/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

I wore Lolita for the first time this year. I always had an excuse not to wear it, but yesterday I woke up and said, "I am going to wear it today no matter what."
It was a casual outfit, a pretty pink skirt worn with a Hello Kitty t-shirt, and bloomers only, no petticoat (though my skirt does have one built in). I didn't even put stockings on until I had to leave the house. Once I clipped a lace bow into my hair and looked at myself in the mirror I could feel the magic again. I had to run to the store, and I got a few looks from adults and children alike, and I hope that I brought them a little light to their day the same way the clothes brought it to mine.

Wearing Lolita again after not wearing it in so long also brought a less than pleasant realization to me. Perhaps the reason I'm always avoiding wearing it so much is because it's just too cumbersome. I found as wonderful as I felt, I spent my day just sitting around, and even then I felt a fear that I was wrinkling up my skirt.
I never have gotten used to how much volume Lolita has, and I couldn't even go pick my garden because I was afraid I might get mud on my clothes. The layers are too hot for the summer, and they aren't warm enough for the winter unless I layer an extreme amount, and then the layers are so awful and uncomfortable I couldn't wear them without feeling iIll, and how hard it is to do things in so many layers!

That brings me to what I'd really like to say most. I always loved the romantic lifestyle of Lolita, even if it's not something many, if any do anymore. It let me feel like it's okay for me to be myself. And I love the gorgeous clothes. But I don't love wearing the clothes. Even when worn casually and without a petticoat, I still feel a bit uncomfortable and afraid to actually "live" in the clothes, they still feel special to me and it's not something I wear daily. Lolita feels less like something I can do as a part of my lifestyle and more like I'm wearing a party gown.