Adding Colour to Your Lolita Wardrobe

Whilst plenty of people start in lolita with an attitude that can only be described as “meh, it’ll be fine in the end”, equally many, especially recently, do actually research and read all the advice. This includes people starting off with a limited colour palette and expanding gradually, as is the sensible thing to do. However, once your wardrobe reaches 2-3 colours (with or without your base neutral), adding more can start feeling overwhelming. As someone who went from sticking to only three to expanding into anything I fancy, these are some of my tips on how to make that transition.

 

Go for different shades

When making the first tentative steps into expanding your wardrobe’s colour palette, one of the easiest ways is to do so by shades and tones. Adding navy to an all-sax wardrobe isn’t as intimidating because those are two shades of the same colour, so the naturally complement each other. They also look good paired together, when balanced right, making it easier to coordinate things right away.

 

Pairing this dress with light blue was quite the breakthrough moment for me. Shades of the same colour are guaranteed to work with one another.

 
Another way you could do that is by adding new colours within the same tone group. In other words, adding a new pastel colour to a wardrobe that’s all pastels requires less of a stretch. Not only will you have at least something complimenting the new colour already, but chances are that the colour you’re adding is already featured somewhere else on another piece that you own. This again results in making life and coordinating easier for you by not forcing you to immediately purchase a whole load of new items to support the colour you’ve added.

 

You know me, I will grab every opportunity to pair reds with blues. And as long as they are the same tone, they work well (although undertones also matter, sticking with the same ones helps).

Stick with neutrals

Having said this, there is also nothing wrong with sticking to your substyle’s base neutrals (generally: black for gothic, white for sweet, and ivory for classic). They are called base for a reason, which is that they will support and work well with any colour you may wish to add to your wardrobe. Not every person and not every substyle are meant for wild colour experimentation either, for example oldschool usually sticks to those neutrals.

 

Green isn't the most common colour in lolita, so using a neutral like white helps to wear the dress out. Thanks to different cuts and patterns of the white supporting pieces these coords are still distinct from each other.

Moreover, a limited colour palette doesn’t have to mean limited coord options. As you could see for example in my last 1 Dress 4 Looks post, having pieces with different cuts/trims/patterns is as good for creating variety in coords as colours. Particularly when the new colour addition is a JSK, having blouses with different necklines and sleeve shapes will make as much of a difference as blouses in different colours would. Don’t take the more difficult route if you don’t have to and/or are not comfortable with it yet.

Create a builder piece set

I’ve talked about builder piece sets on this blog waaay back and while now I would improve some of these coordinates, the principle still stands. Having a set consisting of a blouse (or cardigan/bolero), some legwear and a hair accessory - and shoes if you have the means to store them - is a quick and versatile way of incorporating new colours into your wardrobe. It can also be a very budget-friendly way as these additions can be sourced inexpensively, depending on your size and style needs. A beret and solid tights are easy to find and don’t cost a fortune, whereas a blouse, even if you require a custom-made one, would work out as a worthy investment when you translate it to price-per-wear.

Whilst the shoes and hair pieces are different between these three coords, even excluding those the cardigan and socks base combo makes an impact with different main pieces. And the head pieces and shoes could've stayed the same, they'd work with each coord equally well.

At the beginning of my serious lolita journey I had a spreadsheet (of course) listing every main piece I owned and every colour I could think of to coordinate it with. This allowed me to see the most common complimentary colours I could use for my dresses and track whether I owned a blouse/socks/headpiece/shoes in that colour or if I still needed to buy one. That’s how in the early lolidrobe reassessment posts I was able to keep tabs on what bits I still had to get.

Opting for adding colour through a builder piece set like this, depending on the colour you’re aiming to add, will be faster and cheaper, as well as potentially more versatile. After all, you can mix and match blouses, headpieces and socks between different coordinates, which you can’t do with dresses.

Be conscious of versatility

The fact is that not every lolita out there is as obsessed with versatility as I may be. And that is ok. If you fall into this category, you are no less valid and no less of a lolita for not wanting for everything to work together. However, if that is you, you must recognise that your outliers will require their own sets of builder pieces if you are to wear the dresses - and that you will have to buy them if you want to wear the dresses. Only collectors would be satisfied with simply owning a piece and most lolitas will agree that the joy of this fashion comes from wearing it. 

 

Diner Doll is one of my wardrobe's outliers. Whilst since this collage I've worn it a couple of more times in distinctly different ways, I realise that I could do with a few more pieces to work with it, so I keep that in mind when browsing. Notice how many builder pieces and themes are repeating between these outfits.

On the other hand, those who know that versatility is important to them, will have to come to terms that they won’t end up owning everything that they like. At least not immediately. This approach demands a lot of strong will and patience, but pays dividends in the long-term. I’m a fan of the three coords rule before purchasing anything and it has helped me stay on track during my early days. Once you build a large enough collection to support more colours, you won’t have to consider each decision so hard. If you also expand your wardrobe through the builder piece sets, once you have enough of them, you may find yourself not needing to add that many extra pieces to support the new colour thanks to all the time you spent collecting and carefully curating your wardrobe.

There was a lot of toing and froing (as well as a few years) before I finally decided to get this dress. And even though I knew that I could make at least three coords with it when I bought it, I am still adding bits just for it to my wardrobe.

Final words

I think what scares most people away from expanding their wardrobes with more colours is the fear of getting it wrong. Truth is, you probably will get some things wrong. That’s how learning new stuff works. But this is fashion, not open heart surgery, so your mistakes are either reversible or fixable. Embrace trying out a new colour and then selling the piece on if it turns out to not work for you. There is no shame in doing so and trust me, every lolita has had an experience like it at least once (usually more than once).

The good thing about the tips above is that while they work great together and complement each other, you can pick and choose the ones that suit you best. Everyone’s wardrobes and styles are different, so grow yours in a way that suits you.

This post is also available as a video, which you can watch here:

Are you the type to stick to a limited colour palette? If so, is that across multiple substyles or do you also stick to only one substyle too? Or are you embracing the rainbow and unafraid to add more colours to what you already have? I’d love to hear your thoughts, as well as any other advice you may have on this topic.