Lolita Level Up Quiz 2.0

A few of you might remember an older Lolita quiz from Parfait Doll that gauged your Lolita Level. I recently discovered an old Livejournal entry in which I took the quiz and got to thinking about just how much Lolita has changed since the quiz was originally made over 4 years ago! Back in 2010, there really weren't a ton of opportunities for Lolitas outside of Japan. Sure, Baby and Angelic Pretty sometimes did fashion shows at anime conventions, and the second Baby shop outside of Japan was freshly opened, but beyond that the Lolita community was much the same as it had been for years. So I got to thinking, what sort of things are Lolitas in this day in age marking off as their rites of Lolita passage? What opportunities do Lolitas have now that were just frilly day dreams back in 2010? Soon enough, the Lolita Level Up 2.0 Quiz was born! 

The rules are simple, you get a point for every one of these things that you can say you've done, add the points up at the end, and you have your score! For the purpose of this quiz the term "brand" is open to your own consideration. If you consider Bodyline as a brand, or don't consider anything that wasn't designed by Mana himself as brand, that's up to you. Questions are broken up into groups of 16 to make counting your points easier!

• You have a favorite brand
• You own a petticoat
• You own multiple petticoats in different cuts and/or lengths
• You own a parasol
• You own an item from a brand
• You own a novelty item from a brand (plates, mugs, stuffed animals, home decor, and other "non-wearables")
• You own an item from Bodyline
• You own an item from a Taobao brand
• You own an item from a Western indie brand
• You own an item you bought of eBay, Amazon, or a shady website and it came out okay
• You've bought brand directly from their official store
• You've bought a lucky pack
• You bought an item in reserve
• You own a complete Lolita outfit
• You've worn a complete Lolita outfit in public
• You've worn a complete Lolita outfit in public and it wasn't even on Halloween or at a convention

• You've bought and sold on an online Lolita community
• You've paid retail price for a rare secondhand brand
• You've paid double the retail price for a rare secondhand brand
• You've paid less than 20% the retail price for secondhand brand (ex: you paid $40 for a piece that originally cost $200)
• You've bought from a Japanese auction
• You've ordered from a shopping service
• You wear clothes you've made for yourself
• You wear a print you've designed yourself
• You wear clothes you've had custom made for you
• Have had brand pieces altered to fit your size or style
• You've been wearing Lolita for over a year
• You've been wearing Lolita for over 5 years
• You've been wearing Lolita for over a decade
• You have enough Lolita outfits to wear a new one every day for a week
• You have enough Lolita outfits to wear a new one every day for a month
• You've converted an interested friend to Lolita

• You wear brand with your "normal" wardrobe
• You don't have a "normal" wardrobe because you only wear Lolita
• You know how to handwash your Lolita clothes
• You know how to wash a wig
• You've worn a wig, circle lenses, or false eyelashes
• You've worn a wig, circle lenses, and false eyelashes all at once
• You own a pair of rocking horse shoes
• You own a pair of tea party shoes
• You own a purse shaped like something ridiculous
• You own an old school rectangle headdress
• You own a bonnet
• You own Lolita roomwear or pajamas
• You own a Lolita item that was released this past year
• You own a Lolita item that was released over 6 years ago
• You own a Lolita item that was released over 10 years ago
• You own every item released in a favorite print/series

• You've worn something on your head that was never intended to be worn on a head
• You've worn a trendy accessory (deer horns, halos, peignoirs, eyeballs, etc)
• You've worn Sweet Lolita
• You've worn Classic Lolita
• You've worn Gothic Lolita
• You've worn Old School Lolita
• You've worn Boystyle
• You've worn one of the lesser worn Lolita substyles such as Punk, Ero, Wa, or Guro
• You know the difference between a JSK and an OP
• You can name at least 5 prints
• You can tell which items are from which brand just by looking at them
• You can tell which items are from which brand just by looking at them, even if they're not a print
• You can tell which year a brand piece came from just by looking at it
• You've taken Lolita outfit snaps
• You've traveled to visit a fancy looking place just to take outfit snaps
• You've started a trend that others have followed

• You own a Gothic & Lolita Bible
• You own every single Gothic & Lolita Bible
• Your picture is in a Gothic & Lolita Bible
• Your picture is in a Gothic & Lolita Bible because you're a model for a brand
• You own a Lolita sewing pattern book
• You've made something from a Lolita sewing pattern book
• You've seen Kamikaze Girls
• You've read Kamikaze Girls
• You've met Novala Takemoto
• You've met Misako Aoki
• Misako Aoki has made you an official Lolita ambassador
• You've met one of your favorite Lolita designers
• You've learned how to sew/craft just so you can make your own Lolita clothes/accessories
• You've decorated your house/bedroom to match your Lolita wardrobe
• Your Lolita wardrobe is part of your decor (ex: you display your hats on a shelf, keep a mannequin dressed up on display, etc)
• You've been interviewed for a newspaper/magazine article for wearing Lolita

• You've made friends through Lolita
• You've made friends in foreign countries through Lolita
• You've celebrated International Lolita Day
• You have a separate facebook profile just for Lolita
• You're known by a different name when you wear Lolita
• You've twinned with someone
• You've tripleted with people
• You've been part of a group of clones
• You've taken purikura in Lolita before
• You have a purikura app on your phone
• You've had to explain what you were wearing to a stranger
• You've been called a princess by small children
• Old ladies have complimented you and remarked how nice it is to see young people dressed so nicely
• You've been called Bo-Peep
• You've been asked if you were in a play
• You've been asked what you were cosplaying as, or compared to an anime character

• You're a member of online Lolita communities
• You're active in online Lolita communities
• You mod an online Lolita community
• You mod an online community of over 1,000 members
• You've attended a meetup
• You've attended a tea party meetup
• You've attended a brand sponsored tea party
• You've traveled multiple hours to attend a meetup
• You've hosted a meetup
• You've hosted over 6 meetups
• You've hosted a meetup with over 20 attendees
• You've been to a Lolita swap meet
• You've attended a large scale Lolita event or convention
• You've been on staff at a large scale Lolita event or convention
• You've been to a Lolita panel at a convention
• You've hosted your own panel at a convention

• You've seen a Lolita fashion show
• You've modeled in a Lolita fashion show
• You've seen a brand fashion show
• You've modeled in a brand fashion show
• You own your own Lolita clothes/accessory line
• You've hosted your own brand's fashion show
• You have visited a Lolita shop
• You've traveled to another country just to buy from Lolita shops
• You own and run your own Lolita shop
• You're friends with a brand shop girl
• You are a brand shop girl
• You run a Lolita blog (traditional, tumblr, vlog, etc)
• You run a Lolita blog with over 1,000 followers
• You have been called "e-famous"
• You have been called "e-infamous"
• You've been featured on TV for wearing Lolita

 1-15 points means you're familiar with the fashion and have taken an interest in all things frilly and Lolita. You've probably attended a few open events, maybe own a few pieces of Lolita, lurk the online communities, and you definitely are on your way to knowing your stuff! Your next step is probably buying the final piece for your first full outfit and finally headed to your first meetup!


16-40 points means you're just starting out in the world of Lolita. You may have been interested in the fashion for a few years but are just now getting involved in wearing the fashion on a regular basis and joining local communities. You probably have a couple full outfits but are still working on building a larger wardrobe. Alternatively, you have a larger wardrobe and definitely know your stuff, but you aren't very active in local or online Lolita communities and are perhaps more of a lone Lolita. Your next step is probably either finishing up adding a few more pieces to your wardrobe or to starting getting to know some other Lolitas.

 41-60 points means you're probably a very well-rounded Lolita. You have a fair sized wardrobe that allows a variety of outfits and some style experimentation, you have a few Lolita friends, and you've attended your fair share of meetups and even fashion shows. You probably have a few volumes of the Gothic & Lolita Bible hanging around your bookshelf and you've definitely taken an interest in Lolita hobbies. Your next step is probably to step out of your comfort bubble, try a new style you've always wanted to try, host your own meetups, or perhaps finally apply to be a model for a local Lolita fashion show.


61-80 points is the realm of an experienced Lolita! You've probably been active in the fashion for a number of years, have a fairly large and diverse wardrobe, and have attended (and hosted!) your fair share of Lolita events. You're most likely well-known within your local, and online, communities. You're probably practically an expert on the fashion and have probably introduced, or at least guided, a few friends along the right path in the fashion. Your next step is most likely to do a closet cleaning or some wardrobe organization because you probably have a few years of accumulated clothes.

 81-100 points is at the top of the Lolita game. You've definitely been active in the fashion for a number of years, or possibly you've had a very intense first few years. You've gone out there and had the chance to do some pretty cool things that you always dreamed of doing back when you first got started as a Lolita. There's a good chance you're a leader in both your local Lolita communities and the online Lolita-sphere. Your next step is probably to kick a few more things off your Lolita bucket list! 
 
101 points is within the ream of Lolita royalty. You probably have enough clothes to dress your own personal rufflebutt army, which you could very well easily raise with a wave of your very expensive burando scepter! You're well known by Lolitas both near and far, who are most likely green with envy at what you have in your closet, who you've met, and what you've had the chance to do. There are probably still a few items left on your Lolita bucket list that have been haunting you for a while now because you thought they've always been out of your reach for one reason or another (perhaps it's that long-distance shopping vacation, to complete your dream dress list, or to finally host the tea party of your dreams), but look how far you've come yet! Whatever it is you want to do, you can probably achieve it easily, or at the very least, you definitely have the patience within the fashion to stick with it for a while and work on getting it done.

Keep in mind, this is obviously just for fun. You probably can't walk into Angelic Pretty and demand a discount because you got over 100 on this quiz, and the burando police aren't going to sneak into your house at night and steal your petticoats if you got a low store! I'd also like to give out one final shout out to Victoria of Parfait Doll who made the original Lolita Level Up quiz all those years ago, if you want a big of nostalgia, go take her original quiz. If you took it long ago, take it again and see how you compare (I've gotten an extra 20 points in the 4 years since I last took her quiz!).

What's your Lolita level? How accurate is the descriptions for you? Are they spot on or way off for you? My final score is a whopping 98 points! Here's to hoping 2015 brings me those final few points to knock my score up to Lolita royalty!

Fumiko Kawamura Interview + Enchanted Holiday Party Report

This post was written by Mis of froufro.us as part of F Yeah Lolita's new blogging team. 

Last Sunday, Fairytale Boutique held "An Enchanted Holiday Party" at Chado Tea Room in Los Angeles. The event featured Fumiko Kawamura and her brand, Enchantlic Enchantilly, as well as the premiere of local brand Automatic Honey’s newest jewelry collection. It was a fabulous time all around! We had the chance to attend the event and sit down for a chat with Fumiko- read on to find out all about it!

Panda Fuzz Review

Over the summer I was sent a few items from the Fairy Kei shop, Panda Fuzz, for review. Since my blog has been on a long hiatus since then, I'm only now getting the chance to post the review!

Shortly after being contacted by Panda Fuzz, I was sent a package that was sent priority and only took a couple days to arrive. Packaging was very neatly done and everything was wrapped in pink tissue paper and the accessories were confined to baggies to keep them from rolling around the box. Panda Fuzz surprised me with a very high quality printed tee shirt that I was totally not expecting (The shirt is the image in the background of the review header!). I was very impressed with the print quality on this shirt, as it appeared to be screen printed, and the illustration on it was just adorable! Anyone familiar with the style will tell you that cute and unique tee shirts in pastel colors are an indispensable addition to a Fairy Kei inspired wardrobe. 

 The rest of the items were Fairy Kei essentials, such as this kandi styled charm bracelet. It's on an elastic cord, which feels strongly secured and comfortably stretchy, and look extra cute paired with pastel lace wristcuffs in Fairy Kei x Lolita coords!

I thought that this heart lollypop cell phone strap was particularly cute and a subtle way to add a little bit of kawaii to your life. Unfortunately, I was afraid of the fragility of this piece, as the lolly pop stick is the real deal and the resin set so that it was more rubbery than plasticy. The rubbery resin isn't necessarily a flaw, it was by no means sticky, just something to take note of and I believe has since been worked out. However, all of the other resin pieces were perfectly set!

My favorite piece was definitely this very excited star hair clip! The face on the star is too cute and the color gradient was very cute. It featured a pink glittery plastic chain and charm dangle, that would look extra cute mixed in with your curls!

 The final item I received was a large statement charm necklace, featuring the same pink glittery plastic chain as on the hair clip. My favorite part about this was the little heart and star charms, as they reminded me of the sort of linkable charm necklaces that we used to make growing up in the early late 80s/early 90s. Definitely the right kind of nostalgic for Fairy Kei!

Overall, the items I received from Panda Fuzz were well made and were just what you would expect from the photos and the price range. The designs are cute would be a nice addition to a Fairy Kei inspired Sweet Lolita wardrobe!

You can find Panda Fuzz a few places online:
Etsy

Storenvy

Facebook

Lolita Blog Carnival: 2015 Lolita Trend Forecast

This week's Lolita Blog Carnival looked like a fun one, so despite quite a long time of not joining in, I just had to do this one! The topic is: 2015 Lolita Trend Forecast.

In the past year or so, a lot of really interesting new trends have been popping up in Lolita and the very idea of what the "traditional" Lolita looks like has vastly changed! I think 2015 is going to be an exciting year for Lolita trends, so for the topic of this Lolita Blog Carnival I've chosen 5 trend predictions for 2015 that I think are very likely.


I definitely think that in 2015 we're going to continue stepping away from the "traditional" Lolita shape of a very fitting bodice that flares out to a cupcake at the natural waist and stops short above the knees. I definitely think we're going to see the continuation of the trend of longer hemlines, increasingly deflated skirts, and higher waists. One of the reasons why I think this trend is going to continue to grow is because of just how versatile this look is! An a-line dress can have either a mature and sophisticated look with a longer hemline, or a youthful and retro feel with a shorter hemline. Lolita designers are no longer confined to "coloring within the lines" of the traditional silhouette to evoke a mood or aesthetic, but have much more room to fiddle with the overall look.

 In 2015, I think that there will be many more accepted styles of headwear, just like with the silhouette, the "traditional" will be set aside for the more adventurous. For years it seemed like the only headwear of choice was either an Alice bow by default, a rose corsage if you were going for a very grownup look, or an old school headdress for a select few who were stuck in the past. While there have always been a few crazy few out there who would do something so ridiculous as stick a cake on their heads, this was always the exception and usually reserved for the daring.  In the past couple years people have obviously gotten rather bored with this and have been experimenting with what they stick on their heads! No longer do people go for the default Alice bow and save the birdcage for fancy meetups, but even the most casual Lolita get together calls for creative head gear. From halos, to veils, to rose crowns, to books, to picture frames, to giant bonnets covered in flowers, there seems to be no limit to what a Lolita can stick on her head. I definitely think that this is a trend that will continue into 2015 and will be picked up more by mainstream brands, rather than just the DIY spirited Lolitas.

 The cross motif was at one time probably one of the fashion's oldest and most iconic prints, hitting big when Gothic Lolita was at the forefront of the fashion in the early 2000s. Recently this religious twist has come back, with a vengeance! I think that 2015 will see much more of this religious iconography trend in everything from more nun dresses, prints of classic religious paintings, to accessories that evoke a holy feel. No longer will the fashionable Lolita strive to look like a cupcake or a fairy princess, but rather she will want to look like she stepped right out of a church fresco.

 Does anyone else remember how over the top wacky it was when Angelic Pretty would release a dress with a pompom trim? "That's just... too much!" people would exclaim. Well, those days are long behind us and more and more dresses are being trimmed with just about anything other than lace. I think that 2015 will see more brand releases with much more variety of trims, including many different kinds of trims on the same piece, for a more lush and opulent look. I think that in 2015 we can expect to see beading, tassels, fringe, charms, and pretty much anything more adventurous than a grosgrain ribbon adorning the newest looks from brands.

 I have noticed a big Boystyle or Prince comeback within the fashion! For years Boystyle was just sort of there as an option that most people only chose to dabble in with off-the rack clothes, and honestly the style was stagnant for years (This old post of mine has very quickly become hilariously out dated!), but now all the sudden brands seem to be interested in releasing creative takes on the style beyond the typical black knickerbockers, white blouse, and a top hat. In fact, a handful of years ago if you would suggested Boystyle in either a Classic or Sweet option, you'd be met with a lot of skepticism. Nowadays Boystyle is just as diverse as Lolita. I think that 2015 will see a lot more Boystyle, both from brands, and in general at Lolita friendly events.

Overall, I think the theme for 2015's trends will be variety. We'll be seeing a lot of the old classics be reimagined, and the traditional take the back seat for the more avant-garde. I think that a lot of trends we're only just now seeing the beginning of, such as longer more relaxed silhouettes and religious iconography will really begin to take off in the upcoming year in a big way! The last year or so has seen a huge influx of indie brands releasing really creative pieces, as well as a lot more DIY spirit among Lolitas, and I really feel like this new variety in the fashion is really speeding up the evolution of Lolita fashion.

What do you think 2015 will hold for Lolita?

The Bloody Tea Party also joined in on this week's LBC topic!