The In-between Lolita

It's a false belief that every lolita ever loves tea parties, baking, and acting like a pretty princess. We don't all sit around our pink lace covered table and sip at earl grey discussing what style of lace we like most, the ones with hearts or the ones with puppies. But everyone seems to know this nowadays.

Then there are the lolitas who drink, smoke, and curse. They go out clubbing. They display their piercings and tattoos proudly. They're not afraid to give the finger in their photos and show just how non-princesslike they are. And that's cool too.

But what about the lolitas in between? The lolitas who don't want to sit in a knitting circle all day but would rather spend the night in with some close friends then travelling down to the nearest club for a night of debauchery. Those lolitas who don't have a taste for tea, but don't have one for hard liqour either. What activities could these types of lolitas partake in at meetups?

My best suggestion would be card and board games. Especially ones aimed toward a more adult audience. They allow players to get a little naughty and rambunctious, making for a fun night with friends. My absolute favorite game is Apples to Apples, but others that are good ideas are Lunch Money, Taboo, and Cash 'n Guns. They're more exciting than plain old Yatzee or Clue and don't require taking shots to spice up the action.

So everyone's tired of the game, what else can we do? Sure, we could deco up some cell phones or bake some cupcakes, but that's normal lolita stuff. What can we do that's a little more adult? Set up a movie night. Scary movies are great when you're decked out in your frilliest. Turn off the lights, find a spot on the couch, and settle in for a ride. There's nothing quite like a group of girls in pink either screaming or snarking their heads off at a film. Want a more gothic touch? Go for old black and white horrors or artistic films. No need to constantly watch Disney cartoons.

What about refreshments? Not everything can be cupcakes and candy. Dinner is a perfect time to get your sophistication on. Try a cheesecake for a less out and out sweet dessert. Or go for a more sophisticated fruit display, offering pomegranate, mango, and passion fruit. For savory hors d'oeuvres, a fancy cheese platter is always welcome. Skip the meetup staple of sushi or simple dishes for something more out there. Check with everyone's food preference before hand and aim for something like a steak dinner with fresh greens. Vegetarians? Try thinking about more asian inspired dishes using tofu instead of meat. Break out those cute aprons and get everyone involved with the preparing. That way you have yet another bonding experience during the meetup and get to prepare tasty foods as well. Once ready, set up some candles, maybe open a bottle of wine, and enjoy.


These aren't the only ideas for the in-between lolita. There are many more ideas out there, hiding in your imaginations. There's no need for tea parties and feeling like you went out of your way for the most elaborate game of dressup, or to go crazy wild at parties if you don't feel comfortable in that sort of environment. There is a happy middle ground, you just have to find it.

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from RayRay
AKA the girl who used to own and love such an atrocious dress
Thank goodness for lolita!

Birthday!

I'm going to take a moment of selfishness and announce that today is my birthday! So I figure it is a perfect occasion to share a few pictures of amazing cakes that lolitas would love. Just click the photos to go to their website.

And me? I like to be simple (plus I don't have that kind of money for something so gorgeous). I love out of the box lemon cake with lemon frosting. Can you tell I love lemon flavored sweets?

Grandma Florals

I'm back! First off, apologies to anyone who cares about the blog. Life caught up to me for a while. It's still nipping at my heels but I've almost beaten it back.

I hope everyone had a wonderful whatever holiday they celebrate in November.

And since winter in the northern hemisphere is coming on fast I figured I would bring a little bit of spring back into our lolita lives. It's time for me to rave about the long forgotten prints of yesteryear. Specifically, grandma-ish florals.


Here at the cusp of 2010 we're buried in border prints. Some large details above the skirt hem with little pictures scattered about the rest of the piece. Back when lolita began we had all-over floral prints. Prints reminiscent of your grandmother's old couch or curtains. It may have been a little tacky, but I personally miss it.

So here's a couple examples from the olden days of all over floral prints.

Victorian Maiden


Innocent World


Moi-Meme-Moitie


Metamorphose Temps de Fille


Baby the Stars Shine Bright


Atelier Pierrot


Angelic Pretty

While the above are all lovely, some absolutely stunning, there were some pieces that were hit or miss. Such as this Baby jumperskirt.

U-G-L-Y!

But all in all I miss the old floral prints. And with the ott sweet prints having taken over, its even rare to see florals in classic brands such as Innocent World nowadays. There are a couple dresses available from brands that still have that old classic charm. Such as these two from Victorian Maiden and Mary Magdalene.

But for any others we're just going to have to wait and hope that this sweet thing blows over (unlikely) or make them ourselves.

Happy Halloween!

To all my readers! Hope you have fun tonight and stay safe!

Nursing the Sick Lolita

So last week I came down with a pretty awful cold. Now, I don't know about anyone else, but when I get colds I just want to curl up under the covers and be babied. I suppose it's one of the few times I go truly "lifestyle" lolita, even though I feel as far from lolita as possible (being buried alive in a pile of tissues will do that to you).

And so! I present to you: An In-depth Guide to Nursing the Sick Lolita

Step one: Dress her in comfy nightclothes.
I wouldn't suggest your nicest vintage nightgown for this one. Some old ratty PJs that are worn in are perfect for this. You're sick, no need to look your best.

Step two: Tuck her into bed. Let her burrow into and/or make a nest out of the blankets if necessary.
Taking refuge on the couch, and even couch forts are acceptable. Just make sure it's comfy, warm, and you can get in and out relatively easily in case of emergencies.

Step three: Turn on some cartoons for her.
Disney comes in wonderfully here. Put in a princess movie. Other feel good children's movies are perfect too. My personal choices this past week were Beauty and the Beast and Thumbelina. If kid's movies are too babyish for the lolita, go for horror movies instead. There's nothing like scaring the illness away! Plus, you get to cuddle close to the sick loli to comfort her.

Step four: Server her some hot soup and a sandwich.
My personal choice is grilled cheese and spaghettios. Some may opt for the more mature tomato soup. For the upset tummy, dry toast and flat gingerale can be made special by being put on a fancy plate. Don't forget lots of oranges for vitamin C!

Step five: Keep an arsenal of medicine at the ready.
Cough drops, nyquil, pepto, whatever you need, keep it nearby. A well lolita is made only by being a well prepared lolita.

Step six: Let her get plenty of rest.
This step is the most important! Don't let the loli go off and make herself worse. Keep her in bed, try not to excite her, and she'll be well in no time.

Tumblr!

Part Time Lolita now has a tumblr! http://ptlolita.tumblr.com/
Lolita-related pictures I like will be posted there, along with cool artwork. Feel free to check it out!

Turn it up to 11!

Everyone knows of the recent trend in lolita to pile on bows and ruffles and lace and fimo clay sweets and whatever else you can grab and stick onto your outfit. Lolitas, some who used to complain that shoving on a ton of hairclips and bracelets "Isn't decora-loli!", now are wearing over the top prints paired with enough frills to choke a horse with jewelry to match. Bows on top of bows, childish prints that envelop the whole garment, headwear with additional ears? Where will it end?

Even Victorian Maiden, known as a classic brand, has fallen to the insanity.

The main brand to blame for this horrible trend seems to be Angelic Pretty. And it's true, AP was the first brand to start piling crap ontop of their dresses, but the real question is why?

Is this really necessary AP?

The thing is, there's just one simple answer to that question. Because we, as Lolitas, started it! That's right! It's at least some of our faults that this crazy trend began! Sure, you may argue that brands conspire on what will be the next big trend in lolita. They decide for us, if you will, what will be the next big thing. Like this season's deer print trend, or the recent pinkxmint explosion. But the thing is, those are safe innovations. A sudden increase in cute fawns prancing around our skirt hems is just the same as Vogue determining that teal is the Next Big Color. But Vogue isn't going to randomly pull out that a stuffed cake to put on top of your head is the must have item of the season, and neither will lolita brands, unless we give them a reason to think that.

Lolita brands watched the increasing trend of decora and fairy lolita, watched all these girls in their sweet print dresses pile on jewelry and barrettes and bows, and thought "We could make money off of this." They release things on a small scale. A cake hat, a headband with maybe a couple extra bows than normal on it, a slightly rufflier bonnet. And then these items get bought and that gives brands the big green light, and shit goes nuts.

Hear that, lady? Its all your fault!

So, love it or hate it, crazy OTT lolita is here until we all get sick of it. Brands will keep pumping out more clothes and accessories with more bows, ruffles, and who knows what than you can beat off with a stick. Until people stop paying for the stuff, its all here to stay. Sure, the gothic and classic lolitas can all cry and complain that its "ruining lolita" and that there should be some sort of loli revolution where the OTT sweet lolitas break off from the fashion so they can't be associated as the same anymore. But really, we all get the same confused looks when we go out onto the street in our petticoats and ruffles, no matter how toned down or turned up they are. In the end, it's no one's fault but our own that we keep getting asked, "Are you in a play?"

Lolita Halloween Costumes Part 2

So in my last post I covered some tradition styles of lolita that would work just as well for Halloween. Now let's flip that over and give some traditional Halloween costumes with lolita elements.

Vampire

It is my honest opinion that when you type "Lestat" into google images
you should not get pictures of Stuart Townsend as Lestat.
Only Tom Cruise is Lestat, TYVM.

I know what you're thinking "But all I have to do is throw on some fangs and blood with my lolita outfit and I'm good to go!" You could... but why not play with it? Dress in rich gothic lolita, lots of layers and fancy lace tights. Or do a deep red and black ensemble. Go for the mini tophat you've always wanted but was too scared to put on. Pile your hair high on top of your head in an intricate style. Wear a low-cut neckline, because vampire are just as sexy as pirates. Wear velvet (for the love of god, not crushed velvet). Play with all these things, just keep the lolita silhouette and keep it classy. Then you're not just one of those dime-a-dozen slutty vampires out there on Halloween, it actually looks like you put effort into your costume. If you're lucky, you can pull all this out of your very own closet!

And, because I can, here's Eli from Let the Right One In.
Go watch it if you haven't seen it yet, seriously.

Mummy

Shit. Let's try that again...

That's better!

This is probably the easiest lolita costume you're going to be able to make. Grab a white blouse, a white petti (and a white skirt to have over it if your petti is see through), white socks, and white shoes if you have them. Then grab about three rolls of toilet paper (the good kind if you don't want it to rip in a million places before the night is over), some scotch tape, and go wild. Roll yourself up. Don't tighten the paper over your petti, let it drape, so it doesn't squish the cupcake shape. If you want to, cover up your whole face. If you don't, cover it in a couple places then do your makeup real pale with dark circles around your eyes. Let your hair hang loose, or in raggedy curls, make a toilet paper flower (I love the internet) and pin it to your hair. Voila! Instant lolita mummy!

And yes, Poupee beat me to this idea.

Fairy

No, I'm not talking about fairykei or fairy-loli. I'm talking about a lolita fairy costume.

This one will probably require a trip to the fabric store, but luckily won't require more than a couple dips into the scrap bin if you're lucky. Start with a color scheme and a matching base. Want to go as an earthy fairy? Stick with muted greens and browns. Want to be more pastel? Throw on a pink or blue skirt. It's probably better to start off "casual" too. Put on a matching puffy sleeved t-shirt instead of an all-out blouse. Once you've got your base down, find matching scraps of silk, taffetta, any gauzy see-through fabric. Now, this is Halloween so you can do things cheaply. Make an elastic belt to fit your waist and go hog-wild arranging and tacking these fabrics so that they'll drape over your skirt. Make some overhang so they can flutter around. If you can find a gauzy matching bolero, even better. Do up your hair, throw in some little flowers and ribbons. Buy or make your own fairy wings. Wear some sparkly make up. Throw on some cute matching socks and shoes, and you're set!

So three more costume ideas! Myself? I'm probably going to end up doing mummy lolita, because I think it sounds awesome. If I do, I'll post pictures after Halloween. These ideas are just a starting point too, don't be afraid to set down a lolita "base" and then follow through with elements from a traditional Halloween costume. It's Halloween! Have fun with it! Don't be afraid to break any lolita rules. It's the one day a year you can get away with it without being beaten to death.

Okay, well... let's not get too carried away with ourselves.

Lolita Halloween Costumes

Halloween's quick approaching and all the lolitas are scrambling. What costume do I wear that has lolita elements but isn't strictly lolita?

It's a tough question. As many lolitas will tell you, the fashion is not a costume. It's for everyday wear. But there are some styles of lolita that will probably sneak by the "not a costume" definition. Here are three of the more traditional styles to consider.

Guro Lolita

The first, and most obvious, way is Guro(Gore) Lolita. White dress. Lots of blood. Bandages. Bruises. Dirt. Gauze eyepatches. Medical corsets. It's the most popular lolita style for Halloween time.

Some tips to make your costume awesome: Don't chicken out. Buy a cheap dress so you won't feel guilty slathering it with fake blood. Sure, bloody bandages and an apron may look okay, but this is Halloween! Go all out! Even if it's a cheap dress from Momo's or Rakuen, it's going to be covered in blood and be a costume-only thing. No one's going to feel the lace among all the blood and start screaming "Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!" like some demented chick demanding food from it's mother. And just a warning, fake blood likes to get everywhere. So if you're going somewhere they'll mind stains on furniture, slather your dress a couple days before. Sure, it's gonna be dark and dried, but it'll still look cool and you won't have to pay for steamcleaning an expensive sofa. Also, be sure to wear underclothes you don't really care about getting stained. And avoid rain if at all possible. Wanna play with it? I've found that color definitely adds something special to the same-old same-old guro outfit. Throw in some splashes of black. Or bend all conventions and cover a pink or blue dress in blood. No one said guro had to be white and only white.

Nurse Lolita

Some may argue that Nurse Lolita falls into the Guro category, but I figure it's different enough to warrant it's own section. And besides, this is Halloween, regular lolita rules need not apply. Crosses, nurse hats, arm bands. A double breasted dress helps too. Like guro, white and red seems to be the most popular, but play with it. While pastel colors might not look "professional", muted, dark colors could work as well.

Tips: Don't want to spend a ton of money? Don a regular gothic loli ensemble, but keep the ruffles and embellishments to a minimum. Pop on an arm band and a (nice quality) nurse hat. Grab a stethoscope or a medical kit. You're pretty much good to go.

Pirate Lolita

Image copyright http://www.chriscb.org/

A popular style of more "costumey" lolita that gets worn out a lot. And while it's true that you could slide this one by at a meet, or, if you're a bit braver than the average lolita, wear it around town, it wouldn't look out of place at a costume party either. Corsets. Mini tricorns. Pirate boots. Front lacing. Rich fabrics. Ruffles. Pirate lolita definitely has a lot of wiggle room to make your costume look however you want.

Tips: Don't just grab a mini tricorn and run. Corsets definitely add to the pirate look. Under or overbust, either will work just as well. The fun about Halloween though? You can throw some cleavage in there and no one will come screaming up from behind to beat you with a Gothic & Lolita Bible. So don't be afraid to throw a little sexy in there, because pirates are damn sexy. Grab some overknee pirate boots. Throw in striped fabrics. Don't be afraid to go assymetrical or even have a lot of layers overlapping. Have ruffly bloomers peeking out. Grab a fake sword or gun for that final touch.

So here are just three ideas for your lolita Halloween. I'll surely be posting more as the holiday creeps closer.