When did the holiday season happen?? I feel like I'm still in recovery mode from all the events of the fall, and at some point between naps and cups of spiked cocoa (maybe there's the problem?) we quietly transitioned from fiery foliage to pine trees and presents. As someone who considers herself casually Pagan, the holiday season really gets on my nerves- so much commercialism, so little respect for where mainstream holiday traditions come from. However, while I may not buy into the holiday spirit, I do enjoy giving gifts.

Problem is, I'm typically too broke to actually buy anything (sigh, travel/student loans/adulthood), particularly for those outside my immediate family, so I end up doing a lot of agonizingly fruitless window shopping. Is it rude to email people links to the things you WOULD buy them as a present if you could afford to? I imagine it would be, but what do I know? I am but a humble blogger, after all - a perpetual, shameless daydreamer, verily.

Holiday Gifting for Lolita Fashion Enthusiasts

So  this year, I'm taking it out on all of you - you're welcome! If you're worried about the people in your life buying you Milanoo, feel free to send this post, or any of these curated images, to friends/ family members/ lovers/ coworkers/ other people who normal folks buy gifts for if you feel so inclined. If not, sigh dreamily with me at things we may some day be able to afford (to buy for other people, of course). While I do believe that our traditional "style" names like classic and gothic have been blurring for the past few years (and for good reason!), I've still separated these sets out into the traditional Big Three. I think this will make it easier for the uninitiated to choose a gift for the lolitas in their lives that suits their style.

Items in this list range from handmade items on the lower-priced end to some of the most enviable items to ever grace my computer screen (that lariat! those rings!!), and are also all in stock at the (or were upon writing this). They're a combination of brand-name items, indie brand items, and even offbrand picks as well. Whether you're shopping for a Secret Santa, your lolita bestie, or your One True Love, something will surely fit both their opulent tastes and whatever your budget may be. And if you're so inclined to purchase any of these items, for yourself or for others (no judgment!), click on the small images of each item below the collection.

Classic Lolita Holiday Gift Guide

Classic lolita gift guide 2k14 by herlumpiness 

It shouldn't surprise anyone that the classic lolita collection was the easiest and most enjoyable set for me to put together, containing as it is some of the most enviable and heartbreaking items to grace my computer screen in the past twelve months. I made it a point to include some trendier items, like the lace crown, as well as the old classics we've been lusting after for years - rosaries, pearl chain brooches, etc. My favorite of these pieces is the Waterhouse corset - the artisan has an entire line of "art history" corsets, including some glorious art nouveau ones. Judging by today's trends, I'd be surprised if this collection wasn't the most popular with my readers, and with good reason - don't mind me, I'll just be in the corner ugly-crying loudly into my wallet.

Gothic Lolita Holiday Gift Guide

Gothic Lolita Gift Guide 2k14 by herlumpiness 

I'm not sure why, but this was the most difficult set for me to put together. Maybe because the gothic scene is so established, especially outside of lolita - when you first start looking, you get amazingly beautiful pieces for exorbitant amounts or the more affordable ones of questionable quality. And while there are a few wildcards (such as the almost-$200 tentacle ring, or that absurd h.naoto scarf), there are certainly no duds. Gifting any of these pieces to the Gothic Lolita in your life won't send them running back to their crypt in horror (terrible joke, I know - bear with me, I haven't blogged in a while)!

Sweet Lolita Holiday Gift Guide

Sweet Lolita Gift Guide 2k14 by herlumpiness

As always, I'm all about that indie lifestyle, so as well as a few items from the big brands (because necessary) I made sure to cram in a few Taobao and handmade items as well. It's been interesting to watch how sweet has morphed in the last year or two - it's (finally) gotten away from the babydoll sweet look with childish prints and pastel twin tail wigs and is instead in this really interesting intersection with classic that I am 100% supportive of. That's definitely reflected in this set - while it's certainly whimsical and youthful, I'm fairly certain nothing here looks like it came from the children's section of a local department store!

Dear Readers! Are there any lolitas on your holiday gift lists this year, or will you and your friends just be window shopping as well this year? I'm a little bit embarrassed by how curious I am!


Previous Winter Holiday Posts:

Out-Of-The-Box Lolita Dessert-Gifts

Guys' Guide to Gifting - Holidays 2010

A Very Mori Winter
Miss Lumpy's 'Winter' Tag

What I wore:

Gothic Lolita for the Misako Aoki tea party in New York City!

Accessory closeup for my gothic lolita coordinate!

It's been ages since I went to a large lolita fashion meetup! This meet was sponsored by RuffleCon, for which I'm on the Board of Directors, who hosted a raffle for attendees (which I donated to!). Conveniently, it was located at Dove Parlour, a bar I love in the West Village.

I was honestly a bit overwhelmed during the meet itself! Like I said, I don't attend large meets very often, so being in close quarters with over a hundred fluffy ladies was a bit much for me. I expected to do more socializing and meeting new people, but when my friends and I snagged seats at a table in the back, I was worried to leave and lose my spot! But luckily there were some friends of friends I had never met who joined us, so I did get to meet SOME new people.

It was also difficult to get good photos while we were there- the lighting wasn't very good (obviously, as it's an underground bar!) and it was a bit too cold to get photos outside, but I managed to get a few decent enough to post here.

Gothic lolita outfit shot:

Full outfit shot

Rundown:

JSK: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright's Pocket Embroidery

Blouse and fur: vintage

Leggings: Victoria's Secret PINK, with UniQlo tights underneath

Shoes: Payless

Headpiece: handmade

Accessories: handmade or offbrand

Ankle bows, not really shown: Tutu Anna

Close-up showing my gothic makeup, thrifted necklace, and
handmade headpiece

The BABY, the Stars Shine Bright jumperskit was a last minute wardrobe addition as well. I wanted a new party dress for this, and specifically one by BABY (Misako's favorite brand), so I scoured the secondhand communities and managed to find this beauty exactly in my price range, and in my size! It's one of the many rereleases of the iconic Pocket Embroidery jumperskirt, and I love all of the little details - the buttons, the pintucks, and of course the embroidery. It's also SO comfortable! I'll definitely be wearing it in more casual applications come summertime.

I had so much fun making that headpiece! My friend Remi and I got snowed into my apartment for a weekend to make them. Unfortunately I haven't been able to get a good shot of it yet, but it consists of a headband covered in black velvet, with black roses (small ones with gold rhinestones, one big one with glitter-tipped petals), black birdcage netting (!), a small black crow (!!) and a bunch of purple grapes (!!!). I haven't gotten over it yet! It's isn't the first large headpiece I've made myself, but it's certainly my favorite, and a style I've never done before. Definitely the first of many, though!

Verdict: I'm definitely getting more and more into gothic lolita. Classic lolita style will always be my favorite, but gothic is coming in a close second, especially while the weather is so drab! Maybe once spring comes I'll be drawn back to my creams and browns, but even in my daily wear I'm so drawn to the darker spectrum these days...

How about you all? Has the weather where you are (whether you're currently trudging through snow like me, or sunny beaches if you're in the southern hemisphere) affected your color palette and preferred styles like it has for me, or are you one of those folks who always keeps to the same staples year-round?

International Lolita Day was wonderful this year - exactly what I've been needing these past few months. Spending the evening with beautiful, fierce ladies at first a scrumptious tea and then drinks at the beautiful Dove Parlor really reminded me of what I love so much about this fashion: expressing myself through my appearance, and being surrounded by people who value doing the same.

Rundown:

♥ Headbow: BABY, the Stars Shine Bright ♥
♥ JSK: Alice and the Pirates ♥
♥ Cutsew: Angelic Pretty ♥
♥ Choker: Offbrand, purchased at ConnectiCon ♥
♥ Wig: GLW, I think? Scored it in a trade! ♥

I busted out the brand this time in honor of international lolita day! For the most part, I've been strictly avoiding brand in my coordinates lately - it's never fit me right, and honestly it just feels like putting together a nice coordinate out of offbrand items is so much more rewarding for me. It's much more of a challenge, in my opinion, and therefore it's far more satisfying.

I'm so thankful to Martha for organizing this beautiful event and for taking these photos as well! It was really a lovely evening, and I'm so grateful to have been a part of it.

 And in closing, I leave you with this ubiquitous train selfie, the crux of all good lolita outfit posts: