Hey gulls, I thought it would be nice to have a thread where we could just share the little things we like about lolita, including good memories and all that,...
Pic related is the first (sweet) lolita image I've ever seen
Contribooting
>getting a new dress and spending a long time looking at all the details
I love watching girls dresses with petticoats flounce around as they walk. If I'm by myself I'll look in window reflections just to see the dress boop around
>>9335834
When I got my first lolita dress (just from bodyline) I was fawning over how much I loved it, then I got an infanta dress and loved (it's still my favourite piece i own so far) it even more than my bodyline dress, and now I have my first bit of brand on the way, and if it's just a cutsew, i'm so excited. I also remember happily ironing my tangled jsk and feeling just taht little bit more like a lolita
I'm a chronic daydreamer and wearing lolita has helped me cope a lot. It reminds me every day that being whimsical isn't necessarily a bad thing. I feel like I can express my view of the world through my coordinates and that makes me happy.
Getting new dresses in the mail and fawning over the details and quality of the material. It helps that I'm a poorfag and don't get new dresses all that often. When I do I spend a long time looking at pictures online and sleeping on it. It's not uncommon for me to dream about those specific dresses. Then when it finally arrives I can't help but feel really excited.
I love walking around in lolita just feeling like some sort of elf maiden straight out of a fantasy world, even when my coordinates are pretty toned down since I wear lolita to do normal things like groceries and going to uni.
It makes life feel just a little bit more like a video game, or a storybook.
>>9335871
This, too.
I got interested in Lolita after seeing some artworks of a blonde doll like girl back in early 2000. They were super gothicy, she had huge round eyes and one had a cross frame, with roses and thorns. They were everywhere back then. I wish I could find them again somewhere.
I was too young and forget about it eventually only to rediscover it years later when OTT sweet was booming.
>>9335835
> petticoats flounce around as they walk
This exact thing. Doubly so for super sweet coordinates because seeing the fluffy pastel colors shift is so mesmerizing.
I live far my comm. So I mite see them once a year.
No matter how little the meet it is, I'm always overjoyed to be there.
It's like when you first saw a lolita before you started wearing it yourself.
Seeing others IRL wear the fashion makes me feel excited about it again.
>be at meetup
>shopping afterwards
>my wig itches
>my contacts are bothering my eyes
>I have a headache
>my feet hurt
>why do I even do this to myself?
>get home
>look in mirror
>"Fuck I look good. Maybe I'll sit around in my frills a little longer. Let's do this again tomorrow"
I love the people I meet through this fashion. After 8 years into this hobby, I have wonderful, interesting, intelligent, fun friends from all over the world, and this is absolutely amazing.
I also love the rush and excitement of finally laying my hands on a dress I've been hunting for ages. I tend to keep it around on my mannequin for some weeks and am overjoyed every time I see it.
>>9335908
I think I know what you are speaking of! There was a whole set of them, including a girl in lolita being fed by some guy in black gloves and a lolita in a pink, slightly ita, dress lying on the floor. In hindsight, those pictures were super edgy and showed lolita fashion in the wrong light, but I loved them because I was a edgy teen and did know nothing about lolita fashion when I first saw them.
>>9335897
You're a maladaptive daydreamer too, anon? I haven't talked to anybody else with that diagnosis. I was really happy when I found out what my issue was because I just thought I was crazy. It's really inconvenient and kind of debilitating but it adds an element of fantasy in combination with lolita that's really comforting.
Feeling extra beautiful.
My self confidence was always kinda low (found myself "ok" at best) and when I first tried on lolita clothes, as pretentious as it sounds, I was amazed by how pretty I looked. I felt truly beautiful. Even now sometimes I like to catch a glimpse of myself fully dolled up in the streets when I used to nearly flee any mirror before.
Also old ladies compliments or smiles I get are the cutest thing and it never fails to make me smile and brighten my day.
>>9335897
>sleeping on it
I meant sleeping on the decision of buying it, just realized how that sounds.
>>9336269
Yes! I always kind of thought everybody had such elaborate and overwhelming daydreams and fantasies, so it was a surprise finding out it was an actual thing.
It can be annoying at times, but I still love getting lost in my imagination while wearing lolita.
All my life I wanted to dress like the girls I saw in storybook illustrations, lolita lets me do that every day of my life. It's all I could have hoped for
To stay on topic:
>finally perfecting my bow-tying technique
>trying a dress on right out of the box because i've been dying to see myself in it (even if it's kinda wrinkly!)
>organizing and reorganizing my wardrobe as i get more and more things
>pulling a dress out of the closet just to fawn over it--the print, the lace, the construction, the embroidery, anything and everything
>treating myself better and with more care, improving my inner self because i'm pleased with my outer self
>>9336399
Small world! It's silly but I'm happy that I've crossed paths with another, even anonymously. It's not easy to explain to those who don't understand.
>>9336376
This a hundred times. I will never forget the moment when I put on my first Lolita OP and I suddenly felt just so beautiful.
>>9336572
I love to put on my Lolita, feel girly-girl, and enjoy the lace, the frills, the accessories, etc.
Lolita makes me feel like a player character.
Lolita changes my perspective for me, even wearing one or two items casually, it just brings it all around. I don't have a great memory, but I remember the first time I've worn out x item, I can remember when it came to me, the hours of research and hunting, I can recall every time it's worn.
The memories cling to their gossamer chiffon frills and give every outing in them weight and value it didn't have before.
It is because of my bad memory that I hold lolita so highly in my life, because it gives me some power and control over something that terrifies me.
Plus it gives my life some extra juicy drama I didn't have before lol, I don't bitch about my life now that I can vent anonymously about xyz who sniped my dream dress or the newest lacemonster Baby release. I get comradere with people I would have never met or had an excuse to talk to, and that's amazing.
>>9335834
I actually forget I'm the one dressed up when I see my reflection sometimes. I just fall more in love with the pieces I'm wearing. sometimes I even catch myself thinking, aww she's so cute.
I wish I lived around other lolitas--I may be starting to go split personality on myself in order to create a comm lol
more than wearing lolita I absolutely love collecting it! my room is a colorful lolita cave right now and I can't wait to move to a bigger apt so I can get a clothes rack and put everything on display
>>9336086
fucking same. chose to recline elegantly in chair for another 20 mins then surrender to shower and comfy clothes.
incoming story but I fell in love with lolita before I even knew it was a thing other than a style of western goth (which ended up being incorrect).
I first discovered lolita in high school through a now dead gothic clothing site called dracinabox.
looking back now, some of the stuff was kind of ita, [pic related] but it captured this dark fairy tale aesthetic that I had no idea would excite me like it did.
I would stare at the pictures forever wishing I could dress like that. slowly but surely a few of my halloween costumes over the years got closer and closer to actual lolita. I bought my first petticoat as a junior in college but I still didn't know it was its own fashion with other styles. all my outfits were inspired by those early pics but none of it felt "perfect".
it wasn't until planning for halloween of 2014 that it occurred to me to go back to the site, which led me to search egl, and the lj was before my eyes, in all its perfect glory.
I made my first brand purchase that fall and now lolita is my whole life.
it feels wonderful. I feel so silly that it was right under my nose sometimes but all I knew was that UK goth site. I kind of wish I had gotten into it then and experienced reading glbs and shit like that.
better later than never tho. I'm finally living my rpyal dark princess dreams!
When I first opened my package with the Honey Cake bag I screamed out of joy for a solid minute. Too bad that nothing else in the mail since then has gotten me that overjoyed again.
>>9336805
>those pictures
Whew. They're so tacky but they're so charming. Pre-brand days were such a struggle for us. Brings me back as well.
Loved your story, anon.
>>9336811
aww HC really is a special print. and that bag is such a rare novelty.
I hope you can find another print/bag design that makes you that happy again!
kate spade makes some quirky, loliable bags sometimes
Sometimes I feel like lolita is more of a habit than a hobby to me.
Buying a new dress, waiting for it to arrive, reading blog posts, commenting on topics, following releases, everything was so exciting for me, but now it is such a habit it is tiring.
I really miss being so excited. Now I'm just addicted to refreshing sites.
On the other hand I still love wearing it to bits and after years of being in the fashion I finally started to get active in my comm, which is so nice and fun.
>>9337455
Then do what you do with the beginning of any addiction. Take a break
>>9336805
Wait are glbs not being released anymore? Im just finding out about this!
>>9337517
No no GLBs still come out, I assume they just mean back when the community was really alive on LJ and people fawned over the new GLB and scanning them all up for everyone to see.
>>9337528
also Mana
* Opening my closet and looking at all the prints poking out, all organised by colour. The patterns always look so varied and pretty.
* Slowly putting together the pieces for a great new coord, with a great theme and colour scheme. There is so much satisfaction when it looks exactly as good as you thought it would.
* When the colours match right for a piece that you've had trouble colour-coordinating. (WHY ARE THERE SO MANY SHADES OF FUCKING RED???)
* Getting a good turnout to an event you planned.
* Winning one of your dream dresses on auction, without having to get into a bitter bidding war.
* Finding an indie print that is reasonably priced, has vibrant colours, with no shitty lace or printing errors, and fits like a goddamn glove.
* Saving up for a piece you LOVE SO MUCH
* The moment said piece is in your hands, wrapped in its package, just waiting to be opened.
* Arriving at an event and everyone is super impressed with your coord/new purchase.
* Meeting new people, and seeing those people often enough that you actually make friends with them. So many people I've met at events and meets turn out to be really interesting people.
* Having a fun hobby you can work on
* The in-jokes and reminiscing about old comm scandals.
>>9337430
Since then I've bought a couple of Betsey Johnson bags that are food-related (I even bought her version of a pancake mix bag), but nothing really came close to the magic of the AP one. It's a bit sad really.
i don't believe anyone has mentioned this yet but tfw little kids come up to you and they just have that look of wonder in their eyes as they fawn over you and ask a hundred questions. i don't even really like kids but those moments just bring me so much joy bc kids have no sense of judgement, just pure unadulterated love & excitement
>>9338232
This a million times over
>>9338232
holy shit this
"are you a priiiiiiiiiiiincess??? you're BEAUTIFUL! she's beautiful, mom!"
i've gotten that and so many variations of that. i always make sure to compliment something of theirs or sometimes i give them a handmade accessory i'm wearing at the time because i want them to be as happy as they made me in that moment.
Opening my closet in the morning before putting on my normie work clothes, i feel happy by looking at all of the pastel colors,the cute prints poking out,...It's in a separate closet from my normie clothes so when I open it it's an explosion of pastels,lace,patterns,... compared to my everyday clothes.
Also I happen to daydream in the morning because of that. I even got late once because of it.
Lolita really bring something special into my life. Couldn't really tell what, but it does.
>>9338248
Also this. For me it's more the old ladies. I feel kinda bad thinking about how some of them are alone (some of them tell me they're so happy to talk because of how it's lonely) and I wish I could just take care of them while wearing lolita and knit or embroid handkerchiefs or such things with them.
>>9336376
>My self confidence was always kinda low (found myself "ok" at best) and when I first tried on lolita clothes, as pretentious as it sounds, I was amazed by how pretty I looked. I felt truly beautiful.
Same anon, same. I still have many insecurities I would like to work on, but when I started wearing lolita I was able to let go of a whole bunch of them.
Lolita is magical in a way. I look beautiful. My petticoat feels like wearing a cloud. I've gotten mostly positive reactions from civilians who often have so many questions about what I'm wearing. It just makes some people's faces light right up and that's amazing.
Not to mention, my comm is like a family. I had a very hard time going through university, struggling to balance my studies with a job and an LDR. I felt like an outcast for such a long time, having to decline invitation after invitation before finally just distancing myself to spare me the embarrassment. When I finally got into lolita, I was able to make some time for myself to meet people and I've made so many amazing friends. I don't know where I'd be without them.
I remember buying brand new brand for the first time about half a year ago, and since then I've been addicted to the rush of ordering, receiving, and opening a package to reveal such beautiful pieces. I'm always excited to put together a coord for a weekend out or even just to go to a class. I just feel so powerful everytime I'm out in lolita.
My wardrobe has pretty much grown immensely since then, and I always feel light when I just stare at my wardrobe. After years of fawning over coords online, it feels so nice for it to actually be a reality for me.
Tfw can't stop buying things now bc I feel empty if I'm not waiting for a package.
The thought of getting new pieces, or even possible pieces to get, and making just random sketches of coords because you're so excited. Usually they're just ballpoint pen on lined paper doodles.
And getting too excited over having afternoon tea or going to a cake shop, and making sure you look perfect just to eat sweets.
One time I was in Disney, wearing lolita outside of a con or the house, and I caught myself in the mirror at a store and I just felt beautiful and actually thought to myself "At this moment, I'm pretty". That whole day I was just so pleased with myself that I didn't care when a bunch of people gave me funny looks and laughed at me. I was too happy feeling like a pretty marshmallow.
Or going some place with your normie friends and have them talk about what they're going to wear, and you show them a picture of what you're planning to wear and they say something like "Aww, anon you're gonna dress adorable as always".
I have a tiny wardrobe but I can't believe how happy lolita has made me. Everything from how confident I feel outside when I'm dressed up, to just how happy I am to feel like my own fairy tale princess.
small town lolita things
>being recognized everywhere as the princess girl, whether or not in lolita
>get free shit cause of it (mostly tea from the tea weeb that thinks im cute, and makeup samples from the lady at the makeup counter that likes me)
>definitely agree with other anons about seeing yourself in the window as you walk
>plenty of places outside to take nice pictures, nice old buildings
>have to walk everywhere cause theres no public transit, but look cute doing it - every day is momokos stroll
does anyone else only take selfies when youre dressed up?
>>9335908
Was it this girl?
>>9336269
>daydreamer
>diagnosis
They're really trying to make anything into a disorder nowadays
I met one of my best friends because of lolita! She was wearing the bodyline butterfly skirt at school, and I recognized it -> insta friends! I'm going to visit her on my way to KatsuCon this week :D
>>9349837
no unfortunatly not, it was darker and less cute
>>9350025
did you miss the "maladaptive" part
>>9350134
No I didn't
>>9347824
>making just random sketches of coords because you're so excited
I didn't think other people did this! I love the excitement of planning coords with a new piece, even when it's not already in your hands.
>>9350208
It's always seemed like a fairy tale fashion to me, and i still can't believe i have some lolita dresses, even if they are just bodyline (but i did recently get an ap cutsew and i love it so much! and i'm planning to get an ap set soon too) so drawing it just makes me feel so happy. It's so whimsical and beautiful and makes me feel like a princess. And drawing it i suppose helps ease my excitement about it.
I discovered the fashion when I was in high school, sometime in 2007, and I fell in love with everything about it, from the aesthetic to the lifestyle concepts. These days I'm not into the same styles I liked back then but sometimes I think about how my teenage self would react to seeing me wear lolita daily and I get the warm fuzzies. The feeling of having made a small dream of mine come true keeps the magic alive for me.
>>9350953
>I think about how my teenage self would react to seeing me wear lolita daily and I get the warm fuzzies
Im the same anon! I found lolita in my early teens and I loved it but I thought it was a weird thing to acutually wear, now I wear it all the time. I think if my self conscious teen self saw me now, rocking the fashion I was always afraid to wear they would be really happy
>>9337946
All of this, omg. So much nostalgia.
>>9350225
YES! I am a brolita and I feel the way that you do when dressed loli. I love all the things that you list. I feel like a fairy tale princess when in Lolita. No need to feel like a prince. I also love dreaming up new outfits with wonderful accessories. The accessories are what make Lolita outfits happen! <3
>>9343878
I am the same way. I love to order online, then go to the shop and pick up my order.
>>9358288
You sound like a sissy.
>>9358288
fuck off mate
>>9337946
This so much, especially
>WHY ARE THERE SO MANY SHADES OF FUCKING RED???
i have this problem with navy and its awful when all of my navy prints (I have like 10 navy jsks) are somehow so off from each other.
I get more dates walking around dressed in lolita, than I do wearing normie clothes.
I'm an introvert that doesn't really go out a lot to do things, especially with other people. But ever since I started lolita about a year ago I actually like going to things and hanging out and making new friends, and it's really boosted my confidence. Lolita gives me an excuse to go out and look forward to events and take care of myself. Besides all the other stuff everyone else has said on top of it all.
>daydreaming about the perfect dressing room
>taking close up photos of the details of dresses
>washing dresses and hanging them back up all crisp and fresh
>flouncing around with friends and making little kids happy when they think we're princesses
fuck i love this fashion so much.
>>9358310
PLUSHIES!