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.

We all want our Prince

Disclaimer: I know these pictures are currently making their rounds on the internet. That's how I found out about them. But too bad, I'm writing about them here.

Most lolitas like Disney, right? Most of us grew up on kind princes taking care of their princesses. Most of us base our favorite Disney princess over which prince was our favorite. Or vice versa.

Mine? My favorite Disney princess was Belle. I love her, she's not normal, she likes to read, she's a bit of a nerd, she's got a crazy (adorable) father. Belle is amazing. So it makes sense that I fell for The Beast, or at least the human version of The Beast, very hard.

You know you love it.

Davidkawena on DeviantArt has a whole series of Disney princes completely sexified. Sultry poses, delicious pecs, conspicuous bulges, they're all here. Pick your favorite prince, or even male Disney character, and he's probably there. (Note: You have to have a deviantart account to see some of them, as they are marked mature.)

Some will make you feel slightly pedophillic.

Because everyone wants to wank it to the boy who refuses to grow up, right?

While others are for those of us who prefer a more manly man.

No comment. Seriously, no comment.

Personally, I'm going to sit here in amazement that Mr. Kawena remembered one of the less prominent characters from Pocahontas, and my favorite.

I had a thing for Thomas. I ain't gonna deny it.

So hitch up your petticoats and take a gander over at davidkawena's Disney Princes gallery. Enjoy your favorite movies in a whole new way.

Oh, and while you're there, check out some of his other art too. I'm especially in love with this Art Nouveau take on Giselle from Enchanted.

Rant the first: Weight, Lolita, and You

Let's face it. I'm a fatty. I like lolita, and I'm a fatty. I can't fit into brand. I have to have my things custom made. I can't even wear socks with print on them because my calves will warp the images beyond recognition.

The almighty god Mana-sama should just strike me down where I stand, right? For messing with the sanctity of lolita?

I'm still here.

So it's skinny lolitas then? The ones who can fit into most, or all brand. They're the ones to blame, right? They're ruining it for us fatties, if they didn't exist brands would go for bigger sizes and then we chunky ones could fit into those pretty dresses. Besides, they look horrible. You can't look young and innocent while being thin and gaunt.

A 30 inch waist? No one's that skinny! Right?

Wrong again.

Here's the deal. Fat or thin. Too big or too small (believe it or not, there are full grown women too small to fit into brand. The horror!). Lolita is unfair to everyone. There's always going to be a dress we want that we can't fit. There's always going to be a skirt just out of our reach.

"But," the fatties argue, "it's easier for a garment to be taken in than let out."

Yes, but buying brand and altering it requires just as much money and effort as getting your own garment commissioned. Maybe more.

"But what about the special prints?" They all cry.

There are places out there that will do custom prints on fabric. Get a replication of the print you want done or make your very own custom print. Can't draw worth a damn? There's people who will design for a few dollars too. Or have a friend who can draw do it for you.

Then, once you get the fabric, send it to a talented seamstress to make your replica or original garment.

In the end you have something that fits (Yay no boob loaf!), is good quality (as long as you do your research), and for around the same price as a brand piece. And now you're not just paying for a name, but for a quality custom garment made just for you.

In the end, who gives a crap what size you are? Take lolita and rock it. Get a full length mirror and learn what looks good on you, what flatters your size, where you need something to fit just right and where you can let things go a little. Get a good friend to tell you honestly if you look like shit before you go out that day. Experiment a little.

Have some fucking fun.

And don't listen to haters on the internet who say you're too big or small. Or that little niggling voice in the back of your head that's just echoing other people's sentiments. You love lolita? You know how to flatter your shape and size? Then wear that shit with pride.

I'll meet you out there.

Welcome!

Woo first post! This blog is the result of boredom, my constant urge to write and bitch, plus some goading from a friend. I'm voicing a warning right now that while this blog will be about lolita and things related to lolita, this is not an area for those that are lifestyle lolitas. You're more than welcome to come and read, of course, but there will be plenty of ranting and swearing in the future. I will most likely be heavily opinionated, loud, and nowhere near the stereotypical sweet lolita attitude. There will also be posts where I just feel like sharing cute things, or post lolita clothes, whatever I feel like really.

Part Time Lolita rants will not be about sunshine and rainbows and unicorns (though I do love my unicorns), but rather living as a lolita in the real world. I can't guarantee anything revolutionary here, but that's not going to stop me. So stick around, it'll be fun, I promise.