I'm so Gaga for that Lady

I really look up to Lady Gaga. She is talented, beautiful, but mostly because she is always herself. Instead of conforming to Americas standard of beauty in order to be accepted as a successful artist, she made America conform to her standards of beauty. And it worked!

I think I also particularly love her because she occasionally dresses in loli and makes the style her own. Most people would consider her to be breaking our loli guidelines by wearing not so elegant sunglasses, cheap lace gloves and, in her red coordinate, no blouse. But so what? That is her style and she rocks it!

So basically this post is just to gush about how much I love Lady Gaga! I can't help it, she is so lovely! She shows that you can truly be yourself whilst still following your dreams! One day I hope that I can see her in concert, that would make for a really cool meet up!

Movie Review: Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland has always been a huge influence on the loli community. We love Alice, we emulate her and often aspire to be the perfect Alice. She inspires our outfits, actions and photo shoots, heck we even have headdresses called "Alice Bows" and prints featuring her have been released by numerous brands. So now that the new movie, Alice in Wonderland, by Tim Burton, has hit the movie theatres we have been flooded, nay, drowned in Alice related posts on the main egl community. But is the movie actually any good?

I went to the theatre not expecting much. I have always been a big Tim Burton fan but his most recent movies have left me feeling rather deflated, and the fact that he was covering Alice now kind of frightened me. How could this movie ever do justice to our loli ideal? Well, I was pleasantly surprised.

The outfits were certainly not loli, but many of Alices outfits were just plain gorgeous and could easily be lolified! Her main blue OP was just stunning, if it were on sale I would buy it in a heart beat. I was particularly thankful that I went to see the movie in the theatres because it gave me the opportunity to get a good look at all of the dresses intricacies and details. When Alice posed as "Um" her dress was quite lovely too, but I have to say that my favorite outfit of hers was actually her suit of armor. I'm sorry to rave about a crush but my heart was stolen by Mia Wasikowska the moment I saw her in that shiny garb!

The movie itself was actually quite good, it evoked memories of The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings. The plot was new, it was certainly not a simple re-telling of the original story, in fact it barely touched on the original plot of the book written by Lewis Carrol. The story follows Alice, a young girl who is uncertain of her future and of herself, who falls down a rabbit hole and finds herself in Underland. According to the quirky characters she encounters there they have been expecting her to return and fulfill the prophecy of the Frabjous Day, however they do not believe that she is the right Alice.

I think that the movie was quite captivating and very enjoyable. Some parts were a little graphic, for some reason the characters seemed fixated with removing eye balls from the sockets of living creatures, but overall it was not particularly violent or sexual, personally I found it rather refreshing to watch a movie that had no romantic pairing whatsoever (although towards the end there was a little wisp of romance between the Hatter and Alice, but that might have just been wishful thinking on my part). And if nothing else the movie was certainly beautiful to look at.

I would recommend Tim Burtons Alice in Wonderland to anyone who enjoys loli fashion, even if you just catch it on DVD. I have seen it twice now and I will certainly buy it when it is released. Just cut down on the Alice posts to egl or it'll be off with your head!

Helping You Help Them

Yesterday a good friend of mine told me that she wanted to start buying and wearing lolita clothing and that she needed a little guidance. My first reaction was absolute elation, in fact an accurate summary would be this- "OMG! OMG! OMG! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!? YAAAAY!". It's so cool that my friend is getting into loli, not only does that mean I have someone else to dress up with but it's yet another thing that we have in common now!

So after talking to her for a long time about where to buy, where not to buy, what to buy and how to wear it I decided I should make a list to help other lolis who find themselves guiding a fledgling ruffle-butt!

• First of all be happy! Let them know how glad you are that they have decided to turn to the frilly side and talk to them about why they want to do it. 
• If they live locally maybe you could be a pal and let them try on a dress or two just to make sure that the style really suits them before they go out and spend a lot of money.
• Ask them to show you pictures of what they like and recommend brands accordingly. If it appears that they really love Angelic Pretty do your best not to subconsciously steer them towards Moitie even though you've been dying to twin with someone wearing the latest gothic print. Remember, they are not a doll you can dress up, they have their own tastes and those tastes may not parallel yours!
• Direct them to The Lolita Handbook, it's a plethora of information that will help newbies and pros alike!
• Help them get started on the basics. I recommend showing them this article of mine to get them started!
• Friends don't let friends pay full price! Show them all your Mbok tips and tricks to get them the cheapest brand possible!
• If they show tendencies towards lace monsters or outfits that are more cosplay than lolita be nice about it. Explain the difference and say that if they really like the outfit then that's ok, they should buy it, wear it and be happy, but warn them that if they post it on the internet they may be posted on a wank site.
• Tell them to go slowly whilst building their wardrobe, no matter how frustrating it may feel. Loli costs a lot of money, especially when you get started, so maybe you could lend them some of your items while they are going without.
• When they have their first coordinate make a big fuss! Do your make up and hair together, proudly take photos of them and take them to their very first meet up! It will be much more fun with a good friend there to hold their hand!
• When their transformation is complete make them a Lolita Valentine!

Mmm! You Smell So Good!

They say that the key to memory is scent, just catching the smell of something familiar can remind you of a certain place, person or day. Your scent is like a signature written in somebodies past, even if you are not with them they will feel like you are right there besides them, if only for a second. So lets make sure we smell just as pretty as our dresses look! Here are a list of my favorite scents that will compliment your loli style!

Harajuku Lovers Collection- I am a huge fan of these perfumes. Each bottle comes with a cute little doll topper representing Gwen Stefanie and her harem of "Harajuku Girls". Lil Angel is my favorite, it has a sweet scent to it that is casual enough for daily wear. I also really like Music which is more spicy, and G which instantly takes my imagination to the beach as it smells like coconuts and sun tan lotion.

Princess by Vera Wang- Even if you don't like the fruity scent of Princess it is still a great buy just for the bottle! This perfume comes in an adorable heart shaped bottle with a crown topper and a very wearable ring. The only downside is that it's pricey which is the reason why I just get samples at the store whenever I want to wear it (gotta save cash for frills).

Warm Vanilla Sugar from Bath and Body Works- At only twelve dollars this body spray doesn't threaten your piggy bank. I just adore the scent of vanilla, when I was younger I used to spray it all over my stuffed animals. But be warned. this body spray will make you hungry!

Vanilla Extract and Lemon Juice- Believe it or not your local grocery store can be chic! These two cooking ingredients are very cheap alternatives to perfume and make you smell like a lovely lemon cake! A word of caution though, use only a drop of each to be spread on your wrists and neck as they are very potent!

 Soap- Not everyone likes to wear perfume, which is fine, but consider switching the shower gel you use in the morning to a classic bar of soap. The lingering smell is fresh and clean, and who doesn't like that?

Love at Second Sight

I have never been a huge fan of Metamorphose, for some reason their designs just don't appeal to me. In general I do not do searches on Mbok for Meta pieces (except for my Swan Lake skirt, the only Metamorphose print that I have fallen in love with), so it was a very rare thing for me to browse around their official website as I did today. Wow Meta, I am impressed.

I can't believe how lovely some of their newer items are. They are simple but just perfect! For example, I adore the Old Emblem print in both black and white, and I especially love the cut of the Ribbon Pinafore dress! It seems so classic and elegant, and the print reminds me of Britain somehow.

I also really like the Solid Color High Waist Skirt, it's just so great! The buttons and little details make it cute and interesting without being over the top. This skirt seems very versatile, you could create a sweet, classic or gothic coordinate around it easily! Loli is expenive so getting multiple outfits out of one staple item is essential!

Metamorphoses upcoming print, Blooming Garden, looks very promising too. My favorite colorway of the print samples is white and blue because it has a soft yet rare feeling to it.

I am very pleased that my opinion has been changed on Metamorphose and will try to keep a much more open mind in the future!

She Who Is Without Sin May Throw The First Pokeball

Lolis, in general, are a very tolerant group. We accept people from all walks of life into our community, there are lolis of all races, religions, orientations and gender, and no matter what your interests are it seems we will embrace you. But (and this is a big but), as a group we seem to be hugely intolerant of lolis who are interested in anime. What on Earth is the deal with that?

It's true, we do see an awful lot of girls (and guys) slaughtering loli at anime conventions all over the place, but that doesn't mean that if you have even a slight interest in anime you will automatically be drawn to lace monsters and will replace bloomers with fish net tights! Many of our communities most adored lolis enjoy the occasional episode of Japanese cartoons or flip through a manga every now and again. Heck, lots of lolis discovered the fashion through watching an anime or reading a manga featuring a frill clad character (for example Nana, Paradise Kiss, Shugo Chara, Othello and Bizenghast).

Anime conventions usually serve as a meet up point for lolis of all levels, newbies and pros alike, but I feel like there are an awful lot of girls looking down their noses at the cosplayers in attendance. Remember, we are on their turf so lets play nice! The attitude of "us versus them" seems to reign supreme and if any girl expresses even a mild interest in someones costume or some anime merchandise they instantly fall into the "them" category.

In my opinion everything is fine in moderation, so why not anime? It's ok to dislike anime and manga, but don't dislike a person just because they happen to enjoy it. No matter what our hobbies may be we all have something important in common, our love of loli fashion, so lets celebrate each other instead of finding fault! And seriously, who among us was not a fan of Sailor Moon or Pokemon growing up? She who is without sin may throw the first Pokeball.

Dude, That Frilly Chick is Riding a Bike!

Yesterday I went to see Tim Burtons Alice in Wonderland with my friend as it seemed that we were the only two lolis in the whole world who hadn't seen it yet. Afterwords we ended up riding around on his scooter for a while, it was so much fun! I felt like just Momoko from Kamikaze Girls and it was yet another reason to be thankful for bloomers.

Do you like my bike helmet? I got even more strange looks than usual when I wore it! I was trying to think of ways to make it a bit more loli, could you imagine how silly it would look with full on deco? What if AP came out with a line of bike helmets? I could dig some Sugary Carnival style helmets! I'm sure that I can at least find a Hello Kitty one somewhere.

Bunny Bear Bonanza!

Bunny Bear with fur of white,

I want one in my arms tonight,

Bunny Bear with eyes of red,

I want one to sit on my bed,

Bunny Bear so dark and black,

I want to have one on my back,

But Bunny Bear so soft and small,

Is my favorite one of all.

Bunny Bear Bags, or Usakumyas, are the signature item of Baby The Stars Shine Bright. At first they may seem rather creepy, but after you get used to them they become rather adorable! They range from sizes massive to so tiny they are kind of useless, and are more of a status symbol rather than an actual functioning bag. Many girls simply use them as stuffed animals instead of bags as they have detachable straps and do not hold much more than your wallet and cell phone anyway. 

I really want a Bunny Bear Bag but can't bare to spend so much on a cuddly toy! But I have decided that when I make the holy pilgramage to the Baby the Stars Shine Bright store in San Fransisco I will buy myself one then. I'm not sure how long that will be though, probably at least a year.

Right now I only have a Bunny Bear Bag keychain, but I love it ever so much! It's so soft, and lovely, somehow I like it even more than the bigger ones (but maybe that's just because I can only look at the bigger ones in pictures and this one is actually mine). I got it with my Lucky Pack and I was probably more excited about getting it than the actual clothes!

Bed Time Stories: A Little Princess

I had heard a lot of hype about the book A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and decided to see what all the fuss was about, so recently I ordered it from Amazon (I got it used for only 8 cents!) and jumped in with both feet. I was so enthralled by the story, I ended up canceling my plans for the day just so I could finish it all in one go!

The story is about a little girl named Sara Crewe whose beloved father places her in a school for girls while he is off in India. She is clearly the most spoiled girl at the school, she has beautiful clothes, a horse & carraige and her own maid, but she is also the wisest and loveliest girl one could ever hope to meet. The combination of her wealth and inner beauty earns her the nickname "Princess Sara". But after some unfortunate circumstances (I won't get too specific so not to ruin the book for anyone) she loses her fortune and is forced to live in the attic of the school and becomes a mistreated servant. It is then that her true imagination and goodness shines through, making her one of the most beautiful characters I've ever come across in a book.

The story itself is quite enthralling but it is the character of Sara which makes the book worth reading. As the story progresses she becomes a friend and role model. Burnetts writing is wonderful and she really makes you care about her characters. The story is fresh and heat warming, I seriously couldn't put the book down.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading as it is simply enchanting. It would make a perfect gift for any of your loli friends too, no matter what their age!

Disney Loli Dresscode Preliminary

I've heard lots of stories about girls being kicked out of Walt Disney World, or not allowed inside at all, when wearing lolita. Personally I have never seen this myself, but there have been enough stories on egl to illustrate that it is a significant issue. I can understand why they don't let us in, to some (ok...most) people our outfits could be interperated as costumes, and they may believe that we are an employee of Disney. If we were to act in a way that was not acceptable for a Disney cast member it would make the company look bad, even though we ourselves are just guests. Disney keeps us out to protect themselves, however, I've heard of some lolis being allowed into the park, and I myself was allowed in once wearing classic loli. 

So what is my point? I want to find out once and for all what is and is not acceptable for lolis to wear in the parks by going to Disney managers and asking I want to create sort of Disney Loli Dresscode so to speak. But, in order to do this I need some pictures of lolis in various styles to easily illustrate what our fashion is without going into a long explanation. And this is wear I need your help!

I need to have pictures real girls or guys wearing different styles of loli and I want to have each persons permission instead of just randomly taking pictures from the internet. I would like examples of subdued sweet, OTT sweet, casual gothic, elaborate gothic, casual classic, extravagant classic, everyday boystyle and fancy boystyle. If you submit a picture please be aware that I will be showing it to many employees in the park and also posting them on Her Curious Elegance.

Edit: I would like to point out that photos for this entry are no longer needed as the guide has been completed. You may view it here.

You're Beautiful, It's True!

 Big hair and make-up has become a popular trend in loli, especially sweet loli. Girls are using what I can imagine must be half a bottle of liquid eyeliner with each application, a lot of blush, more lipgloss than you can shake a stick at, false eyelashes and tonnes of eye gems, topping it all off with extraordinarily large wigs.While I will agree that sometimes this can look very cute (especially the eye gems, I'm such a sucker for them) I have to say that I'm a bigger fan of the natural look.

I feel like girls are getting stressed out a little, that they can't get dressed in loli if they don't look like a perfect Angelic Pretty model who stepped right out of a copy of the Gothic and Lolita Bible. I understand the concept of go big or go home, sometimes that approach works wonders, but we shouldn't feel pressure to look that way all the time! We're human, and sometimes the most beautiful a person can look is when they're just waking up, no wig, no make up, just themselves.

Why not think about some features you have that are gorgeous no matter what? It could be that you have lovely eyes, graceful hands, healthy hair or a kind heart. Anything you can think of really! Make a list of your top ten best features and keep it somewhere, you can take a look at it on days you are feeling un-cute. 

Now I'm not saying that people should never wear wigs or make up, that would be hypocritical, I just wish that more girls would realize that they are beautiful just the way they are. Frilly dresses and head bows just amplify what is already there. All of that other stuff can be fun, but you don't need it for the world to see just how lovely you really are.

It's the Closest Thing to an Actual Loli Shop

I recently took a trip to Forever 21, a mainstream fashion store which is a treasure trove of loli-able items. I was so excited to finally go to one, it was a huge two story shop too! There were so many more items than there are on the website, I got a little camera happy until the manager told me to stop taking pictures!

When I was coming down the elevator I snapped this picture of part of the shop. Clothes as far as the eye can see! And this was only one half of the bottom floor!

I found boystyle shoes! I was so surprised that they made these, I just had to take a picture. I think that they were in female shoe sizes as well. I'm not an expert on any boy styles but I'm pretty sure you could put together a pretty good coordinate from some of the clothing I saw in the shop.

There was a turn style of headbows! I was in heaven!

 

In the end I bought some lace gloves, eye gems, a crown cell phone charm, a navy headbow and a pair of surprisingly loli socks. If you have a store in your area I recommend taking a trip and seeing what goodies you can find, if there is one within a few hours of you maybe make a loli road trip meet up out of it! Make sure to let me know what you get!

But I'm a F***ing Princess!!

The topic of manners has been discussed a lot, and yes it has been established that just because you are a loli does not mean you have to be polite all the time. However, it appalls me to see so many girls who claim to be princesses act so poorly on the internet. Just because the other person can not hear your voice doesn't mean that your words don't make an impact, so please, choose what you say carefully.

• When giving criticism- If you come across a post online where the user has posted her/his outfit and asked for constructive critisism, now is not the time to tell them how awful their coordinate is. Instead of saying "Oh my God, that jsk and cutsew look so nasty together, what were you thinking?" say something like "I really like both your jsk and your cutsew but I'm not sure that they look right together. Maybe you could try a cute blouse next time". The second statement not only gave helpful advice but it did not hurt the users feelings.Oh, and if the user did not ask for constuctive critisism of their outfit then it's always best to ask first if they'd mind you giving them some tips.

• When receiving criticism- If you have asked for help with your outfit and somebody replies with a well thought out answer then it is best to thank them for their input. Even if you totally disagree with what they are saying they still took the time to write down some advice for you, so express your appreciation. If, however, you recieve unwarrented advice or a rude comment then politely tell them that they are being innappropriate. 

• When discussing a topic- The fun thing about getting into a discussion is that everybody has different views, if everyone thought the same way then there would be nothing to discuss. No opinion is right or wrong, and you should respect others beliefs as you would expect them to respect yours. There is a difference between disagreeing and attacking. Instead of saying "Rocking horse shoes are the most disgusting thing on the planet, anyone who wears them is tragic!" say something like "I'm not a big fan of rocking horse shoes because the shape generally doesn't match the elegance of loli. Tea party shoes are what I think looks the best" (btw that is not my opinion, I love rocking horse shoes, I was just giving an example).

• When buying an item- When commenting on a sales post please be curtious. If you are asking for different measurements or pictures of the item worn keep in mind that the seller must go out of their way to do these things. When they respond with what you asked for always thank them, and if you are interested in the item let them know right away. If you aren't sure don't agree to buying it only to back out of the sale, not only does that greatly inconvenience the seller but it makes them and others reluctant to trust you in the future.

• When losing a bid- If you are outbid for an item in an auction the last thing you should do is throw a fit online. Yes, it can be incredibly frustrating to lose a dream item but you should not blame the seller or buyer for this. Instead vent offline where no ones feelings get hurt and you don't look like a sore loser.

• Apologize- If you have behaved innappropriately online then the best thing to do is simply apologize to the person you wronged. You don't have to drag it out, just write them a quick note saying something like "Hello. I'm aware that I acted poorly and I just wanted to say I'm sorry about it". And if the shoe is on the other foot and someone is apologizing to you about their bad behavior, don't rub it in their face. Simply thank them for their apology and accept it.

Remember ruffle-butts, once you put something on the internet it stays there forever. If you want people to think you are a lovely princess then it's time to put your best foot forward. If your actions are ugly that is how people will see you no matter how pretty you or your outfits may be.

I Walked With You Once Upon A Dream

I don't know how it was possible that I overlooked this print when it was released, but I recently discovered Sleeping Beauty by Alice and the Pirates (a sub-label of Baby the Stars Shine Bright, my favorite brand) and absolutely lost my heart to it. The print is just so breathtaking! All those intricate roses and  fairytale elements stand out so brilliantly from the background whilst still looking elegant. My favorite color in this print is ivory, isn't it just gorgeous?

As a rule I don't buy new brand because, to be honest, I just can't afford it. I don't mind buying used clothing because they are always in good condition and cost significantly less, but to just once buy something new would feel really special. However the jsk is 26040 yen (roughly $292) and the matching bonnet (yes, I like the bonnet) is 10290 yen (about $115) so this purchase is never going to happen for me, but  suppose I can dream.

Oh well, I can just hope that some day soon it will be up on an auction site at a reasonable price. After all, hunting for dream items is half the fun!