Monday 26 July 2010

Yet Another Lolita Meme~

Just as abit of a filler, while I'm still typing out that entry on my first lolita meet-up :)


1. Please tell us your Hand Name (name that’s used ONLY in internet.) and hometown.
shira, Malaysia

2. About how long is your history as a Lolita?
I've known about lolita since I was 14, so that'd make it 7 years. I've always liked it, but only started truly loving it about 3 years ago, and finally started wearing and following lolita more closely in October 2009.

3. What first motivated you to do Lolita fashion?
All those years ago, the lolita fashion I was introduced to was rather more elegant than the OTT sweet styles that are so popular today. I fell in love with the curvy but elegant lines, and the modest silhouette. But I shied away from trying on the clothes, as I felt my body shape wasn't suitable for lolita. However, last year, I found a place that sold cheap but decent lolita clothes in my local area, so I bought an outfit - and never looked back. I do owe my new courage to try out lolita to another hobby! That hobby taught me how to use various gadgets to turn my body into whatever shape I desired or needed for a certain style.

4. After knowing Lolita fashion, have you had any time-gap or resistance till you actually started to be Lolita?
See 2 :) There's a time gap of about 7 years.

5. Please define your Lolita style as much as possible. (eg. Gothic Lolita, sweet Lolita, white Lolita…. Etc).
I very much love Classic Lolita, Aristocrat, Gothic Lolita and Country Lolita, in that order. I haven't really dressed enough in Lolita to define my own style, but my tastes definitely run more towards the Classic style than anything else. But sometimes, some sweet styles just catch my attention too, especially if it's a sweet style in black, or a country style.

6. About how many Lolita friends do you have?
I used to have only 2 friends in real life who know about lolita and actually like lolita enough to try it out. But I recently went for my first lolita meet-up, so I now have a whole slew of them! ^__^

7. What is the best thing about doing Lolita?
The thrill of wearing something that is beautiful to my eyes. And the way I'm able to escape into my own little fantasy world as far as I can for those few precious moments.

8. Conversely, what's the worst thing?
Some people don't have a very good attitude towards lolita, whether they are lolitas or non-lolitas. I also don't like all the attention and staring - it makes me nervous, like someone's going to jump out and kill me or something. (Clearly, I've been watching too much Criminal Minds :P)

9. Which Lolita Brands do you like?
I like Victorian Maiden, Innocent World, Mary Magdalene, Alice and the Pirates and BTSSB, in no particular order :D Juliette et Justine is also a very pretty brand! At the moment, just from their recent prints, I think AatP is running for top spot in my list *___*

10. What was the first Lolita item that you’ve owned?
Eh.... A cheap replica dress from eBay ^^;;; It looks bad, yes, so I don't wear it out. I also use the petticoat that came with it to supplement my other petticoats and get that extra poof.

11. What is the “must have!” Lolita item?
Currently, I really want lacy gloves! I'd also like a white corset too... (Already placed an order for a black one that will hopefully be arriving soon yay!) I'd also like a proper black parasol.... I have a cream BtSSB one that I really love!

12. Do you wear drawers?
I have one pair of drawers, but I only wear them if I'm wearing knee socks or OTK socks. I find them too warm if I wear them on top of tights.

13. Do you have any favourite Japanese music?
Hmmmm whatever strikes my fancy or things that bring back memories. I mostly like anime and game soundtracks for that reason. Uematsu Nobuo is a GENIUS! He's my absolute favourite. I also like traditional music very much, and koto + piano is one of my favourite combinations.

14. Where do you particularly visit as Lolita?
I've only worn lolita out of the house once, so I don't really have a defined favourite meeting spot ^^;

15. About how many times per week do you dress as Lolita?
Eh not so often. Maybe once every 10 weeks on average? Depends on when I have the time and space.

16. Please tell us about one embarrassing episode from the time when you were just beginning Lolita.
How much I was an ita? ^^; Cheap black fabric and cheap white lace coordinate, badly matching shoes, corset, rectangle headdress... I had it all :P And anyway, I'm still a beginning Lolita - just that I know better now than to wear BxW in such a blatantly ita way!

17. What's hairstyle and color that you think Lolita would suit the most?
I like natural hair colours, preferably in the black or brown range, but for anything in black, I rather like platinum blonde or a nice reddish russet. For hairstyles, I really like swept-aside fringes with loose, elegant curls.

18. Have you ever thought of stopping Lolita? The reason?
Not really seriously, because of all the money I've put into it. But sometimes I feel very disheartened when I see brand stuff that I like but can't fit into.

19. Please tell us your heart's bible as a Lolita. (anything like a book, magazine, CD, idol...)
I follow the Gothic & Lolita Bible, but not very regularly, and I limit it to issues that I like. I also follow Gosurori, because while some items may be rather ita or cosplay, they do have good patterns in there. And of course, I absolutely love stalking brand webshops for their photos XD

20. Do you own a doll? Tell us your feelings about her intensely!
Noooooo ;__; I've wanted a Dream of Doll's Dream of Teenager Shall or Sha since forever, or even Dream of Idol Luke, but I find them far too expensive. Maybe someday in the future, when I have a decent amount in my savings account...

21. What kind of make-up do you wear when you wear Lolita clothes?
I'm not too into make up, and I don't put on make up for just dressing up in my room. The only thing I'd ever wear is foundation and lip gloss/balm/stick. Maybe a bit of blush if I'm going to be out at night.

22. Have you ever secretly changed clothes in a train station bathroom on Lolita day-out?
...... *imagines accidentally soaking petticoat in loo water* O_O EWWWWWW! But no. :P

23. Are you composed when doing Lolita all by yourself?
At my first meet-up, I did walk around the mall alone in lolita for over an hour. It was quite nerve-wracking and I hid in the bookstore most of the time ^^;;; But I think I was composed as I could get - I just had to summon up that kimono courage somewhere and turn it into loli-courage! I actually tripped in my shoes, and just walked on pretending nothing happened...

24. How much do you spend in your Lolita clothes& accessory monthly?
Ummmm I don't know.... Let's just say that about 35% of my disposable income per month goes into my loli closet.

25. What is the most expensive Lolita thing you've bought so far? How much was it?
I've recently placed an order for a shirt+skirt+corset outfit set... It cost about RM500.

26. So far about how much has the expense been for Lolita goods?
I'd rather not say ^^;;

27. Lolita outfit really costs money. How do you raise money to cover the cost of Lolita?
It comes out of my own pocket from my salary :) But I've been spending far too much recently, so I've cut down my spending. I don't spend my money on things like rent or travel, so I have more extra money to spend.

28. Have you ever bought from an online store? If so, please tell us its good and bad points and some advice for the future. If not, please tell us why not.
I've bought from Bodyline and In The Starlight. In The Starlight is really good, with friendly service and excellent sewing work. Sadly, it's closed down :( Bodyline had a great shipping time - I find that if I buy items on Friday, I receive them on Monday!! Quality of the shoes were good. The wig wasn't of a very good quality, though. Clothes were quite good quality too, but nowhere near brand quality items. I'm awaiting a box of items from a few TaoBao stores, so I'll have to review about those!

29. Even if you sort of want to keep it a secret, please clandestinely tell us about a private manufacturer that is the best.
I've yet to try having anything custom-made for me ^^; Nope, ITS doesn't count :) Cos they're closed now ;___;

30. Is there a brand and/or an item that you think, "I could never get it! But I unreasonably want it!"?
Just about everything from Mary Magdalene and Victorian Maiden! There are some things from Innocent World I could fit into, but there aren't many of them :/ Same with Btssb and Alice and the Pirates.

31. What do you think about people who only do Lolita at music-lives or cosplay?
I'm kind of one of them, soooo... they're okay, I guess ^^;;

32. From what age to what age is it acceptable to do Lolita? Do you think that there's a state in which someone must graduate from Lolita? (you can answer as ‘never graduate’)
Well.... I think that one should always dress according to how one looks. For example, if you look older, then dress in a more mature style. Dressing in an OTT sweet style with a mature-looking face just highlights your age-appearance. I think that it does look a little more disturbing once white hair and wrinkles start to pop out, so try to avoid them (dye your hair, take care of your skin, etc).

33. Is there a Lolita fashion or behavior that you think "I don't want Lolitas to do this!"?
I dislike girls who look down on others who don't wear brand. And then there are the girls who act very inelegant and rude while wearing lolita. I understand that everyone has a different personality, but that doesn't mean you can ignore basic courtesy. And umm I also hate girls who put on a sugary-sweet attitude that's very obviously fake.

34. Is there something you think "Lolita has to be this way!" about?
The only thing I believe in is that there should be basic courtesy for other people. I don't mean be all helpful and sweet, but at least don't be rude to them when others ask questions! Even offending questions can be handled more delicately, maturely and politely.

35. While doing Lolita, has something changed from earlier than you did Lolita?
There's more frills and lace and OTT sweet that's in style now. I still love Classic the most, but other styles are growing on me. I used to absolutely hate pink and white lolita, but now I find it awfully cute!

36. Do you go to school/work as Lolita?
In my current job: no, never! That'd get my ass fired faster than you can say "unprofessional"! However, if I worked for, say, a lolita/loli-able store, then of course I would! :D My sister and I have been dreaming about opening a knit cafe, and if that really does happen someday in the far far distant future, I would wear lolita to work on some days~

37. Do you wear Lolita clothes as casual wear?
If I had the guts to do it, I would! ^^;;; But sometimes I really just want to relax in whatever, so even if I do wear casual loli, it probably won't be too often.

38. Do you have a boyfriend (or husband)? Do you understand each other?
Nahh, haven't been interested in getting a boyfriend for a while. I notice people, but I don't feel like getting into a relationship at the moment.

39. What do the people around you think of your doing Lolita? Do they accept it?
My friends are okay with it. My family teases me about it, but they're willing to support me so long as it makes me happy ^^ I think my dad is still weirded out by it, but I'm still working on that XD

40. What kind of Lolita has impressed you the most up until now?
Aristocrats and Classic lolis! They're just soooo elegant ^_^

41. Have you ever made your own Lolita clothing or/and accessories? If so, what was the best item that you’ve made?
Not yet. But I've designed a skirt and would love to start learning dressmaking so I can make it!

42. If you have an ideal Lolita outfit or coordination, please tell us.
Ummmm not yet! I've alot of ideal outfits and coordinations that I want swimming in my head, but none of them stand out as a THIS. IS. LOLITA! thing.

43. Is there a motif that you think “this is a simple of Lolita”?
I don't really get this question, so I'm skipping it ^^;;;

44. Would you want to dress your children as Lolita?
Eh not really. Children in lolita clothes would just be children wearing children's clothes ^^;; And it'd be weird dressing the same way my child is dressing!

45. What's your image of the ideal Lolita?
Someone who's kind, elegant and generally a nice person, but not overly so or faked. That would be the basis of their character. Other than that, I want their individuality to show! I'd like to be the kind of lolita who is quiet, demure and elegant, but with a sharp wit and quick, intelligent mind, but I would really love to be friends with lolitas who are fun to be around, who aren't afraid to run around and play, or tell odd stories that make me laugh. And of course, my ideal lolita should be perfectly groomed for an impeccable appearance she can wow the world with :D

That's all for this meme! But there are a few other memes I've seen around, so I may post more in the future haha ^_^ Ta for now!

Wednesday 14 July 2010

TaoBao Order!~

Quite a few months ago, I started browsing through TaoBao after drooling over so many dresses in Qutieland. I found out just how much cheaper it is to buy from other TaoBao shopping services compared to Qutieland, so when a friend of mine asked if I wanted to do a group order, I immediately took the opportunity to try it out!

This, sadly, isn't one a review post, but just a post to show what I've bought. The items are actually on their way to my friend's house already, but because of our schedules, we won't be able to meet up for another month.

So, while I'm waiting, I thought I might as well post about the stuff I bought!

Here goes:

1) Infanta Susan JSK. I bought this JSK and the matching hairband.


2) R-Series Antique Rosy JSK. I've been wanting this for so long that I didn't even think twice about ordering this ^^;


3) R-Series Lace Bolero. I bought the white one because it matches the Antique Rosy JSK. If this one fits well, I might buy the black version too! :)


4) I really really like this set! So much so that I bought the shirt in wine red and off-white and the skirt in wine red, off-white and white ^^ I figured that they'd be so easy to mix and match, and I can use the skirts as underskirts for short dresses. Also, I think I can pair the shirt with a pencil skirt for the office. Yay!



5) I really love this set! I actually wanted to order it with the blouse, but I was dumb and didn't read the entire thing, so I only get the corset and skirt ^^;;; But it's ok, I can order the blouse separately.


I really can't wait till they arrive! But since they aren't going to get here for a while yet, I've been rather tempted to buy a few more things on Bodyline... XP" We'll see if I can resist shopping for more lolita clothes for another month! Hahaha~

Toodles and take care~