General Discussion

@HarlequinCr0w
Ahhh going to Japan is my dream >w<
But I do get the next best thing... going back to China this year to visit family and there's a Hello Kitty themed dim sum place in Hong Kong @.@

@Amura
Thank you for the advice! Yeah I think I'll prefer elastic too...one of the projects I had in school involved making a bag with a zipper and let's just say I got an 84 and it was ENTIRELY because I could NOT put the zipper on to save my life.

@Sonora
I just bought a dress off of Glitzy Wonderland for $39! It was on sale and Glitzy packages in shipping into the display price of the item. Some of their stuff is more expensive than buying from the original seller but when they do price cuts you can get some good deals :3

I also bought a dress for $29.99, a skirt for $24.99, and shoes for $24.99 from a site called Bodyline. A lot of their stuff looks really cheesy but if you go for the simple patterns and solid color without lace dripping from it, it looks really nice! Only problem is shipping is really expensive >.<

If you want to get into the fashion, what I did was first buy one dress. I personally got a dress that doesn't need a blouse underneath it just so I didn't overcomplicate myself. It just came in yesterday and I love it but it was designed for short people so its waist is 2 inches higher than my waist :(

Or if you want to just try the general aesthetic to see what you like, just try wearing a skirt and blouse! Doesn't even have to be actual lolita ^.^ Tuck in the blouse and wear a skirt that starts at the waist and is about knee length and see if you like it.

@grendeleev
Any tips regarding buying dresses that have the waist where you want them? I never really thought I was that tall (I'm 5'7") but apparently that's a bit tall for the dresses most designers make for lolita :s The dress I got fits me in every area except the waist, which is 2 inches too high, whereas on the mannequin it is not a high waist dress in the slightest.

I know custom sizing is an option, but could they also be able to make the torso longer? If all I sent them were my bust, waist, and hips, I'd probably still get a dress where the torso is too short...

@foxwaffles I know low-waist JSKs exist, but I've never actually worn one, and I know some people think they look funny if you're not super tall. As for custom sizing brands, I would find one that will take custom length sizing as well as bust/waist, because there are lolitas out there that are definitely taller than you, and they've managed! I'm 5'4" so I've never had this specific problem. D:

@foxwaffles Ohhh, btw which dress on GW did you buy?? I'd love to see it :D

@grendeleev Ahhhh this is the one specific instance where I wonder if it'd be better if I was short x.x But I love being tall * 3 * [img]https://img.alicdn.com/imgextra/i4/889342088/TB2ndtlaXgkyKJjSspfXXcj1XXa_!!889342088.jpg[/img] I bought this! It was on sale for $39 and is offbrand. I *think* it's from a Korean indie brand called GOGO Girl but I can't be too sure. I've seen it pop up on eBay too (probably a scam) and I saw it on YesStyle so who knows where it's from :'D One of their photos has a JSK version of this with corset lacing up the back but the version GW was selling was the OP I love it, it's great quality for what I paid, but the waist is higher on me since I'm a noodle and the ruffles on the sleeves make my broader-than-average (For a Chinese, you know :T ) shoulders look like they have video game armor =3= My husband and all my friends insist it looks great though, and I am head over heels in LOVE with the print. Biggest issue is that they tried to make the zipper discreet so it snags easily since the teeth are so small, I think I'm going to get it replaced with a slightly bigger, and better quality, zipper, plus maybe attach a fastener to the top.

@foxwaffles

Wow this dress is so pretty :O I think lolita stuff is so pretty but it's so hard to wear casually without looking odd or over the top. But this dress is perfect in the sense that you could wear it in ANY occasion.

@foxwaffles !!!

That dress is gorgeous! I love the sleeves. I have this weird thing where I'll never choose a classic dress for myself, but seeing them individually I love them. I think I'm just too suckered into pastel vomit prints, lol.

I think if the first reaction your husband and friends had to seeing you in a radically different and outgoing fashion (at least I assume it's radically different from what you normally wear) was a reaction of approval, then that definitely means it really looks good on you! Even if you think it doesn't fit quite right. I know my family's first reaction (and some still have this reaction) to lolita was, "Uhhhhhh what the hell are you wearing??" So anything better than that is a good sign, lol!

@minimoon
Thanks! Yeah, I'm gonna feel a bit self-conscious once I've got a petticoat underneath to poof it out, but without a petticoat it looks great as a casual dress :>

I think that one way to tone down the lolita look is to just have few simple accessories and a simple blouse or nice shirt with a skirt instead of the full decked out dress look :> Some people on Tumblr call it "Casual Lolita"

@grendeleev
Meanwhile I can't stand pastel vomit prints XD I'm actually excessively picky about prints and patterns, and always have been (for any article of clothing), so when I was dress shopping it was like impossible to find a dress with simple solid colors or a simple edge print/pattern, so I'm very pleased with this one! The all-over print on the top half is super subtle and the bottom print is not busy.

When I showed my mom what this "lolita" fashion was all about she was actually quite pleased, the first thing that popped out of her mouth was, "Wow, it's so modest!" XD

@foxwaffles Your mom had the most wonderful reaction, I wish all parents approved of lolita in the same way <3

So do you have any idea of how you're going to coord your dress? Do you have shoes/socks/accessories picked out?