Gothic & Lolita Bible 38

The 38th Gothic & Lolita Bible has been out for a little bit now, but it's finally been scanned and put up online (You can find it here). As I have mentioned before, I haven't bought a G&LB in a long time because they have become pretty much impossible to find in my area. We used to have a comic book shop keeping them in stock, but they seem to have stopped some time last year, probably because I was the only one buying them!

I whined about the glamor shots on the covers in my review of volume 37, commenting on the fact that they really take a bit of the magic of the mook away from me and so I was a little disappointed to see yet another glamor shot on the cover of volume 38. But, I've still got my fingers crossed for the day they start putting art on the cover again! I liked this volume a little bit more than I did the previous one, there was nothing that really blew my mind, and the patterns really sucked (There was what I think is an apron and a whole lot of Christmas ornaments) but there were lots of lovely coordinates and photos. I'll share a few of my favorite of them with you here. Click the thumbnails for bigger pictures.

In this volume's photo shoots I've noticed a lot of huge curly, multi-color wigs. This is something they've done for years in photo shoots, so it's probably not supposed to be "the next big thing", but I certainly did notice more gigantic curly wigs in this issue than in previous. Something else I noticed, which could possibly just be chalked up to the fact that this is the Winter volume, is a lot of more classical outfits. With the exception of an ultra-pink Mamicimam ad that featured a girl wearing an outfit that looked like it was made completely of pink stuffed bunnies, there were hardly any OTT Sweet outfits. Even Angelic Pretty's ads in this volume were very subdued.

The street snaps (the last 4 pictures above being street snaps) also featured a lot of Classic Lolita and quite a number of girls that looked like they stepped out of a 2004 issue of G&LB. I'm, of course, talking about the old school style. There were a few Sweet Lolita's snapped, but they were all generally tame.

Is it because this is simply a Winter issue, where colors are a bit darker and styles are a bit more Classical, or is it because of the rising popularity of the Dolly-kei style and a general disinterest in the uber-pastel OTT Sweet Lolita trend that has been the style to wear since about 2007?I can't really say until I see the Spring issue. If the photo shoots and street snaps go back to cotton candy colored wigs a mile high and prints that would look right at home painted on a nursery school wall then, oops, never mind, seasonal trends as usual. But if the next Spring issue features dusty pastels and lighter floral prints, then maybe Lolita trends are finally taking that turn for the Classic that everyone (well, most everyone) has been predicting and hoping for for the past couple of years!

One final thing I'll leave you with from this volume is this ad, for cheapo contact lenses.

That's probably the least cutest pose since the duck face. WTF are these girls doing with their mouths?

Lief's Sacred Night Print

Lief is a Korean indies brand that has been around for a few years now but have just recently started pumping out gorgeous print after gorgeous print. Their newest print is called Sacred Night and instead of being a custom printed fabric, as are their other prints, it's a screen print on velveteen.

Their newest print comes in 3 colorways, black on ivory, gold on ivory, and gold on black. This print is available as either a skirt or a JSK and is only available in tea-length (about mid-calf length) which is an unusual length for Lolita but also a very elegant length that the more classically inclined brands often use. The print itself is just gorgeous! It's definitely very wintry looking, covered in stars and snowflakes, but those take a back seat to the gorgeous castle featured on the print, so you can probably get away with wearing this skirt any time that wearing velvet is appropriate.

The first thing that I thought of when I saw this print was that it looked like Moitie's Divine Cross only much more elegant. Yeah, I know Moitie's print has the word "Elegant" (along with "vampire" "romance" and "aristocrat") right on it, but I just am not a fan of this Moitie print. It looks too much like Christian clip art to me, and the print placement looks too awkward to me. As much as I love religious themed prints, what I do not love are glowing crosses exploding forth from my loins.

If you're interested in getting your hands on the Sacred Night print you can pre-order it on Lief's livejournal. Pre-order actually starts tomorrow and the dresses should be released (I assume that means when they will be shipped) on the week of January 23rd. Provided they are actually shipped on that date, as I do believed they had quite a delay with one of their other prints, the Sacred Night print looks like the perfect addition to a winter wardrobe!

Merry Christmas

Just a little note to say Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope yours is a good one! Is there anything particular you're hoping to open up tomorrow morning? I am excited to be getting an ebook reader, I've been wanting one for so long! I'm also excited for everyone to be able to open the presents from me, I'm so excited about some of the gifts that I bought that I can barely contain myself and a few times I've been close to just telling everyone what they got XD I can never keep a secret!

F Yeah Lolita will be back on track soon, now that the holidays are just about done with. Sorry about this little unannounced semi-haitus!

Cheap and Easy Gift Ideas for Lolitas

Christmas is right around the corner, just a little over a week away, and most of us are quickly trying to cross off names on our lists. But what if you have a bunch of Lolitas on your shopping list? Maybe a lot of your friends are Lolitas and you simply cant afford burando for each of them, you have a meetup around the holidays and you would like to give a little something to everyone showing up, or you're doing a gift exchange and you have gone a bit blank about what to give. The hardest part about giving a gift to a Lolita is matching to their particular style, especially if it's a blind gift swap and you really don't know what their own personal style is. Try not to worry too much about that because while Lolita has a very wide range of styles, there are a few things that are pretty much universal, and unless someone only wears one very niche style of Lolita, these things are sure to please just about anyone in the frills.

• Cupcake or candy flavored lip gloss- Look for something in a sheer and pink shade, maybe with a slight shimmer, so that it can suit just about anyone's makeup style. Even the Lolita that doesn't go all out in terms of makeup is sure to appreciate a little sweetness and sparkle every now and then. Sweet flavored lip glosses can be found just about everywhere and most are going to cost less than $5.
• Cameos- A nice neutral white or cream cameo on a black background can go with pretty much any style, even Sweet Lolita in a black colorway or that has even a little bit of black in the print. It's also a very easy piece to wear, just clip it anywhere, and makes a cute addition to any Lolita's jewelry box. Cameos are very popular in mainstream fashion right now and can be picked up at just about any trendy clothing shop for around $8.
  
• Knee high or OTK socks- Can you think of anyone who gets more excited opening up a gift of socks than a Lolita? Keep the socks relatively style neutral, either an all black pair, or an all white pair. They don't even have to be a lace topped, or print covered pair for a Lolita to be grateful for them. Everyone in the frills can usually use an extra pair of plain socks in their wardrobe. Knee socks are easy to find pretty much anywhere and are typically less than $10.
  
• A sweet or flowery scent- Pick up a body spray in a sweet or flowery scent and it will be the perfect finishing touch to just about any outfit. The holiday season is the perfect time to find a scent that smells like warm vanilla or fresh baked holiday cookies. Cute scents can be picked up just about anywhere, especially this time a year when bath and body gift sets are always a good choice, you can usually find a cute scent for around $6.
  
• Pretty decor- A fancy frame, a cute little jewelry box, or some other pretty doodad that can sit on a Lolita's vanity is always a good choice. Cute decor can be found at any store that sells home goods, and will range in price from $5 and up.
  
• Crown motif jewelry- Crowns are a very popular symbol in the Lolita fashion, it's been featured on dress prints and brand jewelry for years. It's also a symbol that's easy to find in mainstream shops. Look for a cute necklace, ring, or even a keychain that can be clipped onto a purse. Again, look for a store selling trendy clothes and jewelry, or even children's jewelry, and you are sure to find something for around $10.
• Bloomers- For the craft gift giver! If you know your way around a sewing machine, consider making a pair of bloomers for all the Lolitas you know. Check out the tutorial section for a few links to different bloomer patterns and tutorials. Materials for a pair of bloomers will cost between $5 and $10 and only take a couple hours to make.
  

Any of these (except the bloomers) can easily be picked up at almost any mainstream store for a reasonable price and are all relatively style neutral. So they are perfect for any last minute Lolita gifts you need to pick up because so long as you can get yourself to a mall or even a Kmart, you're pretty much guaranteed to find something on this list.

While all of us don't get rare Angelic Pretty or the newest Moitie prints as gifts, many of use do get cute loliable gifts from loved ones and relatives who know we love the style. What have been some of your favorites? Some of my favorite loliable gifts from my friends and family have been the assortment of vintage gloves that my mom picked up for me at a flea market and a pretty little pocket watch that was actually filled with flowery smelling perfume balm that my sister got me a few years ago for Christmas.

December has been a bit busy for me! If you couldn't tell by the not even once-a-week posts I've been making. I've been working on a variety of hats and bonnets as well as making a whole lot of jewelry for some Lucky Packs I plan on getting up for sale, hopefully before the new year. Nearly every minute has been spent with either a needle and thread or a pair of pliers and a length of chain in hand! And because of that I've hardly had time to do some much needed blogging. Once things cool down a bit (for the week or two before I need to pick up the crafting materials again and get to work on making stuff for an upcoming convention) I hope to get back to my regular blogging schedule. I even have a bunch of posts in the works, I just haven't even had the time to sit down and finish them!

Wearing Full-sized Hats With Lolita

When you think of hats in the world of Lolita, you probably immediately think of mini hats, for better or for worse. But full-sized hats are also frequently worn with Lolita, they just don't get as much attention as their mini cousins. Many people tend to think that full-sized hats aren't worn with Lolita as some sort of unspoken rule, or that no one ever bothers too. But there are actually tons of different hats that you can wear with Lolita, and I'll be going over some of the good ones in this post, as well as some of the ones to avoid.

Hats that work very well with Lolita

Top hats

The big brother of the infamous mini-top hat is, of course, the full sized top hat. You can find a plain men's top hat just about anywhere, from Ebay to the mall, or if you want something a little more unique you can find yourself a fancy one from Baby or from a hat maker on Etsy. Top hats tend to go best with Gothic Lolita or Boystyle.

Bowler hats

Bowler hats are like a less formal top hat, they have a shorter, rounder top and the brim is often shorter and curled up a bit more than most top hats. They are also as easily found as the top hat in pretty much any store that would sell formal men's clothes, as well has being sold frequently by Innocent world. Bowler hats go well with both Gothic and Classic Lolita, the right one could even go nicely with Sweet Lolita, especially Sweet Lolita in black and white or a sweeter Kuro Lolita.

Berets

Berets are a cute choice and can be found just about anywhere during the Autumn and Winter months. You can often pick up cute pastel ones in the children's section. Angelic Pretty seems to be the big brand maker of berets, with Baby and Innocent World making a few of them every now and then. Despite the fact that brands tend to release Sweet styled berets more often than not, they go very well with just about any style of Lolita, provided the beret matches the rest of your coordinate. Metamorphose often even releases berets to match their Sailor Lolita styled dresses. Berets can also be the most casual type of hat, so they are perfect if you are planning a Casual Lolita coordinate that needs a hat, but you feel like a formal hat would be very out of place.

Boater hats

These have been around for ages, but over the summer they became very trendy in Japan and they were often seen coordinated in Lolita outfits. While Innocent World has released a couple, you can easily pick up Boater hats for an incredibly cheap price from Ebay or Bodyline. And if you want the real thing, you can usually find nice vintage ones in antique shops. Boater hats are also very versatile and can go with just about any style, depending on their color and how they are decorated, but the Lolita style it's most seen with is Classic Lolita

Vintage styled hats

These include a few different styles of hats, all of which have a vintage style, or are real vintage pieces. Innocent World, who seems to be the big hat maker in the world of Lolita, releases quite a few vintage styled hats, but so does Metamorphose on occasion when they release Sailor Lolita styled things. Vintage styled hats go well with just about any Lolita style, but are especially easy to coordinate with Gothic and Classic Lolita

Victorian hats

A Victorian mourning hat is, without a doubt, the gothiest thing you could perch on your head. They're gigantic and black and covered just about anything you can imagine, from whole birds, to roses, to veils. While they are indeed Gothic, they are probably best worn only with just the right Gothic Lolita coordinate. While they might look strange with Kuro Lolita, they would go perfectly with a Gothic Lolita coordinate that is definitely on the gothier end of the Gothic to Lolita scale. If you want a Lolita brand Victorian hat, you're probably going to have to look to the indie brand Triple Fortune, but you would have an even easier time just buying from one of the internet's many Victorian wear shops.

How to fancy up your hat

Of course, your hat is probably fine just the way it is, but maybe you have a craft itch that can only be scratched with a glue gun (ow!) and some decorations. If you want to add a little more frills to your hat there are lots of things you can do. This post on Paperlace has a lot of different ways you can decorate a hat, while a boater hat is used in the post, you could really decorate any hat you have! Decorations can be permanent with a little bit of hot glue and a needle and some thread, or you can use safety pins to make detachable decorations so one hat could go with many different coordinates.

Not all hats are created equal

Now, just because it's hat shaped, that doesn't mean it belongs on your head. There are some hats that you really should avoid if you plan on wearing a Lolita coordinate. Of course, there are always exceptions to rules, but putting one of these on your head can, more often than not, can ruin a perfectly fine coordinate.

• Kawaii character hats. Just because it's cute and you bought it at an anime convention doesn't mean it goes well with Lolita.
  
• Cheap party hats. It may be shaped like a top hat, but if you bought it in a pack of 8, don't wear it with Lolita or really with anything outside of a New Years Eve party.
  
• Floppy cheap hats. A slightly fancier variety of party hat is the big floppy top hat made out of satin or crushed velvet. Avoid it as you would anything else in Lolita made out of cheap satin or crushed velvet.
  
• Baseball caps. Unless you're going for some sort of totally not Lolita fairy kei style, baseball caps are just so not rori, even if they are pink.
• Hats that just don't match. You really wouldn't wear a black top hat with a Sweet Lolita coordinate, or a pink beret with a Gothic Lolita coordinate, having a matching hat is important.
  
• Hats made of folded up newspaper. Now why would you do that?
  

There are lots more hats that will both work with Lolita, and look completely silly with it, so do a bit of experimenting to find just the right hat that goes with your own personal style. The best part about hats with Lolita is that you can very easily lolify a hat, simply by sticking something cute and pretty into the hat band or changing the ribbon on it to match your coordinate.

What are your favorite styles of hat? Are you strictly a mini-hat type of person, or do you have a hat to match just about anything?

BtSSB's Kuranosuke Stripe JSK

I've been neglecting to update news on newest brand releases, I'm not going to lie, mainly it's been because I had no idea how to navigate Baby's new site so I was pretty much the last to know about their new releases XD Well, I've figured that out now, but Caramea over at New Vogue Children still beat me to this one, but I'm still going to talk about it anyways because I'm simply in love with it.

Kuranosuke Stripe is actually an Alice & the Pirates release, and it is awesome! I'm such a sucker for vertical stripes, and while many brands release prints with some sort of vertical stripe, maybe vertical columns of flowers, or polka-dot filled stripes with candy scattered around them, very few release simple 2 color stripes. The black and white stripes I especially love! Many Lolitas like to wear clothes that make them nostalgic towards their childhood with things like 80's pastels and unicorns, but my childhood memories consist of Beetlejuice, The Addams Family, and The Nightmare Before Christmas, so of course I'm going to get all warm and fuzzy inside when I see black and white stripes like this!

The one detail I'm not too fond of on this dress is the bustle. Don't get me wrong, I love a good bustle, but this bustle is just way too narrow for my tastes, and I much prefer a bustle like this when the fabric is the same as the rest of the dress.

Kuranosuke Stripe is currently up for reserve, and will be hitting shops and website come January. It's also paired up with a cute round headdress and a black blouse. The set is part of a collaboration with Kuragehime (or Jellyfish Princess), which is apparently a manga and new anime about a girl who loves jellyfish way too much and the fashionable crossdresser who saves them.

Jellyfish are apparently very rori.

I'm actually a little bit excited about this anime now XD It's based on a josei manga, which is aimed at older teens and women, so (hopefully) there will be considerably less sparkles and pantie shots than your average anime with frilly dresses.

Or not...

The more I read about this anime, the more I sort of really want to watch it XD I think I'm off to go find it now!