appropriate accessories! Use it as an accent: with the right, light shade of orange, you can add some very pretty interest to a sax or wine-colored coordinate, not to mention the usual browns and creams.

3. Cardigan Season!

With the chillier weather, out come the cardigans and boleros! Has the summer heat been too much for you to wear more than a short-sleeved OP? Now's the perfect time of year to dust off your old long-sleeved, knit favorites, or to scan around the sales for something new.

4. Another Goddamn Chocolate Print

Keep doing what you're doing, AP.
Antique Chocolaterie Switching JSK in navy.

Chocolate in the Lolita world is like Pumpkin Spice in the "real world." It's everywhere, and we simultaneously love it and think it's ultimately overrated. Personally, I'm one of those people who proudly spouts my love for Pumpkin Spice drinks from Starbucks-- it brings me joy, so why shouldn't I say that I like it?

The same goes for chocolate prints, and many of them are really great for October: brown is obviously a Fall color, and chocolate can be a more indirect reference to Halloween than coordinating another outfit around your favorite witch's hat.

5. For the Gothic Lovelies

This is your time of year-- own it! But if, in the process of living it up, you find that you're searching for something fresh in your ever-black wardrobe, consider bringing in an accent color, or a color that you can buy a main piece in that still goes with your closet.

Might I suggest blue?



Not sax, and maybe not even navy-- I'm talking royal Mana blue.  It's vibrant enough to make for a great accent color, will easily go with most base colors, and the best part: blue looks amazing against the autumn leaves. Adding blue to your fall wardrobe could be as simple as adding a new jacket or bolero, or go whole-hog and hunt down an all-blue Moitie piece!

6. For the Classic Ladies

AaTP's Opal Church Choir JSK in white and
gold.

Instead of a theme, how about you add a simple, but very elegant touch to your outfits this month: go for the gold. Done well, it can be wonderfully complementary to the changing leaves outside. Jewelry is the easiest way to pull it into an outfit, and we all know that gold hair accessories have been popular since the rise of OTT Classic (*coughMadonnaCrowns*), but also consider finding a dress that uses gold embroidery or screen printing.

7. For the Sweet Dolls

My personal favorite: Baby's Tarten Check
Scallop Hem JSK!

Few things scream "Autumn Lolita" like a good plaid or tartan piece from Baby. It's such a classic staple for autumn, and comes in all kinds of colors to suit the rest of your wardrobe. I have a preference for Baby's Tartan Check Scallop Hem JSK, since it's one of those detail-heavy non-print designs that's been around forever (fun fact, Momoko wore it in red for a few scenes in Kamikazi Girls!); pair it with a long-sleeved, white blouse, lace-topped socks, and a lace headdress or a beret for a perfect old-school look!

The Work-Ready Lolita

My life has literally been revolving around my new job for the last couple of months, and that means that most things have been put on a back-burner: this blog, for instance, and definitely Lolita fashion. Of course, my employer has a loose, if kind of odd dress code, so I've been daydreaming about the coordinates I could throw together for work. I used to wear it often when I worked at my university bookstore, and the habit of trying to figure it out is hard to break.

In my experience, most new Lolitas, or people planning on getting into the fashion, start out wanting to go full-stop Lifestyler, and figuring out how to coordinate for work can be the most daunting: does the dress code allow for Lolita, will my coworkers complain or harass me for it, will my boss mind? So, I decided to make this post all about navigating the waters of the Work-Ready Lolita!

1. How to Decide if You Can or Should Wear Lolita

This is probably the most important section to consider-- you absolutely need to conform to your place of work's dress code. Knowing the clothing rules inside and out is imperative, but here are some other things to consider:

• Does my job require a uniform? The simplest part of this process is the uniform. Obviously, if you have a full set (slacks, company shirt, etc.) that you have to wear, then wear it. Leave the Lolita at home. Other places have partial uniforms (I have a work cardigan, but can otherwise wear whatever within the rules).
• Is Lolita comfortable enough or appropriate for my work duties? Even if you can technically wear a full coordinate to work, you have to ask yourself if you can honestly do your job in your frills. For instance, if you do a lot of moving around for most of the day or do a lot of bending and lifting, then a dress might not be the best choice. And keeping your outfit comfortable will have a surprising effect on your demeanor: if you're wearing a pair of shoes that you can barely stand for the length of a meetup, then wearing them to work isn't a good idea.
• Are some days better for wearing Lolita than others? Many retail workers, like myself, know that shift length can vary wildly, from four or fewer hours all the way up to twelve or more! Shorter shifts are going to be more Lolita-friendly than long ones.
• Ask your manager if it's okay. This is the best piece of advice I can give you: ask your manager or supervisor, and do it before you wear Lolita to work. This is the most surefire way to figure out if you'll be allowed to wear Lolita, and you might be surprised! Just be sure to bring pictures of your dresses and coordinates, if you have them, to give your manager an better idea.

2. Tips for Dressing in Lolita While At Work

Fannie Rosie is my ultimate Lolita style icon,
even if she doesn't wear Lolita a whole lot,
anymore. Her outfits are great examples of a
work-appropriate way of coordination.

Now, assuming that you've checked everything above and have decided that you can finagle a Lolita coordinate, you have to figure out how to pull it off appropriately! 

• Find your base color - Most companies have certain colors associated with them, or will require you to wear neutrals. If you can make sure your coordinate utilises these, then it will look profoundly more professional. Sticking with black, white, navy, and grey is usually the best way to go.
• Make it work with your uniform - As I said above, my job and others only require a partial uniform. As long as I have my black cardigan, I'm pretty good. Luckily, I also have a lot of pieces that not only go well with black, but also look better with a black cardigan or bolero, anyway. If you have a similar partial uniform, then make part of your wardrobe work with it!
• Styles and prints - Be smart about the kinds of styles you wear to work. You do still need to look professional to a certain extent, and not every Lolita print pulls that off. And I'm not pointing a finger at the super-Sweet Lolitas and the carousel or bunny prints: Classic girls, I'd advise you to swap out your bonnets for a simple floral corsage or side-bow, and my Gothic sisters will want to leave the skulls and bats at home and instead choose jeweled cabochons.
• Keep your hair and makeup work appropriate - Unless you work in a salon, bright pink hair  or the super-teased Mana pigtails are likely not going to fly with your employer, nor will having glitter all over your eyes. Go back to old-school Lolita, when hair was often straight or pulled into a cute or elegant style: braids and buns are perfect, here!
• Go easy on the petti - You don't need me to tell you that the petticoat is the natural predator of all things that live on a desk or a low shelf. Smaller petticoats are easier to move in and are less destructive; if you can live with your outfit not being whole-hog Lolita, maybe ditch the petti altogether.
• Avoid the Brandwhore Print - If you don't know what I mean by "brandwhore print," then please take a look at the FYeahLolita! post all about them. A lot of places, especially retail, don't appreciate it when their employees wear logos; even if no one at the office knows what Innocent World is, it still counts as a logo. If the brand name is subtle enough and you aren't sure, absolutely ask your supervisor if it's okay.

3. Biting the Bullet -- Skipping the Frills

Let's face it: Lolita is obviously not appropriate for every job, and you won't be able to get away with it. However, there's nothing wrong with still wanting to look cute and elegant. Little touches here and there will make your time away from your wardrobe more bearable.

• Every Day Elegance - The very first thing I'm going to point you toward is the FYeahLolita! post about bringing touches of Lolita into your everyday life, as well as the one about dressing more maturely. This is mostly directed towards people who want to start bringing more Lolita themes into their lifestyle at large, and people who feel they're growing out of the more childish aspects of the fashion, but they still apply very much to Work-Ready Lolita.
• Have a kawaii area - Keep something kawaii and your style near your locker or desk to brighten your day, like Sanrio writing utensils or Rilakkuma post-its or memo paper. Your coworkers will probably think it's adorable or charmingly quirky, and so may your clients (if they happen to get a look). 
• Be subtly kawaii - Accessories are your friends. Pearls are easily one of the most versatile forms of jewelry in the Lolita world, and they're usually 100% acceptable to wear to work. If you have a looser dress code, it can be easy to wear something fancier or otherwise more noticeable, like bow clips and floral corsages. Shoot, I have a fuzzy, mint green bow with pastel stars sewn on that I occasionally wear to my job.
• Don't be afraid to be That Employee - Be Brittany from Accounting who always wears a fun necklace on Friday. Or Sam from HR who likes to wear lace-trimmed, puff-sleeved blouses. Or even Bri the Receptionist who has the damn adorable and kind of weird bunny-bear for a purse. Your coworkers and supervisors care less than you think they do, and it'll very easily become another personality trait that they know you by.

Not all of us can live the 24/7 Kawaii Lifestyle, and that's okay. But there are always ways of bringing each area of your life back to Lolita, whether that be wearing simple black-and-white coordinates or taking all of your meeting notes with a Sentimental Circus pen.

July Style Theme - Stars!

Yes, yes, I know-- stars? In July? On an American Lolita blog?

But I couldn't resist! The warm months of summer are so perfect for stars in so many ways, it seemed natural to choose stars for this month's theme. Don't worry, I promise I'll keep the red-white-and-blue to an absolute minimum.

1. Wear a Star Print

Just like Strawberry June, prints featuring stars are the most obvious way to bring them into your Lolita life! And there are a lot of star prints out there.

While there's a special place in my heart for AP's Dream Sky, I have to say that my favorite print overall is Baby's Stardust Fantasia. I mean, look at it. Kittens. In top hats. With wagons full of stars. It's damn adorable. The Jumperskirt I even has a detachable, star-shaped brooch that I'd probably prefer to wear as a headpiece.

2. Go Star-Gazing

Whether you're visiting an observatory or having a late-night picnic to see the sky first-hand, having a more casual meetup centered around star-gazing would be a fun way to relax and bond with your fellow Lolitas. Or, if you're a lone Lolita, you can do it by yourself. A cute activity could be coming up with your own Lolita constellations! Just be sure to find a place far enough away from city lights that you can actually see the stars!

3. Bring Star-Shaped Treats to a Meetup

This is one of the easier ways to bring stars into your Lolita day this month. Summer is a popular time for meetups, and if you can bring a dish, then even better! Star-shaped cookie cutters are common enough to find, so you can not only make cookies, but cheese and fruit platters, too! Even sandwiches can be cut into stars, if you're gentle enough on the bread.

4. Accessorize with Stars

I know, it's like I nearly copied this list from June, but these are really easy, versatile ways to bring a theme into what you do! And stars are just as easy to find in Lolita as strawberries. Whether you want to round out a bold print or bring something different into a collection of solid pieces, a few pieces of well-placed, star-themed accessories are everything you need.

Five Facts About My Lolita Wardrobe

Another topic from the 365 Lolita Challenge: Share five facts about your wardrobe!

1. Almost all of my main pieces are brand

With the exception of my Sweet Mildred JSK, all of my dresses and skirts (not including the underskirts) are brand. After I bought my first piece years ago, I knew there would be no going back for me.

2. My wardrobe used to be entirely pink

Yep. Right now, I have mostly darker colors, but about a year and a half ago, I had mostly pink! A couple of Baby babydoll JSKs, an Angelic Pretty lucky pack dress, and even Happy Garden and the Sugar Pansy special set, all of it pink. This is why I still have pink shoes, a pink parasol, and my pink Usakumya.

3. Almost all of my main pieces were purchased second-hand

Again, my Sweet Mildred JSK is the exception, though it was still purchased for a similar price to a lot of my other dresses.

4. My clothes get hung up in sets

I pair blouses and JSKs on the hanger, and occasionally headwear and boleros. This saves on closet space, and is good for putting together coordinates so you don't have to scramble the week before a meet!

5. My Lolita clothes take up half the closet

We have a walk-in closet, and since my significant other only uses a quarter of the space, I was encouraged to use more space to set apart my "normal" clothes and my Lolita wardrobe.

Lolita 365 Cluster: Coordinate Challenges

I'm sorry that this post was late! I recently started a new job, and they've been having me very busy with training!

There have been a couple of themed coordinate challenges on Lace a la Mode's page in the last week, so I thought I could throw them together in this post! Let's get started~

Day 163: Design a Coordinate Based on a Book

I actually did a couple of these a long time ago, centered around the main characters of the Gregory Maguire novel, Wicked.

"The Glindaberry Bush" is from a very specific scene in the novel: it's just after the death of Nessarose, the Wick Witch of the East, and Glinda and Elphaba have a strained reunion. The description of Glinda's style is quite outrageous, and perfect for OTT Sweet/Hime Lolita.

The Elphaba coordinate was a lot of fun, since she was the main character and there are so many symbols to associate with her. Almost all of it translated into accessories, such as the Innocent World bag for the Grimmerie, the black rose-patterned scarf, the flying monkey pin, the broomstick necklace, and the mirror ring. Of course, we also had to throw in a big, beautiful witch's hat and a couple of other Gothic accessories to round out the look.

Finally, I had to make a coordinate for Nessarose. In the books, she's described as being very much style savvy in her youth. During her introduction scene, as a teenager, she's described as wearing apple-green silk and a black shawl that all of the students at Shiz university wear. Along with a pair of silver beaded shoes (the Ruby Slippers were originally silver, though in Wicked they were described as having no color), I also added in a crucifix (she was extremely religious in life), and some more generic Classic-styled headwear, tights, and wristcuffs.

Day 164: Design a coordinate using contrasting colors

Lavender and yellow is my favorite Sweet color combo! That's part of the reason why I love Angelic Pretty's Sugar Pansy so much in the yellow colorway. I also would like to pair yellow with the lavender Dream Sky print.

Did you do any of these challenges this week? What's your favorite contrasting or complimentary color combo? Let me know in the comments below!

The Lolita Cliché - Who Am I?

Today, I'm writing about two different Lolita 52 Challenge topics that go together: which Lolita clichés I fit, and which ones I definitely don't. Identity and Lolita fashion, as well as your identity in Lolita fashion, comes up a lot in the community at large. How should we act, as ambassadors of the fashion in the "normal" world? Should we change ourselves to fit a certain image? What should that image be? Most people would say (and I'm one of them) that Lolita is just clothes, and it has about as much bearing on your character as what kind of food you like to eat, but plenty of others disagree.

That said, there are lots of ideas that we all have, Lolita and "normie," about who a Lolita is.

The Clichés I Don't Fit

1. I don't collect plush toys, like Tsum Tsums or vintage stuffed animals.

2. I'm not really into Japanese culture. The food's great, and I love eating it, and I can appreciate parts of Japanese culture like clothing, education systems, and religion, but that's about it.

3. I'm not into Asian pop music.

4. I don't wear wigs! I always think about it, but I usually end up preferring to spend that money on accessories like headwear and bags.

5. I'm not catty about other Lolita outfits, or I try not to be. And most people I know in the Lolita world aren't. This fashion has rules, and if you want to wear it, then you should follow them, but my comms and I aren't going to coldly shun you if you don't get it quite right.

6. I don't stick with one Lolita style or color. As impractical as it is, I'd really like to have a wardrobe that has a good mix of Gothic, Classic, Sweet, and a few of the substyles that I really enjoy.

The Ones I Do

1. I love tea. Reading tea leaves is a favorite hobby of mine.

2. I try to bring cuteness and elegance into as many parts of my life as I can, even outside of Lolita.

3. I like reading poetry, plays, and classic stories like Alice in Wonderland, and have my own copies of my favorite titles. If I can spend my reading time lounging around in the park on a sunny day in my frills, it's even better.

4. I love, and own, Ragdoll cats. This might sound a little weird, but think about it: what cat breeds would you associate with a Lolita? Persians and Ragdolls are quite often favorites because of their long, lovely fur and sweet, cherubic faces. They're very ladylike felines, at least in looks.

5. I'm a brandwhore. I'll admit it. I can appreciate beautiful off-brand, indie, and Bodyline pieces, and will absolutely incorporate them into my outfits, but nothing will ever compare to the big brands for me.

6. I speak a "classy" second language. I don't think any language is "better" than any other, but French is one of those snooty choices that any stereotypically "proper" Victorian lady would know. I'm not fluent, but I can get by, and I love it dearly.

How do you fit or fall outside of of the Perfect Lolita Image? Let me know in the comments below, or link me to your blog post (if you made one)!

Lolita and Rococo Pt. 2: Our Devil's in the Details

A while ago, I wrote up this post about the basics of the French Rococo period with the intention of talking about how all of this relates to Lolita and its inspirations-- mainly because I'd seen a handful of people hotly arguing that Rococo was never an inspiration for our beloved hobby. Though Lolita fashion didn't really make an appearance in my last post, it's important to get a decent grasp on the aesthetic movement in question before diving into the real meat of the debate.

Which leads us to today's discussion: what about Lolita has come from Rococo origins?

Before we begin, it's important to remember that Lolita is not supposed to be a direct recreation of Rococo fashion, just as it isn't a knock-off of any other era (as much as we like to think it's modern-day Victoriana). Lolita fashion is merely inspired by these time periods, and otherwise given a look all its own.

It's easy to find something nowadays that looks like it was plucked off the set of some Marie Antoinette movie. Mary Magdalene's Fleur Antoinette OP is probably one of the more well-known pieces, especially since it's been produced since 2009, but even Baby and Angelic Pretty put out plenty of OPs with the traditional trappings of Rococo fashion. 2009 isn't, by far, the oldest occurrence of my two favorite interests mixing.

Sadly, the now-defunct website HelloLace had much more of the super-old brand pieces than Lolibrary does now, so many of my earlier examples are lost to the sea of the Internet, particularly from the brand Millefleurs Mille Noir. However, that doesn't mean that I wasn't able to scare up a few images from the very early 2000s.

1. Lines of Interest

If you look at the Angelic Pretty JSK above, you'll want to study the vertical strips of lace that run from the top of the straps to the ruffle near the hem of the skirt. Oftentimes, these two lines are used to help separate out blocks of color, like in the Fleur Antoinette OP above, or this Innocent World Pompadour JSK.

Historically, these lines were primarily on the bodice and at a sharper angle, drawing the waist in visually. This added to the preferred silhouette of the aristocracy, which involved a small waist and gigantic skirts.

2. Embellished Bodices; Ruffles and Bows

Ruffles and bows are very common details in most fashion periods, and the 18th century was no different. The necklines and bodices were usually adorned with at least a small lace ruffle along the neckline and one bow on the bust, if not a line of them extending from collarbone to the waist. Many jumperskirts and onepieces have this sort of design, especially since detachable bows have always been so popular.

Rows of pintucks and lace can also be used as relatively simpler adornments on the bodice, though these would have been merely a backdrop for more bows in the 18th century French court.

3. Princess Sleeves -- Some of Them

This image is from 2012, but Meta and other brands have been making blouses and dresses with similar sleeves for a lot longer. "Princess sleeves" refer to, in the Lolita world, sleeves that flare out like a trumpet, much like sleeves that a stereotypcial medieval princess would wear. For our purposes, we're only talking about a very specific sleeve.

A Rococo-styled princess sleeve is fitted at the upper arm and ends at the elbow in a large ruffle or a flared sleeve that extends anywhere from an inch to about halfway down the forearm. At the seam between the fit and the flare, there is usually lace, ribbon, or another bow to fancy it up a bit, and the lower part of the sleeve is usually trimmed in lace. 

4. The Square Neckline

Rococo fashion has just about one neckline, and it's this one. While you can find the square neck in plenty of other fashions, trimming it with ruffles and lace and using it as a guide for the trim that runs all the way down the bodice turns it into something distinctly 18th century. 

Because this is Lolita, though, and we tend to fiercely pride ourselves on our level of skin coverage, the traditional Rococo neckline has been raised, so as not to show cleavage (or, at least, to show as little as possible).

5. Hats and Feathers

Okay, so these came into the Lolita picture fairly recently; the Rococo-styled hats, feather, and rose corsages entered the scene on the waves of the Hime Gyaru crossover. They're still  an integral part of making a Lolita outfit Rococo-inspired.

There is one other variety of headwear that shoves an outfit firmly into the Rococo category, and that's the kind that you normally wouldn't put on your head.

I'm not sure if Marie Antoinette ever wore a tiny violin in her hair, but with all the things the aristocracy shoved into their wigs, I wouldn't surprised if someone had. With the rise of Classic Lolita, especially over-the-top coordination, we've seen plenty of headdresses like this one by Sweet Mildred, with things like instruments and books. Though one could argue that it's just the Classic translation of the Sweet headwear (with icecream cones and cat-eared berets), it still reminds me of the infamous ship wig.

... though, maybe not quite as big.

There are other inspirations drawn from the Rococo period, including the rare cape that Baby tacked onto the back of the Arietta Princess Ball Gown, but these aren't nearly as common.

The Rococo period's aesthetic is near and dear to my heart, and one of the many reasons why I love Lolita fashion. To say that the latter had never taken inspiration from the former before recent years is certainly incorrect.

Whatever cues Lolita takes, it is still a fashion that's entirely its own. It takes vintage and historical styles and puts a modern day spin on them, reshaping them until they're no longer truly Victorian, Edwardian, Rococo, from the 50s, whatever. It's simply Lolita, and simply beautiful.