Gothic Whims

I'm known to obsess over different styles of Lolita every time the season changes: classic during the fall, shiro in the winter, and Angelic Pretty pastel messes the second the weather starts to warm up again. But as I've been trying to reinspire myself, I find that I keep daydreaming about Gothic Lolita-- a style that I almost never consider wearing.

Elegy's Insomnia OP

Gothic Lolita plays to my love of non-print pieces with the textured fabrics and plethora of interesting details, and I adore the more romantic Goth accessories (I'll pass on the skulls and occasionally the crosses, but ravens and black cats are right up my alley). I'd even splurge on a nice black bonnet accented with roses or feathers.

It helps that the indie brand Elegy Clothing is based in my home state of Ohio, and I always see them at the one big convention that I attend. Their reviews from the last few years have been great, and while I'm not really into their prints, I'd definitely purchase many of their blouses (which are made with custom bust and waist measurements) and accessories. Especially the Cross Applique Apron.

I would like to incorporate this into an outfit that has relatively plain pieces. I think the cross on the breast adds nice but simple texture, and would make my black FanPlusFriend skirt (which is usually used as an underskirt, but I like to wear it for casual coords) look more interesting.

I've also been loving the idea of handmade cabochon jewelry and going back to lace tights! I'd like to start learning how to make cabochon rings and necklaces, I think, even for non-Lolita outfits. I'm particularly enchanted by ones that showcase typed lines from a novel, though I'd be too scandalized to actually snip into a book. I might experiment with trying to copy the look by hand with a drawing pen, though, or type out the passage I want and print it out, then tea-dye it before making it into jewelry.

There are a bunch of things I would like to add to my wardrobe to get more Gothic-leaning coordinates going:

• A black blouse, preferably one with a high collar and fancy sleeves
• Black lace tights
• Black lace gloves
• Victorian-styled cabochons with pictures of ravens, black cats, book print, and dark flowers
• A black parasol
• A smaller Victorian-styled bonnet
• Floral and feather corsages

Are there any styles that you suddenly find yourself wishing you were wearing? Does your taste in Lolita styles change with the seasons? Let me know in the comments below!

I Dreamed a Dream of AaTP's New Print

I was browsing around the new Baby, the Stars Shine Bright reservations because I wanted to see what new prints were coming out, when I came across this announcement from the Alice and the Pirates side:

 

What. A Les Mis print? Or, as it's properly named, "Prière d'espoir~Light of the oath and the fate of love~." I desperately needed to see what dress AaTP could have possibly slapped this on (I haven't been liking a lot of the recent prints they've been putting out, particularly the "Harry Potter" print), and I was pleasantly surprised at what I saw.

This is the most darling thing I've seen this year. It's such a girly take on a more Classic-oriented print, and I just adore it. There's even a bustle!

I'm a sucker for a bustle back

Unfortunately for me, this version of the JSK has zero shirring and a way-too-small bust, so this is going to have to go in the "Keep Dreaming" dream dress folder.

There are two other JSKs with shirring, but I'm not as enamored of them as I am of the first one.

I could probably see myself buying JSK II in mint, because something about it really reminds me of my Garden Alice Print JSK-- the babydoll silhouette, the weird cap-sleeves, the all-over literature print, and even the lace on the skirt are all callbacks to my older Baby piece. At least this one used a ribbon that matches the fabric.

There is also a third JSK and a skirt (no one pieces). While this last JSK has full back shirring (the sizing option I would usually prefer), it's very plain and lackluster.

The skirt is cute, and I do enjoy the ruffled trim (made from similar fabric as the glittery gold hem on my Sorcerer's Horoscope JSK) and the fact that AaTP repeated the bustle. I'd probably still stick with the JSK, though. If I did snag the skirt, I'd love the blue colorway! It looks nicely lustrous and floaty in a way that the other colors don't.

What do you think of the upcoming Alice and the Pirates print? Are you going to put in a reservation? Let me know in the comments below! 

Water Lilies: The Dress Print I Desperately Need to See!

There was a 365 Lifestyle Lolita challenge topic last week that asked us what paintings would we like to see on a dress. Of course, the first thing to spring to my mind was a Monet Lily print!

The Water Lily Pond

I know that Juliette et Justine sort of has the monopoly on painting dresses, right now, but if I could pick another brand to make a Monet dress, I'd be interested to see a Victorian Maiden or even Moitie spin on my favorite artist.

Nymphéas reflets de saule, or The Willow's Waterlily Reflection
by Claude Monet

In fact, with inspiration from the above painting, I threw together a Monet-inspired coordinate on PolyVore using a Moitie JSK!

Monet is known for his floaty colors that can be surprisingly rich; everything is a haze of color, like you're looking through light, and you have to take a step back to see the bigger picture. Moitie's Rose Print JSK is perfect: the chiffon overlay hides the brightness of the orange flowers and has a very watery, Monet-like effect on the print.

Navy is the primary color in the painting, but you can't ever fail to notice the lesser accent colors: after all, nature does not make landscapes in one color, but many. That's why I brought back the light blue and the greens in the accessories.

What are some paintings that you'd like to see as Lolita dresses? Let me know in the comments below!

Lolita and Rococo Part 1: Rococo in Overview

Something that's been nagging at me lately has been a few posts that I've bumped into around the internet about how Lolita is absolutely not related to the French Rococo era, usually blaming Momoko Ryugasaki of Kamikaze Girls for the mix-up and following up by saying that Lolita has almost no resemblance to Rococo style, particularly early examples of the fashion.

Pardonnez?

I'm going to state that I respectfully, but absolutely, disagree with that argument.

I also want to say that this isn't a call-out post or anything-- it's just something that I enjoy talking about, and I'm glad I was able to get this out on my birthday! This is a topic that I've researched and given presentations on copiously over the years. Let's start from the top.

What Does Rococo Even Mean?

A Rococo-era mirror; note the shell-like ridges and look closely
at the "leafy" bits-- they're very reminiscent of waves!

Rococo was a lot of things, and not just fashion: it was an entire period of art and aesthetics. While the style is said to have its earliest roots in Southern Germany, Rococo is known as a hallmark of French aristocracy. The word itself is thought to derive from the French phrase rocaille, which is a term describing a type of decoration that makes use of seashells and pebbles. You can see the remnants of this in most Rococo decoration, particularly in the seashell and seafoam-like swirls on furniture and architecture.

Of course, every style or art movement can be described as a revolution against what came before; Specifically, Rococo was a push back against the more popular Baroque period, which was dark, austere, and very much funded by the Church (which is why most of the non-portraiture artwork from the time depicts Biblical figures and scenes).

Blind Man's Bluff by Jean-Honoré Fragonard

Most people would use one word to describe Rococo: extravagance. This isn't surprising because the time was marked by the aristocracy's extreme excesses and debt, and followed by the first French Revolution and the beheading of Marie Antoinette (who was one of the poster-children of the period for her gambling and superfluous lifestyle). The same can also be said for the Baroque movement. However, one of the defining features which distinguishes Rococo from Baroque is its focus on color and natural, organic movement. As we can see in the painting style of the time, instead of crisp, clean lines and dramatic lighting, there is the trademark fluffy, painterly brushstrokes and soft pastels. Rococo is playful, romantic, and exists simply because it's aesthetically pleasing.

Style Icons of the Eighteenth Century

Absolutely everyone knows that "Rococo" is basically synonymous with the name "Marie Antoinette," the last Queen of France before the first Revolution. But there are two other people that you should really also know when it comes to this subject: the Marquise de Pompadour and Rose Bertin.

The Marquise

The Marquise was the mistress of King Louis XV and a great patron of fashion and the arts in France. Not only did she wear the clothes that the rest of society would scramble to emulated, she was deeply interested in literature (best friends with the legendary Enlightenment writer Voltaire), theater, architecture (La Petite Trianon is her handiwork), interior design, and even the production of porcelain. Of course, there was more to her life than this, but for my purposes I'm going to choose to skip over them.

Another person whom it would be foolish to overlook is Marie Antoinette's personal clothing designer, Madame Rose Bertin. Everything about her business was huge-- the coifs, the dresses, and, of course, the price tag. As synonymous of "excess" as Marie Antoinette was, Bertin understood that fashion was the chief vehicle of expression for ladies of the French court. This was why her wigs and poufs were stacked three feet high, and the panniers were massive. A court lady was no longer just decoration, but took up space and could make a statement that would be heard.

Some Bertin creations

Of course, I have to round this out by discussing the lady herself: Marie Antoinette. The less-than-nice nickname "Madame Defecit" should tell you everything you need to know about how much money she would pour into clothes, jewelry, parties, and the like. It's often theorized that the early years of her marriage, which weren't spectacular by any means, contributed heavily to her heavy spending. She needed an outlet, and found it in fashion.

Rose Bertin was one of her worst enablers, and together they popularized what is now thought of as Rococo fashion to the general populace. It's true that Marie Antoinette eventually moved away from her "obvious" extravagance in favor of something simpler and more rural, though it was a lifestyle choice that would still cost her plenty of money and what little remained of her reputation. None of that stopped her from being the woman who brought Rococo to its peak, and its end.

So What Does This Have to Do With Lolita Fashion?

A lot, really. It's easy to brush off the more overt Rococo styles to Hime Gyaru overlap, but it's important to note that the two styles developed around the same time, both achieving popularity among the Japanese street fashions in the early 2000s. Of course there was bound to be crossing of the streams, and that's not a bad thing!

Hime Gyaru takes far more inspiration from Rococo than Lolita does, and is probably responsible for most of the Rococo elements you'll find. But that's not to say that you can't see bits of my favorite French period in early examples of Lolita, too, especially the early 00s.

I'm going to more fully bring this back around to Lolita in the next installment, which might be sometime net week. For now, I hope you enjoyed this very brief discussion about the history of Rococo fashion! Thank you very much for sticking with me through the long post: here, have a bunch of pretty Rococo paintings!

Watteau's The Swing -- why this made it into a
Disney children's film, I will never understand,
and will always giggle at.

The Stolen Kiss by Fragonard -- I really like his work, if you
can't tell.

Another Fragonard: Confession of Love

   

Trends I Loved, And Now I Don't

For this installment of the Lolita 52 Challenge, I went with a couple of trends that either never took off while I was around or haven't been around for quite some time (and one that will never really go away). Either way, here are a couple of "trends" that I used to really enjoy, but now I really don't.

1. Sweets-themed Sweet Lolita

This literally used to be #1 on my
wishlist.

This was my major obsession when I first got started: my first "coord" was cake-themed, I was in love with the Bodyline sweets prints, and Sweet Cream House was my dream dress. I've long since fallen out of love with this, though a couple of sugary prints are still on my wishlist.

2. Mini Bonnets

Momoko from Kamikaze Girls really inspired my love for them with the embroidered bonnet that started her short-lived career at Baby, the Stars Shine Bright, and I owned a pink BtSSB mini bonnet for a little while, but it looked far too childish on me. I gave it up last year, and now I prefer full-sized Classic or Gothic bonnets. I might snag a mini if I can find it in a nice jewel-tone, though...

3. Character Coordinates

I absolutely made a Mrs. Puff coordinate

I was obsessed with making these on PolyVore for a long time, and they were good practice! I'm particularly proud of the Glinda and Elphaba coordinates. But character-themed coords feel too costumey for me, now, and I want Lolita to feel like real, normal clothes again.

4. Split-Color Wigs



I'm constantly straddling the "do I like wigs or not?" fence, but the split-colored ones were definitely favorites of mine a couple of years ago. Now, when I see wigs like this, I can't help but think "Meh..." Personally, the closest to a split-color that I could see myself buying would be the MintyMix blonde-to-pink fade that's no longer on the website. Otherwise, I'd rather just go with a single color.

What are some trends that you used to love, but don't anymore? Let me know in the comments below!

10 Different Foods You Like

Another fun list from the 30 Day Lolita challenge!

1. Apples

I have a mighty devotion to Red Delicious apples, particularly the ones I get to go pick at the local orchard back in my hometown. They're massive, and way too big to cut with my slicer.

2. Pickled Green Beans

I'm not a huge fan of green beans, even though I've been cooking them for dinner a lot recently (the secret was apparently garlic and cheese), but dill-pickled beans were the first recipe that I tried (and made) and liked. Ugh, they're just so good!

3. Negimaki

This is a dish that I always have whenever I go to my favorite Japanese steakhouse back home: thinly sliced beef rolled around scallions with black pepper sauce and a sprinkle of sesame seeds! It comes as an appetizer, but I'm set with having just this for dinner.

4. Cereal

If I'm being honest, I'll come right out and say that cereal is kind of my go-to easy meal, particularly if my stomach's upset. My boyfriend likes to tease me about only liking "boring" stuff like plain Cheerios or Cornflakes, but that just means he won't eat them when I'm not around ;)

5. Strawberries

Who doesn't love a good strawberry? Though I have to admit, I'm a bit spoiled on them; homegrown is just so much better! After spending months eating only the berries I picked out of my grandfather's patch, the store bought ones now look weird and unripe.

6. Macarons

If you hadn't figured it out by now, I love macarons. Nothing beats a decent one. I was disappointed when a French-Lebanese bakery opened in my hometown and turned out to have terrible macarons (they were way too sweet). My favorite so far has been a raspberry-flavored one from Ladurée.

7. Lemon Cake

But not just any lemon cake. This is the Lemon Tower Cake from an Italian bistro called Biaggi's. Lemon is really easy to screw up, and it's simple to make the flavor overpowering. Biaggi's did it right. It's a white cake with a thin lemon sauce and filling and white chocolate shavings on the side. Neither the vanilla nor the lemon dominate the dessert, and it just came out perfectly.

8. Flax Fortune Coins

My boyfriend started subscribing to NatureBox, which is a snack box with healthier alternatives to a lot of the super-sugary or processed foods you find in a store. So far, my favorite snacks are the Flax Fortune Coins. I really love fortune cookies, and these taste just like them!

9. Root Beer Floats

This is funny, because I'm not a huge fan of rootbeer. But vanilla ice cream goes really well with it, and I love to have this occasionally in the summer!

10. Popcorn

Popcorn is hands-down my favorite snack. I had it all the time growing up, as we owned an air-popper. A few months ago, my mom won a decent air popper in a raffle and gave it to me, so now I can have it whenever I want! I like it a lot better than bagged or stovetop popcorn because you don't need oil to make it, it's fast, and you can put whatever toppings you want on it. Though, I really love most popcorn you throw in front of me-- especially this salted caramel apple corn from Naturebox.

My First Meetup

I didn't think I could really do any meetup posts from any of the topic lists, but I found one on the Lolita 52 list for my first meetup! Yay!

My first meetup was at Colossalcon last year (2015), and it was the Lolita tea party. It was lots of fun, and I actually got to socialize with people.

This was my coordinate for the day-- Meta's Rabbit Cafe Frill JSK in black with a Baby, the Stars Shine Bright headbow and Usakumya bag, offbrand shoes and shrug, and Fan+Friend OTKs.

I also found these really cute nails at Claire's.

Anyway, on to the tea party:

The food wasn't bad, and I was really happy to have some fruit, too! I can't remember the tea, but I think it was orange spice.

While / After we ate, we got to play a fun game that was right up my alley (that I've mentioned before in a previous post): design the next big print.

   

We had three lists of words to choose from and combine to make our print name. I went with Fancy Poodle Parade, but wanted to do something fancy in toned-down colors. I love the Rococo era, of course, and used that as the cut of my Hime OP, then made it grey and white with black accents. The poodles are supposed to be on leashes circling the border of the skirt, with velvet bows and a black pompom trim. I topped it off with a fun feather corsage in the hair, white gloves with more black velvet bows, and boots that were lined with fluffy black fleece and dangling pompom laces!

Finally, we had a raffle that everyone was entered in (to which I donated a Baby headbow that didn't really work with my head), and I won a pair of black Bodyline wrist cuffs. They're the lowest quality cuffs that I own, but they aren't terrible, and I needed a black pair, anyway. Also, I'm spoiled on Belladonna cuffs.

What was your first meetup like? Did you attend the 2015 Colossalcon tea party? Tell me about it or link me to your own post in the comments below!