When it comes to a lolita wardrobe we're all agreed on the basic basics (petticoat etc) but what are your personal essentials?
What can you not live without?
What are you planning on adding to your wardrobe over the coming year?
Let's chat wardrobe expansion!
Personal essential: A basic, versatile, practical purse. I have a lot of cute, decorative purses that go to a specific outfit or print, but I also have a "main" purse that is more design-neutral and storage practical that I can grab for almost any outfit and I know I can fit my purse, phone, keys, and miscellaneous stuff into it.
Sometimes I see lolitas with these tiny adorable extravagant purses that they have to struggle to fit their wallet back into, and i'm like, girl just get a reasonably-sized solid colored one if you're gonna be out all day! I feel like a lot of people underestimate the convenience of having a purse that can store all of their stuff plus any extra crap they might end up needing to carry around. Especially at cons. Hell, at a con I might even suggest getting a cute backpack. If nothing else you can keep a bottle of water in there.
1. Always get a matching blouse when you buy a main piece. Even better if it also matches other things you own.
2. Have a few petticoats for layering. Different dresses and situations call for different levels of poof.
3. Have a few high quality universal accessories that match what you own, or are planning to own.
4. Don't buy shit impulsively. Don't forget that the dress is just a part of the outfit. Make sure there's some cohesiveness in your closet, unless you have unlimited $ to get brand new accessories/shoes/socks/head pieces/etc every time.
>What are you planning on adding to your wardrobe over the coming year?
Definitely more blouses/cutsews/boleros/cardigans, accessories and possibly shoes and bags, but I feel like I'm already drowning in the latter two despite not even owning that many. Probably because I have no space.
Basically anything but main pieces, as I have this bad habit of always just buying them.
I try to have at least 2 options for styling each main piece that I own. I like to have warm and cold weather coords for each piece if possible. If the fabric or theme of the piece isn't versatile in that way, I'll make a casual and formal coord. My most versatile pieces can go into 4 or more coords.
Parroting what other anons have said, having relatively neutral themed bags helps when mixing and matching. I also have a lot of solid color OTKs.
>>9358678
There tends to be a lot of stuff you need more than you thought you would, or stuff you like more than most lolitas so you want more of it once you start actually building your wardrobe.
For me it's gotta be tights. I have lots of different tights and I collect them when they're on sale. It's always very easy to tell when lolita have only two or three pairs of otks or tights since they'll rotate them around all the time. Just because you own a pair of off-white lace tights that fit with most stuff doesn't mean you can get away with only wearing that one pair. Besides, tights rip easily and one pair ripping shouldn't bring your entire wardrobe to a halt.
Now, I am not a daily lolita but I wear the fashion casually to uni or to do groceries a lot, so my outfits usually aren't very ott. I've found that having basic, plain, not too large headbows in 4-5 colours that you can mix and match with most of your wardrobe can be lifesavers. They can bring some variation into otherwise similar coords.
If you are hourglass-shaped and the waists of dresses that are supposed to be just-waisted often end up uncomfortably high-waisted on you, I'd suggest investing in a reasonably lolita-appropiate waistbelt. I know some lolitas don't think normie-ish waistbelts look good, but it can be nice with classic, Fanny Rosie-type coords. Besides, it's very flattering to those of us with a proportionally large bust for their waist.
One thing I've been wanting to add to my wardrobe is a good underskirt. I like for dresses to fall below the knees and they're often too short for my taste, but I don't want to look like a ruffle cupcake, especially not when trying to coord casually.
At what point are you like, "okay, that's enough, I don't need any more to fill out my wardrobe"?
I feel like no matter what, I could use more accessories, but other than that I'm only buying other things for fun or because I like them, not to fill up on essentials.
I think to have a "complete" wardrobe, it should be able to fulfill every occasion. So enough main pieces to wear daily/casual, some normal coords, and a couple OTT/event coords, and shoes, accessories, bags, to go with.
>>9359506
I don't think my wardrobe will ever be complete.
When I first started out I got all the basics down, now I'm working on getting all of my dream dresses/wishlist items. After that's done I'll just buy something if I like it, to me the idea of having a 'complete' wardrobe where you just stop after a certain point seems really odd.
Like you wouldn't just stop buying normie clothes one day because you have something for every occasion, if you go shopping and see something you like, you buy it. To me it's the same with lolita. Just keep building from the ground up forever.
Although thinking more figuratively, I guess my wardrobe will be technically 'complete' when I get all my dream dresses, but that list is always growing
>>9359517
Well, yeah, I meant more like what is the point where you're not buying essentials because you need them to fill out your wardrobe. I guess for a lot of people their styles change so they need stuff with different colours and motifs, so it's ever-building.
>>9359517
I'm also almost at 100 main pieces now so lately I've been wondering, "is this enough?"
>>9359506
I am at that point. I have run out of closet space a long time ago and I have gotten most of my dream items. I only really buy new releases and a couple of dream dresses. Occasionally I do buy new essentials but I would sell the old piece to avoid having to decide whether I want to wear a frilly bolero or a slightly frillier bolero when I am planning an outfit.
My comm does some "themed" events like sailor, Easter/bunny or Spring/roses, and since I can usually put together something decent from my wardrobe, I would say my wardrobe is pretty complete.
>>9359523
I'm at 70 and struggling. Every time I sell a dress I buy two more even though I'm trying to downsize
>>9359506
I'm almost there, actually. There's a few things I want, but they're items that will perfect the collection, not complete it.
Def planning on more blouses, shoes and bags. I have a few main pieces now but I need some blouses to round em out, only got one, even if it matches basically everything.
>>9359523
>>9359705
I'm getting there, too, and actually I'd love to hear how people who get past 50 main pieces are organizing their lolita dresses. Like how do you keep track of what you've bought and sold, and make sure you don't accidentally buy the same dress twice? (I mean, it's easy to remember when there's 10-20 pieces, but 100 pieces...?). How do you keep track of the detachable bits and matching headbows/accessories? Do you group your dresses by substyles/themes or do you arrange them by brand/colour or do you maybe have a spreadsheet/phone app where you record everything and its location?
Plus, how many blouses you have? I have like 30 blouses to my 70 dresses, and this seems a bit odd to me... like there was a time when I had two blouses to every dress, but now it seems I have more prints that go with one blouse than than the other way around.
There's a lolita storage thread at >>9354139 as well, if you prefer to answer there. Though so far none of the questions really help with organizing big wardrobes.
>>9359829
Spreadsheet. I have one with things like brand, color, price paid, retail price, type of garment, and if I've sold it. I do group sets as one entry though (eg: JSK + OTK + KC I'll just list under JSK, with a note).
>>9359829
I can promise you that I still remember my pieces well enough to not buy the same piece twice by accident, though I've done it on purpose before. I keep a spreadsheet, too, like >>9360328
I think it's a given that you should have more blouses than dresses, because blouses are really more of a basic accent. I have about a 1:3 ratio of blouses to dresses.
>>9359829
Here's an example, if it helps. I keep it organized by date, and all relevant dates and prices, and if I sell the item I strike it out and put the amount I see it for. I don't sell a lot, though, so if anyone does they probably need to keep a separate spreadsheet for that.
>>9360448
I haven't bought a dress twice either, just heard of someone else doing it.
The second paragraph is a little confusing, though. Blouses outnumber dresses in the first half, and then dresses outnumber blouses 3 to 1 in the second part?
>>9360455
Okay, this is pretty cool and I probably need to set one up. Thanks for posting an example.
I think more petticoats are useful. I have 3, and thinking of investing in a cage petticoat for summer
At this point I don't have any normie clothes anymore, but my taste has completely changed. When I started lolita in 2004, I was buying a lot of classic gothic style from victorian maiden and moitie. Then I moved into buying otome in 2010, and love Jane Marple especially their printed logo ribbon. Now I'm more comfortable with my taste, and started wearing more and more Angelic Pretty. I think being older gave me more confidence to wear something so outstanding
The best thing about lolita is that you can resell when you taste change. At this point I have bought and sold entire closets of styles about 6 times. I'm not looking to make profit either, just to get rid and make space which makes selling items a lot faster.
>>9360715
Ooh, sorry. No, 3 blouses per 1 dress.
>>9360890
Ah, gotcha. I always wondered if I'd messed this part up. Thanks for confirming.
>What are you planning on adding to your wardrobe over the coming year?
My wardrobe is still on the very small side:
>4 main pieces
>3 blouses
>1 petticoat
So yeah i'm lacking in all areas to be honest. But i have planned this year to buy at least another 3-4 main pieces, 4-5 blouses, and more accessories...and sock/thights...i really need to invest in those things.
I have just over 20 main pieces and I already feel like its excessive. How do you guys manage 100? Do you wear everything or are you more of a collector? Do you like everything you own? I mean, out of my small wardrobe there are already dresses I almost never wear (or haven't). When I get to ~30 I plan on adopting a 1-in-1-out policy.
Not trying to throw shade, I'm impressed and curious.
>>What are you planning on adding to your wardrobe over the coming year?
1. Shoes. Shoes are probably my most neglected category. I default to the same pairs of gold/silver shoes all the time and it would be nice to not have to settle.
2. Blouses/cardigans. I improved on this a little last year but not enough. At this point I have maybe 1 blouse/cardigan that looks good with each main piece so I really want to expand my options. Cardigans are a staple in my normie wardrobe so I want more lolita specific ones.
Also no more main pieces unless they are on my small wish list specifically. I keep buying them with no way to coordinate them. They sure look nice hanging in my closet though!
>>9361216
I have over 100 pieces and it does feel excessive. I've recently challenged myself not to repeat a main piece (skirt/JSK/OP) during the week as I'm lucky enough to wear Lolita/Otome at work. Obviously I can't wear any of the OTT pieces I own, but it's really highlighted to me how much I actually own and how wearable most pieces are. Plus, I'm being more creative.
>>9358678
>When it comes to a lolita wardrobe we're all agreed on the basic basics (petticoat etc) but what are your personal essentials?
My biggest essential would be a good versatile pair of shoes, followed by blouses and cutsews for every occasion. I've noticed I'll end up picking one pair of shoes for most of my coords, with one type of blouse. But of course once you're in as deep as I am, you need everything - brooches, jewelry, hair accessories, all sorts of socks, and so on, and so on.
>What can you not live without?
Technically I could quit lolita and still be alive. But I guess my most useful item would be my shoes as I use them for work too and they're just so cute and comfortable.
>What are you planning on adding to your wardrobe over the coming year?
I'm actually planning on downsizing. I am pretty happy with my wardrobe now though, aside from stuff I could do without. I've got the casual, the normal, and the over the top. It's a good balance.
>Let's chat wardrobe expansion!
I'd argue against buying one blouse per main piece, particularly if you're buying OPs or if you have a pretty samey wardrobe. I would look more into things that go well with everything and are versatile. Having 50 blouses can be overwhelming - having 20 blouses that absolutely goes with everything and can be styled for all sorts of different looks is better. The same goes for footwear and for accessories. I find I do reach for a lot of the same thing, but I've gotten to the point where I can style these into almost infinite combinations with hairstyles, makeup, and different combos.
Of course, now I'm talking about large wardrobes. I myself have 70 pieces and I don't think it's realistic to buy 3 blouses per piece at this point. But even at 20 pieces, do you really need 60 blouses, or is it better to have again 10 blouses that can go with your various styles? I'd argue the latter. But again, feeling overwhelmed with my ridiculous wardrobe.
Wow a 100 dresses. Even 50 sounds like a lo!
>>9358678
>personal essentials/ can't live without:
1. Plain black and a plain white sets of things i.e: KC, blouse, purse, socks, shoes. all in whilte or black.
2. Full shirring op's and jsk's.
It makes daily wear so much easier, even though it is pretty boring. I prefer comfort when going out for a long day out, and being able to throw on a easy coordinate gives me so much more wear out of my main pieces.
>adding to my wardrobe/ expansion: my wardrobe is really, really boring, I have a lot of plain, tartan or all over berry type print main pieces but not many fun print items. I really like my wardrobe for daily wear and would even probably add more plain pieces, but I feel like I am always under dressed at meets. I am thinking of trying to get more exciting print items in my wardrobe over the coming next two years.
slightly off topic, I was thinking of starting a pimp my wardrobe thread sort of like pimp my closet the tv show where anons can help or suggest pieces for other anons wardrobe to build fantasy or goal wardrobes. Interested?
>>9364176
I think that would be a super fun thread. I love theoretical shopping for other people
>>9361354
Honestly, you sound super new. If you are really invested in lolita you will have almost 50 dresses in a couple of years. That will of course depend on your style, personal taste and if you prefer new over used. If you only buy cheaper secondhand and aren't a conlita that should be pretty easy to obtain.
>>9364212
50 dresses. Can't wear it at work = even wearing a dress every day of the weekend, that's enough dresses to only wear each twice a year.
Unless you can wear lolita at job or school and have no other fashions you like, it feels like a lot.
>>9364212
Yeah you can also afford 50 dresses in just a couple of years if you have enough disposable income and don't have other hobbies. As >>9364233 says some can't wear lolita all the time, including work/school/etc. Also not wearing lolita very frequently does not equal conlita and neither impact on tones wardrobe side. You sound a bit of a bitch, Anon >>9364212 .
>>9364176
This sounds awesome. I'd definitely take part in that thread.
>>9364237
Agreed that >>9364212 sounds super bitchy. I live in an area that only has one meet per month, and because I'm in grad school, I typically can't even attend those. Not to mention that I have to work a job outside of school to even maintain a small amount of disposable income. There's nothing wrong with only having a few dresses. What's it matter if you can coord them well or use versatile pieces for a lot of different looks?
>>9364212
desu, I'm a programmer who's got more money than I know what to do with and can wear jfash whenever I want. even I think 50+ main pieces is collecting at that point. It's an unreasonable amount to actually wear, esp. if you aren't a daily lolita. If you think you'll actually wear that many dresses you are either bad at coording or lying to yourself.
>>9364237
>>9364275
I didn't mean it that way but I can definitely see how it did end up coming accross like that. There is nothing wrong with smaller wardrobes but ones with ~50 dresses are not rare among lolitas that are really invested in the hobby and not impossible to get. The size of one's wardrobe does not affect on wether one is a good lolita or not in my opinion. I starting to slowly push 50 and because I wear lolita as much as I can and it's sometimes feeling too little. The main reason is because I came from a climate with four seasons so there are lots of dresses I will use in summer and not in winter and vise versa. Factors like that can really push up the number of main pieces in a wardrobe quickly.
>>9364305
very true about the climate being an issue. I'm the same way -- weather where I live is hilariously versatile even within a single day period. It's frustrating, because winter here ended much sooner than would be expected. I just finished a new winter coord, and now it's so warm outside that I can't even wear it :/ Ah well. Next year, I suppose. It's onto chiffon and short sleeves for me.
Asking as someone who is lolita curious, how do you buy your first coord? Are there any traps new lolita fans fall into?
>>9364212
>tfw you have less than 20 dresses of all styles.
>fairly new to cosplay
>want to cosplay Satania from Gabriel Dropout
What should I do for the wig?
>>9364400
Wrong thread, my bad
>>9364394
I just started buying my first items in december. My first main piece was an OP. I already had a headbow, shoes and tights for it so I just bought a petti and a bag. After a while I added more jewellery, legwear and headwear options.
I researched the fashion and thought everything through for a long time, so I didn't fall in any traps but I guess common ones are:
> mismatching substyles and themes, like wearing a classic blouse with a sweet coord or wearing chocolate jewellery with a floral print
> trying oldschool with offbrand
> underestimating the importance of a good petti and comfortable blouse
> focussing too much on a rare dream dress as the first coord (who knows when it's gonna pop up?)
I also think it's a mistake to start with offbrand "just to try it out". If I had started with offbrand, I would've had a very disappointing first impression of the fashion and would have probably thought that it's not worth getting further into.
>>9364394
I really think it'll depend on what your priorities are and how you choose to approach the fashion. A lot of people might say that things like blouses, legwear, footwear and accessories get neglected for emphasis on main pieces in the beginning.
I know I did that starting out because my aim was to get the dresses I liked first - this resulted in a lot of wardrobe shuffling and switching until I finally settled on more cohesive preferences. It also delayed my ability to coord anything for a while, as I didn't have any distinct goals like meetups or events to give me a deadline to get my shit together.
>>9364292
This.
Also I sell dresses I don't want or wear after a couple uses. I don't like for dresses to take up valuable closet space for the sake of saying I own 50 dresses
>What are you planning on adding to your wardrobe over the coming year?
1. BLOUSES. I'm seriously lacking in the blouse department because I have such a big cardigan collection that I tend to just rotate the same three blouses underneath. I'd like to have more options for warmer weather.
2. Shoes, I have three pairs of shoes that go with everything and two pairs for more formal outfits, but I'd like some more cute casual pairs for specific outfits - I'm aiming for a shoe rainbow.
I tend to only buy main pieces that I really, really love and can coordinate in different ways so I don't own much in the way of filler pieces which is exactly how I like it. All of my dresses are high priority wishlist pieces.
>>9364771
But why sell after just a few wears, especially if you really like a piece? The sell on after one or two wearings mentality that I've seen a fair bit of is something I've never really understood. I prefer to buy something that I want to stay in my closet because I love the piece. I buy things to keep, and have only sold one dress because of major fit issues. I've been wearing Lolita for six years now and have about 20 dresses. I don't wear Lolita super frequently due to my job, but I wouldn't sell something just because it's been hanging up for ages/ feel like I should sell something on because I've worn it a few times. I've also been finding of late I prefer older pieces, and haven't ever really been one for prints, barring a few exceptions.
>>9364853
It's more selling them because I don't like them as much as I thought I would. For instance when I first started lolita I thought it was a good idea to buy a dress for every style about but I learned I don't like gothic or super sweet.
>>9364883
That's fair enough then, and a reasonable attitude. When I started wearing the fashion I knew what sort of style I preferred and suit, so have only really kept refining that look further over the years. It's the jumping from one bandwagon to the next with the latest print etc etc trend for the sake of that and then selling after being photographed in it that I just don't get.
>>9364853
I've owned items that I've absolutely adored but never had much occasion to wear, so those were eventually shuffled off. I do envy that you've only had one major fit issue, I've had a range of fit issues because my waist is slightly lower than where most lolita dress waists sit. A lot of those dresses ended up being sold because they simply weren't flattering despite fitting in with preferred style and elements.
>>9365000
The bodice length was the main fit issue I had, actually on the one dress I sold. With the neckline design being quite high on the dress, the waist sat uncomfortably high even though it did fit, and the neckline was rather small, to the point where it was uncomfortable even without a blouse on. Beautiful dress but not a keeper. I've had some waistline issues with AatP being about an inch or so too high, but nothing deal-breaking. As a whole though, I prefer IW's long length pieces (which often feature longer bodices as well) and Atelier Boz, as their cuts tend to be suited to taller heights, and their cuts flatter smaller busts. It's about knowing what brands fit your style and figure well as a whole, and what cuts suit you, which I've found tends to minimise risk of fit issues to a degree.
>>9365034
Funny you should mention AatP/BtSSB, I have the exact same problem which led to the selling. For the most part I have no issues when I stick to the brands that work for me (VM, IW, JM), it's the wildcard love-the-print-but-not-the-cut that I end up getting headaches over.
>>9365224
>VM, IW, JM
Excellent taste, anon
>>9365224
I was a fan of AatP back around 2010/2011 but it's just not my cup of tea nowadays. VM is a brand I'd like to try someday but I've often had fit concerns about. I do like some of their style though, especially things like their overdresses.
>>9365224
I was a fan of AatP back around 2010/2011 but it's just not my cup of tea nowadays. VM is a brand I'd like to try someday but I've often had fit concerns about. I do like some of their style though, especially things like their overdresses.
>>9359342
Any suggestions on places to get some versatile headbows?
>>9365527
It really depends on what your style is, and whether you prefer ones on alice bands or clip in ones etc. I like IW's small clip in ones because they're understated, can be used in a more mature outfit, and work well with natural hair.
>>9364176
Do it
For anyone else who keeps track of their spending, these are ~*taboo*~ questions:
How much have you spent on your lolita wardrobes thus far?
How "complete" is your wardrobe?
How long have you been in the fashion?
I want to see how much people tend to spend on the fashion in a period of time.
For myself, on main pieces and including shipping, I've spent $4400. Including blouses only bumps that up to $4500 to give you an idea of how little I spend on anything else. I'm cheap af when it comes to anything besides main pieces.
I've been in the fashion for almost 2.5 years.
My wardrobe is complete besides for 3 dream dresses I'm in no rush to find, a goal of dropping 200-300 on blouses, and 150 on accessories.
I never imagined spending this much on this hobby.
>>9366420
I've spent over $35k on lolita in 3 and some years, have 75 jsks, 5 ops, 1 skirt, 50 blouses and over 100 pairs of brand socks / tights. I also own 20 brand bags and around 9 pairs of brand shoes plus lots more jewellery. Can't really put a number on how much offbrand I have, but it's a sizeable number of accessories, shoes, bags and blouses
I own all of my dream dresses and have a few more pieces I still fancy buying
It's a matter of your expendable income
>>9366420
>How much have you spent on your lolita wardrobe thus far?
Maybe $6000-$6500 in half a year, not accounting for a ridiculous amount of shipping
>How "complete" is your wardrobe?
23 main pieces (21 burando), 11 blouses (7 burando), 8 brand cardis/boleros, 16 brand legwear, probably 25 brand hair accessories including hats and stuff, 6 brand bags, small collection of brand jewelry
So I'd say it's in a good place right now but I need to develop my wardrobe past the basics so I can coordinate in a more interesting and dynamic way. Certainly more blouses and bags. I want to get to the point where I could wear it every day if I wanted to, because I'm having a lot of fun
>How long have you been in the fashion?
Half a year
>>9361216
Anon with 50+ dresses here, thought I’d give you another perspective.
You honestly wouldn’t recognise half my lolita wardrobe, it’s solids, non-prints, IW florals and plain Moitie. In fact, when I first started lolita I couldn’t even attend enough meets to justify maintaining a wardrobe of dresses I only wear once a month, so my criteria for adding dresses was (still is) that it could be dressed down and worn nearly normally as well. Bonus: these dresses are usually pretty cheap because other lolitas aren’t really impressed by them, so it wasn’t hard to get a collection going, either.
Basically, I don’t wear lolita everyday, but I do wear lolita dresses nearly every day. The plainer goth or classic pieces for work, and sweet lolita for weekends. Helps that I live somewhere fairly nice and my workplace is casual but nicely dressed. That’s how it’s easy to cycle through 50 main pieces a year. Add to that the climate, yoyo-ing weight, the odd dress you keep around to twin with your bestie/themed meets, the pieces you love too much to sell, whatever, I can see myself climbing up to 100 pieces in a few years if I allow it.
>>9361238
Thinking about the blouses too, and I think some other anon had a much better idea than an absolute number. If a dress can be coorded in three different (lolita) ways, then the number of blouses for it is good, so if all the dresses in my wardrobe can be coorded with three different blouses I'd probably call it good even if the dresses still outnumber the blouses. I have a feeling I really do need a few more blouses, though, I added a couple more green dresses recently but still only have the one green blouse between 5 dresses. I'm not always into matching 100%, but it'd be nice to have more than one green blouse to reach for if I want some variety.
>>9366420
I've spend around 5,500 on my current wardrobe.
I have around 20 main pieces 20 pairs of socks and 15 head bows, a good amount of jewelry, 10 blouses and 5 pairs of shoes.
I've been in the fashion about 8 years, since I started when I was young and I am concurrently paying back college loans It is very hard for me to buy things.
I feel so guilty about my wardrobe. Even though I pay back so much of my loans every month and I don't spend money on anything else.
>>9366420
>>9366420
I'm still pretty new, passing my first year in the fashion now, and other people's amounts are making me feel pretty happy with my conservative spending.
I've spent aboiut $1500 on main pieces, owning 12 total (two of which I need to sell sometime), $380 on six blouses (two I intend to sell), and between legwear and hair accessories I've spent about $300, nearly all of that being from Innocent World sales. Not really including shipping on any of that, didn't keep track of that.
Of course, being new my wardrobe is no where near where I want it to be. I epecially lack things like boleros, purses, and shoes - heck for shoes I tend to wear the same two normie oxford heels I got for clearance at a Famous Footwear over and over. I just really need to tell myself that the money spent on nicer Jfash versions of these things is worth it to get the look I need.
Currently I mostly have cheap IW sale things and Taobao dresses, though I have managed to snag four dream items already. My goal for a more "completle" wardrobe is to of course get more of those dream items but to also have a more cohesive style and to have lots of items I can wear toned down.
What would be a good blouses/shoes/... to main pieces ratio?
Like, for example I have 10 main pieces (2 skirts,2 OP, 6 JSKs, pretty cohesive sweet wardrobe with pink,mint,sax,lavender and white. ) how many blouses and shoes would I need?
>>9366999
This post might help
http://rolisramblings.blogspot.my/2015/04/a-wardrobe-challenge-how-to-find-and.html
She has a few more wardrobe challenges before this date as well, might be good to take a look at them too.
>>9366420
I'm at 5.3k for main pieces (jsk/op/skirt) not counting shipping starting from 2014 when I got back into it. 8.9k if I count the rest of my wardrobe. So that's an average of 1.7k/3k a yearish.
This doesn't count the amount of stuff bought and then sold off, so I'm pretty positive the real number is a lot higher than that.
I could use a few more blouses, shoes and accessories but I'm able to make basic outfits without any issues. More interested in toned down styles anyway. Also have my eye on a few dream dresses but no real rush on those either.
>>9366762
other peoples accounts are making me feel pretty happy with my conservative spending
why are you happy that you're cheap and have a small wardrobe
>>9366999
I think it entirely deoends on your wardrobe, such as whether you stick to one style or mix, what cuts of jsks / skirts you have, colours, etc. You can't really fix a number on what's 'good', as there are just so many variables.
>>9367583
come on why should she have to beggar herself or spend every penny on her lolita clothing, that is being very mean spirited anon.
The hobby means different things to different people, and this is coming from someone with a 100 plus main piece collection, that's not a bad little lot she has there for a years worth of being in the fashion. It's a lot easier to start off buying everything you see than to be conservative about your purchases just by being excited about the newness of it all.
Have you ever seen those challenges small wardrobe anon, the capsule wardrobe ones? you are in a great place to start one right now. I wish I was back where you are instead of with a lot of pretty things that are more in keeping with several themed collections than everyday, wearable lolita clothing.
I have a house and a car to run as well as a busy job and too many pets, not everyone gets to sit on their arse and have their wardrobe handed to them. For some people *gasp* it's not even their main priority. You would do well to remember that instead of acting the cunt.
>>9367583
Like >>9367618 has said, this really does sound very mean spirited. Not everyone can afford a large wardrobe. Spending over $1500 on lolita in a year isn't exactly small change, especially if you don't have a huge amount of income. Yes, it's quite a 'conservative' annual spend by some lolitas' standards, as yeah, lolita isn't exactly a cheap hobby, but it shouldn't be looked down upon. If anything it's better to not be overspending and getting into financial difficulties because of feeling like they have to buy even more stuff. As the other anon also said, different people have different priorities, and lolita doesn't always come first, even if they are invested in the fashion and active. It might not even be the only fashion they wear, as hey, there are times when it's inpractical, such as work! 12 dresses and 6 blouses actually also sounds really quite good going for the first year I would say.
>>9367661
It's funny because I've spent thousands on a hobby I started off trying to be cheap af about--looking at those 100 dollar coord challenges, only buying secondhand. 1.5k sunk into a hobby isn't anything to sneeze at.
I really liked Fyeahlolita's how to build a complete wardrobe post, but I think it's 1 too small a wardrobe to really be considered complete (1 pair of shoes... nah) and 2 written when poor newbies to the fashion didn't have the benefit of a lolita being a buyer's market as it is now.
Now, I think the ideal capsule lolita wardrobe for a daily wearer would center around 2-3 colors/themes that have some "overlap" (e.g. analogous colors, religious motifs, etc). My arbitrary numbers would be... 3 JSKs, 2 OPs, 2 skirts (4-5 solid colors, 2-3 prints or fancier design). 5 blouses, 3 cardigans/boleros (6 versatile, 2 fancy or print specific). 10 kinds of legwear (8 versatile, 2 fancy or print-specific). 3 kinds of footwear (2 every day/no heel, 1 fancy). 5 kinds of headwear (3 every day, 2 fancier). 2 bags (both versatile). 5 accessories (3 versatile, 2 fancier) 1.5k spent wisely on secondhand brand and affordable Taobao could manage to create a full wardrobe.
>>9371025
I blog a lot around wardrobe building and I'd say my ideal is quite similar to yours: 6-8 main pieces, 5 blouses, 3 outerwear plus one coat, 7-8 each of headwear and legwear at minimum, four pairs of shoes...though I don't tend to think much abut smaller accessories or bags. To me that's a good, well rounded wardrobe that should serve a regular wearer very well.
>>9372449
How old are you, and do you even need to spend money on things aside for lolita? You can hardly say 'I poorfags'. Just some people have other hobbies as well / other important financial commitments (such as mortgages, running a car, children, have expensive university loans to pay off, can't wear exclusively lolita so need to spend money on a good work wardrobe.. the list could go on) that reduces how much they can spend on lolita. Or, they're just financially sensible. Being careful with one's money and being 'proud of how little they spend on a luxury hobby' are hardly the same thing. Being sensible with one's money is just a good idea.
>>9372588
being sensible with money is great, but it's still silly to brag about being cheap.
>>9372785
Not the same anon, but it seems like you're missing the point. "Cheap" and "thrifty" aren't the same thing. It's always awesome to find good prices on quality pieces, and it can be done. Being cheap, aka sacrificing quality solely on the principle of spending less money, is an entirely different issue.
>>9372790
Yup, exactly. The anon I was commenting on the post of wasn't bragging about being cheap. If you look at the comment I was actually replying to I was calling someone out on their calling them 'cheap' and being nasty about it. It's a whole other matter, and the anon who'd spent $1500 in their first year carefully was simply stating what they'd spent. There was zero bragging about it going on. In any case, $1500 in its own right is still quite a fair bit of money to spend, luxury hobby this is or not.
>>9372449
Loool 400k house and a dedicated master bedroom just for my lolita clothing & accessories, but yes, child anon keep on thinking everyone who dismisses you is a poorfag.
>>9371025
I like fyeahlolita's but not really relevant to how people coord these days and nothing has really sprung up to replace it. One pair of neutral shoes and a neutral bag is not how anyone can coordinate now without being called boring. No way could a (non-oldschool) sweet lolita get away with matching all their coords with one pair of white shoes these days. 2-3 shoes and 2 bags is what I'd consider basic now (to account for seasonality and a couple of different colours), or everything just feels too samey.
I see people suggesting to use the same blouse/shoes/bag with everything and switch out the accessories, but accessories aren't visible from a distance. Two coords with the same dress/shoes/bag/blouse but different accessories are going to look pretty samey compared to using the same accessories but a different blouse, bag and shoes. If you're using super generic offbrand accessories it might be cheaper to buy the accessories, but your coord won't look very unique; if you buy accessories specifically for that print they won't be as versatile as a bag and shoes would and probably cost as much or more.
>>9358705
Ngl, I nearly bought a DSLR for lolita and then changed my mind when I realised only two of the dozen or so bags I own would be able to fit it (I usually just carry keys/wallet/pass/phone/comb/tissues/earbuds/lipgloss, so I get away with having mostly smallish bags, but sometimes I wish I had the extra space for bottled water, an umbrella and a hidden pocket for band-aids and emergency medication).
>>9358706
>Have a few petticoats for layering. Different dresses and situations call for different levels of poof.
Current lolita is so variable in dress length that I feel like it's never enough. I used to feel like I had plenty with one black and one white bell-shaped petti and one black and one white A-line petti that could be layered for additional volume, but more and more of my wardrobe is dresses which are too long or short for these to work with. I want a much poofier bell-shaped petti since my older ones are deflating, a shorter A-line, short bell petti, and long A-line without much volume, but owning so many different petticoats feels ridiculous.
>>9359342
>There tends to be a lot of stuff you need more than you thought you would, or stuff you like more than most lolitas so you want more of it once you start actually building your wardrobe.
For me it's probably blouses, I see so many lolitas say they get by with three blouses between a dozen main pieces, yet I'm here with 18 blouses and feel like my wardrobe isn't versatile enough (and I'm not even a daily lolita). If you wear a lot of different colours and more than one substyle the possibilities really become endless.
>>9372899
>400k house
>implying that's anything but average
anon you're embarrassing
>>9372801
Original $1500 anon here, interesting to see the discussion it brought! I'm mostly just happy about being able to find good secondhand deals and not being drawn to always buying brand firsthand, though that doesn't mean I'm always cheap - I bought Le Petit Chaperon Rouge secondhand and paid $320 happily because it was a dream item, but meanwhile for plainer items to dress down I do my best to catch a deal. I'm really glad to see a lot of people get the idea that while certainly this is an expensive hobby that doesn't mean you can't find ways to save a little and spend wisely. I completely understand the vitriol for cheap newbies though, and sorry if I came of that way, I'm just a thrifty person.
>>9373196
For water, I usually use a hip flask because it holds just enough to tide me over moving between water sources. There's a chance people will mistake you for an alcoholic though.
>>9364237
>Yeah you can also afford 50 dresses in just a couple of years if you have enough disposable income and don't have other hobbies.
I think another already mentioned but if you buy the plainer dresses they end up being a lot cheaper. I think people were reading "if you are really invested in lolita you'd have 50 dresses by now" as if all 50 dresses were brand.
>>9372449
How come every time we have one of these kinds of threads, some jackass has to roleplay how rich they are and act like money means nothing and they can just burn $100 bills?
I know it's fun to be anon but good lord..
ABOSULTLY CARDIGANS
They are cheaper than blouses and mean you can have one white, one black blouse then mix and match the cardigans
>>9359506
I feel like I got to the "that's enough" point this year (40+main pieces, 20+ blouses, a dozen or so boleros/cardigans, 20 pairs of shoes, 14 bags). I only have one coat and my colour palette is all over the place so I need to buy a couple more to avoid mismatching, and I want more coloured blouses and classic heels, but other than that I'm really only looking for accessories and dream dresses. I have a lot of basics but I'm not a lifestyler, so I don't make having enough items to wear daily a priority (desu, I have nowhere near enough legwear for that to be really viable), but I do live in a not-great area and get public transport a lot to meets so a lot of my wardrobe's on the casual end anyway.
For me, completeness is about having variety more than specific items - being able to pull a lolita coord in any of the styles and colour palettes I like out of my wardrobe on a whim, as well as having a few wishlist prints. My thought process is trying to fulfil niches like "toned-down coord for travelling with sensible heels and large bag", "warm coord that still looks cute in cold weather", "florals for spring". Wearing lolita creates a mood, and being able to wear all my preferred aesthetics makes me happy even if I don't have many wishlist pieces. Of course a wardrobe is never truly complete, but I feel satisfied this year, whereas I spent a lot of last year feeling frustrated at my lack of options.
Trying to have coords for OTT events ready in your wardrobe is a waste of time IMO - most of the events are themed and have different brand guests so you'll probably need to get new stuff anyway, and you're unlikely to wear the same dress to two big events in a row. I don't buy/sell much with my everyday wardrobe but I tend to buy/sell for events. Same with themed meets - you're never going to be able to cover all the possible themes in one wardrobe, so just stick to themes you genuinely like and don't dress for the theme when you don't own it.
>>9358678
>When it comes to a lolita wardrobe we're all agreed on the basic basics (petticoat etc) but what are your personal essentials?
I think parasols (more accurately, umbrellas that look like parasols) are an underrated accessory these days. I think coats are an essential as well if you live somewhere where the climate requires it, but I get that they don't seem worth the investment when they cost so much to buy and ship and you're only going to need them for a few meets a year.
>What can you not live without?
Lolita shoes. Shoes dictate substyle a lot of the time.
>What are you planning on adding to your wardrobe over the coming year?
Some better-quality wigs, a peignoir (I know, years too late for that trend), some more accessories. I've just done a big shoe and legwear haul so I feel pretty satisfied with my basics now, and even though I'm keeping an eye out for wishlist pieces, I'm not prioritising new dresses since I already have like 50 main pieces. I'm trying to collect at least one piece from every brand I like as well.
>Let's chat wardrobe expansion!
For the first time in years I'm thinking of downsizing instead of expanding, since I'm probably going to be moving soon. It's hard because the only things in my to-sell pile are dresses, blouses and jackets, but there's no urgent need for me to sell those items since my current wardrobe still fits in one (wide) closet. I don't want to sell any of my 20 bags or 25 pairs of shoes since but they take up so much more space. I already sold the stuff I didn't love earlier in the year, so now it seems like the only way to make space is to quit wearing some substyles and colours entirely, which would be kind of a shame. I know my style's all over the place but I like everything I have too much to phase anything out. I'm the same with normie clothes but after a failed attempt to streamline down to one or two styles last year (just made me feel boxed-in and unhappy) I gave up and just embraced it.
I need to get new blouses. I have a bad habit of buying dresses over the rest. Any suggestions of ones that work with a large bust?
Also same goes with shoes. I really need a new pair but I prefer buying first hand. Are there any good websites other than brand stores that do them inside Europe? Dreamy Bows is always out of stock!
>>9382417
I recommend IW for blouses, they come in larger sizes and their chiffon blouses look very flattering on hourglasses.
>>9358678
I feel like I constantly get stuck with too many skirts/jsks and not enough blouses because I'm really picky about those
Cardigans and berets are staples in my wardrobe. The berets especially so since I like a lot of sweet prints but hate wearing the giant headbows that usually come with them. They're just a tad too childish for me.
My absolute essentials are a beret/cardigan/shoe set in red and one in black. Pretty much every main piece I own can be worn with either one or both sets. I guess it makes for a "boring" wardrobe but I like the versatility.
I have a habit of checking normie stores/thrift stores for loliable blouses every time I go so now I have a lot of them, including some I've never worn. Since I've got that covered, I guess the goal now is to get more main pieces to wear them with.
>>9380591
off topic, but that's a amazing photo, is there a collection of them? I love looking at these!
My goal this year is to either lose weight or sell the clothes that doesn't fit. I give myself until New Years. Initially hoped to lose 20 pounds to regain my weight as a 14 year old however I may like to drop 10 below that if I still feel fat at that size.
I have some gorgeous pieces but can't wear them.
>>9388609
I need to start doing this, I definitely prefer the look of vintage blouses. Do you have any recommendations for getting started with thrifting? It always feels so overwhelming and I really don't have a good idea of where to start.
>>9388667
This is just a single one AFAIK, it's from this album:
http://imgur.com/a/YzGcg
What would be a good goth headpiece staple? Something I can buy lots of in different styles and colours. I'm not an OTT kind of lolita at all, so I tend to just completely forego headwear and do more elaborate hairstyles to make up for it.
>>9388976
Sorry anon, I don't really have any helpful tips. The thrift stores I most often frequent are big and the tops are organized by color/sleeve length/size so it makes it easy to check for what I like. For the thrift stores that aren't organized, you just need a loooot of patience.
Don't buy stuff because it's cheap though, I've ended up with a few blouses that were very cute but didn't fit me well, I just got them because they felt like such good finds/deals and ended up passing them on.
>>9389728
If you have easy to style hair, I'd go with a rectangle headdress. I don't have bangs and my hair is kind of flat-ish, so most days I can't just throw on a headdress, so I usually wear a hat. Big, floppy ones are good for a goth staple, and you can add ribbons or flowers to match.
>bought 3 blouses in my last taobao order
.meant to buy one of them in black AND in white
>inner goth takes over
>black out
>six hours later I come to, realize I submitted the order without the white blouse, and with another black blouse as well
Is it a problem if I only own black blouses? I have a princess sleeved, high collar hime type blouse, a high collar short sleeve, peter pan collar short sleeve, wide ruffled collar mid length sleeve, and a black sailor collar cutsew, so I have a variety of shapes to work with but... damn, every time I try to shop for something different or new, my goth side just says "nope" and I end up buying more black.
>>9389728
Hats are great if you are lazy. You can add all sorts of things to hats to dress it up but a good wide brim goes far. Otherwise go for thematic stuff.
>>9389728
I love small corsage clips with small veils, like the sort that AatP have done a lot of in the past. I also really like small bow clips, like the sort that IW do. I go for a more mature, EGA inspired look with my Lolita so go for quite simple hair styles. I'm often inspired by things such as dressage riders, so things like a netted bun with a small bow over the top of that, or more historical braided looks, like taped braids. The accessories you go for I think depend on what your personal style is, and how you wear your hair. Contrary to what >>9391960 says, I think that the rectangle headdresses don't work with a lot of Lolita these days, unless they're the very narrow ones, and even so then it really does depend on the outfit. The wider rectangle headdresses work best with old school and are hard to make look good.
>>9391980
Are you actually a gothic lolita? If you are than it's definitely not a problem, but if you have a wide variety of colours in your wardrobe you should probably try to branch out.