4 O’clock on All Hallows' Eve

I give you, the whimsical plague rat.



The look was inspired by Emilie Autumn; in particular EA’s outfit in her performance of 4 O’clock. Of course, I ended up looking nothing like her! But I adore the outfit all the same.


These were made by Mel, my fellow folklore major. I love them. I want to wear them everyday. After seeing the polka dots on the headband, I tried to work more into the outfit...


...hence the white dots on my nails.





It was a rather relaxing night, watched Tower of Terror and gave out candy to the kids that came; there must have been maybe twenty of them. But Tower of Terror was a walk down memory lane. For many years, it was a tradition that at my birthday-sleepover, this movie would be watched. I had not seen it in years. But thanks to Crystal, I was able to watch it again.







And now it is November and I must say good bye. I shall see you all in a month. Why, you ask? Here is your answer.

A Frilly Rebirth; or How I discovered Lolita

During our last chat I went about the business of explaining, to the best of my ability, what lolita is. I do hope I have enlightened you on the subject. Was it your first time hearing about the fashion? If not, how did you learn about it? I’d like to know! Please leave me a message in the comments section. In the meantime, I would like to share how I discovered lolita.

It was during my first year (fall of 2007) at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN). A friend of mine introduced me to the band Malice Mizer, saying that I might like them. I did indeed. Visiting YouTube on my own time, viewing videos of the band, I was delighted by their outfits and costumes. In particular, what Mana wore (pictured below). Safe to say he is a topic all his own. Yes, that's right, I said him not her. But that is another story for another time. (Photo from Avant Gauche)

But if you are so intrigued, here are some links:
Wikipedia: Mana (musician)
Mana-sama.net

Through some Google searches, I learned that the clothing he wore was called Gothic Lolita. Further searches lead me to the very links that I provided in my last post.

At first I was so excited to learn that this was not just some over the top coustume, but that it was a real fashion, worn by everyday people. But then I got “sticker shock”, when I visited the brand name clothing sites and looked at the prices. I then thought that wearing the fashion was out of the question. It was only when I discovered such sites as In the Starlight and Candy Violet that I felt hope. Perhaps this fashion was not so far out of my reach.

I also have to confess that for a long time, the Wonderland skirt by ITS was my dream skirt. It is a dream skirt no longer. It turned out to be my first purchase.

Now I feel like I’m in lolita for the American brands, not to mention the seamstress of egl. It is there clothing I am excited to wear, not brand. It will be a long while before I can even considering buying the brand name clothing from Japan. What with tuition to pay, being jobless and all that ;) Until then, I shall continue to admire it.

Hope you found some entertainment in my little ramble. And now, my question to you, how did you discover Lolita fashion?

Kindest personal regards,

A Curious Fashion Indeed or What is Lolita?

There's been mention of this fashion here at The Grimm Tea Party but I have not had the decency to explain it, until now. But before I go into my explanation I would first like to add a little disclaimer. I am not claiming to be an “expert” on the subject, so please do not get your bloomers in a bunch if you see something on my blog that you do not agree with. Also, the fashion of Lolita has nothing whatsoever to do with the novel by Vladimir Nabokov. And now with that bit of house keeping out of the way, shall we look at what Lolita actually is?

Lolita fashion got its start on the streets of Japan in the 80’s. One of its influences was one of the most glamorous and over the top fashion eras, Rococo. The other main influence was a darker time, the Victorian era. Since its humble beginnings Lolita has evolved, but lolitas still strive to achieve a doll-like look of elegance and cuteness through modesty. Some of the dresses popular today are a far cry from those that started the trend. Take these two photos for example.

The following photos both show clothing from the brand Angelic Pretty.

The photo on your left is an early form of Lolita, very simple and elegant.

The photo on your right is displaying the current trend of OTT (over the top) Sweet Lolita.

The fashion also seems to be split into two main categories, Sweet Lolita and Gothic Lolita. The Sweet Lolitas seem to draw heavy on Rococo, while the Victorian era is the inspiration of choice for Gothic Lolitas.

Upon closer examination of the outfits, what do you see?

♥ Cute shoes
♠ Knee length socks
♦ Skirt that is knee length with petticoat to create the bell shape
♣ Make-up is fresh and simple, hair has been tended to (in the more recent trend of OTT Sweet, make-up and hair are not quite as simple. Just as the clothing is over the top, the hair and make-up can be as well, with contacts lens and big poofy hair)
♥ Head is adorned with bow or headdress

Perhaps the only real negative point about the fashion is its name. For some, the name just sounds cute. For others, there is a more disturbing association with the name. Lolita is the title of a novel by Vladimir Nabokov. In the book a man by the name of Humbert Humbert becomes sexually involved with a prepubescent girl by the name of Dolores Haze whose nickname is Lolita.

As a side note, I have yet to read the novel. Previously (winter 2008) I looked for the novel in my university’s library but was unable to find it. I did however read another novel of Nabokov’s “Look At the Harlequins”. I found it an easy read and most entertaining and intend on reading more by him.

For more information on the novel Lolita please visit SparkNotes.com

Now, back to the frills...

The following are some links that will assist you, if you feel so intrigued, to learn more. These are the very website that I discovered during my early Google searches:

The Lolita Handbook

Lolita Fashion – For Lolita’s of All Styles

Avant Gauche – this site has such an amazing collection of magazine scans!

And if you’re looking for something more interactive or still have unanswered questions, make your way over to LiveJournal. There is a very large Lolita presence on LJ. The main Lolita community has 12,000+ members!

However, a warning to any of you eager beavers... please read the rules of the community before posting. My advice to you would be to lurk about the communities, get a feel for them before joining or posting, which can be great fun indeed! Well, for a wallflower like me, it is delightful! And from my lurking, I learned so much!

The EGL Community on LiveJournal – This is the main Lolita community.

Daily Lolita Coordinates on LiveJournal – This community is dedicated to the showcasing of Lolita coronations.

I hope I have enlightened you on the subject, or at least entertained you to some degree.

Kindest person regards,