+

[divine_fanaticy]

Personally, I think that dress would be fine in terms of where the yoke falls (it would be a little bit higher), but I would advise busty ladies to avoid empire waist dresses. Usually that waistline will hit a little too high, resulting in the "breasts are being cut in half" look.

[Emiko87]

Okay, I'll be honest here and admit that I've never worn lolita and don't know all that much about the different styles, but I like the look and would like to try incorporating elements of it into my dress. The thing is that I most definitely can't afford to buy "real" lolita because I have almost no money right now, so what I'm looking for is examples of lolita-style clothing that I might be able to find similar pieces to for cheaper. I'm not a frilly type, I'd be looking more for the more tailored, boyish or classic looking things with maybe a little lace or something on some of them. I don't really know where to look for fashion inspiration, because most of what I tend to see on the websites I've been to is the more girly Alice in Wonderland look, which I don't think would really suit me very much. As regards body type, I'm 36-28-38 with a full but not too large bust. Feel free to ignore this or redirect me if this isn't the right place to be posting this or if I've missed the point *knows very little about this stuff*

[Nodaclu]

Most American retail stores don't sell genuine Lolita/Asian fashions (when they do, they tend to look wonky and fake)

your best bet is to buy on the internet. Especially with Lolita clothes, a lot are custom-made.
Lolita sellers include:
Anna House (Chinese online store, cheaper)
Metamorphosis Temps de File (sweet Lolita)
Baby the Stars Shine Bright (sweet)
Angelic Pretty (sweet)

[divine_fanaticy]

If you want something mainstream (easy to find and totally acceptable to the common civilian) but lolita-esque, a couple favorite shops are Forever 21 and H&M. Occasionally these stores have things that work for lolita too. For the most part, they have a decent variety of tailored and ruffly things, in my experience. If you can fit into junior's sizes, most department store junior's departments will have some "girly" items, particularly among the dressier clothes. Floral prints and accents like ruffles and bows are big right now.

[violetxhill]

You should all know this; but empire waists on apple shapes will look not so great. Empire waists are waists that form RIGHT UNDER your bust. They usually come with sweet lolita.

If you find a dress you really like but the bust is too big, find something to kinda tie them down! Obviously you don't need a compression shirt, but maybe a shorts bra or something?

I'm kinda jealous of some of you, my problem is my waist, I gain SO MUCH in my waist. ;__;

[wrestlefan2]

Looking for a lolita outfit for my wife. This will be her first outfit so bear with me as I may need loads of help.

Wife's Pics to help with Lolita Buying

Here are her current measurements (depending on brand she's in 18W-22W women's clothing is want it near form fitting and 20W-24W if wanted a little loose):

Height: 5'2 7/8" (let's just say 5'3")
Weight: 242lbs
BP (Bust Point) Bust 49"
Waist Circumference: 45"
Bust Height: 11 1/2"
Neck Circumference: 15"
Shoulder Width: 21"
Arm Length: 20 1/2"
Hip Circumference: 57 1/2"
Shoulder to Knee: 36"
Shoulder to Waist: 17"
Biceps Circumference: 16 1/2"
Thigh Circumference: 23"

Here are some current outfits she is looking at getting if the waist/style will work with her body type:

1st Favorite (in the black and white version) (there is a review of this outfit's quality on livejournal at: Outfit Review)

2nd Favorite (int the red and black version)
3rd Favorite (in mint version)
4th Favorite

Please let us know what you think as any help is greatly appreciated so I can at least get this ordered by Christmas and hopefully have it arrive by end of January.

Also if you can think of a better site that would fit the style of my wife's body and make it so the outfit does not look cheap, let me know. BTW, my budget is $200 (I know not much, but it's a start for an outfit that hopefully comes with a few accessories). She will be buying the shoes and bag/purse to go with it.

[ThakYuki]

Originally Posted by violetxhill

You should all know this; but empire waists on apple shapes will look not so great. Empire waists are waists that form RIGHT UNDER your bust. They usually come with sweet lolita.

If you find a dress you really like but the bust is too big, find something to kinda tie them down! Obviously you don't need a compression shirt, but maybe a shorts bra or something?

I'm kinda jealous of some of you, my problem is my waist, I gain SO MUCH in my waist. ;__;

Empire waists are also not very flattering on hourglass shapes. Since my waist is smallest, the empire waist makes me look about 10-20lbs heavier, as you can't see my tiny waist. *speaks from experience in shopping*

[SallyValentine]

So, reading through this thread, I noticed some mention of tips for tall lolitas... I'm 5'9", myself, but relatively slender, not super-skinny, though. I was wondering if there are any brands or off-brand shops that sell things that would suit us tall lolis, without having to get everything custom-made? I have a small-ish waist, I think, so high-waisted dresses don't really suit me.

[Meiki]

Innocent World makes a lot of things in longer styles on plenty of their stuff, and a lot of other brands make them on an item-by-item basis. Fan Plus Friend pretty commonly makes things longer, and they also do custom sizing for really cheap.

[Sajtina]

Hello,
Newbie barging in!

I see everyone here interested about wearing lolita got a decent figure. How about my case? I got a weird body figure for a 19-year-old girl. I am somewhat "underdeveloped", skinny with a washboard figure, childlike facial feature, and with only a height of 5'0. So, yeah, I actually look like an 11 or 12 year-old girl that people have sometimes mistaken me to be one.
I never actually buy one. I can have it sewed by my mother. So I can have anyway I want it. Any suggestion for me?

[Meiki]

Originally Posted by Sajtina

Hello,
Newbie barging in!

I see everyone here interested about wearing lolita got a decent figure. How about my case? I got a weird body figure for a 19-year-old girl. I am somewhat "underdeveloped", skinny with a washboard figure, childlike facial feature, and with only a height of 5'0. So, yeah, I actually look like an 11 or 12 year-old girl that people have sometimes mistaken me to be one.
I never actually buy one. I can have it sewed by my mother. So I can have anyway I want it. Any suggestion for me?

Your body type is pretty much ideal for wearing lolita, brand-wise. Most brands cater to short girls with slim figures because that's pretty typical in Japan, so you're right in that range! It's awesome that your mom's making you something : D

Bust details would be nice on you like bows or corset lacing. I'd be careful about the length of skirts and dresses. You might want to have it hit juuust above the knee (like an inch or so) because when you're small skirts below the knee can make your legs look short. Having it hit right at the knee or just above is going to make them look longer.

[Kawaiichibiz]

I've been trying to get into lolita fashion, but one thing bothers me about how the skirts actually look on me. I guess I could be considered petite, (I'm 5'2" but not super skinny, just average) and whenever I wear lolita skirts I look super short. I have even tried wearing them an inch or two above my knees, but they still manage to make me look short....well shorter than I already I am. Are there certain types of lolita outfits that don't require me to wear skirts like that? And when I say skirts like that, I mean poofier skirts that lay around the knees. I already know of certain military lolita type outfits that are fine, but what about gothic, or sweet lolita? I find things like shorter dresses, and pants actually look better on me. ^-^ Thanks for any help!

[Meiki]

Originally Posted by Kawaiichibiz

I've been trying to get into lolita fashion, but one thing bothers me about how the skirts actually look on me. I guess I could be considered petite, (I'm 5'2" but not super skinny, just average) and whenever I wear lolita skirts I look super short. I have even tried wearing them an inch or two above my knees, but they still manage to make me look short....well shorter than I already I am. Are there certain types of lolita outfits that don't require me to wear skirts like that? And when I say skirts like that, I mean poofier skirts that lay around the knees. I already know of certain military lolita type outfits that are fine, but what about gothic, or sweet lolita? I find things like shorter dresses, and pants actually look better on me. ^-^ Thanks for any help!

Well poofy and knee-length is pretty much the standard. You could try something classic, which tends to run a bit more a-line like this: http://www.marymagdalene.jp/contents/skirt/231/0301/ which might help. If you're more comfortable in pants you could try looking to boystyle, which is kind of a companion style to lolita: http://dandy-handbook.livejournal.com/

[LostLittleWitch]

I thought I'd drop in with a question too. I've been admiring Atelier Pierrot and Antique Beast for quite some time. I know Gothic brands tend to lean towards smaller sizes, but exactly how small do they get? I'm kind of in the same boat as Sajtina, as I'm about 5 "2, and I'm very thin (I think my waist is about 28 inches).

[Meiki]

Originally Posted by LostLittleWitch

I thought I'd drop in with a question too. I've been admiring Atelier Pierrot and Antique Beast for quite some time. I know Gothic brands tend to lean towards smaller sizes, but exactly how small do they get? I'm kind of in the same boat as Sajtina, as I'm about 5 "2, and I'm very thin (I think my waist is about 28 inches).

Exact measurements vary a lot from dress to dress and depend quite heavily on whether or not the dress has shirring and how much. Your best bet is to take your measurements carefully and check the measurements on whatever individual piece you're looking at.