Lolita Blog Carnival: Pet Peeves; Five Things You Hate About Prints

This week's topic was actually really hard for me to put together! There are so few pet peeves I have with prints, really - sure, there are prints that I actively dislike because maybe it's just not my style, but it's probably not some single element that immediately turns me off from it. So, I ended up branching out a little bit.

That said, the following accounts for a very small majority of Lolita prints in the world, and if you love these things, then that's awesome! You rock it! Just know that I'm probably not ever going to try to outbid you for something that I'm describing.

1. Prints Over Pinstripes

I will say that this personal pet peeve doesn't always apply to everything that goes over pinstripes. I mean, AP's Chocolat-Chan Going Out JSK is still one of my dream dresses. The difference is that the applique or print needs to contrast well enough with the stripes to not either blend in or hurt the eyes. Even with the dress above, AP's Lucienne Dream, the brown colorway actually does this pretty well! But the rest of the colors, particularly the black, sort of flop.

Baby, the Stars Shine Bright did this, too, and quite recently with the My Dear Sweetheart Regimental JSK. The print is metallic, so maybe it looks better under different lighting, but in the stock photo, it just looks... not great.

2. Crosses in Non-Gothic Prints

Angelic Pretty's Romantic Little Garden print.

There's a whole discussion out there about whether or not using crosses in Lolita or "Nun-Lolita" as a substyle is cultural appropriation, and that's not what I'm here to talk about. I'm down with crosses in Gothic Lolita, and if you want to throw on a veil and Ista Mori's Nameless Poem OP, then you go for it, but when I see it pop up in sweet prints, I'm just... eh. I don't even know what it is, something about it just makes me cringe away from an otherwise lovely print.

3. Great Prints, Bad Cuts

Meta's Cherry Berry Song OP

Maybe this one isn't so much a pet peeve I have with prints, themselves, but with something annoying I stumble upon every now and again. The print's gorgeous, or really cute, and I really like it, but then the cut of the dress is just terrible. Luckily, most prints come in more than one cut, and if you can fit into the nicer option, then there you go!

For us busty girls, who often can't... learn to love the sack dress? Or, more likely, to live without that print.

4. The Extra-Overt Brandwhore Print

A ton of Lolita prints in the world feature the brand name in some way, shape, or form, whether it be Angelic Pretty's monogrammed lace, Baby's hidden, scrolling cursive name nestled in the background of its prints, or anything else. And then there is the occasional piece that has the damn thing plastered onto its fabric. As much of a self-described brand-whore as I am, I didn't buy the dress out of brand loyalty, I bought it because I liked it, and I don't feel like being that much of a walking billboard.

5. Meta's Skirt (and Occasional JSK) Thing

Meta, why do you do these things you do?!

This is Meta's Mermaid Princess Ribbon Shirred JSK. It's a perfectly standard print, an interesting take on the whole "mermaid" theme, I think. I can dig it.

This is the skirt.

Meta does this with so many of its prints: they take one of the pieces, and strip it down to its least-cluttered section of fabric. And for some of them, that's fine! I even like them better that way (like Wheel of Time in its fully-shirred JSK version - at first I was a little salty about the lack of clocks, but now I really prefer the toned-down version of gears and keys). But for others, it just feels... lacking. Like Mermaid Princess.

And this will be different for everyone depending on their preferences. For instance, the Matryoshka Doll print skirts come in two flavors: one with the full print, one without. The one without the full print is the longer of the two, and unless you're very short or really into their mini-skirts, maybe you'll feel like you're missing out on something.

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That's all I've got for this one! What are some pet peeves you have with prints? Let me know in the comments below!

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~Other Participants in the Lolita Blog Carnival~

✿ Cupcake Kamisama ✿

Lolita Blog Carnival: Beat the Heat

I ended up falling asleep without remembering to post this week's Lolita Blog Carnival topic! Oh, well. This one's perfectly suited to early June - start planning ahead your coordinates for summer with Beat the Heat - 5 Tips to Beat the Heat While in Lolita.

1. Chiffon Blouses

There's no doubt that the layering is really what kills most of us during the summer, and I'd rather just avoid JSKs altogether, or dare to go blouseless with the right dress. But if you really want to stick with your JSKs, then finding the right blouse will be vital.

Many of the brands are putting out chiffon blouses and have been for quite some time. It's a light fabric that's not nearly as stifling as the cotton, and many of them have lower necklines to help keep you cool. And don't count out long sleeves - on particularly sunny days, long, breathable sleeves can actually keep you cooler by keeping the sun off your skin!

2. Parasols

Following that line of reasoning, parasols are also going to be greatly helpful for keeping out of the sun and keeping cool, like having portable shade. I would recommend going for something with a longer handle, rather than something shorter like Baby's Petit Ribbon Short Umbrella, just because a longer handle will let you hold the parasol farther away from your head. You'll get all the shade, and less of the stuffiness.

3. OPs

F Yeah Lolita already wrote a post about this, but Miss Caro raises a lot of good points about why a onepiece will be your best friend during the hotter months, and it's worth sharing! Light fabrics, short sleeves, breath-easy necklines, OPs provide endless options that won't suffocate you in the heat!

4. Go Wigless

Chrissy from her Tumblr page!

I don't personally wear wigs, anyway, but I know for a fact that they get warm and fast. If you feel comfortable with your own hair, use it! There are tons of tutorials and inspirations on the internet (and in the Gothic & Lolita Bibles) if you need a little help. Easy staples usually include braids or buns, but there are plenty of other options!

5. Swap Out the Bloomers

Bloomers are great for keeping warm come Autumn and Winter, and even early spring, but you don't want to completely skip them during warmer weather. Why? Thigh chafing. Not only for those of us with wider thighs, either, you'll want to be wearing something beneath your petti to avoid the pain and discomfort! But bloomers, particularly longer ones, can be really warm.

How do we fix this? Swap out your bloomers for something that's not particularly Lolita, since no one's going to see them as part of your coordinate, anyway. Athletic shorts are designed to be breathable and help keep your body cool, and would be perfect.

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~Other Participants in the Lolita Blog Carnival~

✿Vanilla Bear✿
✿Poppy Noir✿