For my first post of the
challenge, I want to write about the five pieces that I think every lolita should have in their wardrobe, regardless of which substyle(s) they wear.
(For handiness sake, I'll be concentrating on general examples for the 'big three' main substyles, Gothic, Sweet and Classic).
I don't believe that you can have a 'complete wardrobe' really when it comes to Lolita Fashion, there will always be something that we will want to add to our collection- be it a staple like a versatile pair of shoes in a base colour- or even a simple hair accessory or a cardigan in a complementary colour to gives us yet more options when planning our outfits. Not to mention new releases!
However, there are always a few 'basic' items that are useful to have, no matter which fashion you follow- this is something that definitely is helpful in Lolita Fashion.
Having these items on hand can help you put together several different outfits- these are especially useful if you are a regular wearer of the style and may not have time to meticulously plan each and every coordinate you wear.
So what items do I think are important for every lolita's wardrobe?
1. A simple non-print jsk in a plain base colour.
Prints are wonderful! And Lolita Fashion is stuffed to the brim with them!
However, I think a basic non-print jsk in a base colour is a very useful item to have in any wardrobe (in fact, I'd actually recommend having more than one if you can- especially if you have more than one main colour in your wardrobe).
They are also very useful to lolitas beginning in the fashion as they can make it easy to learn to coordinate your pieces.
A non-print jsk is very versatile! They can be dressed up with a fancy blouse, tights/OTKs and outerwear- or they can be worn as is with a simple cardigan and some jewelry for a more casual look.
A non-print dress can also be matched with a variety of themes, accent colours and accessory combinations generally without worrying about clashing items with a specific print.
For the Gothic Lolita's wardrobe, I would recommend a simple black jsk such as these:
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Alice and the Pirates
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Baby the Stars Shine Bright
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| Baby the Stars Shine Bright |
For a Sweet Lolita wardrobe, I would recommend a pink or blue jsk such as any of the following:
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| Baby the Stars Shine Bright |
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| Baby the Stars Shine Bright |
For the Classic Lolita's wardrobe, I would recommend a jsk in perhaps Wine, Brown or Cream/Offwhite such as:
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| SurfaceSpell |
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| Innocent World |
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| Innocent World |
Naturally, different lolitas will have different choices when it comes to colours, but these are generally popular colours in the different substyles.
2. Comfortable shoes!
Lolita Fashion is full of gorgeous shoes! From teaparties to platforms and oxfords to rocking-horse shoes.
Everyone has their own favourite style.
However, I think that it is very important to have a pair in your wardrobe that will match everything if possible and most importantly- be comfortable!
I'm a university student, so I need a pair of shoes that I can stand and walk in daily without killing my feet.
Personally, I favour a pair of black teaparty-style shoes with a medium block heel for everyday wear and I prefer to stay away from very high heels.
I would honestly suggest a lower-heeled or flat shoe for daily-wear because they will be easier on the feet for most people.
Here are two examples of my own go-to favourites:
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| Bodyline Shoes251 |
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| Bodyline Shoes300 |
3. A basic hair accessory in a base colour
I love bonnets and seeing intricate and fun hair accessories in Lolita, and I feel that no outfit is really complete without some sort of hair accessory.
You cannot go wrong with having a simple Alice bow, flower clip or headdress in your base colours to finish an outfit- especially daily and when you might be in too much of a hurry to try different pieces on before going out the door.
Items such as the following are great and simple examples for any lolita's wardrobe:
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| Innocent World |
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| Innocent World |
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| Baby the Stars Shine Bright |
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| Mary Magdalene |
4. A bag that matches everything
Most lolitas will carry more than just their wallet with them, so a decent sized bag that can hold your money, phone, make-up, etc. is a must for any lolita.
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| Loris |
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| Loris |
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| Loris |
5. A fancy bolero/cardigan
I think every lolita should have some sort of fancier bolero or cardigan in their wardrobe.Plain cardigans and boleros are very helpful to have for general wear (and I have many!) but having at least one fancier one will help you bring an outfit up a notch and make your coordinates a bit more elegant.
My favourite examples are the famous Innocent World Millefeuille boleros (see the first image below).
Features such as ruffled lace, textured fabric (such as lace, velvet or chiffon) or even a detailed knit are what you want to look for, for this item.
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| Innocent World |
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| Bodyline |
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| Mary Magdalene |
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| Infanta |
So that's my five pieces that I think every lolita wardrobe should have in order to really help flesh out and keep their outfits versatile. These are all items that can be found in the brand, off-brand and handmade categories (I really recommend shopping around and seeing if you can pick up good deals and interesting items!).
I hope you all enjoyed this post and maybe found it helpful! ^_^
- Clockwork Cailín.
