Lolita 52 Challenge: #4 - Favorite thing to put on my head

This one is laughably easy. Hats, of course! I adore hats of all styles, colors, and sizes. I have a face (or a head?) that works with pretty much any hat, which certainly helps. I actually want to get into millinery eventually, but at the moment I don't have enough money to invest in getting hat blocks and things.

I do have materials for making fascinators, but it's something I haven't gotten around to just yet. My to-do list of crafts and sewing is so ridiculously long it hurts to think about.

All of the hats I have are from vintage or thrift stores, and the most expensive one was $10. My best friend got me this hatbox as a Halloween gift (I love Halloween), and it's super sturdy and lovely and useful.

I made a hatbox myself and, although it isn't super pretty it protects my hats. I really want to get a bunch of pretty hatboxes for storage, though.

Here are my collection of beige-y hats. As a classic Lolita, you can never have too many. Creams, off-whites, and ivorys are super easy to match, and if you want to bring in some extra color you can change out the ribbons or add some nice flower clips along the sides.

My fanciest hat is a wedding hat a friend bought for me from Goodwill for about $7. It has beautiful beadwork and a soft tulle train. The brim is nice and wide, and it looks super cute on the underside too. The only problem with this hat is that the fabric is satin-y, which can be frowned upon in this fashion, but I don't mind.

So pretty

And here are the rest of my hats:

The green one is my absolute favorite. The feather is something I added to make some brown fit better in a coordinate, but it's easy to remove. I got this hat for $3 at a little vintage shop. It's velvet and has pearls and green netting and I absolutely adore it.

I would really like to get my hands on some Mary Magdalene hats. I've accepted the fact that accessories are the only thing of MM's that I'll be able to wear, but it's all still so expensive. I particularly love the style of this one:

I think that about wraps it up for this post. What do you guys think of hats in Lolita fashion? Yay or nay?

Lolita 52 Challenge: #3 - What my own Lolita lifestyle is like

Hmm... This prompt is a little open-ended...

I consider myself a 'lifestyle lolita,' because 1) the majority of my closet is Lolita; 2) whenever I go out I tend to wear Lolita; and 3) I try to incorporate Lolita activities and aesthetics into other aspects of my life.

I work from home, so this is much easier for me now than it was when I was working at places that had a uniform or dress code. I don't really incorporate Lolita into my eating habits, mostly because I can't bake or cook all that well.

But I have a nicely sized closet:

A small but close-knit local community (we have meet-ups at least once a month):

An Etsy store where I sell the things I make.

A cute-ish room (I'm working on the styling; I'll be doing a room tour video when it's done).

A Youtube where I talk about Lolita:

And a best friend/roommate who is also a Lolita:

I also collect tea cups and tea pots ( my collection is small because I've only just started):

In general, I'm pretty happy with how much Lolita is incorporated into my life. What I'd really like to do is work more on selling Lolita clothes, and then I think it would be perfect.

Lolita 52 Challenge: #2 - 5 movies for Lolitas

I'm not super into movies unless it's in the horror genre, but here I go anyway...

1) Kamikaze Girls

Did you really think a movie list for Lolita's wouldn't include this movie? Come on. Where would Lolita be without Kamikaze Girls?

2) Marie Antoinette

I wasn't too into this movie as far as story goes. It kind of drags on and is a bit boring, but the visuals are more than enough to keep me interested. The costume design is just lovely.

3) A Little Princess

This is a super cute, family-friendly movie about how all girls are princesses. I adore this movie. It's fun and sad in turns, and the costuming is very nice.

4) Sleepy Hollow

Here's a movie that's much more my speed. It's funny and dark, and has plenty of lovely dresses. It also stars Christina Ricci, who is, was, and will forever be my favorite Wednesday Addams.

5) Alice in Wonderland (any of them)

Pretty much any version of Alice in Wonderland can go with Lolita, but my personal favorites are Sci-Fi's Alice (because I have a huge crush on Andrew Lee Potts) and Tim Burton's version.

Look at that face

Lolita 52 Challenge: #1 - 5 pieces that every Lolita wardrobe should have

I've decided to start this challenge, because I think it will be fun! I'm just going to go in order, and I might skip a few that either don't relate to me or just aren't that interesting, but I'll try to do as many as I can. So, without further ado...

5 pieces that every Lolita wardrobe should have, regardless of style

       1) A bell shaped Petticoat

Petticoats are the lifeblood of Lolita fashion, and the bell petti is easily the most versatile. Even if you're a classic Lolita, a good portion of the dresses you'll buy will either be made for a bell petti or can be paired with one anyway. 

I'd recommend getting a petti that's either around $50 or so, or buying a couple cheaper ones that you can layer, if you want varied amounts of poof.

       2) Versatile, comfortable shoes

You can never have too many shoes, but unfortunately Lolita shoes can be pretty expensive. Look up a bunch of reviews for shoes you're thinking of buying and compare how comfortable they're supposed to be. Also, size up! If you need to, you can use insoles or stuff the toes with socks. It's better to have more space than less.

Go for a neutral color, like white or black, depending on what substyle you wear the most. Also, look for a low-ish heel.

       3) A versatile bag

I'm a huge fan of versatility, in case you can't tell. I like getting a lot of use out of my items, and I can't do that if they don't match everything! Getting versatile stuff is also really useful when you're first getting into the fashion. So do some googling and find a nice white, black, or cream bag to match your coordinates!

       4) Cotton or fleece-lined tights

Maybe not so much for the Lolitas in super warm climates, but for everyone else, these are a must! Wearing Lolita in cold weather can be a challenge, so having warm legwear is essential. You can't really find printed tights in these fabrics, so solids are your only options. I suggest white or black again. You can get some at Sockdreams.com with free shipping!

Pro-tip: Sometimes you can only find leggings for the fleece option, but worry not! If you have a sewing machine you can just sew the bottom parts closed. It'll be a little bulky, but the fabric is stretchy and you can trim the seams.

       5) A parasol

I used to think parasols were just a giant waste of money, but my opinion has changed greatly. I've recently become worried about aging and getting wrinkles, so my opinion has flipped. A parasol is a perfect way to stay cool in the summer, and it keeps the sun away from your sensitive skin! 

Don't bother with the fabric ones, or the ones that will run if they get wet. What's the point of having (essentially) an umbrella that can't shield you from the rain? Also, you can sometimes get lucky and find ruffly umbrellas at Target or Walmart for super cheap. I have one white parasol from Target that's lasted me about 3 years now!

 So there we have it. Five things your Lolita wardrobe should not be without.