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/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

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8058630 No.8058630 [Reply] [Original]

How old were you when you first started wearing lolita fashion?

How did you start off considering this is an expensive fashion.

I would like to hear your experience of when you were new to the fashion, what did your family and friends say? I am 19 and I want to get into this fashion but I'm not sure where to start.

>> No.8058658

>tfw love jfashion for 3 years
>never buy anything because I feel too fat to wear it
>don't lose weight until the past year
>now 19
>feel like I'm already getting too old to wear pastels

Oh well.

>> No.8058661
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8058661

I heard about 'Lolita' when I was in junior high. I didn't try making coords, but I would wear pieces an ita would own in my everyday wear.
Shitty pleaser shoes, frumpy petticoats, just the cheap stuff anyone can get. Generally back in those days I was just 'that weirdo' and I couldn't hide my power level for shit.
I didn't actually start learning about it and really making an effort until I rediscovered the style.
Now that I can make some better choices I've gone right for brand pieces and working within a set budget.

My advice for you is to lurk more and acquire an eye for what will suit your body type and skin tone and style.
Sure sweet is gorgeous on the right girl, but is is right for everyone? God no.
Figure out what style will look best on you, browse the BST threads, your comm's Facebook, the sales pages and know what you want to buy and for what price.
I have a itty bitty folder saved of things I want and a massive collection of inspiration.
If you see something you like, look it up, find the seller, get a price tag, sit on the find for a day, if you still love it, work out a way to get it.
Some girls buy what is available and sell it later if it doesn't suit them.
I'm in it for specific goals in mind and will acquire only what I really can't live without.

Also look at the info for Taobao, you'll be able to get a lot of inexpensive parts of your coordinates together there that you won't find in an outlet, but research the sellers to make sure you aren't getting shafted.

Good luck!

Have a random, on point, simple coord.

>> No.8058665

I was 19, and started with a terrible combination of thrifted and modified items. Once I learnt to sew properly, I made myself a decent dress (after at least 2-3 ita as fuck failures)....and then I just saved up what money I had from working/selling things online and bought stuff. My friends didn't really care because I was a mallgoth prior to that (and still am a bit) so it wasn't like I was dressing more weirdly than before, and I was well out of my parents' place by that point (moved out at 17 for university) so they didn't really have any input into what I wore. At the moment my mother's main issue with the fashion is that 'it makes you look bigger than you are' which is entirely true, but she doesn't actually care that much as long as I look appropriately presentable for whatever I need to look okay for.

>> No.8058668
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8058668

>>8058658
>19
>too old
How cute.

>> No.8058684

>>8058658
awww anon you should do it!
My problem is money, i want to wait when I have a steady job and have enough money but im afraid Ill be too old and I would like to start now.

>> No.8058689

>>8058661
ah thank you so much for this advice! Ill definitely try that.

>> No.8058694

I started off when I was 20 and buying Taobao and Bodyline. All the items I ended up purchasing looked awful on me, so I assumed that maybe I just wasn't suited for lolita.

Last year I started buying brand and I fell in love again. I usually buy and sell so I can obtain the dresses I really want without feeling too bad for my wallet. Only buy lolita if you have a full-time or part-time job, don't depend on credit unless you can pay it off immediately. Always keep in mind that bills come before frills.

My childhood friends think lolita is a "cult" and they've called it fetish bait a few times. They say buying second hand clothing from people you don't know is disgusting. Mind you, these people also thrift shop, so I usually just disregard them without taking much offense. My cousin thinks my clothing is for cosplay, but doesn't react negatively. My coworkers regard it as a costume, also weirded out by the fashion, but seem pretty fascinated by it. One even came out to see me during a meet. Her face was hilarious when one of the girls came up to me and started adjusting my waist ties without saying much. As for my parents; dad has only seen me accept a package and he thought the dress was pretty. My mom, on the other hand, thinks lolita is for prudes and is old-fashioned. As for my SO, he hasn't spoken to me about what he really feels. He hates petticoats, I don't think he likes or understands the fashion, but he accepts me anyway. Despite all of this, my college friends are more than accepting of my hobbies. I dress some of them up sometimes, too.

It isn't a typical fashion. You'll probably receive some criticism from the people you are close to or people you don't even know. The best thing is to keep an open mind and always ask for criticism.

>> No.8058703

>>8058658
please. most people can't even afford to wear lolita until they're a working adult you aren't even close to too old for pastels that's just silly. also consider that sweet is still very popular on this board and pretty much everywhere else and everyone here is at least 18 sooooo

>> No.8058707

I was 17 when I started and had been interested for two years beforehand. I bought a Baby op and head bow set during a sale. My parents thought it was strange but cute, they still do. Friends thought it was odd but loved the shoes or bows. I found lurking, reading lolita blogs and egl really helpful at the time.

>> No.8058711

>How old were you when you first started wearing lolita fashion?
20, though really I didn't have my first coord till I was 21

>How did you start off considering this is an expensive fashion.
2nd hand and Taobao
Honestly the only things I've paid +150 for are my 2 LIEF jsk's(which tbh I wasn't that impressed with, the prints are lovely though)
Most of my things I've bought for >$120 with shipping, but I tend to buy non-prints so it's easy to find jsk's and op's for >$80, I like most of them going to sell one that I don't wear though.

>I would like to hear your experience of when you were new to the fashion, what did your family and friends say?
I haven't really had the chance to yet, mostly a mix of being lazy and it being really cold.

My boyfriend probably knows but he really hasn't said anything about it, he doesn't really like lolita but it's not like he puts me down or anything. I think it helps that I dress in classic.

>> No.8058743

>>8058684
Honestly there's nothing wrong with waiting until you're financially stable. Don't feel pressured to "hurry up and get into lolita before I'm too old!". People will judge you for wearing lolita even if you're young. As Dr. Seuss once said, "The people who matter don't mind, and the people who mind don't matter"

>> No.8058757

>>8058694
>>8058711
Since you both mentioned your SO's reactions being on the colder side, is that the norm?
Most girls don't really talk about their bfs or such here as far as I've seen.
My guy seems even more excited about it than I am sometimes and was browsing /cgl/ before me, he has a much better eye for the style until you get into the accessories.
He's super straight, but every now and again he blows my mind. I wasn't even mad when I got an 'oh honey..no' from him once. I totally deserved it.

>> No.8058799

>>8058661
If you're the one in the photo, I love you and all of your coords. So lovely!


I heard about lolita in middle school, but I was unable to get into it. My parent's awful divorce distracted me from it, but once I moved across the country, I looked into it more. I looked at milanoo, but thankfully I had a friend that told me to stay away from them. I'm slowly getting more into it, and I just received my first brand.

Lurk and lurk and lurk some more. Look at people's coords, and get inspired. Don't get deterred easily, keep your head up and talk to your local comm. Make friends to get advice from.

Also, keep photos. You may think your coord is the best thing ever, but you'll come back to it months later and think 'why did I ever wear that?'.

But more importantly, have fun.

>> No.8058800

>>8058757
>>8058711
My boyfriend is a bit "no fun city" when it comes to certain things that are attention grabby. Especially with clothing he's really plain and reserved.

I just don't wear it when I'm out with him, but I'll probably incorporate two or 3 of my coords when I get to buying a new petti(other one is too short for my one op).
I'm sure I can get him to warm up to it a bit if he sees I'm not wearing anything OTT or super out of place.

Not like it's much wilder than what I usually wear.

>> No.8058805

>>8058757
Depends on your SO's interests, really. Mine is more of a gamer and he isn't interested in things like cosplay or anime. He has no interest in fashion or cute things. Everyone is different.

>> No.8058813

I wore it for the first time when I was 23, but didn't get more dresses until the next year when I was 24.

I started off with Bodyline because that was the only place I knew of to buy them (I didn't research more places to buy from). Then bought from them for a bit until I got a better job and started introducing a few cheaper brand items into my closet.

>> No.8058819

>>8058630
I "found" Lolita fashion when I was 15 or 16, but I didn't get my first outfit until I turned 19 due to the cost. I still only have a couple of Bodyline and off brand items. I don't wear Lolita very often though. I might more in the next year depending on how life goes.

My parents didn't think much of it, but I had always been into "weird" stuff. They thought it was cute, but felt like it was too formal for me to wear for no reason. My friends didn't think anything of it. Neither one of them liked it but they didn't hate it either. My experience has been pretty underwhelming, but I rarely wear the clothes due to not always feel well enough to wear it so maybe that's why.

Some advice:
*When you first start out, don't be afraid of looking bad, you will probably look bad because you're inexperienced no matter what you do. My first outfit was perfectly cute on the hanger, but it looked like a train wreck on me because it didn't suit my body type. You have to learn that stuff as you go. It helps to look at what kind of clothes you already wear.

*While CGL isn't always a bad place, it is a very negative place and you may not want to hang out here much because of it. This isn't a place I normally go because I really don't like it. This is completely up to you, but I thought I should mention it in case you are bothered by negativity at all and had never been here before.

*Make up and wigs are not mandatory, regardless of what some people will tell you, but you really need to make sure you take good care of your hair and your skin. You want to look clean and presentable.

*Personally, I think it's best not to take it too serious. You'll enjoy yourself more if you relax, I think.

*There's some good blogs out there that have some great advice for beginners. F Yeah Lolita is one of them, I'd recommend reading it to get a better feel for the fashion.

Good luck!

>> No.8058831
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8058831

>>8058799
I am not the girl in the picture, she does dress well however.
Have another nicely done simple coord.

>> No.8058854

>>8058757
Personally, I'm very new to the fashion and when I was first lurking and debating whether to make the leap in June, my boyfriend was super supportive of it. He gets excited to see me in Lolita and even tries to help me coordinate [which he does a rather good job with sometimes].

But then again, my boyfriend isn't just about video games, but also Jazz music and appreciates vintage fashions.

>> No.8058900

>>8058757
All of mine have been fine with it. Their actual degree of interest in the fashion itself has been variable.

>> No.8058912

>>8058707
>>8058694
>>8058743
>>8058819
Thank you for the advice. I usually only lurk here in cgl and I've come to understand the general idea but not the details or more in depth. Ill check out the places you guys suggested to lurk and keep your advice in mind.

>> No.8059032

Thanks for posting your stories so far, guys. I'm 27 and came to cgl to lurk around the cosplay threads, but after seeing some really nice lolita coords I'm considering trying to get a simple coord together.

> tfw when I'm told i have a "mature" face
> tfw when told I look like someone's mom by a 13 yo several years ago
> tfw I feel like I'll never know enough about the subsets of lolita to be able to put together a good coord
i just want to feel cute and elegant help

>> No.8059042

>>8058630
I found out about it when I was about 13. Couldn't really afford it, even if I could get ahold of it in the US. Eventually got distracted by other things. Came back to it last year by random chance meetings and finally am able to afford it. I'm 25 now.

>> No.8059053

>>8059032
go for structured non-print classic in darker colours to start with.
You can go for other things, but that would be much safer and more versatile.

>> No.8059063

I started when I was 25, I'm 27 now. Most of the lolitas near me that have any kind of decent wardrobe are around the same age. Lolita can be an expensive fashion, and in order to be able to fully enjoy it and afford it, I feel like it's best if you are older.

Also, older lolitas are nice because chances are if they're in their mid-20s and up, they actually are invested in the fashion both mentally and financially - as opposed to your average older teen/early 20s. Not that there aren't great younger lolitas, but in my experience the better ones are usually a bit older.

>> No.8059067

>>8059032
You might want to lurk the skin care threads and see if there are things you can do to change your skin's appearance.
I went from looking pretty ragged looking to flawless by starting a routine. It doesn't have to cost that much and it'll benefit you for your lifetime.
/cgl/ loves Mizon's snail creams, skinfood's everything, my beauty diary's masks, a bunch of expensive serums and emulsions and etc, it would do to check it out.
I use vitamin e stuff and a variety of moisturizers, works out pretty well for me.

>> No.8059069

>>8058912
LovelyLor and Peachie both have some good advice about Lolita in my opinion, and they are both really friendly, positive people. I know there's a lot of people who don't like them but you might find them worth checking out on Youtube. They both have a few videos that are advice for beginner Lolitas.

>> No.8059085

First wore lolita age 21, now over 30. Too old for this shit (but do it anyway). Considering my first outfit was a black lacemonster from cosmates, it could have been so much worse (is what I still tell myself).

>> No.8059204

14 when I got into it, 16 when I got my first dress. Just save. Unless you're dirt poor and have zero extra money at the end of the month, it's not that difficult.

As for my family, they're chill with it. They think it's weird as fuck, but they're accepting.

>> No.8059291 [DELETED] 

Started at 25 after admiring for years. My first dress was taobao with bodyline and thrifted everything else, but I started buying brand soon after. Sometimes I wish I were younger and feel a little silly as I'm at least five years older now than most of the girls in my comm, but at the same time, I'm glad I started when I was financially stable and could afford nice things pretty quickly after I decided that lolita fashion was definitely something I wanted to invest more time and money into.

My mother thinks my dresses are pretty but would probably bawl me out if she knew the cost. And my friends are mostly cosplayers with a handful of lolitas that I knew before I got into the fashion myself, so most of them know about j-fashion/lolita and are pretty supportive.

You've gotten some good advice in here already. All I can say from personal experience is that I don't regret buying something cheaper for my first piece before switching to brand. It was a good way to test the water before dropping $200-300 or more on something I didn't even know if I'd enjoy.

>>8058757
My boyfriend couldn't care less about fashion unfortunately, but he seems to genuinely think I look cute and always compliments me when I dress up. He's never protested being seen with me in public while I'm in lolita and is always willing to give an opinion if I want a second eye for a coord. The only "negative" thing he's ever said was that he might not like it if I wore it every single day, which I never planned on doing anyway, and overall he just seems happy to see me happy.

>> No.8059297

I think my first coord was when I was 20. I'd been interested since middle school but it wasn't until freshman year of college that my interest had been rekindled. And no one gave a shit, it wasn't a big deal.

>> No.8059309

>>8059291
you sound sweet and down to earth
more mature than most people on here

>> No.8059345

>>8058757
My boyfriend doesn't mind it. He does prefer when I wear plain classic outfits with no prints.

He is more concerned over the cost of lolita. I never tell him how much anything I buy is. Even if it's a second hand piece he blanches at the price.

>> No.8059347

>>8059067
I actually lurked in the skincare thread for a while and bought some products based on what I learned (skinfood, SU:M37, Etude House, stuff like that). Been maybe a week since I started using the stuff and I've definitely noticed some improvement. I'm excited to see the changes after several months.

Thanks for the specific brand names - I'll definitely look into those as well!

>>8059053
Most of the stuff I'm attracted to about the fashion fits that description, so it's nice to hear it'd be more appropriate for someone with my looks. I'm tall (5'10") and have kind of a long face and nose, so something like sweet lolita is way out of my comfort zone.

>> No.8059350

Started actually wearing it around 3 years ago and I am 24 now. I wish I had gotten into it earlier but my comm has a lot of people my age and/or older and still rock the hell out of whatever they wear, so I don't feel so bad about being late to the fashion. I started off buying some Bodyline and cheap brand accessories, and then later I started buying secondhand brand. It wasn't until last year or so that I actually started buying brand dresses firsthand since I have spare cash from my parttime job.

My friends don't think too much of it since I've always been the one to dress in more outlandish/weird cute things, so lolita was just a natural extension. My mom thinks it's cute and princessy and my dad doesn't understand why I would get all dressed up just to get lunch or go shopping. I never tell them how much it all costs though because it makes me feel incredibly guilty.

>> No.8060404

Started when I was 25.

Too scared to make a full cord bought a brand one piece dress. Made my first order and accidentally bought 4. Decided not to get banned from buying brand and paid for all 4 then managed too sell them for the same price. Was a super scary amount though.

Wore it simply black flowers in hair. White tights black dress shoes. Got a lot of nice compliments.

>> No.8060490
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8060490

Started when I was 26. Turning 27 soon. And just starting to get into sweet. I feel I'm really going to regret this soon..

At least Asian genes? Hejrajika is my idolll

>> No.8060498

>>8058630

20

I come from a wealthy family, but they're stingy as fuck: but I have a YouTube account which gives me like 300-400$ each month (I din't spent all on lolita tho)

Family don't know (for better), my friends know it, like it and encourage me too, they're awesome. I started going to the lolita comm of my city; it was my best day ever
4 years later, I'm the runner of the comm, there's no drama and we're best friends
ahhh,... I feel good

>> No.8060508

>>8058630
I was 17, it was this time last year. I'm now 18. I started with Bodyline and fan plus friend, but quickly got into brand and purged it all from my wardrobe, and bought heaps of angelic pretty. Realised it wasn't for me and sold it all off so now my wardrobe is mainly Gothic and darker classic. My family thinks it's alright and everyone is pretty accepting. Only person who seems to not get it or really dislike it is one of my uncles. In terms of money, I work a job during holidays and after school, save for a
Few months at a time until I have a thousand or two, and do a giant mega haul.

>> No.8060513

I started last year when I was 23. I first discovered it in high school. I was too hesitant to buy anything then out of concern about the fit and whether it would suit me and lost most of my interest in it for quite a while.

I've got a well paying full time job now and my boyfriend encouraged me to try things on when we were in Japan. I've been working on my wardrobe since. My boyfriend is super supportive and has always been interested in fashion as a hobby, so he's also really helpful for coord critique. My family and his both think the clothes are really interesting and beautiful.

>> No.8060540

I first got in to it when I was 15, and bought my first brand pieces at 17, but I was still a bit of an ita until 18-19. Now I'm 26, and wear Classic/Gothic.

It was definitely difficult as a teenager, and probably the reason why I was pretty bad for the first few years. I had a credit card through my mom, so I would order stuff (with her permission) and pay her back with my allowance and summer job savings. In college, I had a job and my own credit card, so it was a lot easier. That's also when my wardrobe and coordinates improved a lot.

As far as family response, my parents were always supportive. They're the kinds of people that go to Renaissance Faire and throw costume parties, so alternative fashion want much of a stretch. It also helped that I was already a bit of a mall goth, so my mom thought Lolita was a lot better.

For getting started, there are a lot of guides floating around with what to buy first. I think the most important part is a source of funding and a way to order things on your own. At 19, you should have a debit card at the very least, which you can link to PayPal, and buy things that way. Even if your parents are supportive, it can be a pain having to go through them every time you want to buy something.

>> No.8061018

>>8060490
You look cute anon!

>> No.8061020

>>8060498
Whats your account anon? Is it lolita advice?

>> No.8061053

26. Turning 30 this year. Start by having a job, and making a hobby budget. Use mint.com to track your expenses. Seems boring and basic, but unless you're a trust fund baby, you're going to need to work for your brand. Watch secondhand sites like a hawk, and learn how to use shopping services to swipe up cheaper items on Japanese auction sites and taobao.

I actually got my first pieces after getting married. I too was concerned about the cost, but my husband was completely supportive. We just set a hobby budget for both of us: $150 each, per month. If it didn't get used up within that month, the remainder would roll over to the next month. (Mint.com is useful for this.) Strangely, my preference was for classic and gothic from the start, but his is sweet. So I have a few pieces of sweet mixed in my wardrobe that we both like, but most are gothic and classic. He doesn't keep track of all brands, but his eye for accessories has become pretty strong.

Both the family and the in-laws were surprised, but pleased, when I showed them my lolita clothes. They're pretty educated and liberal, though. I would never wear my lolita stuff in my hometown. Despite it being a college town and supposedly educated, it's sleepy, so people talk—not maliciously, but talk nonetheless—if they saw anything out of the norm. To them, this includes dying your hair red. I don't need to subjugate my parents to that sort of rabble, so I visit in normal clothes and am super-selective about who on facebook can see my outfits.

>> No.8061064

i started wearing it when i was 14, and now i'm creeping up on 26
there are active people in the community but, at the same time, i just feel so old these days because of the length of time OTL

>> No.8061067

>>8061064
*active people in the community that are older than me

i'm tired

>> No.8061182
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8061182

I also got into Lolita seriously when I was about 19. A friend bought me a pair of brand socks from a convention and it basically went from there. I could only afford Bodyline and thrifter things back then. I also had the occasional Taobao dress. Basically, I couldn't spend more than $50 on a piece because all I had was the odd babysitting job and had to pay for my own school books as well. I couldn't get a grown-up job because of immigration issues.

Fast forward to now: graduated from college, 23, married, with a pretty laid-back, decently-paying job. Husband already has a house that goes with his business, so utilities and rent are taken care of. I have quite a bit of disposable income, so my collection of brand is growing. I'm buying dream dresses I never could have imagined I would own. Husband drives me to meets, because he's paranoid of me taking the train to them, with good reason. People tend to be idiots on trains. Otherwise, he thinks it's cute, but pretty much lets me do my own thing. We also talked about a budget for it.

My advice is: hang in there and work for your brand. If you can get yourself a supportive husband, all the better!

Pictured: the first piece of brand that I got from my hard-earned money.

>> No.8061244

Learned about lolita fashion actually when I had to a project in my Japanese class about anything within Japanese culture. I had to also wear a "coord" to class because I was doing a project specifically about Japanese fashion. I was in high school at the time, no job, and as soon as my mom found out how much the fashion cost, she went and bought a whole bunch of stuff that wasn't even remotely lolita at all. Prom dress, some crappy shoes with thin lace roses on them, and a headband. Not even a petticoat. Sooner or later, I gathered enough money to buy myself an OP from cosmates.jp (again, no petticoat). This was during my senior year of high school. As soon as I started college, though, all my focus went to schoolwork, and I completely forgot about the fashion.

I rediscovered the fashion six months ago from a Tumblr post, and now I'm getting back into it. This time, I actually did a LOT of research and made sure to get the essentials as well as the dresses. Though I work a minimum-wage job, I always make sure to save a bit of money from each paycheck for my next lolita item. Right now, I only have F+F and a lot of offbrand stuff, but I hope to get my first brand piece by the end of the year!

>> No.8061303

>How old were you when you first started wearing lolita fashion?
20, just when I started to work and be able to spend money. Before that I couldn't really spend hundreds on one single thing, though I wasted a lot of money on stuff from ebay and bodyline.

>How did you start off considering this is an expensive fashion.
Started slowly with secondhand stuff, thankfully I only bought like two replicas (one was a disaster, the other is surprisingly ok). I also fell for bodyline a few times but after discovering the joy of brand, never again except for shoes maybe.

There's not a lot of brand new items for my wardrobe but they hold a special place in my heart, I remember when I bought dreamy skt skirt in lav for 160€, considering the print and color I'm sure I made a good decision for this one.

So yeah, learn to spot which prints will be cheaper brand new than second hand btw.

>I would like to hear your experience of when you were new to the fashion, what did your family and friends say?
If you dabbled in alternative fashion or punk stuff younger, your family won't be surprised. If you want to get them used to it, I guess you should start with a casual look before going full lolita.

My ex didn't mind lolita, except for all the money I sunk in it, but he didn't like me going out in sweet coords because he was kinda worried. He knew I was a bit extravagant even before that so that didn't surprise him that much. I don't think he liked the look a lot but at least his parents liked it ahah.
I hope my next SO will be at least ok with, at best will love it !

You never know what kind of stuff people may like though, even my boss is big into pirates and medieval things. So maybe, just say you're really into renaissance/historical stuff.

>> No.8061459

I started wearing Lolita in 2005 when I was 21.
Been wearing it on and off ever since. I'm not lifestyler but wear it at least 3 times a week.
My love for old school sweet and gothic has no bounds, I can get all sentimental about it really.
I mainly wear gothic, old school, sailor and classic, and my favourite brand has always been Aatp for their gorgeous prints & Meta for their lovely sailor & velveteen pieces.
My wardrobe remains small-ish (under 30 main pieces which all include jsks, ops, skirts, blouses, bustiers, jackets) and I'm trying to mainly hunt down older pieces I know I will covet and never sell off.
I'm going to focus this year in obtaining dream items instead of random impulse buys.

>> No.8061545

>>8058630
>How old were you when you first started wearing lolita fashion?
15.

>How did you start off considering this is an expensive fashion.
I owned a lot of shitty dresses from ebay and that one Hot Topic JSK. I didn't own brand until I was 21 and able to afford it.

>I would like to hear your experience of when you were new to the fashion, what did your family and friends say? I am 19 and I want to get into this fashion but I'm not sure where to start.
My family didn't care. I always word weird stuff so they don't mind it and mostly like my outfits. I suggest you learn how to use Y!J and Mbok and use FromJapan as a SS. You could get a whole brand coord on there for $150 including shipping if you shop carefully. That or start investing in some taobao.

>> No.8061637

>>8061182
I am super happy that your life seems to nice and that your husband is supportive! It's a very feeling to see a burando piece and you know you can afford it. I have a burando budget but I rarely use it up.

>> No.8061736

I discovered "gothic lolita" when I was in middle school almost ten years ago. I fell in love with the most hideous eBay dress ever but never dared ask my parents to buy it for me. Instead I started learning to sew. Most of what I made was pretty bad but I still wear some of the skirts in very casual outfits nowadays.
When I was 15 or 16 my mother bought me an IW OP that I still have trouble coordinating properly. I've always been into the more toned-down side of lolita, in the past because I couldn't manage anything else and now because it's just what I prefer. This OP just 'deserves' more, I feel, but I can't bring myself to sell it since it's my first piece. After that I stagnated for a long time, no longer adding to my wardrobe but still obsessing over everything lolita online. I often feel a bit awkward because I'm so familiar with the online lolita community (used to check L_S every weekend, knew about PT before I ever came to /cgl/, and does anyone else remember the talia_speaks fiasco? those were the times) but I haven't truly been wearing it until very recently.

It's only in the past year that I've been able to really start building my wardrobe. I'm 23 now. I discovered Taobao and Closet Child, my financial situation is a lot better than it was in the past and I no longer live with my parents, but I still don't feel comfortable making an order more than every three months or so. I'm also getting back into sewing so hopefully I'll have more simple, variable main pieces in a few months.

>>8058757
My boyfriend doesn't really understand why I get enjoyment from clothing but he can still see that I do, so he's fine with it. I never tell him about what it all costs so I'm not sure how he'd feel about that. Currently all he really complains about is how much space my wardrobe takes up.
I'm also extremely shy and dealing with depression so in his eyes, anything that makes me feel more comfortable leaving the house is a good thing.

Next step: meetups.

>> No.8061742

>>8061736
Forgot to mention my friends. They all hated lolita and thought it was a fetish costume for attention whores who want to attract Japanese pedophiles. Needless to say this was part of the reason I kept my obsession online for the most part.
Currently I don't speak to any of these people anymore so I feel a lot more comfortable wearing and liking what I want. It does get a bit lonely, though. I hope I'll be able to make some friends who are also into lolita.

>> No.8061767

>>8058757
My girlfriend hates pastels in normalfag fashion and in lolita, but loves the classic/gothic prints and has started to learn the names of the prints I own, brands and whatnot. She is super supportive, only says she personally wouldn't wear it.

>> No.8061775

>>8060490
Anon you look adorable!

>> No.8061777
File: 384 KB, 250x182, 1418412771666.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
8061777

>>8061018
>>8061775
The girl in the picture is Herajika, not anon.
>mfw Captcha is making me choose between coffee and beer

>> No.8061785

>>8061777
Oh, right. Didn't recognize her for some reason.
Herajika looks adorable though and I'm sure you do too, anon.

>> No.8061810

>>8058630
>How old were you when you first started wearing lolita fashion?
I think I was 14/15 when I first discovered it. Mana-sama and all that shit. Am 23 now.
>How did you start off considering this is an expensive fashion?
I made some really ita modifications to skirts and tops I owned (sewing white cheap lace to every black item I had. lol B&W was in at that time anyways). Then with research and formation as a seamstress I started making my own clothes. Also thrift stores. I do not own brand.
>What did your family and friends say?
I am a goth, I always dressed outside the norm so lolita wasn't a big change anyways. My mom and boyfriend really like it. I don't get comments from my friends but they're weirdos like me so they don't care anyways.
Good luck OP! It's never late to start.

>> No.8061962

I'm 20 and I'm just getting into Lolita for the first time. I dabbled in j-fash when I was younger (15, 16) but the pieces I could afford were of such low quality that it wasn't worth buying them. Especially since I lived in an area that was 99% angry normalfags.

I'm getting into it now because I live in a metropolitan area with a lot of diversity in regards to people's style. Adults older than me go out in alternative fashion, so I figure I can also get away with it without feeling awkward or embarrassed.

I also have a stable income now. I feel confident that I'll be able to afford decent brand pieces without settling for knock-offs.

>> No.8061963

>>8060490
Anon can I be you please

>> No.8061985

>tfw want to get into brolita but it's so hard

I wouldn't consider myself transgender but damn, being born a girl would have been really convenient for me and my interests

>> No.8062024

Hm, I think I was 15 or 16 when I started wearing it, having to discover it on the previous year. I'm 23 now. I wish I could say I have a huge wardrobe, but have gone through phases of selling pieces until recently I've decided what suited me best - fit and style wise.

Starting out was rough especially because we didn't have as many stores and resources as we do now, but I'm fortunate to have many supportive people to seek out advice through lj and myspace groups. Like a lot of people here, I also started out with thrifted items that I assumed was loliable (when they probably were more ita than anything) and poorly made handmade items. I couldn't exactly get a job because the recession started when I was old enough to get one, but when I was in college and finally got a job, I slowly saved up and bought a lot of sweet pastel pieces that never suited me. Looking back at it, even though I had a good understanding of the fashion, I think it took me a while to actually get out of the ita-stage and actually come up with cohesive looks.

>Friends and family's thoughts?
My dad doesn't care; he has teased me for being such a kid (owning stuffed animals & wearing frilly clothes), but all he cares is if I'm able to take care of myself. Mom likes the style, but hates the cost (I come from a family of thrifty immigrants); she prefers that I sew my own things. My brother knows about it and I don't think he cares; we've visited Baby in Paris once. My adopted grandma loves it when I wear lolita because it reminds her what she wore when she was my age. We've gone through my English GLB and she thought Mana was a woman. My (2nd) cousins like the look and have watched my basics panel about it at a con. Lot of my friends are weebs too and they think it's cute.

>> No.8062026

I think I found out this fashion when I was 10, and starting wearing it at 14 or so.
Not even kidding I first started considering this fashion because I fell in love with a guy who was into it and I wanted him to notice me but as soon as I started to do some research I started to love it deeply.
My parents at first thought it was some weird fase and that I would grew out of it, so they played the "we so cool, we are totally OK with it but you can't purchase anything because you will get scammed, you can't sew anything because it's so expensive and you're terrible at it, and you can't wear it because people out there will beat the everloving fuck out of you. We still cool tho", it took me a good four years of insisting to let me purchase anything from my comm and 8 years until they let me purchase from the Internet. Most of my friends and boyfriend where really supportive of it from the first day, and my boyfriend even got into dandy and had extensive knowledge about burando and the rurus and everything.

>> No.8062038

>>8058630
>How old were you when you first started wearing lolita fashion?
18. I'm 26 now and still wearing it.

>How did you start off considering this is an expensive fashion.
Second hand sales on EGL, Closet Child and Meta lucky packs. Also got lucky and found someone doing a free SS for IW. I was earning $550 a week and living with my parents. I wasn't wise with my money but I still somehow managed to save a decent chunk of it.

>what did your family and friends say?
Parents always knew I was a bit weird anyway so they just saw it as another thing I was into. My mum just thought I looked like "a japanese doll". Success, I guess? I had weeb friends so they didn't really care that much either.

>> No.8062073

It was back in 07, so I was like... 19. One of my friends from college was just getting into it, so I was introduced to both brand and the handmade aspects at the same time. My friend would let me wear stuff, so I didn't own anything myself until the next year.

The guy that I was dating then was pretty supportive. He would buy me dresses and give opinions on what he thought looked good (though it was mostly black/goth that he liked). Pity that we broke up though, I liked that he would support my weird fashion choices, haha.

>> No.8062187

>>8058630
>How old were you when you first started wearing lolita fashion?
22, which I still am. Wish I had properly found out about it earlier (vaguely knew it from weeb stuff but didn't know it existed outside of Japan).

>How did you start off considering this is an expensive fashion?
Taobao and bodyline. I used to refuse to pay above 20$ for any clothes. Getting into lolita skewed my view of price/value. Now I think 100$ is a good deal/cheap for a main piece, and 200$ is still reasonable if it's detailed. It's motivated me to learn to sew so I can both (eventually) make money and make dresses for myself. I feel bad spending much on clothes because I still live off of my parents' money, so I limit my buying more than I'd like.

>What did your family and friends say?
Family don't know, friends find it cute. People from a comm meet said I was cute, too. It does great stuff for confidence.

>> No.8062274

>>8058630
I admired the fashion from afar for years before finally wearing it at 22. It felt good to buy burando right off the bat and even though I have a very modest sized wardrobe, I'm very happy that I waited until I was out of school/had some money before I started.

My parents think it's odd, but they don't make fun of me for it. My geeky friends think it's pretty, and my "normal" friends don't know about it. My SO is super supportive, though he thinks spending that much money on clothes is absurd.

>> No.8062296

>>8058757
Nah, my man likes it and thinks it's cue. He also likes that it makes me happy. The "worst" thing is that sometime's he won't like dresses I really love and suggest not buying them, but he always has good fashion based reasons so it's actually a good thing.

>> No.8062313

>>8058630
I bought my first outfit when I was 17 but I'd been researching the fashion since I was at least 15 I think.

>14: hear of lolita, don't really think about it
>15: Start obsessively researching lolita even though I thought I would never want to wear it myself, was going to buy a brand hoodie with the money from my first job (only temporary over Christmas) but it sold out before I got my paycheck
>16: decided that hey, I could actually wear this fashion (only gothic though). Save up money I got as a reward for good exam results.
>17: get over style prejudice, use exam money along with birthday and Christmas money to make a big Taobao order, get some Bodyline stuff later in the year
>18: tell my mum about lolita because I want to join a comm and have started wearing it around the house more (I actually think I told her about the fashion in general when I was 16 because she likes Victorian stuff, but I didn't tell her I wanted to wear it), she initially tolerates it and ends up really liking it
>19-present: off to university, use strict budgeting of loan money + money earned from doing campus tours and focus groups to buy lolita, hope to get a proper part-time job soon

>> No.8062314

>>8058630
I'd already graduated from college and had a full-time job by the time I started buying and wearing lolita. I could afford it due to aforementioned job. Sometimes I wish I'd have started sooner, but honestly, I looked like a hot mess in my teens and early twenties, I probably wouldn't have made a good lolita then

>> No.8062316

>Tfw getting a part-time job in my country is nearly impossible
>need job for experience need experience for job
I just want to put some money aside for pretty clothes.

>> No.8062323

>>8058694
>buying second hand clothing from people you don't know is gross
>thrifting is totes fine though
???
These people are idiots.

>> No.8062326

>>8058703
>everyone here is at least 18
*everyone here is supposed to be 18 (and most actually seem to be, although we have our moments)

>> No.8062329

>>8058711
You've put "greater than" > symbols instead of "less than" < symbols, I assume? Meant <$120 and <$80.

>> No.8062374

>>8058757
The only relationship I've had while actually into the fashion ened about 6 months after I bought my first outfit, so I don't think my boyfriend ever even knew about the fashion. At that time I was only really wearing it in the house, and I knew it wouldn't really be his thing. He had minimalist tastes, showed an irritating lack of interest in clothes in general, feigned ignorance when asked to pick between two items of clothing so he could avoid having to talk about fashion (responding "they look exactly the same!" when asked to pick between a knee-length pleated black skirt and a velveteen skater miniskirt) and when asked to pick between two normalfag outfits would just pick the most revealing one. He had a sense of style that suited him, but was ridiculously unadventurous (fitted black T-shirts and well-fitting straight-leg jeans 90% of the time), so I think he would have been embarrassed by the attention lolita got in public.

I did get asked out by a friend who had seen me in lolita on two out of the four occasions we met up outside (part-time retail) work, and he seemed to think the fashion (especially gothic) was really cool. IDK how he'd respond to sweet but he used to actively encourage me to wear gothic lolita when we went out in the city together. First time I wore it around him (kuro outfit) I just called it goth and he was really into it. That makes him sound kind of like a guy who has a fetish for alternative girls, but he's not. I know two guys like that - one would probably be okay with gothic but think it's not sexual enough, the other has no interest in it at all because he thinks it isn't real/grunge/whatever enough.

>> No.8062382

>>8058757

Nearly all my non-lolita friends are male, and my experience with most boys is the same as >>8058900. They probably won't want to talk about it, but they're not bothered that you have it as a hobby. The only friend I have who I think actually dislikes it (and I say think, he doesn't say anything negative to me when I'm wearing it, but if I bring it or purchases up in online conversation he's obviously disinterested and thinks it's a waste of money), but he's a borderline basement-dweller who can't dress for shit and who relies on his parents to buy him new clothes (at the age of 22, this means most of his stuff is old and worn), so I don't care about his opinion on fashion much. Although to be fair, hise prejudice can't be based solely on opposition to the idea of (gasp!) actually spending money on clothes, since I know he likes the steampunk look and is fine with mainstream goth, so maybe he dislikes the lolita aesthetic for another reason.

I actually think my female friends would disapprove of it more than the guys I know do, since the guys I know tend to have a universal attitude to womens clothing choices as mysterious and nonsensical anyway, whereas girls have more opinion on what good fashion should look like. I still haven't told my closest female friend since it's never come up in conversation, and she has strong cheap normal mall tastes (not even like, thrift store cheap, which would imply some interest in individuality) so I don't think she'd like it or understand spending a lot of money on it at all. Other girls I know think it's weird (like goth I guess?) but tolerate it.

>> No.8062390

>>8062187
>I used to refuse to pay above 20$ for any clothes.
Are you me anon? When I was getting my first dress, I just went through bodyline and refused to pay anything if it was $40 or more.

>> No.8062414

>>8059063
>Most of the lolitas near me that have any kind of decent wardrobe are around the same age.
Sounds about right, looking at my comm. The lolitas with brand or with extensive offbrand wardrobes are mostly 23-27. It's definitely possible to have a large wardrobe earlier (Peachie's pretty young and hers is fairly extensive), but it'll take years of being into the fashion and saving up. I've been into the fashion since I was 17 and now at 21 I have a pretty large wardrobe (about 40 dresses, 5 skirts, 9 blouses, mostly Taobao with some Bodyline and some brand), but that's taken nearly 5 years to acquire (so probably about as long as the 27-year-olds in my comm have been buying for?). My parents never bought my anything lolita like some peoples would, and I didn't have a job in high school, so all but 9 dresses and 4 blouses of that were bought since I got a 16 hrs/week part-time job at 19, when my loan and scholarships was already paying most of my college costs.

In high school I didn't get pocket money, but I used to save 2/3rds of my weekly lunch money, as well as money from birthdays and Christmas. Although I didn't have a part-time job, I volunteered in a thrift shop and used to get first pick of stuff there, as well as being able to take stuff we weren't allowed to sell home. I'd also be really cheap about other things, and do stuff like, if my mum gave me $40 to buy a new pair of trainers for PE, find a pair for $25, tell her they were $35 and keep the remaining $10. That was dishonest, but I didn't feel that bad about doing it because we were comfortably off financially. When my parents ended up working reduced hours and money got tighter I stopped doing anything like that.

>> No.8062439

>>8060498
I thought that was NW for a sec until you said there was no drama and you were best friends (only other YouTubers I can think of who run comms are Princess Jessie-Kate, and I'm pretty sure she started hers from scratch).

>> No.8062445

>>8061064
I feel similar. I'm an average age for my comm (24) but I was obsessed with lolita, ordering the bibles etc from 13 onwards whereas most of them only got into it in the past few years. I'm the same age as everyone else but I feel like an oldfag because no-one else actually lived through oldschool, deco-loli, etc.

>> No.8062455

>>8061777
Sage for irrelevant, but I wish I'd start getting these fabled picture captchas. Been waiting for them since I first saw it announced that new captchas were being trialled and 4chan was one of the sites using them, but I've never got one.

>> No.8062467

>>8062316
Which country? Sometimes it just takes luck. I spent two years applying for part-time jobs (I'd actually wanted one for longer, but applying before I was 16 was a complete waste of time because nowhere will hire without an NI number unless it's through nepotism) and got absolutely nowhere until one day I walked past a shop with a "help wanted" sign in the window, saw the manager, said someone had quit suddenly the day before and they desperately needed someone to cover her shifts, handed in my CV and got it. I think it would have been another year before I got anywhere if I hadn't happened across that just after someone quit. That was just a shitty minimum wage job, but as soon as I had paid employment on my CV rather than just volunteering (even though the volunteering was shop work so I had till experience), it became SO much easier to get other jobs.

>> No.8062474

>>8062467
Italy. Most paces just aren't hiring, thosw who do require you to have at least some kind of previous work experience. I'm getting my degree this year in Translation and I speak four languages including my mother tongue, three f which fluently, but it doesn't matter anyway because translators get shitty salaries here.

>> No.8062478

>>8062474
*most places
*those who do
*three of which

Sorry, I am really tired tonight.

>> No.8062483

>>8058658
It's not about being too old, it's about your situation.
If you'll be going to college for the next 4 years and don't plan on starting a career in a part-time job there's nothing stopping you.

>> No.8063099
File: 1021 KB, 1536x2048, 2015-01-04 21.17.00.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
8063099

>>8060490
>be me
>buy this dress, yay
>coord it pretty much identically to herajika, no clue
>later saw the pic of herajika

I feel so unoriginal! I have to figure out a way to spice it up.

>> No.8063104
File: 31 KB, 400x321, kiwi situation arm.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
8063104

>>8061962
Go for it! Set out into the streets and if you get nervous, remember an anon is rooting for you.

>> No.8063123

I was 13 when I first got interested into lolita through visual kei. I didn't call my clothes lolita but I wore kind if ita new-waveish clothes, and I reqlly got into lolitq in high school. At that time I would buy the cheapest second-hand stuffs I could through forums and just thrift the rest since I only had a bit of pocket money. Now that I'm 19 and at the university I have some money from my parents and some state money. I cut on plenty on other things (I don't eat out or party really) and resoled a bunch of stuffs to make my wardribe cohesive and wearable. I didn't find a part-time job in my area yet but I look forward to make some extra money if my health let me try. Parents strongly dislike lolita to the point of mocking me/yell at me if I wear it, friends don't care.

>> No.8063192

>>8063099
You could keep the colours, but go for berry-themed instead.

>> No.8063193

>>8062474
Is it possible for you to do any sort of volunteer or internship work at all?

>> No.8063200

>>8063099
You should only feel unoriginal if you copied her coordinate, anon! Honestly I like your bolero much better than hers because the polka dots on it are the same size as the ones on the dress.
If I were you I'd opt for a different (and slightly larger) red hair accessory, and add a few small accessories. Maybe a berry-themed necklace, ring and brooch...and then a little berry hairclip to go next to a red katyusha, beret, or some other head accessory? Also, do you have any socks for this coordinate yet?

>> No.8063210

I'm 20 and considering to start being a lolita. I have been doing researches (youtube, cgl, etc.) about the fashion since I was 17 or 18.

I'm not really into bodyline and taobao dresses, so I'd like to spend my money on quality clothing.
Question: do brand stuff cover my minge, if I'm 5'5"?

>> No.8063245

>>8063210
You can't have researched that much if you can't answer that question for yourself.

>> No.8063268

Hi guys op here, thanks for taking your time to write down your experiences. I've been reading all your posts and will continue to monitor thread. This will certainly come in handy!

>> No.8063290

>>8063210

Lolibrary is your friend.
Find the dresses you are interested in, see what the length is. 90cm will be a bit short on you, many dresses are 100cm and over will fit well length wise.
Check the other measurements too, if you want a good fit.

>> No.8063302

>>8063123
This sounds similar to my situation. What's funny is people are like "OMG you're a student how can you afford to spend money on clothes?!" and the answer is...I don't drink. Even with predrinking rather than buying out, nearly everyone else I know is spending like £20 a week on going out.

>> No.8063311

>>8063193
Not that anon, but does translation work where you are involve a portfolio at all? Do you game? A lot of indie games ask for volunteer translators, or translators for the wiki (I did some myself for Reus a while back), and you can do that and then list it as past work experience as a "translator" for X company even though it wasn't paid.

>> No.8063326

>>8063268
Oh also, what style of lolita do you dress/plan to dress in? Were you the one who said you liked toned-down classic upthread?

One of the things I've learned since dressing in lolita is that one of the easiest ways to get strangers to understand the fashion is to relate it to goth. Like, if you're actually wearing gothic lolita, most strangers won't ask what you're wearing, and if they do calling it a "historically-inspired subset of gothic fashion" seems to satisfy them. With other substyles, I find the comparison still works. "It's an alternative fashion. You know, like goth or punk. Only instead of wering all black or wearing ripped clothes, you wear a lot of historically-inspired clothes and cute stuff." This is the method I've used to explain lolita to 60-year-old friends of my parents, and they get it much more easily that way. If you call it just a "fashion", they'll be confused at how bizarre what you're wearing is, but when you throw in the punk comparison they realise that punks, too, wear clothes that are strange and incomprehensible to outsiders. A lot of people will talk about lolita by saying "It's a street fashion from Japan", but I find that confuses people more. Although they can work out what it means, the phrase "street fashion" isn't in most people's vocabulary in the same way "alternative fashion" is, so they don't immediately understand it, and the "from Japan" comparison just leads to more questions about why you're wearing it now, not in Japan.

Other ways of avoiding the dreaded l-word when strangers ask you what you're wearing is to call it "vintage-inspired" if you're wearing something classic-ish, and to name the brands rather than the fashion. Like, if you say "this is from a brand called Angelic Pretty" and they Google it later they're gonna come across the name lolita anyway, but you don't have to face them questioning you about it.

>> No.8063329

>>8063326
Oh, and if you do want to tell someone that the name of the fashion is lolita, the above goth/punk/whatever thing provides a good comparison too. If they refuse to believe that lolita isn't related to the book, you can say "Well, goths are called goths despite not being a wandering barbarian tribe responsible for the fall of the Roman empire."

>> No.8063342

>>8063302
Most of the people my age that I know spend >€30 on booze every week and several hundreds of euros on concerts and festivals every few months, yet still call me crazy for spending more than €200 on clothes every few months. I honestly think many people are unaware of how much money they're actually sinking into alcohol, just like many smokers don't realize how much money they're throwing at cigarettes until they actively try to quit. They call me irresponsible for spending money online even though it's much easier for me to keep track of and plan my expenses over the internet than it is for them to do the same thing in a bar. People are weird.

>>8063326
>>8063329
This is what I do, too. In my experience the only people for whom this comparison doesn't work are actual goths, but goths who don't understand why anyone would dress in an alternative fashion probably aren't very good goths anyway.
I also prefer not to bring up that it's a Japanese invention unless someone asks. To most people the clothes don't look typically Japanese so it will just confuse them further, or they'll make the connection with anime and cosplay and you don't want that either.

>> No.8063343

>>8063302
Yes, this. I also prioritize my hobbies. I'm really into a bunch of stuffs (including ethnic and period clothing, video games, make-up and high fashion, travel, botanical studies, baking, sewing etc) but I know that lolita is the thing I have the most fun with. I keep a bit of money aside for other stuff. Right now I'm happy with my wardrobe after a full year working on it so I stopped buying lolita and dived a bit more into ethnical clothing and travels. It's all about the choices you make and how you fell about it. I'm happy being alone and doing stuff by myself, so I don't mind not partying and going out at all.

>> No.8063366

>>8063343
The great thing I find is that I don't even have to sacrifice going out, it's just that when I do go out I don't spend loads of money on it. I do spend some money on club entry if there's a famous DJ playing or something (like how normal people go to concerts), and I've been to both the gay bar and the goth club in my city a fair few times, I just don't pay to go to regular shitty clubs where people only go to get drunk rather than for the music/gayness/gothness, and I don't buy drinks. Not drinking also helps because I have music tastes not shared by any of my close friends, and I wouldn't want to be alone *and* drunk at a concert or club.

And yeah, I'm sure I could spend more on lolita if I cut out spending on my other hobbies (and I've known people who do this, and I did this myself in my last year of high school), but I like being able to buy make-up, buy nice normalfag clothes, cook with slightly more expensive or unusual ingredients, buy seeds for my windowbox and buy video games. I do restrict my other spending though...for example, my casual wardrobe is a capsule wardrobe that I try to keep under 40 pieces (not counting stuff for summer/winter that's in storage), and although my food budget's higher than the bare minimum I could live on, it's still pretty low and I don't eat out or get takeaways. I used to have more collection hobbies (books, CDs, minifigs, cute cuddly toys) but since I became an adult and started moving around between tiny flats, I didn't want to lug all that stuff with me every time.

>> No.8063373

i knew about lolita fashion in my mid teens but i never took a strong interest in it. after my HS graduation i started working and i just suddenly jumped right into it. my first order was from innocent world during their spring sale. i was 19 then, im 22 now. i want to wear lolita regularly to college, that is my 2015 goal.

>> No.8063375

>>8063342
I wonder if there's an alcohol expense calculator, like how the NHS have a "Here's how much you'd save in a week/month/year if you quit smoking" calculator? I suppose it'd be harder to do since there are more different types and price points of alcohol than there are of cigarettes.

And yeah, I don't like to bring up that it's Japanese unless people ask about the origins. It confuses them because it looks like past European fashions, or if you're wearing something more like sweet they just don't get why you'd choose to dress like "those weird Harajuku girls". Also the degree of knowledge of lolita is highly variable, so it can be risky. I've met weebs at cons who don't recognise anything that isn't black and white as lolita, who asked me who I was cosplaying when I was in classic, then conflated lolita and lolicon. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and arguments with people who turn out to have a passing knowledge of anime and thus think they know more about lolita than you do is not fun. (Worst was a guy who didn't watch anime but described it as "that hentai thing".)

>> No.8063405

>>8063366
I don't cut it out all together, but I do plan a budget even though it's just general plan in my mind that actual strict budget. I like to keep 20-30€ so I can go out in a café with friends from time to time, I like to have my unusual ingredients for cooking etc. But for example right now I'm paying for my first big travel alone, so I'll wait until after the trip to start my home garden since it takes money and time, both thing I won't have until after that. I don't believe into cutting out everything just to fulfill one hobby, as for anything balance is the key.

>> No.8063433

>>8063311
Well, any translation work counts, and I like gaming so I would gladly do that even if it's for free. That's something I could add to my CV in any case. I guess I need to start looking at online translation companies, it seemed a bit sketchy to me at first but hey, it doesn't hurt to try at this point.

>> No.8063694

>>8058694
>hates petticoats
Instead i have my parents hating on petticoats, saying i look like a duck. Fuck them.
>>8058757
I'm not sure if my bf likes me in lolita or no, i had mixed responses or just maybe he accept me in whatever clothing. He isn't a normalfag either (a goth, with piercings and i look more normal than him without weird clothing) so i don't understand why he said stuff normalfags usually say to people wearing lolita, for example the clothing look like little child stuff. It doesn't help i love more sweet lolita, gothic only a bit because i'm very picky and i dislike religious or historical themed prints. He said of course he loves me in dark clothing a thing i do daily but my other half is into lolita, especially pastel rainbow sweet in black.
Now after the OT... i started to wear legit lolita last year at 23 because before i was a big ita wearing offbrand items and...sneakers or flats. I think i tried also punk lolita, it was the less ita outfit i did in my past but still shit.

>> No.8063705

>>8063290
Thank you. The only reason I was confused about this, because I had no idea how much shorter the skirt would be with petti. I guess this is something you need experience with.

>> No.8063734

>>8063694
A duck? How?

>> No.8063764

>>8061985
>tfw ftm and want to wear boystyle
>tfw THIGHS

>> No.8063769
File: 59 KB, 500x750, Children-dress-wholesale-swan-skirt-the-princess-skirt-children-s-clothing-5-PC-free-shipping.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
8063769

>>8063734
Different anon but it's pretty common for artistic depictions of ducks and swans to give them big fluffy butts. Maybe that's what anon's parents are reminded of?

>>8063694
Let's switch boyfriends, anon! Mine likes bright colours and doesn't like to see me in dark colours because he says it forms too high a contrast with my skin. I love both ETC-style otome and gothic lolita but I feel less confident gothing up since I know my boyfriend won't like it. I'm pretty sure he doesn't like goth stuff in general. Sigh.

>> No.8063771

>>8063764
Would puffy pants disguise your hips enough?

>> No.8063774

>>8063734
Idk, maybe because my butt look too fluffy like a hen or a duck and lolita dresses look better without them, i don't understand why they say this. Maybe they have the ita mentality strong on them.
>>8060490
I love ETC country or pastel jsks, but what i have is mostly AP.
>it's just i can't resist AP
>but myself want really ETC stuff

>mfw they want me in tight or deflated dresses or skirts

>> No.8063794

>>8063771
hips are fine (well, still a problem, but i can deal with it), its just my beastly ~50cm thighs that shorts cant deal with.
>im working on it i swear

>> No.8063805

>>8063769
Haha, yes!!Well i love both black and bright colors (pastels and neon shades) and spooky themes into sweet lolita, infact i love the Sweet Grave print from Royal Princess Alice, my dream dress. Hopefully now gothic and sweet at times merge but my budget still is tight so i can only buy second hand. Most gothic prints i would like are crazy expensive, while the gothic prints i don't like are cheaper, like stuff from taobao shops. I look really good in black because my skin is really pale and my hair dark l but i look good in bright pastels and neons as well. My wardrobe is 80% black, included sweet lolita stuff.
About your issue,I suggest you to wear gothic lolita in meets or when you don't go out with your bf so you can dress with him in non black dark clothing. Or wear a red or white gothic lolita outfit? They are pretty rare to see with little black on it.