There are several reasons why Lolita fashion pieces last a
long time, the most important of which are quality of materials used and the
good care most Lolitas take of their clothes. It’s natural that when you spend
a lot of money on something, you’re more likely to want it to stay in a good
condition for as long as possible. So it’s interesting when people look at some
of the pieces that have been released the most years ago and see how they have
held up all that time, then compare it to something they’ve only just received
new. Oldschool Lolitas have a real field day with this since their pieces are
often old enough to vote and drink.
To make this easier for myself, I will only look at main
pieces in this week’s prompt – I know that I have smaller pieces like jewellery
or socks that are likely older, but it’s a lot of hassle to figure out their
exact age. Besides, it’s not fair to compare the condition of socks, for
example, which would’ve been worn a lot more than a dress. One day, when
Lolibrary brings back the account and wardrobe features, I might do a follow up
for other kinds of pieces. For now, let’s review the oldest and newest main
pieces from my collection!
Oldest
I tried to establish which one is older, but it was harder
than I thought. In the end I have a tie between Baby’s Sugar Bouquet Shirring Princess JSK and Meta’s Shirring Tiered Ribbon JSK, both of which were released in 2007. I
purchased both from Wunderwelt and they were marked as condition C and B
respectively – but Shirring Princess arrived
BNWT (with the tiniest stain) and the Meta one was in a very good condition, I
couldn’t find the faults that Wunderwelt did. They were both worn three times
by me and they still look exactly the same as when I received them (minus the
stain on Shirring Princess).
These dresses are very reminiscent of the time they were
released. Now we would class both of them as Oldschool Lolita and although one
features a custom all-over print, they both rely on structural details rather
than prints to make them attractive. The Meta JSK features an absolutely vast
tiered skirt – it is literally impossible to max out – the nice kind of raschel
lace, fully-functioning buttons and a few ribbons to tie at the front for extra
tightness and extra cuteness. On the other hand, Shirring Princess is simple at the front, with a bustle back, two
sets of straps (think and halterneck) and two bows, of which only one is detachable.
In all honesty, there are no negative words that I could say
about these dresses. Not only are they comfortable and flattering, but for 11
year old pieces they look as if they were new. It’s obvious that previous
owners took good care of them, but I also feel that a lot of this is down to
good quality materials and construction. The cotton is sturdy and withstands
general wear really well, as well as is easy to keep clean. It would take some
brutally severe beating to do any irreparable damage to them. As they are, they’re
strong and will stay in the fabulous condition they’re in now for at least a
few more years to come.
Newest
Identifying the newest one was a much easier task, since I
remember when I bought things. And the ‘youngest’ piece in my collection is Miss
Tea's Delicate Life from a Chinese brand called King Eleven. It was released in
the latter half of 2017 or rather – that’s when it went on preorder. I didn’t
receive mine until January 2018, but that’s due to the slow shipping option I
picked.
I feel a little uneasy about comparing pieces from two well
established Japanese brands with a relatively new brand (King Eleven has had a
shop on Taobao for 8 years). And it’s not even to do with the fact that one’s
Japanese and one’s Chinese. It’s more to do with the age, so still related to
the review. My oldest pieces are both from 2007, when cotton was still the most
commonly used fabric, but the King Eleven dress is from 2017 and now thinner polyester
fabrics are the most commonly used. Even the nicest polyester or poly-blend is
still not as good a quality or as durable as cotton, at least in my opinion,
since it’s more prone to snagging, less breathable and generally more delicate.
I may be wrong here, but that’s certainly the case of most chiffon pieces.
This one is somewhere in between, it’s a slightly thicker
fabric, although still isn’t particularly breathable. However, the cut of this
one is a lot more flattering on my figure and looks great even with low poof.
The print is adorable and really crisp, no blurred lines or mistakes as far as
I could tell. On the other hand, as is common with prints, all of the detail is
in the print and there are next to no structural details, no ruffles, no
pintucks, no fancy lace. I think this is something more typical of Chinese
brands, or at least of this one, as Japanese brands will include pretty detail
in border print designs too, which elevate the overall piece to something truly
stunning (and I guess is another reason why I feel like comparing the Japanese
pieces with this one from a Chinese brand isn’t an equal comparison).
Unlike my two oldest pieces, this is a lot less timeless.
This style of prints will eventually become telling of the era in which it was
created. And while we do broadly classify the first two dresses as Oldschool
now, it’s extremely hard to accurately pinpoint the exact year of release
without looking those details up – whereas as something that sticks out more,
prints are a little easier to remember release years give or take one. So as
much as I like the King Eleven JSK now, I think that in five years’ time it
will feel dated and more like fast fashion item, whereas Shirring Princess, even as an Oldschool piece, will still feel
classy and timeless. I hope this wasn’t too convoluted a way of explaining
things.
Overall, the dress is well made and the print is really
pretty, although in terms of quality and detail it doesn’t feel as nice as my
oldest dresses, primarily because of the brand that produced it and all the
focus being on the print. Had I been comparing oldest and newest pieces from a
Japanese brand, I feel like the differences would’ve been slightly subtler,
which could make for a more interesting read. Better still, it’d be amazing to
compare oldest and newest piece I own from the same brand and see how that
brand evolved and changed over the years. But that’s something for another day
(if it ever comes to be).
Have you ever compared your oldest and newest pieces based
on their actual age? How old is the oldest piece you own? Any baby Lolitas who
are into Oldschool and possess dresses older than them out there? That would be
fun!
Don’t forget to check out the reviews from other bloggers
too!
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