a lost angel's thoughts

1. Please tell us your Hand Name (name that’s used ONLY in internet.) and hometown.

My hand name is the same name that I use in real life, which is Bo. I don't remember if I had used another name in the past, though.
My hometown is in a valley. It's boring compared to the city that is further north. I would dislike it if it were not for the friends I have there.

2. About how long is your history as a Lolita?

I've been in the fashion for about two years now!

3. What first motivated you to do Lolita fashion?

I think what really drove me to start buying and wearing the fashion was when I saw a picture from the Miho Matsuda instagram during the beginning of quarantine.

4. After knowing Lolita fashion, have you had any time-gap or resistance till you actually started to be Lolita?

Before the pandemic, I have already known about lolita, but was too busy with school and too shy and self-conscious to let my interest drive me to discover more about it.
I think my first memory of seeing the fashion was driving past the San Francisco Angelic Pretty store when I was still little. Although I am not drawn towards pastel sweet prints, I was amazed seeing the cute storefront as a child.

5. Please define your Lolita style as much as possible. (eg. gothic Lolita, sweet Lolita, white Lolita…. Etc).

Old school elegant gothic lolita

6. About how many Lolita friends do you have?

A good amount, surprisingly. They are mostly all online, with barely a handful that I know in real life.

7. What is the best thing about doing Lolita?

Feeling pretty. I think wearing lolita is the most confident I have ever been in any style that I had worn before. In addition, the community I have become a part of and friends I have made through it.

8. Conversely, what's the worst thing?

The fatigue from wearing it out is the worst. It gets mentally draining at times and can be uncomfortable.

9. Which Lolita Brands do you like?

Old moi meme moitie, kazuko ogawa, metamorphose, and old, dead japanese gothic lolita brands

10. What was the first Lolita item that you’ve owned?

Atelier Boz's Yulianna Mini JSK

11. What is the “must have!” Lolita item?

A blouse that can go with any main piece.
And by that, a cute peter pan color blouse with elasticized sleeves.

12. Do you wear drawers?

Yes, I cannot live without wearing one with my coords now.

13. Do you have any favourite Japanese music?

Yes! I discovered visual kei through the fashion. So, vkei is my favorite. My current favorite bands are eliphas levi, jigokue, schwarz stain, deadman/kein, baiser, and, of course, malice mizer.

14. Where do you particularly visit as Lolita?

I usually go to the chinatown/japantown in egl. Other times, I will wear it to just go out on the weekends.

16. Please tell us about one embarrassing episode from the time when you were
just beginning Lolita.

The first coord that I had posted. The legwear was cheap, shitty hot topic lace thigh-high tights, the headpieces I wore was a cheap, frilly headband, and the petticoat was showing.
Look back at it, it is a big embarrassing, but the people who saw that post, even the actual lolita, said it was a good first coord.

17. What's hairstyle and color that you think Lolita would suite the most?

Ringlets ofc. Although, I think natural colors, like blond and black suite the style the most. But that is personal preferences, since I am an old schooler.

18. Have you ever thought of stopping Lolita? The reason?

Yes, but those were thoughts that held little weight. They were mostly from moments of dysphoria.

19. Please tell us your heart's bible as a Lolita. (anything like a book, magazine, CD, idol...)

Streets snaps from the GLB & Kera. I love the freedom they had with their style and experimentation that early lolitas dabbled in.

20. Do you own a doll? Tell us your feelings about her intensely!

I don't, but I would love to own a BJD one day!

21. What kind of make-up do you wear when you wear Lolita clothes?

It depends on the situation. I usually wear natural makeup, but if I feel like doing something more fancier, I go for a mana-inspired makeup look, but without the white face paint/foundation.

22. Have you ever secretly changed clothes in a train station bathroom on Lolita day-out?

I have not. I was luckily always near home when I needed to change from my normie clothes to egl.

23. Are you composed when doing Lolita all by yourself?

Yes, although I used to be anxious and self-conscious when I first started, wearing lolita alone is practically my armor against my own self-doubt.

24. How much do you spend in your Lolita clothes& accessory monthly?

An embarrassing amount. My parents would be so mad at me if they knew.

25. What is the most expensive Lolita thing you've bought so far? How much was it?

A moitie piece. Currently old moitie is having a boom in prices. I bought a 2002 OP for around $450~.

26. So far about how much has the expense been for Lolita goods?

Im so embarrassed. These questions are exposing me.

27. Lolita outfit really costs money. How do you raise money to cover the cost of
Lolita?

I work two part-time jobs, despite being a full-time student. I like having money for the fashion I love.

28. Have you ever bought from an online store? If so, please tell us its good
and bad points and some advice for the future. If not, please tell us why not.

I have bought from both the online metamorphose & btssb store via a shopping service. I really cannot say anything bad about the experience. But I suppose one good thing is the cute bag that is always included.

29. Even if you sort of want to keep it a secret, please clandestinely tell us
about a private manufacturer that is the best.

I don't really buy pieces new. But if you are looking to find good old school pieces, make connects with other lolitas. I am not saying to just make friends for the benefits of trading or private transactions with them, but it helps to know others in the same style of lolita as you.

30. Is there a brand and/or an item that you think, "I could never get it! But I unreasonably want it!"?

Literally any old moitie pieces. Everything is even more unobtainable because of the second-hand prices.

31. What do you think about people who only do Lolita at music-lives or cosplay?

I could care less. If that's what they enjoy, then let them be.

32. From what age to what age is it acceptable to do Lolita? Do you think that there's a state in which someone must graduate from Lolita? (you can answer as ‘never graduate’)

I don't think there is a age that is written in stone for when someone should quit lolita. Just do whatever you want, no matter what your age is.

33. Is there a Lolita fashion or behavior that you think "I don't want Lolitas to do this!" about?

Promoting devilinspired as a good place to buy taobao, lol. But, I also don't want newbies and lolitas who are just clueless about better places to buy pieces because I don't like the competition over limited quantity of things.

34. Is there something you think "Lolita has to be this way!" about?

Not really. I do hate it when newbies wear shitty lolita amazon cosplay dresses or replicas. It just makes me feel bad for them.

35. While doing Lolita, has something changed from earlier than you did Lolita?

My preferred aesthetic for my own personal style has changed. It used to be more aligned with how modern gothic lolita is styled, but now I prefer the old school look of gothic.

36. Do you go to school/work as Lolita?

Last school quarter, I definitely wore lolita more often to class and work. However, I have not been able to wear it as often during the week.

37. Do you wear Lolita clothes as casual wear?

Yes and no. Lolita is what I usually wear to go out, no matter if its for something casual or formal. But, when I am just at home, I do not wear it.

38. Do you have a boyfriend (or husband)? Do you understand each other? (I think she meant “Does he understand you (as lolita)?”)

I have a partner who I put in lolita sometimes. She looks so cute in it that I am going to insert a pic.

They like to listen to me ramble about random facts in my head about egl so i think that means she understand my interest in it haha.

39. What do the people around you think of your doing Lolita? Do they accept it?

My friends think its cool. My parents think its weird. No one has outwardly expressed their disapproval of it to me.

40. What kind of Lolita is who has impressed you the most up until now?

There's too many to count and list.

41. Have you ever made your own Lolita clothing or/and accessories? If so, what was the best item that you’ve made?

I have mainly made headdresses. I don't use them often, but I have a gobelin one that I like quite a lot.

42. If you have an ideal Lolita outfit or coordination, please tell us.

Yes! My ideal coordination is a teased black twin tails, a full face of gothic shiro-nuri makeup, a short, but elegant black op with a nun collar, lace topped black OTKs, and the tallest platform heels. Something like this....

43. Is there a motif that you think “this is a symbol of Lolita”?

Voluminous, puffy skirts filled by a petticoat.

44. Would you want to dress your children as Lolita?

I don't want children. But if I did, I would let them decide if they wanted to or not.

45. What's your image of the ideal Lolita?

This should not be very surprising, but the image of the ideal lolita for me has to be all the photos of Mana-sama in the Gothic and Lolita Bible, of course.

And that concludes all 45 questions! If you actually read through all this, thank you so much. You are a real one. I'd kiss you if I could (with your consent of course).