I've always been interested...

[Flying Mermaid Princess]

but never had the money.
And now that I'm actually trying to do indept research on what type of petticoat to buy, all the different brands, replicas, accessories, shoes, and coordinates; it makes me want to even more!

Only problem is I just quit my job so I could fulltime at school. I still have a decent amount saved up, and got my 2 weeks to go and another 2 checks to get paid, but I don't want to be spending extravagantly.

So is it ok for my first dress to be a 60 dollar dress from bodyline, or should I wait it out and hope I get accepted to EGL community and be able to find a good branded second hand? <":

Does anyone have anything to say about DoL quality? Oo Jia?


My birthday is on the 25th, and as a first step to try to Lolita up my year;
I asked my sister's to get me a very nice quality chiffon petticoat. ^o^

TRYING TO START IT RIGHT!

P.S. I've really fallen in love with

and will later in the year either try and see if Oo Jia has a replica, or bite the bullet and try to get a real one!

[Eruravenne]

Buying from Bodyline is perfectly acceptable. Hardly any Lolitas have full brand wardrobes. With a hobby this expensive, you gotta be economical. Unless you're filthy rich, in which case, have at it. lol

I'm kind of in the same boat as you. I've admired the fashion for many years, but I've never been able to justify it. And back when I first started looking at it, cheaper options were pretty terrible, quality-wise. I'm so glad things have changed. I'm still saving for my first outfit, which is gonna cost me somewhere in the realm of $250 for a skirt, blouse and petticoat plus shipping from Qutieland. Luckily, I'm into Classic Lolita which allows me to use almost entirely off-brand accessories and shoes and such.

[Evil Goth Bunny]

It's alright to have your first dress from bodyline. A lot of people do. It really depends on whether you would rather have bodyline or brand as your first dress, but both of those are equally as ok.

That dress is gorgeous, I've been really wanting the jsk version, but it's a bit too expensive right now.

[Revolutionary Rhapsody]

I definitely understand where you're coming from, and can relate on how it's hard to do all the research and feel like you're putting together good decisions, but you seem to be on a great track right now!

Bodyline is a perfectly good place to get a first dress or even more dresses if you find something you like! My third dress was a jsk from Bodyline, and there are a number of skirts and other things I would certainly love to get from them (for cute prints, colors, and styes as well as the price, hello $27 skirt and welcome to my closet), so don't worry about buying from Bodyline if that's what works for you :>

I do recommend checking out the Petticoat Police tumblr and the Lolita-Tips tumblr for more advice and general research as you can ask them about items in general and Lolita-Tips even gives coord critique and lots of help, and both tumblrs are happy to help you out if you're unsure of the quality of a Bodyline piece. I'll link you to them with all my other general links under my spoiler cut, as well as some other general information, wig sellers, petticoat advice, and some off-brand venues c:

Places to buy lolita type clothing from would be
Bodyline
A cheap place to buy from, some of their items are not quite the best but overall their quality is okay and they're convenient and usually priced reasonably.
Fan Plus Friend
Has a lot of options, generally a step higher than Bodyline though they also have some problematic pieces. They do have a selection worth browsing, but the shipping can be a bit expensive as I believe they only ship express.
Clobba
Reliable seller, it's a shopping service in that you send a quote inquiry and then are sent an order form to fill out, and then send back to get an invoice in which to pay. They are cheaper than Qutieland and have over several of the same products for less.
Quiteland
Has a huge selection and generally very good quality. Shipping causes them to be pricier.
A brand list is on EGL, the LiveJournal Lolita community. The list itself is not quite pretty to look at but it's extensive. If you don't have a LiveJournal you may want to get one solely for being able to interact with the LJ lolita communities as well as their comm sales. You will need to be able to link to some feedback elsewhere though, like eBay feedback or something, at least they prefer it when you start out so they know you're not a wet behind the ears scammer.
Some of the more popular brands are Angelic Pretty, Baby the Stars Shine Bright, and Innocent World.
Before buying something, google reviews of that item. There may be reviews available through EGL or within online blogs.

Petticoats
Do not buy petticoats from Bodyline, they loose puff fast. You need to spend money and invest on a petticoat and make sure you get yourself a good one that will last.
Clobba & Quiteland
Sells Classical Puppets petticoats (and some others). Classical Puppets are one of the most used brands for petticoats. They are also praised for their quality more often than not. I love how full and fluffy my CP Bell is and this is a quick picture from my phone of just how poofy it is with a little shaking and careful storage. I got mine from ClobbaOnline and loved that service.
Vivcore
Sells the Lace Petticoat and Fluffy petticoat. The fluffy petticoat is the same as a Malco Modes 582 P petticoat, Malco Modes I believe make square dance petticoats but they're still good just a bit on the long side.
VictorianGirlDress
If you're on the smaller side VictorianGirlDress petticoats can fit and work well often, they're praised as well from what I've heard and been told.
How to Store Petticoats via Lolita-Tips

Extra
The Lolita-Tips tumblr founder gives out a lot of advice on whether certain Bodyline items are worth it quite often.
You could also look on Etsy and EGL comm sales for used or handmade or vintage items.
Petticoat Police is a tumblr that offers advice on whether a certain item is good for lolita, such as offering their opinions on which Bodyline items are worth buying or if an F+F item is alright! They're also amusing~
English Charm is a cute online store with some solid colored plain lolita clothing, mostly for the classical style but worth a look for sure!
Sweet Rococo is a site that lets you customize an outfit to your measurements and preferences, it looks pretty interesting at least c:
This is a list of Lolita Taobao shops.
This is a list of Lolita Etsy shops.

Washing
Japanese Washing Care Tag Translations
From what I've been told this chart can help you translate the warnings on your clothing tags.
Wash Bodyline 1
Wash Bodyline 2
Wash Bodyline 3'
General Wash
Brand Wash

Wigs
If you want several more wig places I recommend in cosplay, feel free just to ask!
Gothic Lolita Wigs
One of the best places in my opinion to get wigs from. Reviews are almost always positive and praise the soft feel and cute styles and I really adore their wigs, I've ordered a Duchess for myself personally and plan to order all the other colors when I'm able, I just want like all of GLW. Their Facebook page is very active in answering questions and displaying customer pictures.
Lockshop Wigs
Wigs well liked for lolita so I hear.
Minty Mix Wigs
Another lolita-oriented wig store, also sells some accessories.
Arda Wigs
If a wig you like from Arda says out of stock or sold out, just check their restock page frequently to see when it will be coming back in stock.
Arda Wigs is has good customer service, pretty good wig styles to choose from, lots of accessories like bangs and ponytail clips, a gallery full of customer photos wearing their wigs, and they're just pretty much rather fabulous. I have not bought a wig from them YET but I really do want to. Their wigs are all pretty much at least $30 though, but you buy quality, reliability, brand name, and thickness. Arda Wigs are known for great wig fiber thickness and their wig cap sizes can accommodate larger heads or those who have a lot of hair to cover up.

[Little Bunny Butt]

http://www.qutieland.com/product.php?id=677

^^^^
This is the petti you are looking for.
If you can use a shopping service its even cheaper to buy it from taobao.
Honestly its the best petti I have seen for the money, and it doesn't loose its fluff.

I think most Lolita's I know swear by Classical Puppets pettis.

[Revolutionary Rhapsody]

Hemorrhoidal Flare Up

http://www.qutieland.com/product.php?id=677

^^^^
This is the petti you are looking for.
If you can use a shopping service its even cheaper to buy it from taobao.
Honestly its the best petti I have seen for the money, and it doesn't loose its fluff.

I think most Lolita's I know swear by Classical Puppets pettis.

I certainly stand by this petticat, but if you were to just buy the petticoat alone, I recommend it over Clobba because he has them in stock and ready to ship if you can fit the 'free-size' and want it in white. It's just easier to have petticoats in white anyway, in my opinion :B
Also, last time I checked, to have that CP shipped to my US address from Qutieland, it was $80. From Clobba, my quote for the petticoat alone was $60.

[Flying Mermaid Princess]

Evil Goth Bunny

Jsk verision are always awesome, since its a bit more versatile. Yeah once the price goes down... I think I'll pounce.

Eruravenne

Awesome. I really like classic lolita too, all them browns, and darker hues really suit me; though country lolita... >W< is cute too. I'd like to dive into sweet, but think I don't have the look for it. I think I'm going to get a second hand dress from EGL, wait for something I really like, then build my outfit around that dress. I'm hoping to complete it in time for a convention in May. c":

Milady Alluca

Thank you so much for all the links. c": I'm gonna to have to save this page so I can really go through them deeply. I think the hardest choice I have is just deciding what type of style I want to get into. ^u^ Though I think classic might be first so I can have a dress I can maybe wear to wedding or fancy dinner.

Hemorrhoidal Flare Up

Thanks everyone for their help and advice. I ended up asking my sister to get me a malco mode petticoat... 582(?) I think.
The one know to be super fluffy. I hope its a good petticoat. X3 If its not I'll switch it...
cause other good news!

My job said they were willing to try and work with my school schedule, so yay~
More money for Loli~ heart
----------------
Another question, what is the difference between a cutsew and a blouse? ^^;

[Snigelskit]

OOh I was in the same situation as you half a year ago. On the other hand I was acutally planning to buy my first lolita dress from Bodyline or qutieland but I suddenly ended up buying my first dress from Metamorphose lol wtf XD

Since then I've started to build up my wardrobe, slowly, so far I've got one of my dream skirts...
Right now I'm owning 2 jsk from Metamorphose, a skirt and bag from Angelic Pretty,

I'm finally planning to buy from bodyline probably next month so I do actually recommend starting your lolita fashion with cheaper alternatives rather than the expensive HQ ones since it is good to start and experience whether you really enjoy wearing lolita and then decide later if you're going to spend more on the HQ brand lolita when you earn more money or get a stable job for a few months

I'm sucha a sucky ducky when it comes to sales so I end up spending all my money I have left e.e) (Im a bad rolemodel lol don't follow my way LOLOLO)

I just recently ordered a skirt from Innocent World (oh god idk why it was pretty awkay)

[Revolutionary Rhapsody]

Flying Mermaid Princess

Another question, what is the difference between a cutsew and a blouse? ^^;

A blouse is considered more formal. A cutsew is basically a more casual kind of shirt you can wear under a jsk or with a skirt, usually for casual lolita or styles similar to lolita. At least that's what I was told when I asked about it awhile back!

[Basset Hound Babe]

Tbh I've ordered from almost everywhere. For the price vs quality, bodyline and oo jia is FAR superior to dol. and that isn't even touching the replica debate! And bodyline is about half the price of Oo Jia, so I say go with bodyline! C:

No one will judge you for it, or if they do, they are not worth knowing. It may even be better if you can learn to sew yourself c: it can be cheaper, plus more fun for getting simple skirts and jsks ;p

[Little Bunny Butt]

Milady Alluca

Hemorrhoidal Flare Up

http://www.qutieland.com/product.php?id=677

^^^^
This is the petti you are looking for.
If you can use a shopping service its even cheaper to buy it from taobao.
Honestly its the best petti I have seen for the money, and it doesn't loose its fluff.

I think most Lolita's I know swear by Classical Puppets pettis.

I certainly stand by this petticat, but if you were to just buy the petticoat alone, I recommend it over Clobba because he has them in stock and ready to ship if you can fit the 'free-size' and want it in white. It's just easier to have petticoats in white anyway, in my opinion :B
Also, last time I checked, to have that CP shipped to my US address from Qutieland, it was $80. From Clobba, my quote for the petticoat alone was $60.

Ooh gurl they ripping you off. My Comm is doing a group Taobao order. I can't remember who we are shopping thru. Its someone we use all the time.

[Revolutionary Rhapsody]

Hemorrhoidal Flare Up

Milady Alluca

Hemorrhoidal Flare Up

http://www.qutieland.com/product.php?id=677

^^^^
This is the petti you are looking for.
If you can use a shopping service its even cheaper to buy it from taobao.
Honestly its the best petti I have seen for the money, and it doesn't loose its fluff.

I think most Lolita's I know swear by Classical Puppets pettis.

I certainly stand by this petticat, but if you were to just buy the petticoat alone, I recommend it over Clobba because he has them in stock and ready to ship if you can fit the 'free-size' and want it in white. It's just easier to have petticoats in white anyway, in my opinion :B
Also, last time I checked, to have that CP shipped to my US address from Qutieland, it was $80. From Clobba, my quote for the petticoat alone was $60.

Ooh gurl they ripping you off. My Comm is doing a group Taobao order. I can't remember who we are shopping thru. Its someone we use all the time.

Oh I know Clobba has higher marked prices, but I don't know how to use shopping services to order off Taobao, I don't have a group to order with, and I honestly don't mind the upped prices from Clobba because it's just easier for me.

I appreciate that you'd offer the warning though c:

[wonderfinch]

Flying Mermaid Princess

Another question, what is the difference between a cutsew and a blouse? ^^;

A cutsew is a top made of knit t-shirt material. Sometimes they're t-shirts with puffy sleeves and a cute print, but they can also be very elaborate. Blouses are just pieces made out of a stiff material ^^

As for your earlier question about replicas, I personally would stay away. DoL has notoriously low quality. Oo Jia's quality is a little below Bodyline's in my experience. Both will cost you much more than a BL dress, on top of that. It's not worth the price. BL will be cheaper and probably nicer ^^ If you can afford to spend Oo-Jia-level prices, you can also consider Taobao brands like Infanta, Chess Story, and Dear Celine with custom prints for a nicer product.

[wonderfinch]

Milady Alluca

Flying Mermaid Princess

Another question, what is the difference between a cutsew and a blouse? ^^;

A blouse is considered more formal. A cutsew is basically a more casual kind of shirt you can wear under a jsk or with a skirt, usually for casual lolita or styles similar to lolita. At least that's what I was told when I asked about it awhile back!

A cutsew is actually just any top that's made out of a knit material ^^ They can be pretty extravagant (like this one) and sometimes even look just like blouses (like this one)! You can wear cutsews or blouse with any style, it's more about the details of the individual item than it is about the item type.

[tehrin]

As far as DOL and OoJia goes for replicas, I'd say go with OoJia. She's pleasant to work with, and will get your item to you fast. DOL has been known to take eons and has gone really downhill quality-wise.

OoJia puts a lot of time and care into materials and making sure the prints are correct. She also does non-print work too, if you want a replica of a non-printed dress or want an originally designed dress, blouse, cutsew, etc.

She asks for measurements such as bust, waist and length, but you'll probably also want to add in length of the bodice from shoulder to where you want the waist to sit, and length of the skirt. I find that helps with getting things to fit from her better.

Also keep in mind that dark colorways tend to look a little on the faded side, especially after a good deal of wear. So it might be wise to go with lighter colors if you can. Her fabric also wrinkles like crazy and it's hard to get out, but it's a decent quality, high thread count cotton. DOL has been known to have really crappy canvas-like fabric on some of their replicas like Sugary Carnival.