Begginers tips

[Glitter Switch]

I made a post earlier today

But was wondering what are your tips to starting to wear lolita?
Any good ideas to gaining more knowledge.
Maybe even a few things you wish someone told you when you were first dressing loli

Thanks for all your help!

[legnanellaf5]

Research. You have google you can use and there are plently of sites out there that basically spoon feed you info. Most info you are looking for is out there if you just tried to look it up.

Basics are egl for the online comm, places like hello lace has guides for how to buy things and what shops, etc.

[Hello Honey Lemon]

Glitter Switch

lolita-tips on tumblr has a lot of good links and things for beginner lolitas.

Also, I saw your other post about being from New England, I live in Massachusetts, myself. c:

[Evil Goth Bunny]

Do lots and lots of research. Also, don't be shy about asking other lolitas for opinions on a dress or outfit before you buy it, we don't mind helping beginners smile

[Glitter Switch]

Hello Honey Lemon

Glitter Switch

lolita-tips on tumblr has a lot of good links and things for beginner lolitas.

Also, I saw your other post about being from New England, I live in Massachusetts, myself. c:

I'm from NH! I know a lot of people say that it is best to get together with other lolitas and have outings etc. Do you have some sort of community down there?

Like I said I'm new so not exactly sure how it all works (:

[Princess JessieKate]

Just do lots of research. Check forums, blogs, vlogs and Lolita resource websites. Remember that a lot of them aren't there aren't perfect and some things should be taken with a grain of salt. Ask an experienced Lolita before buying your first pieces to make sure they're good options for you. And make sure you know how to take your measurements properly!

[Hello Honey Lemon]

Glitter Switch

Yeah! I'm close enough to Rhode Island that I go to RI meet ups and then sometimes I'll go to Boston ones too, depending.

Try looking on facebook, there are groups based on communities and they'll post things about meet ups and stuff. I know there's a Vermont/NH one. There's also a general New England one, too.

Big meet ups and group things are usually posted on the facebook page and stuff. Right now a lot of people in my comm are talking about travelling to NYC together in July because BABY is opening a physical store along with Tokyo Rebel. NH isn't that far away either.

As for coords and stuff, I found that jumperskirts were easier for beginning to mix and match for more coord options. Getting one jumperskirt that works with more than one blouse means you can get more than one outfit out of it. Lolita is an expensive hobby so try to get more for your buck.

[Chaotic Wishes]

But was wondering what are your tips to starting to wear lolita?

Build your wardrobe in a cohesive way. Find out what colours you are more likely to wear, find out what styles you like. Even for you first few items, buy them with your future wardrobe in mind, so that you have things to match with. You do not need to choose between sweet, classic, or gothic as long as you do this, because you will have items that go together no matter what.

Build a wishlist and keep inspiration photos of what you want to look like. Even if something is impossible to get, it helps keep you on track for how you want to look stylistically. It's good to have goals in mind.

Read lolita blogs, keep yourself up to date on trends, and learn the guidelines and rules. Become knowledgeable about the fashion and about how to dress yourself.

Shop smart. Find out where to get the best deals, how to shop secondhand, internationally, and using shopping services. It's scary to start, but once you get into it, it's simple. Learn how to navigate Taobao, and try browsing some Japanese consignment shops. These will get you the best secondhand deals. Browse Lacemarket and EGL Sales Comm and always be sure the know the price range of what you want to buy. Have a fund for dream dresses.

Any good ideas to gaining more knowledge.

Fyeahlolita for wardrobe building, budgeting, trends, all around great advice. Ramble Rori for lolita statistics and good blogging. Hellolace for styles, where to buy, an archive of brand dresses. Lolibrary for a more comprehensive lolita archive. Yetanotherjfashblog for Taobao updates and how-to guide on Taobao. The EGL Community is the international lolita comm. The Lolita Handbook is a somewhat outdated guideline for lolita.

Maybe even a few things you wish someone told you when you were first dressing loli

Not every outfit is going to be perfect. You try and try again to make coords you like and sometimes they're not great and that's fine. Being a lolita in general is hard. Going out and about will draw attention just because you're dressed differently. It takes thick skin and motivation and time and effort (and money) to be in the fashion, but as long as you love what you're wearing I think it's worth it.

[tehrin]

Chaotic Wishes

Not every outfit is going to be perfect. You try and try again to make coords you like and sometimes they're not great and that's fine. Being a lolita in general is hard. Going out and about will draw attention just because you're dressed differently. It takes thick skin and motivation and time and effort (and money) to be in the fashion, but as long as you love what you're wearing I think it's worth it.

All of this advice is great, but I can't stress the above paragraph more. You are not going to be perfect all the time. I feel like there is a lot of stress, especially at the beginning (and I feel it a lot even now) to be impeccably coordinated down to the last minute detail all the time. This doesn't always happen. Even when planning out a big fancy coordinate, it can look different laid out and on you (and different depending on camera angle, pose, and all kinds of things) and it can get frustrating.

With confidence: Go out in lolita with other lolitas when possible, if not, go out with friends that are open to you dressing oddly. It helps me tenfold when wearing lolita in public. I've heard wearing headphones helps too when you are alone, but I don't do this.

My general advice:

- Petticoat. Get yourself a good full petticoat. I would recommend a decently a-line to start out with, and if you feel like you are really leaning toward sweet more, get yourself a cupcake petti to layer with your a-line for a super-full cupcake silhouette.

- Along with pettis: You will find your petticoat needs change as your wardrobe grows. You will need different shapes, lengths, different fullnesses, maybe you desire different colors. But a good basic one (such as a Malco Modes) is a good starting point.

- Get yourself some good staples that will match everything. (bag, blouse, legwear that match in color, usually white for sweet, cream/ivory for classic, and black for gothic) Although honestly all of those colors can be worn in any style. You can build on these but it's a good starting point.

- Don't focus on collecting main pieces (dresses, skirts). You can have 50 dresses, but if you have two blouses, and two pairs of socks and one bag and the same few accessories and two shoes, it's going to get boring quickly. Invest in blouses, boleros, various legwear, bags, accessories and shoes (as needed obviously).

- I build up my wardrobe by focusing on one color at a time, depending on my wardrobe needs. Right now, it's red and navy blue. So I've been getting blouses/tops and socks and shoes, along with some accessories. Usually it's to go with a new main piece addition, but the next time I want to add a dress with red or navy in it, I can do it without much worry! It takes a few months for me to do this, (a little from each paycheck) but it's worth it in the end. n_n

- If you are beyond standard Japanese M sizing (large bust, wide shoulders, or even too small for brand 00, 0), look into indie brands for your blouses. I'm currently in love with The Floral Notebook, Lady Sloth and Bunny House (all can be found on facebook) for my blouse needs!