Confidence in Lolita
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Making Old School new again
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Faith & Fashionproviding Lolita international fashion
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Interview charisma of the lolita world MisakoAoki‘s TwoFaces
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LolitaBrand youshuoildknow
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Summer dolly collections
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Don’t criticize yourself. The first step is the most important, and that is to stop criticizing yourself. Don’t allow yourself to use any harsh words that you may feel about yourself. And I don’t just mean using the words vocally, or in a half-hearted joking excuse, but internally too. Whenever you catch yourself thinking these things, stop yourself before you can even finish the thought. Don’t compare yourself to others. Don’t feel as if you have to make yourself into a clone of the “perfect” person. You don’t have to have someone else’s figure, someone else’s friends, someone else’s clothes, or someone else’s money to be happy. Instead of focusing on living someone else’s life, focus on ways you can improve upon yourself. Discover what you love about yourself. Make a list! Write it down and keep it somewhere special, where you will see it often, like posted to your mirror, or folded up in your wallet. Throughout the day take notice of the things you do particularly well and add them to the list, you’ll soon discover that you have many good qualities and reason enough to love yourself. Praise yourself. When you complete tasks or notice that you do something particularly well, congratulate yourself on it. Even if it’s something simple like keeping a room tidy or finish some rather difficult homework. Learn to notice where and just how much you succeed. Write yourself a love note. It might sound silly but write a note to yourself and include what you like most about you. It can be in a diary, a
letter sealed up in an envelope that you keep somewhere secret, an email set to send it to yourself in a few months (try FutureMe.org), or even a collage of pictures from days you are proud of and of people who love you. Gaining confidence, especially when wearing Lolita Confidence is a big part of learning to love yourself, and vice versa. Especially when you are wearing such an attention grabbing fashion like Lolita. Lolita often forces you to be the center of attention, and if you don’t have the confidence to go with the attention, it could make wearing Lolita a very uncomfortable experience. Wear Lolita around the house. If you have the dress that you’ve always wanted, but don’t yet feel comfortable wearing it in public, then don’t let it just sit in the back of your closet! Wear it in the privacy of your own house, even if you only ever wear it in your own bedroom for an hour or two. Don’t let the dresses intimidate you! They’re just a pile of frills and lace until you put them on and make them shine. Treat others as you would like to be treated. I don’t just mean being polite, but being friendly as well. Smile at people, make conversation, complement others, let yourself laugh at jokes. Be as friendly to others as you would like them to be to you and you will soon find that your friendliness has rubbed off on others!A moment of their time to tell you so. Ias that. The opinions of rude strangers on the street shouldn’t matter to you anyways since you’re not here.
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“So wea look lik
Being a Lolita isn’t easy, especially
understandable for society to get the
if you live in a small town. Dealing
wrong idea about Lolita Fashion.
with society and feeling all alone
Why you say? Well first of all the
can really ruin someone’s confidence
term Lolita is enough to off put some
“Enjoy What You Have. You Might Think You Will O Be Happy With Currently Unotainable Things”
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and fun with the fashion. Lolita is a
people, as they obviously associate
fun fashion that is all about dressing
it with the book. So first things first,
for ones self, yet sometimes society
just don’t mention it. If someone asks
just doesn’t get it.It is completely
you what Lolita Fashion is just simply
Also no matter how hard you try to explain to someone about your interests, if you’re different from them that’s all
about themselves and it gives them a sense or feeling of power. Jealousy is often said as a reason for bullying, and believe it or not its true. The bullies aren’t necessarily jealous of your outfit, but the fact that you had the courage to do what you wanted to regardless of society’s expectations. If you are in high school especially, you are expected to fit
ar it with pride. You ke a princess aftef” they will see. The person standing next to you at the shopping mall isn’t going to care or know that you just met up with a bunch of cute adorable frilly friends the other day, they only care about the fact that they have never seen anything in their life like you and you are standing all alone right now. If something is different from what someone is used to seeing in society they are going to obviously feel a bit confused about it all. People react to things in many different ways, you may have some people ask polite questions about your ‘strange attire’ or you may get some very rude members of society who just want to single you out. People do this not necessarily because they dislike you in anyway, but for many
Only
different reasons. Bullying can happen a lot to a Lolita, simply because we are different. You may get many nasty comments and horrible things happen to you in your life time, but no matter how cruel these things may be, believe it or not these horrible people don’t actually hate or despise you. People bully and put down other people for a number of reasons, and sometimes its hard to tell quite what the reason is. A lot of the times someone will bully someone else because it will make them feel better
in and follow the crowd, a lot of people will bully you because you don’t fit into the standard mould. No matter what you try to do there will always be someone there in the world to bully and tease you (in Lolita or not). The best thing to do is just keep your head held high and remember how much you love Lolita. You are in this fashion because you love it, and for no other reason ^w^ Strategies for dealing with bullies and low self esteem If you have low self esteem, yet really love Lolita Fashion there are a number of things you can do. No matter how much advice you read though it all starts with you, so just remember to stay positive. Be positive and optimistic- keep a diary and write all the things you love about yourself each and every time you feel cheery, and remember to look back over it the times you are feeling a little blue. Also make a collage of all the things you love, from your friends, to your dream dresses, to pictures of flowers and happy sunshine, and fill it with happy quotes. Another idea similar to the collage is to start a positive Tumblr. This is a fashion you loveremember you are wearing Lolita fashion not because you are being forced to but because you want to. Regardless of what anyone says to you, it will not take away that thrill that you get from each and every outfit. Look in the mirror before you go outside for the day, if all looks fine, then that’s all that counts. Tell yourself you are pretty and go nuts over how much you love your daily
coordination. If you are still doubtful then ask one of your close friends what they think of your outfit. Just remember when you are out and about, this is your outfit and you love it, people’s attitudes shouldn’t change your personal feelings. Ignore them- the best way to deal with someone who is giving you grief is to just cut them off completely, just ignore them. Online many websites and social networking sites have a block feature, don’t hesitate and just block them. If you are getting hate messages all the time and it’s beyond your control go to an adult you trust and in the worst case scenario consult the police. If you are having trouble in the real world the same applies. Easier said then done right...you may need a little help to be able to ignore someone, don’t be afraid to consult help from a friend or family member when you need it. To help block out negative comments you could carry an mp3 player around with you, even if you don’t have music playing it gives you an excuse not to talk to people. Whatever happens, you have the right to feel safe just like everyone else, don’t let anyone make you think otherwise.
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Making Ol New
“ The b Chunky platforms, bloomers peeking out the bottom of a skirt, yards upon yards of lace, lacy headdresses tied under the chin—all things we tend to think of when we reminisce about what Lolita used to be. But what if it was all back again, and with an updated look that was cutting edge and even trendy? That’s exactly what Japanese indie brand Priere is doing! Taking inspiration from antique dolls, Yukarin of Priere has created an angelic vision that harkens back to what Lolita was in the 90’s, as well as the Victorian revival of the 1970’s that brands like Gunne Sax popularized. Japanese pop culture is experiencing some serious 90’s nostalgia at the moment (perhaps all the 1980’s Fairy Kei girls have grown up and the girls who grew up in the 1990’s are taking their place as queens of street fashion?) and is coming up with ways to reinvent the looks of the decade in fresh new ways. One thing I particularly love about this brand’s stylings is the use of mixed off-whites, with only touches of brown or gold, and yet most of the looks are paired with darker shoes, something that was very frequently seen in old Lolita street snaps. I think that the pairing of lighter frilly dresses with dark shoes has such an endearing look, and reminds me so much of sepia toned antique photographs of little Victorian children. While Priere is not a Lolita brand, the aesthetics are very similar and I think that anyone interested in Lolita, particularly the current Classic Lolita trends, can find a lot of inspiration from this up-and-coming designer. The bell sleeves, the peeking bloomers, the layers of sheer lace, these are all things that elicit a strong sense of nostalgia from most Lolitas who’ve been in the fashion for a while, or even new Lolitas who know their roots, and it’s exciting to see a new designer put a fresh face on the older designs. While Priere is not a Lolita brand, the aesthetics are very similar and I think that anyone interested in Lolita, particularly the current Classic Lolita trends, can find a lot of inspiration from this up-and-coming designer. The bell sleeves, the peeking bloomers, the layers of sheer lace, these are all things that elicit a strong sense of nostalgia from most Lolitas who’ve been in the fashion for a while, or even new Lolitas who know their roots, and it’s exciting to see a new designer put a fresh face on the older designs.
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laye
that eli
most L
ld school w Again
bell sleeves, the peeking bloomers, the
ers of sheer lace,these are all things
icil a strong sense of nostalgia from
Lolitas who’ve been in the fashion “
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Faith & Fashion
Proving Lolita is an international fashion
Lolita is, arguably, Japan’s most contentious fashion export, with the UK’s media both congratulating and condemning its wearers in equal measure. On the one hand, it’s praised for the quirkiness and originality displayed by wearers; however, the trend has also been slammed by critics for sexualising young girls and trying to make them look ‘doll-like’, with wearers often seen in high heels and Victorian-style petticoats. Noor Al-Kattan is a fashion pioneer, famed worldwide for combining Lolita clothing with traditional Islamic dress (known as ‘hijab fashion’). In an interview for Hanna, Noor dispels the myths surrounding the quirky Japanese trend and proves that seemingly contrasting trends can go hand in hand.
Why did you start wearing Lolita clothing? I was around 19 years old when I first discovered Lolita fashion. It all began with my interest in Asian culture, which I had from a very young age; I admired the food, music and culture. Through looking at Japanese fashion magazines with friends one day at school, I discovered Lolita. The style was very striking and caught my eye as it was so different to anything I’d seen before.
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“It’s rather fascinating that after one article, there became a massive flood in more websites creating a story about this,” said Noor AlKattan, better known as fashion blogger Sugar Noor: one of the progenitors of the hijabi Lolita trend. In a recent interview with Vice, fellow hijabi Lolita Alyssa Salazar named AlKattan as her style inspiration. Though published by Vice in June, the piece has gotten huge traction in the last week; it’s been written up by everyone from Nerdist, to Bustle, to Yahoo. “It’s funny how something can be around for years, before it gets picked up by the media,” Al-Kattan said, “but I think it’s great that the content is all positive – to be receiving awareness like this is wonderful. The Lolita style is a popular Japanese street fashion and subculture that can be traced to at least the 1970s if not earlier. Like Punk or Hip-Hop, it was defined and popularized by youth culture as opposed to the mainstream. The trend takes its cues from Victorian-era frills and petticoats, as well as the elaborate detail and fanciful designs of the Rococo period. Lolita dresses and accessories have a childlike, living-doll quality.
Lolita styles range from the Classic, with regencyinfluenced waistlines to darker, ornate Gothic Lolitas and even branch out to include Punk and Casual looks. Al-Kattan, who has been wearing the hijabi Lolita style since 2008, explained that her entry point to Japanese culture was a childhood affection for anime and manga “as with most people.” A native of the UK, she was exposed to Japanese fashion as a teenager when a friend lent her a copy of FRUiTS: a magazine that documents the street fashions of the Harajuku district in Japan. Pictures of the Lolita style resonated strongly with AlKattan; she “immediately thought” she wanted to try it out herself. “I did a quick Google search to see if there was anything else out there and found nothing,” she said, “so as far as I’m aware I was the first to start wearing it [the hijabi Lolita style] and feet exposed. Al-Kattan recalled that her first attempts at coordinating her hijab with the Lolita style were “a great struggle,” but also said: “I was adamant upon finding a suitable way to combine the two – faith and fashion.”
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Interview: Charisma of the Lolita World Misako Aoki’s
Misako Aoki
Misako Aoki Official Lolita model & regular nurse Lolita model & nurse Japan Lolita Association President Bilibili動画27 misa@gmail.com La LolitaYouTube
Lolita model Misako Aoki modeling “Diamond Crevasse” dress from Elpress
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Every Lolita fashion lover know of Misako Aoki, the charisma of Lolita fashion. Her popularity is not only growing in Japan, but many other countries have also started to take notice of her. She is a charismatic Lolita model and the president of the Japan Lolita Association. On the other hand, she also works seriously as a nurse. We interviewed her about her works and thoughts. - First off, please introduce yourself. I’m the president of the Japan Lolita Association, a Lolita Model, and a nurse, too. - You have so many jobs …! What is the difference between being the president of the Japan Lolita Association and being a Lolita model? As the president of the Japan Lolita Association, I’m active in spreading Japanese Lolita fashion to the world. When I’m working as a model, I’m considering that I have to be the icon of Lolita fashion. But the basics are almost the same. - I know that you often go overseas as the president of the Japan Lolita Association to participate in tea parties. How often do you go to other countries now? The numbers depend on the season, but I go overseas at least once a month. Sometimes, I go abroad three times a month. Currently, I already have plans to go abroad in October and November. - Wow! You’re so busy! You are also consistently nominated as the Kawaii ambassadors in various countries. Do you have any activities planed for the Japan Lolita Association in the future? The Japan Lolita Association was built last year and this March was its first anniversary. We only have about five thousand members and about half of our members are foreigners. There are very few Japanese fans. Lolita fashion is very popular in other countries, but not so much so in Japan… unfortunately it is even starting to decline a bit. For that reason, I want more and more Japanese people to know about Lolita fashion through my book, “Lolita Fashion Book,” a book I took one year to complete. So, my objective of this year is to promote my “Lolita Fashion Book” and Lolita fashion. - When you go overseas, is it okay for you to put aside your duty as a nurse? It’s okay. My company understands my situation well. - Do you work as part-time nurse? Yes. A nurse needs national qualifications and of course, I have them, so I can work as a nurse whenever and wherever. It means that I can keep the balance. Sometimes, I have to stay overseas for about one or two weeks, but I work as a nurse during those times when I’m in Japan. - Do you have a regular ratio between being a Lolita and a nurse? It’s about fifty-fifty. Of course, it differs from month to month, but I’ve
decided that it should be about fifty-fifty. - It must be difficult. Everyone seems to say the same thing, but you know, there are a lot of women who manage house work, raising children and working full-time. Compared to such people, my life isn’t difficult to manage at all. - Oh, really? But I also guess that working as a nurse is a very serious job. Yes. Being a nurse is totally different from being a Lolita. As a nurse, I have to be responsible, because I take care of other peoples’ lives. For that reason, I always change my mindset from a Lolita to a nurse. - Have you seriously thought that you should choose only one job, Lolita or nurse? Yes. I’ve thought about that during the turning points in my life, for example, when I graduated from the university. But, every time I start to think about it, Lolita-related events and opportunities always appear in front of me. It drives me to assume that it implies “don’t retire from being a Lolita” … - Do you mean that you will retire being a Lolita someday in the future? Yes. Because I’ve worked a lot as a Lolita, I feel like, “I have enough”! I think that I should retire from it someday. I want younger models to take my place. - So, you’ll graduate from being a Lolita and only work as a nurse? Yes. And while I work as a nurse, I also want to marry and raise children. - When is the most serious situation while you keep the balance between a Lolita and a nurse? I’m okay now, but when I started working as a nurse, I worked late hours, even through the middle of the night, and it caused rough skin. Sometimes, it’s still hard to keep my skin beautiful because a nurse uses many kinds of chemicals; moreover washing my hands many times makes it difficult to manage good skin. It’s a little hard because as a Lolita model, I need to keep my skin pretty. - According to your blog, you also appear on the catalog in nurse uniforms as a model? Yes! I turn to being a nurse model even now and then; and now, I’m working on making a new nurse uniform. It has many ribbons. - Ah! Amazing! I want it! The public can check it out if you request the catalog (laughs). - Do you have any other plans to collaborate nursing and Lolita? I want to do welfare activities specialized on women such like Pink Ribbon and campaign of uterine cancer. Lolita fashion stands out because it’s like a princess, and every girl longs to be one. But Lolita is not
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ld kno u o h s u o y rand
Lolita b
Color: Pink, Sax, Black
$200
Included in Set
Toy Harmony Jumperskirt Toy Harmony Headbow Toy Harmony Over Knee Girly Petticoat
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Nagoya store, Osaka store, Utsunomiya store, Sendai store, Kanazawa store 5/16 (Sat) 12:00 Start selling at the telephone reception! ! Online Shop 5/16 (Sat) 12:00 Sale START! ! This week “ Whip Ribbon Series “ will be in stock” In addition, we received favorable reception “ Heart Cafe One Piece Set “ to re-stock is original print to other Château d’écume series want to fit in
Saxophone Whip Ribbon dress
Pink Ribbon dress
(4 colors: white, pink, saxophone, con)
(4 colors: white, pink, saxophone, con)
¥ 25,800 + tax
¥ 25,800 + tax
White Whip Ribbon dress
Con Whip Ribbon dress
(4 colors: white, pink, saxophone, con)
(4 colors: white, pink, saxophone, con)
¥ 25,800 + tax
¥ 25,800 + tax
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Heart Cafe One Piece Set (all 3 colors: pink, saxophone, red) ÂĽ 29,800 + tax * It is a 4-piece set of one piece, apron, headband and choker.
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olly d r e ! Summ lections!! col e l y t s
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