A guide to lolita Disneybounding!

I've been mulling over writing this for a while and decided I finally have worn lolita to the parks enough to warrant a quick guide on wearing lolita fashion at Walt Disney World (WDW) in Orlando, Florida (that can potentially be applied to Disneyland Resort in California). I cannot guarantee that everyone will have the same experience, but I am trying to take more than just my personal experiences into account when I draft this so this can be helpful to a lot of different people.

Not only is this going to be a guide to make sure that you're not turned away at the entrance for resembling a character, this is also going to include some handy tips on how to prepare to go on rides and walk around all day with maximum comfort. I hope you enjoy it!

Let's start off with the bad news: generally, because most lolitas are grown adults dressing in a fashion that can be easily interpreted as a costume, there are a lot of horror stories where lolitas are asked to leave by security because they don't want to cause confusion with Disney cast members. Some may remember this story, although I have very little sympathy for this person. Why?

• Allowing random adults who are unaffiliated with Disney presents a liability issue. If a family gets confused and thinks they can line up to take a photo with you, and you end up blowing up at them or squeezing their child too hard or doing something that can ruin their experience, they'll think they can sue Disney for recovery when Disney had nothing to do with it.
• It can disrupt the other visitors. If some families believe that you're cute enough to have a photo with, there are some who just want to try and run to Space Mountain as quickly as possible. Generally, photos with characters are taken in purposeful areas that are out of everyone's way, and chances are, you're not in one of those when you're getting stopped for photos. A crowd can develop quickly the moment you say "yes" to a photo, and people can have trouble getting around you as a result.
• This may seem a bit obvious, but you need to be working for Disney to do anything that puts you in the same capacity as a cast member. Sadly, taking photos with a family is included in that, so if you want to make sure you go largely unnoticed at a Disney park, don't encourage those photos. Just tell them, "Disney may have a problem with my outfit if I stop to take photos with your family. I appreciate your compliment though!" and move on. I haven't been stopped yet for photos, but that can happen when you're going with more than one lolita in Disneybound outfits. 

So this probably is disheartening to hear--however, there are some great ways to get around this.

This will probably be a hard one to pass off at the parks...

1. Avoid colours that can be equated with a Disney princess. Thankfully, aside from Alice in Wonderland, most popular colours in lolita won't get you confused with a princess. If you do decide to take the risk and wear... Say, a yellow dress, wear it without a petticoat, or a wig that would make your hair colour different from Belle's. Sax dresses should be fine, just try to coordinate it with another colour and make sure your hair colour isn't close to Alice's blonde. Thankfully, due to my skintone, most people won't confuse me for most of the princesses, but I try to follow this rule of thumb anyways. You don't want to wear very literal interpretations of Disney characters because it can increase your chances of getting kicked out. 
2. Don't wear your poofiest petticoat. This is for two reasons--petticoats are a pain to wear on a lot of rides (Space Mountain, I'm looking at you), and it makes you look much more princess-y than normal. Wear a dress that would look nice with minimal poof, or if you do decide to wear a larger petticoat, refer back to hint #1 and ensure that you don't have the same hair + colour scheme as a well-known Disney princess. 
3. Mickey ears! Mickey ears are surprisingly the easiest way to get past security and to not be confused with a cast member. This is especially so for the customised embroidered ones that you can get at the parks. Generally, both attendees and cast members will assume you are just a huge Disney fan and nothing more when you wear mouse ears. They're also offered in such a wide range of colours and sizes, you can have a lot of fun coordinating an outfit around your ears! I generally forgo traditional hair accessories for a Disney hat of some sort, or just keep one on hand if I feel like I might get kicked out. If you're curious to know where to get your hats embroidered, you can ask a cast member. Both Magic Kingdom (the Chapeau) and EPCOT (Mouse Gear) have hat stores near the entrance that also provide embroidery!

I added wing clips from kawaiigoods.com!

As an added note, Magic Kingdom is the park that is potentially hardest to get into when you're dressed in lolita thanks to Fantasyland. The other parks are much easier to enter when you are wearing the fashion.

Now that the major warnings and tips are out of the way, here are additional tips that would make your trip easier.

They are soooo cute!!

1. Buy cute character card pass cases! WDW uses a tap card system in their parks, and with how big most lolita bags are (and the desire to just wear a backpack), it can be a pain to take it out when needed. (You don't just need your cards to enter the park, they're also used for Fastpass, so they also end up being used to get on rides. If you are staying at a Disney Resort, you may also need to tap the card to charge things to your account and use the Disney Dining Plan. I am constantly taking mine out since I have an annual pass and want to get discounts!) There are some adorable Duffy ones available, but if you do a cursory eBay search, there are both official and unofficial pass cases for almost every character!
2. Magicbands are an even better alternative to the traditional ticket. Magicbands were only phased in relatively recently--they are basically wristbands that store all your information so you don't need to drag around your cards anymore. They sell plenty of pretty covers and colours for your Magicband, and I've seen a lot of people paint their own as well. They sell also sell a lot of cute decorations so you can rori-fy those wristbands. (Or you could just hide it under a sleeve... But where's the fun in that?)
3. Go for a braided hairstyle or something very simple. The rides can really tangle up your hair and wigs, so braiding it or maintaining a simple hairstyle at the parks is your best bet. Since my hair is sooo long. I usually just go for braiding it in some way.
4. Limit yourself to one bag. The great thing about Disney rides is that they are still a lot of fun, but were made keeping a family (with all the backpacks for their kids) in mind. All rides have a carry pouch in the front that you can slide most bags into, but I find them too small for most lolita bags. However, most of the rides never go upside-down, so a staff member will allow you to keep a bag by your feet. I actually try to sandwich my bag between my legs so it doesn't move around in the car, and you're usually good to go on most WDW rides. However, you are not allowed to keep them on your lap. If I'm not wearing a petticoat that day, I also try to squeeze it between me and the side of the seat. If you had more than one bag, none of these methods would work very well, and you'll have to constantly put your bags in a locker.
5. Wear an offbrand piece over your lolita outfit on rides. Whether it's a longer coat or vest, you may want to bring something easily washable to wear over your lolita. You can't guarantee that the seats are clean, and you normally can't just ask to be seated somewhere else without having to wait in line for longer and potentially pissing off some people around you. You could also bring a small towel to lay on the seat, but I'm usually too impatient to do that or am afraid I'll leave the towel behind, so I just go for this option. However, all Disney parks are absolutely meticulous with clean-up and I've never actually had anything stained while I was at a park--but it's always good to take precautionary measures when you're wearing an expensive dress.
6. Pack an extra set of shoes--preferably those extra comfy athletic slip-ons from Adidas or Nike. Even the comfiest pair of lolita shoes take their toll on your feet while you're running around, and most lolita bags can fit a simple pair of slippers inside. Just make sure that the lolita shoes you are wearing also fit inside the bag for when you make the switch. 

I'm still salty that there's no purple available. =(

The least lolita-friendly rides (excluding the water rides because... Well, it's obvious. Ride those at your own risk!):

• Mission: Space: I went on this ride for the first time a couple of years back wearing Magical Etoile with zero petticoat and it was super hard to find a place to put my bags. If I wasn't wearing my hair down that day, the restraints would have messed up my hair, and the ride moves around A LOT. I felt self-conscious for the stranger sitting on one side of me since I kind of "overflowed" into his seat. I would try and get on the edge of the ride next time so I have some more space to put my stuff and can just have a friend on the other side of me. The good news is is that by far, Mission: Space has the biggest container for your bags and my biggest lolita bag has fit in there.
• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster: This is probably the most roller coaster-y of all of WDW's attractions (it goes upside-down!). So, for obvious reasons, it's pretty hard to ride this in lolita. They provide a decent amount of space around you though, but I still wouldn't ride this with a very large petticoat.
• Expedition Everest: For a lot of the same reasons as Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, this can be a bit of a pain to ride in lolita.
• Space Mountain: Probably my favourite Disney ride, but with the worst seat design. I have to ungracefully pick up my skirt and tuck it around the restraint since it's supposed to go between your legs. I always look an utter fool getting in and out of it, but it's totally worth it because... Well, SPACE!
• Tomorrowland Speedway: this ride tends to be the dirtiest. You don't really want to wear lolita on it. I never am interested in riding it anyways with the rest of Tomorrowland calling for me, and it's probably my least favourite ride since it's Go Karts with even less... Go. If you do end up wanting to ride it however, follow tip #5 above. 

I didn't include rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or Seven Dwarfs Mine Train on this list because I feel like they represent the average for most Disney rides. You have similar experiences with this ride than you would on Dumbo or the Flying Carpets. They have pretty large seats and constraints that don't really interfere with your outfit, and move slow enough where you can feel comfortable keeping your bags at your feet. The rest of the rides are like Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small World, or Haunted Mansion, where you really just sit in a ride car and watch things to by. They're as lolita-friendly as a theme park ride could be!

WDW (or any Disney park really) is a great place to visit while dressed up. A lot of the staff members either wear lolita themselves, know what it is, or just really appreciate that you're going to the extra nine yards at Disney! I haven't had a problem with people being rude or aggressive with me, and I've just had a fun time all around.

I can't imagine going to Disney in an outfit that isn't covered with Disney references, and I hope this inspires you to do the same on your next Disney vacation! If you do end up going to Disney, let me know and show me your photos, I love seeing Disneybound lolitas!

Make sure to take lots of photos with your favourite characters too!

If enough people are interested, I might do a lolita guide for Universal Studios Islands of Adventure as well!

Cosplay Lolita vs. Theme Lolita.

I found myself talking about this a lot due to recent conversations that have come up on Rufflechat and among friends. What are the differences between cosplay lolita and a themed lolita coordinate? Are there even any to begin with? And finally, are the official collaborations between Japanese brands and anime series evidence that cosplay lolita is very much a thing?

This is purely an opinion piece, and I can't guarantee that everyone would agree with me, nor can I urge you to subscribe to what I believe, but I thought it would make for an interesting discussion!

Parents and alternative fashion.

Hello everyone! Once again, I will have to apologise for the silence on my end--with school starting up again, it's so hard to keep up with a blog. I've been having a blast interacting with people on Instagram though and updating over there since it only takes a couple of minutes out of my day to post something there~ In fact, all the photos on this post are from there since I haven't had time to put together a lot of new photos for the blog in a while. (; A ;)/

I thought I'd address two frequently asked questions I receive a lot--and they are variations of:

1. What do your parents think about your clothing choices?
2. How do I get my parents to accept how I dress?

Nothing I say here can be taken with a grain of salt--everyone's parents are different and prioritise different things, but I'll try to share my experiences and advice that follows my experience as best I can. I hope you find this post informative!

LBC: Most Challenging Sub-style.

I am incredibly sorry for how inactive my blog has been as of late. Law school has pretty much eaten my life, and I haven't even been able to properly announce a hiatus!

But these past couple months I've been able to figure out how to portion my time wisely and even went back to allowing myself to browse clothes online! My wardrobe has really changed drastically these past couple months as I let go of pieces that I thought were dream items that I just simply didn't love as much anymore.

In the spirit of figuring out how to balance my hobbies with graduate school, I thought I'd join in on a Lolita Blog Carnival theme once again! This week's theme is "The Most Challenging Sub-style, and How to Pull them Off."

Things I learned from cosplay that I apply to lolita.

It may be taboo to mention cosplay and lolita together in one sentence, but all joking aside, I think there is a lot that I learned from working on cosplays that helped me put together better lolita outfits! There is always something to be learned from others, even though they may be completely unrelated.

(Cosplayers: CureCos)

1. If you are planning a complex coordinate, test it out before you debut it.

A big thing I have realised (especially with over-the-top coordinates) is that I always end up regretting adding something to my outfit because it was just way too much upkeep. Whether it was a mini-hat that doesn't sit on your head for longer than a few minutes before it comes tumbling down, or a beautiful detail that you end up covering with a scarf, or even a pair of super-uncomfortable eyelashes that look perfect with the outfit but you just can't wear to the meet-up, doing small test runs of parts of an outfit are absolutely vital to ensure that you have a good time when you go on that outing. It's one thing I've definitely learned from cosplaying--you don't want to wear armor that ends up badly chaffing your shoulders because you never did a test run beforehand.

2. Lolita is head-to-toe, not just about the dress.

When you dress in lolita, you are fitting a certain overall aesthetic, not just wearing a petticoat and leaving the house. You need some make-up (at least a bit of concealer and powder), an appropriate hair style, and good shoes. A cosplayer would never be able to cosplay someone with bright red hair without an appropriate wig without just looking sloppy, and even lolita fashion has those kinds of standards.

3. Work within your means.

Sure, that Angelic Pretty headbow would be absolutely perfect with this dress, but you don't have forty dollars to blow right now. Try and DIY something on your own, or find someone to commission something cheaper for a fraction of the price. Check out Etsy, or even ask a family member for some help with adding that perfect touch to your coordinate if it is just too expensive for you right now. You may even want to walk away from that perfect (and expensive) coordinate for some time until you have the money for it later. The same can be applied to cosplay, that full scale-mail cosplay for a character you have always dreamed as dressing up as is just so expensive, so look into a temporary solution, or just pick a different character for now.

4. No cheap material!

This is pretty self-explanatory. You never want to use cheap supplies for your lolita coordinate or your cosplay or else you just look like some unfortunate figure-skating wardrobe accident.

5. If you wear a wig, get a high-quality one.

Another self-explanatory point,  but you never want a wig that is shiny and reveals a bunch of wefts when you pull it over your head. A wonderful coordinate or cosplay is easily ruined by a bad wig. Of course with cosplay, it's generally a base rule to never really use your natural hair since most anime characters have extravagant hair colours and styles, but of course that isn't the case with lolita. Wigs have been becoming more of a staple in the fashion though, so I thought I would include this little lesson.

Even though I understand that they are completely different hobbies, there are a lot of practical lessons that criss-cross along both hobbies that I think people can learn from!

Does anyone else cosplay and also wear lolita fashion? I know I'm more into the crafting aspect and almost never end up wearing my cosplays, but I want to do it more often because it just seems like so much fun! I'm holding off on it now since I'm having a lot of budget (and room) constraints. I have no idea where I can store my cosplays, I barely have room for my clothing as it is. ;A;

Check out the outfit I posted recently!

Hope you all are having a wonderful week!! Until next time~

Lolita 52 Challenge: Let's talk about parasols!

Today's Lolita 52 Challenge is topic #46: Parasols, vital or frivolous?

I was one of those weird lolita appreciators who got into the fashion mainly for the accessories first. I loved the shoes, jewelry, and bags that went with the aesthetic, and fell head over heels in love with Victorian Maiden's gorgeous lacy, decadent, parasols long before I found a dream dress to lust over. It was this one in particular:

It's a shame I couldn't find a photo of the underside of it--that was just as gorgeous as the top! It had lace stretched across the inside so you had a beautiful view from any angle. Of course, these guys sell for around 200-300 dollars, so it was way out of my price range, but a girl could dream!

So I'll be a bit biased when I say that I do think they're vital. It's so hot walking around with all the layers in lolita, and portable shade is never a bad thing--especially when you're trying to combat heat fatigue. But I also have a much more practical reason for considering them vital. This particular Victorian Maiden parasol isn't waterproof, but the Baby, the Stars Shine Bright one that I own and is now a staple in my closet is!

It rains quite suddenly (and in buckets!) where I live, with little warning. Umbrellas are mostly unsightly little contraptions when added to your lolita coordinates, so brands putting out gorgeous waterproof umbrellas was just what I needed! The best thing is, they have a curved handle so its easier to carry around. I have no idea why, but most of the umbrellas that stores sell nowadays don't, so it's such a pain to lug around those umbrellas since you need to constantly have a hand occupied holding it.

Given where I live, (where it's both extremely hot and wet), parasols are totally vital for me. Not only are they gorgeous additions to any coordinate, they can keep you cool and dry! I definitely recommend not using a brand parasol in higher winds though, they tend to break very easily. ;___; I've already had that experience once with a handle bending almost at a 90 degree angle! Sometimes you can find some really pretty umbrellas that are durable as well (Victoria's Secret had some really cute ones a few years back) that are probably a good alternative to some really bad weather.

Check out my other Lolita 52 Challenge topics!

Lolita 52 Challenge: Getting out of a slump.

(Photo credit: Colodio)

This week I selected #26, how I get out of a wardrobe slump! I kind of cheated this time because I technically picked #38 before, but I thought it would be nice to do an accompanying hair tutorial with that topic, and realised I don't have the means to do that where I am currently, so I'll save it for another time.

Lolita Blog Carnival #16: 1 Piece, 4 Seasons.

Considering I live in one of the hottest places in the U.S. (when I recently left home to come to California on some family business, it was a whopping 28°C and winter had pretty much come and gone), I may not be the best choice for this Lolita Blog Carnival topic, but I couldn't resist doing another similar piece after the last wardrobe challenge.

This time I took another favourite Metamorphose jumperskirt of mine, my Candy Star Rabbit JSK. I asked my boyfriend to photograph it for me on his iPhone since I was out of town this week, so it won't be done quite the same way as my last wardrobe challenge, to my dismay. ;A; All the items I'll be using I own or look very similar to something I own, since a lot of photos are going to be the stock images. I wasn't able to find one for this Jumperskirt surprisingly, so that's why I had to call in a favour. ;D

Generally prints make it so easy to make multiple coordinates out of, just because there are a wide variety of colours that can be picked out of the print. Metamorphose always goes crazy with their colours too, which just makes it more fun!

Lolita Blog Carnival #8: Wardrobe Challenge

I was really thrilled to hear that a topic I suggested for the Lolita Blog Carnival to do was selected by popular vote this past week! This week, all the participants of the blog carnival will be getting together and picking out one lolita piece from their wardrobe, whether it is a skirt, jumperskirt, or one-piece, and challenging themselves with making five different coordinates with it.

As a quick detour, my outfit has nothing to do with the coming post because this Wednesday was the Hindu Festival of Lights: Diwali! I went for a slightly belated pooja (it's like a Catholic mass, for lack of a better way to describe it) yesterday, and just never had time to wear the outfit I was planning to introduce this post. I wore a traditional sari worn the North Indian way (despite me being South Indian--Diwali is celebrated as a New Year's celebration in North India, and I kind of felt like mixing things up), and had a great time. =)

Hope you enjoy the photos, they become progressively darker because the sun set as I worked through the challenge the day I took them.

Before I show you the pictures, I want to share a few tips on how to get the most for your money when looking for lolita items, and what kind of pieces you can look for to know that you have a dress you can wear many times in many different ways. It get's boring when you realise you can only wear a dress a certain way!

1. Ask yourself "can I layer things with this dress?" It's much easier to make a lot of different outfits if you buy a skirt or jumperskirt because you can wear a different blouse underneath it each time, or even wear something over it (or both)! Plus, you can even fold over a jumperskirt and use a waist belt to turn it into a beautiful skirt. No one will ever know the difference, trust me. ;D
2. Buy something in a solid colour that has a similar base tone to the rest of your wardrobe. If you tend to wear muted colours, buy pieces that are in that same realm because you can do colour combinations a lot easier this way. If you have lots of pastel yellow pieces, you probably don't want to buy something a cool blue because they are just on two different levels, and you'll realise you end up spending more money on new items to match the dress than the dress itself!
3. Detachable pieces, button-up fronts, removable collars: these are all FANTASTIC additions to a dress that makes it that much more worth it to buy. Simply purchasing a jumperskirt that has a couple of detachable bows is already begging to be coordinated in so many fresh new ways! Brands like Metamorphose and MAM Maxicimam sell dresses that often have detachable ruffles, so you can make a dress that had an OTT sweet feel suddenly look toned down and classy.
4. When buying prints, use this as an opportunity to add different colours to your wardrobe without straining your budget. This is a bit of a strange tip to explain, but basically, say your wardrobe already has a lot of mint in it. And then WHAM, Baby releases this gorgeous print in pink, that you really want! But that seems to be a bit painful on your wallet because you don't really have anything else that's pink. But ah! Look closer and you will see that the print actually has quite a bit of mint interspersed within. Suddenly it's a lot easier to coordinate with it and add a new colour to your wardrobe you don't have a lot of! Even though solid colours are great for coordination, prints can be even better sometimes. 

Finally, in terms of brands that I think are best for flexibility--I definitely think Metamorphose is great for this. All their bows are usually detachable, they release things with detachable ruffles all the time, and you can get a lot of wear out of it. I've also found Innocent World is pretty fantastic as well, especially since they make some gorgeous solid-coloured pieces. Now, onto the pictures!

Photography and Harassment + Pokémon Inspiration

Today, my post is going to be much more serious-faced. As a prospective law student I do have interest in the scope of the law in the U.S., as well as using it to both educate myself and those around me. Don't worry, there's going to be a bit of fashion sprinkled in as well. =D Check out the look I wore a couple of days ago (and it's on topic as well, since this was the outfit I was wearing during the incident).

Generally, as someone who dresses in alternative fashions about two-three times a week, I'm usually used to the attention--negative or otherwise--that comes along with it. Being called names or teased is one thing, but one issue I have particular trouble with is being photographed without permission or knowledge that it is happening. I've been wearing alternative fashions since I was in high school, but the past 5 years have probably been the busiest for me in terms of gaining experience.

I thought I'd give some advice on how to deal with it, and also speak about my most recent horror story.