Lolita Starter kit, part 3 [ Where to buy ]

In my previous blog I talked about how to build a wardrobe. In this blog I will make a list where I buy my lolita items and the best shop to buy lolita.

Blouses:

Bodyline and Taobao.

Bodyline is a cosplay/lolita webshop in japan. They are cheap, therefore quality is not that great.

My best blouses are from Dear Celine ( a taobao store, china ). They sell everything for lolitas and there quality is amazing. They are more exspensive then Bodyline, but for a good reason(quality) . I use a Shopping service or SS to buy it for me. My SS is ClobbaOnline.

Jumperskirt:

Angelic pretty , Baby the stars shine bright and Alice and the Pirates.

If you are fimilair with Lolita you will know these brands. I buy mostly second hand, because the dresses are only for sale for a while. New releases, I buy first hand. If I like a release I will ask my SS in japan to buy it for me. My SS in japan is JaponicaMarket.

In the past I had bodyline JSKs aswell, but sold them for better qaulity. Bodyline is a great starter Lolita brand. I will recommend to start with bodyline and work you way up to the big brands , like I did.

Shoes:

Bodyline & Angelic pretty

Bodyline is the best for lolita shoes. Most of the lolita's I know wear bodyline. They are good quality and are cheap in comparison to the biggger brand shoes.

Legwear, Outerwear:

Offbrand, Angelic pretty and Bodyline

OTKs are Bodyline and Angelic pretty. My panties are Offbrand, Angelic pretty and Bodyline. Most my cardigans/boleros are offbrand. But my Jackets and coat is Bodyline.

Bags:

Taobao, Angelic pretty

Most of my bags are Taobao( replica bags & original designs ) I own 1 Angelic pretty bag and im so proud of it! :)

Accessoires, Hair Accessoires:

Offbrand, Angelic pretty and Bodyline

Headbows are AP(Angelic pretty) and offbrand. My clips are from Bodyline. They have the cutest clip ins , like candies and chiffon ribbon clips.

Undergarments ( bloomers and petticoats ):

Offbrand, Angelic pretty

I own a handmade bloomer and a Angelic pretty bloomer. My petticoat is from Taoabo, i believe. ( dont remember )

Shops I recommend is Bodyline for starter lolita. You can buy it yourself, no need for a SS. And they have many sizes.

When you have more money to spend and feel more comfortable in lolita. You can try Taobao and the bigger brands, like Angelic pretty and Baby, the stars shine bright.

Also facebook is your friend. I bought a lot from Facebook lolita sales groups, like Lolita sales in English. or Lolita Sales.

You have a new website called : LaceMarket. It is new, so there are some bugs and thngs sometimes not working. But I believe that will go away in time. You can make a free account and buy from people offering there items.

Lolita Starters kit , part 2 [ How to start a wardrobe ]

First and foremost - lolita is an expensive hobby, in the sense of both time and money. Cheap clothing with no time or thought put into it isn't lolita. Some basics are cheap too buy, but look for quality!

♥ Save up for it. It cold take a week or it could take a year, but it can be really worth it.
♥ Learn to sew.
♥ Spend lots of times hunting for sales, second-hand bargains, and lucky packs.

1. The basics

Petticoat(s), Bloomer(s), OTK(s)/ Panties, Outerwear(Jacket/Coat, cardigan/bolero), white blouse and black blouse.

2. Colorways

Best way to build a wardrobe is to stick to 2 colors. (black and white is not a color )

When you start a sweet wardrobe stick to pastel colors. ( pink , baby blue or yellow )
Or when you start a more classic/gothic wardrobe stick to darker colors, like wine , navy or brown.

3. Jumperskirts/ Skirts

Try 2 skirt and 2 JSK(Jumperskirt) to see which you like best. And build up from there. Buy a plain color JSK/skirt and a elegent one( more lace or maybe a print ). But try to stick to your colors , this way coordinating is easy.

4. Accessoires

Headbows, clips ins/hairpins are meant to compliment the outfit. Stick to the colors of your wardrobe. Handmaking these items is a lot of fun.

5. Shoes/bag

When it comes to shoes, pick shoes that are comfortable and elegent. also it has to match everthing in your wardrobe , so stick to black or white. Same for the bag as well.

Now here is a list of how your starter wardrobe would look like:

♥ 1 petticoat ( black for classic/gothic or white for sweet )
♥ 1 bloomer ( black for classic/gothic or white for sweet )
♥ 1 pair of OTKs ( white )
♥ 1 pair of panties ( black )
♥ 2 blouses ( Black , (off)-white )
♥ 1 pair of shoes ( black for classic/gothic or white for sweet )
♥ 1 jacket or coat ( black for classic/gothic or white for sweet )
♥ 1 cardigan / bolero ( black for classic/gothic or white for sweet )
♥  Hair Accessoires

♥ 2 skirts/ 2 jumperskirts ( 1 plain and the other more fancy ( with a print or with more lace details ))

Final tip: Dont buy more then you need. Try to avoid the impulse buys. Better to spend some more on 1 item then buying items that dont match or are of bad quality.

Read my [Where to buy] to see where you can best buy your lolita items.