Skills Every Lolita Should Have

Nobody said that being a Lolita will be easy. Just putting on an elaborate coord can get you out of breath! However, it’s not like you can’t ever learn a few tricks and here are the skills that I believe every Lolita should have.

1. Basic sewing

And I mean very basic – if you can sew on a button and do a backstitch, that’s basic enough. Let’s face it, accidents happen, so when that button pops off you want to be able to put it back on yourself. And hopefully you won’t need the backstitch or anything else for more complicated damages. But being able to repair them yourself, especially on items that you won’t want to part with, allows you to keep and take care of them that little bit longer.

2. Washing your items

Whether it’s something to be washed by hand or something really better left to the dry cleaners, just knowing what to do and how to go about it is a massive help. Fortunately, many Lolita items, including brand dresses, can be washed by hand at home (some you may even be able to throw in the washing machine), which will save you loads of money if you know how to do it. There are lists like this one online and tricks you can employ to see if a print would run. I also keep records of washing instructions for all my main pieces and blouses on this handy Android app called Labels – that way I have all the information I need at my fingertips.

3. Budgeting

Budgeting is a lifesaving skill, pretty much regardless of how much disposable income you have. Maybe one month you’ll go that little bit too crazy. Or you’ll find that dream dress that’s super rare and super expensive (Cat’s Tea Party, anyone?). At the end of the day you need to be able to afford your daily necessities first and budgeting will ensure that you can do both those and Lolita, be it shopping sprees or going away for an event.

4. Simple hairstyles

Whilst not quite as necessary as the other ones, I still think it’s good to have a couple of styles you could do with your natural hair to keep in the bank – for bad wig days or those too hot to wear one, for example. It doesn’t have to be extravagant or elaborate! Two well done plaits and suddenly you have a whole bunch of options: wear them as they are, leave overnight for lovely waves, pin up in a crown or loops… Experiment what works on you and with your face, and then rock it when you need it.

5. Packing

Whether you’re going away to Japan and want to take some Lolita with you or just need to fit a lot of stuff in your bag for a meet, if you know how to Tetris the shit out of this situation, you’ll never have to worry. There are some great tips out there on packing Lolita clothes when going away, but even generic tips on efficient and effective packing could help out loads! Just don’t expect them to magically turn your Usakumya backpack into Hermione Granger’s bottomless bag, you have to keep it reasonable.

These are the skills which I frequently rely on to save myself in most Lolita situations. You could definitely keep naming more, but I fear that this would turn the post into a lengthy monster which I’d rather avoid.

What do you think are some of the skills that every Lolita should have? And hopefully this time there will be other bloggers participating, so that we could check what they’ve written:

Vanilla Bear

Rufflecloud

 The Fat Flat Cat

Parasol Obsession