/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

>>9721255
I don't think they get angry quickly, they just point out that you're wrong and you're shit at research, which would be a fact

>>9721255
Read all of fyeahlolita and the lolita guidebook on tumblr, lurk in communities like this, talk to several lolita and consider wearing it yourself before you start. this is a very easily misunderstood community, and while the premise is quite cute it can go horrible quickly. as an aside, what will your publishers think about this? is it an idea even worth pursuing financially?

If you only know the fashion from a single novel and you believe stereotypes of communities, your book will be garbage. Just don't even try.

>>9721257
>the lolita guidebook on tumblr
don't do this, it was made by autists from cgl and normal lolitas are not like that. unless your character is autistic, then you should read the whole thing.

>>9721259
>the lolita guidebook on tumblr
don't read this, it was made by autists from cgl and normal lolitas are not like that. unless your character is autistic, then you should read the whole thing.

>>9721265
Chill, anon. There’s a lot of good suggestions on where to buy lolita, brand names, anatomy of outfits, etc.

Trust me, I’m not a fan of the crazy rule- mongering on here, but it isn’t a bad primer.

>>9721259
>Read all of fyeahlolita
Thank you. I never heard of fyeahlolita before so I will take a glance.

>lolita guidebook on tumblr
Not a good place for research. I refer to Tumblr as a dumpsterfire of expired organic food from 2013.

>talk to several lolita and consider wearing it yourself before you start
That is something I need to do. I don't want to be aggressive as the scouts who convince gullible attentionwhores to be on the Living Doll series on TLC. I spend my time in Massachusetts, but maybe I need to fly out to New York, LA, or Toronto to talk to older lolitas. I know the fashion attracts a number of underage folks and this is a romance novel for adults so I have to be careful whom I ask.

>>9721271
Nearly all good info is taken from other places but reworded

If you do actually do this, please make sure you establish that the fashion has nothing to do with the book of the same name. Lolita fashion isn’t sexual and wasn’t meant to be sexual. Get familiar with the fashion and research what is good and what is bad. Lurking here you will notice that lolitas can be pretty petty towards one another. Styles are different from one Lolita to the next. Some prefer certain themes by not one style and others prefer. Style more then a theme ( chocolate or space versus gothic or sweet for example), maybe try the fashion yourself. Make some friends with your local lolita community. Try out the fashion. Explore the things about the community and understand its base foundations. Research research research.

>>9721273
But it’s in one place? I’m not sure why you are so upset about mentioning a consolidated resource on lolita fashion basics.

If it will make y’all feel better, here are some blog that are still active and urls haven’t expired:
>Cupcake Kamisama
>It’s Vanilla Bear
>Rainedragon

Some basic youtubers might include Princess Peach and Lovey Lor.

Again, I’m listing resources that have gerally accurate and easy to understand info for this person to consume. Not necessarily saying they are ~the best lolita info around~

>>9721272
>Never heard of fyeahlolita
Oh boy, you’ve got a loooooot of research to do

>>9721276
I'm not upset, I'm sorry I have an opinion you disagree with lol

>>9721255
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA8m2qTZm2I

>>9721279
I’m sorry for misunderstanding your tone. What do you recommend? I love having good resources to offer people!

>>9721272
>I need to fly to where there are older lolitas
>I live in Massachusetts

The Boston and New England comm is full of lolitas over the age of 21. Connecticut has a convention that is essentially a Lolita convention called ruffle con. NYC has a official Lolita brand shop. You don’t have to leave to the east side of the country to find adults. And honestly, from my experience, the east coast Lolita communities are far more mature then the ones in the west cost and Toronto. Those communities have a lot of lolitas that are all about their own promotional agendas and not about helping any one but their YouTube or me me me blogs.

>>9721281
I recommend reading the original blogs and translations the info is taken from and looking at magazines

>>9721286
Okay, which blogs might these be? A lot of old blogs have expired and not all of them are archived on wayback.

Good suggestion for magazines! Anon may want to start with the Gothic Lolita Bible & Kera (both out of print but scans are easy to find).

>>9721274
The title of the novel won't have the word lolita in it.

>>9721277
I have the time. The novel will go through several drafts.

>>9721283
I'll stick with the Acela then and travel between New York and Boston.

While this is a nice idea, please make sure you establish the characterization beyond “I wear lolita and drink tea”. Give them some depth outside of the fashion.

>>9721291
FYI, the author of fyeahlolita is from connecticut. She seems sweet and is still active on Tumblr (yes, your dreaded hellsite...get used to it. there were limited social media options once live journal died)

>>9721304
Livejournal is not dead, there are a lot of active communities but lolitas moved to facebook because new lolitas didn't want to make a livejournal account

>>9721309
Livejournal is not what it used to be, and there’s no reason to pretend the lolitas up and left for no reason. Livejournal used to be a relevant site people used for a number or reasons. Now, it’s mostly a few secluded communities that never moved beyond it. Lolitas held on longer than most communities desu

>>9721318
I'm not saying they left for no reason? New lolitas didn't make livejournal accounts, they made facebook groups which the people from livejournal also joined. A lot of weeb-related communites are still there.

>>9721321
>a lot of web related communities are still there
I find this really interesting, as most people with varied weeb interests I know complain about missing LiveJournal. Which communities are still active? I’d love to join them if they are relevant to my interests

>>9721326
Jpop and games related stuff, and for some random unknown reason, the writer George RR Martin and ohnotheydidnt are still there

>>9721331
Cool, thanks! I’ll check those out.

>>9721255
Why not find two Lolitas who got married and interview them? Also educate your self on the fashion.

>>9721295
Yes, most of us are normal people who happen to like the fashion. So when making doing characterization, first start as if they're like any other characters in these types of novels. Then add their interest in lolita in at the end. That way, you don't make it the sole defining characteristic.

I also think talking to actual lolita couples would be good research.

>>9721309
Stop derailing with your refusal to accept that lj is dead and always sucked.

Back to OP: doing research and talking to actual lolitas will be your main point. I recommend not just talking to one comm; talking to several different comms, lonelitas, even conlitas - you need a wide pool of information and the best way is to talk to everyone you can in the community.

Like >>9721295 said, don't just make lolita the main selling point of the story - all of us have other facets of our personalities to us. We all have school, jobs, family/prior relationships, and other interests that could easily be shown through the story. Even Kamikaze Girls had a focus on something other than lolita, and enhanced it's characters with thoughts and emotions towards other things.

>>9721295
>>9721339
Lolita fashion will not be used as the main plot device, but the fashion is why they will meet in the first place.

Don't worry. They'll be playing video games, dealing with sexual harassment in their professional lives, and attend a performance of an all-women theatre troupe.

I got the impression that these people in your novel are lolita lifestylers? Or are they just ones who like to dress in the fashion on the side, how much is lolita involved in their lives ?

>>9721255
Read Proust

>>9721255
>lesbian lolitas
You have my interest anon, go on.
We do get angry when no research was made,but it's clear you're trying your best. I would recommand you lurk around here and check websites such as the lolita guidebook on tumblr or lolita tips,... that cover the basics.
I would also recommand reading lolita blogs like anon said in >>9721276.
Keep us updated,i'm actually interested

>>9721272

egl still has some good stuff: http://egl.livejournal.com/
On the left, check the Memories, it’s what someone at some point thought was really important to bookmark, and if you drill down to specific articles you’ll find little details like what should be handwashed/drycleaned, or discussion of harassment in lolita, repeat debates on “why lolita”, that you can add to your novel.

I think this thread is also tangentially related to your interest: >>9707069
You want to take note of the tone of the girls recommending articles, and see what they DON'T like being depicted in media. Or actually, add one of the silly ita characters in as comic relief so the main character can get mad at her or something.

The current lolita lifestyler thread isn’t very on-topic, if you can find the cgl archives and look up the older lifestyler threads you might get a better idea of how some lolitas’ interest spill over into other areas of their life, like how someone who likes pastel cutesy shit also makes their bedroom pastel and cutesy, or someone who is into classic lolita likes movies with historical-inspired costumes. People aren’t one-dimensional, but you may have difficulties if you end up having to reconcile a character who is a ruthless corporate climber who also displays vidya power levels similar to a hiki freeter, and then somehow also finds time to dress up like a sugar plum fairy dusty forest librarian strega witch magical girl.

>lolita guidebook on tumblr

cgl put most of these together in google docs and then someone threw it up on tumblr. If you limit yourself to just reading the guidebook and don’t read anything that isn’t part of the guidebook you’ll be getting most of cgl’s groupthink and not the blog owner’s.

>all-women theatre

This is based on the Takarazuka Theatre isn’t it. Don’t answer, I’m just going to pretend it is, thanks.

p/s - let us know when your novel is out, I’d be interested to read it.

>>9721350
Takarazukaaaaa

>>9721291
>"The title of the novel won't have the word lolita in it"

That's not what anon was getting at, though. One of the biggest issues in this hobby is the constant defense against associating this fashion with Nabokov's book and ddlg fetishism; it's just modernized clothing based on Rococo/Victorian garments. I don't know if you just sort of missed that from the previous post, but if you're willfully ignoring it because you want to sexualize it, (ie. make it an ~adult~ romance), please reconsider writing on this subject at all.