Although I'm not a club-freak, I like going for some dancing and loud music from time to time. I find myself increasingly willing to incorporate Lolita into my clubbing outfits and, while I enjoy it a lot, I have to consider a lot of details if I don't want to get frustrated or find my night ruined due to my own mindlessness. ^.^
( On to the tips! )



I was initially going for a plain goth look, but I guess I ended up lolifying it too much.
It was a very comfortable outfit for clubbing, though, so I plan to repeat it! ^.^

Sure you all know how much I love steampunk in all its manifestations: gadgets (especially the functional ones), literature, interior design, clothing... oh, I could keep on for ages, but this time I want to share some images that have caught my eye as steampunk takes on mythology, fairytales and popular fiction.

All of them were entries to the Steampunk - Myths and Legends challenge on the CGsociety website.

( All images behind the cut )

It was way too good to be true. So, when I was re-reading Baby's payment e-mail to make sure everything was alright, I noticed this:

Color/Size: Ivory


So I wrote them immediately. I am absolutely sure I had chosen the last color option (black + black lace), as I had taken the trouble to go over all the options with an online translator to make sure I wouldn't make any mistakes.

They told me I had reserved the ivory one and that I wouldn't be able to cancel the reservation

I couldn't believe what I was reading, so I sent them another e-mail telling them how sure I was of choosing the black option, and that I didn't want to cancel the reservation, but just to get the colours I had asked for. I was being very civil.


But, they wrote me back in this tone:

If you still insist that you chose black, please confirm the contents of your order below. Your order is Ivory.

It’s not our system error because we never accepted the claim from other customers like you did.

(...)

Unfortunately, it's your mistake. If you're still going to complain about that, we'll cancel your reservation and we'll list your name on our black list.


I'm not THAT stupid. "It’s not our system error because we never accepted the claim from other customers like you did." doesn't make any sense. The proper way to say this is: "We assume not to have system errors so that we never accept claims from customers".

But what about the threat policy? They're going to blacklist me only because I sent them a couple of e-mails asking them to give me a solution??? WTF??? o.O
I'm sorry, I'm not used to being treated that way, I'm not used to being threatened by stores I want to buy from.


I guess I'll pay for the the skirt and then sell it, or try to trade it for the black version although I don't have much hope. =/

There is a guy at college who's currently running a street-snap blog, à la The Sartorialist, featuring the outfits that catch his eye. All the people he approaches are students of the Facultad de Filosofía y Letras (where I go) at the Universidad de Buenos Aires, with one or two exceptions from other universities.

So yesterday, I was walking my way to college when this guy asks me if he can take a picture of my outfit. I said "yes, why not?", as he has already made posts about my coords twice. The first time I was in Lolita, the second in a casual outfit and the third....


If you want to take a peek of the blog, go ahead. I find it quite interesting due to its target. As a whole, my fellow students tend to be socially-progressive (many of us following a left-wing ideology), passionate, a little snob and very opinionated. Civil freedoms (rather than 'rights' ) are god here. We claim to be very open-minded, yet like to label it all, and we are less tolerant with how other people look than we admit to.

Before I started college back in 2004, I thought I would see subcultures and alt fashions everywhere, and it was a little disappointing to see few goths, punks, rockabillies, etc, among the vast majority of vanillas (as a friend calls "normal people" xD) and hippies. Then I got used to the people around me... I wonder if they have got used to me.

I wanted to post this photoshoot to my journal as well, so here it goes. This is an EGA/EGL shoot we did with some friends. It was loads of fun and we liked the result a lot. Plus, I loooooooved dressing up as a guy, and I intend to keep doing it regularly.

Extra credits to our fabulous photographer Ashe, who did an amazing work!


( The sign reads: We create attention )

Today is Friends' Day here in Argentina. As the day was chosen due to the first landing of men on the Moon, I'd like to dedicate you a song about an alien from Mars coming to Earth and becoming a rock star to save us all from extinction:

Hopefully both art and friendship can save us from inner death. So let's be merry and jive to the music!

Starman (by David Bowie)

Didn't know what time it was the lights were low,
I leaned back on my radio
Some cat was layin' down some rock 'n' roll ('lotta soul, he said)
Then the loud sound did seem to fade
Came back like a slow voice on a wave of phase ha hase
That weren't no D.J. that was hazy cosmic jive

There's a starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
Cause he knows it's all worthwhile
He told me:
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie

I had to phone someone so I picked on you
Hey, that's far out so you heard him too!
Switch on the TV we may pick him up on channel two
Look out your window I can see his light
If we can sparkle he may land tonight
Don't tell your poppa or he'll get us locked up in fright

There's a starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
Cause he knows it's all worthwhile
He told me:
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie

Starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
Cause he knows it's all worthwhile
He told me:
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie



FELIZ DÍA, AMIGOS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Los quiero mucho!!!

I can't believe I got a Lolita valentine this week.
I think I'm about to faint.
♥ I'm sooo thankful to whoever made me smile like that! ♥

Every time I look at Mike Worrals gallery, I can't help staring in amazement. Oddly shaped stays and crinolines give a proper frame to women in ecstasy (out of love and beauty), foliage labyrinths growing everywhere, turbulent waters bursting in like madness itself, alice-esque girls and dark-gray streets are the material Worrals' dreams are made of.

These are some of his works, but you can always check out the rest of them in his online gallery

( Awesomeness ahead (warning: large pics) )

What I'm waiting for:

- feeling a little better. I'm too tired of being sick.
- getting over my exams. I've been a month and a half studying and writing papers nonstop. I NEED some rest
- winter vacations
- my new clothes to arrive
- wearing Lolita again. As busy, low-spirited and confined as I feel now, I just wear what I find on top of the clothes-laden chair at the side of the bed.
- something to happen. Nerves are tight, soft voices hum and buzz, tension sparkles and we can all see a storm building up the sky. I hope it misses us, or else that it resolves quickly.

Since this'll be one of the worst birthdays of my life: sick, far from my friends and writing a couple of papers for college, I decided to comfort myself with some self-gifts:

( Take a peek )

I've been promising myself to revive this journal for months without actually doing it because there were three issues I just couldn't work out:

1) College: yes, I've been down the university hole for about 5 weeks in a row and I'm horribly tired of it.

2) Ambition: I originally wanted to write meaningful stuff, well-thought articles and such, but I guess I haven't had the time (or the desire) to do so.

3) My last entry: it was intended to be no more than a rant out of a personal journal, but the overall response overwhelmed me a little bit. I felt pretty much obliged to reply to all the comments, which I never did... and I also felt a little too guilty to keep posting without first taking time to reply to all the people who took their time to give me their opinions. But now I've assumed I'll never write back on the entry (because the feeling that motivated me to write the entry is practically gone) I still want to keep writing in my journal.


( En español )

Esto empezó como un comentario a un post de Sora (gracias por poner en palabras varios pensamientos que vienen rondándome en la cabeza desde hace meses y que se quedan ahí, en mi cabeza) y se extendió tanto -a pesar de todo lo que me queda por hacer hoy!- que decidí postearlo.

Yo no sé que hace en Lolita con la gente.... con casi toda la gente. A algunos les pega por el lado de la popularidad y el drama y el fashion contest (sé que en este "grupo" hay bastantes pibitas, pero qué se yo, cuando iba a la secundaria no era así y mis amigas tampoco). A otros los recluye, sea por inseguridad o por no sentirse identificadas por el resto.
Últimamente he leído de varias personas que eligen vivir el Lolita en solitario, o que lo están considerando... y a veces me pone un poco triste pensar que posiblemente termine siendo mi camino.
Quizás sea por ignorancia, pero cuando yo entré al viejo LIW no sabía que había otras lolitas en Argentina (había visto a un par en fotos pero... no sé, no era lo que yo buscaba, digamos) y me alegré mucho al enterarme de que sí había y que podían escribir un párrafo con sentido (llámenme grammar nazi, pero una persona que no puede manejar el lenguaje me pone algo nerviosa). Y luego fui viendo la otra cara: los roces, las envidias, "ita" de acá, "elitista" de allá, brandwhores, en fin, hasta las comunidades internacionales me decepcionaron, y eso que se ven de lejos!

Ojo, entre que soy un poco vieja y que ya he estado en varios otros foros (de otras cosas) me di cuenta de que una comunidad de intereses siempre, SIEMPRE genera roces. Pero esos roces nunca había alejado a nadie de su interés, a lo sumo ocasionaba alguna pelea y ya... pero llegar a desanimar a otra persona a seguir con lo que le gusta???
Es una pena saber que eso sólo lo he visto en el Lolita. Y a mí me está pasando. No significa que no haya conocido gente que adoro gracias a esto, tampoco significa que no pueda seguir conociéndola. Sino que a veces quiero dejar de intentar, de hacer el esfuerzo, y quedarme con el Lolita como solía vivirlo, a lo Momoko. No sé si me alegra o me entristece... quizás sí me angustie un poco, pero más que nada por saber qué tan difícil es compartir este interés... me pasa que muchas veces me siento más cómoda yendo de lolita en medio de todos mis amigos con sus remeras gastadas de Pink Floyd que en medio de otras lolitas. Quizás tenga que ver con que, aunque a veces parezca una persona sociable, en el fondo me cuesta mucho hacer amigos.

La verdad es que no quiero hablar de ropa todo el tiempo. La frivolidad está bien... un ratito. Después aburre. Los chillidos me inhiben... me gustaría poder hablar de manera tranquila, como hago con el resto de mis amigos. Me debe haber malacostumbrado el hecho de que casi siempre tuve más amigos varones que mujeres.
Pero a veces uno está en un grupo así, y como me gusta adaptarme y poder compartir un buen momento tengo que plegarme un poco a lo que se estila. Así que lo intento por un rato y llego a casa un poco cansada del esfuerzo. Repito, porque no quiero ser malentendida: lo hago porque quiero, porque tengo ganas de seguir conociendo a la gente, porque cada vez me doy una oportunidad de salir de mi cueva. Porque de vez en cuando quiero dejar de ser Momoko y de usar mis vestidos para ir al supermercado o pagar las cuentas.

Pero otras veces siento que la vía Momoko es igual de válida: no tengo que rendir cuentas a nadie, nada de peleas, nada de competencias. Me cansan las discusiones sobre quién llegó primero al lolita, quién conoce más nombres de modelos japonesas, cuántos vestidos tenés el ropero. También me cansa la discusión ropa comprada vs. handmade. Qué onda? Eso no pasa en ninguna otra parte! Amo el concepto de handmade, y les tengo muchísimo cariño a las cosas que he hecho... por otro lado también sé que me esforcé tanto o más para comprar algún que otro vestido, y voy a ser realista: trabajando, estudiando y siendo ama de casa no me queda tiempo de coser la ropa a mano. Ojo, me encantaría, porque el sueño de mi vida es aprender a hacer todo, y eso incluye hacer mi propia ropa. Por eso es que aprovecho la máquina de coser cuando voy a visitar a mi familia que vive a 300km, pero otras veces simplemente me dedico a estudiar o a pasar tiempo con mi familia.

Por otra parte a veces también me cuesta vivir el Lolita en solitario. Adivino que mi familia sólo lo soporta porque está lejos y no pueden verme, pero no lo comprenden en lo más mínimo. Es cierto que vengo de un pueblo y que allá cualquier diferencia con los demás es enorme, pero creí que ya los había acostumbrado. Mis amigos están acostumbrados a que sea una excéntrica total, pero mi novio no lo entiende mucho. Trata, pero no lo comprende. Él es un clásico y yo soy romántica, él es austero y yo soy barroca. Y todo el amor que nos tenemos no siempre alcanza para llenar ese pequeño hueco que se forma.  Por eso, para mí es un esfuerzo el lolita... resigno mucho por ello, y demasiadas veces siento que no me devuelve lo que lo yo le doy.

Y además, en el fondo... no soy Lolita. Soy demasiadas cosas más. Si vamos a hablar de estilo, me pienso más como neovictoriana, porque a mis ojos engloba mis tres pasiones: el gótico romántico, el lolita y el steampunk. Y no quiero que un solo aspecto me arruine el resto... por qué tengo que esforzarme tanto para disfruta el lolita en compañía si el gótico no me pide casi nada?

Ya no me queda tiempo, por eso hago un punto acá. Quisiera que se entienda que este post no alude a nadie... que pensé en el Lolita en conjunto y no en las personas separadas que lo siguen. Acá no hay dobles intenciones, es simplemente algo que hace rato quiero decir y no me salía. A mis amigos dentro del lolita y a quienes quiero y admiro aunque (aún?) no nos une una amistad, doy gracias por darme ganas de intentarlo.

PD: Como para no dejarlo tan así, qué hermosa la mascarada! Todos estaban tan perfectos! Una pena haber tenido que irme tan temprano, pero era eso o no ir. Espero enterarme de todo lo que sucedió después, y si alguien tiene un video de Spell cantando o del desfile de Yue, por favor pasenmelo!!!

I find bloomers to be one of the cornerstones of Lolita style. They act as a symbol of Victorian modesty while allowing the freedom of movement restrained by the long skirts worn in the period (women in bloomers could ride a bicycle much more comfortably).
Worn strictly as underwear, even though they go unseen, they provide a useful way of engaging in physical activity without having to think about not showing panties. ^^

And they provide MORE POOF! (I just can get enough xD)

( This way in )

I wouldn't have dreamed of posting two entries in only one day, especially taking into account I hadn't updated the journal since I created it. But I've just got the pictures from a really fun photoshoot with my friend Gerardo Regos, and I HAVE TO upload them.

Gerardo is a wonderful photographer with a very personal sense of beauty, which usually leads him close to underground / alternative subcultures. He is, however, more of a traditional photographer as he likes experimenting with natural light rather than doing manipulations. If you wish to see more of his work, you may check out his website, Fecit Lux.



Warning: Image heavy content ahead!

( And now, on to the pictures! )

I guess I have always felt a diffuse attraction towards traditional oriental clothing (especially Far Eastern ones) but, after a couple of years involved with Lolita fashion, I couldn't help paying more attention to Japanese and Chinese styles.
In this small world of Lolita, Japan is always the sweetheart everyone turns to look at and, still, I can't help thinking that, culturally speaking, Japan is to Classical Rome what China is to Classical Greece. The Japanese have proven their masterful skill in adapting other cultures' ways and techniques into their own. Of course China was is an everlasting inspiration: the most effective copycats end up inventing a style of their own, nonetheless profoundly linked with the source in a love-hate relationship.

I fear to be overextending myself solely to proclaim my increasing interest in Chinese culture, fashion included: as a total noob, I just had to drool over the cheongsam dresses featured in the Kar-Wai Wong film In the Mood for Love.
But what about the alternative Japanese fashion take on Chinese traditional garments? So, this crazy Japanese fellows, who have turned their eyes to the Western youth subcultures and past aristocratic fashions for inspiration, have created a hybrid in which they don't only mix their own style (which already included Chinese ingredients) but try to incorporate directly the look and shape of Chinese typical clothing.
Are they giving birth to a monster? I'd rather think the opposite, as the results hardly fail to leave me thrilled.

A beautiful Qi Lolita dress by Lapin Agill


Traditional China meets Goth in this top by Qutie Frash


The top part of a Qutie Frash dress that makes me think of "gothic qi loli". Weird, huh?


More Qutie Frash: I swear this picture doesn't do it justice, but it's the only one I've found of this dress. Edgier and punkier (sorry, I had to write that), I'd love to see it worn with some great trousers. Or maybe plain ol' black tights and gothic boots.

Hi!!!
I'm starting a new LJ devoted entirely to Lolita subculture, so I can separate it from my personal journal. Till now I've been getting around with my personal account (/esquizoide62)

So, my name's Rita (though they call me Mero), I'm from Argentina and I'm passionate about neovictorian styles, particularly Gothic Romantic, Steampunk and of course, Lolita (particularly with gothic and classic loli).

Hopefully I'll find time to update it often and mod the theme a little to make it look prettier.