J-fashion for poor people

>>8735903
How poor are we talking?

>>8735903
I hope you're not looking for things like your OP image.

save up like the rest of us poorfags

Going to hijack the thread and say post your best poorfag coords, lolita or otherwise. I remember there was an old Lolita Blog Carnival thing on lolita for under $100 dollars or something. Wish we could do something along those lines.

Poorfag lolita here. Ill share some of my tips.

>Look at the good Bodyline coords. Save up. Im a poorfag but I save up and get 2-3 burando main pieces a year.

>plan coordinate color schemes and items ahead of time. Post here for coord critique before u buy. It really helps to look hour best and make sure your spend your money wisely.

>If you are starting our limit your closet to like 3 colors for maximum good coordination. Choosing only a single style also helps.

>Obviously Taobao for all accessories, shoes and blouses. AliExpresss for some nice blouses and accessories.

>IMO the key thing for jfash while poor is taste and a good eye for things to avoid looking like the girls in the OP. Honestly I used to be an ita and learned from it by browsing the ita, nitpick and coord help threads.

>lots of patience. Save up and REALLY think about which items you really want to get when u have that check and what you can pass up on.

>handmade accessories to match colors and themes of coords (only if you are actually good at it)

>>8735962
This is great advice, and not just for people with minimal disposable income.

>>8735903
No. Stop being a poorfag and work harder.

Okay get this
For lolita:
>sew everything, use only solids
>buy secondhand when you cant sew it, lurk for deals
>lurk sales to learn the prices and make the most of them (aka buy low sell high)
$30 coords and you improve at sewing very quickly.

For neo gyaru/other jfash:
>thrift/secondhand
>DON'T DO F21/H&M SHIT it's overpriced for the bad quality
>just never buy retail
>express your creativity and poorfaggory through more sewing

Don't dress in all pastels when you really want to be goth just because it's cheaper. Find a style you like then make it work with your budget.
Also observe /cgl/, tumblr, pinterest, etc. to learn "the look" and how to coordinate a decent outfit so it's not evident that you're cheap af

>>8735962
Solid advice here anon.

>>8735982
Advice anon here. How is this not advice for people with minimal disposable income? This is literally everythig I learned being a poorfag myself.

What is your budget per month? Which j fashion are you interested in? Are you in high school? I'm not trying to be patronizing, I just want to understand your situation better to give advice. I was into lolita in HS but was too poor to actually get anything decent so it took me many years until I could actually get and wear what I want. Patience to wait for a better situation or job, saving up is really the key.

>>8736001
not that anon but I think you misread their comment

>>8736006
Lol I totally did. So embarrassed now. My bad.

Everything including thrift stores, I guess. Fairy Kei could be said to be the easiest.

>>8736013
I think gyaru is the easiest. If you can style your hair and do the makeup right almost anything can be gyaru

Save your money!
Do you smoke? Quit!
Do you go to starfucks/any other place like it? Quit!
Do you meet friends and spend money while meeting them? Quit!
Buying sweets? Chips? Any other unhealthy shit? Quit!

That'll already save a lot of money.
Then join the sec hand groups on fb for gyaru/kawaii/lolita or whatever fashion. I'd say OP should have to tell the style they're going for otherwise we can't give better advice than save your money.

If you ever get the opportunity to go to a swap meet, do it! People will really mark their stuff down if means they don't have to sell it online. I got a nice comfy, basic Innocent World JSK for $50cad and an Angelic Pretty cutsew for $30cad at one of them.

I'd reccomend focusing less on achieving whatever specific jfash look u want and instead build your wardrobe using jfash as inspiration. You can look cute without being jfash, and it might be the cheaper solution depending on how poor u are
>>source: myself, I was getting inspo from jfash for years before I was even aware there were so many styles. 60% of my wardrobe is from thrift stores and still I get complimented on my fashion sense often

>>8736413
Seconding this. Also try to avoid impulse purchases on things you don't really need/want - I usually keep photos on my phone of the lolita dresses I want as inspiration to avoid just buying whatever catches my eye that day.

Also alcohol is another money waster. If you tend to buy that, stop or limit it.

>>8735903
Milanoo

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>>8736922

>>8736413
This this this this many times. I admit i'm a loner that rarely meet friends (they live outside my town and no alt people here). Hopefully other than spending for jfash i don't indulge in smoking, alchool, drugs,i try to not eat too much junk food (sometimes but not outside just a unexpensive treat like chocolate not MC once a week), your wallet will be happy and also your health. Also, avoid to indulge in too much hobbies or quit them (cosplay, bjd dolls, action figures, games, etc) if you are very poorfag to spend only to jfashion. Infact i can't afford any hobby other than buying lolita/otome until i have a good daily wardrobe.
A little tip.... sell stuff you don't use!Clothing, games, toys, cute plushies, shoes, books, etc. I got extra money just selling my mallgoth shit online.
Create a wishlist of necessary items. For a lolita outfit you need a jsk (start with a plain one not a super detailed print, it's easier), a blouse, socks/tights you can get for 2-3 $, shoes, a cute but simple bag to coord with most future coordinates to save money, some hair accessories (many cheaper ones like alice bows and one more fancy like a headdress with roses for example).
Also, Aliexpress could be your budgeting friend but be aware of the lolita stuff they sell, some is just ita crap. A small tip again: if you type "mori blouse" on aliexpress you can find nice and inexpensive peterpan collar blouses in cotton with lace.

Something to consider is whether you're interested in special occasion attire or if you want to adopt the look for everyday.

If you're not wearing the style very often, it's best to save up and get 1-2 really "wow" pieces, so you feel great when you do dress up.

If you're going for an everyday look, you'll want to concentrate on finding mix-and-match items in a small range of complimentary colors so you can build as many different outfits as possible.

Even if you don't want to invest in a sewing machine, learn to hand-sew (or find out if there's a sewing machine rental place in your town) so you can make little accessories for adding more variety to your wardrobe. Google "DIY screen printing" for cheap techniques to add fun designs to basic t-shirts suitable to your style.

I think mori and dolly kei are the easiest j-fashions to do on the cheap for Europeans, although fairy kei is also pretty cheap if you know how to sew / make stuff. Classic lolita is also do-able if you don't mind a vintage-lolita look (think Fanny Rosie) and can dedicate time to thrift store shopping.

>>8736413
>Buying sweets? Chips? Any other unhealthy shit? Quit!
Shit, I just got a bunch of unhealthy snacks because I felt like it and now I'm just feeling guilty. Never really thought about this like that.
I think I'm going to try putting the money I'd spend on snacks in a piggy bank each time I refrain from buying them from now on..

>>8735903
B O D Y L I N E
O
D
Y
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E

Fairykei and morikei are insanely affordable. H&M fall season will get you $5 sweaters, you can find cheap colored tights for $3 at Target or $6 on sockdreams, scarves and layered outfits can be thrifts with ease. I know a girl who put together a really cute outfit from a thrift store that cost $8 max, a mint skirt and a pink and mint designed sweater, knee-socks from Target clearance. You have to basically shop during sales periods and go places for cheap.

I get all my normie clothes and stuff besides main pieces on the cheap, usualy thrifted, so I can have a couple special dresses. If I'm going to spend money on brand I might as well get something really nice and offset the cost with a $10 blouse and solid tights. I don't drink, I don't go on nights out, I stay past midnight at work so I can get a ride home with my ma who works nights. I don't eat all day and have a sandwich or something around 10pm or whenever I get home, my phone bill is $15 a month. I don't have living expenses but it is a bit difficult living on $300 a month when travel eats up half of that or more

>>8737331
You don't eat all day? I'm not the one to tell you how to live your life, but doesn't your health ressents it?

>>8737331
Wow. That just went from lolita budgeting territory to your priorities are way messed up territory. You don't eat?? You sound like you still live at home, don't have your own transportation and have no life outside of this. I mean it's nice to have brand but not at the cost of an actual healthy life and self sufficiency...

I'd rather wear Taobao or have much fewer brand dresses and actually eat (not eat excessively or buy takeout), not have to depend on my mom and spend a night out with my boyfriend or friends once in a while (which doesn't mean drinking or overspending).

>>8735994
desu sewing ends up being as costly as buying second hand brand /:

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>>8735903
Ebay has some really good stuff for cheap, look for bids. I've gotten super cute jewellery and accessories for less than 10p shipped. Clothes are more hit and miss, but still worth checking out.
Learn to modify clothes. Go to any charity shops in the area and buy stuff. Doesn't matter if it's too big, just make sure it's the right colour scheme/pattern for what you're putting together, don't get anything made from shitty fabric, and make sure it's not stained. Darts are easy to sew by hand. You can turn a frumpy grandma dress into a decent classic lolita skirt, make normalfag tshirts into kawaii screenprinted shit, and make clothes you already own fit your look better. pjhime @ blogspot has a tutorial for turning ugly clothes into cute ones.
Good lace goes a long way. Crochet cotton lace can be bought for cheap and makes a good addition to plain pieces, as long as you don't go full retard and hotglue it all over your clothes. Cute buttons can replace ugly ones on stuff you already have (again, make sure it matches). Make basic accessories, like collars, and use them to dress up your clothes. It's not hard to go online and print out a pattern that you can use over and over again.
Also, learn to do your hair and makeup. Cheap makeup is fine (apply eyeshadow wet to make the colour stronger) and just keeping hair clean and fluffy will make your whole look come together. Wigs aren't necessary.
For shoes, stick to things like boots and cute wedges that match everything in your wardrobe. If you want, make simple accessories for your shoes to dress them up, like pic related's. Again, it'll help pull everything together.
If you think you look stupid, tone it down. Loose chiffon tops with shorts and wedges, printed dresses with plain stockings/tights and boots, and very simple larme-inspired makeup are the best starting point imo. It's cute but hard to screw up.
Look at ita and coord threads for inspo. Stick to one printed piece in the outfit at first.
Good luck.

>>8735903
Fashion is for the privileged

For the dumb elitist scumbags fashion is not for the privileged! You can do amazing things as long as you know where to look and how to coord.
Most of my mori warbrode is from either fleamarkets or thriftshops.
Most of my lolita blouses are also usually thrifted or from fleamarkets.
Always hunt for deals and stuff that might work on lolita sales groups,mori sales groups etc. Look out for brandsales etc.
Learn how to sew, fabrics arent usually that cheap at least not high quality, but can be thrifted if lucky or find fabrics which you find affordable.
Engage in a community and look out for community sales and swap meets you never know what you might find, also you will not have to pay for shipping!
Bodyline is great for shoes(lolita) and basics(not pettiecoats thought). But their deocrative panniers would work great for fairy kei!

Lastly, if you can save, save what you can or do a paymentplan(only if you have a stable income and can provide payment in time).
Being poor is not easy, expecially when you might not know where your next income will come from.

Hope this helps, kind regards student lolita.

It's probably already been suggestion, but browse the aliexpress threads!
I can spend hours of AE buying jfash things honestly. As long as you have patience for long shipping & are wary of shady sellers (by using common sense) you could probably build up a great wardrobe.

Also, find ways to make money as well! Do you have a talent that caters to community? Do you sew, draw, craft? Set up an easy shop and see what you can do.

I recommend not buying lace locally, unless you've got really nice fabric stores in your town. You can get brand-quality lace on etsy for the same price that I would pay for bodyline-quality lace locally.

Also here's some thrifting tips:
-Always look at the sweaters, they tend to have a higher concentration of nice things
-You might as well skip the tank tops and t-shirts unless you're doing fairy kei
-Unless you're specifically looking for denim for a project, you can usually glance down the jeans isle to see if anything stands out
-Oxfords are like the number one easiest shoe to find for cutesy styles
-Keep an eye out for trendy fabrics like chiffon and angora
-Thrift stores are one of the best places to get velvet for cheap
-Many small people recommend checking out the children's section

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>>8740986

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>>8735903
I can't work at all because illness and i have to wait one more year before i can ACTUALLY work. Studying in the mean time, not even allowed to have a fucking side job because "too ill" it annoys me so fucking much to even have to LIVE on my parent's acocunt and the government money for my meds and shit. Fuck everything. I can't afford shit and it's so fruistrating, i'm 20, i see all my goddamn friends going to Japan and buying stuff and i'm there, can't buy or barely buy some shit, can't go fucking anywhere,...

>>8740357
10p?? How can they afford to sell it?

>>8741143
Have you ever tried doing anything online in your spare time? It's not much but doing sites like swagbucks or mturk could get you some extra money. It's way less than minimum wage but better than nothing if you have free time. You can get gift cards to places like Amazon or PayPal cash.

>>8741554
Oh thank you anon i will try it out. Even small things can help, thanks a lot.
But i'm still going to try babysitting (even though you get called every blue moon for babysitting some brats that climbs all over you for 6$ an hour and sometimes don't even speak french where i live), i have to figure out a job that doesn't need "student status" or has to declare stuff for taxes and shit. (i study by myself,school made things worse and i was bullied heavily by some arseholes. so no student statut for me. And if i work then i don't get any help from the government for my meds and stuff anymore since they consider me "not sick enough"...and i have a huge risk of falling back to a worse state so i can't afford doing this and putting my parents in deep shit at the same time) Thanks Belgium.

>>8740357
Ebay is fantastic, personally I avoid the cheap taobao/aliexpress stuff but have been able to get some regular western brand items for very low prices. Not really j-fash related but for general clothing it's becoming my go-to. It's easy to use follow/save search function for finding items from brands you want to buy from.

>>8737262
Honestly, at this point it's better to buy secondhand brand or indie unless BL is having a sale or it's not a main piece. The prices BL has on dresses are crazy for the quality.

>>8740986
I want to believe this is bait but this post is so long....

So I'm gonna say, lolita is a luxury fashion. It's a privilege, not a right. This isn't an "elitist" statement, it's just a fact. There are things you can do to make it not /as/ expensive, but you still need to invest a good amount of money into it to look good.

>>8741591
I've seen people pour plenty of money into lolita and still look shit

>>8741773
A disheveled full brand coordinate with mix-matching themes and colors will look sloppy.

If you wear a basic old thrifted blouse, plain tights, a cheap obviously Bodyline dress, and skimp on accessories you look cheap. Even if you put time into the overall presentation, making sure your hair/wig looks nice, makeup looks nice (that's another investment in itself), and your items are ironed/steamed and photography is nice, it's still going to look cheap. Like polished plastic beads as opposed to pearls.

That doesn't mean nice things can't be obtained on a budget, but you're going to want to invest money to look anything but cheap. This is why a lot of people who have less disposable income forever stay in the Beginner zone at best.

People that pour tons of money into the fashion but don't learn how to coordinate have a poor eye, but not a poor wallet. Or maybe they do, and they just spend every penny on lolita. Who knows.

>>8741799
I'd rather have an eye for fashion, (which I do) and be a poorfag (which I'm not currently) than the opposite. Mostly because I know I wouldn't be a poorfag for long and pretty soon I would be able to financially provide any item to make really good coords. On the other hand, you can have a shit ton of money and just not know how to coordinate at all fashionwise or just be completely uninspiring or boring. But hey maybe such a well-off fashion failure can hire a stylist or some other poor bastard to dress them.

>>8741799
(Different anon here)

You're kind of making the assumption that everybody wants to be an ott CoF queen. Thinking over my wardrobe I could probably put together a week of middle ground coords totaling under $100 each without rewearing main pieces.

Not to mention all of the styles that aren't lolita that I could do for less than what most broke people spend on clothes.

>>8737010
Where did you sell your stuff online?
I've heard bad things about eBay and craigslist sort of scares me

>>8738306
>>8738124
Not the other anon but I sometimes refrain from eating during my 8-9 hour shifts because it curbs my appetite. I have an iud so I try my damndest to not eat a lot as to not gain weight because it's easy for me to gain weight with the iud I have.

And no, I can't get rid of the iud. It keeps me from having extremely painful periods that last for days. Also I don't want children ever, and I don't like what happens when you get the surgery for it.

>>8741799
I think body shape and attractiveness counts for a lot. I've seen ladies look divine online in bodyline -mysubarashiilolidays? gets it perfect. I think if you are a good height with a small bust you can do bodyline well. Most people don't notice the difference outside of lolita anyway.

I'm short, petite and busty so I look like I'm in an ill fitting too long costume in bodyline btw. definitely not a bodyline chan. But I don't think it necessarily translates to cheap.

Am in a dual income household now and can afford whatever, but was poorfag and saved for twice a year auction hauls for a long time, fleshed out with taobao blouses and normie leather shoes/boots/bags (hate plastic lolita shoes and moulting pleather bags-ap I am looking at you!) and that was after admiring it from afar for years thinking it wasn't accessible to me. If it's something you are into for the long haul you can save and be patient.

>>8741773
>>8741825
>>8741799
To clarify, I wasn't saying "you need to buy brand to look good" I was essentially saying that the average price of a lolita coord will probably cost you more than the average forever21 clearance rack ensemble or whatever. If you can't even afford bodyline then it's not gonna work

-Honestly, never buy retail. I have multiple hobbies that can get pretty pricey (lolita, photography, comic books), and this is the only way I've been able to make it work.

-Know where to invest. I like to invest into shoes (buying three pairs of cheap shoes isn't better than buying one really nice pair), nice socks, and accessories, but I go a bit cheaper for blouses and simple cardigans.

-buy damaged pieces. This works especially well if you're crafty, but I usually jump at main pieces with minor damage that are often heavily discounted. It doesn't bother me while wearing it, and you usually can't see it until you look closely.

- Don't impulse buy. Personally, I'm horrible at this, but before you buy anything, REALLY consider it. Is it a wardrobe staple that you're lacking? Is it a dream item? Is it versatile and will you wear it?

- Dress for your body type. If your clothes look great on your body, you immediately look more polished.

>>8742867
Fucking this
I impulse bought a lavender bag and don't even need it

>>8742434
You could try storenvy and link it on your social media accounts. If you have a smartphone (or bluestacks) Then you could try depop for selling used clothes. I've had pretty good luck with it. If you have more expensive stuff you can consign it at your local shop. But selling online is definitely better for less expensive brands.

>>8740986
Normally I wouldn't respond to bait but this is A+, pasta worthy material

Skimmed the thread and didn't see this so I'll post it, sorry if it's been said.

I'm on a pretty slim budget and what works best for me isn't just buying what I need/really love, but only buying a certain coord ahead of myself. So I'll have 3 coords in mind at a time, and will only buy an item if it suits one of those coords. It will keep you from buying things that are potentially really useful but you don't actually have an immediate use for.

Research research research.
Make sure you develop a really good eye for the fashion. Shapes, silhouettes. What looks good and what doesn't. Play with polyvore or something similar to put together imaginary coords you can't actually afford. Read coord help threads, nitpick threads.
Once you've done this, then you should be able to spot deals and know whether they fit the look or look terrible and cheap.

>>8743826
Adding to that, try to put coords together that have cohesive colors with each other. You might be able to turn those 3 coords into even more coords if your color scheme is consistent enough to mix and match items.

I've been super frugal all my life. I thrift so much that I turned it into a side job by reselling women's clothing on ebay. It's a really amazing and rewarding money maker. I also go to yard sales and estate sales, which is super fun and I make money doing it! I also tutor and teach after-school children's theater.
When it comes to lolita, I'm super picky and barely have any dream dresses and I am rarely excited by any new releases. But when I do buy something it's a big deal. I buy like four to six pieces per year. All of my blouses are offbrand. I search ebay, thrift stores, etc for ones that are comfortable and match my wardrobe. I often find brand blouses too gaudy for my style. All of my accesories are offbrand aside from a BTSSB purse. I pride myself in being as resourceful as possible and treating myself with lolita after I've worked really hard. My wardrobe is all classic so it is all pretty cohesive. I have a lot of non-prints so it's fairly easy to coord. Anyway, I'm cheap as hell but at this point I am very proud of my classic wardrobe.

>>8743859
I think I know who you are and I just want you to know I love you and I think you're great

>>8741518
Auctions. They price stuff super super low and wait for someone to bid. Sometimes it sells for about the same price as the BIN, sometimes not, but I think they use them more as a way of drawing attention to themselves. If someone sees a cute necklace, or loses a bid on one, they're more likely to check out the other items on offer and buy something at full price. Plus, if you take the exchange rates into account, they're not losing all that much money- sales from full price items would cover any losses, and they probably get them all in bulk for dirt cheap.
Not trying to justify the low prices, but I can't think of any other reason for them to price stuff so low. I've seen clothes end up going for more than full price because of bidding wars, so it's probably the same for accessories.

One thing worth mentioning, if you are on a really tight budget, be sure to budget enough for meets, and drink and tip, no water and skip the tip, it just means all your hard work to look nice just went to waste. Some may disagree but if you are in a comm, and you attend meets with other lolitas, please be sure you budget for these things correctly, please.

>>8748222
THIS.

I don't care if you are in some 8th hand stained bodyline and a walmart workshirt with white tights and flats. But if you don't leave a proper tip, I'm done with you.

>>8748222
Why even dress if you can't afford to go out?

>>8748245
>>8748320
unfortunately, people do that. ugh. I do expect people to dress decently AND tip...at minimum clean bodyline and a proper blouse and shoes, headbow at least, etc. Otherwise, you are just not really ready for a meetup in public yet. And though this forum is 18+ YES, that goes for the younger members of a comm too. If you are old enough to come out to social functions, then you are old enough to follow proper etiquette for them.

>>8748320
Some people are too young to realise that yes, food costs money, and are left sipping awkwardly on water as everyone else has tea. They're mostly tweens whose parents escort them to and from the meet, though, and generally learn pretty fast.
And then there are the genuine idiots, whose lack of common sense shines through in every possible manner. They're the ones who wear replicas and defend them loudly without anybody mentioning replicas in the first place, who wear Hot Topic tees with striped socks and a Bodyline skirt, and who demand that someone buy them a meal, because they're 'diabetic' and will faint. They don't learn, ever.
People who can't afford to go out but aren't idiots will either not attend meets which cost money or will save up until they can afford them. It's the people who buy secondhand £70 Bodyline skirts because lel fuc brandwhores that you have to watch out for, because they also 'forget' to pay for meets and are giant prolapsed anuses in general.

>>8748245
Service worker here, I work for tips and I gotta say, minimum tipping is fine.

>>8735903
Is that skirt on the girl on the left the infamous skirt some noob trash bought at a con booth for like $200 that could be bought on Taobao for a fraction of that?

>>8750629
No, though it does have a similar design.
>Rakuten, not taobao btw

>>8750629
That skirt is pink/sax and the print is super faded from what I remember.
However, OP girls look like literal clowns, and skirt anon made a clown of herself, so I can see where you're coming from.

>>8741773

You have it backwards, mate, she isn't saying spending money will make you look good in lolita. She's saying if you want to look good in lolita you'll need to spend some money. Not necessarily a fortune, but you cannot lolita with a budget of zero dollars.

>>8742434
I sell my items on facebook selling groups, there are several for lolita, some for fairy kei, many for goth/punk/alt general. Also Lacemarket if the item is lolita or taobao loliable. On fb groups you can provide an external feedback to be a reliable seller.
>>8742867
I avoid to buy damaged items or wrinkled, because i fear the item would be too worn out to look good...mmm...I always bought burando in mint condition for less than 10000 yen.
About dressing for your body type, there should be more guides for this. I see too many lolitas wearing ill fitting items and they aren't all fat.
I did impulse buying and i sold all the items i didn't need or they weren't in my wishlist. Creating wishlists is the best to avoid these buyings.

>>8753208
I think that people don't understand dressing for your body type in lolita because it's got such a specific silhouette. It's a shame, because AP's high-waisted dresses and IW's A-lines are suited to very different body types, and some people just assume that adding a petti will make it all look the same.