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!

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.

June Style Theme - Strawberries

For me, June has always been the true beginning of Summer - the weather is hot and sunny, school lets out, and I have Colossalcon to start it off (two more days!). This year, I have something extra special to bring in the new season.

Strawberries come into season this month, and that includes my special Pineberry plants. These are a sweet way to kick off your summer, and easy to incorporate into your Lolita life!

1. Wear a Berry Print

This one's the most obvious. Every year, the brands put out berry prints, usually in spring. 2016 has so far seen Baby, Angelic Pretty, Meta, and Innocent World release strawberry-covered dresses, most of them featuring strawberry desserts, but you can almost certainly find plenty of older releases on the secondhand sales.

2. Go Berry Picking, or to a Farmer's Market

A lot of Lolita comms have berry-picking meets in the summer, but don't just restrict yourself to meetups! Picking your own strawberries, and even getting them at a local farmer's market, is often cheaper than buying them at the store. Besides, you usually find better-tasting berries that way. Just be sure that, if you choose to go to a Farmer's Market, you go early-- strawberries are one of the fastest-selling items!

3. Dress Up Your Outfits With Strawberries

If you don't want to shell out for the hottest strawberry print, then don't worry-- strawberry accessories are everywhere, and come in many styles. It's easy to throw them into any Classic or Sweet wardrobe, even if all you have are solid pieces.

4. Learn How to Cook or Bake With Strawberries

Of course, if you're going to go out and buy strawberries, you might as well learn fun things to do with them! Besides making a great, easy snack, you can throw them into all kinds of recipes, from pies and cakes to salads, spreads, and drinks.

5. Wear a Strawberry Scent

Even in mainstream fashion, strawberries are popular summer themes. Cute, cheap lip gloss or perfume are easy to find anywhere, and add a touch of the berry craze to your outfits even outside of Lolita.