What's My Japanese Clothing Size?? -- An Easy Guide

hey everyone! i get a lot of questions from all of you about what size to buy japanese clothing in, usually trying to convert it from US or UK sizes. let me tell you, that's not the way to do it! the process is very easy and works with bodyline, angelic pretty, rakuten, etc-- ANY site that shows the measurements of their clothing in CM.

so let's look how to find your size!

whatever you do, do NOT convert your clothing size using any kind of online chart. for one thing, numbered sizes vary a lot. for example, medium isnt the same with every company or country, and a size 5 might be a lot bigger in japan. THE SAME GOES FOR SHOE SIZES!! i cannot stress this enough. girls in my lolita group are always asking how to find their shoe size to buy from bodyline, because japanese shoe sizes are in centimeters instead of arbitrary numbers. i made the mistake of trying to convert my shoe size to japanese using a chart and ended up getting shoes that were either too big or too small.

so in short, whatever size you are in your native country, you might not be in a japanese brand. 

as japan uses the metric system, the measurements of japanese clothing will be given in centimeters. even if they're sold in lettered sizes like S, M, L, etc. they will usually have a description of the measurements in the details of the page.

to find out how to measure yourself for clothes, click here! to measure for your shoe size, simply take a tape measure and measure the length of your regular ol' foot without any socks or shoes on. 

now, consult the measurements on the site. for example with bodyline, they will have the measurements for each letter size in a little sidebar above where you add the item to your cart. make sure to double check everything before you buy it, and always buy a few CM bigger-- you don't want buy something that has your EXACT measurements because that would make it skintight (unless that's what you need). if there's elastic measured flat instead of stretched, then buying something that matches your measurements should be okay.

with shoes, you just want to buy a size that matches your foot measurement. always round up! you might find sometimes you'd want to buy something a half centimeter bigger in case of socks/tights/etc.

and that's it! it's really easy, and i only went into so much detail to make sure i covered everything. if there's still anything you have questions about, feel free to ask me and i'll get back to you as soon as i can! i hope this helps.

Lolita 52: How strangers react to my clothes, and how I react to their reactions

hey everybody! sorry for the slowdown in posting lately. i have another lolita 52 for you all today!

a popular topic, especially among new lolitas, is how strangers typically react to lolita fashion. a lot of new lolitas fear being made fun of, or especially being bullied in school environments. i've had kind of a mixed bag of reactions, but dealing with them tactfully is the most important thing to keep in mind. 

in the 6th grade i started to get into wearing gothic-lolita-esque outfits. it was all things altered from hot topic because i was afraid to buy brand because i was still growing and i didn't want to drop a ton of money on something that might get too small for me quickly. i got really made fun of by other students, but my middle school is notorious for TERRIBLE bullying situations. a lot of people complimented me as well and teachers and friends supported me too, so i never let it get to me. i hated the school and switched to homeschooling after one year there. but while i was there, the way i dealt with it was by just either ignoring jerks or snapping comebacks at them. 

for example, i wore a punk lolita sort of outfit to the valentine's day dance. during the cha cha slide (ahh, when i was twelve!) a boy said "where did you get your clothes, the UGLY STORE?" i replied "yeah your mom told me about it actually!" as a 12 year old i was very proud of my simple defense. it shut the kid up, so i was satisfied.

in high school, i wore lolita a lot, including simple sweet lolita outfits as well as gothic lolita. i got onto the fashion page of the yearbook for it every year, because the girls in the yearbook committee were in some classes with me when we were little and they liked my outfits.

i got made fun of a bit, but it was honestly by a bunch of jerks whose opinions i didnt care about, and some people who were close to me. my friends loved it, one of my teachers made me get up and show the class, and for the most part it was really pleasant! i got a LOT of "little bo peep"s in high school, though, to which i would just say "yeah i've gotten that a lot."

in college i've worn lolita a few times so far. one day no one said a thing about it to me, another day i got showered with compliments and a girl asked for a photo! but i never got any negative attention or creepers. if you do, just use caution and your best judgement on what is a safe situation or not.

my general advice on dealing with people who make fun of your lolita is to simply ignore them. comebacks are useful in certain pinches, but i would generally avoid them unless you know it will help and will stop the other person instead of making them fight you more. if you are ever harassed in a way that makes you uncomfortable or is really aggressive, tell someone like an administrator, teacher, or campus safety. i recommend to EVERY girl to take a self defense class. but with simple insults, if you just ignore them and show them their opinion doesnt matter, they will usually shut up. that's what i've discovered over my lifetime of wearing alt-fashion in a close-minded area.

to all lolitas reading this getting ready to wear it for their first time, good luck!

and to everyone, never let anyone ruin what you enjoy!

"I think we should enjoy life. We should wear whatever we think looks nice and wear it with confidence. That will put you in a better mood, and I think it will lead to an abundant society." -Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

Lolita 52: Favorite thing to put on my head

hello everyone! today i wanted to do a short little lolita 52 post for you all.

what is my favorite item to wear on my head when i'm wearing lolita? well, it bleeds into other fashions too, but i love big poofy chiffon bows. i have three that i wear with lolita-- a cream one, a black one, and my very favorite, a ribbonholic one i reviewed here.

i love these big soft fluffly bows because they just look really cute! i don't have specific matching headbows to anything in my closet, just those pin-on bows that bodyline includes with their items. those can be pinned to a headband and made into a headbow, but i don't like how floppy that is. i've done it with ok results, but i just love the look of a fluffy bow clipped on the side of my head.

i wish i saw more bows like this around, but i don't see them too often. if you know of any good stores that sell big puffy bows like this, let me know in the comments, and i might have to review them!

that's all for today!

☆ ☆ Milky Planet Re-release! ☆ ☆

hello everyone! i have incredible news for you all....

angelic pretty is re-releasing milky planet!!

now, if you've been reading my blog for a while or know me at all, you know milky planet is my absolute favorite dream print. my dream item out of all lolita is the original skirt, in yellow. 

♡ so, what are my thoughts on this re-release? ♡

while i am very excited, it's a mixed bag. the new items are sort of weird, more "experimental" or "new fashion" kind of lolita cuts than the total classics of the original series' perfectly silhouettetted OP, JSK, and high waisted skirt. i don't really dig the apron-- i think on someone, it might look pretty cute, but i feel like it interrupts the print a bit. i love the star pockets, but i don't really like it all that much. i might warm up to it when i see it coordinated. i just feel like the series needs to have the print shine on its own.

as for the other items, i LOVE the JSK. i really hope that this time, AP makes a size of it that would fit me. the reason the skirt of the original release is my dream item is because the OP and JSK from the original series are too small in the bust for me. but now it seems like they're making a larger range of sizes, so maybe this will fit me-- at least, i hope so, because i am not a huge fan of these hip-cut skirts. 

why is that? again, it is an issue of how it suits the print. i think the print should fall from the natural waist. they should have gone with the original cut from this one, and just let the big change be the color. which, while i love the new colors, i am SO SAD THERE IS NO YELLOW! i love all the original colors, and the new ones as well, but i am so saddened that my very favorite colorway is gone from the lineup. i really love the pink they're using here, though, and if i can get my hands on something (preferably the JSK) i would like it in pink.

the salopette deal-- i don't think it would suit me, but i love salos on others, so i can't wait to see how all you cuties coordinate them! ♡

i hope the international site does something with this re-release and i can get an item with the money i set aside to get MP for my graduation present a year ago. i still have the money for the skirt and i could use it to get a new MP item, and if not i'm still going to get a yellow OP replica someday when DOL's quality gets better. but for now all i can do is have heart attacks while i dig for info, and hope that i can get an item that i like that also fits.... ah, the lolita life...

what do YOU think about the new MP items, everyone??

Wearing Lolita to Prom

hey everyone! it's getting pretty close to prom season for most schools, i think! my senior prom was about a year ago, and i wore lolita. i've seen other people asking about wearing lolita to prom around the internet, so i thought i would do a little post about my experiences and what it's like to wear lolita to prom.

here was my coord! i don't have a good picture of me by myself saved on my computer, but i'm the one in the center (kind of obvious). i wore:

OP- bodyline's "chocolate maiden"

headbow, tea party shoes- bodyline

tights- target

jewelry- all vintage, earrings lended from my mom

here's a closeup!

one of the reasons i chose to wear lolita to prom was because i'm always looking to have good reasons to build my lolita wardrobe. i thought getting a nice quality bodyline dress would be a good idea, because getting a whole coord (an OP, shoes, tights, and a hair accessory, plus tights) would be relative to the cost that many girls would be paying for JUST their dresses alone, even neglecting to take other costs into account. so, it was a great excuse to get a beautiful dress i was guaranteed to wear more than once!

choose only what you are comfortable in! one reason i chose bodyline is because their M size dresses are never too small for my bust so i knew i would be comfortable. it wasn't too expensive though it was one of bodyline's more pricey OPs so i knew the quality was probably going to be great.

  i think the biggest point to keep in mind when choosing a lolita dress for prom is to wear something you will be comfortable in. would you be worried about getting something on "brand" all night and not have any fun with your friends? or, would you not mind and use those AP hidden pockets for your phone while you dance? just think about what would make you the most comfortable.

if you're an everyday lolita, don't feel pressured to wear lolita to prom if it doesn't feel special. however, if you want to go all out and OTT for prom, go for it. make sure you are comfortable but also take extra steps to feel extra cute and give yourself that extra princess sparkle, inside and out. step up your usual lolita game a bit, whether it's by having your hair or nails done or by wearing a vintage brooch.

speaking of hair and makeup, if you're spending a lot on a coord, you may not want to spend a lot at a salon to have someone do your hair, makeup, and nails. i did my own nails, and had my mom do my hair and makeup for me. i bought her some flowers in return, because it was a lot of work and turned out so beautifully! if you can't have someone you know do it for you for a compensation that might be less than a salon, you can always look into tutorials. there are good online resources such as Lovely Dyed Locks and their many hairdo tutorials, Violet LeBeaux's tutorials, and other places online if you just search around. same goes for makeup! this time of year, if you look on any makeup channel on youtube they are all about prom looks.
magazines are good resources too, but the only one i can really wholeheartedly recommend is teen vogue. i've been buying it since i was 12 and i love their prom issue every year. i probably will through my 30s.

in the dining section of prom, my petticoat was hard to maneuver through all the chairs and tables. in the dance, everyone was pressed together so tightly that it actually helped to get some space around me and my friends! so, depending on the reputation and location of your school's prom, and what you're expecting for your experience, keep in mind the volume of your petti.

the dance room was really tightly packed, and sweaty. my tea parties are a half size too small and several other friends of mine took our shoes off and set them on a ledge while we danced. my tights are still in great condition and the dirt they got on the feet washed right out. wear comfortable shoes for dancing if you can, so you might not have the problems i did!

and, remember as with any event like this to stay hydrated and be safe. lolita can be constricting and cause problems, so in a hot dance you don't want to faint. my dress wasn't constricting and i made sure to drink a lot of water.

for after prom, my friends and i went to steak and shake and rented movies, and for that i didn't want to wear my nice dress. so i brought along a cardigan and cutsew i often wear with lolita along with some jeans to wear into steak n shake. so if you're going to do some after prom activites, you might want to bring along another little outfit that complements your hair and makeup.

my after prom outfit

so, i think that wearing lolita to prom is really, really fun. i think it's pretty cost-effective, since you get to add lolita to your wardrobe for roughly less or the same price as a regular prom dress, but you wear it more! you get to feel extra sweet and magical. i was really comfortable wearing lolita to prom, and it was tons of fun for me. i think that as long as you can do it and feel comfortable and happy doing so without stressing or feeling unsafe about it, go ahead! ♡

Lolita 52: My Favorite Lolita Print

hey everyone! it's time for another lolita 52 post. this time,  #49- my favorite lolita print!

my favorite print is angelic pretty's milky planet, released in 2010.  it comes in yellow, pink, blue, and black as shown above, and a popular extra color made in replicas is lavender. the only official item in lavender is the special JSK. i LOVE THIS PRINT IN EVERY SINGLE COLORWAY. oftentimes, i will really adore or see myself owning multiple colors of an AP print, but for milky planet, i just think every single color is perfect with this print.

plus, it has ice cream lace.

also, IT'S GLITTERY.

but let's talk about the print itself. IT IS A WONDERLAND. beautiful pastels in some of my favorite color combinations (pink x yellow x blue, pink and mint, lavender and pink, etc), drippy melty ice cream motifs mixed in with carousels, castle houses, ferris wheels, and an assortment of treats in SPACE!?!??! shooting stars!! cupcakes!! melty moons!! this print is overloaded with tons of space and ice cream motifs, and those are two of my favorite things. i am obsessed with this print, and find it absolutely perfect in every way. i have studied each tiny drawing on it, loving all the tiny amounts of detail put into it.

since the dress versions are too small for my bust and my favorite colorway is yellow, my dream item for this print to own is the skirt in yellow. sadly, i do not own any MP items. i was trying to buy it as my graduation present when i graduated high school a year ago but every time i tried to get it, it ended badly with sellers trying to gouge me for triple the original price. i would like to get a dress replica in my measurements from Dreaming of Lolita to tide me over, but i've heard the quality of their MP replicas has gone downhill recently and is hit or miss. so, i'm going to wait until their reviews brighten up to get a dress from them, but i would like to so i can have an MP dress that fits me.

hopefully someday, this perfect work of art will be mine! if not, i'll just have to buy the next AP dress involving space and ice cream that i fall in love with. or, hope for a reissue. honestly, this print is so popular that i'm surprised it hasn't been reissued yet! i sadly missed the boat on the initial sales by just a couple months. so close, but yet so far.

March 2013 Indiana Lolita Meetup ミ☆

hey everyone! ♡ how are you all? i have been feeling pretty under the weather but i had my first time organizing a lolita meetup for my group!

 it was a lot of fun, but at first the place we chose, sugar daddy's canceled on us by very rudely yelling at me over the phone when i had already made a reservation... it was awful!

but thankfully, annie had a backup plan and we went to sweet claire's bakery.

they were awesome, accomodated us perfectly and quickly, and had tons of delicious bread and iron pot teas! i got a delicious giant sweet bread with cream cheese and blackberries.

we all chatted about clothes and fandoms while having a delicious little meal.

afterwards, we walked around bloomington and went to the sample gates to take some photos!

everyone in our group is always dressed so cutely!! i loved everyone's outfits. 

i wore my "princess dress" from pinkly ever after. i will have to do a review soon, because her products are amazing and i absolutely love the dress. it is so glittery and tulle-y *o*

 

here is my coord, taken by ashli.

♡ coord breakdown ♡

OP - Pinkly Ever After

tights, headband- target

shoes- bodyline

cardigan- vintage

bracelet- 6% dokidoki (reviewed here)

necklace- ebay (closeups here)
ring- angelic pretty

after taking our photos and chatting we walked to a chinese restaurant to get some boba/bubble tea!

while we were out and about, we got SO many comments from people. they were all pretty much positive aside from a few creepy guys on the sidewalk on kirkwood. several people asked if we were having a "princess party" and they all wondered what it was for. we always replied "for fun!"

 later on we went into baked, which i had never visited before. you basically pick a dough and a bunch of ingredients and they make cookies for you! they also have milk and stuff, and you get your cookies in a pizza box. they invite you to decorate the boxes and they line the walls (even the ceiling!) with them. i loved seeing all the awesome art.

 i made a box to contribute and i hope to return later to see it hanging up. i wasn't in love with the cookies, but maybe i'd like another dough better.

after relaxing in baked for a while with our cookies we all parted ways and headed home. it was a little bit stressful hosting my first meet at first, but it ended up being so much fun and i didnt feel any pressure at all to organize it. it was a blast, and i had so much fun walking around b-town with my lovely lolita friends! i can't wait for next month's meetup~ ☆ i miss everyone already.

thanks to all the girls who came and hung out at the meetup! i hope you all had a great time!!

Lolita 52 Challenge: 5 inspirational fictional characters

hey everyone and hello to all the new readers! i really loved doing the last Lolita 52 challenge, so i couldn't resist doing another one already!

1. Sailor Moon

i think that arguably, sailor moon is one of the most influential anime/manga of all time. not only did it revolutionize the mahou shoujo genre, sailor moon has inspired many, many people in a multitude of ways!! i think it's created many artists, feminists, anime fans, and has just been a well-loved series, and for good reason.

the reason i chose her as an inspirational fictional character for lolitas specifically is that sailor moon is feminine, but strong. she is absolutely adorable, both in uniform and in street clothes, but she also saves the world on a daily basis and vanquishes ultimate evil. not only is she powerful in that regard, but over the course of the series she becomes so emotionally strong. she starts off as sort of a "dumb blonde" and while in a lot of comic regards she stays that way, she matures so much through the series.

her wardrobe itself is probably more inspirational to pop-kei and fairy-kei as it's VERY 80's, but she does dress matchy-matchy sometimes and almost always very cute. the general aesthetic of the series is really cute, as well-- full of flowers and unicorns and mahou shoujo artifacts, and lots of pastel and glitter.

also, she's a princess who is also a superhero. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR PERSONAL ROLE MODEL.

2. Cinderella

cinderella's beautiful blue dress has always been so fascinating to me. the way it's animated is so poofy and pretty and wonderful! she's another great strong female character, and her story shows you dreams can come true, no matter the circumstance. this could be applied to getting that dream dress, becoming a lolita or becoming the lolita you want to be,  or living a happy life the way you want to live it. i love that moral because it is so hopeful.

also, i've always loved the scene where the animals repair her dress. it's not only a cute scene, but it's also inspiring to DIY-ers, seamstresses, and lolitas on a budget!

3. Princess Bubblegum

if you're not familiar with adventure time, you probably should be; it's one of the best cartoons to come out in recent years and it's jam-packed with comedy and eye candy. quite literally-- princess bubblegum here is ruler of the candy kingdom, a land whose inhabitants are sentient treats and candies. a lot of the show takes place there, and PB is a frequently returning character. 

her wardrobe is ADORABLE. a huge portion of it even seems like it's already lolita, and the other portion is just plain cute. usually she wears bell-shaped skirts and pastel colors, so she's a wonderful style icon for any kawaii culture enthusiasts. not to mention she's also a genius and rad scientist in addition to being the cutest princess ever.

(there's tons of fanart of her in actual lolita too, if you would like to see her modeling the fashion.)

4. Mabel Pines

mabel is THE QUEEN OF MY AFFECTIONS. she is the co-star of gravity falls, a cartoon wherein she and her twin brother solve the mysteries of the creepy town in oregon they are living in over the summer. she is usually seen sporting an adorable cowl neck sweater with a cute design on it, and a complimenting headband and skirt. she is the master of bedazzling, and covers everything in glitter, stickers, and rhinestones. she would TOTALLY be into decoden. her entire outlook on fashion is one i think a lot of lolitas can identify with-- if it's not cute, MAKE IT CUTER.

 

she has sparkling sweaters like these, DIY nacho earrings, and is just the brightest bounciest most hilarious little girl you've ever seen. i love her and i feel as though she is my patronus. i cosplayed her last year, and i can't wait to try making her burger and fries sweater soon. 

(wait, i also have a sailor moon cosplay and i've cosplayed the next character, as well.....)

5. Pinkie Pie 

 THIS PONY RIGHT HERE. do you know what she loves? PARTYING AND CANDY. she lives in a BAKERY made of sweets itself. she solves problems with candy and dancing, and i appreciate that on a deep emotional level. she is, in my opinion, one of the very cutest of all the ponies, and i LOVE her gala dress shown above. i think she's an inspiration to eat more cupcakes, dance more, don't take life too seriously, and to party hard and look adorable doing so. she believes in the power of cuteness.

(honorable mention:Rarity)

 

i had a hard time deciding between rarity and pinkie pie for the pony slot on this list. rarity is the epitome of the lolita spirit. wear the most fabulous things that anyone ever wore, and DONT GET A SPECK OF DUST ON THEM. she is a seamstress and a fashionista, and therefore a lot of her jokes are ones that resonate a little too truely to my life. she also hates getting anything dirty, and she loves to dress up her friends in beautiful clothing of her own design. she could definitely be a big "oh no, i've said that before!" character and an inspiration to many lolitas.