Buttcape x My Lolita Style

Somehow, I managed to delete all of the comments that have been posted, sorry! I'm still getting used to this blogging thing, but I am proud to announce a collaboration with

My Lolita Style is a lolita community and forum based in Mexico. They contacted me saying they would like to translate this blog in Spanish! I think that's pretty exciting. I did take 3 years of Spanish class, but my Spanish skills are still rather limited. You are welcome to comment in Spanish though!

Me tomó 3 años de clase españoles, pero las habilidades españolas son todavía limitados. ¡Le invitamos a comentar en español aunque!

  
Also, I made a button. It makes me remember why I quit graphic design. To end this post, here's a coordinate from a few days ago. I was thinking about how sometimes I miss old school lolita, so I decided to wear old school ouji. 

hat: BLACK PEACE NOW
blouse: Dear Celine
vest: offbrand
jabot, pants: Innocent World
socks: Angelic Pretty
boots: bodyline
purse: Midolfi

An Ouji Overview: Part 2 Basic Anatomy

Ouji comes in all shapes and sizes. Unlike lolita, it does not have to meet a specific silhouette. Think of a coordinate as 4 main parts: head, torso, bottoms, and feet. The head consists of your face, hair, hats, or other hair accessories. Torso includes blouses, jackets, vests, capes, and other outerwear. Bottoms are pants and belts. Feet are socks and shoes. There needs to be something in each part, so the most basic outfit consists of the head, blouse, pants, and shoes. For more elaborate outfits, add layers and accessories. In parts 4 to 9, I will go in depth with each section.

Attention to details can make or break the coordinate. If it's too simple, it might end up looking sloppy or too much like regular men's formal wear. Ouji 101's What to Avoid section has a great example of something that's too casual. Some details to pay attention to are unique cuts, patterns, colors, and layers. Remember, balance is the key to a great coordinate!

Both of these outfits from Deorart are acceptable. The outfit on the left is more casual and looks less formal because of an untucked shirt and the horizontal split of white and black. The addition of the vest on the right makes the coordinate a bit more elegant. 

There are no rules for boystyle, but there are some general guidelines. If you're already familiar with lolita, then these will look very familiar.

• Clothing should be good quality. 
• It doesn't have to made of the finest silk in the world, but you shouldn't be wearing an entire outfit made of burlap. Common fabrics are cotton, cotton blends, polyester, chiffon, and velvet.
• Garments should be properly finished: all edges should be hemmed, no stray threads, not being held by hot glue and safety pins, etc. 
• If you want to wear lace, it should be good quality. There is such a thing as too much lace.
• Avoid cheap fabrics. Generally, overly shiney and wrinkly fabrics will look bad. Costume satin and crushed velvet are two materials that should not be worn. 
• Overall appearance should be well-groomed. 
• Your body should be modestly covered. No midriff, cleavage, or other private parts visible.
• Ouji is not a costume. This includes cosplay. Of course, there's nothing wrong with costuming, but you are not playing the role of a character. For example, there can be pirate-inspired elements in this style, but you are not trying to be a full blown pirate. You are not dressing up as a fictional character. 
• Don't be upset if someone mistakes you for a character. It happens all the time (especially at anime conventions), and you can politely correct them. The top characters to been mistaken for are Ciel Phantomhive, Alois Trancy, or any other male character from Kuroshitsuji, and Vocaloids Kaito and Len Kagamine. 

 ← Part 1  |  Table of Contents  |  Part 3 →

An Ouji Overview: Part 1 Terminology

What is ouji?
Ouji/ouji-sama (王子), literally "prince," is the style that is often associated with lolita fashion. Even if the style is more masculine, it can be worn by both males and females. It has a variety of looks often combining pirate, punk, cute, or gothic elements. Other an also be used to describe this style, but they are not used as often as ouji.

What not to call it
 Often it can be mistaken for Gothic aristocrat. F Yeah Lolita and Rosa Nitada both have excellent overviews to aristocrat. While ouji and dandy share eras of influence, the former adds fantasy and child-like fun to a vest and knickerbockers, while the latter aims to be more historically accurate with a full suit and top hat. Sometimes ouji outfits are used in visual kei, and visual kei elements can be used in ouji. Despite being very similar to each other, ouji is not considered lolita. It is incorrect to call it "ouji lolita" or "kodona lolita" because lolita requires a specific silhouette made by wearing a petticoat. "Boy lolita" or "brolita" are not correct either because they refer to a male wearing lolita.


Why not kodona?
Although the term is widely used, "kodona" is not the proper term for the style. The term kodona came from an interview with Plastic Tree's vocalist Ryutaro. The term was used to describe his personal style. A direct translation:

kodona = kodomo + otona → childult = child + adult

As you can see, childult isn't the best term to describe the style and it would be odd to go around saying "I'm wearing childult fashion." The international lolita community somehow adopted the term kodona and it just stuck. If you were to go to Japan and ask about kodona fashion, most likely they would have no idea what you are talking about.

Ryutaro's interview from Gothic & Lolita Bible Vol. 1

Stay tuned for part 2 Basic Anatomy of an outfit!

← Table of Contents  |   Part 2 →

An Ouji Overview: Introduction

Greetings! Over the past few months, I've seen more people becoming interested in wearing ouji style, but there are very few in-depth guides. I received a few requests to write about the fashion, but I don't consider myself an expert. I simply enjoy wearing the style and would love to see more people wearing it!

Table of Contents

 

Part 1 Terminology

Part 2 Basic Anatomy

Part 3 Where to Buy

Part 4 Headwear

Part 5 Blouses & Outerwear

Part 6 Pants

Part 7 Legwear & Shoes

Part 8 Accessories

Part 9 Hair & Makeup

Part 10 Other Tips

Still want to know more? Here is some further reading. Do note that information you read here may conflict with those below.

Ouji 101 by Neogrotesk (personal favorite)
Ouji on hellolace.net
Boystyle: Wearing the Pants in Lolita Fashion by F Yeah Lolita
The Kodona Code by Oh Velveteena
Kodona on lolitafashion.org
teddyboys a livejournal community
Boystyle Handbook 

For the latest information, you can also pick up copies of Gothic & Lolita Bible and KERA magazines. They are written in Japanese, but even if you can't read it, it's still fun just looking at the pictures.

Credits

Part 1 →