• Bloomers Talk: Caro chan

    this week we have lovely Caro chan from my fave blog Fyeahlolita.

    she is 24 a year old lolita from connecticut USA.


    Hello caro, I’m so gladyou agree to do this! Thank you so much

    Thanks for asking me 😀

    So, when and how did you discover Lolita

    It was in the early 2000s, I used to be an active member of the pixel art or “cartoon doll” community and I found myself on someone’s gallery who had a whole page of “Gothic Lolitas”. I thought they were adorable. I became a little bit obsessed with these little frilly girls and was blown away when I found out that people actually dressed this way in real life. Baby, The Stars Shine Bright was one of the first Lolita sites I found and I used to browse it dreaming of finding the perfect excuse to buy one of their dresses.

    And was it too long before you started dressing?

    It was a short time before I thought I was dressing in Lolita, haha. I pretty much immediately started wearing the ruffliest black crap I could find at Goodwill. That was my Ita stage. Around 2005 I learned about Fan+Friend and bought a few basic pieces. They were actually pretty awesome pieces, a Juliette Et Justine skirt and double breasted jacket replica, and an Atelier Boz set replica as well as a pretty basic white blouse. It wasn’t for another year and a half or so before I bought my first real brand pieces and started putting effort into my coordinates by doing things like wearing knee highs and head pieces. So, while I tried to be Lolita pretty quickly, it was a few years before even I, at the time, considered myself a real Lolita

    Which was your first brand piece?

    My first brand pieces were all from Baby. I ordered an all black JSK as well as a teeny little hair pin.

    What was your reaction when you got the package

    I was overjoyed! It came really early Sunday morning and I rushed into my room to try it on and just bask in its awesomeness. Up until that point I had only had F+F and a few sub-par Chinese shops and this dress, even though it was very simple, was worlds apart from them in terms of quality and just general “Lolitaness”

    And how did you feel when you wore it in public

    A little shy at first. I had been wearing “weird” clothes ever since I was in middle school so I was already used to things like rude comments or strange looks so I wasn’t exactly new to the world of wearing something that the mainstream finds weird, but I was a bit out of my comfort zone just because it was so different from what I typically wore.

    So, what was your family and friends reaction when you told them about Lolita, you said you wore weird clothes already, but the term itself tends to confuse people

    I have no idea if my family or friends even knew about the term. I know my mom has at least seen the movie Lolita, but I don’t think she judged the fashion for having the same name. Otherwise, most everyone was just like “So, you’re going to start wearing pink?” Because I had been pretty much exclusively wearing black for a few years.

    What was it what you liked about Lolita?

    I think it was the details and the frills that drew me in. Even before I loved Lolita I loved things like very detailed gothic Victorian outfits and other extravagant styles. It was similar to things I had already seen and fallen in love with, and yet at the whole time something completely different.

    I agree a lot with that, do you agree with the Lolita lifestyle?

    Yes and no. I really dislike the “cliché” lifestyle. The “Tee hee I love to bake and have a bed full of stuffed animals and I only look at the pretty side of life” kind of lifestyle, because it seems very ungenuine. It’s also heavily associated with the super Sweet Lolita styles, which is just something I’m not interested in so I dislike that that’s how some people feel that “real” Lolitas should act, even though Sweet Lolita is just one of many different kinds of Lolita. On the other hand, I do enjoy a lot of the things that are considered part of the lifestyle, like the creative parts or a few of the more Victorian things like tea and decor, I like to frequent Lifestyle communities and I certainly feel that Lolita is more than just clothes for me. But I really wouldn’t go around calling myself a Lifestyle Lolita, just because of the typical image associated with it.

    We all know you are the writer of one of the most important(and my personal favorite) western Lolita blogs up there, how did you come up with the idea

    😀 Why thank you! I came up with the idea to start a Lolita blog just because I loved Lolita and I had been wearing it and learning about it for quite a while so I wanted to share my experience in the frills with the rest of the community.

    How did you get so popular?

    XD I have no idea! While it was, of course, my secret dream when I started, I never expected it to! I think my blogs success is mostly because many of my posts deal with How to’s. How to wear this, coordinate that, make this, buy that, etc. So a lot of times when someone will ask a question either in a forum somewhere or on EGL someone will answer with a link to one of my blog posts.

    So by word of mouth my blog grew, even to people who don’t normally read blogs.

    Where do you find inspiration?

    Haha, I think just by thinking about Lolita a lot! I also read a lot of Lolita blogs and try to keep up with EGL so when a hot topic comes up, and if I have an opinion on it I’ll blog about it.

    You’ve been in the fashion for a while, what do you think about its evolution

    I love it! While the current trends might not always be for me, I still love to see them come and go or, more often than not, just get rolled up into the fashion and become part of the Lolita norm. It’s something I’ve always loved about alternative fashions, while there are trends and stuff, nothing is ever really so out of date that it’s laughable. While in the “normally dressed world” if I decided to wear like acid washed high waisted denim MChammer pants and huge shoulder pads it would be so out-dated that it would be downright hilarious. But with Lolita, when I get my hands on something like a Metamorphose dress from 10 years ago that’s not even puffy enough to fit a petticoat under it’s really something

    Do you think the fashion is for everyone?

    I can honestly say that so long as you like it, then yes, it’s for you. The only people who look really out of place in Lolita are the people who feel very out of place wearing it. The friend someone forced into wearing it for a meet up, or the kid who doesn’t quite know if it’s for her.

    When do you wear Lolita?

    All the time XD I pretty much wear it every chance I get.

    Which is your favorite piece in your closet and why

    This is a tough question! My favorite usually changes and I have lots of favorites for lots of different reasons. If I had to pick one piece that was my absolute favorite I would have to say my original version of Baby’s Stain Glass print. I love it for a few reasons, first of all, it’s gorgeous, the print is just amazing. I also spent a while pining after this print before I got one of my own. And finally, because the print was designed by Koitsukihime, who is a favorite artist of mine

    And your dream dress?

    Right now, it’s probably AP’s Rose Toilette in red. But who knows, in a few months that might change XD

    How would you define your style

    It’s kind of all over the place. It’s a bit Gothic, a bit Victorian, and a bit cute and girly

    Do you have any Lolita idols

    I have a lot of fellow Lolitas that I admire for a lot of various reasons, and I also have a lot of fashion idols who aren’t nessicarily Lolitas but who’s aesthetic really inspires me. While I don’t really have a favorite Lolita model I am very fond of this one “famous Lolita” who’s name I can never remember XD so I guess she’s not exactly my idol if I can’t ever recall her name

    Haha Are you crafty?

    Haha, I like to think I am XD I make a lot of stuff, my favorites being making bonnets the old fashioned way with buckram and wire and making jewelry of various kinds, usually beaded, but I’m getting into casting stuff in resin. I also do occasional art and used to be really into book binding and would like to get back into it but mostly just need to stock up on materials again. My future “learn to do” list includes sewing. I can make little accessories like bows and stuff, but I would love to be able to make dresses one day!

    What are the things you have in mind when you are going to buy something

    Right now, a few things, mainly I am looking to expand my Classic Lolita wardrobe and cut back on cute stuff in pink and black. I also make sure it’s under my budget. My currently Lolita budget is pretty much whatever I make by selling stuff in my Etsy shop, taking bonnet commissions, or clearing out the massive amounts of Lolita I just don’t wear any more. So maybe I have $30 burning a hole in my PayPal balance and I need a new pair of shoes, or maybe I have more and figure I could get away with yet another dress.

    What is the last thing you bought and when

    The last thing I bought was probably dusty pink older velvet Angelic Pretty JSK. I’m still waiting for it in the mail because I just bought it last week! I’m hoping it comes sometime this week!

    What are your favorite brands and why?

    My favorite brand, that I own, is definitely Baby the Stars Shine Bright. I am including Alice & the Pirates in this too! I love them because they just have such a wide variety of styles. If I want something Classic, I can find something by Baby, if I want something sure cute and Sweet, Baby, something Gothic black and made out of some kind of gorgeous material, Baby again. My favorite brand to lust after is Juliette et Justine. They make so many gorgeous things but they’re way too expensive and too small for me.

    Is there any style you don’t like? and anyone you’d like to try

    I really don’t care for Punk Lolita or Wa-Lolita. They just don’t interest me that much. I’d like to try OTT Sweet Lolita, even though I bash it all the time and it’s so not me. But it looks fun!

    Do you go to a lots of meet ups, conventions?

    I haven’t been to a meet up in a long time! We simply don’t have too many meetups around here, but I do like to try to go whenever there is one going on in my state. I go to about two conventions a year. I would like to try to start making it to more conventions because I really want to get into vending my accessories and maybe even art prints at cons.

    How big is your community?

    It’s pretty big when we can all get together! We usually have meetups of a little more than 20 people, more so if we con some of the New York or Boston Lolitas into visiting XD

    Do you think any other foreign countries are now ready to see Lolita as a regular fashion?

    I really have no idea! I don’t even think it’s seen as a “regular fashion” in Japan.

    What is the nicest and the worst thing someone said to you while wearing Lolita

    I can’t think of specific things but I love it when people are genuinely interested in what I’m wearing and will start a real conversation with me because of that. I think it’s a compliment all in itself when strangers will think “Hey! She looks like a fun person to talk to right now!” for no other reason other than they like what I’m wearing. I rarely get rude comments, usually stares and mean looks, but I do hate the snarky things people say, like saying “Niiiice shoooes” as they walk past if I’m wearing Rocking Horse Shoes or something like that. While they’re not nessicarily mean or nasty comments, things like that tend to bug me the most because they’re so passive aggressive. It’s like, you really couldn’t have waited the 5 seconds to be out of earshot before saying something stupid? If you don’t have the guts to say something to my face don’t bother commenting at all.

    Do you have lots of Lolita friends? In and out the community?

    I have a fair number of them, but sadly we’re all spread out all over the state so I don’t get to see them as much as I would like!

    We are now seeing lots of replicas, what is your opinion about them

    I’m really not sure. When there were just a couple replicas out, of prints that brands stopped selling long ago, I was totally OK with it. But now that there are just so many out there and they are coming out with them while the original dress is still in stock, I am not as keen on them as I used to be. While I like the idea of being able to get cute prints you may have only dreamed of in the past for cheap on the replica market, it sort of ruins the magic of Lolita for me. And I’m not just talking about brand loyalty or something stupid like that, you get what you pay for, especially in Lolita. The other kinds of replicas, dresses made out of left over fabric, style replicas, shoe and purses that come from the same factory but just don’t have a brand label, I’m much more OK with those.

    Can you remember an embarrassing story while wearing Lolita?

    Haha, OMG I just answered this same question a few weeks ago! Why must you guys keep bringing up my embarrassing moments XD Well, besides some completely unflattering pictures of me my most embarrassing moment was at my first meet up when I nearly walked into traffic because I was being so spacey.

    Haha

    XD don’t laugh!

    Did you ever think about stopping Lolita? What was the reason?

    No I don’t think I have ever seriously though about giving up the fashion. I just have too many clothes and the style has just become such a part of my own personal style! I do sort of miss totally untainted by the frills Western Goth though. Even my “regular Goth” fashion now is very much Lolita inspired. It will be something like a black h.Naoto skirt, a corset, and some kind of gothic-but-not-nessicarily-Lolita top.

    What do you think of ‘twinning’ in Lolita?

    I think it’s adorable! But only suited for things like meetups or cons or photoshoots, it would be pretty weird if people just decided to do that to go to the grocery store with their friend or something XD

    Oh! And I love reverse twins

    Like where one wears all black and the other all white, but it’s still the same dress. That’s awesome.

    We know everything started at gothic, then it was sweet’s turn, now OTT, what’s next?

    I think that Classic has been trending for a while now, but I can see that it going towards OTT Classic. Things like epic fur stoles and lush prints. But really, I have the feeling that OTT Sweet is going to be sitting ontop of the Lolita world for a while.

    Must have item?

    Like a basic item or a OMG I NEED THAT item?

    Umm, basic

    I think every Lolita needs one extravagant piece in her wardrobe. Even if she just wears casual Lolita to school or work, everyone needs to have something totally crazy hanging in their closet waiting for the right occasion to wear it!

    Bloomers yes or no!

    No! Because I always loose mine XD

    Haha how so

    I don’t know! They just vanish!

    XD I certainly don’t take them off in public and misplace them.

    Haha What isyour fave coord so far

    Oooh I really don’t know! I change it all the time! I honestly couldn’t pick any one thing!

    Do you have a weakness? Like lace, or a specific print or cut

    Yes, I really love religious themed prints. So pretty much if a print has the Virgin Mary or crosses on it… I want it. Which sucks really bad because these are typically the most difficult to get ahold of, and therefore expensive, dresses!

    Do you think there is an age to wear Lolita?

    I think the best age to wear it is when you can afford it on your own. Even if it’s just from saving up allowances and saving birthday money.

    Do you think mainstream brands or designers inspire their collections by Lolita or something similar?

    I think they are inspired by the same things Lolita brands are inspired by. Femininity, romance, Historic fashions, things like that. But besides a few sad attempts I really don’t think many mainstream brands or designers have been inspired by Lolita. If they are they’re not being obvious about it

    Now, do you have any fandoms?

    I’m not really part of any fandoms, as I don’t really participate in the communities, but I do consider myself a big fan of a few things. Namely The X-Files, the band Sopor Aeternus, and the musician Darren Hayes.

    What music do you listen to?

    I listen to a lot of different kinds of music. Some favorite bands arePete Yorn, VNV Nation, Dead Can Dance, Rasputina, The Verve Pipe, Gogol Bordello, and The Cult

    What are your plans for the future, do you plan wearing Lolita for a long time there

    I pretty much plan on wearing Lolita for as long as I can XD I figure when I get too old, I’ll just switch primarily to Gothic Lolita and Aristocrat. Ever since I was a teenager I’ve always secretly wanted to one day be an eldergoth XD So elegant!

    That would be awesome! So, to sum up, is there anything special you want to tell our fellows lolitas out there

    XD I really can’t think of anything else to say! I think you’ve about covered it all!

    All right then, this was so much fun thank you a lot! I hope you had fun too

    Thank you for interviewing me 😀 It was really fun!

    <3

    check out her tumblr and Etsy store too

    Leave a Reply

    5 Comentarios

    1. Caro-chan
      octubre 26, 2010 / 8:10 pm

      Thanks for doing this with me! It was so much fun! Haha, congrats to anyone who actually gets through all this! I talk soooo much XD

    2. Rosalynn
      octubre 26, 2010 / 8:48 pm

      This was really awesome! I always love to read about my favourite bloggers!

    3. Bryanna
      octubre 26, 2010 / 11:22 pm

      I didn't know this girl, truly inspiring. I will star reading her.The things she does are so cute! I want everything in that store *-*

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