The Lolita beginners' Lolita beginner-guide to Lolita fashion

*Giggle* I just looove that heading! Cause it's sooo true - I'm such a freshy, such a baby, such a newcomer in the lacey-frill-world of Lolita...

I'm going to rant about my first Lolita experience here, so if you just want the Lolita fashion basics, scroll down to under the picture of Momoko in pink dress :)

I stepped out of my comfort zone just a couple of weeks ago, dressed in something I thought was Lolita...

But still, the glory of first-time mistakes: the skirt was a bit too short, it was too hot for stockings and I'd just pulled out a bad quality polyester dress from my closet and snapped a petticoat underneath... Easy to fix newbie-mistakes.

Yet I came home and felt absolutely refreshed!

I could wear something that I liked - not something I am socially obliged to wear!
It was so fantastically invigorating!

I didn't give a hey what anyone thought about me! I felt absolutely beautiful, and I loved every little thread of my first maybe-not-so-Lolita outfit! (Perhaps I'll post some pics of it later, it was rather cute).

It was truthfully, like stepping out of a closet :) LOL

Kamikaze girls

I have since the day I was born, loved Lolita-style outfits.

How I, as an adult, have lingered in the children section of the department store, wondering why they couldn't make Christmas special dresses with frills and bows in just a little bigger sizes? So, perhaps, I could squeeze into it? (Being a 5 ft 9"1/3 /176 cm Amazon didn't really help ;)

After my outing, my first official Lolitaesque-style-experience, I was sparkling with the sense that I just made a new fashion-BFF. It made me plummet into an in-depth week, hanging around in Lolita FAQs, forums, facebook-groups, tumblr photos, you tube fashion documentaries, lolita vlogs... *phew* I see pretty lolitas in my sleep!

I know almost everything now about the quintessential of the Lolita fashion style, be it a subtype (Classic, Sweet, Gothic, Country), a crossover (Fairy Kei-, Dolly Kei-, Mori Girl- Lolita) or even not-really-accepted-sub-sub-type (Bittersweet) of the style.

What I perceived as the most basic Lolita-spirit of heart is that
first and foremost, it is a FASHION. 

A style, a way to dress yourself in the morning.

Aka it is NOT a costume, not a pretend-play or game. 

It's hardcore sweet (or classic or scary LOL).

And of course, I noticed ALL blogs mentioned it - so I should too - it has nothing to do with the novel with the same name ;) Here's a good explanation to that!
Lolita is a fashion based upon Victorian-, Edwardian- and Rococo-era children clothes. 

Kamikaze girls

What I as a beginner sieved through all these masses of Lolita-information, is the basic shape of the basic Lolita outfit:

1) Something in your beautiful hair/wig ;)
Be it a bonnet, big bow or headdress...

2) Elegant make-up (a big no-no to gothic white-face)
or no make-up, if you are a young Lolita.

3) Preferably to show as little skin as possible

between your neck and the tip of your toes

- i.e. to wear high collar necks, long sleeve blouses/dresses
or at least puff-sleeves and opaque stockings and decent underwear,
like bloomers or at least thigh-length tights.

4) A petticoat. The Lolita-heroine in Kamikaze girls does not have a petticoat, 

but it seems to me that 99% of the online Lolita society disagrees to this. But no rules without exceptions, I guess ;)
It doesn't have to be a 3-4 super-poofy organza pettis', cotton-cloth pettis' or chiffon works well with more subtle coords.

5) Accessories! Doesn't matter which Lolita style you choose - a plain dress without all the details is just a plain ol' boring dress :) It seems to me that the thought and love that you bring into your accessories defines your quality as a Lolita.

6) Coordination is the key - I've read this so many times.
Lolita is all about looking elegant and feeling good abut yourself!

:)

Here are links to more Lolita beginners guides!
(They are ALL written by Lolitas who know a great deal more about the fashion style than I do :)
http://lolita-tips.tumblr.com/post/15375960036/a-beginner-lolitas-guide-to-avoiding-common-beginner
http://thevelveteenlolita.blogspot.se/2012/03/tips-for-beginner-lolitas.html
http://hellolace.net/about/novices-guide
http://fyeahlolita.blogspot.se/2009/10/how-to-avoid-being-ita.html
http://www.youtube.com/user/PeachieAngelPrincess?feature=watch
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheLolisteinChannel

Yup, that pretty much covers it, I think.
All other things are secondary, take for example shoe-styles: they can be very specific Lolita, or they can be simple ballerinas, Mary-Janes, classic pumps or boots! They can have any height in heels - if it looks good, and it feels good it is good! :)

So, now, we await the mailman :)
Online shopping is the key to Lolita fashion,
if you aren't making the clothes yourself or have friends who have
the same dress-size and wants to sell you their beautiful pieces to you second hand :)
which would be my favourite pick *hint, hint*.

And we wait... and perhaps we drink a cup of tea?

http://phillydiamond.buzznet.com/photos/weeklyfashionblogswe/?id=66834901