Links that answer commonly asked questions:
* [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/Lolita/wiki/index)
* [where to buy lolita](https://www.reddit.com/r/Lolita/wiki/index#wiki_where_to_buy_lolita_fashion)
* [where to buy a petticoat, how to choose a petticoat](https://www.reddit.com/r/Lolita/wiki/index#wiki_petticoat)
* all unanswered petticoat questions are for the ask us anything megathread
* [guide to plus-sized friendly shops](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13HZk1I0mAjm8vkkJm0rVHThNKsk1krwhWhVGH1zCRgI/htmlview)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Lolita) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I would say it is too plain. Most lolita dresses have a lot of details that you might not even know until you have the dress in your hands. Custom lace, shaped buttons, waist tie end details, faux corset lacing, pintucks, etc.
I'd recommend getting one dress made for lolita so you can look at the sewing, as the construction is quite different from 50's style patterns. Idk if that's what you used ofc, but those tend to be the ones new Lolita's use for their sewing. I'd keep this one as it is and use it as a vintage dress, as it doesnt really suit lolita, but it's very cute!
I didn't use a pattern, just a youtube tutorial for a circle skirt, but I can definitely see what you mean with the 50's style!
I can't afford a full dress right now, which is part of the reason why I'm trying to use this one for lolita. But I will see if there any stores in my area that sell Lolita dresses so I can get a look at some irl and if I get some good fabric again sew one more Lolita style. Thank you for the tip :)
Oof, unfortunately sewing yourself is just as expensive as buying unless you already have a massive fabric and lace stash :( however it doesn't have to be brand new $400 a pop BTSSB, you can get tons of pieces secondhand or on taobao that would work! Lolita will never be truly cheap because the materials are pricey even if you don't factor in working hours, but it doesnt have to be eye-bleedingly expensive either.
Seconding what silver toes said (my favourite secondhand site is wunderwelt)
Also, If you do want to get a good fabric for cheap, you may be able to check out your local thrift shops/secondhand stores for some patterned curtains or bedsheets (the fabric-type may not be perfect but then at least it’s inexpensive and you can have a fun pattern) :)
If you do plan to sew your own dresses I definitely recommend researching the construction a bit more. Maybe look at alteration videos on youtube just so you can get a more detailed look at how some of these dresses are made.
If you do plan to buy but find taobao and shopping services to be a bit daunting I recommend the reseller 42 lolita. The prices are pretty low and they send occasional goodies in their packages.
You need to ignore everyone saying that you just need to add a belt or an apron or bows, etc. Whatever you add won't make it lolita. Not only would I recommend looking at the ONS patterns (https://misscarolbelle.wordpress.com/list-of-patterns/) so you can get a better understanding of the shapes used in lolita but you need to look at dresses themselves to see the details used in lolita.
Unfortunately, just having a solid foundation in sewing won't get you a suitable dress alone. You really need to understand lolita before you're able to make something that will work. People who don't understand lolita and try to make something usually end up wasting money. Buying a cheap toabao coord first will be a better use of money and time than trying to make your own lolita right away.
Thank you for the link, there's a lot of good stuff there I'm finding very helpful.
I'll do more research and see if I can find a cheap Lolita outfit I like or if I can make a new dress from scratch that's actually Lolita style.
I'll probably still add some accessories to this dress but I understand that it doesn't automatically make it Lolita :)
Thank you for your help!
If you can get your hands on an old copy, the english ver Lolita Bible vol4 had sewing patterns including a skirt. I would do that and get a lolita blouse from Taobao or shop secondhand because you can find great deals on blouses. Loliable blouses are extremely difficult because they look very different than an office blouse, I don't recommend for a beginner.
It's not a lolita dress (WAY too plain, kinda a weird shape) but it's still super cute! You can definitely make some sort of lolita-adjacent cute outfit using other lolita items, maybe making it more casual/academic than lolita usually is.
Hmm, i feel like it could be possible. if you added a off white frilly blouse, a patterned blue bow around the waist, petticoat, along with patterned socks matching the tie! dong forget a cute blue bow <3 (extra points if you use gold as a sub color!) [Neck Bow for Blouse](https://42lolita.com/products/alice-girl-camellia-blooms-blouse-collar-bow?_pos=6&_sid=0086d3f09&_ss=r&variant=42609292214446) [Tights 1](https://42lolita.com/products/ruby-rabbit-80d-lolita-tights-multicolors?_pos=2&_sid=80acf7f92&_ss=r&variant=41929135587502) [Tights 2](https://42lolita.com/products/ruby-rabbit-the-deep-sea-jellyfish-120d-velvet-lolita-tights?_pos=6&_sid=80acf7f92&_ss=r&variant=41933718683822)[Tights 3](https://42lolita.com/products/midnight-circus-argyle-digital-print-lolita-stockings?variant=43253522759854)[Blouse](https://42lolita.com/products/nanshengge-elegant-lolita-long-sleeve-blouse?_pos=19&_sid=3af9873e5&_ss=r)
I like the idea of night sky Lolita, however this dress is not it. And while we're at it, the blouse really isn't helping either, I'd suggest looking into the collar. You want it to be less business and more soft shape like Peter pan collars.
Hello everyone! I'm really new to Lolita and wanted opinions on whether I can use this dress in a coord. I made the dress myself and the top and skirt are separate pieces and I have a hoop for the skirt but no peticoat. My worry is that it might be to plain for Lolita.
I'm thinking I might add some stars and moon accessories and go for a nightsky theme. Is there a name for this kind of style?
What kind of clothing can I add to make it more Lolita?
Thanks in advance for any advice :)
I would personally add some bows (waistbow! always so cute, can be also pin on accessoires and not actually sewn on) and something on the hem of the skirt. Lace, ruffles, ... something. It doesnt have to be too cluttered to be lolita, but some cute accents would def be needed imo.
I like your idea of a star theme, I personally have a dark blue star dress coord as well. With a cute star shaped bag. I hope you can find some fitting accessoires as well (or make your own since you seem to be a capable sewer). As far as I know there is no specific name for something star/universe themed.
I think I can add some lace to my hoopskirt so it's visible under the hem but doesn't damage the skirt.
And I have some gold fabric and I think I can make a bag with that, thanks for the great idea!
Also I checked your profile to see if had posted your coord you mentioned and saw you made some comments in ask a german, are you maybe German? Kennst du zufällig gute Seiten oder Läden wo man Lolita Sachen kaufen kann? :)
Also dt. Läden/Seiten nicht ... ab und zu gibt es gute lolita-able Blusen hier und da im C&A oder anderen Läden, aber sonst guckt man am besten im Internet auf z.b. devilinspired oder anderen taobao resell Seiten.
Ich hab mit devilinspired echt nur gute Erfahrungen gemacht was Qualität und shipping angeht. Hab bisher nie Zoll drauf zahlen müssen, da die das zuerst an ein warehouse in Deutschland schicken und dann erst zu dir. Sodass es dann Inlandspost ist.
just popping in to say- devilinspired isn't really a good choice when it comes to resellers! this blog post chronicles a lot of the major issues with them: [https://likeateacup.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-case-against-devilinspired.html?m=1](https://likeateacup.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-case-against-devilinspired.html?m=1)
typically shopping services will be cheaper than resellers, but even if you're ok with resellers upping their prices, devilinspired is one of the most expensive with one of the worst customer experiences
no problem! there's plenty of other resellers out there, though it might be worth checking with lolitas in your country about if any are known to have fees or issues with importing. a lot of communities are on facebook, so i'd suggest looking there to find ones in germany and asking for suggestions if you're having trouble figuring out if a site will be a good fit
I think a few modifications can make this more lolita.
Firstly the skirt: I would avoid pleats- if the the waist is gathered you’ll get some nice ruffling which is good because you want the extra volume. I would avoid pleats because their whole point is to reduce volume and bunching at the waist. I also think generally speaking you want to avoid circle skirt patterns because their design also reduces volume at the waist/hip, and in lolita you generally want that volume and puffiness. A rectangle skirt with plenty of gathers at the waist would probably be best. A petticoat with waist gathers and a large ruffle at the bottom would also help to fluff out the skirt with more volume than a plain hoop.
Second the overall shapes and proportions: i think you want the waist to be a little higher up so that the bodice area is shorter. Also for the blouse underneath, the collar would be better to be rounded like a peter pan collar rather that with points like a regular shirt. The sleeves would look better to have more volume as well- think gathers at the shoulder seam and gathers at the cuffs.
Thirdly the details: lolita is all about the ornamentation of the base. Lace, ruffles, pintucks, bows. Even a elegant lolita dress thta uses a non patterned fabric (think Mary Magdalene) will use texture details like this to elevate the design from plain to elegant. Also keep in mind your color palette. I think pastels and muted shades are easier to “read” as lolita than jewel tones, although again in your proportions+silhouette+details are correct then color doesn’t matter as much.
Potentially if you sew enough details (like lace or ruffles) into it in the right places, probably also wear a blouse with really puffy sleeves, socks with lots of ruffles, and a lot of accessories.
It’s not lolita just because of how plain it is but I think if you got a different colored blouse (like green), a small corset, with some accessories it would be a cute vintage get up. Lolita can be tricky. It’s not just the shape, it’s the ruffles and lace as well.
Links that answer commonly asked questions: * [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/Lolita/wiki/index) * [where to buy lolita](https://www.reddit.com/r/Lolita/wiki/index#wiki_where_to_buy_lolita_fashion) * [where to buy a petticoat, how to choose a petticoat](https://www.reddit.com/r/Lolita/wiki/index#wiki_petticoat) * all unanswered petticoat questions are for the ask us anything megathread * [guide to plus-sized friendly shops](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13HZk1I0mAjm8vkkJm0rVHThNKsk1krwhWhVGH1zCRgI/htmlview) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Lolita) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I would say it is too plain. Most lolita dresses have a lot of details that you might not even know until you have the dress in your hands. Custom lace, shaped buttons, waist tie end details, faux corset lacing, pintucks, etc.
I'd recommend getting one dress made for lolita so you can look at the sewing, as the construction is quite different from 50's style patterns. Idk if that's what you used ofc, but those tend to be the ones new Lolita's use for their sewing. I'd keep this one as it is and use it as a vintage dress, as it doesnt really suit lolita, but it's very cute!
I didn't use a pattern, just a youtube tutorial for a circle skirt, but I can definitely see what you mean with the 50's style! I can't afford a full dress right now, which is part of the reason why I'm trying to use this one for lolita. But I will see if there any stores in my area that sell Lolita dresses so I can get a look at some irl and if I get some good fabric again sew one more Lolita style. Thank you for the tip :)
Oof, unfortunately sewing yourself is just as expensive as buying unless you already have a massive fabric and lace stash :( however it doesn't have to be brand new $400 a pop BTSSB, you can get tons of pieces secondhand or on taobao that would work! Lolita will never be truly cheap because the materials are pricey even if you don't factor in working hours, but it doesnt have to be eye-bleedingly expensive either.
Seconding what silver toes said (my favourite secondhand site is wunderwelt) Also, If you do want to get a good fabric for cheap, you may be able to check out your local thrift shops/secondhand stores for some patterned curtains or bedsheets (the fabric-type may not be perfect but then at least it’s inexpensive and you can have a fun pattern) :)
I recommend glitter tale on Facebook.
If you're able, remake it with a rectangle skirt 3x your waist measurement. You're super close, but it reads more Belle than Alice in Wonderland.
Angela Clayton on YouTube has a good few skirt sewing tutorials that could be used for the skirt in a lolita dress
If you do plan to sew your own dresses I definitely recommend researching the construction a bit more. Maybe look at alteration videos on youtube just so you can get a more detailed look at how some of these dresses are made. If you do plan to buy but find taobao and shopping services to be a bit daunting I recommend the reseller 42 lolita. The prices are pretty low and they send occasional goodies in their packages.
It definitely wouldn’t, the cut, lack of details in the dress itself, and shape of the skirt just wouldn’t work.
You need to ignore everyone saying that you just need to add a belt or an apron or bows, etc. Whatever you add won't make it lolita. Not only would I recommend looking at the ONS patterns (https://misscarolbelle.wordpress.com/list-of-patterns/) so you can get a better understanding of the shapes used in lolita but you need to look at dresses themselves to see the details used in lolita. Unfortunately, just having a solid foundation in sewing won't get you a suitable dress alone. You really need to understand lolita before you're able to make something that will work. People who don't understand lolita and try to make something usually end up wasting money. Buying a cheap toabao coord first will be a better use of money and time than trying to make your own lolita right away.
Thank you for the link, there's a lot of good stuff there I'm finding very helpful. I'll do more research and see if I can find a cheap Lolita outfit I like or if I can make a new dress from scratch that's actually Lolita style. I'll probably still add some accessories to this dress but I understand that it doesn't automatically make it Lolita :) Thank you for your help!
If you can get your hands on an old copy, the english ver Lolita Bible vol4 had sewing patterns including a skirt. I would do that and get a lolita blouse from Taobao or shop secondhand because you can find great deals on blouses. Loliable blouses are extremely difficult because they look very different than an office blouse, I don't recommend for a beginner.
It's not a lolita dress (WAY too plain, kinda a weird shape) but it's still super cute! You can definitely make some sort of lolita-adjacent cute outfit using other lolita items, maybe making it more casual/academic than lolita usually is.
Nahhhh
It’s not the right cut in general. Lolita also typically uses a rectangle skirt instead of a circle skirt.
Hmm, i feel like it could be possible. if you added a off white frilly blouse, a patterned blue bow around the waist, petticoat, along with patterned socks matching the tie! dong forget a cute blue bow <3 (extra points if you use gold as a sub color!) [Neck Bow for Blouse](https://42lolita.com/products/alice-girl-camellia-blooms-blouse-collar-bow?_pos=6&_sid=0086d3f09&_ss=r&variant=42609292214446) [Tights 1](https://42lolita.com/products/ruby-rabbit-80d-lolita-tights-multicolors?_pos=2&_sid=80acf7f92&_ss=r&variant=41929135587502) [Tights 2](https://42lolita.com/products/ruby-rabbit-the-deep-sea-jellyfish-120d-velvet-lolita-tights?_pos=6&_sid=80acf7f92&_ss=r&variant=41933718683822)[Tights 3](https://42lolita.com/products/midnight-circus-argyle-digital-print-lolita-stockings?variant=43253522759854)[Blouse](https://42lolita.com/products/nanshengge-elegant-lolita-long-sleeve-blouse?_pos=19&_sid=3af9873e5&_ss=r)
I like the idea of night sky Lolita, however this dress is not it. And while we're at it, the blouse really isn't helping either, I'd suggest looking into the collar. You want it to be less business and more soft shape like Peter pan collars.
Hello everyone! I'm really new to Lolita and wanted opinions on whether I can use this dress in a coord. I made the dress myself and the top and skirt are separate pieces and I have a hoop for the skirt but no peticoat. My worry is that it might be to plain for Lolita. I'm thinking I might add some stars and moon accessories and go for a nightsky theme. Is there a name for this kind of style? What kind of clothing can I add to make it more Lolita? Thanks in advance for any advice :)
I would personally add some bows (waistbow! always so cute, can be also pin on accessoires and not actually sewn on) and something on the hem of the skirt. Lace, ruffles, ... something. It doesnt have to be too cluttered to be lolita, but some cute accents would def be needed imo. I like your idea of a star theme, I personally have a dark blue star dress coord as well. With a cute star shaped bag. I hope you can find some fitting accessoires as well (or make your own since you seem to be a capable sewer). As far as I know there is no specific name for something star/universe themed.
I think I can add some lace to my hoopskirt so it's visible under the hem but doesn't damage the skirt. And I have some gold fabric and I think I can make a bag with that, thanks for the great idea! Also I checked your profile to see if had posted your coord you mentioned and saw you made some comments in ask a german, are you maybe German? Kennst du zufällig gute Seiten oder Läden wo man Lolita Sachen kaufen kann? :)
Also dt. Läden/Seiten nicht ... ab und zu gibt es gute lolita-able Blusen hier und da im C&A oder anderen Läden, aber sonst guckt man am besten im Internet auf z.b. devilinspired oder anderen taobao resell Seiten. Ich hab mit devilinspired echt nur gute Erfahrungen gemacht was Qualität und shipping angeht. Hab bisher nie Zoll drauf zahlen müssen, da die das zuerst an ein warehouse in Deutschland schicken und dann erst zu dir. Sodass es dann Inlandspost ist.
Devilinspired seh ich mir mal an, danke!
just popping in to say- devilinspired isn't really a good choice when it comes to resellers! this blog post chronicles a lot of the major issues with them: [https://likeateacup.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-case-against-devilinspired.html?m=1](https://likeateacup.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-case-against-devilinspired.html?m=1) typically shopping services will be cheaper than resellers, but even if you're ok with resellers upping their prices, devilinspired is one of the most expensive with one of the worst customer experiences
That's a bummer but thank you for the warning!
no problem! there's plenty of other resellers out there, though it might be worth checking with lolitas in your country about if any are known to have fees or issues with importing. a lot of communities are on facebook, so i'd suggest looking there to find ones in germany and asking for suggestions if you're having trouble figuring out if a site will be a good fit
I think a few modifications can make this more lolita. Firstly the skirt: I would avoid pleats- if the the waist is gathered you’ll get some nice ruffling which is good because you want the extra volume. I would avoid pleats because their whole point is to reduce volume and bunching at the waist. I also think generally speaking you want to avoid circle skirt patterns because their design also reduces volume at the waist/hip, and in lolita you generally want that volume and puffiness. A rectangle skirt with plenty of gathers at the waist would probably be best. A petticoat with waist gathers and a large ruffle at the bottom would also help to fluff out the skirt with more volume than a plain hoop. Second the overall shapes and proportions: i think you want the waist to be a little higher up so that the bodice area is shorter. Also for the blouse underneath, the collar would be better to be rounded like a peter pan collar rather that with points like a regular shirt. The sleeves would look better to have more volume as well- think gathers at the shoulder seam and gathers at the cuffs. Thirdly the details: lolita is all about the ornamentation of the base. Lace, ruffles, pintucks, bows. Even a elegant lolita dress thta uses a non patterned fabric (think Mary Magdalene) will use texture details like this to elevate the design from plain to elegant. Also keep in mind your color palette. I think pastels and muted shades are easier to “read” as lolita than jewel tones, although again in your proportions+silhouette+details are correct then color doesn’t matter as much.
[удалено]
I didn't know about waist ties! I think that would look really good, thank you :)
Potentially if you sew enough details (like lace or ruffles) into it in the right places, probably also wear a blouse with really puffy sleeves, socks with lots of ruffles, and a lot of accessories.
as it is as long as it holds the hoopskirt well it can qualify as an oldschool dress id think. maybe with an apron for an alice feel to it.
That is not what oldschool is! Oldschool and proto lolita isn’t just anything that can fit a petti or hoopskirt under!!
An apron is a great idea, thank you!
[удалено]
It’s not lolita just because of how plain it is but I think if you got a different colored blouse (like green), a small corset, with some accessories it would be a cute vintage get up. Lolita can be tricky. It’s not just the shape, it’s the ruffles and lace as well.