KERA SNAPS OF MANAMU, ANGELIC PRETTY DESIGNERS, PINK HAIR SWEET LOLITAS.
MaruiOne’s most recent Kera snaps captured some big fish in the Gothic Lolita pond. Here is the always-alluring Manamu, who wore an eyepatch and tiled tights in an Absolut Metropolis ad. Her eclectic outfits have been consistently featured in magazine style snaps – and it’s pretty clear why.
On the right, we have Maki and Asuka, the Angelic Pretty designers who were recently at LA’s Cosplay Oneesan. The ladies on the left are photographers; Alice was clinging onto a scary Teletubby doll at the last Alamode Night.
On a different note, reader Don sent me a link to an old but compelling article about Hong Kong Lolitas. The journalist interviews several Lolis, who say their unconventional clothing brings on scoffs and showers of eggs! “People think we are over-exaggerated, but we are just being ourselves, we do nothing wrong,” says one. Quite a few girls have felt forced to change their ways, which has stifled interest in the fashion in Hong Kong.
Have you ever received uncomfortable reactions to your clothing? How did you deal with these attacks?
SHARE & COMMENT
LA CARMINA
43 Comments
Regarding the bottom-right most lolita, the AP employee who is wearing a jumper alone…What do you, the Lolita community at large think of this? Is my impression that her bloomer-exposing skirt would be frowned upon? Are lolitas that strict? It's also important to note that she doesn't claim that what she is wearing IS lolita at all…
Also, Carmen, have you ever done a small piece on the lolita equivalent for male fans of the fashion (non-cross dressing fans of lolita style) ? Is it called Dandy style?
Thank you!
From my experience in Tokyo, the girls who wear Lolita or mix in elements don't put any thought into whether they are doing it “correctly” … they wear whatever looks good and makes them feel good. This consciousness is something peculiarly Western. Personally, I think her outfit is compelling to the eye. She's wearing AP, she pulls off a cute look – whether it's “proper” Lolita or not doesn't enter my mind.
I did a few posts on dandy / ouji / kodona fashion – check out:
http://www.carmenyuen.com/blog/post/index/177/K…
http://www.carmenyuen.com/blog/post/index/267/D…
http://www.carmenyuen.com/blog/post/index/120/J…
xoxo
I'm not always wearing Lolita clothes, but I'm one of those who like to mix and match things that “normal” people wouldn't even imagine that could be worn together and I had stop counting the times people yelled at me things like : “HALLOWEEN IS ON OCTOBER 31st !”
Actually, when I'm wearing lolita, there's two kind of reaction; there's some who just seem to think it's ridiculous that I'm clothed as a 5year old girl/a doll, the others seem to think it is really cute, but often ask if it's a costume or if there's a play or something…
But it never went as far as those cases you mentioned and I'm glad of this x_x Please be respectful to everyone D8….
LOL!!!!!!!!
When I first started high school, i was getting picked on because of my *taiste* in fashion, my most common rection is pritty much telling everyone to 'F*** OFF!!!!'
But now i've recently moved skools and the peope over there are a little bit more open minded, but now I get picked on cuz i wear glasses.
>.<
I guess things cant always be perfect . .
Kawaii 8D
I love lolita sooo much
but I cannot afford it T^T
Regarding the bottom-right most lolita, the AP employee who is wearing a jumper alone…What do you, the Lolita community at large think of this? Is my impression that her bloomer-exposing skirt would be frowned upon? Are lolitas that strict? It’s also important to note that she doesn’t claim that what she is wearing IS lolita at all…
Also, Carmen, have you ever done a small piece on the lolita equivalent for male fans of the fashion (non-cross dressing fans of lolita style) ? Is it called Dandy style?
Thank you!
From my experience in Tokyo, the girls who wear Lolita or mix in elements don’t put any thought into whether they are doing it “correctly” … they wear whatever looks good and makes them feel good. This consciousness is something peculiarly Western. Personally, I think her outfit is compelling to the eye. She’s wearing AP, she pulls off a cute look – whether it’s “proper” Lolita or not doesn’t enter my mind.
I did a few posts on dandy / ouji / kodona fashion – check out:
http://www.carmenyuen.com/blog/post/index/177/KERA-MALE-FASHION-SPREAD-GOTHIC-ARISTOCRAT-KODONA-OUJI-DANDY-BOYSTYLE
http://www.carmenyuen.com/blog/post/index/267/DANDY–KODONA–OUJI-OF-THE-WEEK-36-THE-SMOKING-MADHATTER
http://www.carmenyuen.com/blog/post/index/120/JAPANESE-KODONA-MALE-FASHION-GOTH-AND-PUNK-TIES
xoxo
I’m not always wearing Lolita clothes, but I’m one of those who like to mix and match things that “normal” people wouldn’t even imagine that could be worn together and I had stop counting the times people yelled at me things like : “HALLOWEEN IS ON OCTOBER 31st !”
Actually, when I’m wearing lolita, there’s two kind of reaction; there’s some who just seem to think it’s ridiculous that I’m clothed as a 5year old girl/a doll, the others seem to think it is really cute, but often ask if it’s a costume or if there’s a play or something…
But it never went as far as those cases you mentioned and I’m glad of this x_x Please be respectful to everyone D8….
Yep – My friends and I got ‘It’s not halloween yet!’ quite a bit…lol
LOL!!!!!!!!
When I first started high school, i was getting picked on because of my *taiste* in fashion, my most common rection is pritty much telling everyone to ‘F*** OFF!!!!’
But now i’ve recently moved skools and the peope over there are a little bit more open minded, but now I get picked on cuz i wear glasses.
>.<
I guess things cant always be perfect . .
Victorian Steampunk glasses are the epitome of awesome! http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/889/75008239.JPG
Kawaii 8D
I love lolita sooo much
but I cannot afford it T^T
Manamu's back no way thats so great she the coolest chick on the planet
oh spider ^.^
yeah I get quite a alot of stick for dressing 'weirdly' but mainly racist (I live in UK and am chinese). I always end up being vulgar back to them, which I know I shouldn't be, but I should stand up for myself. I've had rocks and footballs thrown at me.
I try to go out with my dad or with friends and never on my own.
At Whitby Goth Weekend I got quite a lot of smiles and compliments though =]
At the end of the day we are all our own person and shouldn't feel compelled to follow 'rules' in fashion.
A good blog btw like always :)
There are two kinds of reactions I get- some people are interested in the fashion and tell me that I look cute. Some even want to know what Lolita is about… The other kind of reaction is that they call me “emo” or look at me or laugh at me. I usually don..t care if people laugh at me or point their finger out on me.
Once I was attacked by a group of youths who even hit me. That shocked me but it never happened again and I..m still proud to wear Lolita. The funniest reaction I ever got was when my father was talking to our neighbour- later on he told me that she was shocked by my “graveyard” fashion and she couldn..t believe that he allowed me to wear it xD
I must admit I'm rather surprised by the reactions the other readers got. emo? lol hardly. and violence?! that just plain frightens me. my daughter is interested in Lolita fashion lately but is afraid to experiment with it at her school. we live in deep south so that should tell you how popular it is here. it makes me sad because she's usually pretty sure of herself. but its a new look and she's in a diff school this year so I guess she's overly cautious. but still. I just wish Americans would stop to enjoy the freedom we have instead of trying to tell everyone else here what to do with it.
I used to catch all the 'satanist druggie' comments back in high school because I wore lots of black band tees and dog collars and listened mainly to metal. guess times really haven't changed that much even if fashion has.
on a side note I have a question. do you and your readers have any advice for young girl looking to try out Lolita? what labels or locations to find or even how to carry oneself…I'd love to be able to pass along your wisdoms ^-^
Oh my goodness! I'm glad you're okay. And I totally take “graveyard” comments as a compliment!
Victorian Steampunk glasses are the epitome of awesome! http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/889/7…
Yep – My friends and I got 'It's not halloween yet!' quite a bit…lol
Manamu’s back no way thats so great she the coolest chick on the planet
oh spider ^.^
yeah I get quite a alot of stick for dressing ‘weirdly’ but mainly racist (I live in UK and am chinese). I always end up being vulgar back to them, which I know I shouldn’t be, but I should stand up for myself. I’ve had rocks and footballs thrown at me.
I try to go out with my dad or with friends and never on my own.
At Whitby Goth Weekend I got quite a lot of smiles and compliments though =]
At the end of the day we are all our own person and shouldn’t feel compelled to follow ‘rules’ in fashion.
A good blog btw like always :)
Hi .. I used to live in the south ( Gwinnet county, Georgia ) , and although I was never officially Lolita, I never dressed normal. I loved different fashions and was a bit of a trendsetter. I was a huge petticoat aficionado! I never had anyone in the south ever be rude to me about it. Now I live in Orange County, CA and people here are very very rude about any non-mainstream fashion. I don't even bother to try different styles anymore because of too much negativity and I work alot more now (less time for play!) In any case .. I think the south is alot more friendly to different people than other parts of the country. (Orange County, MidWest, Utah etc)
As far as starting out, you can go to regular stores like Ross or Kohl's and try on some pink and white sundresses, pair them up with a hello kitty belt and a petticoat .. and I think thats a good starter style that won't get too many ugly looks. I don't believe in rules in Lolita, although I'm sure others will disagree.
There are two kinds of reactions I get- some people are interested in the fashion and tell me that I look cute. Some even want to know what Lolita is about… The other kind of reaction is that they call me “emo” or look at me or laugh at me. I usually don..t care if people laugh at me or point their finger out on me.
Once I was attacked by a group of youths who even hit me. That shocked me but it never happened again and I..m still proud to wear Lolita. The funniest reaction I ever got was when my father was talking to our neighbour- later on he told me that she was shocked by my “graveyard” fashion and she couldn..t believe that he allowed me to wear it xD
Oh my goodness! I’m glad you’re okay. And I totally take “graveyard” comments as a compliment!
I must admit I’m rather surprised by the reactions the other readers got. emo? lol hardly. and violence?! that just plain frightens me. my daughter is interested in Lolita fashion lately but is afraid to experiment with it at her school. we live in deep south so that should tell you how popular it is here. it makes me sad because she’s usually pretty sure of herself. but its a new look and she’s in a diff school this year so I guess she’s overly cautious. but still. I just wish Americans would stop to enjoy the freedom we have instead of trying to tell everyone else here what to do with it.
I used to catch all the ‘satanist druggie’ comments back in high school because I wore lots of black band tees and dog collars and listened mainly to metal. guess times really haven’t changed that much even if fashion has.
on a side note I have a question. do you and your readers have any advice for young girl looking to try out Lolita? what labels or locations to find or even how to carry oneself…I’d love to be able to pass along your wisdoms ^-^
Hi .. I used to live in the south ( Gwinnet county, Georgia ) , and although I was never officially Lolita, I never dressed normal. I loved different fashions and was a bit of a trendsetter. I was a huge petticoat aficionado! I never had anyone in the south ever be rude to me about it. Now I live in Orange County, CA and people here are very very rude about any non-mainstream fashion. I don’t even bother to try different styles anymore because of too much negativity and I work alot more now (less time for play!) In any case .. I think the south is alot more friendly to different people than other parts of the country. (Orange County, MidWest, Utah etc)
As far as starting out, you can go to regular stores like Ross or Kohl’s and try on some pink and white sundresses, pair them up with a hello kitty belt and a petticoat .. and I think thats a good starter style that won’t get too many ugly looks. I don’t believe in rules in Lolita, although I’m sure others will disagree.
It’s funny how parts of California and British Columbia are uber-conservative, while San Fran, LA and Vancouver are right around the corner…
Great advice for starting out.
Yeah it blows my mind how people can be SO different just an hour drive away.
I grew up around Los Angeles, and I moved to Buford, GA last year, and I’ve found people in the South are actually more accepting – at the very least, polite – about the way I dress (I range between EGL and goth/punk-lolita). Throughout high school, I got the emo-goth bit a lot, and now I go to a liberal arts college in Massachusetts, and I’ve gotten the same label from people here, as well, because I wear mostly black, listen to metal, have teal hair… you know, the works. Hahaha.
I just ignore it, because no matter where you live, there will always be people who know nothing about you and judge you anyway.
Just enjoy the fashion, because it’s all about what you want to style yourself as, and if people accuse your daughter of putting on a front, that just means they don’t realize that she is many other things as well. This is just ONE (endlessly fun) way of expressing herself.
As for shopping, I like to look at different designers for inspiration (some good sites are listed on the side of this page… I personally love h.Naoto and Alice Auaa, but it all depends on your daughter), but since the clothes are usually expensive and there aren’t actual stores in the US, I like to either make my own versions or find similar items in more mainstream stores.
If not DIY, online stores are your best bet.
I like this site for accessories:
http://stores.ebay.com/REFUSE-TO-BE-USUAL
Like Bodyline, this site has been a bit maligned for selling cheaper versions of Lolita clothes, but I’ve found good stuff on here:
http://www.fanplusfriend.com/
In the end, it all comes down to your daughter finding her own personal style. I don’t like following the rules of my supposed “label” (seems antithetical for alternative fashion, doesn’t it?), so I just wear whatever I want.
I hope that helped… ^_^
omg so well said! but you all have good points, some that I’ve said myself. still its good to hear that others think the same way. as far as the south being friendly, well I’m glad you guys have had good experiences.
maybe its just a little diff here for us in SC. personally I mean. my daughter seems to have inherited my curse in that her friends are loyal but e1 else considers us fair game lol. no middle ground.
but we both usually try to do our own thing. I think with her maybe its her age (hs freshman…yes I am that old…omg ::dies:: ) working against her a bit. I”m sure she’ll get over it.
and thanks for the tips! I find I like SPR and h.Naoto myself. so it’ll be fun to see which way she goes with it ^-^
It's funny how parts of California and British Columbia are uber-conservative, while San Fran, LA and Vancouver are right around the corner…
Great advice for starting out.
I grew up around Los Angeles, and I moved to Buford, GA last year, and I've found people in the South are actually more accepting – at the very least, polite – about the way I dress (I range between EGL and goth/punk-lolita). Throughout high school, I got the emo-goth bit a lot, and now I go to a liberal arts college in Massachusetts, and I've gotten the same label from people here, as well, because I wear mostly black, listen to metal, have teal hair… you know, the works. Hahaha.
I just ignore it, because no matter where you live, there will always be people who know nothing about you and judge you anyway.
Just enjoy the fashion, because it's all about what you want to style yourself as, and if people accuse your daughter of putting on a front, that just means they don't realize that she is many other things as well. This is just ONE (endlessly fun) way of expressing herself.
As for shopping, I like to look at different designers for inspiration (some good sites are listed on the side of this page… I personally love h.Naoto and Alice Auaa, but it all depends on your daughter), but since the clothes are usually expensive and there aren't actual stores in the US, I like to either make my own versions or find similar items in more mainstream stores.
If not DIY, online stores are your best bet.
I like this site for accessories:
http://stores.ebay.com/REFUSE-TO-BE-USUAL
Like Bodyline, this site has been a bit maligned for selling cheaper versions of Lolita clothes, but I've found good stuff on here:
http://www.fanplusfriend.com/
In the end, it all comes down to your daughter finding her own personal style. I don't like following the rules of my supposed “label” (seems antithetical for alternative fashion, doesn't it?), so I just wear whatever I want.
I hope that helped… ^_^
Yeah it blows my mind how people can be SO different just an hour drive away.
I think the comments you get depend on how you carry yourself as well. If you look a bit uncomfortable in a crowd because you know you look different, that's going to encourage people to be negative. If you look like you don't care what they think, don't notice them, don't look nervous, they will usually leave you alone. That goes for all styles, no matter how you look (even if you're 100% mainstream), people will find a way to bully you if they think you can be victimized – so it's up to you to show them that you can't.
omg so well said! but you all have good points, some that I've said myself. still its good to hear that others think the same way. as far as the south being friendly, well I'm glad you guys have had good experiences.
maybe its just a little diff here for us in SC. personally I mean. my daughter seems to have inherited my curse in that her friends are loyal but e1 else considers us fair game lol. no middle ground.
but we both usually try to do our own thing. I think with her maybe its her age (hs freshman…yes I am that old…omg ::dies:: ) working against her a bit. I”m sure she'll get over it.
and thanks for the tips! I find I like SPR and h.Naoto myself. so it'll be fun to see which way she goes with it ^-^
I think the comments you get depend on how you carry yourself as well. If you look a bit uncomfortable in a crowd because you know you look different, that’s going to encourage people to be negative. If you look like you don’t care what they think, don’t notice them, don’t look nervous, they will usually leave you alone. That goes for all styles, no matter how you look (even if you’re 100% mainstream), people will find a way to bully you if they think you can be victimized – so it’s up to you to show them that you can’t.
I really appreciated their advice. especially this one in particular..
“Just enjoy the fashion, because it's all about what you want to style yourself as, and if people accuse your daughter of putting on a front, that just means they don't realize that she is many other things as well. This is just ONE (endlessly fun) way of expressing herself.”
that one put tears in my eyes! yeah I'm a goober lol just couldn't help it.
ironically some of what they had to say were things I've said myself. but its nice for my kid to see that I'm not the only who feels this way. thanks to you and your readers.
I really appreciated their advice. especially this one in particular..
“Just enjoy the fashion, because it’s all about what you want to style yourself as, and if people accuse your daughter of putting on a front, that just means they don’t realize that she is many other things as well. This is just ONE (endlessly fun) way of expressing herself.”
that one put tears in my eyes! yeah I’m a goober lol just couldn’t help it.
ironically some of what they had to say were things I’ve said myself. but its nice for my kid to see that I’m not the only who feels this way. thanks to you and your readers.
I personally want to applaud you for even taking such an interest and perspective of support for your daughter’s explorations in fashion. I’m a male, so when I started getting interested in fashion my parents did all but support me. I’m sure it makes things a lot easier for your daughter having you there supporting her!
y ty ^-^
her friends think its a trip that I do the things I do as well. but I’m just me, my parenting style isn’t typical. but we think that’s a good thing!
btw the reposts above by dragonswing are mine. LC is just spelling my nic wrong :-p lol
I personally want to applaud you for even taking such an interest and perspective of support for your daughter's explorations in fashion. I'm a male, so when I started getting interested in fashion my parents did all but support me. I'm sure it makes things a lot easier for your daughter having you there supporting her!
y ty ^-^
her friends think its a trip that I do the things I do as well. but I'm just me, my parenting style isn't typical. but we think that's a good thing!
btw the reposts above by dragonswing are mine. LC is just spelling my nic wrong :-p lol
y ty ^-^
her friends think its a trip that I do the things I do as well. but I'm just me, my parenting style isn't typical. but we think that's a good thing!
btw the reposts above by dragonswing are mine. LC is just spelling my nic wrong :-p lol