"Lolita fashion in Newfoundland": Petticoats

The petticoat, in my opinion is the most important aspect of a lolita outfit. Without it, you can not achieve that "cupcake" or "bell shaped" silhouette that makes this fashion so unique.

It`s quite hard to find anything loliable here in St.John`s. I often shop at Thrift stores to find my things. The only thing I feel is very hard to find is a decent petticoat. I have three petticoats. Two are American Apparel, and one is from a costume store. I really like my AA pettis, because they`re made of a nice fabric and are both very soft. The only thing is, the multi-layered petti is too short for lolita skirts.
 Neither of them are really voluminous enough on their own. In lolita fashion, your petticoat should not be visible at all, also, Skirts that are more than 2-3 inches above the knee (depending on the substyle) are too short to be considered lolita. Here are some shots of a lolita-inspired outfit of mine:

So I wear my shorter one for more lolita-inspired outfits and the longer one with my knee length dresses and layer it over my shorter ones . I like the amount of volume my costume petticoat gives me. It`s made of a stiff fabric, and gives quite a bit of poof when I layer it. The thing I don`t like about it is that I have to turn it inside out after each use so it doesn`t deflate. It`s also kind of scratchy.  But for $22, I couldn`t turn it down
There is a place down town that sells longer A-line Petticoats. However, they are made by Hell Bunny. This means that they're more of a 50's "Swing-Style", which are much longer than most lolita skirts (even classic).
I haven't tried their pettis under any of my dresses yet. They are decently priced, so I may invest in one. I've been looking for a nice A-line petti for a while for a lovely skirt I bought a few years ago. I was looking at a Black Hell Bunny Petticoat last month. They seem to be great quality. I may have to wear it higher on my waist or even fold down the waist band to make it slightly shorter.

(On a side note, my boyfriend actually bought me the Hell Bunny "Courtney Coat", which is perfect because it actually accommodates even my puffiest outfits. However, I feel like the lace may give off and "ita" vibe. I may replace some of it. It's not scratchy really. And it's hardly noticeable. It's a softer raschel lace. Which I don't mind at all. I may have to get a second opinion on it. But it's still probably my favorite piece of clothing in my wardrobe)

Needless to say, I will probably get a new petticoat online for cheap. I've read reviews on the Classical Puppets and Dear Celine's pettis seem like my best bet. Once I save a bit of money, I'll buy a few brand pieces. But for now, I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for some more loliable clothing.

My Love for Lolita Fashion

Throughout my childhood and adolescence I found myself enticed by foreign cultures. Greek, Roman, Russian, Korean and Japanese culture have always been interesting to me.

   I grew up watching anime and eventually began buying manga as well. I met people with similar interests and also started listening to Japanese music. Which led up to the introduction of Japanese street fashions into my life.

Decora Kei, Visual Kei, Lolita, Fairy Kei, Gyaru. I loved them all. But Lolita has always stuck out in my mind.

  

  Over the past four years or so, I learned about lolita fashion. I read articles and forums and even began incorporating aspects of it into my own style. I loved the idea of a feminine style while still being modest. 

Right now I'm slowly building up a lolita wardrobe. Loliable clothing can be VERY hard to come by when you live in Newfoundland. Lucky for me, there are a few vintage stores downtown that carry things like blouses, shoes and circle skirts that can be worn in the casual- classic style I go for.

  Lolita can also be very expensive. My current dream dress is an OP from Mary Magdalene. It costs just about $400 canadian. As a first year university student, splurging on a dress is out of the question.

 I wear lolita inspired and casual lolita 2-4 times a week. Even though I've toned down my look quite a bit, I do get stared at quite a lot. But mostly, people are very kind and seem to like it.

  

My first "brand" Purchase will most likely be from R-series, F+F, Dear Celine or Infanta.

My only real problem with lolita is the "sticker shock". I'm pretty scrawny, so I could fit into brand no problem (I personally think all brands should make larger sizes too. It's ridiculous that plus sized lolitas have to compromise.) As far as I know, there are no other Lolitas here in Newfoundland. Most of the people I know of that have even HEARD of the fashion (With the exception of my friends) associate lolita with maid cosplay, ita-lace monster dresses and fetishism.

I'd love to have a lolita meet up, but alas, I don't think that will happen anytime soon.