2016 Lolita goals

I guess it's the same thing as New Year resolutions - except that resolutions are never kept, whereas goals are supposed to be achievable. This is a copy of the list of goals I posted as a comment on EGL, but for the purposes of the blog and for myself I decided to make these into SMART targets. What are those, you ask? SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused and time-bound, and it's a strategy meant to force people (usually school students or office staff) to create goals that are easier to achieve and more manageable. For ease of writing this post, the "heading" of the goal will be what I posted on EGL, and then I'll elaborate on the SMART part underneath.

2016 Lolita SMART Goals

1. Wear Lolita more, as often as possible. 
Of course, I will wear it for every meetup and burlesque shows, as I've done so far. Given that I only wore Lolita maybe 4 times in 2015, this should be made easier simply by ensuring that I attend the meetups and burlesque (both of which are at least once a month). However, I also feel that it'd be good to wear it sometimes just around the house, especially on days when I feel I could do with lifting my mood.

2. Be more active in the local community. 
I only joined online and never actually made it to a meet (I was going to, but it got cancelled last minute). However, just from the vibe on Facebook I know that I want to be attending and that I want to be more active. I'd like to attend as many meetups as I can, as well as try to organise at least one (I already have a shadow of an idea). I stay fairly active on the Facebook group, so keep that one up. And, if I'll be able to, I'd like to attend at least one bigger event, either in the UK or somewhere in Europe where I can get to (in that case "local" would just mean anything that isn't in North America or East Asia).

3. Always have enough money on my account to be able to instantly buy one of the dresses on my wishlist. 
I reckon I should always have at least £300 in my bank account at hand, for the cases where I'd spot one of the other dream dresses, i.e.: Mary Magdalene's Paulina JSK, Innocent World's Revival Teddybear JSK, AP's Sugar Dream Dome collar JSK or AatP's Sheherazade. That sum may need adjusting, as those dresses could be expensive, but £300 should cover most of it, and the rest I'll hopefully be able to pay for one way or another.

4. Pay more attention to seasons when coordinating Lolita (I have way too much summer stuff for someone who lives in damp and windy Yorkshire). 
This not only means learning how to coordinate things for all kinds of weather, especially colder (I'm already working on layering), but also obtaining pieces for different seasons and weather. More cardigans and boleros may be necessary, but some Lolita boots for wetter days or a lighter jacket/coat for the neither-warm-nor-cold spring and autumn seasons. Which actually links in with the next one...

5. Build a more versatile Lolidrobe with more builder pieces (blouses, outerwear, accessories etc.) and create as many looks with the dresses I currently own as possible. 
I'm quite happy with the dresses that I have already, but I'd like to get more wear out of them, and so more builder pieces may be needed. I already mentioned outerwear and shoes, but I think I should prioritise blouses, OTKs and possibly bags. Fortunately, I should be able to achieve this with offbrand pieces, so no need to shell out, however, as always, I will keep an eye on used clothing sites and on Taobao. I will dedicate some part of my monthly income to building that Lolidrobe, but will also periodically review what I can create with the things I already own (once a month, once every two months at most).

6. Get boyfriend into Ouji-kei? ^^""" 
This isn't a goal as such - I guess if anything, it's a challenge. I think my boyfriend would really suit an Ouji style, but more importantly, I think he'd enjoy it. And he's skinny enough that he shouldn't have sizing issues. I reckon it'll be easier if I start with the vests and coats, possibly shirts, which he could wear when he's going to burlesque shows with me. We'd have to see how things would go with trousers (that may be best saved for a trip to Japan, where he could actually try a pair on and see how, and if, it fits), but by the end of the year I'd like him to have at least tried that style on. Maybe I could hunt down a good used piece and buy it for him as a present for something?