Lolita 52: What my own lolita lifestyle is like

To be entirely honest, I'm not sure if I can really claim to have much of a "lolita lifestyle". As much as I love the style I could sell my whole wardrobe tomorrow and not feel like I've lost an important aspect of my life. I'd miss it to be sure, but it's not an integral part of my lifestyle. Having said that, however, lolita has definitely enriched my lifestyle in a number of ways. Sure, they are ways that I may have filled with other hobbies or fashions, but it's lolita that won out for me.

Firstly, this blog. I write a lot of fiction [an uni essays!] but this blog gives me a more casual writing avenue which I really enjoy. And I like giving advice, coming up with new content and improving how I write here. I get a great deal of satisfaction seeing my pageviews and followers go up, and every time I get a nice comment it really gives me a happy feeling inside. Though I may have started a blog of some kind anyway, lolita blogging is a really fun and fulfilling thing for me now.

My $500 wardrobe series is one of my favourite ones on this blog.

Another notable aspect of my "lolita lifestyle" is that lolita inspires me to sew, and sew better. I still don't sew much, but I have more handmade pieces in my lolita wardrobe than in my regular one. Modifying accessories is also something I do for lolita and would not otherwise do. Lolita gives me a reason to sew and a lot of satisfaction out of doing it. And, feeding back to my previous point, sewing lolita gives me something more to blog about!

Lolita also has a large social aspect and though I've yet to go to a meet-up or even really chat to other lolitas much online I love that participating in this fashion gives me the potential for new social connections. I'm not a particularly extroverted person in any sense and tend to get a bit worn out by social events and thus don't really have much social energy left to start adding lolita events to my calendar but at the same time it's wonderful to know that there is potential to do so if I want.

Not sure where this image originally came from, sorry I can't credit.

Photoshoots are another facet of my lifestyle lolita has touched. I modelled for years before finding the style, but after I found it it's one of my favourite go-to looks for photoshoots. It's especially handy in circumstances like when James and I wanting to test out a new location or shooting style. It's nice enough that it looks good, goes with lots of different locations, and lolita outfits are easy for me to put together. I find lolita clothes also can be quite versatile and can work with steampunk looks and vintage styles very easily. Gothic lolita is also lots of fun to go a bit OTT with on a shoot! Even though I've always been able to come up with good look for various shoots, having lolita as a go-to that I really enjoy has made it even more fun.

Our first try at a levitation shoot, made more awesome because lolita.

Photo by The Enthusiast.

Lastly, and this will be a bit vague, but lolita has helped me be more of a stylish person in general and take more care and enjoyment in my appearance. I'm a fairly practical person and don't feel the need to put any particular amount of effort in my physical appearance for no particular reason; I don't dress up nicely when I leave the home most days and I don't put on make-up except for special occasions. I'm a jeans and tee-shirt girl through and through. But I've always liked dressing up nicely when I've felt like it and over the years the "nicely" has ran the gamut from wannabe goth to hippie to rainbow vomit styles. In lolita I've finally found a style that I feel really suits me, is flattering and that I enjoy. As a result of having a more fixed "dress up" style I've found I also take some more pleasure in my regular clothing as well; still jeans and tee shirts, but now with nicer shoes, sometimes headwear and more deliberateness to my style in general. Not that I don't have completely don't-care days [in fact, that's still most days] but lolita has really given me an appreciation for coordinating outfits that I didn't have until I found a style I could fully embrace and let it spill over into my everyday fashion.

Even though lolita is not an integral part of my lifestyle it's something I derive a lot of enjoyment from in more ways than just wearing the clothes. It's enriched aspects of my life and given me inspiration. Though I'm sure I would have found other things to serve similar purposes I'm glad lolita was the one I did find.