30 Day Lolita Challenge - Day Six: 10 things you can’t live without in lolita

Hello everybody~
Keiko here~

As we close in on our first week of the 30 day Lolita Challenge, our next topic addresses the core of the lolita bubble: 10 things you can't live without in lolita fashion. The following are the 10 things I find foundational to this fashion:

10 things you can’t live without in lolita

1. Bloomers – Whenever I wear a skirt or dress, I always wear shorts underneath. Even if I never wear bloomers per se, I will always wear something underneath my coords in order to have peace of mind later on.
2. Petticoat – Lolita would not be lolita without the poof. I have a used Classical Puppets petticoat, and three other offbrand ones that I got originally for fairy kei. They layer nicely for a good cupcake effect, or can be worn singly for a more casual look. 

   

   I own one puppies and holy moly does it work!

3. Hair Accessories – I am an avid hair accessory collector. I have hats, clips, headbows, ribbons, crowns, multicolored hair ties, animal ears, headdresses –you name it, I probably have it! I really like to change the way my hair looks so I took to hair accessories keenly when I donated my hair a few years back, and I haven’t looked back since! I am very particular in that I like to collect the matching hearwear for my main pieces.
4. Socks – I have always had lots of socks. I like to have solid tights and over the knees just because the aesthetic and zettai-ryouiki appeal draw me in, but I have recently come to own some ankle socks again for the summer months. While I used to be able to keep socks up without needing anything extra, now I have turned to garters and will look at fashion tape or sock glue to make sure they do not slip every so often like they like to do.
5. Wigs – While wigs are not a requirement for Lolita, I find it practical and fun to wear different wigs to match a specific look. I have 5 wigs so far, including a long brown, a long milk tea, a wavy long platinum blond, a short reddish bob, and a straight long black wig. My hair is a naturally wavy chocolate brown, so I have tried my best to expand my color selection so that I can match more coords and create different feelings. My goal is to learn to take better care and style the wigs I have so that I can keep wearing them for a long time.
6. Interestingly-shaped Matching Bags – I like bags shaped like interesting objects that match the print. I am a sucker for things like the taobao takoyaki bag (show pic) or the Swimmer Biscuit bag. They are a nice touch to a coord and I find people’s reactions to them in normal outfits amusing. 

   

   I'm currently waiting for this adorable Porter Bear bag

7. Cute Music – Songs usually get me in the mood to do things, so for a sweet lolita like me, cute music and the fashion go hand in hand. I enjoy primarily J-pop and K-pop, as well as picopop and videogame soundtracks while preparing my coordinates. That being said, I also like darker tunes to inspire more gothic looks. Music plays a central role in the way that I create certain coordinates, as I take inspirations from lyrics and the feel of songs to picture what I would like to look like.
8. Coordinate Inspiration – I have a folder of pictures of coordinates I admire. I usually look by print but sometimes I save some that I see on tumblr or Closet of Frills for future reference. The Lolita community can be so creative and inspiring! It’s one of my favorite aspects of the fashion.
9. Friends – My friends have been very supportive of my hobby. A lot of them have wanted to learn more because they find it interesting. I have even managed to convert some of them! Student life is hard, however, and we all find ourselves limited by the constraints of student budgets… It’s still fun to share outfits and compares notes once in a while though! 
   
10. The Online Community – The lolita online community has been a huge source of inspiration and information for me. I feel like I am connected to other lolitas even though I live quite far away from them. It is particularly helpful for me to have avenues to discuss the hobby with others ‘in-the-know’ and I really value being able to communicate with people from all over the globe.

These are by no means hard and fast integral things for lolita fashion. Rather, they are what I find most basic in my wardrobe and lolita life. Is there anything you could absolutely not do without in your wardrobe? What about at meets? Let me know in the comments below!

Keiko out~