This week’s topic in the Lolita Blog Carnival was how we went about putting together coordinates. I have been planning to make a video on this same topic for months now, and I finally got that push to get up and do it!
I feel that I’m pretty competent at putting together outfits because organization is one of my strong suits, and I have an obsessive need for matching colors. Coordination is one of the reasons why I love Lolita. It comes naturally to me and is really fun. You could say it is my creative outlet~
That being said, I do keep a few things in mind when putting together an outfit in order for it to look good…
Think about the occasion
This step in my process is automatic and doesn’t require much thought. If I’m heading to a meet up at a frozen yogurt parlor, I will choose something casual and something I’m prepared to battle food stains with. If I’m going up to San Francisco, I’ll need an outfit that has comfortable walking shoes and can be layered for the oh-so-chilly wind. Makes sense right? It does to me, but it isn’t as obvious as I’d like to think. I see a lot of Lolitas who attend fancy tea parties in something I would consider really informal.
When you think about the occasion, keep in mind: the weather, the formality of the event, who you will be hanging out with, the location you will be in, etc. I can’t tell you how many times I have forgotten to bring a coat with me when I visit San Francisco! I always seem to think it will be warmer than it really is. If you are going to a picnic, you probably shouldn’t wear high heels or you’ll sink into the grass. And don’t forget a parasol and sunscreen! If you are dressing to run errands with a family member, consider their comfort level and dress more “normal” - perhaps less poof, plain socks, and a simple head accessory. Location may not be as important to you as it is to me, but I like to match my surroundings. If I know I’ll be going to a rose garden, I like to wear florals. If I’m going to a museum or a tea house, I prefer to dress a bit more classic/elegant instead of sugary sweet.
Plan your coord with colors, themes/motifs, and accents
This is where the creativity flows! Deciding which direction to take your outfit and choosing accessories is the fun part.
Colors are really important to Lolita. This is where the stigma attached to black-and-white outfits comes from. Lolita coordinates are expected to have a good control over the colors in the outfit. No, every shade of pink doesn’t have to be the same. But If there is no black in your dress,don’t wear black shoes unless you’re planning on making it an accent color with more black accessories to tie it all together. Does that make sense? “Don’t wear cream AND white” is another traditional faux pas. I like to sometimes, by using a champagne dress with a white blouse and white/gold accessories to create an ethereal vibe. What people generally mean by advising against it is to not wear a cream blouse with a dress that has pure white lace/designs. And vice versa. That almost never looks good…
Themes are really fun to play around with. My wardrobe is limited to themes because my prints are typically bears or roses. I have one dress (BTSSB’s Alice Portrait) that can be worked into a Disney or an Alice in Wonderland coordinate. Most of my comm’s themed meetups involve forests and/or fairytales, so my only dress I can really use is BTSSB’s Welcome to Sweets Hexenhaus. Hopefully you can get more creative than I do in this respect!
Motifs are a little bit easier if you own any printed pieces. Like I mentioned, I have a lot of rose and teddy bear prints. This makes it super easy for me to use those motifs because I can use a lot of the same bear of rose accessories with different dresses. I even have two bear-shaped purses! (Check out another LBC topic from 2013 about my teddy bear motif obsession here!)
Just for fun, I've created some sample outfits, one dress focusing on each of these three ideas. They aren't anywhere near perfect, but I hope they'll do:
This step used to be difficult for me when I was starting out in Lolita, and I notice it is a really common issue with beginners. It is important to have balance in your outfit or else it will look off. I really learned how to master this skill by watching a video by Shelby Cloud (does anyone else miss her videos?) For example, try not to have black socks & shoes with navy dress and headbow. Keep the black shoes, but try to get socks with both black AND blue, and add a black flower clip to your navy headbow. Make sense? Basically, you don't want to end up with one half one color that doesn't exist in the other half.
If you are struggling with the concept of balancing out your coordinate, don't worry. It is hard for me to explain it, but there is no doubt that you'll get the hang of it soon!
I don't have too much else to say. If you have any questions, I would be more than happy to help you! Also, I made a corresponding video. Watch it if you'd like to hear me talk and see how I put together outfits instead.
Motifs are a little bit easier if you own any printed pieces. Like I mentioned, I have a lot of rose and teddy bear prints. This makes it super easy for me to use those motifs because I can use a lot of the same bear of rose accessories with different dresses. I even have two bear-shaped purses! (Check out another LBC topic from 2013 about my teddy bear motif obsession here!)
Just for fun, I've created some sample outfits, one dress focusing on each of these three ideas. They aren't anywhere near perfect, but I hope they'll do:
Keep your balance
This step used to be difficult for me when I was starting out in Lolita, and I notice it is a really common issue with beginners. It is important to have balance in your outfit or else it will look off. I really learned how to master this skill by watching a video by Shelby Cloud (does anyone else miss her videos?) For example, try not to have black socks & shoes with navy dress and headbow. Keep the black shoes, but try to get socks with both black AND blue, and add a black flower clip to your navy headbow. Make sense? Basically, you don't want to end up with one half one color that doesn't exist in the other half.
If you are struggling with the concept of balancing out your coordinate, don't worry. It is hard for me to explain it, but there is no doubt that you'll get the hang of it soon!
I don't have too much else to say. If you have any questions, I would be more than happy to help you! Also, I made a corresponding video. Watch it if you'd like to hear me talk and see how I put together outfits instead.
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