What makes a work of literature a sweet lolita piece? Sweet lolita literature is a different breed from gothic and classic lolita. It is from a much different time period, starting about 1800 and going through the 1980's. Like the fashion itself, sweet lolita literature is more modern than its counterparts, but it is also focused on Europe and North America. Children's literature features heavily, especially those books which are written seemingly as children's novels, but are actually geared more towards adults. Other common themes are uniqueness, love, self-exploration, and the beauty of the world around the subject. Sweet lolita literature is light and effervescent with deeply-resonating undertones.

On the Sweet Lolita's Bookshelf...

In no particular order:

• The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
• The Serendipity book series by Stephen Cosgrove, especially Flutterby
• A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
• Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll
• Tales of my Mother Goose by Charles Perrault
• The Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti
• Any anthology by Shel Silverstein, but especially A Light in the Attic
• Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Margaret
• Andrew Lang's Fairy Books, compiled by Andrew Lang
• Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

As always, fellow lolitas! What's on your sweet lolita required reading list?

And this concludes the Lolita Required Reading series! I may end up doing a few more, or maybe just one big post of a few lists for specific substyles, but I think everyone is sick of seeing these things by now! Sorry that this post is a little late, I was in Boston all week with friends and now I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get ready for school before the hurricane hits. Sigh!

art in this post by Cinnamoron on DeviantART

What makes a work of literature a gothic lolita piece? A work of gothic lolita literature is a little more broad time-wise than the classic lolita pieces; it can include everything from the Bible to modern vampire novels. However, for these works, I drew mainly on a similar time from as the classic lolita pieces, namely around the 1500's-1900's, also mainly written in Europe and North America. Gothic literature is actually its own genre, so this list taps greatly into those classics with a few other unexpected additions. Victorian horror is a heavy hitter in this list, but early science fiction and fantasy also make an appearance. Common themes in gothic lolita literature are, obviously, gothic classics like vampires and murder but also the supernatural in general, malaise with society, ennui, discontent with the modern world, and a deep-seated feeling of one's own strangeness. It is an escape from the false brightness of modern life like a London or Paris back alley; dark and shadowy, these works have a slightly foreboding air and rarely end happily.

On the Gothic Lolita's bookshelf...

In no particular order:

• The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells
• Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
• A Modest Proposal by Johnathan Swift
• Grimm's Fairy Stories by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Anything by Edgar Allen Poe but especially his poetry and short stories
• Les Fleurs du Mal by Charles Baudelaire
• The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights by Sir James Knowles
• Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster
• A Light in August by William Faulkner
• Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

I have to admit, as someone who doesn't dapple much in gothic lolita or gothic fashion in general, this was a difficult one for me! So I encourage my more gothically-inclined followers to please add your suggestions to the comments section below! I'd love to see what you all recommend~

You know I love anything related to literature, so today it occurred to me, just for fun, to make a list of my reading recommendations for lolitas. However, as I was thinking about it, I realized that the books I wanted to recommend may not really inspire followers of every style, so I'm breaking them down into sub-styles. This is my required reading list for lovers of classic lolita; if it goes over well, I'll work on gothic and sweet lists, too!

What makes a work of literature a classic lolita piece? It was probably written between 1600-1900 in Europe or North America. This collection focuses mainly on novels but also includes essays, plays, and poetry. Early science fiction and the pastoral convention feature heavily. It focuses on themes like the domestic sphere, nature versus society, tradition, art and its importance to the human soul, science and its effects on humanity, and the importance of knowledge of oneself and the world around one. Like the lolita herself, it is classic and timeless with an implication of scandalous experimentation which, though it would cause little commotion these days, certainly rustled the petticoats of its time.

On the Classic Lolita's Bookshelf...

In no particular order:

• Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
• Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
• Walden by Henry David Thoreau
• Beauty and the Beast by Marie Le Prince de Beaumont
• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• A collection of fairytales by Hans Christian Andersen
• The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
• The Picture of Dorian Gray
• The Passionate Shepherd to his Love by Christopher Marlowe
• Anything by Shakespeare but especially As You Like It, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, or King Lear, or most of his sonnets.
• A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
• The Poet by Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Anonymous
• Il Canzonere by Francesco Petrarch
• L'Allegro and Il Penseroso by John Milton

Fellow classic lolitas! What's on your bookshelf?



Part of the Literary Lolita series

So despite my best efforts, I didn't end up getting photos of what I wore every day. I did warn Stefan that he'd be the official photographer in exchange for my Japanese prowess, but even still, I felt bad stopping him every few hours and being like "WAIT TAKE ANOTHER OVER HERE!" I did manage to document most of the days, though!

Here they are in order. I have a few towards the end where I'm not certain which day they're from, but for the most part I did pretty well!







Day 1: NOT scaring the rural folk in Hakone with lolita clothing:
Dress: H&M
Shrug: F21

Explored scenic Hakone-Yumoto. It was really important to me that Stefan see both urban Tokyo and a more suburban area, since so few people get to do so. Because our trip was extended by two days, we were able to spend one taking in the breathtaking natural beauty of central Tohoku.

Day Two: In Transit from Hakone to Tokyo All offbrand- Target and JC Penney, I think.

purely practical outfit for navigating shinkansen, subway, and the trek through Ikebukuro. Luckily it was waaaaay easier to get from Hakone to Ikebukuro than from Narita airport to Hakone. I think the trip took us a total of three or four hours. Not too bad, but still exhausting, so we just took a look around Ikebukuro after settling in.

Day 2: Ochanomizu and Akihabara, Take One. First day in lolita! Cutsew: I Do DeclareCardigan: H&MSkirt: Lolita NouveauSocks: MetaHeadband: Cocoa MousseNecklace: Amaranth Opulent

Casual lolita for Ochanomizu (the music/instrument district where we purchased Stefan's guitar) and Akihabara (ended up being our most-frequented district, strangely!) I was kind of upset when this photo was taken because I realized I'd left almost all of my makeup except lipgloss and mascara at the hotel in Hakone D:



Day 3: Harajuku! ...in a typhoon.Dress: BABY, the Stars Shine BrightPurse: Mother GardenSocks: Betsey JohnsonShoes: BodylineHair nest: Amaranth Opulent

Met up with a wonderful expat for soggy, typhoon-laden shopping. The ridiculous weather didn't stop me from going about my business, though (Stefan was shocked at how many people were still out and about- bad weather in America means pretty much everything stops) - I still dropped a couple hundred in Closet Child and Wonder Rocket almost entirely. I have no regretssss ♥
   Day 4: Mori-inspired-gyaru or gyaru-inspire-mori or some shit like that,Dress: MoMo by Wonder RocketCardigan: Emily Temple CuteSocks: Tutu*annaShoes: Target?Headband: Cocoa MousseNecklace: Amaranth Opulent

Went to the Tokyo Tower in this one, as well as Zojo-ji, which is one of my favorite temples. It's famous for allowing people to take pictures like this:

which is just cool. (ohai, Stefan!) We also had a nice chat with some businessmen who were helping us find the nearest train station, in which they asked why we had decided to come to Japan now and why we weren't scared of radiation poisoning. Ohhh, Japan.


Aaaaaaand from there it gets a bit hazy. That's the last of the regimented "this definitely happened on this day" photos.I thiiiink the next day we met up with some more expats to shop around Ikebukuro's Sunshine City shopping center (which was awesooome!). Excuse the silly shoes! We were a little early, so we went to relax in the sun on the hotel's terrace, and as shoes are not permitted inside the hotel, we were required to wear outdoor shoes.

  Dress: BABY, the Stars Shine Bright

Bolero: BodylinePurse: Angelic Pretty (Late birthday present from Stefan!)Socks: Secret Shop June 1st was spent revisiting the places we wanted to explore more fully- Sunshine City Mall (holy beans, I could've probably spent two full days there), Harajuku, and Akihabara. Unfortunately I didn't get a full outfit shot, but here are a few bits to piece together, haha:

 Not gonna lie, with was mostly to show off my crepe. Chicken curry crepe ftw!

Dress: Alice and the PiratesBlazer: BABY, the Stars Shine BrightPurse: Angelic Pretty
And then, shopping in Shinjuku! We met up with another American who was also on vacation for an hour or two and went to Marui. Then Stefan and I had lunch at Italian Tomato (which was surprisingly good!) and donuts at Mister Donut for dessert.

And Stefan, the ever-charming and ever-manly:

So there you have it! There's only one Japan post left, and that'll be a Q&A answering questions anyone has. Please leave questions in the comments below this entry or e-mail me by clicking the button in the sidebar to ask your questions about traveling in Japan!

ConnectiCon, the local fandom convention in my state, was this past weekend. I've always had a love-hate relationship with CTcon; on the one hand, I supported it its first few years and will always have a special place in my heart because of that and the fact that, as a general fandom convention, it encompasses more than just "anime" (they always have a large steampunk presence as well as a lot of alternative fashion, sci fi, and Western comic fans). However, that being said.... it kind of sucks in general, and the people are usually not the sort I like to hang about with, to put it lightly. That's why I was pleasantly surprised this year when I found myself socializing and making lots of new friends, as well as reuniting with old ones and spending more money in the dealers' room than I should have -- it was like a flashback to the conventions of old, back in my formative years, and my inner fifteen-year-old enjoyed herself immensely.

I really don't plan on making a habit of frequenting conventions the way I used to; to be perfectly honest, the only reason I went on Sunday was to visit The Lady and the Leopard in the dealers room, purveyors of period-inspired clothing and, mainly, corsets. I've decided this was the summer of corset-buying, something that's been put on the back-burner of my wardrobe-building for far too long. When Angelina posted on my local lolita community saying that the company she worked for would be selling at the convention, I certainly knew where a portion of my savings account would be going!

Since I was unabashed in the fact that I didn't want to do anything but shop, my friend Savannah and I only went up for one day. Here's what we wore!






Sailor for summertime!

Ahoy there ♥

I don't know if you can really tell, but I was trying to channel a pin-up vibe with this outfit. The shoes are these really adorable rope wedges with navy and white striped fabric, ankle straps, and a peep toe. They just scream "Pin up" to me, so I tried to go for a 1940's hint with a vintage hat and cat-eye makeup. I wish I'd realized how wrinkled it was, though... I pulled it out of my luggage from Japan (okay, yes, there are still a few bags I haven't unpacked...) and didn't have time to iron it before I left. It's not that bad, but Taurus-the-perfectionist is internally raging at my bad time management skills!


Rundown:
Sailor OP: Offbrand (from a children's clothing store!)Hat: VintageShoes: PaylessSocks: Tutuanna


And the ever-beautiful Savannah, also looking lovely &retro!




Rundown:Blouse and bustier: Offbrand  Skirt: BodylineFascinator: Forever 21Shoes: TargetFur stole: Mine! Vintage, inherited from my grandmother

And I couldn't really talk so much about corsets without showing you guys the one I bought! It was the first of the display that I set eyes on, and I knew it had to be mine. I tried on a few, but this was the first one and I could tell immediately that it'd be the one I took home. They even had this same style and pattern in powder blue, but somehow I resisted and followed my gut with the chocolate brown one. It was definitely the right choice, because when I got home I put together a lovely mori-inspired coord for a meetup this weekend. I can't wait to show you guys! Anyone who's friends with me on facebook or follows my tumblr have seen a sneak preview of it, but everyone else will unfortunately have to wait until next week to see it!

Also better shot of me makeup, woo!


(PS: Also, thank you everyone for your patience concerning my Japan articles! I have a few more pieces to post, and they'll be coming in the next few weeks, I hope. This summer has been a lot stranger than I anticipated, and my blog-schedule is definitely suffering for it... ♥s to all those who's stuck around despite that!)