Showing posts with label lolita. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lolita. Show all posts

Monday, November 7, 2011

Conventions Part I


Hello Lovelies!
I’m back! I am SO sorry that I haven’t updated in a while! My workload has been insane in these last few months and I’m just now catching a break. A lot of stuff happened in the month of September and October so I’ve decided to fill you all in! I’ll probably have to do this in several parts but I’ll try to get as much done today as possible!

Let’s start with the beginning of September!
I went to Dragon*Con for the first time ever!! This was one of the most exciting things that I have been to all year! For those that don’t know, D*C is a four day sci-fi and fantasy convention that is held over Labor Day weekend in downtown Atlanta. This is by far the biggest convention that is held in the southeast. I was definitely not prepared for it even though I knew this information. The convention was held about three blocks away from my dorm so we visited the area during the entire weekend. We decided to get a one day badge for Saturday which cost us $50! We will definitely be buying our badges earlier next year to avoid the high cost. I didn’t want to focus on anything specific for this convention because I was mostly interested in taking in all of the amazing aspects. 

My friend Gina stayed with us in our dorm from Friday to Sunday. We never get to see each other so this was very nice! She ran off to do convention stuff while we walked around the area on Friday. At the end of the day, we hung out with several people that frequent the 4chan board /CGL/.  4chan is an image board website where posting is almost all done anonymously. /CGL/ is the website’s Cosplay and Gothic Lolita area. People can be helpful sometimes but most of the time they’re just catty. I was interested to see how the members would be in real life, without the mask of anonymity.  We all ended up taking a nice long walk to Gladys’s and Ron’s Chicken and Waffles for some delicious food. I had a great time and enjoyed everyone’s company!  


On Saturday, we decided to go to the parade that was held on Peachtree Street. Unfortunately, we left our dorm too late to get a spot. Being 4’11”didn’t help anything either. Kim Joon was nice enough to take a few pictures for me since he is tall.
After the parade, we ate lunch and got ready to stand in line to get our badges. We originally thought that the line was going to be about 30 minutes long because of how fast it was moving. We could see most of the line from our living room window but couldn’t see how far back it stretched. Let’s just say that we definitely underestimated the time. I think we stood in line for about three hours or more.  We had a lot of fun goofing off in line and taking pictures. It was very hot that weekend (in the high 90’s!) so we were excited to see an ice cream truck parked next to the long line.
When we finally made it through the line, it was almost 4:30. We spent the rest of the day wandering around the hotels and went to a photoshoot with the Atlanta Lolitas. After taking lots of fun pictures, we stopped for lunch.




Right as we were finishing up, it started to rain! We only made it to two panels later that night and then decided to go to the rave. When we got back to our dorm to change for the rave, we were exhausted and didn’t have the motivation to go back outside. We ended up not going to the rave.  There’s always next year!
Sunday and Monday were very lazy days that consisted of homework and periodically going outside to take in the sights and to meet with people for lunch. We were completely exhausted from all the running around that we did in the previous days! I’m so glad that I was able to go and experience Dragon*Con!

The next weekend was Japan Fest! I was so excited to go this year because Japan Fest usually falls on the same weekend as Anime Weekend Atlanta. Japan Fest is a very small two day convention. This is the first time that I have been in about 5 years! We only went on Saturday but had a great time sampling food. It was nice meeting up with the ATL Lolitas again that weekend. We decided to play a game to get to know everyone a bit better that involved stealing large amounts of toilet paper. For every square that you ripped off, you had to say a fact about yourself.


Two of the boyfriends decided to play this game (including Kim Joon) and of course pulled off about 40 squares. I made Kim Joon cut it down to about 10 to spare everyone. It turned out to be a very fun game and we got to meet several new members of the group! I should mention that the Atlanta Lolitas currently has about 170 members now!

Well that’s all for Part I! Hopefully Part II will be later this week and not in another two months! I have a few projects that I want to complete over Thanksgiving and Winter break with Greg so I'll give you guys some updates about those as well!
Thanks for reading!
<3

Monday, August 29, 2011

Birthday Weekends and a Bit about School


Hello everyone! I hope that you had a great weekend! Mine was quite eventful. My roommate Faust had her birthday party last weekend and I had mine this past weekend! I wanted to share some pictures from both of them!  I'm going to apologize in advance for the wonky placement of pictures. I'm still trying to figure all this stuff out! I took all the pictures for Faust's party but Sooji Kimn took the ones for my party!

Kim Joon in Btssb
Kim Joon and Dante
Faust’s girlfriend Alena decided to throw her a surprise party with a twist! Everyone was supposed to dress as the opposite gender! The look on Faust’s face was priceless when she came around the corner and saw all her girl friends dressed as guys in skinny jeans and plaid shirts and her friend Daniel dressed in a neon green skirt. Kim Joon was a good sport and dressed up as well. Kim Joon finally got to see why I always complain when I wear Lolita in the summer!
Daniel being antisocial
Alena and Faust
Greg in a dress



 
We all went to the park and played on the playground for a while!
Greg on a swing
Gangsta me and Kim Joon
Then we walked to a nice coffee shop that was nearby to get out of the heat! It had to be around 95 degrees that day. After we left the coffee shop, someone had the brilliant idea to go and check out the piercing shop that was across the street. After waiting for a while and chatting with some of the people in the store, Dante ended up getting her lip pierced! Greg was going to get the bridge of her nose re-pierced but decided to wait. 
 
 


My Birthday Party
I decided to celebrate my birthday with my local Lolita community, the amazing Atlanta Lolitas. We had a tea party at our friend Andrea’s condo! Andrea’s condo is by far the most girly place that I have ever seen. All the walls are pink and she even has a Disney princess room! I decided that I wanted to have a very informal tea party and that’s exactly what I got!

My hand was shaking...
Ravenous lolitas waiting for me to cut the cake

A few of the many ATL Lolitas <3








Savannah, Betty, and Dawn

The lovely Andrea! <3
Andrea and Whipcreambunn <3

Boxedtea

<3 Kasumi Pai <3

Sophie

I stayed up extremely late before the party. I was born at 3:26 AM so Kim Joon refused to say happy birthday to me until that time! To keep myself awake, I listened to music from my childhood and tried to find my favorite songs from the past few years. By the time that 3:26 actually rolled around, I was already passed out in bed! I was still sleepy when I woke up and got ready for the party. I usually take a picture of my coordinate for the day but I was in such a rush!

We didn’t really do anything interesting at my party other than pig out and talk. The boyfriends/husbands left at the beginning of the party to hang out at a bar and go antiquing. This definitely made the party a bit more fun! My friend Dawn got me an amazingly delicious handmade Korean cake!! This is now my favorite type of cake! It was so light and fluffy! 

Kim Joon and Chris at High Tea

Kim Joon and Chris finally reunited




After the party began winding down, a few girls wanted to go out for dinner or karaoke. I wasn’t able to go unfortunately because I wanted to see my mom and my brother. I was also exhausted! When I got home, I decided to check my email on my laptop and guess what was waiting for me! A virus! A lovely W32 Blaster Worm! YAY! Just what I wanted on my laptop! I called Kim Joon and sobbed to him for a few moments while he gave me the worst case scenario. My cousin’s friend ended up helping me fix it over the phone. I’m so grateful that all of that is done with! 

Well there you have it! That’s what my two weekends back in college have been like! Unfortunately, the first week of school wasn’t as eventful. I love my classes this semester but I think that they will definitely be a challenge. I’m taking: American Government, Archaeology and Prehistory, Human Communication, Intro to Biology, and Advanced Spanish Grammar 1. I’m extremely worried about the Advanced Grammar course. I haven’t taken a Spanish class in two semesters and I seem to have forgotten almost everything that I knew before. This should be interesting to say the least! I’ve met a few interesting people on my way to and from class. One of these people is a very sweet homeless man who goes by Copper Man. Copper Man makes copper jewelry for the students at GSU. He also is trying to beat the world record for the longest copper chain in the world. I’m planning on interviewing him sometime soon because I would love to learn more about his life and what he does. Living in downtown Atlanta forces you to meet some interesting people! 

Copper Man
I’ll probably be able to update my blog once a week now that school has started. I’m excited for everything that I have planned! I just need to get around to doing it! I’m going to Dragon*Con next weekend (only for Saturday though) so expect to see some coverage of that! If there is something specific that you would like me to investigate at D*C or in general, please comment or send me an email! I could always use ideas! Thanks for reading!

Saturday, August 20, 2011

A filler post


Hey everyone! I just moved into my dorm yesterday! I’m still unpacking and getting ready for school on Monday. I’m so exhausted and sore from moving boxes up and down stairs! I'm so happy to be back downtown with the all the noise of the city right outside my window. We have a great four person dorm this year and everyone has their own room! I hope that we will be able to get to know our new roommate a little bit better. She seems nice so far though! I'm currently making cheese biscuits with Greg for Faust's birthday party! It smells absolutely amazing in here. We found out yesterday that our friend Sam lives two floors above us so he was over all day yesterday and all day today. I'm looking forward to many adventures with him! Here's a picture of us from a few months ago! Sorry for the terrible coordinate!
Sam with my hat! See how short I am?

I thought that I would make a quick post just to give everyone something to read while I get settled here! So here is the…

               30 DAY LOLITA CHALLENGE!!!!!
(stolen from someone else!)
Day 1 – 10 things about your lolita bubble.
Day 2 – 10 things you love in lolita.
Day 3 – 10 things you hate in lolita.
Day 4 – 10 different kinds of food you like.
Day 5 – 10 items from your wishlist.
Day 6 – 10 things you can’t live without in lolita.
Day 7 – 10 people who inspire your lolita style.
Day 8 – 10 songs that inspire you for lolita.
Day 9 – 10 things you will never do in lolita.
Day 10 – What’s in your bag?
Day 11 – One day in your lolita life in pictures.
Day 12 – A picture of yourself before lolita came in to your life.
Day 13 – A picture of your favorite sweets.
Day 14 – A picture of your dream item.
Day 15 – A picture of your last lolita purchase.
Day 16 – Your outfit for the day.
Day 17 – What do you want more then anything right now?
Day 18 – A picture of your favorite lolita style.
Day 19 – What’s in your make-up bag?
Day 20 – A picture of a lolita friend.
Day 21 – Your favorite fictional lolita.
Day 22 – A picture of your room.
Day 23 – A picture of your handwriting.
Day 24 – A picture of you from a meet.
Day 25 – Your favorite lolita themed artwork.
Day 26 – Your Facebook profile picture.
Day 27 – One song that fits your favorite lolita style.
Day 28 – A picture of the perfect lolita location.
Day 29 – A picture of a lolita you would love to meet for real.
Day 30 – A photo of yourself taken today and 3 good things that’s happened over the last 30
days.
I’ll try to keep up with it as much as possible but I can almost guarantee that I won’t be able to finish it on time!

Day 1 – 10 things about your lolita bubble. (I’m not quite sure what the bubble is supposed to be so this will be 10 random Lolita facts about me I guess!)

  1. I wear what styles I want to wear! I don’t have one definitive style right now but that will probably change in the future! I have a lot of stuff that I could coordinate with sweet but I really want to move towards classic or even try gothic.
  2. I don’t own a proper Lolita blouse or a good petticoat.  I’m actually browsing for one online right now!  
  3. I only own one piece of brand and I love it to death. It was passed down to me from my Lolita Mommy Brittany <3 Actually it’s the pink dress above!
  4. I love my local community so much. Everyone is really laid back and isn’t so uptight about the rules. The meetups are always fun and everyone is good company! I know that if I ever need anything then I can call on one of them!  
  5. I really like replicas. I know that many people have a problem with them but that’s just too bad! I just bought the new Vampire Requiem JSK replica so I can’t wait to get it in September!
  6.  I love JSKs and OPs more than skirts. This is probably because I don’t own a good blouse.
  7. I’ve only been involved in Lolita for a year even though it seems like it has been forever. It’s taken over my life but has taught me many valuable lessons.
  8. Baby the Stars Shine Bright is my favorite brand! I used to really love Angelic Pretty but after I realized that I would never fit into anything, I started looking elsewhere :P Unfortunately, I’m not very happy with their customer service right now!
  9. I’m thinking about doing a big video project for anthropology stuff about Lolita. I really should plan this out a little bit more. My Cultural Anthropology professor suggested that I submit my work
  10. I would love to be able to wear Lolita every day! I try to wear it once a week to class!

Friday, August 12, 2011

Lolita Part 1- What is Lolita?


Disclaimer- I do not own any of these pictures! 

Lolita fashion has been a major aspect of my life for the past year so I feel like I need to write SOMETHING about it. Just FYI, this is not going to be a blog that is will only focus on Lolita! I don’t want to go into too much detail at this point in time about Lolita but I want to outline the basics. I don’t claim to be an expert on this subject, just someone who has some experience. I often get a lot of questions about Lolita from friends and strangers, especially when I’m out in public and I try to explain it in as simple terms as possible.

For those of you who are not familiar with Japanese fashions, Lolita (also known as Elegant Gothic Lolita or EGL) is a street style that is influenced by the Rococo and Victorian eras. Lolita has managed to spread outside of Japan and is now relatively popular among Japanese fashion enthusiasts. It has NOTHING to do with the novel by Vladimir Nabokov of the same name and is not a sexual fetish (for us at least). Lolita is composed of several major substyles: Sweet, Classic, and Gothic. There are even more styles that can be found in the fashion such as Pirate, Sailor, Kodona (or boystyle) and Country Lolita.
THIS IS NOT LOLITA
Once again, THIS IS NOT LOLITA

Now on to the real stuff...
Sweet Lolita

Gothic Lolita
Classic Lolita


               Sweet Lolita is characterized by pastel colors and knee length skirts and dresses that are held up with large knee length petticoats. The petticoats are mainly used to give the dress or skirt a shape that is similar to a cupcake. “Prints” that are found on the items of clothing often feature objects such as toys, animals, and candies. Over the Top Sweet or OTT Sweet is a very popular version at this time. It literally means what it is called. Wigs with different colors and many accessories help make OTT sweet. Classic Lolita is a more refined and mature style characterized by muted colors such as brown, ivory, and dusty pink. Knee length or longer skirts and dresses are worn with a petticoat that gives less volume than sweet. Prints are often floral or feature fruits, books, and animals. Classic is often seen as the “go to” style when Lolitas feel that they are too old to wear Sweet Lolita. Gothic Lolita is similar but uses darker colors such as black, wine red, and dark blue. Prints are usually of castles, bats, vampires, and other things that are considered to be dark or “gothic.”

What makes a Lolita outfit?

A Lolita coordinate is comprised of several items.
Melty Chocolate OP
 
Melty Chocolate JSK
·        A dress or skirt- Dresses are put into two categories. Jumper Skirts (commonly known as a JSK) are dresses without sleeves while One Piece (OP) dresses have sleeves. 


·        A petticoat- There are many different types of petticoats that are used under dresses and skirts. Different types give dresses and skirts different shapes. Sweet Lolita usually uses bigger, bell shaped petticoats, while Classic often uses A-line petticoats
bell petticoat
A-line petticoat


        









A Blouse- Blouses are worn with JSKs and skirts. Many Lolitas say that blouses are absolutely essential, even in the blazing hot summer. I don’t necessarily agree with them!

Socks or Tights- Knee socks, over the knee socks (OTK), and tights are almost always worn in a coordinate.

·        Bloomers- Bloomers are not essential but sure come in handy!
·        Shoes- All different types of shoes can be worn with Lolita. It’s really just a matter of what goes best with the outfit.
·        Accessories- These can sometimes make or break a coordinate. Accessories range from bonnets and headbows, to rings, bracelets, and purses. 

 (I love Melty Chocolate!)

Where can I buy Lolita clothing?

Lolita is a very expensive hobby. Many Lolitas prefer to buy from particular brands which are known for their clothing. Brand clothing tends to be much higher priced (often in the $100-400 range) and is often better quality than most other places. Lolita brands are similar to stores like Louis Vuitton, Coach, and Guess and are highly sought after. Other shops that sell Lolita clothing are not considered to be brands. Brands are responsible for many of the sought after prints that are found on their clothing. Popular brands are:
  • Other (legitimate) stores to buy Lolita clothing 
Taobao- (I’ll explain how to use this later. For now, use google chrome and translate)  http://egl.livejournal.com/16187531.html (a very useful list of links)
Bodyline- Sweet, Classic, Gothic (very hit or miss but great for beginners)
 Fan+Friend

Handmade items are also a great place to look! Etsy (http://www.etsy.com/) is my best recommendation. Several awesome seamstresses that I know well can be found there.
o   Miscy (www.miscy.etsy.com)


A message about a little place called Milanoo.

There is a website known as Milanoo (www.milanoo.com/) that claims to sell Lolita clothing. This is FAR from the truth. It has become a trap that many beginner Lolitas fall into. Milanoo advertises everywhere, including on Youtube and other blogs. It is a major scam and will give you terrible quality dresses that don’t look anything like what you paid for. Milanoo has even gone as far as stealing stock pictures from many of the websites above. That pretty dress that you saw on their website is definitely not an original of theirs. The best way to find out where a dress is from is to look through Lolibrary (http://lolibrary.org/). There is a nifty search feature that can help you narrow down certain aspects of the dress and find out where it originally came from. Don’t buy from Milanoo!


Thank you for reading! I’ll continue to add to this list and change it over time. If you are still interested and want to learn more about Lolita fashion, please check out The Elegant Gothic Lolita livejournal at (www.egl.livejournal.com) and the Lolita Handbook at (lolita-handbook.livejournal.com/)
If you think that I need to add or correct anything please let me know!

Next Post: My personal take on Lolita/30 Day Lolita Challenge