Thursday, February 25, 2010

Hardcore Elegant part deux! What to Wear to a Concert!


Last time I composed a list what NOT to wear to a rock concert, inspired by my weekend plans to see Abandon all Ships. Now it's time for my list of what TO wear to a concert! ヾ(´ρ`)ノ (Because I know all six of you readers have been anticipating it right?)

Here's what's practical and cute to wear if you're planning on....

•Moshing. If you're planning on getting your mosh pit on then you'll want to wear something comfy and cute of course. You can't go wrong with t-shirts (Like this perhaps?) and colorful jeans. (Protip: if it's an outdoor concert be prepared to get muddy and grass stained.)Of course comfy shoes are a must! Chances are if there's going to be mosh pitting the crowd will probably be into black band tees and ripped jeans, but that doesn't mean you have to if you don't want to. In my opinion girls who wear pink but can still kick ass in a mosh pit are freaking awesome! (Protip: If you absolutely MUST wear a skirt for some reason, though I advise against it, make sure to wear thick leggings, tights or shorts underneath it to avoid unwanted undie peeking.)

•Head-Banging. If standing around in big crowds and getting whiplash is your style (as it is mine ^◇^*) then make sure, above all else, that you wear comfy shoes! After ten minutes in a big crowd and in heels your feet will NOT be happy. If you're really against the idea of jeans then I'd suggest a cute pair of leggings and a classy dress. A big t-shirt or sweater over leggings are cute too! The important thing is to be comfy!

•Standing in the crowd. If you're just going to be standing around socializing as opposed to rocking out wear something really, really bitchin'! This is really the only situation at a concert where you can get away with heels, as long as you're used to wearing them I guess. If you really want you can wear a skirt, but in such big crowds it's possible for some creep to grab your rear unexpectedly. (Personal experience. Fortunately I was wearing jeans.) (Protip: If you're a sweaty, sweaty person then I'd advise against sweaters and stick to just short sleeved shirts. Concert halls can get incredibly hot.)

Anyways there's my suggestions on what to wear to a concert. Maybe someday I'll tell you the story of how I always end up getting grabbed inappropriately at every concert I go to! (And it is a tale to be heard.)

Stay lovely!


Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Hardcore Elegant? What Not to Wear at a Concert.

I'm going to a concert this weekend, a screamo/techno concert. Ever heard of Abandon all Ships? Well that's who I'll be rocking out to Saturday evening! I'm really, really excited, but of course I'm having a hard time deciding what to wear!

Of course I want to look cute and fashionable, but I want to be comfortable as well and I'm sure I'm not the only lady who has to deal with this sort of thing am I? Certainly there are lots of us girls who love elegance, but also can't pass up a good mosh pit, so I thought I'd write about it. Here's my guide for what not to wear if you're planning on going to a concert but you still want to look fabulous.

If you're planning on...

•Mosh pitting. If you just can't resist the allure of a bunch of crazy teenagers pushing and shoving in a big, wild crowd then you're not going to want to worry about ruining your favorite dress. Wear something comfortable that you won't mind getting dirty, that means no puffy skirts, no tea party shoes and NO BRAND! Chances are if you're reading these blog, you're not very bulky or big, which probably means you're going to get pushed down, quite a bit, so that obviously means wear something durable! No delicate lace, no white, floral prints, and no, no, NO BRAND! Leave it at home in your closet where it'll be safe of rips and grunge sweat. On another note, skirts in general are a BAD idea. Not only are they impractical, but in a big crowd it wouldn't be hard for someone to sneak a peek at your rear or grab something inappropriate. (Haha, based on experience. It's terribly awkward.)

•Head banging. If you're not planning on joining in on the moshing, but you still want to rock out make sure you consider the following:
- Updos.
Leave your hair down,
it'll make head banging so much more fun!
- No delicate white blouses.. It won't show sweat stains. This applies to mosh pitting as well.
- Uncomfy shoes. You can go ahead and wear a skirt if you'd like, but you'll be standing around for a long time so heels are a very bad idea.

•Standing in the crowd. Obviously you'll have a bit more freedom with your outfit if you're not planning on joining in on the mosh or rocking out, but there are still things to consider. Again, I urge you! LEAVE YOUR BRAND AT HOME! In big crowds it's far too easy to ruin your lovely and expensive dresses, so leave them at home! Looking fabulous isn't worth potentially ruining a $200+ dress by a drink stain or rocker sweat. Wear something cute and comfy and you won't have to worry about ruining.

Just remember, a concert is about enjoying music and having fun, so make sure you won't be worrying about your outfit the entire time! Tomorrow I'll post about what you SHOULD wear at a concert, well what I'd wear I guess... Haha.

Anyways stay fabulous and free of grunge sweat! (Unless that's your thing... I guess?)

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Febuweary.


I don't know about you lovelies but I find everything bad happens in February. Maybe it's because we're all sick a tired of winter and we're hoping for the summer to return, our we're bummed out about singles' awareness day (Valentine's day.) All I know is that everyone seems really bummed out right now.

I think we could all use some cheering up, so here's what I'd suggest to lighten the Febuweary-ness:

•Take a nice, looooong bath with lots of candles, bubbles and your favorite book. If you don't have a bathtub take a a nice long shower at sometime you wouldn't normally take one (The afternoon, before bed... ect.) I find a little TLC helps me feel much better.

•Indulge in something you love. It doesn't have to be anything crazy or big, just something that makes you happy. A pack of your favorite Jelly Beans? A deco pack to decorate your calculator? A new memo pad? If it'll give you a little extra happiness then why not!?

•Listen to happy music. To me, that's usually something with lots of piano. What lifts your mood when you need it? Weather it be Bethoven or Job for a Cowboy, make sure you spent a little time every once in a while listening to it.

•Take a sick day. If things are really starting to get crappy and you're under a lot of pressure take a day off to spend with yourself. Laze about in your PJs, catch up on homework, take pictures of something cute, read a magazine. Do something you wouldn't normally be able to do because of school/work/life.

•Plan a vacation. Even if you can't go on a vacation it'll still be nice to plan one. Where would you like to go? With who as your travel mates? What sites would you see, what things would you buy? Planning a dream vacation will get your mind off of the weariness of this drab month.

Remember, all the terrible things going on in your life are probably temporary. Things might suck now but by the end of February they could be a lot better.

Stay strong and lovely.

Semi Formal


Dear readers,

I am so sorry I haven't been able to update lately. I've just gone through one of the most hectic weeks of my life! Between a bad breakup, homework, writing a play for drama class, and trying to keep on top of everything I just haven't found time to blog! (I did see this coming though ._.')

Well let's get down to business. Last Friday was my school's semi formal event! Semi formal is basically like homecoming or a junior prom I guess... Everyone gets decked out in their favorite formal wear, dines and dances! It's really a lovely night.

I was trying to channel some 1940s pinup girl energy, on a low budget of course! (My hair was the most expensive part of my outfit.) I found the dress at a giant thrift store in Detroit, it was under ten bucks! My shoes were from VV boutique, A.K.A Value Village. They weren't comfy but MAN were they cute! I really felt beautiful, which is what matter most I think. Feeling beautiful and having fun!

In my opinion that's what all fashion (Especially lolita! And any other Japanese fashion of course.) should be about. Not who looks the best, who can buy the most brand, who can get the most comments on fashion blogs. I think it should be about having crazy amounts of fun and looking incredibly cute! (Or gothic, or classy, or silly... Whatever floats your boat.)

Anyways I'll be posting more in the near future, and I've got a project underway with Mandarin Panda. It involves fashion, photography and a whole lot of creativity! We'll probably be launching our project some time in the next few months, some nice weather would certainly help!

Thanks for reading Lovelies! <3>

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Snow Day


Oh what a glorious snow day it's been. The buses were canceled so I decided not to go to school because I wanted to have a day off to blog, take pictures and eat Vietnamese food! (Oh boy did I!) I don't think there were too many people at school anyways, non of my friends went so I would have been lonesome and bored ´o`I shall now tell you about my day.

After falling asleep on the couch as I was nursing a sore tummy, my family and I went out for lunch at my favorite Vietnamese place. (Om nom nom on spring roles!) I had a very tasty coconut milkshake.


After chowing down on food, I went for a walk in the park to try to photograph the beautiful scenery all covered in snow. My friend Jill (MandarinPanda. You should check out her blog.) was supposed to accompany me but she fell ill (Everyone's under the weather today it seems!) so I strolled about taking pictures by
myself, which is okay I guess. I got some pretty neat shots in my opinion but I took a tumble while I was walking about! In my effort to save my expensive camera I used my left arm to brace myself and it didn't take the shock as well as it should have! It's very sore now... Ouch!

One final note before I sign off, Vivcore of Candy Violet commented on my Daily Quaintrelle post! Vivcore is perhaps my favorite western lolita (Well, she's more Quaintrelle style now, which is fine by me!) She's my biggest style icon fer suuuuure! This easily made up for the hurting arm.

I'm going to go paint my nails for semi formal now! Goodbye lovelies!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Vegetarian for a Whole Year!


Today it dawned on me that I've been a vegetarian for about a year now! I gave up meat around this time last year for a number of reasons, including my health and my love of animals.

Giving up meat hasn't been exactly easy. I'm met with a lot of criticism for it from people whom it doesn't concern. Mostly because they have different opinions. A lot of the time my friends will make fun of me for it, but they more or less accept it! (Thank heavens!)

In celebration of having gone a year without meat I thought I'd share my list of vegetarian tips for anyone considering giving up meat, or if you're struggling with it.

Don't enforce your beliefs on anyone. Nobody likes to be pressured or guilted! There's a decent chance your friends will either find you annoying or avoid you because you're always trying to shove your ideals down their throat. (Oh man, food pun!
^ω^) Instead, speak your opinion when asked about it, but otherwise keep your thoughts to yourself.

Deal with your cravings. If you find yourself craving a meaty snack, substitute it with something else that's cruelty free like cheese (If you're not a vegan) or juice. It'll be tough to quit at first but after a while the cravings aren't as bad. (I've actually forgotten what chicken tastes like ._.')

Don't quit if you slip up. Sometimes it's not always possible to be 100% meat free, especially if you're around non-vegetarians a lot. If you have a moment of weakness or you accidentally didn't see that one piece of pepperoni on your pizza, it doesn't mean you can't be a vegetarian anymore. Some of my friends have told me that they tried being vegetarian but they couldn't because they ate meat one time and quit, that seems a little silly to me!

Remember your cause. Weather it be reading your peta info booklet or taking your doggy for a walk, it's important to remember why you've given up meat and how it's made you happier (As I hope it has!) Write a list of why you're a vegetarian and all the positive attributes if it helps!

• Learn to cook.
You can't expect everyone around you to be 100% supportive of your lifestyle choice, and sometimes that means you're going to have to cook a meal for yourself. Learning how to prepare easy, vegetarian meals for those nights of relying on yourself. There are tons of websites and cookbooks that can help you along the way, or if you're feeling ambitious you can experiment. (Just be prepared to clean up after wards, and try not to set anything on fire!・_・)

• Don't give up!
If you can't give up eating meat for health reasons, you can still do your part! If we all cut more meat out of our diet we could create so much change for our world! Whatever your cause is – saving the environment, saving the animals, saving yourself – we could all help if we pitched in.

I hope these tips have helped! I know they've helped me this past year!

If you have any comments or questions about your experiences with vegetarianism I'd love to hear them!

Secrets...


Recently I've been somewhat addicted to reading Lolita Secrets, and I must say it's a little depressing. (・_・、) There's so much negativity.

Honestly I don't spend a lot of time on the communities because for two reasons. One, I'm lazy and frankly if I have the patience to put together any kind of loliable outfit I neglect to take pictures and two, I have a bit of a fear of joining fashion communities on the internet after my bad experience with Daily Gyaru. Even though I know there must be a fair amount of drama or whatever in any kind of community where fashion is discussed but I guess I was still clinging to the idea that lolita is still about sisterhood, modesty, and... well... happy things!

Why must they be so negative towards not only against other types of lolita, each other but other subcultures! Honestly anyone who falls under a subculture looks a little unusual to the rest of society, so why do we seem to hate on each other so much? What about sisterhood? What about originality?

Honestly this has left a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth, which is sad considering what a sweet style it is.

I think it's more important to focus on making myself look good instead and feel happy and confident in anything I wear, not trying to fit into a style of dress that's so full of negativity!

Let's find some confidence ladies! We're worth it!

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Dealing with Fashion Identity Crisises


Weather we want to our not it's easy to get swept up into the subcultures of fashion and identify with I certain label (such as lolita, emo, gyaru... Ect.) We spend so much time, energy and money on a certain fashion or lifestyle, so when something comes along to make us feel like we're not doing it right, well, it's heartbreaking!
(;へ:)

I experienced this last year when my dreams of gyaru were trampled by my rejection from the Daily Gyaru community. I have to admit that was really sad. I thought I was doing an okay job at Gal and even Mamba (Yes I want through a mamba phase... Don't shame me) but then I was basically told that I'm was good enough.

So how does one get over something like that? When your identity (however silly it may be) is put into question and you have to decide if it's really worth continuing. For those of you who don't let negativity set you back, I salute you and hold you at the highest admiration! Unfortunately though, not all of us are strong enough to recover from a fashion identity crisis quite as easily.

So where do we go from there?

My rejection from everyday Gyaru really put me at distaste with Japanese fashion or any sort of label for a while. I've never really regained an interest in Gal style (Besides learning Para Para for anime conventions) but I have taken a liking to other subcultures, like Lolita! (Duh ._.') Even so, I'm not sure if I really want to dive headfirst into Lolita. (I think I've found a happy balance with Quaintrelle style though.)

It took a while to really regain confidence after that though. It was very upsetting and I sort of had to take a step back from the whole thing and say "Is this really what I want for myself? Will this make me happy?"

I think if the clothing you wear, the lifestyle you lead and the friends you have make you happy, then why worry about labels? If you like big puffy lolita skirts but you're not too keen on the idea of wearing bonnets and tea party shoes then why let anyone tell you you're not allowed to do that?

Lolita lifestyle and culture may be enough to make a lot of us happy, (And there's nothing wrong with that.) but for some it takes a little more than tea parties and petticoats.

Labels are for soup. Do what makes you happy.

Finacial Woes and How to be Beautiful on a Budget


Sweet lace, frills and bows combined with a the nostalgia of fairy tales and princesses is what's really drawn me into the sub culture of lolita, but unfortunately the price tag is a little discouraging (._.')

It's not easy to capture the beauty of lolita without coughing up a lot of cash that some of us just don't have.

So how does a high style, low budget fashionista find a way to enjoy lolita? Well....

Budgeting. Sometimes you have you set aside something you want for something you love, that could mean skipping your daily mocha for a month or two in exchange for that new Baby JSK you've had your eye on. I carry around a list of things I need to save up for (San Franscico, Anime North, getting my hair dyed.) in my wallet.
Work. I know the economy sucks right now and finding a job isn't easy, especially for teenagers (´∩`。) so finding a source of income requires a little creativity. Have a talent? Sell it! Weather it be knitting scarfs and selling them on etsy or even busking guitar on the street. A little bit of extra cash can go a long way!
Buy off-brand. (Sometimes.) It's tough to compromise the style you love by buying off-brand (Not that there's anything wrong with it! But with brand items you're usually guaranteed amazing quality. ) but sometimes it's not a bad idea to buy off-brand for certain things (Like shoes or petticoats.) to save money for brand items (Like head bows and skirts.) Being creative and adorning yourself in all kinds of beautiful clothing, as opposed to just head to toe brand can lead to unique and interesting results, as well as affordability.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Semester Two, GO!


Oh what a week it's been.
Semester too started so now I have all new classes! Yay!

My times table goes as followed: Drama, Math, Art, Science. So there's a very good mix of academics and arts to keep me busy. With all the homework I'm going to have I don't know how I'll be able to blog @_@ (But neverfear, I will find a way!)

Onto lolita news, I think I've decided what skirt I'm going to get from the baby store. Right now I'm leaning towards the Frilled Petticoat in white because it's A) Adorable. B) Somewhat in my price range (Under $200) and C.) More towards the style of lolita I favor.

Baby has a lot of pieces I really like right now, and if it wasn't so far out of my budget I'd probably get a jumper, but seeing as my current financial situation calls for less lavish shopping I keep my sights on the skirts.

Finally, I wanted to share this video with you! I was having a bad day yesterday and I was really feeling down. Then my friend showed me this video! Easily made my night. I plan on watching it anytime I'm sad.

Well I suppose I'm off for now. Thanks for reading •w•

Monday, February 1, 2010

I love Cake


It's my brother's birthday today so I made him a cake with my mom (Well, mostly I just iced the cake and ate the batter, hehe!)

Obviously my cake isn't as pretty or professional like the one above but it'll taste delicious! Without a doubt.

Cakes are so adorable and pretty, sort of like lolitas! The two are ideal together aren't they? Speaking of which, (Don't you just love my transitions?) I found out yesterday that I will be going to San Fransico for March Break! Which of course means I'll be visiting the Baby The Stars Shine Bright store! What a dream come true! I need to decide what I want to get ahead of time because it's going to be a hassle find the money to afford the things I want (Which is pretty much everything. I could spend years in that store!) so I'll probably be working extra hard at my job as a waitress. I need some help deciding what to wear and what to buy.

It's going to be an exciting trip for sure!