Versatility vs Creativity

For November the Bibliotheca bloggers have agreed on a theme of versatility. It’s a word that comes up in our fashion very often – heck, I’ve used it myself plenty enough! Recently though I’ve pondered the idea and concept from a different angle: is versatility more important than creativity? Or are we saying one when we mean the other? It feels like a while since I’ve done a think-as-I-write post on a bigger subject, so as the evenings and nights are getting longer in the Northern Hemisphere, this should be a good time for a longer post to entertain yourself with on a quieter evening.

Photo by Bruno Scramgnon on Pexels.com

Some definitions

As always, we need to start with the most basic step of defining the words.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, versatility is defined as the ability to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities. In that context the focus is on being flexible or capable of performing various tasks or roles. There is no difference in how lolitas apply that word to our fashion, when we talk about clothes (mainly main pieces) as being versatile we still mean that they can be made to look different and be appropriate for a range of circumstances. The context is typically that of the fanciness scale, i.e. casual to OTT, but not exclusively so as being able to style a main piece in ways that suit multiple substyles of lolita is also encompassed within that.

Once we move to creativity, we can see some of the overlap already. The Oxford English Dictionary defines creativity as the use of imagination or original ideas to create something new (irrespective of the type of medium or creative expression). It goes on to say that there is a nuance of thinking outside the box, being innovative, and unique self-expression. All of those are also how we’ve talked about versatility of lolita fashion clothes – which isn’t necessarily wrong, it’s just that versatility is that little bit more specific and creativity is broader than simply wearing one item many different ways.

How do they interact?

We need to recognise that these two concepts go hand in hand rather than work against one another. Whilst it’s not inconceivable for someone to be creative with a main piece that isn’t very versatile, the more versatility a main piece has the more room a person has to be creative with it. In a way, creativity can often be a direct result of versatility – seeing an array of possibilities that a dress has is in itself the inspiration for the lolita to explore these. Versatility is a characteristic of a physical object, while creativity is that of a person. In the context of lolita fashion, it is the dress that is versatile, not its wearer, even though a person can also be versatile – but that then changes nuance to imply that one person is wearing a diverse range of looks/substyles and pulling them off.

Rosier Fleur is no doubt a versatile JSK, but the bottom three coords are a better examples of what it can do with a little bit of creativity applied.

As a lover of all food metaphors, think of these two concepts in relation to onions. It’s a humble vegetable, easy to grow and present in all cuisines worldwide. It is a versatile vegetable because it can be cooked many different ways and will carry pretty much any flavour that you apply to it. But it is human creativity and ingenuity that applies those methods and flavours to it, that explores the other ways that an onion can be prepared and what that can taste like. In that sense, lolita fashion is no different to an onion (and yes, this is Shrek-approved).

Yes, Donkey, versatility is like onions. It has layers.

Which is more important then?

And here is the meat of this post. Have we all been wrong this entire time? Have we been banging on about one thing when the other one is the what matters more? Are we all going to get arrested by the grammar police for using words wrong?

In short, no. Language is a beautiful thing in how words can take on additional connotations within subcultures that do not rid them of their original meaning. This is how lolitas use replica as a derogatory term whereas for other communities it is a complimentary one. Moreover, I personally believe that for an object’s versatility to be utilised we need an element of creativity to unlock its potential. Just because we don’t explicitly talk about that doesn’t mean that it isn’t there at all.

That being said, the language we use is what shapes our understanding of the world and I think we have a lot to gain by reframing how we talk about lolita fashion, specifically in relation to purchasing the clothes. So far the narrative that we have adopted and passed onto others in the form of advice is that buying main pieces that are more versatile is better. They are better value for money as you potentially get more outfits for the same single item’s price tag. It is helping us make smarter purchases by trying to come up with a few theoretical coords before we even commit to purchasing something. This way we are saving ourselves money and storage space long term because we will need fewer pieces if they are all highly versatile. There won’t be an occasion, however casual or OTT, that we couldn’t get dressed for if we shop primarily for versatile pieces.

This is what we sometimes understand as versatility. Each of these JSKs is neutral enough in design to offer plenty of coordinating possibilities, including sharing builder pieces, without being too similar to one another so as to make one's wardrobe boring.

All of the above are still great things to consider and good advice to take on board, especially earlier on in our journey into lolita fashion as we are still learning the ropes. However, valuing versatility so much ignores the nuances of individual circumstances. Does someone committed to and most comfortable wearing gothic lolita need pieces that are versatile enough to work as sweet? Some could, but not all. Does someone intent on wearing lolita only for meetups need each of their main pieces to have the potential for super casual styling appropriate for a grocery shop run? Again, some might like having the option, whilst for others it’ll be entirely pointless.

Not every lolita out there wants to be both. So how much versatility do they really need then?

Needs aside, let’s look at the question from a true creativity-focused angle: is versatility the only way that one can achieve a range of unique looks? Once you phrase it like this, the answer seems like an obvious “of course not”. Just because something is harder to achieve doesn’t make it impossible. In fact, to me it feels more impressive when someone manages to style a main piece that isn’t inherently very versatile in multiple different ways than someone doing so with one that is incredibly versatile. We don’t need lolita fashion to know that a simple black dress will allow you countless looks and styling possibilities. So kudos to those who are taking their wa lolita prints, their orange Halloween-y things, their princessy ruffle cakes, their weird niche collaborations or inspirations, and repeatedly turning those into fabulous outfits.

I've used this photo before, but since this is my most ridiculous piece it bears repeating: creativity is what helped avoid wearing this in the first two ways only since it's by no means an inherently versatile item.

Yet before we all jump ship into advocating for focus on creativity instead of versatility, it bears stating that this is almost like talking about two different difficulty levels. Someone without much experience with fashion or other visual media would find it easier to start with versatile pieces and once they found their feet – move to exploring a more creative approach.

However, there is certainly more room within this conversation that we could dedicate to explicitly discussing the value of creativity. After all, self-expression is one of the major appeals of lolita fashion and its often prohibitive cost is what triggered at least some of the narrative around versatility in the first place. If someone doesn’t want to have some creative fun with discovering the many ways in which their frilly clothes can be worn, then what is it that they actually find appealing about the fashion? I have seen so many lolitas, myself included, talk about being in a creative slump with coordinating as a thing that fills us with sadness because creativity with these clothes is what brings us joy and makes the fashion fun. On a bigger level, both creativity and versatility also lead us to be very environmentally friendly as it keeps clothes with us instead of perpetuating the fast-fashion mentality of wearing once and throwing away.

Final words

None of the above is to say that unless you wear your clothes differently each time, you’re not valid as a lolita. Lolita fashion is first and foremost clothes. Wear them, re-wear them, repeat outfits, do whatever is comfortable for you. However, for those who wish to and enjoy pushing their wardrobe to the limits of its potential, having either a collection of versatile pieces or plenty of creativity will be important. The former will work better if you aren’t yet that confident with styling lolita fashion and wish to avoid wearing the same coord to every meetup, whereas the latter will be more helpful to those who already have both experience in coordinating and a sizable collection. Not exclusively – simply better, a little easier. But for how much lolita fashion stands out from the crowd and how creative it already is, I say that whilst versatility is great, creativity is what leads you down the path of memorable looks that you will look back on with fondness and feel a sense of pride from putting them together. Maybe this spark of a creative thought is precisely the thing to brighten up your gloomy November evening and help you remember why you fell in love with lolita when the world outside might be too cold/wet/windy/dark (or for my Southern Hemisphere readers – too hot/humid/hot and humid) to comfortably wear it.

These are merely my thoughts rattling inside my brain about the subject. Bibliotheca is a collaborative approach to blogging and others will be sharing their own posts on the theme of versatility over the course of this month, so make sure to follow them. Bibliotheca makes that easier to do by compiling those posts into a monthly newsletter, so subscribe to that to make sure you catch it all.