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Lolita Fashion vs Summer

July 1st, 2003

Well, originally I came across this post during my regularly scheduled EGL archiving, but it made me think... "Hey, it's almost summer! I live in Satan's butthole! We've had record breaking summer weather this year! I should talk about this!"

So, per usual, lets first look at this post's comments. After all, we cant' really ignore a post from ye ol'e days with 23 whole comments.

"You turn into a white loli in the summer :P Black absorbs!!

I got lucky and I live in a relatively cool climate. :D"


Umm...no. While wearing "white loli" more correctly known as SHIRO LOLITA, or lolita in head-to-toe white, may help to deflect the hot rays of sun, that's like telling your friendly neighborhood goth to give up black in the summer...do they ever? No.

"Cute sundresses and sunhats!"

Ehhhh...almost, but still no.

SO, let me begin with my number one summer tip...

Left is my large Meta tote perfectly sized to hold my laptop and all my notebooks, school supplies, lunch and water bottles to survive a long day at university. Right is my medium sized Usakumya rucksack, only holding my money, phone, lipgloss and room key at a convention. If I needed anything else I could just run up to the room to grab the essentials. 
1. BIG ASS BAG!
So what does a big ass bag have to do with anything? well, the further you proceed down my list, the more you well realize how helpful a big ass proper bag will become, especially in the summer. While the usakumya and pony bags are cute and all, they don’t really hold much and are essentially oversized wallets. My go to purse is the Moi-même-Moitié leather bat bag. It holds quite a bit of items and I keep it stocked and ready to go with all of my essentials. However, when I’m out for longer days, I have a few large bags that carry even more things. On long days out at work or school I have a large Meta and Betsy Johnson bags on standby just in case.

Image from the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck Facebook page.
2. Water
Being dehydrated and passing out from sun stroke is not kawaii. Many people tend to not drink enough water even in the cooler months. I always make sure to bring a water bottle with me when I go out, and during the peak of summer I double that amount. I try to be eco-friendly and avoid buying water bottles as much as possible. In fact, one of the best purchases I’ve ever made was my Hello Kitty thermos! I bough it from the Cafe Truck when it rolled into town a few years back. I bought the larger size and wow does it keep my items ice cold all day! I usually have to fill it up half way through the day to keep me going, but I also live in the middle of a dessert so I know how important water is to your health.

Three different coords with the three different parasols I own. Perfect for any color coord or style I want to wear. 
3. Parasol
I feel like people don’t really look at parasols as a necessity, and may think they are required for aesthetic purposes. But let me tell you, it hardly ever rains here, and white it’s nice to have a cutesy burando umbrella for the rare rain shower here, I get so much more use out of it as a portable sun blocker. They say that the temperature in the shade is about 10-15 degrees cooler than in the sun, which is a huge difference! Especially here when it gets up to 120F in summer!

Photo via Moi-même-Moitié 
4. Hand fan
Honestly, as nice as portable shade is, the one thing that will make a 100% difference in surviving the outdoors vs actually making it bearable is having moving air. Nothing can save a hot day quite like a nice steady breeze. Unfortunately Mother Nature is a bitch, and you can’t really count on her for much, so I like to keep a fan in my bag, so it’s always ready, even on the go, to cool me off when I’m stuck in that stagnant hot air. When I was younger, I alway carried around one of those battery operated hand fans, but nothing is worse than your little hand fan dying when there’s no spare batteries on hand. So, eventually I moved on to those cheap “fancy” hand fans. You know the ones- ornate “oriental” florals, “Victorian” embroideries. They were good and all, but I wanting something a little more simple that wouldn’t stand out too much from me daily attire, so when Moitie released their new fan design a while back, I jumped on it. But if the promise of cheap and portable air conditioning isn’t enough to sway you, perhaps I may tempt you into buying a fan for the mere pleasure of learning the secret Victorian language of the fans? I must admit, when I originally switched to hand fans as a teen, I did enjoy indulging in the practice of “fan” language. Too bad it’s a forgotten language, even more so as “lifestyle Lolita” is pretty much long forgotten.


5. Cotton products
Unfortunately for anyone who buys Lolita from the last 6 years or so knows, cotton products are largely a thing of the past. Not only are natural fabrics more expensive to produce, but they tend to be bulkier. For many people living in small apartment in japan, you can fit more polyester items in your wardrobe vs cotton items. It’s because of these, and many more reasons, brands have chosen to primarily use synthetic materials such as polyester, chiffon and viyella. However, in the summer, cotton fabrics are preferred for the sole reason that cotton items are much more breathable, Meaning you will sweat less. I’m fact, one reason why older time periods were able to handle so many layers in the summer was mostly due to the fact that all their clothes were made purely of cotton and other organic textiles.

Peak summer fashion right here. A half bonnet is light enough for summer while making twin buns look a little more elegant.
6. Hats and Up-do's
Probably pretty self explanatory, but you’ll probably want to ditch the wig during the summer and opt for a nice up-do. Even in normie fashion, people prefer to keep their hair up and off of their neck to help keep them cool. At least while you’re wearing lolita, you can decorate a messy bun with some cute hair clips. Braids are a go-to for me to help keep my stray hairs in place during the summer. And when it gets unbearably hot and I can’t even deal with my bangs, I braid them back as well. Hats are also nice with either short hair or up-dos, because they also provide extra shade on your face and neck while you’re outside.

Sandals from the brand Angelic Imprint are perfect for summer looks, with or without socks, and available in a variety of colors.
7. Sandals
Someone new may think that sandals in lolita fashion is a big “yikes!” But, those of us who have survived the early years of the pastel vomit AP overlord will know that sandals in lolita is nothing new. While sock-less or sock and sandal combos aren’t suitable for every coord, they are usually a great addition to an already light, summery wardrobe. The past few years I’ve been feeling really nostalgic for the light airy casual coords if the past and have ordered a new pair of Lolita sandals to go along with all the pastel dresses that have slowly crept their way back into my closet.

Baby, Moitie, IW and AP each have their own unique take of this summer staple, giving consumers an infinite amount of choices and colors to choose from to complete their summer coordinates.
8. Ankle Socks
I remember years ago Lolita’s on livejournal screeching about how ankle socks were ita and absolutely not lolita at all. But, like most things that the community tends to scream “itai” at, once brands begun to steadily start putting out both crew and ankle socks, Lolita’s began to embrace it, and now it is a staple of the fashion. Typically light and decorative, it’s the perfect accent to go along with your shoes without overheating your legs in the sweltering heat.

Photo from Weibo
9. No-blouse!
Probably the most controversial opinion of mine, but I think that blouseless coords are completely acceptable in the summer. But, there’s more to a good blouseless coord than just ditching the top and calling it a day. The key to a successful coord is balance. A lot of the time a blouseless coord will look absolutely ruined if you don’t have equally bare legs. Ankle socks and sock-less look the best with the absence of a blouse. A lot of times you may see a blouseless, couture looking brand model in long socks and gloves. And yes with the right hair him right and lighting it may look ok to you too in a magazine or brand photo shoot, it will still look absolutely ridiculous on the street and will feel even worse in the heights of summer.

I’m sure I could go on and on about tricks and tips to staying cool in the summer, but these to me are the most important. Stay hydrated, stay cool and stay safe!

Comments

  1. When it comes to "lolita and weather" kind of tips, my policy is to only really trust the opinion of people who live in that weather. With the exception of certain tips like "stay inside because air conditioning", what someone like yourself living in Arizona or someone from Brazil may say will be far more helpful than what other UK lolitas might say because we simply don't experience that sort of weather regularly and most people would just ditch frills for that day because it's easier. (We can sure offer some tips on wearing lolita in the rain and wind though!) And it's great that you started off with essential tips that centre around health (water, fan, parasol) and then moved onto clothes. It doesn't help if you wear the lightest cotton dress without a blouse, if you're not staying hydrated and staying in the shade, you're not going to have a good time.

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