Brisbane Lolita Christmas Party 2010!

A couple of weeks ago my local community had our Christmas party. It was a huge event, with games and prizes, not to mention heaps of food and drink! It was held at a local university, so there was lots of old architecture to admire.

Our full group:

So many BrisLolis!

Playing "Lolita Pictionary"

Of course, my team won, hahaXD;;

Playing "Pin the Nose on Mana"

He has no nose, it's impossible!

My full outfit:

It was raining so horribly outside that I was about an hour late too the meet because I couldn't even walk to the bus stop D: Because of this, my outfit theme was "Full Plastic"! Everything from my wig down to my rubber Melissa shoes was plastic, in the hope I wouldn't ruin anything^^;;

Outfit:
Dress: Emily Temple Cute
Stockings: Allanah Hill
Shoes: Vivienne Westwood X Melissa
Headband & Bracelet: Angelic Pretty

Merry Christmas everyone!

Long Dress Love!

Ah, how I love long lolita dresses! Since it's the end of Spring here, I decided to get a last wear for this year out of a favourite of mine:


I looooooove my Vivienne Westwood x Melissa shoes! It's hard to see, but they are so shiny:


Everything Vivienne Westwood designs is so nice*_*


The boater hat seems to be in fashion even in Australia now, although I think it actually started as a gyaru trend in JapanO_o;; Anyway, I was happy because I got this one for $5 from a local store, LOL

Outfit:
JSK: Emily Temple Cute
Socks: Emily Temple Cute
Shoes: Vivienne Westwood x Melissa
Everything else: Offbrand from local stores

Lolitas @ Zombie Walk!

On the weekend there was a zombie walk in my town (and just about every town in the world), so me and my friends dressed up!

Here are some pictures:


Me in the parade. There were over 5000 people! :D


Me with two guro-lolis XD


OM NOM NOM BRAINS!

The best thing about the zombie walk is the excuse to wear goth make-up, which doesn't happen often these days. The downside is that I still can't get it off my arms completelyX_x;;

Bonus:


For the blood on the bandages I used nail polish, and the blood on my body it was lip gloss mixed with blush^^;; I look more like a zombie that was eating strawberries than brains in the end, LOL

Autumn Aristocrat

I haven't posted lately, because I didn't have many photos of when I was dressed up. Lately it's been an unusually cool Autumn, and on top of that it's been raining a lot! I didn't want to risk my lolita prints running, so I've stuck with Aristocrat for a while.


My and my lolita friends in the city the other day.


I'm wearing Moitie and Black Peace Now.


On a different day, I wore my fake-leather Moitie JSK for the first time!


Despite all the black leather, the sunny tropical backdrop kinda ruins it, LOL I should submit this to Goths In Hot WeatherXD;;

Outfit:
JSK: Moi-meme-Moitie
Blouse: Off-brand
Wrist Cuff: Alice Auaa
Boots: Doc Martens LOL

Xelyna Returns

Again I neglect my blog- not because I haven't been wearing lolita, but because I haven't had enough pictures to share (and just writing about what I did isn't so interesting, LOL).

In early August, the Brisbane Lolitas had another High Tea meet-up! We went to the same hotel we went to last year, and ate our own weights in cake:D

I only got a face shot:



And here's me cropped out from the one group photo that I could find... funny, so many girls took photos that day, but no-one uploaded them T_T



Later in August it was my birthday, and to celebrate I went out with my friends on a karaoke night! I wasn't wearing lolita, but more... lolita-inspired outfit:



Hmm, this month I haven't had a chance to wear lolita yet, but I have been buying a lot of Moitie for some unknown reason. Yesterday I was walking through some local craft markets, and I found the weirdest thing- a Mana T-shirt!



If you don't know who Mana is, then you will have to wait for my up-coming essay "Who is Mana and why you should care" LOL

French Festival

This weekend I went with my lolita friends to a French Festival.


We found macarons! I love macarons, but they are so hard to find in AustraliaT_T


Me and my friends:D



Outfit:
OP: Angelic Pretty
Blouse: Black Peace Now
Socks: Moi-meme-Moitie
Headbow: Angelic Pretty
Stockings: Vivienne Westwood
Gloves: Unknown brand LOL

It's so warm in Australia, even in the middle of Winter I barely needed a jumper>_<;; But at least I can wear lolita more!

Japanese Hair Extensions 101

Whether you're into Lolita or Gyaru Fashion, you probably have noticed just how much BIG HAIR the models in magazines have. Of course a lot wear wigs, but not all! I looked at their hair tutorials in magazines and wondered what I was doing wrong- why did my hair never get even close to being as big not matter how much I curled and teased it?

Well, the first point is that I have very thin, fine, Caucasian hair, which I can't do anything about>_>;;;; But the second point is that many of the models in magazines have hair extensions. It's WAY cheaper to get it done in Japan, and they use a better technique than in Western countries. Where I live, a full head of extensions will set you back at least $500, but usually around $1000. In Japan you can get it done from $100-200.

Here is what it looks like in photos in magazines:


See those little braid things? Those are where the extensions are attached. They use a technique called "Pinch braiding" and it is basically just where the extension is braided in and kept there with a piece of elastic thread.

This is what it looked like in my hair when I got 50 put in:

Sadly they only had black thread, so it really showed up>_>;;

The best thing about this kind of extension is that you can do both up-styles and down-styles because it follows the direction of your own hair. You can get them for both added volume and added length. Let's look at the difference it made to my thin hair:


The difference in volume really surprised me!

So maybe you want to get Japanese-style extensions? First consider these points:

PROS:
* Cheap to get done in Japan.
* Human hair blends into your own hair well.
* You can do up-styles and down-styles.
* You can curl and tease them like your own hair.
* Instant added length and volume.
* You can easily take them out yourself- just cut the thread and unbraid them.

CONS:
* Very painful the first couple of days (I couldn't sleep on them the first night).
* Hard to wash and take forever to dry.
* Can possibly cause permanent bald-spots (though not as much as other techniques).
* Can be itchy sometimes, but you can't scratch or you'll risk tearing your hair out!
* Uncomfortable to sleep on in general.
* Impossible to hide when doing upstyles.
* Not sure if you can get them done outside of Japan.

Hahaha, reading the cons, you'd think no-one would want them, but that's the price millions of women are prepared to pay for beauty, myself not exceptedX_x;;

Classic Lolita

Last weekend I went to an art gallery with a lolita friend, to see an exhibition of Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock prints. It was cold outside, so I decided to wear my new Innocent World dress.


Posing with some sweet architecture from 1862. This building is Old Government House at QUT, where I shot a vampire film once^^;;


Without the cardigan and accessories. With a drinking fountain from 1867 that is in the Brisbane Botanical Gardens. They didn't do things by halves back then, LOL


I'm wearing 3 long petticoats from the 1950s under this to make it this shape! The dress fabric is really soft.

Outfit:
JSK: Innocent World
Blouse: Innocent World
Cardigan: Emily Temple Cute
Socks: Innocent World
Necklace: Innocent World
Shoes: Queen Bee
Scarf, beret, petticoats: Vintage finds.

That's it until next time, when I might post a tutorial on how to make hair extensions. Also, my inbox is always open! Click the image below to send me a question:

Ask Xelyna: Lolita and Sports

Hooray, I'm so excited, it's time for my first "Ask Xelyna" column!

My lovely ready reader writes:

I really like to run to keep myself in shape but I'm trying to become a 24/7 lolita but have no idea how to loli-fy my running outfits? It would be great if you had some suggestions.

Great question! Personally I wear track pants and a Dir en Grey T-shirt if I go jogging (well, fast-walking, I'm not very sporty LOL), but Jogging Lolita is certainly possible!


Outfit:
Skirt: Putumayo
Tank: Putumayo
Socks: Miho Matsuda
Sneakers: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

How to do sport in lolita:

1. Look for Wearable and Washable clothes.

- Face it, sport makes you sweat. Sweat is death to most lolita clothes. This is why you need to choose a) dark colours and B) washable fabrics. Therefore cotton, especially stretch cotton is your friend. Think cut-sews and simple one-layer skirts.

- You need to move for sport, and not over-heat, so you can't be in full sleeves. Plenty of lolita brands make tank-tops and short skirts, so these are perfect!

2. Socks and Shoes don't have to be brand.

- You're probably going to get mud on your socks at some point, so go for cheap ones you can buy at your local shopping center.

- You don't want to be uncomfortable or hurt your feet/ankles while running, so the best idea is to wear real running shoes. If they are plain black, they'll blend into your outfit anyway. Baby, the Stars Shine Bright brought out sneakers recently, but I don't know how good they are for running in. If they are comfortable, they would be totally cute, though!

3. Keep hair simple.

- Put your hair up in twin pony tails to keep it out of your face.

Recommended brands:
* Putumayo (cheap and washable)
* Black Peace Now (cheap and breathable, also make pants and shorts)
* Baby, the Stars Shine Bright (their cut-sew material skirts and tops are sports-ready)
* Alice and the Pirates (also have lots of cut-sews and pants)


So thank-you again for sending in your question, and to everyone else reading, my inbox is always open! Click the image below to send me a question:



Until then, it's back to your regular programming (^_~)

100 Followers!

I just noticed today that my little blog now has 100 followers! Thank-you guys so much!

In honor of this, I decided to start a question column in my blog:

Click on the image to email me with any questions about Lolita Fashion and I'll do my best to answer them in my blog. Remember, I lived in Japan for 4 years and have been a moderator of EGL since 2004, so no question is too hard!

In other news, it's getting a little bit cold in Australia. In a way it's good because it's not as cold as it was in Japan, but it's still cold enough to wear long-sleeved dresses. When I lived in Japan I had to pretty much give up lolita for the coldest months of the year, because no matter how many layers I wore, my legs would always be too cold. I don't know how Japanese lolitas bear it! Of course, if I had fit into lolita boots or could have afforded a lolita coat, I might have tried it more often, haha. In the end, I made a cape to keep me warm, which cost MUCH less than the $400+ a brand coat costsX_x;;


LOL, bathroom mirror shot^^;; It was the mirror at a Lolita Craft Fair though!

Lolita Fashion and Glasses

Glasses and Lolita Fashion- can they mix? I see a lot of people worried about this question. What you -should- be asking yourself is "Glasses and Lolita Fashion- how can I make it work?"

A wise friend of mine once said "You can force anything," and I do believe she was right. Although the general rule is that glasses distract too much from the big "dolly eye" look that is important to lolita, there are many ways you can make it work. I know many lolitas who can't wear contact lenses, so here are some ideas to help you feel more confident wearing glasses.

1. Thin metal frames.

If you don't want your glasses to hide your eyes and more importantly your eye make-up and lashes, thin frames are a good idea.


This is me the other day when I ran out of contact lenses, LOL

2. Thick plastic frames.

Made popular by Visual Kei fans in Japan, thick plastic frames in black or red are good for drawing attention to your eyes in a "Yeah, I got glasses, so what??" way.



3. Hipster glasses

Okay, so I don't know what they're really called, but big oversized glasses are a popular fashion accessory now. Modeled here by the wonderful Sweetphaex of Dollpart fame, they are totally cute:D



4. Sunglasses.

For anonymity on public transport, sunglasses and lolita say "BRB, being badass."



5. Aristocrat/Ouji/Boystyle/Visual Kei

Glasses look better with more masculine styles, and are even just a great fashion accessory for these looks.


(I'm on a boaaaatXD;;)

6. Take your glasses off in photos.

No-one on the internet will ever knowXD;;

International Lolita Day #1 Winter

Last Saturday was International Lolita Day (Winter Edition). To celebrate, the lolitas in my state had a picnic in the park!

I wore my Emily Temple Cute "Tea Party" dress, as I thought it suited the picnic well^^


Excuse the lenseflare>_>;;
Outfit:
JSK: Emily Temple Cute
Blouse: Innocent World
Bolero: Offbrand
Socks: Angelic Pretty
Shoes: Queen Bee
Hat: Hand-made


Thanks to Like_a_ladyboy for this photo!


Brisbane lolitas...


are so...


awesome!!

The picnic was great fun, and so many lolitas turned up! The only downside was that I kinda dislocated my jaw trying to eat a macaron, and have been on a liquid diet ever since. Getting your wisdom teeth out sucks, kidsT________T

More quirky GLB quiz translations!

I'm still at home recovering from getting my wisdom teeth out. It really sucks, I tell you! I can't wait to get better so I can wear lolita and hang out with my friends againT_T


Photo by my friend Vysanthe.

Continuing on from my last post, I've read through the whole 200 question interview now, and have picked out the most interesting questions. A lot I can't translate because they are referring to Japanese things (like what level of formal language you use) or because they are asking how to write things in English, LOL

From "Manners":

- You always put your heart into having perfect manners. (Y/N)

- You always have good posture. (Y/N)

- You never cross your legs on the train. (Y/N)

- You think that lolitas who cross their legs and smoke in cafes are not cute. (Y/N)

- As soon as you get home your clean and polish your shoes before putting them away (Y/N)

From "Hair and Make-up":

- You can't stand not having white skin. You would never swim in the ocean. (Y/N)

- You always carry a parasol when you go out. (Y/N)

- Your ideal hair is long with no layers. Or a bob with no layers. (Y/N)

- Your bangs are your life. Or if you don't have bangs, all of your hair is long. (Y/N)

From "Culture":

- Name all 7 Harry Potter books. (_/7)

- What is the name of the girl who wears lolita in "Nana"?

- What is the name of the girl who wears gothic lolita in "Death Note"?

- What is the name of the famous company that makes macarons that appears in the movie "Marie Antoinette"?

- What are the names of the fat twins in "Alice in Wonderland"?

- What are the names of the two main characters in "Shimotsuma Monogatari"?

- What is the name of the powerful Italian vampire family in "Twilight"?

- What is the full name of the butler in "Kuroshitsuji"?

- What is the name of the doll owned by the main character in "Rozen Maiden"?

From "Gothic Lolita History":

Fill in the blanks:

The word "Gothic Lolita" comes from the words Mana-sama from Malice _____ used to describe his fashion brand as: "_____, gothic and lolita". At the same time in the Kansai region, gothic punk flavoured brand Alice ____ started, as did the brand that even sold coffin beds, ______ Maiden, and the brand that had princess sleeves resembling those of Victorian England, VISIBLE & ______. Among gothic lolita fans, the most beloved was manga and fashion drawn by Kusumoto Maki in the 80s called ________. In the 90s, it was the artist who illustrated magazine covers and wrote the manga "DOLL", ______. Also, the most beloved film director of the gothic lolitas was Tim _______. "The Nightmare Before Christmas" was very popular, but the most popular movie was by the English writer _______ Carroll.

So how did you measure up against these questions? Some of them left me thinking "LOL WUT", but they are just the opinions of whoever wrote it (they seem to imply it was Arika from Ali Project, but I'm not really sure).

Are you a pure gothic & lolita? Quiz Translation

Urgh, I've been at home sick all week after getting all my wisdom teeth out last weekT____T Needless to say, I'm not wearing lolita now, with a face like a chipmunkX_x


Reading the Gothic Lolita Bible in my bedroom. Filled with GLEE!!!!!

The latest Gothic Lolita Bible has a 200-question quiz on "Are you a pure gothic & lolita?". The questions are very interesting, and they have several designers, models and normal lolitas off the street who took the quiz and the scores they got. Surprisingly, the highest score was around 130. However, I think anyone who got a full 200 would probably also be institutionalised >_>;;

Here is my translation of Part A -- "Gothic & Lolita Mentality"

1. Do you want to become a doll? Or a robot? Do you like artificial things?

(Yes/No)

2. My blood is not red. I think it's pink or blue. If not, I don't even know if I have any...

(Yes/No)

3. You hate slobby clothes. You like clothes that cinch your body tightly.

(Yes/No)

4. It's not just in your clothing, but in your life you like to have rules or constrictions or prefer living conventionally.

(Yes/No)

5. You don't like clothes that show off too much skin. Even in Summer you don't like to show off your skin.

(Yes/No)

6. However, you like to wear a corset to make your bust appear bigger and prettier.

(Yes/No)

7. You wouldn't mind being born into a time when there was still a caste system. You would like there to be master-servant relationships. Of course, acting like a prince or or princess would be wonderful, but also the image of being a maid or butler and devoting yourself to others is appealing to you.

(Yes/No)

8. When you see someone dressed in Gothic or Lolita fashion you think "A-ha! That's it!".

(Yes/No)

9. Until you found out about gothic & lolita fashion, you didn't care about what you wore, or didn't have any clothes you really wanted to wear.

(Yes/No)

10. You don't have many friends. Or you don't have any. It's fun to have friends, but you're fine without them.

(Yes/No)

11. The person you like most is yourself.

(Yes/No)

12. If you fell in love with a guy, you would never ever change what you wear or your hobbies for him. Before that, you'd have to toss him...

(Yes/No)

13. When you see lace peeking out of your sleeve, you feel really good.

(Yes/No)

14. When you wear clothes that are not gothic or lolita, you feel lousy.

(Yes/No)

15. You want a castle in Europe.

(Yes/No)

16. You can recall the names of 5 castles in Europe.

(One point for each. /5)

17. You want to live in a country like Germany, France, England or Italy.

(Yes/No)

18. You study German, French, Esperanto or Italian.

(One point for each. /4)

19. By far you prefer being photographed to taking photos.

(Yes/No)

20. You also like to collect photos of pretty people.

(Yes/No)

21. To you, the most special flower is most definitely the Rose.

(Yes/No)

22. You own more than 3 things that are rose-scented (soap, rose water etc...)

(Yes/No)

23. If possible, you'd love to be a person who exists eating nothing but rose petals.

(Yes/No)

24. In a past life, you lived in Europe. Or at least you'd like to think that.

(Yes/No)

25. When you see pictures of scenery in Europe on TV or in magazines, your chest hurts and you start to cry.

(Yes/No)

26. Even when you're in trouble, if you see someone in more trouble than you, you forget yourself and help them. You want to live by chivalry or "Noblesse oblige".

(Yes/No)

27. You are sure there used to be angel wings on your back.

(Yes/No)

28. You yearn for not a natural, but a man-made paradise.

(Yes/No)


How did you score? Do any of the questions surprise you?

Please don't re-post this anywhere, but feel free to link^^

Gothic Lolita at Start of Autumn

Wow, have I had a busy couple of weeks! I just finished three days of shooting for my friends documentary about Lolita fashion in Australia. The documentary is for her university assignment, but hopefully it will be available online in a few months. I don't have any pictures from it, except a couple of head shots of what I was wearing:


Pink and Black Deco-ish Lolita^^;;


Gothic Lolita with Emo kid in back seat>_>;;

It's Autumn in Australia now, so the temperature is just bearable enough to wear lolita on weekends without melting^^;; This is me from the other week:


I had to take the sleeves off by midday, but put them back on in the evening. But that's the beauty of detachable sleeves!

Last week an episode of "Jessica Simpson's Price of Beauty" aired in America. I was hopeful that perhaps the episode would help enlighten the public as to what Lolita fashion is and what it means in Japan, but unfortunately it ended up just being another sensationalised "LOL those crazy Japanese" piece that culminated in Jessica Simpson making a spectacle of herself walking down a catwalk in full lolita while flashing her bloomers at everyone:/ At least we get to see Angelic Pretty's designers Asuka and Maki in the background (they personally dress JS). But sadly I don't think anyone watching the show who didn't know about lolita will have any better idea of what the fashion is after watching than before it:/


I wish Asuka and Maki would make me over, LOL