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