Pretty and cute. Those are the words that I want to express through my wardrobe. As of right now, that isn't happening. I have to wear a uniform to work, so I don't tend to dress in 'normal' clothes often. On my days off, if I do actually get dress (I tend to just lounge in a robe or pajamas), I wear jeans and a t-shirt.
I do love to dress up. If I could, I would wear dresses all the time, whether casual or dressy. I also tend to wear slacks and a nice top if I want a more put together look, but isn't too formal. Going out with friends or going to an event are my usual reasons for dressing up; I tend to not bother otherwise. And lately, I've been thinking why not? Do I really need a reason or an excuse to look nicer, more put together? No, I don't.
I never really paid much attention to how I looked when I was going to junior high and high school. In fact, my one friend wanted to drag me out to get jeans because I would religiously wear this one pair of sweat pants (the most comfortable pants in the world). Not that I looked like a slob, and I would dress nicer on some days, but comfort was what I wanted. I didn't (and still don't) buy the fashion magazines at the bookstores or the checkout lines. I always loved the the fashion of the 40s and 50s, but for some reason never tried to emulate it.
However, I did discover a fashion that I truly adore - Lolita, the street fashion from Japan. I first discovered it when I came across a Gothic Lolita Bible in the dealer's hall at my first convention. I instantly fell in love - the clothing was just so pretty and there were various styles of Lolita, all of which I liked (some more than others). I've had a subscription for GLB for a few years now, always keeping an eye out on the new collections, falling in and out of love with different brands, looking at photos that people posted up in the EGL livejournal community. But I've never actually been able to wear lolita all that much or own any pieces (neither did I attempt to make anything, even though I know how to sew). Last year, I was very lucky to actually wear my first brand dress (Angelic Pretty) as a friend of mine is very into the fasshion as well and had brought some of her dresses to a con. She let me try on a dress and wear it all day. At the time, I had stopped being rather obsessive about the fashion, but putting on the dress rekindled my love for it, and my determination to 'become' a lolita.
But a true desire to work on my wardrobe was sparked by last year's trip to Hawaii. I wanted to wear dresses for most of the trip as I thought that would be the most comfortable thing to wear, but by the time I got around to actually shopping, it was really difficult finding what I wanted. But I still got to wear dresses for most of the trip and was extremely happy about that. After coming home, I would be browsing online or shopping around, and I would find things that would be great to take to Hawaii. We're going back to Maui this year in September and I've already started buying stuff to wear on the trip. But, always being on the look out for clothes that would be good to wear in Hawaii got me started to think about my wardrobe in general and how I really wanted to actually start dressing in the way that I wanted to.
I've finally gotten to a point in which I'm actually interested in putting effort in my (non-existent) style. I've been on the look out for fashion blogs that actually grab my interest, and in doing so has lead me to be really inspired by gal/gyaru fashion. While I don't think I'll be able to a full on lolita wardrobe, I plan on taking a lot of inspiration from it as well as some other styles. When I think about doing a complete make over, it almost seems rather daunting as it's not just about clothes, but hair and make up (components that seem easier to work on). Working on my style will definitely be a challenge but one that I'm very excited about. It's a challenge partly because I am not of fan of clothes shopping - going anywhere to buy clothes is an exhausting task (shoe shopping is even worse sometimes even though I love buying high heels). As I've got more of a figure (though I do love my curves) it can be frustrating to find clothes that fit perfectly, though I'm going to try to keep in mind that I can sew and I can learn how to adjust clothes that I find but don't fit quite right. This change probably should have happened a long time ago, but I feel now is the time that not only do I want it but definitely think I need it.
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