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.