Guide to being a "Thrifting" Lolita
I've seen many guides, how-to's, and even convention panels on how someone can get into lolita fashion on a budget. Truth be told, it's not as easy as many people say, or seem to think, it is. Lolita is an expensive hobby that attracts a lot of younger followers. It's no wonder people who might not have jobs yet, or don't have the funds to spend on a 300 dollar dress, try to find less expensive alternatives just so they can finally immerse themselves into the hobby, and borderline mini-sub-culture, lolita has become.While there are inexpensive alternatives to buying brand clothing (Bodyline, F+F, TaoBao) many people new to the hobby feel insecure with placing orders that originate from overseas. This leads a lot of people to take up loli-fying clothing that is easily available to them here in the states. While some of these do work, a lot of them simply fall flat and don't really have that "lolita shape" that makes lolita...well...lolita.
Now, I'm not saying someone can't make a fantastic outfit entirely of offbrand or thrifted finds. I'm just saying that finding the right pieces, shapes, and styles which fit the typical lolita aesthetic entirely out of offbrand and thrifted things is just terribly hard. Hence, why I'm making this guide.
I want you all to succeed where others haven't. I want you to be able to get those wonderful, possibly one-of-a-kind pieces and incorporate them into your wardrobes successfully. I want you to discover that you CAN get beautiful things for your lolita closet for crazy cheap prices, and have them look like you spent 300 bucks.
Again, this is only advice from a long-time lolita and thrifter based on my own experiances. It's not to meant to be a "You're not lolita if you don't do this or look like this" rant. In the end, it doesn't matter what you wear, or where you obtain the items. Wear what you want and be confident no matter what. =)
-- The Basics --
It's all about SHAPE:Before you go shopping familiarize yourself with the basics of the lolita silhouette -- ESPECIALLY THE SKIRT SHAPE. This is where a lot of people go wrong. You can do a google search for "lolita silhouette" and get a few images on what the proper look is. Know the shape, love the shape, be the shape. You'll thank me for this later I promise.
A cute little dress by Angelic Pretty.
Doesn't matter if it's sweet, classic, or gothic -- Cupcake-shaped or A-Line. The basic shape of any lolita dress/outfit is going to be about the same. Try to look at the dress in sections -- slender waistline, belled out skirt. Notice how much fabric the skirt is made out of. It still has folds and a sense of free-flowing movement in the fabric even with a petti under it. It's not "tight". It doesn't look "filled" or "stuffed". This is the shape and style you're looking for.
Skirts and Dresses:
Skirts and dresses are probably the hardest thing to find simply because they need to be a very specific shape to keep the"bell" silhouette. Skirts and dresses should sit at the natural waistline for the most part, and be around knee length depending on your personal tastes. If a skirt wasn't made to sit at the natural waist line don't buy it and think you can wear it "up" and have it look good...cause it won't. Don't try to make skirts with that extra waist portion into "high waisted skirts" either. It's not going to sit right and it's just going to look funny. Lastly, unless you're an avid seamstress don't try to make plus-sized skirts into lolita skirts. Trust me -- it never works out well.
Skirts and and dresses should have enough fabric in the skirt portion to be able to fit a petti under it -- and by "fit" I mean the skirt should drape loosely and flow elegantly over the petti -- not look like it's spandex skin tight over your petti. This is probably the number 1 thing that kills most "I thrifted this lolita outfit!" outfits. If the fabric of the skirt is stretch out tight due to the petti coat, or if the skirt's bottom tapers at the end and you end up looking like a hot air balloon then don't even bother with it.
Sun Dresses are not JSKs:
While some sundresses CAN work as jumper skirts, the majority of them either don't have the right shape, don't have enough room for a petti, or simply just look wrong for lolita for one reason on another. If you can find one that works then more power to you, but sundresses are usually just too thin and casual looking for most co-ords. However, they can make really lovely underskirts if they're thin enough and have enough material to them, so if you're a taller person who needs a few extra inches of fabric to make a skirt or dress not look so short keep sun-dresses in mind.
While I haven't had much luck myself finding skirts and dresses via thrift stores I HAVE seen others who have found wonderful pieces via these locals, so I know it's possible. Your best bet would be to search stores that specialize in selling vintage pieces. The shape of many vintage dresses usually have similar shapes as those in lolita, and the styles back in those days were actually meant to be worn with petti coats.
Unless you're an avid seamstress don't buy stuff with plans on altering it.
Just don't do it. Why? Because if you're anything like me it'll sit there forever and ever and never get done, or be altered wrong. Just do yourself a huge favor and save your money for something that works as-is.
Don't ignore materials:
Don't ignore what an item is made of just cause it looks loli-able and is a good price. Bad lace and cheap fabric will always be bad and cheap. Even if an item is 3 bucks -- if the materials used to make it are awful then that's 3 bucks wasted. Also, avoid those 70's secretary blouses. Sometimes I've seen people pull them off but for the most part they're made out of really odd poly-blend fabrics and just look bad.
Don't ignore proper sizing and fit:
Don't try to squeeze yourself into that size S when you're an M simply because the item you found is freaking adorable. On the other hand, don't think that size L is going to look OK on your size S frame. Save money for other things by only buying things that will actually FIT. If you can't fit it, you probably won't wear it. I promise you.
Ok. Now that we have the basics out of the way let me tell you what I personally do when it comes to thrifting and lolita.
-- My Personal Lolita Wardrobe Advice --
Basically, I never (or rarely) buy brand name blouses, cardigans, tights, shoes or purses unless there's just something I really freaking like and know I'll never be able to find (or find something like it.)
- I love the look of chiffon blouses, and thankfully these are actually pretty easy to find via thrift stores. Plus a lot of times they're being worn under jsk's anyway.
- Cardigans are easily available via thrifting, or at stores like Forever 21, Wet-Seal and Charlotte Russe.
- Tights I usually get from ebay. Seriously. Great place for finding tights and purses for super low prices. Just check people's feedback so you don't get ripped off.
- This is going to sound pretentious and snobby, but:
Shop at stores located in higher income areas. You're more likely to find higher quality items and items that have hardly been used at these stores. Granted, this isn't always the case. I've found some pretty awesome stuff at the most ghetto of thrift stores, but for the most part thrift stores in higher income areas seem to be the most reliable when it comes to consistency and quality of goods offered. - Make yourself an inspiration folder filled with images of designs and items you love from your favorite brands and makers. Immerse yourself in them. Ask yourself "What is it about ____ that I like?" Perhaps the reason you like a certain Angelic Pretty purse is because you think the quilting is cute. (Ala the reason why I bought my white purse pictured below) Well, now you know it's not so much the purse itself but the quilting design you're into and you can try to find something similar.
Since skirts and dresses are so hard to find via thrifting and offbrand options I usually end up sticking with brand and taobao for acquiring these items. The skirt portion of your coord is honestly the most important part, and I know if I get items made specifically for lolita there's no chance of the skirt not be correct. I feel like I get the most for my money this way as well.
This is just my practice as far as my lolita wardrobe goes, and I find it works very well for my personal tastes. As you experiment and shop you'll find out what does, and doesn't, work for you. =)
A super cute cut-sew I found also at a local Salvation Amry. I think I paid about 4.00 USD for this.
A photo collage made by a lovely girl in my community showcasing her thrifted finds. I love that long sleeve pink blouse!
Image found via Tumblr depicting a vintage dress. Very cute! And speaking of boots, the girl in the photo is wearing those IW Gretel boots -- just so you can do a comparison with the ones I found.
Hey look, it's me! One of my favorite coords using a thrifted cardigan I found at a place called "Village Discount Outlet" (in Ohio),a vintage gray chiffon blouse (which you can't see in this pic), and boots I got from a local Goodwill and modified with ribbon (They reminded me of the Victorian Maiden ones with the ribbon and the cut out centers). The dress is from Meta, and bows Lief.
-- My Personal Rules on Re-Selling --
-- Examples of GOOD Thrifting Finds --
All of these items I've purchased at thrift stores of some kind. Being the nature of thrift stores your experience will vary based on when you go, and where you go. The key is to look, look, look! This is by no means everything I have -- I'll save that for when I decide to do a full wardrobe post and have better lighting.
-- Some items from my personal collection --
-- Some items from my personal collection --
Light Blue Chiffon blouse found at a local Salvation Army. Paid around 3.00 USD.
A dark bluish-green short sleeved chiffon blouse. Also found via Salvation Army.
A cute purse I found that reminded me of AP's Royal Chocolate series. I love the metal chain strap and tassel. I think this was 5.00 USD.
Military-esc booties. LOVE these. They look very simular to a pair of booties IW makes. Actually, I think I like these more. Also found at Salvation Army and cost 5.00 USD.
A photo collage made by a lovely girl in my community showcasing her thrifted finds. I love that long sleeve pink blouse!
-- Using Thrifted Items in a Coord --
Image found via Tumblr depicting a vintage dress. Very cute! And speaking of boots, the girl in the photo is wearing those IW Gretel boots -- just so you can do a comparison with the ones I found.
Another lovely girl from my community found both these dresses at her local Goodwill for about 5.00 each.
You can check out her deviant art page here.
Sometimes you'll be out shopping and find an item that might be the wrong size, or the wrong color, but is just too amazing to pass up, and then that little devil starts whispering in your ear telling you that "Hey, I can re-sell this!"
It's happened to me. It'll happen to you. However, there is a fine line between making a buck on a found object and cheating people out of money.
When I find items and resell them I try to treat them as if I was a shopping service and someone sent me out to look for something for them. I generally take the following into consideration:
- How much I paid for the item
- What condition the item is in
- How rare or unique is the item
- How much searching would it take to find a similar item in the same style/color/size
Obviously, if I found a pair of Vivienne Westwood shoes for 10 bucks I wouldn't sell them for 15 or 20...cause that would just be stupid. No one in their right mind would sell a pair of VW shoes for that cheap because if they're smart they know how much those shoes are worth. I'm not saying price gouge people and cheat them, but treat it as you were selling comics or antiques.
On the flip side, if I paid 5 bucks for a blouse that wasn't of any particularly popular or famous brand -- it was just a nice blouse, maybe older, maybe newer, regardless -- I wouldn't feel right asking 40 bucks for it simply because I found it and I can charge what I want. As I stated above, it depends on a lot of factors how much I would charge, but generally for a 5 dollar blouse I would sell it for 15 to 20 or so which would include shipping. I figure I get my money back, make a profit that covers my time and effort finding the thing, and a person gets to have something they otherwise wouldn't have been able to find.
I've sold some things for less than 15, but 10 is usually my limit. Why? Well think of it this way:
- Blouse costs 5 bucks
- Shipping is about 2.50 to 5 dollars depending on method of shipment, location and weight.
- If someone buys blouse for 10 (shipping included) and say shipping is 3 dollars that's 7.00 dollars you've made...but the blouse cost 5.00 so really you only made 2.00 -- and considering thrifting is very hit or miss, and some items are pretty much one-shots, well...that's just not fair for the seller.
Like I said, it's a fine line between making a profit and taking advantage. In the end, it's really up to you, and whomever buys your items, how much said items are worth. You're the one who has to live with your decisions in the end. =)
~
That's all I can muster up at this time. I hope this page has given you all some helpful advice and made you realize that all is not lost in the art of mixing frugality with your lolita. It just takes time, patients, and a keen eye.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. madinthehat@gmail.com
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