#hence i guess what id wear is mostly lolita inspired but on a regular day absolutely not within the rule confines of real lolita outfits

[mejomonster]

To get real niche lol part of why I love old school lolita (you know besides literally growing up when that was The dominant lolita fashion style so its what got me into lolita)

Is that it embraces the 1 color dresses, 2 color no pattern dresses, lace, and less accessories.

For one, the no pattern and lace containing dresses nowadays are looked at as cheaper or something "not actually lolita" when like... in reality it was always lolita if it was a real lolita fashion brand, it's just the cheap cosplay knockoffs that were too short and actually anime outfits were copying that style more since that's the lolita dresses the anime were making skimpier and copying. And that's still mainly what cosplay cheap fake lolita like dresses look like, because anime took looks from lolita At That Time period and then it continued on as it's own beast (also anime is more likely to animate simple dresses than intense pattern dresses I'm guessing). The reality is like... lace is lolita if it's on a lolita brand dress. Period. People moved away from it, as well as avoiding black/white dresses, because as I mentioned anime and cosplay made rip off cheap fake lolita rhats too short and wrong style and bad quality and not brand (and not lolita on qualities they lack). But you CAN actually wear a real regular lolita brand good quality dress that is black and white with frills... and I think they're fucking cute.

2 a lot of older pictures online exist of old school lolita. I love how many look "cringe" in their own way the same way old emo pictures do. Some of the styles of old lolita dresses like the intense long poofy sleeves or lace trims, are generally Not popular in current lolita fashion trends. But hey, even though they're "cringy" to modern popular opinion. They're still real lolita style - the old style. So wear em if you like them!

3 the lack of Intense Accessory Requirement. There's lots of old Fruit magazine photos of people in lolita, with just a headband/hairclip and socks/tights as their accessories. I fell in and out of wearing lolita, and when I came back into it in the last couple years it's very common now to see the expectation a lolita outfit should include: lolita dress or blouse/skirt and petticoat and dress shoes (the base outfit), legwear (like before), headpiece (like before). And ALSO necklace, arm wear (bracelets or wrist cuffs), purse (I imagine hopefully optional as always since ppl use different bags), hair style done up (again i hope optional and it's just Instagram is High Glam so people tend to wear wigs or intensely style hair more for Instagram photo shoots). The big change for me though is the seemingly much higher expectation on jewelry accessories and Fancy Legwear and mandatory arm wear and some people thinking the outfit is incomplete without them. The lolita style to my knowledge started as base outfit (dress or blouse and skirt, petticoat, all in appropriate lolita shape and length) with some leg wear usually (though occasionally ppl just wear shoes) and some hairpiece (usually a bow or headband but I've seen just a hairclip or barrettes before).

I am assuming the rise in more expectations of accessories comes from: over the top styles currently being what's most popular (and yes like Decora fashion, OTT styling generally expects much more accesorizing), sweet style being currently what's most popular (heavy on patterns so in personal opinion I assume that means one may need to accessorize more or be more dramatic with say Patterned tights to get attention on elements of the outfit outside of the main piece).

On the other hand I've seen more leniency on jumper dresses without undershirts (especially chinese lolita brand dresses some of which are designed specifically to just be worn as straps without undershirts), which I think is nice because in old school lolita dresses were sometimes worn this way. I'd also like to hope in reality lolita fashion worn in person is for the peoples personal happiness and preference, versus online like Instagram where yeah people tend to dress up the Most as public eye is on them.

I just think of Kamikaze Girls lol and how I wear as few accessories as her. Now I get mine is out of laziness, and I hate the feel of so many things on my body. But I grew up wanting THAT look, not the OTT look.

And then I guess semi related? If you're into old school lolita styles (and in particular gothic lolita), I really can't recommend Atelier Pierrot enough. First of all, they have a plus size line they carry that is AMAZING. It's genuinely plus size, I've bought 3 dresses and 1 skirt from this line and love them. The plus size have open free waists and then use a tie around the waist so you can tie it as tight or loosely as your waist needs, and the overall dress shape retains the cute lolita look. The free waist means if like me you jump 20 lbs back and forth, the dresses are guaranteed to fit ans look nice even when weight changes. Also the waist can be loosened easily when bloated or in pain while still looking form fitting (which is great for my ibs lol and makes them the MOST comfortable lolita dresses I have), they're very thin lightweight good quality cotton so they can be worn in the heat or colder without feeling like you're suffocating. Buy based on the free waist size measurements when picking items. Atelier Pierrot also carries Marble which keeps a lot of classic solid color with frills kind of looks, has some plus size (but really CHECK MEASUREMENTS because marble runs very tight... I tend to buy bigger sizes Than I think I'll need). Atelier Pierrot also has an English language option on site, and international shipping options. It's my favorite lolita brand. I also really like the gothic lolita look most, and Atelier Pierrot and Marble are great for that.

Otherwise yeah I'm basic, I get bodyline stuff, because it's sturdy and true to size (though sometimes youll want to buy a size up) and has plus size items that will fit me. sometimes.