/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

>>8024321
>bunt cake
>jelly fish

that's so fucking stupid.

1. Not as much high street stuff actually goes with Lolita as you might first think. Get a good lolita coordinate together before you start trying to lolify. No more than about 20% of an outfit should be loliables as a rule. There are exceptions, of course. But noobs won't grasp how to do it correctly.
AP plastic ring =/= Claire's plastic ring.
2. Adding hello kitty doesn't make anything better in Lolita. Save it for your casual wear.
3. No ballet flats. Suck it up and buy some lolita shoes.

I've never heard people call that shape jellyfish, I've always heard lamp.

>>8024321
Bottom 2 shapes should describe why they are bad. L = not enough pouf, R = petti too short. Cutesy names don't help eliminate the problems themselves.

>>8024330
Isn't it spelled Bundt cake, anyway?

If you are in that weird spot where your bust is just large enough to be a problem, but your waist is small, try a bralette. They won't accentuate your bust, but it won't cause boobloaf like a sportsbra would. They give you a nice gentle shape in lolita dresses and blouses, imo.

>>8024361
or, get a proper fitting lace bra so your tits don't sag.
>>8024360
that too.

>>8024364
If they sag in a bralette, then I feel sorry for you

>>8024343
>AP plastic ring =/= Claire's plastic ring

THANK YOU.
You have no idea how many girls in my comm think that this is okay just because Claire's rings are cheaper. Most of the time the rings aren't even cute or they just simply don't match their coord.

>>8024374
girl I am 32F. I'm sure as hell am not gonna use something that might as well be nothing when I can get a non-padded bra that keeps the girls in their place.

>>8024321
1. Don't assume that you can thrift blouses just because some old blog entries say you can. You won't be able to find anything suitable; suck it up and add a blouse to your first order instead of that wig.
2. Buy some basic solid-colour tights (black, white, cream, brown, navy, wine) and stop being so cheap about them. If you'd bought them at the same time as your dresses instead of thinking "Hey, eBay has these in a higher denier and slightly cheaper than the high street (only shipping from China)" just before Christmas, you would have had a lot more options for your first meet.
(I will admit that I still don't have any white lace tights because I can't find any I like for less than £18, but that's not in the same level of stupid as not having any solid white tights because you can't find any high-denier ones for less than £3).
3. You're not as good at judging the shape of future purchases as you think you are. Get an A-line petticoat just to be safe.
4. You do not need those shoes in multiple colourways. Or those dresses.

>>8024380
Fair enough. I'm a 32D so they work well for me.

>>8024384
>shoes in multiple colourways

I can't comprehend this part of lolita. The matchy-matchyness. Black shoes, brown shoes, tan shoes and maybe one color pair. That should be enough.

>>8024389
Nowadays I do own several styles of shoe in multiple colourways, but back then I really hadn't settled on a colour palette enough to do that. First pair I bought were one tan and one white, neither of which match my wardrobe now (although to be fair, stock photos not matching did a number on me and I thought the tan pair were mid-brown, which would match). A little down the line I bought another style, one navy and one gold, which does match my current wardrobe but it's still unnecessary to have both because every navy item I own has gold accents anyway.

>>8024389
It depends on what style you wear, I think. Like you, I have a limited number of colours in my shoe collection, but that's only because I have a super cohesive wardrobe. I can imagine girls with varied wardrobes needed a variety of colours.

Bralettes are also really comfortable! They seem to be getting a little more popular, so you can find them for pretty cheap at places like F21 and Victoria's Secret

>>8024389
It gets harder with styles like sweet. If your dress is pastel pink and mint green for example, brown or black shoes aren't going to cut it, and having the wrong shade of pink will throw off your outfit and look weird. Many sweet lolitas have tea parties in a million colors because of this.
However if you wear strictly classic/gothic, you can stick with neutral shoes a lot more easily.

>buy some actual clothes before you start buying wigs
>store those wigs properly or they will die
>measure yourself before buying something: the last time you had a 26 inch waist was 6 years ago

>>8024321
Measure yourself or better yet get measurements taken. Be accurate. Use cm, not inches.
The max size listed is for the stretched garment itself NOT your body size unless it states otherwise (like for a f+f custom). Your body part should be 2-4 cm smaller than the max listed, for wearing ease. Even with partial shirring. Even if you are squishy.

When I started really buying lolita clothes, I wish someone would have stopped from buying so much bodyline (not that much but around a few skirts and 2 dresses). Except for shoes because they're ok for the price.

Beginners or girls eyeing the fashion : You can REALLY find brand for less than bodyline. Yes it's better considering bodyline is kinda hit and miss and it feels each dress is made with different materials.
Stalk japanese auctions, your own country sales and comms and work with a serious SS (if you're in Europe that will save you so so much from taxes).

Also if you get hit by customs and they decide to fucking ship the whole thing back, Mr Yan won't help you. Consider it gone and Bodyline has that stupid policy where they pretend they can only refund 40% (and they won't, on top of that).

>>8024408
Nngh I love seeing tps in millions of colors. I don't get my own obsession with lolita, just seeing cute dresses and bags decorating my room makes me happy.

>>8024330
I don't care much for the names either, but I think it's good to have this diagram of what shapes NOT to have when wearing lolita.

I see quite a few people who obviously have petticoats too short for them, getting that weird "jellyfish" look. It's not attractive at all.

>>8024410
how do you store a wig properly?

>>8024421
I'm starting to use my own measurements for custom fitted clothes on TaoBao. Should I still use this rule, and should I use it for things like shoulder measurements too?

>>8024519
- Make sure wig is CLEAN and DRY.
- Braid the wig (if it's long) in a LOOSE braid.
- Put the wig inside the thin net you originally received with the wig.
- Place the wig inside zipper bag.
- Zip the bag closed making sure there is no air in it.

>>8024528
I have them all on wig stands.

Does anyone know where I can find some good petticoats for cheap?

>>8024596
IDK, you know I heard Leg Avenue was pretty good.

>>8024604
Thanks.

>>8024596
Classical Puppets.

>>8024604
kek

Bodyline shoes! My first lolita purchase was 2 jsks and a blouse from bodyline, I also had a few nice neutral blouses in my normal wardrobe. I just wore payless mary janes with them, because I again, had them in my normalfag wardrobe, and why spend money ever. But once I spent $25 on a pair of black tea parties, I suddenly felt like a "real lolita" in my stupid bodyline.
But moral of the story is that beginners and veterans alike wear bodyline shoes, so don't worry like looking like a noob. You can wear them for a long time if you take care of them, they come in a variety of styles, and they fit almost any budget.

>>8024623
I hope this was a sarcastic response.

>>8024715
At first I thought that coord looked really nice, but when I looked more closely at the top being used I did a little double-take. It's so baggy it looks clownish. Everything else is cute though.

>>8024728
Nope. I need all the help I can get so I don't stack tutus or something.

>>8024587
That's fine too, but I don't like the thought of my wigs getting dusty. As long as you dust/clean often, that should be fine.

>>8024596
>good petticoats
>cheap

This is one of those things that you really shouldn't skimp out on, otherwise you're going to just end up buying more shitty petticoats to stack on top of each other, which isn't going to be very comfortable.

Classical Puppets pettis are great. If you want another a-line recommendations, try the Malco Modes 580, aka "Jennifer." It's extremely soft and gives a great amount of poof.

>>8024743
then avoid leg avenue.

>>8024526
Ask the store (or ask your SS to ask the store for you). Most of the time, they'll want your body measurements, not the garment measurements.

>>8024746
That Malco Modes petti is insanely huge. I bought it because i didn't have time to order one from Classical Puppets.

>>8024596
Avoid Leg Avenue if you can. They're scratchy as hell and can fray up the thigh-part of tights.
I'm a cosplayer, admittedly, so this isn't a huge concern, but I imagine lolitas would cry if their brand tights got all fuzzy at the tops.

>>8024819
Clobba online keep a bunch of Classical Puppets petticoats in-stock and ready to ship.

>>8024715
You look perfect.

>>8024715
Is this fucking you? So you are the one who keeps selfposting yourself in coord threads omg stop.

>>8024596
Melikestea, victoriangirldress, Bunny House are ok but put their prices up recently.

>>8024604
Actually the longer-length Leg Avenue one isn't that bad as a layering petti, but I wouldn't recommend them overall.

>>8024862
Yeah but I needed the petti ASAP and I was able to get the Malco Modes petti in two days via my amazon prime. I have a CLassical Puppets Petti nothing to wear it with really. I only have one skirt, and one dress right now. One of my New Years Resolutions is to buy more lolita.

>>8024871
I think that's Pastel Bat, but I'm not sure.

>>8024885
no it's not

>>8024604
Why are you trolling in a noob advice thread?
Everyone bitches about itas and you want to deliberately derail noobs?
If this is not a troll then you aren't qualified to give noob advice.
Either way...uncalled for.

>>8024885
It's petitepasserine, the chicken that gets over 9000 notes on every same face drawing of kawaii magical sex puppet angel girls with super speshul back stories and big sparkly eyes

>>8024882
Ah, I always forget that Malco Modes is super quick to get for people in the US. I'm a eurofag so Malco Modes take as long to ship to me as Clobba+EMS would.

>>8024911
>the chicken
Well played, autocorrect.

Also >>8024715 if this was a self post why would she upload an image clearly saved off of tumblr?

>>8024902
Thank you for setting them straight. I'm glad you guys told me what's what before I bought a Leg Avenue petti.

>>8024746
Malco Modes petticoats often used for varying styles of Lolita
Jennifer is 582 the monster poof
Zooey is 580
Cossette is 8080, longer A-Line
***
Catherine 1810 is too short
Savannah 885 might only work for sweet if seen (anyone know?)
The rest are not chiffon, are scratchy and will deflate - not suitable for Lolita

>>8024885
>I think that's Pastel Bat
>Image says "PetitePasserine" in the bottom right corner

Look into the more rare/harder to pull of substyles of lolita. Not to try at the very beginning; wait on that. But just so you can know all what's out there and really develop your own personal style.

>>8024403
Seconding the brallets at F21, I bought a few because they were cute and they're really comfortable. Plus since they're not a racerback style like most sports bras the straps don't peek through collar.

- Lurk more.
- Buy a whole outfit to start with, not just random pieces picked up here and there that can work with lolita. That way there's less money spent before you get to try the style.
- Buy something you love, but make sure you will both love and wear it and can see yourself wearing it multiple times.
- Figure out the second hand stores before you go leaping at bodyline or F+F, you'll be surprised at what you can find
- On that note, probably best to avoid F+F, it's like quality roulette. At least bodyline's shit garments are consistently shit and their good ones are consistently good.
- Your taste is probably shit and not lolita if you've just gotten into the fashion and have never really learned to dress yourself nicely prior to finding lolita (being a mallgoth or emo definitely doesn't count).
- Lurk more.
- If you've made it to cgl, ask before you buy something. Taste is subjective, but they can tell you if a dress is going to be bloody hard to make an outfit with.

>>8025026
And I'd say the opposite and stick to getting a good grasp on the big 3
Gothic
Sweet
Classical
And their little sisters
Casual
Punk (though this one is harder, a few seem to gravitate to it right off)
And narrow your focus so you don't get overwhelmed.
>Also, separates. I started with 3 blouses and 2 skirts and had lots of choices. Sometimes they fit better too (long torso, 2sizes top/bottom)

>>8025046
> At least bodyline's shit garments are consistently shit and their good ones are consistently good.
Is there a list? There should be.

>>8025026
This sounds like troll advice. How the fuck is looking up "ero lolita" going to help a beginner?

Stick to Gothic, Sweet, or Classic. At least there are a ton of good examples of each substyle.

>>8024403
I hate bralettes and find them uncomfortable and unflattering. It's not even a size thing - I wear a 28C/30B so am flat as fuck, but I either want to be supported decently or go braless. I have the same issue with swimsuits, I'd much rather have an underwired bikini or a one-piece swimsuit, not the generic triangle tie bikinis.

>>8025054
It's pretty easy to figure out yourself by googling/searching in tumblr tags the L-number so you can see worn pics.

>>8025054
I wish there was! The only blouse I consistently recommend to people is L076, and I would say their high waisted corset skirts are of consistent decent quality although some of the prints are ugly. Shoes are generally decent but the pleather can be squeaky on boots. Beyond that I think everything else I've owned was either average or is now long sold out.

>>8025062
For noobs with no experience, I don't think so.
I think a Bodyline Guide would be useful.
Especially if they have any snowflake tendencies, they'll drool over the wa-Loli or go for the meido stuff, or a god-awful plaid country thing. We've all seen it.

>>8025067
Their blouses are all shit. Horrible materials. L076 at least has good lace but the fabric is a lot worse than the Taobao brands. But they have some really nice OPs and JSKs and a couple of nice skirts, as well as of course good shoes (the boot pleather is not that bad, my An*Tai*Na pair were much worse).

>>8025074
True. Happened to me.

>little sis is tagging along to convention with her friend
>says friend's friend wants to come and do a "lolita cosplay"
>oh dear no
>she's currently looking at eBay dresses
>tell sister to suggest Bodyline, she picks the most ita thing on the site
>ends up not coming to the con anyway for unrelated reasons

>>8025074
If their taste's that shit they'll ignore advice anyway.

Ignoring the prints for a moment (partly because I don't own any), I think L348 is one of their nicest items. Lace is good-quality enough that it's even okay in black and white. L380 and L325 are also very good. L088, L087, L328 and L328 aren't as good as L348 but still very good. They have some other items that are only really good in all-black or all-white, like L362. L378 and L489 are decent but the skirt part of the dress doesn't have quite enough material IMO. Then I flat-out wouldn't bother with L526, L466, L379, L356 and L377, some are borderline and could be coordinated to look better but overall the design just isn't worth the money.

>>8025074
Bodyline also have stuff that's cute in itself but just not lolita. Like l507 in sax is a cute skirt, but it's not gonna work for lolita, although it'd be nice in otome.

>>8024376

It's still just plastic and glitter at the end of the day, seriously.

>>8025087
Hmm, I bought L076 back in 2009 and I find the fabric to be on par with the cotton Dear Celine and Infanta blouses I bought later on, plus it's lasted remarkably well through a gazillion machine washes. Maybe I'm just old and they may well have changed the fabric they use.

>>8024507

Taobao/indie is cuter stuff for less than Bodyline. Any time I see brand *that* cheap it's ugly as fuck or not worth my time. This is why I have like 20 Bodyline and 3 brand pieces that cost twice as much as all of it put together...

>>8025122
Yes it is. But depending on how much lolifying you do, it can be seen as ita to wear much high street plastic stuff trying to ape burando. I think a lot of the plastic stuff gets a pass because it's made by a lolita brand. Also, often the cutesy plastic stuff that isn't brand is for kids. Another sore point.

>>8024330
>>8024347
That's the joke. They're joke names for what the skirts above look like with no proper petticoats under them, or if they're made poorly. Note the check marks next to the a-line and bell skirts, and the x-marks and frowny faces next to the non-petti skirts.

>>8025130
I agree. The blouses and many plain things are much better than the printed or knit things. I'm not a fan of their prints. But I have a couple of plain JSK that wear like iron through many washings and still look good. For everyday they are good.

>>8025160
Noobs need help, not cute jokes.

>>8025154
It's a little daunting for teens (and clueless moms) to use a SS, but I think they should as soon as they can, they will get better offbrand. I'd like to know how many hours per week the people who get the good brand deals spend combing the net for them. I think that's a factor. Yes, you can find good cheap pieces. But it takes a pretty big time commitment of searching to fill your wardrobe with them.

>>8024343
Seconding so hard. 3. is another one that can be flexed once they start getting better. Start with specifially lolita shoes until you get a feel for what looks good, THEN start hunting for nice normalfag shoes.

>>8024361
This isn't a very good general tip. Larger cup sizes and large band sizes (or both) won't find this useful.

Better to say 'a well-fitting bra that gives you a good shape'

>>8025118
I'm going to buy L438 and L501, didn't find a review on L438, other then seeing it in peoples luckypack unboxing videos and really liking it.
I've never owned a Bodyline dress before, only brand or Taobao.

>>8024604

I dunno what everyone is getting so salty about, but leg avenue petticoats are fine. I personally don't like puffing out so much that I knock over everything I get near, and I find one to be perfect under a lot of my light chiffon dresses from AP(which usually have a small built in petti). I do layer two if the fabric is heavier(a lot of my IW pieces), but for a lot of my casual wear, one is fine.

They're crazy cheap too, and last a decent while if you store them well. Victorian Girl Dress on EBay is good too, my one from there has actually just started to get flat, had it a little under a year.

I've started writing a Bodyline guide that just lists out and classifies every Bodyline main piece as bad, iffy, alright, good, and excellent. Any tips?

>>8025218
Good for chiffon dresses and casual wear because they have less poof. Need 2 for regular weight fabric skirts.
That's too highly situational to be recommending them for a good all-around noob starter petti, don't you think?

>>8025231
All Wa and all costume maid pieces go in the 'no' category.

>>8025242
Haha, I was actually thinking of making a "never" category for stuff like that. Any serious advice though? Like dresses that I should be aware are total shit? I noticed that most of the reviews are by itas that couldn't tell AP from Milanoo.

>>8025231
Go through and sort the 'absolute no' pieces first. That will make it much easier to rate what's left.
I'd say just do yes, no and 'depending on how you coord' categories.
Put a note in on size discrepancy and batshit sizing and to read reviews carefully first.
Make a post in EGL and other groups asking input.

>>8025270
I was serious. It will get asked. We need 'The Bodyline Blacklist', haha! Otherwise, see >>8025274

>>8025122

Stop that. It's one thing if you hate plastic jewellery in general. However, this is the noob advice thread, and you're basically encouraging noobs to buy the wrong thing just so you can rant at plastic jewellery. Either tell the noobs not to buy plastic jewellery, or take your rant about brand plastic jewellery to the feels thread, don't mix up the two seperate issues.

As for the actual advice. I walked down the cheap non-brand plastic route myself when I started out. It never works out. You'd think it does, because girls like you post pics like this with no real experience. In reality, those small, minor differences do make all the difference. Yes, they're both just cheap plastic jewellery, but the shape of bow in the upper photo is fatter and cuter. The rhinestones also make it look slightly more luxurious. Even the finishing of my brand plastic stuff is nicer than the non brand. The little details take it from "cheap plastic" to "~cute cheap plastic".

Plastic jewellery aside, tts very rare to find non lolita brands that make good sweet jewellery. The idea that grown women want to wear ice cream or teddy bears on their hands seems novel to them, so they tend to mess it up in many ways, such as going super duper cheap on anything plastic because it's plastic, or they'll add really bright colours to whatever they're making, or they'll make something that looks funky because lel ironic, or some other dumb reason.

I'm not saying noobs need to go brand for every release, but at least look at chocomint or some other lolita brands before heading to Claires for the cheapest rings, at least until they've gained a better eye for putting together coords.

>>8024902
Because what is fucking google?

>>8025421
Then why not say that? I'm all for noobs learning to research but you shouldn't actively feed them bad advice in a noob advice thread. Unless you are against new people coming into the fashion maybe?

>>8025179
Haha, I can imagine "Bra sizing general" on egl now...

>>8025154
Really? I've paid more for most of my taobao stuff than most of my second-hand brand stuff, but I seem to have a wardrobe entirely at odds with what most people really go crazy for so I suppose the things I want tend to be cheaper.

>>8025421
I hate advice like "google is your friend" or "just read some reviews".
Sure a noob can google and read reviews, thing is every ita out there can write reviews about how sugoi desu ne some shit is.
When going on cgl and asking a question people do so because they think can rely on people's opinions here.
Sure, sometimes it's laziness or not lurking enough, but this is a thread specifically for helping beginners.

>>8025354
Oh and also, the bottom pic is a hair clip, not a ring, so it's a shitty comparison, to say the least.

>>8024364
do you have a place you recommend to get lace bras?

>>8024384
multiple dresses and multiple shoes classic master race reporting for duty

I want to get into Lolita but I'm confused as to what would fit me. Small sizes still seem like things I'd float in.

>>8025609
I did this as a beginner too with both dresses and shoes (and sometimes still do when I find something I really like) but I can't say it's for everyone and certainly not the best noob advice I could give.

>>8025613
Take your measurements in cm, read the measurements. It's really the only way to know. Back shirring can often be pulled much tighter with the lacing.

What indie taobao shops do seagulls recommend? I'm looking for gothic and sailor.

>>8025122
No it isn't. Seriously.

>>8024604
You might as well tell them to wear a fedora too.

>>8024528
Braiding my wigs fucked them up, never again, I just fold them neat as I can and store them in the bag

>>8025448
you must be new here, they have sizing and bra threads pretty frequently.

> Don't reas lolita tips blog on tumblr
> Do read fyeah lolita and others in the Lolita Blog Carnival
> As others mention, get one full coord together, 2 if you can manage it, start wearing them and double check what you like. If it stays the same then start adding pieces that go with your current pieces.
>Older gals, it's never been a better time to start Lolita since classic is beginning to shine so if you are thinking on it, why not jump in in 2015.
> If on a tight budget, consider everything you'll need, not just the main piece cost.
> Be prepared for shipping and customs fees and budget for them.

>>8024946
I've been considering 565 myself

>>8024389
I have three pairs currently: brown boots i wear constantly, pink ones I wear almost as much and a pair of mint/white shoes I'm saving for a dress in the mail.

I need a pair of white and black each. The problem is finding ones appropriate for my wardrobe and in my size.
>Size 40 is a hard life to live.

>>8025655
The middle layer is tulle net, it will deflate faster than an all organza one or a chiffon. It won't pack well either, I'm thinking, it will crush.

>>8024715
Backward skirt-chan strikes again

Don't buy lolita dresses on Ebay.

>>8025354
Have to agree. Those cute plastic bracelets the brands and Chocomint sells are hard to impossible to find elsewhere if you're wanting something more than a simple bow bracelet.

>>8024386
could you post a picture of someone wearing a bralette that you think looks fine? I always wonder if my boobs look ok or weird

>>8025791
I agree mostly, but if a new lolita was really going sweet on the cheap I would probably suggest things like http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=39881179162 and http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=21059200060 and http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=43113425499 because it is hard to initially justify the cost of a $40 plastic necklace. I would suggest they build up outfits first and pick cheaper things to match unless they are getting a set. Having the milky chan bracelet in brown would be silly if they decide to be more classic later on?

>>8025421
This is a thread about tips for beginners, though?
Why the fuck would you come in here to say that shit and then try to cover your ass with "what is Google".
I don't know what the fuck were you expecting a thread about tips for beginners should be like.

You have the experience, no? You should be helping people instead of wasting your time saying asinine shit like "google it".

>>8025122
It's not so much about brand but more about taste, imo. You just have to look harder for pieces that, even though are plastic, don't look cheap.

I personally think brand jewelry is overpriced but whatever floats your boat.

>>8025640
On egl, not cgl....

>>8025910

The second link you posted is a knockoff, so essentially it's still (fake) lolita burando.

The third link has "Lolita" written on its banner, and going by its contents I would class it as a (indie) lolita brand, same as Chocomint, Fox Cherry, Ciciworks, Cirith Ninniach, Sweet Mildred, etc.

If a newbie had a dress already in mind and asked about the first link, I'd be fine with that. But I wouldn't go out and recommend this shop to them -- the shop has a lot of things that are fug, a lot of things that almost there but not-quite. It's a lot of wading through just to find one or two loliable items. You're really better off redirecting them to one of the cheaper lolita brands (taobao, closet child, chocomint).

I don't think any of us meant that newbies must always buy brand, but rather, don't put cheap mainstream jewellery on the same level as lolita brand jewellery (the comment thread goes back to someone who only said "AP plastic ring =/= Claire's plastic ring", most of the rebuttal was in response to someone who did equate Primark quality with BTSSB qualiy). They may look like cheap plastic, but only because you're not looking closely enough.

I guess a related piece of advice would be for sweet lolitas to take their accessories as seriously as the rest of their outfit. Don't just put on an AP sweet pastel dress and them dump a bunch of cheap random rings on your hand. Even if you have no other opion than to shop at a cheap mainstream store, at least try to put some thought into your jewellery -- pick the ones that look nice and not too cheap, and make some attempt to match the colour and theme of your jewellery to your outfit.

Keep an eye out for when Innocent World releases its LPs. Usually, people sell what they don't want for dirt cheap afterwards and it's a good way to get wardrobe fillers, especially if you can't afford the whole LP itself.

Also, to the budding Classic Lolita: you don't have to go to brand to buy blouses, tights and shoes, etc, but make sure what you have REALLY fits your coord. Choose brand or good Taobao for your main pieces, though, if you can't sew.

>>8025174
I should have specified that there needs to be a safe list of Taobao resellers. My-Lolita-Dress is apparently partnered with Infanta and I've just decided to go down that road (too much drama with SS in the past...) The only problem is so many of these sites appear to be Milanoo clones.

>>8025154
You're not looking at the right place. Western auctions are riddled with expensive shitty brand (I mean very basic, old, not so popular stuff at $100). I found a ton of cute skirts second hand for 50€ when it's around the price you'll pay for Bodyline stuff with shipping and taxes. Sure it's not new and it's not the most popular stuff but imo, in the long term you won't regret it unlike Bodyline (plus you can't resell it for much).

Plaid or plain skirts are sold for even less and at least it's nicely constructed.

>>8025054
There is one here:
http://petticoatpolice.tumblr.com/post/37483432809

>>8025640
Braiding your wigs fucked them up? How? Must have been a really shitty wig or something

>>8024389
I try to aim for different styles of shoe in different colors. I think if I'm going to go for having different colors of shoes, it just makes sense to also have different styles. I can't stand the thought of having more than one pair of the same shoe in different colors. I think with different colors and styles it just does a better job of actually adding variety.

>>8025640
How do you fuck up a wig just braiding it?
I mean I guess if you made a bunch of small braids, the wig got wavy, you straightened it, and it wasn't heat resistant...?

Only for long wigs (past the shoulders) and do one big loose braid.

>>8026000
My-Lolita-Dress has known ties to Milanoo you stupid shit. Plus just reek of scam on their own.

Why wouldn't you just go with a reputable reseller? Jfc.

You will be ita at first. It just happens. Find a lolita you envy. Become friends ASK HER FOR ADVICE AND LISTEN TO IT. Ask about new purchases, style of blouses, shoe colors, general coords. This made me less ita almost immediately.

Follow the rules until you have a handle on your style. Yes I like to be creative too, but it is not okay for your first year.

Learn to sew. I started out with making my own bows. Once I was good at that I started minor alterations. Now I've got a sewing machine to learn. I will never do a "homemade" dress, but adding lace, learning how to take in things, exchanging low cost ribbon with lush ribbons all add up to saving some money, being able to buy secondhand more easily and upgrading your coords.

Don't get into drama. Period.

If you don't have extra money, this is probably not the hobby for you. I get a new coord every month and it still has taken a full year to get a good closet. Understand that even if you cut costs, a complete coord (shoes, leg covering, petti, main piece, blouse, hair accessories, jewelry and possibly a wig) will take hundreds of dollars (and no I don't buy just brand at all.)
Of course this cost will get lower the more items you get.

Get a good petti (or petti's in most cases)

Try wearing daily if possible. It made me grow leaps and bounds in a short amount of time.

Learn a good answer for the question "why are you dressed like that?" If with friend or at meet I have found that saying "we are in a fashion group for a Japanese street fashion" to satisfy most questions.

Don't be scared of getting posted on cgl or BtB. Nobody seems to do it unless you're being mean. If you do get posted take it as concrit and not personally. Take advice and move on.

brand bags are completely worth it. Consider ClosetChild for secondhand purses.

I'm oldfag so I don't wear pastel/easter colored sweet. I stick to classic/sweet-classic. There is an age where sweet makes you look creepy, and that age is probably 28-30.

>>8026316
>you will be ita at first
not all of us anon, at worst some of us have just had a simple but nice coord. It's a matter of the person's taste, sense of style, and if they lurked or not.
particularly the last two
I'd also say you can get away with spending less than $200 for a first coord pretty easily if you're classic or goth at least and can pull off a "toned down" coord.
>jsk/op-$80-$100 shipped second hand brand(especially innocent world)
or
>taobao jsk/op-$60-$100 shipped
>med-light ebay petti-$8(I have one, it's held up surprisingly well, it's just the 25" one and was actually a bit too much for my skirts and one jsk)
good for classic and some gothic, again probably not sweet
>taobao blouse-$15-25
>accessories-$20
ex: beret $3, you can find suitable jewelry on ebay/etsy/thrift( again not really for sweet ) for about $10-$20
>non-brand (so taobao/ebay) tights $3-$8
>BL shoes-$30 shipped if you get it with the free shipping
it definitely doesn't cost hundreds of dollars if you don't need to buy new brand/a sought after piece/ott and do a little smart shopping


Personally I haven't really seen a brand bag yet in person that I thought justified the price tag, I'm sure there's some(like the VM and the brief style AP ones seem nice)

agreed on everything else, though again I think sweet lolita's can keep trucking if they're smart with the prints/non-prints, cut, and how they style themselves without going overboard(and mature) with the wigs and accessories.

>>8025169
It's extremely self explanatory what the diagram is trying to convey, even with the joke labels. If a newb can't understand it they're not going to go very far.

Does anyone know what this dress might be?

>>8026306
No, they were mistaken for Milanope initially because their website is a piece of shit and their offices are close together, but mld is a reseller in the same way qutieland is

>>8026558
In the wrong thread for that question

>>8025652
>others in the Lolita Blog Carnival
Half of them are shit too though, there's people in there (especially with older posts) who have absoulutely shit taste.

>>8026306
My-Lolita-Dress isn't a Milanoo front. You're probably getting it confused with lolitadressesshop, which is.

Sort of noob here. I've been lurking for upwards of four years, but only recently started buying because poor. I'm hoping to take my wardrobe in a gothic/ old school direction, and what I really need help with is blouses. I want a few elegant blouses and a few old school-y ones. But I have no idea how to choose them. Any tips or suggestions for choosing a good blouse? I'm fine with shopping second hand, or taobao. I just need to know what I'm looking for.

>>8026646
I've used a lot of resellers/shopping services before. Girls in my comm have used My-Lolita-Dress, so I said fuck it and made an order for a blouse and a pair of shoes. I got the stuff legit 10 days later, and it was fine.

My complaint is the website is shit. I never received notification from MLD that my stuff had shipped. I also got the text from DHL informing me my package would be there the next day...the day after I got my package.

tl;dr Clusterfuck website but I got my shit. I wouldn't trust them but if you're just buying some Infanta then shrug.

>>8026699
If you want old school, big peter pan collars and princess sleeves are awesome. Infanta has some nice ones right now, and BtSSB has some in their sale.

>>8026699
Material quality is all-important if you want to be comfortable. Unfortunately, you can't tell that from stock pictures.

>>8026306
>My-Lolita-Dress has known ties to Milanoo you stupid shit.
You're a complete idiot and you're rude.

>>8026372

Not the anon you responded to, but I wanted to point out that even $200 is still two *hundreds*. It's not pennies, it's not dollars, not tens of dollars. Maybe a hundred dollars is chump change you'd find in your sofa, to other people, they don't have that kind of cash just lying around.

Consider, too, this is the very bottom for a decent coord, and you already admitted it's only for goth or classic with a flat-ish petti. The prices only go up from here, everything else outside of what you suggested is going to be more expensive.

Besides, the other anon's point wasn't that you can't be a budget-loli, they said it's not a hobby for people who don't have spare money. If someone is barely making rent and living expenses every month, then lolita is not really a hobby to get into.


As for brand bags, it's the same with the dresses themselves. You pay a premium for the design and brandname, not just the quality of the bag. Keep in mind that a dress direct from brand is $250-$350 already, brand bags being priced at $100-150 is proportionate to that.

>>8026699

Don't buy random blouses. Look at the jsks or skirts that you've already bought/are going to buy, and then pick a blouse that matches that. Especially note the neckline of the blouse doesn't interfere with the jsk neckline. This is really the most important part, you really just need blouses that look good with your main pieces, otherwise how are you going to wear them?
If you're unsure whether the blouse matches the jsk, put together a collage and post it to the coord help thread and ask if it looks okay (you can post multiple jsks with one blouse and ask if it will go with all of them).

For necklines, Peter Pan collars with rounded edges look sweet and old school, the wider the collar the sweeter the look. Pointed collars are usually used for aristo as it looks harsher. High collars look elegant, but if you have a wide face it can make you look fat because your neck is hidden.

Look at pictures of the style you want to take your wardrobe in, and take note of what blouses the girls in your pics wearing. For old school, it's normally a black or white opaque cotton blouse for the old school look, with some decent cotton lace on it. For a newer goth look, a chiffon blouse would be the way to go.

Take your local weather and what kind of occassions you'll wear your lolita to into account as well -- short sleeves or breathable material for hot weather, long sleeves for cold. If you want to be a gothic princess at tea parties, you'll want blouses with big fancy sleeves.

That's about it. If you find that you don't like the blouse you bought, you just have to buy a different one. There's not really a way to guard against getting a blouse that looks different in real life than online, unfortunately.

>>8025047
there are two reasons why itas look like trash
1. they don't know anything about lolita
2. they also don't know anything about fashion in general

Yeah, I think it's worth it to know the basics of fashion before you get into a complicated alternative fashion like lolita

>>8027690
>complicated alternative fashion like lolita
lolita is not in the least complicated, you can buy a cookie cutter set from any brand and not be ita, and you can do this for every outfit. it has very very little to do with them not knowing anything about fashion in general, and more to do with them being generally total weebs.

weebs have this magic-like ability to distort reality into animu, so whenever they see something kawaii desuuu~ to them that is fugly to everyone else, it's already going to have passed through their distortion filter.

>>8027706
Different anon, but lolita is only simple if you only buy full sets. If you want to create even a remotely interesting coord, you need to know about color matching, warm and cool tones, etc. And that's the bare minimum.
People who don't know how to dress themselves outside of lolita can get by if they wear full sets or OPs, but the moment they try to be "unique", they end up looking ita because they actually have no clue what they're doing. I've seen this all the time.

>>8027786
>you need to know about color matching, warm and cool tones, etc
Nah. I mean yeah if you want to actually look good to non-lolitas that's required. But most lolitas just look at two colors from their printed dress and buy items with the same color and theme.

>>8027706
You also need to take really good care of skin and hair (or wig). You won't look good only because of the dress if you don't take care of the rest of the body (which most itas don't understand, and therefore they look like trash). Also you need a suitable petticoat, and lots of itas just buy cheap and bad ones. And you have to be very detailed, no mismatching colors. And there are so many pieces that have to look good together, like socks/tights, hair accessory, purse/bag, shoes, blouse...and EVERYTHING has to be perfect!

Lolita is actually quite complicated - as it should be.

>>8024507
Do you know any good Europe SS for auctions? I use FJ because its cheaper and i don't want to spend too much on fees with other SS.

>>8027690
And because they're poor and create threads like "what kind of things do you do to afford brand" while talking about shit like making foot fetish videos and asking how to find sugar daddies.

>>8027846
This made me laugh so hard. I saw about three of those threads and slammed my head on my desk. You can find jobs at thrift stores or fast food restaurants and save up money. You don't need to become a slut to get money.
No offense to the people who actually do this for a job though...

>>8026558
Innocent World rose lace OP, I believe. I don't have a record or lolibrary entry to back that up, though, as it's a bit old school.

hellolace/lolibrary aren't the definitive list of lolita for anything pre-2011/12ish. I saw some fucktard who said "this can't be Baby/AP because I can't find a lolibrary entry"

>>8027851
As someone who used to do fetish videos to pay my bills (and honestly, I liked it too, would like to do the same stuff again on my own time), no offense taken.

>>8026814
This is going to sound fucking stupid, but do you have an example of princess sleeves? The google results were inconclusive.
>>8026990
>>8027296
Oh my gosh, thank you so much! This was really helpful and I have a much better idea of what to look for now. I'd honestly never thought to look at my main pieces to decide on a blouse, that's great advice. Thank you again!

>>8028808
Princess sleeves are wide sleeves. Like the dress in this post >>8023557, or the attached image.

>>8025791
And if a lolita does her accessories by herself? I do most of my jewellry with polymer clay, inspired by more realistic sweets and Moon bunny replica stuff (i won't sell the replicas ofc, just keep it to myself).I can't do bangle bracelets and i have an hard time to find some good ones, i stick with pastel simple elastic bracelets. Taobao jewelery is good? I have heard horror stories about it like breaking or falling apart and i don't have too much money to afford brand accessories yet, i stick to brand only for main pieces. I saw also cute resin accessories on Storenvy like Sweet Spirits, maybe i should buy some here.

>>8026372
Sauce on 8$ petti? I cant find a modest poof petti because i dislike huge poof even on sweet. It's A line?
>mfw i'm in the minority about liking sweet with modest poof
Well i got second hand burando jsk/salo even for less than 100 $ included. Also, about sweet jewellery i saw some cute sweet lolita suitable stuff on etsy or storenvy like Cute can Kill but still i won't buy except fluffy/resin stuff because i do my jewellery.

>>8025613
If you are small, you'll want to look for dresses with corset lacing at the back so you can pull it in to make it fit you better.
Certain bodice shapes also may suit you better than others, think of what suits you or not in normal clothes.
Remember that measurements provided are generally the maximum.

>>8029640
itm / Vintage-Tea-Length-Swing-Skirt-Prom-Silps-Crinoline-Bridal-Petticoat-Underskirt- /141291065551?pt=US_Slips&var=&hash=item20e59a90cf

I had a $8 one up, but I'm too lazy to find it again. Same one, just $9 instead of $8

Any advice for taller lolitas? I'm 5'6" and hemlines are usually just barely past my knees/a quarter inch above. I kind of want to experiment with the silhouette of underskirts without it looking like my nana's weird lampshades.

>>8036821
Go for shorter underskirts (60cm range) if you don't want to be overwhelmed by ruffles and make sure that the circumference of the underskirt's hem is comparable to the circumference of the skirt's hem or it'll look funny.

Also I've found that underskirts work better with empire waists and more flowy cuts.

>>8036821
>5'6
>tall
you sure you're not just fat?

>>8036826
Thanks anon! I wasn't sure exactly what length until now. I've wanted an empire waist dress forever, I'll keep that in mind!

>>8036830
lmao no, i think it's just a combo of being swaybacked/having stupid long legs

>>8027817
That's easy mode. Good for beginners.

But if you want to get better and more-creative, you'd have to come up with color palettes and all that.

>>8037180

I don't think it's mandatory for lolitas to be creative; if they want to spend all of their lolita time wearing full sets and matching colors on easy mode, at least it's more pleasant to look at rather than watching lolitas force themselves to come up with eye-searing colour combinations in the name of creativity.


Having said that, though--

>>8027817

That doesn't work for most JetJ and most IW solid pieces.

JetJ dresses don't come in sets, and often have too many colours in their print that don't really matter (since they're painting dresses). You're always better off looking at what colours would complement the dress overall, rather than picking random colours from the print.

IW solid pieces don't always have trim on them, so there's not even two colours for you to choose. With those, you're better off working from your own colour palette, putting together things that are all different colours but "go" together. Even if you don't mind being a monotonous blob, some of the colours IW pieces come in are difficult to match properly.

>>8029640
where do people buy resin when not in bulk?

On top of all the tips already in this thread, are there any specific tips for guys getting into lolita fashion?

>>8041251
Don't.

>>8040971
Amazon

>>8041251
>Know your measurements
>Understand makeup and contouring (learn to balance the concept of "natural"/street makeup with techniques used for drag)
>Invest in wristcuffs
>Look into blouses made for men - Gothic brands and Aatp make them
>Know what wig and clothing color suits your skin tone (guys tend to be a shade darker than females); know what wig cut and style suits your face - the key is to soften your jawline

>>8041251
Have a thick skin. the internet is a hate machine.

>>8041251
>Long-sleeved blouses, wrist decorations, and gloves are your friends
>Invest in a good underbust corset
>Get acquainted with your measurements as well as how clothing sits on your body (here a JSK's waistline hits a woman is different from where it hits a man)
>Avoid clothing cuts that make your shoulders and torso seem wider
>Stay the fuck away from sweet

>>8041251
keriboy go back to tumblr

>>8025154
I got an embroidered innocent world JSK from 2008 for 5700 yen on y!A. I've never paid more than retail for any of my second hand brand stuff, some non-prints run for about 50 bucks or less. You're not shopping in the right places.

I have pretty thick long wavy brown hair which is nice enough when styled that I want to use with my first coord but that seems like a big nono. It would be nice if I could find clip on bangs or a bun cover but not sure hwo to get one that matches and doesn't look super fake. I live in SF Bay Area so I'm sure there's some asian wig places around because black lady places don't yield much for me.

>>8026015
>>8041924


Both of you are entirely overlooking that she already said she can find cheap stuff, she just doesn't like the cheap stuff she found. She called it "ugly or not worth my time".

Not everybody likes plain IW pieces from 2008 or tartan, even if it's well constructed.

>>8041966
Even so, you can find a ton of second hand prints for 120 or less, which is about the same as the pricier taobao brands.

>>8041944
It's not really a no-no, just go for it - Fanny Rosie has amazing hair which sounds similar to yours, have a look at the styles she does. Other simple ones are braids or looped pigtails (my go-to) and they don't need bangs at all.

>>8042050

Yes, but the blanket "i got an unpopular burando dress for under $50 because no one else wanted it look at me I got burando for cheap!" kind of statement is irritating, especially in this context where OP already said she's found the cheap stuff and didn't like them.

Plus, you have to admit, comparing

- secondhand not-so-popular brand at $120
- mid level taobao at $80
- Bodyline at $50-80

paints a much fairer picture than comparing:

- unpopular old burando that no one wants at $50
- expensive taobao that girls cry over at $100-200
- popular Bodyline prints at $80


Yes, cheap burando is easy to find, it's another story whether you want to buy it or not.

>>8042097
Sure, but for OPs bodyline combined to be the same value as her brand pieces, they're either going after highly sought-after prints, or just getting ripped off. You can get nice brand for little money, even if it's not the latest flavor of the month, which was why I responded in the first place.

If you want cheap new stuff, then taobao is probably the better option though.

>>8041734
Who?
>>8041677
> I want to wear sweet...

>>8042350

The cheapest Bodyline jsk is about $20, the highest around $80. Let's just say her dresses average around $60 since there's a lot dresses priced at $53 and $67, that's just $1,200 total for twenty dresses.

Split across three brand pieces, that's just $400 each. Looks to be about the right price to pay for, say, Crystal Dream Carnival navy secondhand, or if buying brand new, one of baby's long dresses, an AP collab or a moitie dress. Keep in mind that some of these dresses actually cost more on the secondhand market (eg Cat's Tea Party, Elizabeth Bride of Death, Fragrant Rose Memories), so while it's not cheap, it's also not super expensive.

That's the caveat with the "buy secondhand burando for cheap!", isn't it? You need to actually like the less popular stuff. And sometimes, you just don't. Sometimes you just happen to like the expensive stuff that goes for even more expensive secondhand.

I also wouldn't use the term "flavour of the month". I wish their popularity cycle was that short. The really sought after items tend to be popular for around 5 years or more, if you want such an item below retail, you're looking at a 5-year wait, and you'll be getting an item that has been through multiple owners, and lolita style itself would probably have changed.

I'll agree that taobao is better value than Bodyline. Generally the fabric is nicer and there's more attention to detail.

bodyline is wayyy cheaper than that, I got a (admitedly tacky) dress for ¥2999, plus free shipping. I only have two bodyline pieces, but both I got the other one, squirrel party jsk for ¥3999.
I wouldn't have ever bought bodyline if it was going to be $60-80.
Also why the fuck do people even buy from milanoo or other shifty online sites. It's even more expensive than bl. I'm remembering that sissy who was complaining about being excluded for wearing milanoo instead of bodyline kek

>>8024421
If I'm ordering from Taobao should I be giving my true measurements or should I be adding at least 2 cm?

>>8042356
Different anon, here.

Unless you've got the skin tone to pull off pastel vomit, go for jewel toned sweet lolita pieces.

>>8042404
>I also wouldn't use the term "flavour of the month".
Yeah, fair enough. There's always those pieces that just stay expensive. I see your point. A lot of my wishlist pieces are less popular, so it's certainly a lot easier for me.

fatty-chan here, looking for waist cinchers to wear under lolita. also looking for slightly above bodyline tier lolita for fatties, specifically nonprint classic. currently looking for secondhand indie like haenuli, infanta, leif, etc. thx gulls.

>>8042851
i've been told to give two extra but that might just be bodyline. are you ordering custom size and from which store?

>>8043009
What are your measurements?

>>8042404
I can't even find 20 bodyline dresses that don't have something slightly "off"about them though...that's what confuses me the most. Although I am more into gothic and classic, so it's probably related to style preference as well

>>8043055
bust: 101 cm
underbust: 85 cm
waist: ~92 cm with gut out, sucking it in i can comfortably go down to ~85 cm
hips: 122 cm (literal weeping)
and height is like, 165 cm or thereabouts. i'm working on losing the weight but it's slow goings

>>8043098
Okay as a fellow fatty here are some brands you can wear
>BTSSB
Fully shirred JSK
e.g http://lolibrary.org/apparel/shirring-princess-jsk

>Angelic Pretty
Fully back shirred JSK
e.g http://lolibrary.org/apparel/lucky-key-jsk

>Metamorphose
Fully shirred skirts
e.g http://lolibrary.org/apparel/rose-birdcage-medium-frill-skirt
Shirring Pinafore JSK design
e.g http://lolibrary.org/apparel/flower-print-shirring-pinafore-jsk

>Chantilly
Fully shirred skirts
e.g http://lolibrary.org/apparel/phantom-merry-go-round-skirt
Full waist shirred OP
e.g http://lolibrary.org/apparel/un-ch%C3%A2teau-secret-robe-op-2014

Each brand usually releases items in these style at least every few months (for AP more often), Meta does a fully shirred skirt or shirring pinafore JSK about every other release. I buy this all very cheaply from mbok as there are far more options and the prices are a lot better than the western market.
I also own items from Innocent World and Juliette et Justine but they don't regularly release plus size friendly items so I haven't put them on the list but keep your eyes peeled for promising looking items!

>>8043157
I forgot one!

>Triple Fortune
Fully shirred skirt
e.g http://lolibrary.org/apparel/triple-fortune-monotone-rose-skirt

>>8043157
>>8043168
holy crap thanks so much anon i didn't realize i could fit into brand!! and i actually love lucky key!! this is so sweet, thanks for the help!

>>8024361
Better to get a minimizer. Bralettes basically don't do anything for busty women.

>>8044021
No problem! I'm a fair bit bigger than you and all these dresses that I posted as examples are actually in my wardrobe
I think a lot of bigger girls assume they can't fit into brand when the reality is that it's pretty accommodating. Other than my blouses my entire wardrobe is brand or good indie brand e.g LIEF, Haenuli so it's 100% possible anon!

>>8043063
Nah, that's not surprising. There's only maybe 8 OP/JSK and a handful of skirts that aren't bad. Mostly plain stuff too.

>>8042404

That surprises me too. I guess she has her own reasons but I can't figure out what they are.