My Lolita Pilgrimage TO NEW YORK!!

Hello, Lolis, today I'd like to tell you about my trip to New York City, USA!
In NYC, there is a live store for the Lolita brand BTSSB (Baby, the Stars Shine Bright) and I, of course, had to go there! First of all, the trip itself was amazing! I drank a ton of bubble tea (one of my favorite drinks) and had some Pocky!
The BTSSB store was actually a combination of Baby and Tokyo Rebel, a Japanese gothic fashion store, although I was quite obviously more interested in Baby. The store was smaller than I expected but lovely nonetheless. It was one room with a small dressing room. The store had stocked many items from Baby, the Stars Shine Bright and Alice and the Pirates. The cashier who helped me was really kind and willing to cater to my silliness. xD When I first walked in, I saw the most beautiful JSK ever in the window and bought it (after trying it on). I bought the Fairy of Snow JSK (pink, which was the JSK I saw in the window), the matching headpiece, a pink blouse, AATP lace-up ribbon OTKs...

(I did a quick hotel photoshoot)
I also bought the Night of the Devil's Castle JSK (in purple) with matching blouse and bonnet. (But you'll have to wait for pictures of that since I unfortunately haven't had time to take pictures of that one)
The customer service was amazing and I had a great time! The cashier even gave me (for free) the Kumakumya Pochette, which would normally have been $82 USD! (You can see me holding the Pochette in the pictures)
There were a ton of good deals and I spent way less money than I thought I would. It was all-in-all a really great experience and I had a lot of fun!
My mother was born and raised in New York City and I've been going there since I was young. It's just as amazing as I remember it and I was excited to see a completely new neighborhood of it that I had never been to before. The food was great, the sweets were better, and the bubble tea was amazing! I also obtained my first ever brand items (I know, I'm still a Babylita xP)! I couldn't have had a better experience if I won the lottery.
I'm sad to say that the BTSSB/Tokyo Rebel store is closing at the end of the month. I couldn't believe how I almost missed it but I'm glad I got the chance to go before it closed. Although, according to the cashier, their online store will remain open. If you are in the area within the month, I really recommend visiting the store!

As always, thanks for reading and goodnight! ~

-Carlin de Dentelle

Chérir La Dentelle: the Comic

I am pleased to announce that I have started a webcomic about the blights of Lolita fashion! It's a comedy and meant entirely for enjoyment, not to make fun of the clothing style. I will be posting the comics here and on Tapas. Here is my very first comic!

Bending Over

I always worry about this happening. Then again, no one is standing behind me so it wouldn't really matter.

the Most Annoying Things About Lolita

While Lolita is a very fun fashion style it does have many annoying parts, as do most fashion styles. Although the frills, lace, and ruffles look nice, they have a darker underbelly of being rather annoying at times. Here are a lot of things that I think are annoying about Lolita!

Going to the Bathroom

From ruffles and lace to petticoats and bloomer, Lolita is nearly impossible to use the bathroom in. If you try to take it all off and do it that way, it takes around an hour plus (if you're like me). I tend to bunch the dress up in one hand. And, of course, the horrible feeling of your expensive brand touching a public toilet! 

Just Not Feeling Like it

There are times when you are just not feeling like it. Not feeling like putting a petticoat on, not feeling like putting U/OTKs on, not feeling like bows, lace, ruffles, and frills. There are times when you just don't feel like it. For a Lifestyler, that means searching through your wardrobe for something that's more comfortable than it is frilly. For me, I have a designated Lazy Day outfit that's literally a t-shirt with black yoga pants.

Not THAT Type of Lolita

In the 1960s, a controversial book called "Lolita" was written. The book is about a middle-aged man who becomes sexually involved with a 12-year-old girl. It was also made into an infamous movie. Of course, us Lolitas know that this disturbing book/movie has nothing to with the Lolita fashion style but if someone walks up to us and asks us what we're wearing, saying "I'm a Lolita" will most likely conjure up the book/movie in the head of the other person. It's a frustrating but true fact for all Lolitas.

the Lone Wolf Lolita

Being the only Lolita is town is not fun. Especially with most online Lolita groups becoming ghost towns, it's hard to find another Lolita. I can tell you, as a Lone Lolita, I would love to talk to another Lolita in my area. But for some areas, especially in America, there just aren't a lot of Lolitas. Still, it wouldn't hurt to put up a few posters for a Lolita meetup at a park or local cafe.

This is What Aliens Would Be Like with Humans

Listen, guys, never take pictures of someone without asking them first, no matter how frilly or beautiful or Lolita they are! It's inconsiderate. For Lolitas, people staring at you and taking pictures of you is...common. And I, personally, like having pictures taken of me, but only when the person asks first! Otherwise, it's rude and it makes us Lolitas feel like zoo animals.

I Need a Dollar

It's no secret that Lolita is a pricey endeavor. Making a complete Lolita coord for under $100 is an accomplishment, and that's with no brand whatsoever. Brand dresses are often $300 alone. It's especially annoying as teenager who's not yet old enough to work.

Sizing

I am actually a pretty good size for Lolita. I'm thin and lanky so I can fit in most Asian Mediums or Larges. And then comes that one perfect dress where the Medium is a 28" waist and large is a 30" waist... (incase you are wondering, my waist is 29")

Milanoo -_-

*deep sigh* Milanoo, Milanoo, Milanoo, Milanoo. You want to know what Milanoo does? It goes to real Lolita websites, takes their pictures of their gorgeous handmade Lolita dresses, puts them up on the Milanoo website, and then poor new Lolitas who don't know any better go on Milanoo and buy their fake Lolita dresses. Then, they send you cheap and terrible low-quality costumes that barely resemble the pictures. I almost fell for Milanoo but luckily I stopped myself, read more about the site and found out the truth.

Weather

Weather is the enemy of Lolitas everywhere. Yes, we've all heard about some magical Lolita who can wear OTT Sweet Lolita in hot Summer weather but let's be truthful; most of us here are not magical. With Lolita, your top is covered up making it too hot for Summer but your legs are open (even if you are wearing socks/tights) making it too cold for Winter. Fall and Spring are sometimes good for Lolita except for the occasional wind, rain, cold, heat, even moist air could just frizz up your hair or mess up your makeup which could ruin the whole coord. Let's face it; nature is not the friend of the Lolita. From this hell-ish weather to getting dirt and other things on your dress to that one horrible moment when you trip and fall into a bush and your dress rips.

At the end of the day, any fashion has issues but why do we keep doing it? Because life has issues. Everything has issues but us Lolitas love our clothing. It may not be convenient but we love it and we don't care. There will always be little annoyances in life but does that make life not worth living? No. The same applies to Lolita.

Thanks for reading and I'd love to hear your opinion in the comments!~

30 Day Lolita Challenge

This is a 30 day challenge for Lolita coords, wether these be in real life or drawings! If you do it, link me to it in the comments! ^^ I'd love to see!

1: Classic Lolita
2: Sweet Lolita
3: Gothic Lolita
4: Hime Lolita
5: Ero Lolita
6: Kuro Lolita
7: Shiro Lolita
8: OTT Sweet Lolita
9: Fairy Kei Lolita
10: OTT Gothic Lolita
11: Wa-Lolita
12: Qi-Lolita
13: Country Lolita
14: Steampunk Lolita
15: Sailor Lolita
16: Guro Lolita
17: Punk Lolita
18: Deco Lolita
19: OTT Classic Lolita
20: Casual Lolita
21: Maid Lolita
23: Holiday Lolita
24: Pirate Lolita
25: Visual Kei Lolita
26: Fandom Lolita
27: Boystyle Lolita
28: Ita Lolita
29: Good old-fashioned black and white Lolita
30: Classic-Goth-Sweet Lolita 0-0 (I dunno if this has ever been done before)

the Brolita

For more of my art: go here!

the Brolita

Brolita is a term for a boy who wears Lolita clothing, for instance the above picture of my character Harvey in a Lolita dress.

Misconceptions

Brolitas are all gay: While I'm sure some Brolitas are gay, but not all are. Lolita is simply a clothing style, it has nothing to do with sexuality.

Brolitas are Transgender women: This is not true. A male-to-female Transgender woman is by no means a "Brolita." The term Brolita applies to men and Transgender women are by no means men.

Brolitas are perverts: No. Brolitas are simply boys who like to wear Lolita clothing. It's just clothing.

Really, Lolita is a clothing style for all: men, women, and Nonbinary people. Brolitas are just like female Lolitas, they simply love the clothing style.

I'm really disappointed by Lolitas who dislike Brolitas. Lolita is a lovely clothing style full of lace, ribbons, and frill. Everyone should be able to enjoy it.

I'd like to remind everyone that the almighty Mana-sama is actually a man.

Yes this is a man.

the Nonbinary Lolita

As a Nonbinary Brolita, I'd like to take a moment to talk about the Nonbinary Lolita.

I am a Demiboy meaning I'm half boy and half Agender. This is why I call myself a Nonbinary Brolita. Yes, many people assume I'm a girl, which goes the same for many Cisgender Brolitas. No, it does not annoy me. I don't like being called a female but I understand that it goes with the clothing style. If someone sees a person in a frilly, poofy, lace-filled dress, they are obviously going to assume the person is a female. I'm alright with this and anyone who isn't should not dress in Lolita clothing.

Obviously there's always Bostyle, aka Lolita with pants, but even then you are covered from-head-to-toe in frills and lace.

At the end of the day, my point is that Lolita is for everyone; male, female, Nonbinary, everyone.

I hope this provided some food for thought and tell me your thoughts on the subject in the comments!~

Introduction

Howdy and welcome to Chérir la Dentelle, or Cherish the Lace. My name is Carlin De Dentelle and I am a Lolita.

What is Lolita?
Lolita is a Japanese clothing style originating in the late 1970s. It's a mix of Victorian and Edwardian clothing with Rococo influences. Please note that it has nothing to do with the book/movie from the 1960s entitled Lolita.

Who are you?
As I said, I write under the name Carlin De Dentelle. I'm a young French-American queer Lolita with a preference toward Gothic Lolita. I am also a Lifestyle Lolita. I'm a teenager, writer, and artist. Find out more about me in my About page.

Why do you like Lolita?
Frills, lace, poofy skirts, c'mon? It's just a fun fashion style that makes me (and many other Lolitas across the globe) feel pretty!

What's this blog about?
Lolita. In general. I hope to be informative and just a generally fun read! I also hope to be a little bit less girly then most Lolita blogs out there. I also have a younger Lolita's perspective on the clothing.

I hope you like my blog and enjoy reading!