Habits I've Picked Up From Lolita

This week's Lolita Blog Carnival topic is to talk about habits picked up from Lolita. While I can easily think of ways my life has changed because of the fashion, it was more difficult and interesting to think of habits specifically.

1. Need for matching

Because I got into jfashion pretty early on in my style development, it has definitely influenced how I pick out my outfits. Even with my normal, every-day clothes I have picked up the habit of consciously coordinating every little aspect of my outfit to make sure it matches. Nowadays, you'll rarely see me in something that doesn't match. 

Not only has Lolita helped me develop my personal style and a more composed way of actually putting good-looking outfits together, but colors and textures are also on point!

2. Saving money towards big purchases

I actually got my first job solely to pay for Lolita. I've been fortunate to be able to live with my parents throughout university, so most of my paychecks since I turned 16 has gone to either food or clothes. Like a lot of middle class kids, I got an allowance which I spent on trivial things like going to the movies with my friends or getting something cute.

It wasn't until I got a real job and wanted to buy brand that I learned how to save. As you well know, it is hard to pass up small pleasures when you're trying to save up for something larger down the road. However, this skill and habit of constantly saving a portion of any money I receive has definitely helped me in real life and in acquiring the Lolita wardrobe I have now.

3. Admiring small details and quality of craftsmanship

One pretty common habit I hear from a lot of Lolitas is that once you've been in the fashion for a while, you tend to prefer quality over quantity in other areas of your life as well. 

My current significant other once commented how he found it strange that he was actually interested in my jewelry collection because "most girls only care about the stones" while I had such an assortment of odd shapes and intricate details. Ignoring the comment itself, he made a point. Lolita is largely about the small details in the fabric, trim, and prints. Throughout my development of making better matching and creative coordinates, I've collected a lot of different accessories that I take pride on the quality and detail.

In addition to fashion, I've ascribed to the philosophy that it is better to spend more money on quality than buy something cheap that you'll replace soon. This has helped me not waste money on things I don't need and won't last.

4. Doing my makeup

Just like the habits for matching and saving money, doing my makeup is a habit that is hard to separate from Lolita because of when I started wearing the fashion.

Doing my makeup, hair, and wearing jewelry all began when I got into Lolita. While a lot of us like to say that being yourself in your clothes is the most important, there is definitely a lot of pressure to wear makeup and invest a lot in personal grooming. 

For me, I think this was a good habit because it has helped me feel more comfortable in my skin as an adult. Makeup is both a creative outlet and a way to combat laziness and depression for me. If I maintain the habit of grooming myself each morning, I feel more productive and less like a slob still wearing my pajamas days at a time.

5. Photographing moments

Growing up as a millennial, I've come from a strange transitional background when it comes to technology. I didn't have a phone and still used disposable film cameras until middle school. I took photos of the most random things growing up. I recently found several of just a gray area with a bright spot - I think I was trying to take photos of fireworks...

When I started wearing Lolita, I wanted to document my outfits so I could share them online for coordinating advice and to look back on later for future outfit inspiration. The more invested I got in the online/social aspect of the fashion, the more photos I took of outfits, meetups, and selfies with new friends.

Now I have thousands of photos on my iPhone and several hundred more on my DSLR that I bring with me to events and trips. I can look back and see both important moments in my life and smaller but just as memorable moments.


What habits have you picked up from Lolita or other jfashions?

Other blogs who participated:
Darkly Darling

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