Lolitas are a complicated bunch; I don't think there are many fashions around today that have so wide-reaching an aesthetic associated with them as lolita does. For example, it's a lot easier to consider a piece of media lolita-esque than, say, Steampunk-esque or gothic-esque; with the latter two styles, while certain themes will resonate with Steampunks or goths, those pieces of media will require a certain fashion element to merit that description.

In contrast, songs or movies or TV shows can be considered "loliable" or "lolita-friendly" based on their themes and design, even with basic or mainstream sartorial styles. Most lolitas have an affinity for fairy tale princesses, magical girls, and any heroines who kick serious tail in one way or another; place one of them in an old-fashioned or childlike story and set the whole thing in a beautifully-designed environment, and your creation is probably going to have at least some appeal to the lolita market. Our comparatively low standards for considering media loliable probably relate to our relative obscurity as a fashion; despite our relatively sizable following for the alt-fashion world, lolita still doesn't really fall on the Western radars. That's probably why so many of us follow diverse styles of media, whether it's magical girl anime or Broadway: we don't really get catered to as a market that often (or that well), so our standards have to be a little broader to fit into our aesthetic.

But while lolitas are not a big enough market to cater to specifically, women in general certainly are. Women and girls can find media geared towards them in many outlets; chick flicks and chick lit are both ubiquitous (and, ugh, utterly cringe-worthy) facets of the movie and literature industries, and have been for ages, and recently video games have finally been catching up. The end result is a lot of games coming out right now that cater to women in their characters, themes, and aesthetics. The fact that women in general are being catered to means that lolitas specifically are more likely to find games that are not only appealingly aesthetically but also almost addictively amusing, too.

One of those games? Child of Light by Ubisoft Montreal. The game came out in April, but I recently hooked myself up with a copy care of the lovely Play Station Store for PS4. It follows Princess Aurora in her quest to return home from the strange land of Lemuria. Here's official summary from the Ubisoft website:

The duke’s daughter Aurora is dead… and yet, she lives. Join Aurora across the mysterious kingdom of Lemuria on her quest to return home. Helped by Igniculus the firefly, Finn the Capilli and many more, she must defeat the Queen of the Night who has stolen the sun, the moon and the stars.

Guilty admission time: I'm really not a huge gamer. Once or twice a year I casually pick up a game, get really into it for a few weeks, and then never go back to it. Too much ADD, maybe? I think I'm just really picky about minor details - graphic quality, story lines, and battle mechanics can really ruin a game for me if they aren't up to a certain standard. There has to be a pretty deep connection for me to really relate to a game enough to even finish it. Child of Light, however, really ticked all the boxes for me in a way that's hard to put into words - but I'm a blogger, so obviously I'm gonna spend the next couple hundred words trying to do exactly that.

Story: 4/5

There is so, so much I love about the story. First on the list? The characters. Not only is the main heroine relatable and down to earth, she also demonstrates a fairly impressive level of badassery: she wields a sword bigger than she is for much of the story line, and can easily hold her own in battle without any handsome prince's protection, thank you very much. She and the rest of the characters undergo substantial growth over the course of the game, such as the merchant who comes to understand that people matter more than success.

From the official Child of Light blog on Tumblr

But where the characters are concerned, what matters to me almost as much as what they say is what they don't. At no time did anyone in the game remark on Aurora's gender or age as indicative of her ability, and there's no notion of romance whatsoever with any other characters. While she certainly falls fairly squarely into the Waif-Fu trope, the game designers did fairly well at avoiding other stereotypes associated with female characters. It doesn't feel like the game designers made Aurora female to pander to the female audience; in fact, for all intents and purposes, her gender is entirely irrelevant to the game itself. She's a well-written character with flaws as well as strengths, who happens to be female; a lot of other game designers could really learn something from Child of Light.

An example of the use of rhyme in Child of Light's dialog
[Image source]

As a literary person, I find it to be absolutely necessary for a game to have a well-developed story line. Not only does Child of Light feature this, but it's obvious that the writers also put a lot of thought into their craft, which is my complicated way of saying that it's pretty impressively well written. The themes of family, the human connection to nature, and the necessity of accepting people as they are without trying to change them are topics I always relate to in some way, but here they're also subtle enough that anyone who disagreed on their importance wouldn't feel alienated in any way. Also? Everyone speaks in rhyme, and it's adorable. Little touches like that really elevate this game for me above most of what's churned out by the video game industry these days; Child of Light truly feels more like a piece of art than casual entertainment. That said, I did feel there were a few story lines that ended abruptly (maybe planting seeds for further expansions?), and in many places the dialog felt forced and unnatural (the rhyming was often to blame for that), hence the imperfect score.

Graphics: 5/5

I can say literally nothing bad about the graphics in this game. Seriously, they're beautiful and put tons of comparable games to shame - games like this are why I'm too spoiled to go back and play older games like much of the Final Fantasy series. The setting and landscapes were frankly flawless; they're all done in the in the style of watercolor paintings, down to the grain of simulated watercolor paper that's visible in some shots. The game features lush forests, quaint pseudo-European towns, volcanic caverns full of magma, and crystalline underwater palaces, among others. No matter what you find loveliest, there's at least one environment that felt specifically designed to cater to your tastes. My favorites were Mathildis Forest and the Old Monastery, which should surprise no one who knows me in any way.

Character designs for Child of Light - click the picture for more!

The character designs are amazingly varied, from humans to dwarves and anthropomorphized mice and even a race who look like they were inspired by water lilies. While I would've liked more characters of color, the Earth parts of the story line take place in Austria, so maybe that's probably why they went with mostly white people. Aside from that, my only other graphical nitpick: during battle, when Aurora is casting a spell in her adult form, her ankle-length dress flies all the way up to her neck. I mean... seriously? Was it really necessary for gameplayers to see her skivvies every time she casts Starlight? It didn't really take away from my enjoyment of the game, but it just seems like an odd design choice if Child of Light was indeed designed with parents and children playing together in mind.

Gameplay: 3/5

Maybe I'm weird, but I love turn-based fighting systems. While I'm certainly a fan of button-mashing in the heat of battle as enemies pile up around me, for serious games that I want to pay attention to, it has to be turn-based. So while I liked the mechanics behind the battle system, I found actually battling to be a bit of a mixed bag in this game. I both liked and disliked the abilities given to the characters; while they were varied and creative, for the most part it felt like the abilities were sort of randomly assigned to each character. Some of it made sense, such as Aurora being the only character with Light magic abilities, but for the most part I found myself struggling to remember which characters possessed which abilities. The archer was the only one who could cure status ailments for some reason, and the jester alone could heal other characters... but why? While it didn't make a ton of sense to me, I appreciate that they steered away from using a more rigid caste system like most RPGs feature. However, the learning curve was fairly detrimental to my playing experience, so I really couldn't give it a perfect score.

Child of Light battle system care of DigitalTutors.com

In terms of general gameplay, I really didn't have any complaints, except that it felt like there was also a bit of a learning curve on the controls - I felt like I was fairly clumsy at actually maneuvering around the landscape for a sizable portion of the game. While habitual gamers probably wouldn't have a problem with it, for a game that has such power to attract much more casual gamers like me as well, I feel that a little more finesse would've been appreciated. That said, it didn't really take away from my experience too drastically, it did cause more than a bit of frustration during this first play-through.

Total rating: 4/5

I did have a few concerns with the game, such as incomplete story lines (what's the deal with the Confessions?), confusing game play mechanics (why does the jester have Unstoppable? Why is the plant-girl's weapon a lyre?), and completely unnecessary panty shots (seriously, whyyyyyyy?). That said, my criticisms are beaten out by the thought and effort that obviously went into creating a work of art that really feels more like a playable painting than a mere video game. I think many of my negatives could be dealt with fairly easily in downloadable content, and I'll be curious to see if they are.

While some critics feel that Child of Light lacks staying power, I wholeheartedly disagree, and not only did it hold my adult attention span far longer than any game I've attempted in literally years. The story of the struggle of good over evil is eternal and iconic, and both the story line and the gameplay mechanics remind me of plenty of the games I grew up with, such as the Legend of Zelda games that most of my generation have treasured memories of. I could also see children who play Child of Light in their youth to carry fond memories of Aurora and her friends for many years to come, and when we're talking about such a genuinely positive game, the importance of that really can't be overlooked. 

Now that I've finished Child of Light, I'm aching for more! Can anyone recommend me any similar games I might enjoy? Maybe I have hope of becoming a real gamer girl yet~~~

(will Gamer-senpai notice me then...?)

Child of Light is available on:

Steam

PS4

PS3

More Platforms

It's no secret that most lolitas' favorite way to find inspiration is to look at photos of other lolitas, and my favorite way to do that via Instagram. There are so many awesome lolita Instagram accounts that are super popular - and usually really deserve to be! - but, like every form of social media, there are always hidden gems that don't get nearly enough love. These Instagrammers can add a little more fluff to your daily social media routine, and really, who can say no to that?!

These fancy rufflebutts were picked on the following criteria:

• Fewer than 300 or so followers
• A good percentage of their photos are either of lolitas or appeal to the lolita aesthetic
• There are at least a handful of photos on their account of them in lolita, or a similar style
• In general, their photos show high quality and talent in regards to photography, editing, coordination, and/or makeup skills (preferably some combination of the above, definitely with an emphasis on the latter two)

So, without further ado, here is my list of the top ten most underrated lolita Instagram users!

Professional creative-types:

Clockwise from left: Kate, designer for Australian brand Rouge Aerie; NYC lolita seamstress and designer Aria of Dix Macabre; the lovely Dawn of The Snow Field; American accessory artisan, Sweet Mildred.

Fierce fashion inspirations:

nynfia ; thisiscurlyb ; scarrymii ; remilade ; artemiz_xv ; bandersnatchley


Instagram is an amazing tool for inspiration - makeup, food, and particularly fashion! I don't like the Instagram web app, so I've linked to the Statigr.am pages for each of these cuties.

Followers! Who are your favorite lolita Instagrammers?

Let me know in the comments below - you can never have too much inspiration!

I'm pretty sure every follower of lolita fashion is familiar with the book we so often get likened to. Plenty of us yell and scream about how the conventional definition of the word is completely off-base, and we can tell people we aren't sexually-provocative young girls until our throats bleed, the only way we can truly understand the difference between ourselves and the characters in the book is to, you know, actually read it. That's what I was thinking the first time I picked up the book.I first read Lolita when I originally got into this fashion, to arm myself against what I imagined would be an onslaught of pedophiles as soon as I uttered its name. I went to my local library. I read the first page. I was hooked, and the addiction would last a lifetime.

It isn't even so much that it's a good story. For me, that first time, it didn't even have a story. I was so entranced by the beauty of Nabokov's language, his flowery descriptions and elegant prose, that my first time reading the book I couldn't have told you what it was about. I registered nothing but the words- beautiful words I had never heard of or seen before, in English, Latin, and French.

But then, the second time I read it, I picked up on the plot: the beautiful, heartbreaking, incredibly disturbing plot. You may have heard that Lolita

is a troubling book, not just in the sense of being a mentally-taxing read, but also in that you find yourself rooting for the bad guy-- a bad guy who is so far from most civilized morals that, before reading, you think he's the type of character you could never feel any sympathy for. Of course I won't go into details or give anything away, but anyone who has experience with incest, sexual trauma, rape, or even kidnapping, please be warned that this book could be highly triggering. However, if you're a bibliophile, this piece is practically required reading. It was through Lolitathat I learned to think critically of point of view, that I learned that the narrator is not always trustworthy, that I learned to think outside of the box which was instilled in me during my middle school English classes. When I'm a literature teacher, I'll probably assign this book for these reasons if nothing else.

But I digress. The point is, there's more to this book than racy thematic devices. This piece is an excellent read for anyone interested in vintage fashion (Oh, if I had Dolly's wardrobe!), psychology, literature, or even just people who like long books full of fancy words and beautiful prose which borders on erotica. If nothing else, read this book to arm yourself against the fight our name has destined us for; I can almost guarantee you'll enjoy it.

To children all over the world, there are few archetypes which end up shaping their world views more than that of the Disney princess. Think back for yourselves- whether you were the target market (read: little girl) or not, almost all of us can recall the first of these characters for whom we first fell, and often it's a lifelong love affair. One of my friends collects Ariel memorabilia ad nauseum even today. For one reason or another, there are few types of heroines which end up imprinting themselves so much on the minds of our youths. Maybe that's why there's also so much resistance and controversy over what values the megalithic corporation extols to children through its movies.

We can't deny that the older Disney princesses were anything but role models to the young women of today. Snow White's constant refrain of "Someday my prince will come" was nothing if not personified in the princesses who followed immediately after, Aurora and Cinderella. All three of these ladies exemplify the old-fashioned stereotype of women as the helpless, hapless victims of circumstance, of a fate enacted upon them by an evil older woman of great power and even greater corruption (sometimes the only other woman we meet in the movie), who need men to sweep in and rescue them from their trials and whisk them away to Happily-Ever-After-Land.

The reason why these movies have come under scorn, in the past few decades especially, should be fairly obvious. Wave after wave of feminism has been paving the way for women to move beyond those conventional stereotypes, to embrace their power over their own destinies, and, most importantly, to teach them that their power to do both of those things is not based on the affections or attentions of a man.

Thankfully, though, the next wave of movies rolled in with sweeping changes in characters and themes, all of which were much more fitting to the mindsets of the eighties and nineties. Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine were independent, confident young women who stood precariously with one foot on the solid ground imposed by their patriarchal societies and one foot dangling dreamily into their own hopes for the future. Ariel wants desperately to join the utopia she perceives life on land to be, a flame which is fanned by her attraction to the human Prince Eric. Belle would happily reject society altogether in favor of fairy tales until she sacrifices her quiet life for a stay in the Beast's castle, where if nothing else she can escape the pressures put upon her by her pastoral French village. Jasmine is the impetuous princess of Agrabah who refuses to become some entitled sultan's trophy wife and demands instead that she marry for love. I think it's pretty obvious why these princesses are by far the most dearly-loved by my generation: they have the same values of curiosity, loyalty, and honesty that so many of us have grown up with, even if their stories do hinge greatly on "getting the guy." However, they've also got huge character flaws- Ariel leaves behind her home, her family, and everyone she loves for a guy, and Belle is nothing if not a textbook example of Stockholm Syndrome. Even Jasmine, it could be said, sacrifices her deeply-rooted desire for honesty by taking back the guy who lied to her over and over again about his very identity. I mean, sure, he saved her life, so that helps, but still, it's not a move I'd respect very much in a real person.

These characters also mark a huge shift in the heroines with which we are provided as young people. While these characters certainly still have their problems, and the romantic lessons one gleans from these stories aren't the best (ie: they can lie to you, verbally abuse you, and take you away from your family forever, as long as it's in the name of love), but as far as their predecessors go, they're an absolute grand jeté in the right direction. They tell young people that it's okay for you to want something more than you're given by circumstance, and to strive for the type of future you truly feel you deserve, no matter what the people around you expect. Thinking of my friends who identified most with these princesses in our youth, they're all strong, independent people making their way in the world, no matter what their friends or families think of them for it. I'm not saying that these Disney movies caused this mindset, but they certainly could have contributed to it.

 

A third, more recently-concluded wave of princesses featuring Pocahontas, Mulan, and Tiana follow in the footsteps of those who came directly before them. They have the same struggles of personal independence against the rigid societies they've been born into and the same romantic, masculine-driven undertones to their stories (ie, they owe a huge change in their fortunes to the men they encounter; without those men, their stories would have been totally different or completely unremarkable). However, there is one key difference to these princesses: they aren't white. Pocahontas is a Native American in what would soon become Virginia, Mulan is a Chinese warrior in the imperial army, and Tiana is an African-American waitress in New Orleans circa the jazz age. Before this, Jasmine was the only non-white Princess in the Disney line-up. And aside from Pocahontas, who, by being the daughter of a chief, is the cultural equivalent of a princess, none of these women have typical royal blood, but all of them have the same strong family ties that their immediate predecessors also possessed.

Each of their movies also deals with unique forms of discrimination as well: Pocahontas chronicles a clashing of two cultures, one of whom defends the rights of their ancestral land, the other of whom pushes for expansion and exploration in the name of their monarch. Mulan shows the struggles of a young woman being oppressed by gender roles and traditions which threaten her family's very wellbeing. And Tiana, of course, is fighting for her dream of owning a grand restaurant on the New Orleans waterfront while dealing with just how little is expected of her as a southern Black woman. They also have strong wills, backed mostly by deeply-rooted ambitions or a sense of justice and honor, and are more than willing to step on some powerful toes to fight for what they know they deserve. This is incredibly poignant when one considers the target market of these princesses: young people of color. While these three women definitely don't accurately represent the demographic of their viewers, having four non-white princesses is certainly a lot better than having none. First Jasmine, and then Tiana, Mulan, and Pocahontas don't solve some the problem of under-representation, but they absolutely do pave the way for even more princesses and heroines of color in popular children's movies.

Warning: Brave discussed ahead! I'm trying to keep spoilers out of it, but proceed only with caution if you haven't seen it!

As Disney Princess movies progress through time, they also become more socially progressive, and the last handful of heroines certainly break the molds set by the originals. However, even the contrast between the two most recent princesses, Merida and Rapunzel, shows an interesting shift in mindsets. Both are princesses by birth, though Rapunzel doesn't know it, both have rather remarkable hair, and both are white. However, Rapunzel's world is literally confined to her tower and visits from her mother (not counting, of course, her charming chameleon sidekick, Pascal), and the only "society" she bucks against is the upbringing her guardian imparts to her, in which fear and uncertainty are instilled in a headstrong and ambitious young woman with only varying degrees of success. Merida is actively rebelling against what one may assume is centuries of tradition, not to mention the expectations of her own parents, by refusing one of the most important rites in a young princess's life. Now, the biggest uniting factor between these two princesses is their fierce desires to take control of their own destinies: Rapunzel's one dream is to see the lights which float in the sky every year on the evening of her birth, and Merida's desire to discover who she is as a person and where that person can fit into the traditions of her home speeds her on a journey through magic and mythology. It's unfortunate that Rapunzel would probably never have had the confidence or means to actually achieve her goal if the charming renegade Flynn Rider had never stumbled upon her tower and whisked her away; however, the voyage is very much about the two of them working together so that she can achieve her life's goal. It's refreshing to see a story about a driven young woman being supported by her romantic interest so whole-heartedly, no matter what other forces come into play throughout the story. And, honestly, as far as Merida goes, I have so many things to say about this wonderful Princess that she really needs her own article - it's in the works, though, so keep an eye out for it!

These two young women are the type of heroines I would be delighted to show my own future children because they have a very definite moral: whoever you are is an excellent person to be, no matter who tries to hold you down or change you, and having goals to work towards make that person an even more spectacular one, as long as you don't let your dreams control your life and keep you from smelling the roses. This moral is much, much healthier than anything gleaned from the movies which came before it (excepting maybe the third wave's sweeping themes of diversity and acceptance), and is one that I would be happy to impart to any youth of any age or era. 

In the end, after all, it's important to remember that that's what all movies and media are, especially those meant for children: a way to communicate ideas to an impressionable audience, and some of those ideas - the importance of family; the necessity of being true to oneself; the audacity of believing in yourself, even if you're the only one who does - would benefit any of us to be reminded of. However, it's important to take those wonderful themes with a grain of salt and be conscious of what else is being communicated in these movies - especially when all of these life lessons are being imparted to children who don't have enough experience of their own to act as a foil against those harmful ideas that they're seeing. It's especially easy for lolitas to appreciate the sweet romances, the awe and respect of magic, and the childlike simplicity of these movies; however, when we consider the impact they can have on society and those more impressionable than ourselves, it can be easy for us to understand the intense scorn with which many adults regard them. There's nothing wrong with enjoying Disney Princess flicks- as long as we remember that, no matter what we may get out of them, sometimes there's more to it than what we're perceiving, and those other messages really shouldn't be looked past because of our appreciation of the fairytale fantasies portrayed therein.

All art in this post from ~agusmp on devianart, posted with permission!

SLUTWALK. SLUTWALK WAS THE BEST THING EVER. OMGOMGOMG SLUTWALK.

...Okay, now that THAT'S out of my system! This weekend was SlutWalk NYC, and my friend Remi and I marched together in lolita to share our experiences and lend our voices. I'm going to do an article about why I think it's super important for followers of alternative fashion to get behind movements like SlutWalk, but for now, here's what I wore!!

Rundown:

Headband: AliceBands

Cutsew: AatP

Corset: Lolita Nouveau

Skirt: Handmade (off the comm)

Socks: Metamorphose

Shoes: Bodyline

Parasol (which I didn't actually bring): Angelic Pretty

The walk itself was amazing; it was absolutely above and beyond the best moment of my life. Unfortunately, during the speeches afterwards there was a massive downpour, and Remi and I had to go take shelter in Forever 21. I also brought my camera totally ready to take a crapton of pictures AND videos, and of course forgot to charge the battery. FAIL! But I've found a few pictures of us with our sign (which said, "Am I asking for it, too?"), so as soon as I've contacted the photographers and requested permission to use them they'll be up! Look out for my full article about it, too :)

EDIT: The article is up! Check out The Importance of Protest to Alternative Fashion here

PS- check out my new hair! I think this is the first pictures I've posted here with this cut. I love it, but it'll be better when it grows out a bit- the stylist wanted to make sure it had enough volume, but he ended up making it a bit bushier than I'd like it, haha!

I'm always one for depictions of lolitas in the media. Sure, there are plenty of manga and anime characters who wear bad-race monstrosities, but despite that, I just can't help but be excited whenever I hear about a new show coming out featuring one of my frilly brethren, especially if it's a live action (featuring actors and actresses, not just an animated cast). Therefore, I was ridiculously excited when I heard about Deka Wanko- not only was it live action, but the main character wore actual brand; she even had a career and everything! I waited patiently for the day I would happen upon a few episodes online.

And then I watched fifteen minutes of the first episodes. And I turned it off in disgust.

Now, I know this is probably not a very popular viewpoint to take. Everyone and their mother seems to have made Ichiko their new style icon, and I must admit, the main reason I watched those first fifteen minutes was because I just couldn't stop staring at that amazing Fantastic Dolly coordinate. This really doesn't surprise me; in a show that's mainly based around aesthetically catering to a subculture, they had better make sure they're doing an awesome job of it. I'm a firm believer in doing something right, if you're going to do it at all, and that's why you can't just look at the clothes in a TV show while completely ignoring the plot- a plot which in this case is at best vapid and boring and at worst largely anti feminist.

Here's the gist of the show that came through in its first fifteen minutes: Ichiko  (by the way, I had to google the show to find out her name- they never said it in the segment I watched) is a newly-appointed detective trying to live as a lolita in a man's world. She is apparently part dog because she smells everything and looks at everyone with huge puppy eyes, and she absolutely refuses to accept that there are certain times in which wearing lolita is just not acceptable. Also she thinks it's a great idea to put an Angelic Pretty phone charm on her gun.

Alright, I tried to be objective there, but I just couldn't. Seriously? There are so many things wrong with those three sentences. On the one hand, it's admirable that she's trying to make it in a very male-oriented field without giving up her sense of self and style. There are also a good number of careers where wearing lolita is acceptable- maybe being an entrepreneur, such as owning a sweets shop or a children's clothing store. However, a position in which one tried to impose force and power on dangerous criminals is really one where you want to give an appearance of brawn, for your own physical safety and that of the people around you. That's the reason I didn't follow in my father's footsteps and become a police officer: if you're going to work a job like that, there's a certain level of sacrifice you must be willing to make to get the job done, and one of those sacrifices is cuteness in favor of strength and an imposing appearance. That leads me to the gun. I'm sure this isn't common knowledge, so for those of you who don't know, weapons are supposed to be scary. It may be surprising, but if you have a gun, you don't want to actually have to use it on another person (at least, you shouldn't); that's why they look imposing and dangerous, so that your attacker becomes intimidated by them and backs off. This is the reason why there's contention about, say, pink or other colored firearms- if it looks like a toy, you'll have to prove that it isn't, and that isn't the point of using a gun for self-defense.

That's not even addressing the fact that her clothes keep everyone in her precinct from taking her seriously. Wait, no- maybe it's more the fact that she is completely and totally incapable of doing her job that keeps her from being a viable member of her team. It's true that she's new to the job- we're told early on that it's only been around a month since she took the job - so it's possible that that's the true explanation of her ineptitude. In the short amount of the episode that I watched, however, I was given no reason to think that this is true. Her attitude is just like a puppy, which I'm sure is on purpose; she's easily distracted, overly anxious to do everything, and she freaking smells people. I mean, what? And then she tells them what they smell like because she apparently has no idea how to keep an internal monologue internal. Would you want to work with someone like that, especially in a dangerous situation with multiple lives on the line? I certainly wouldn't.

There are so many reasons I couldn't stand watching Deka Wanko. Can I please just send out a general plea to the television producers and movie writers of the world? Never make anything like this again. I'm all for women succeeding in male-dominated careers, and I'm also a huge fan of representations of lifestyle lolitas in the media. But if you're going to attempt something like this again... please just save yourself the effort.

Readers: What did you think of Deka Wanko? Can anyone give me a good reason to keep watching it? I'd love to love this show, I really would, but if it's more of the same faux-feminist sexism, I'll just watch Twilight.

EDIT: To see an opposing viewpoint in an incredibly well-written review, check out Tori's article here!

As a personal friend of Dalin's, I was very excited when she announced that she would be hosting a giveaway contest over at her blog, La Vida Frills. The theme of the contest is "My Dream Outfit," so I thought I would be SOL on this one, as I already own what I imagined to be my dream outfit. However, I decided to sit down and give it a go anyway, and I'm... happy AND sad to say that now I probably have a new dream outfit. I'm happy, because that means that I can now enter this contest... but... I'm sad because now I want to buy everything in this set. Sigh!

Miss Lumpy's dream outfit by herlumpiness


Unsurprisingly, the main color in my coordinate is, as always, light blue. One of my favorite pairings is light blue with dark colors like black or navy; with autumn setting in, I've really been feeling brown lately because it reminds me of whipped hot chocolate and thick vegetable stew and all the other delicacies of autumn. The main reason this outfit embodies my personal style is because it's vintage-y classic lolita enhanced by quirky, eclectic accessories that still remain elegant. I've paired my favorite bonnet, a custom piece by Ophanim Gothique, with a beautiful JSK by Mary Magdalen and a flowy sheer blouse by Victorian Maiden for that classic, old-fashioned look. Because it's getting chilly here, I'd probably feel like jumping off a bridge if I had to cram my feet into uncomfortable, breezy heels; these boots are almost exactly like my personal cool-weather staple, a pair faux-fur-lined vintage leather boots from a thrift store on the Lower East Side, paired with a lovely pair of cream lace tights. These shoes are so comfortable I wear them as slippers on fall evenings! Though I'm usually a big proponent of bags you can live out of, these days I've been packing up a small pochette to tak to class with my bookbag, so I'm confident that maybe I'll be able to use a teeny-weeny clutch like this adorable piece by YSL. Speaking of practical, some of my classes absolutely forbid the use of electronics, so I've invested in a cute rhinestone watch - if only it were this beauty! I'm channeling my newfound love of mori-girl (a love for which I was in serious denial for a time but just can't escape anymore!) with a fur collar and a crazy stag-head ring, and of course, keeping it classy by piling on the pearls until they're practically dripping down my fingers.

I had so much more fun with this contest than I expected to! Readers: What's your dream outfit look like?

Months like August are always odd ones for me. Any month that comes near the end of a season makes me both impatient for the joy of what's to come (cardigans, beautiful colors, green suede boots) and nostalgic for what has passed - what will I do when I can't stroll outside barefoot at any time of day, almost a sif there's no transition between in-and out-doors except the perpetual breeze? Especially with all the change this month has brought: I'll be starting school next week with my first random roommate (I cheated last year and roomed with an acquaintance who became one of my closest friends - Hi, Tina!) and a new minor; a close friend whom I've loved sporadically but whole-heartedly for the better part of nine years is moving to a different state; I'm leaving what I thought would be a career to focus on academics and my business; some bonds have deepened, some are threatening to fade away like the last summer breeze - satisfyingly beautiful while present, yet even though you know they'll be gone soon, doesn't it always seem too early? That's why the music of August is therefore a little awkward, slightly uncomfortable, as if it can't quite decide whether to look forward to the future or sigh over that past - at least, that's how the month feels for me.

The Verve ~ Bittersweet Symphony

A classic, the lilting, almost sad melody of this song, along with the melancholy yet almost hopeful lyrics make it fitting for August, in that way that makes you almost grit your teeth and purse your lips when you have to admit it.

Iron and Wine ~ Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car

Can I just include a Song of the Shepherd's Dog song in every Current Jams until I run out? As always, Iron&Wine perfectly epitomize "uncomfortably beautiful," and to be honest, if I could I would make this entire post just songs off of this album. The imagery I get of this song is a beautiful bohemian blonde lazing out the passenger side of an 80's Lincoln, the sugar-cookie-colored skin of her arms dappled with sunshine as they commune with the breeze.

Splashdown ~ A Charming Spell

Again, Splashdown is one of those bands that just utterly epitomizes this August feeling. Heady bass and Asiatic-influenced techno music backing lilting, ghostly vocals. How could anything be more perfect for the theme? This particular one may get reposted for October's Current Jams because that's the only time witchcraft is allowed to be discussed in polite society

Also, my lotus tattoo was featured on Say, Dolly! Check out my tattoo story here.

I've been a Facebook addict pretty much since I joined in High School. I remember the days when I was turned away from registering because I didn't have a University network to join, but now it seems like everyone and their dog has a Facebook page - Tina, I'm looking at you! That may sound negative, but don't get me wrong: I'm all for any website that unites people (or canines!) with common interests from all over the Internet, so Facebook's growing popularity has nothing but positive connotations for me (except all of my weird aunts and uncles trying to add me - awkward...). Further proof of this international popularity is Poupee Boutique.

Almost all of the lolitas I know have tried out Poupee Girl, and I'd say it's split pretty evenly between girls who are totally obsessed and those tried it for a while and now only check back every few months to dress up and leave a few comments - I'm somewhere in between the two, personally. When I asked my friends who left the site why they did so, the answer was almost always that the confusion between the two monetary systems and the inflated prices that came with them had really turned them off to the game, even devoted followers with whom I'd been dressing up for years. The cuteness was not enough to keep them, it would seem.

Poupee Boutique kind of remedies that. Instead of having a doll that you dress up, you own your own poupee boutique, though you do have a shopkeeper you can attire as your please. You level up by racking up "hearts," which you can earn from selling items, suteki-ing your friends' shops, and even dusting your store or others'! Each level offers different items you can sell, and each costs a different amount and stays in your store for a set period of time, until it automatically sells. Once it's gone, a little Piyo-encrusted money bag appears on the floor; clicking it adds your earnings to your shop. You can decorate your store with wallpaper and shelves of knick-knacks, and the clothing displays are really quite adorable as well. Even though the clothing you can sell was chosen or created to appeal to a more mainstream audience, there are some really adorable and lolita-friendly looks you can create.

There are a few pitfalls of this game, though. There is a lot of down time where you just have to go do something else for a few hours or even a whole day; some of the higher-level items take hours upon hours to sell out of your shop, suteki-ing shops only gets you heart points once a day as does dressing up your shopkeeper, and you can only clean every so often for points. I like that Poupee Girl can always be a way of killing time since there's so much to browse through, so that was kind of a bummer. Also the entire application is in Engrish, which means that I don't even know some of the features it offers because I just can't understand their descriptions. If you're not used to reading Japonified English, you may be very confused and frustrated at first, but most of it kind of explains itself eventually.

As if I needed another way to waste my time on the web! This game is great for anyone who loves Poupee Girl in theory but maybe not necessarily in practice, or even anyone who just wants another way to wile away the hours on Facebook. There are some drawbacks, of course, but that's true of everything, and despite these I still think that Poupee Boutique is a sweet and fun game, for Facebook standards. Just make sure you keep up with your shop - don't want any of those unsightly cobwebs or broken mirrors!

July is the quintessential summer month for me, so I've been making a point to indulge in my favorite summery things all month... lemonade with a touch of vodka, sand between my toes, and, of course, the following songs:

The Decemberists: Summersong
My favorite Decemberists song, ever since I first heard it. The lilting flute and haunting melody always strikes me as very summery, like a flag waving in a July breeze. It makes me think of summer in New England, and my home beach its view of the old-fashioned lighthouses and the islands in the distance.

Iron & Wine: House by the Sea
Another ocean-themed song with a haunting, lilting melody, this song reminds me of driving from sundown to the early hours of the morning in the sticky summer night, with only the Buck Moon as my companion. The scent of roses and raspberry leaves... can I have a perfume made of that, please?

Regina Spektor: Two Birds on a Wire

This fun, poppy piano number is a huge departure from the rest of the music I've posted on these lists so far, but the bubbly effervescence of Regina Spektor is the antithesis of summer with friends for me. Maybe it's because I bought the album Far right before Otakon last year, and spent the entire twelve hour round trip drive blasting it out the open windows with one of my closest friends of all time. Either way, Two Birds is a great track that suits days lying on the beach, where sweat sticks sand to your biceps and calves even before you set a single toe in the surf.

For the record, I was totally looking forward to posting July, July! by The Decemberists on this list, but I couldn't find a track with good audio on Youtube, so you'll have to live in suspense instead.

Now, I'm not a huuuuge Katy Perry fan. She's adorable, and I love that she's so refreshing with her fashion and her look in general; her outfits tend to resemble everything from retro pin-ups sugar-overload-sweet lolita, and her video for her newest single is no exception. I heard the song on the radio and was utterly unimpressed; sure, it's catchy, but the lyrics are boring and I can't relate to them at all, being from clear across the country (is this how people feel when they hear songs about New York City?). Then, I saw the music video. While I still can't say much for the song's actual integrity, I'm definitely warming up to it after seeing the on-screen interpretation, which is Snoop Dogg playing Candyland with Katy Perry as his placemarker. Of course, because this is American pop culture, though, we can't just let Candyland be Candyland and instead it's full of scantily clad women doing choreographed dance and Miss Perry lounging naked on a cloud of cotton candy. However... it's pretty damn adorable either way.

Katy Perry - New Music - More Music Videos

Apparently the idea is that Snoop is some kind of Oz-like ruler of Candyfornia and he's imprisoning all of these California Girls whom Katy Perry has to rescue, and then at the end they storm the castle and with the power of whipped cream-shooting breasts and shaking booties, dethrone him and bury him in the sand. Wut? I know, I know, but it's just so cute! I know most of my viewers tend towards classic lolita like I do, but I figured lolitas would best appreciate this, even non-sweet girls; Candyfornia totally puts Sugary Carnival to shame!

On CNN, Donald Trump just told me the reason I'm angry about Miss America contestants being shot in an uncompromising photoshoot is that I'm jealous. Now, as a woman, I am obviously livid. However, as a lolita, I am even more angry; excuse you, Donald Trump? I'm jealous?! Yes, sir. That's why I'm pissed that these brilliant, self-possessed women who are engineers and have careers that they worked hard for are being told that actually, you can't have any power in my world unless you take off your clothes.

Now, I find that interesting. As a lolita, I never feel more empowered than when I'm completely dressed, completely done-up, and looking entirely unreal (I've heard gyarus say that they only feel comfortable when they're entirely artificial). I find it hard to believe that there are women who feel like showing off their bodies is what gives them power, when it's the exact opposite for me. Who is right? Is it better to remove all layers of artifice and show your true, uncovered self to gain power from anyone who sees you, or to shut that side of you off from the world and empower yourself only by your own standards? Is it better to be a whore or a freak?

Personally, I'd rather be a freak. I'd rather know that I look beautiful for me, by my standards, even if those aren't the rest of America's (or any other country, for that manner). I don't wish I looked like those women. I love my body, but it's mine. My body is mine for me to treasure and to share whomever I see fit. Maybe someday I'd be interested in showing it to other people, but even if I did, it wouldn't be like that.

I also don't find it wrong to pose for photos in various stages of undress. I don't even feel it's wrong for women to do it lounging on beds in stilettos giving either Marilyn Monroe-smiles or smoldering come-hither looks. That's fine. There's art to that, if it's done right. However, I find that promoting a pageant that already comes under scorn in the minds of feminists in this way is not the best thing for their company or, more importantly, their viewers. I heard a higher-up in the company saying that if you go to their website, you'll see that some of the women are engineers or some of them are x or y, but guess what, Miss Universe Organization? The six-year-old girl who's watching the pageant with her family isn't seeing that. The young men who see advertisements on the subway or in magazines or wherever they're going to promote using these images don't know that, either; all they're seeing is yet another woman being objectified in her panties on a bed. I think that Miss USA could be an empowering powwow of feminine energy if it tried to be- I think it could set an amazing example if, in commercials, they showed these women doing this photo shoot, then get up, get dressed, and say "I do this because my body empowers me. You know what else empowers me? My career as an engineer." Also, I keep using the example of the engineer because I'm on the website now and can't find any information about these women outside of the bedroom. You go their their page and it's just a huge picture like the one above, with a quick bio of their name, age, and state, and then a link to buy their photos. Good job, Miss Universe Organization. Not only are you objectifying these brilliant women, you're keeping their accomplishments secret and making money off of them as well. Five stars and a thumbs up for you!

Good gracious, I am so glad I have alternative beauty standards. Otherwise, if I say these photos and actually CARED that society expected me to be like that, I'd probably be in the bathroom vomiting my breakfast up right now. Thanks America! As always, you're a peach!