A guide for Baby Frills

On X I sometimes joke about me telling lies to Lolita fashion novices. For instance, I once posted about how I was going to start claiming that a Blythe doll, that looks a lot like Misako Aoki, is actually Misako Aoki. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out to be a banger post. This get me thinking however on what I could do to actually help novices or "Baby Frills" (maybe this term will stick) navigate the wonderful world of Lolita fashion novices. This guide will be filled with supposed knowledge that I have accumulated over the years.

Flowery Mademoiselle II by Macoto Takahashi (2016)

Vocabulary guide

As in every subculture it is important to accustom yourself with its vocabulary. Lolitas don't use these terms as cant to keep outsiders away, but because most of these words come directly from Japanese. If you come across words that aren't in this list, feel free to ask me by posting a comment or by using the contact form on your left.

Style guide

When you start wearing Lolita fashion, or any fashion at all, it's important for the style to be cohesive. This means that all the pieces in your coord should work together harmoniously. A regular outfit also feels disjointed if the wearer were to combine too many themes, colors, patterns, materials or shapes together. That's because it would be trying to be too much at once. And with Lolita fashion, you're already a bit much when it comes to shape usually because of the petticoat so that's why harmony is so important. Luckily this can be achieved through styling. A styling trick Lolitas like to use, and that I definitely recommend to Baby Frills, is "sandwiching." Last year this trick went viral and everybody tried "sandwich dressing" for a little while. The idea is that you try to create a nice little fashion sandwich by selecting one color as your bread and a different color as your filling for instance. In a Lolita coord this could mean wearing a skirt with a matching headpiece as the bread. For the filling we could add a white blouse to keep it simple. Add a pair of black Mary Janes and usually this would mean we're done with our outfit. For Lolitas this isn't the case because we still need to add frilly socks and, depending on the sleeve of our blouse length, we might want to add some type of arm accessory like wrist cuffs. In my situation I think it's best to go for white socks and some light arm accessories.

Enjoy a spread of my coord until I'm healed from my surgery.

Size guide

Lolita fashion pieces will almost always come in "one size fits most." Luckily all brands will have size guide on their website so when shopping online make sure to keep your measuring tape at the ready (or buy one for a small price). If you can't find the measurements of a certain garment on their website, you can always check Lolibrary. Its Lolibrarians are always making hard to ensure almost all pieces have all the necessary information for other Lolitas. With most brands using centimeters, the users of the imperial system will have to some extra calculating. Sure, metric system users will laugh until they see that Japanese brands also size their shoes in centimeters. For the plus size Baby Frills, it's important to note that you aren't forgotten in this fashion subculture. Metamorphose and Atelier Pierrot offer pieces that go up to a bust of 155 cm and 132 cm respectably, with Metamorphose's Plus Plus size and Atelier Pierrot's size 4. If they don't offer what you're looking for, you could always take an OP or JSK from a different brand and have a dressmaker alter it. In my experience they will try to match the fabric and color as best as they can. For those who are in between sizes, Metamorphose shared a handy image depicting a comparison between the fit of their regular size and their plus size. As you can see on the picture the length of the garment has also changed, which is very useful for those who are larger overall.

Shopping guide

Instead of giving you a list of shops you can buy Lolita fashion from, I would rather focus on how to shop. I know it's rough to step foot in a new subculture and it can be very intimidating. This is because everybody seems so far ahead of you who is just starting out. It's important to keep in mind that everybody has to start somewhere. If that somewhere is secondhand Bodyline, it's one hundred percent okay and it's a valid entryway into the subculture. This is why I suggest Baby Frills should start by building a capsule wardrobe. This is a little collection of clothes that you can style together in multiple ways. This usually consists of three main piece (a JSK, a SK and an OP), two blouses and about ten accessories (including two sets of socks). If you need some inspiration, Atelier Pierrot has got you covered over on their Instagram page, where they post an inspiring capsule collection almost every week. You can try recreating one of those with secondhand pieces from Lacemarket or other secondhand markets.

Elaine's Flowers by Macoto Takahashi (2019)

A few words

I hope this guide can help Baby Frills navigate the wonderful world of Lolita. Maybe it will give some of you a little confidence boost to finally wear that dress outside. Yes, people might stare and perhaps even point, but you will feel amazing showing your true self. Naturally, if something might be missing or if you have any further questions, you can always leave a comment below or send me an email through the contact form on the left.

Thank you, and take care.