Wa and Qi Lolita

Among the hardest of the substyles to coordinate Wa and Qi Lolita tiers between what is considered lolita and what is cosplay. The seasoned coordinator might have an easier time establishing these styles into a truly Lolita outfit and not have it be knocked down as cosplay or worse and ita outfit.

I personally like Wa and Qi, dreaming of coordinated that still have yet to manifest.

The element of Japanese or Chinese traditional fashions are mixture with the lolita silhouette.

For Wa Lolita it is common to see yukata or kimono, obis, getta. Kanzashi and other traditional hair adornments are also worn. Meta also makes a kimono fabric jsk which are perfect for the beginner experimenting with Wa Loli.

In Qi Lolita it is usual to see a quipao usually modified to allow the cupcake skirt quintessential to Lolita underneath. Traditional Chinese hair adornments are also used to replace alice bows or the rectangular headdress.

Examples of a well done Wa and Qi lolita coordinate can be found here:

Wa loli 1

Wa loli 2

Qi loli 1

Qi loli 2

Brands that cater to Wa or Qi Lolita:

• Metamorphose temps de fille

Unfortunately Wa and Qi are not as commomn as before and searching in the major lolita brands will be a challenge, but if you look outside to the off brand arena you can find some elegant items.

• Fanplusfriend
• Bodyline

Another note:

Since Wa and Qi Lolita are a mixture of culture and Lolita fashion I would also like to share with you:

Han lolita a style that mixes Korean traditional Hanbok with Lolita, some examples:

• Han loli 1
• Han loli 2

Wryd Loli a style once coordinated by a member of the Livejournal Community, EGL, it s just lovely and fits with the articles theme.

If you want more info on Wa and Qi here are some links that may help:

• Waloli/Qiloli Style
• Wa loli Lolita Fashion

Shiro and Kuro Lolitas

Shiro Lolita and Kuro Lolita were also among the main substyles a few years back and have seemed to go by the wayside as of late, but with the resurgence of old school Lolita, these are two substyles worth mentioning. So what are Shiro and Kuro lolitas exactly? Lets begin in with Shiro-loli, while following all the basic guides of Lolita she prefers to dress in head to toe white, like her the Kuro Lolita prefers to stick to one color black.

Brands that cater to the Shiro and Kuro Lolis:

Items for the Shiro and Kuro substyle can be found in all Lolita brands all the rules of the basic Lolita silhouette apply with the added rule of using a one color color scheme.

Punk Lolita

The Punk Lolita like the Hime Lolita, has fallen out of popularity, but when I started it was one of the main substyles. The Punk Lolita is an ode to interpreting Lolita in any way you like. Mixing lolita with the punk elements: studded bets, plaid, torn up tights, and doc marten or engineer boots; The Punk Lolita is the tough cookie of all the Lolitas. At the forefront of the Punk Lolita is the singer and master punk/lolita mixer, Nana Kitade (pictured above).

Brands that cater to the punk lolita:

• Baby the Stars Shine Bright
• Putumayo
• Atelier Boz
• Black Peace Now
• Sex Pot Revenge

Hime Lolita

Looking over a copy of Kera magazine I eyed a Hime Lolita, I looked at her intently since its been a while since I've seen a Hime lolita. I would say that Hime Lolita is the link between Hime Gyaru and Lolita, evidence is in the big hair and the crown motifs present in both styles. Of course I would never suggest that one could interchange items between the two but I wouldn't be surprised if some did managed to pull off  either style with elements of the other.

What to expect of the Hime Lolita:

This Lolita is the princess of the land, she can be seen wearing tiaras or mini crowns. Like the Classic Lolita, which takes its inspiration from the Victorian Era, it is easy to see the Rococo influence in Hime Lolita. I imagine this Loli takes great inspiration from Queen Marie Antoinette.

Brands that Cater to the Hime Lolita:

• Baby the Stars Shine Bright
• Mary Magdalene
• Mille Fleurs
• Juliette et Justine

Update: Tags

I finally had time to go over my past post and noticed that something was missing. Something that would make navigating through this blog easier. And that thing is tags. Now a list of tages will appear to the left side bar, so if you want to read on a particular subject without having to scroll down just click on the tag and it will bring up all the post that have to do with your preferred topic.

Of course this is just the start of a massive overhaul I am in the process of doing. I will be going back and editing my past post making sure links work maybe going in-depth in future articles about things mentioned before.

I will of course make it known to you what changes have been made to make it easier for you.

So keep on eye out for updates!

Coordinating Outfits

What makes a style charming? Is it the separate pieces or the creative ways that one brings together said pieces?

Sometimes you can have the perfect items in your wardrobe, put still without the right mixing and matching of these items you will get a blah outfit.

Sure brands release sets everything from headwear to socks are pre-coordinated, but it can be a little too cookie cutter, even for a fashion that isn't in the least cookie cutter.

Coordinating outfits is a skill of the well dressed, a skill that can definitely be learned but it does take lots of trial and error.

Yet getting the experience can be a difficult venture especially if you haven't the money to buy many pieces in a short space of time.

So what's one to do when you're just starting out in a fashion with a small budget.

Go digital!

There are many resources that allow for coordinating practice and today I will share with you my favorites!

Polyvore, is my favorite. It allows the user to take stock pictures of garments and match them. You have the option of adding background borders. There is also a Livejournal community: Lolita Outfits, where you can post Polyvore created outfits for critique from other lolis

Off brand 2 by dizzylolibliss featuring pink tights

Dress up games much like the vintage paper doll, You have garments, usually graphics instead of stock photos, and a cute doll to "pin" them on. Here are some of the most Loli-esque that I could find on the web.

Amp Games Sweet Lolita Dress Up

Queen of Dorks Lolita Dress Up Game

Dress Up Who Hime Gyaro & Sweet Lolita Dress Up

Dress Up Who Lolita Fashion Dress Up

Andorea-Chan Lolita Dress Up

Sweety Game-Sweet Lolita Dress Up Game

Decololita

eLouai's Candybar

Country Lolita

Mori Girl Dress Up

Causal Lolita

Japanese Gothic Lolita Fashion

For other fashions, mainstream et al , I like to head over to Roiworld. Before the site was in Korean and due to getting hit after hit from the western world they signed up with Lifetime and voila the english version of Roiworld was born. Roiworld is not focused on Lolita fashion but it can still help as a practice for coordinating outfits since many mixing and matching tricks can style jump.

Dress up games are definitely a great tool to learn especially when you're starting out or if you have a limited wardrobe.

Overall have fun!

Visit to Angelic Pretty San Francisco

Its old news really but I thought I'd share any way. Last year I headed up to San Francisco for school things and of course being there already I could not pass up the opportunity to take a peek at the store, even if I was a little strapped for cash to buy anything at the moment, gift giving holidays just around the corner and all. Unfortunately I didn't have the chance until a little passed 7:00 pm. I walked around in circles looking for the place even if I couldn't go in maybe I could drool in front of the boutique front, no? Of course no such luck and let me warn if ever you are in San Francisco looking for Harajuku Hearts after 7:00 which is currently the time they close don't follow my lead and look for the store, because they close up with an iron curtain. I was a little disappointed but the next day I made sure I was there before the boutique was closed, I was able to go inside. It is small, much to my surprise. The boutique is divided in two with Angelic Pretty taking up half the floor. There are the cute signature AP hot pink shelves and other trinkets one will see in the Japanese and French boutiques. There were just a few pieces on display and I feel that the pricing isn't different from on the site. I was a little worried that maybe the location, Union Square, would be reflected on the prices but I didn't really see an increase. For those Lolitas that aren't fans of AP the other half of the store had some beautiful pieces from Chantilly and Atelier Pierrot among other brands. I definitely recommend that any Loli heading to The City by the Bay make a quick stop at both Harajuku Hearts and New People, even just to be a window shopper, it made my day to say the least.

I apologize for the lack of pictures, I wish I had gone after Christmas because like I say in my New Years Resolution Post I did get a camera as a present. I leave you with Holy Night in my favorite color way red, of course picture taken from Angelic Pretty website