Bobbin and Lace and Tatting

would it look wierd if i combined the gothiscand sweet lolita styles together?

i have this really cute black gothic lolita looking dress and black lace arm warmers, but i wanted to dress as a sweet lolita not a gothic lolita (for an anime convention im going to).. wold it look wierd if i blended the two styles? like having colorful hair and makeup and jewelry and having my clothes be all black?

Blending sweet and gothic lolita has been done before. Many brands such as Angelic Pretty, which is known for their recently over-the-top sweet styles, have used sweet themed prints and placed them on a black colorway on their dresses and skirts.

I would, however, advise that you avoid wearing black lace arm warmers. Lolitas are sicklers for quality as the fashion is generally made of high quality (because it’s meant to be worn pretty often rather than just during special occasions). Most lace gloves and lace arm warmers are generally made of low quality and tend to look out of place in an elegant style like lolita; the idea is to look put together and to look like a wealthy young lady of the 1880s, not a rich girl of the 1980s

I’m starting to get some bad vibes about your black gothic lolita looking dress; maybe I’m not the one to say or judge as you did not provide photos, but if your dress does not follow certain aspects such as….

- made of cotton
- bodice sits at waist line (at bellybutton or if you have a more defined waist, it would be the smallest part of your torso)
- hem length is just around the knees
- the skirt of the dress is full enough to fit a petticoat underneath to make a cupcake or bellshaped silhouette
- neckline is modest (doesn’t show cleavage – sometimes the cleavage part can’t be helped on Western body types, but modesty is still a must)
- if there is lace, it is soft, not itchy

then it’s not really a lolita friendly dress; it may be cute, but doesn’t fit the basics of the fashion. I know that lolita fashion can be expensive, but there are many places to buy less on a budget. Here’s a source that can help you look for coordination and hair inspirations, as well as where to buy and what to look for when completing an outfit:

http://hellolace.net/

and for more inspirations, I suggest visiting daily lolita

http://community.livejournal.com/daily_lolita

EDIT: one more thing…as a congoer, I think that you ought to be aware of the price mark ups at vendors. Especially at bigger cons, there are usually booths authentic lolita items that are brand new with tags, but sometimes it’ll be much cheaper to buy it second hand through places like yahoo japan auctions and the egl_comm_sales. And do remember that list of requirements I’ve mentioned above if there’s a seller that you’re unsure if they’re selling lolita or not (it happens a lot). Keep a look out for lolita communities planning on attending meet ups during the con because some lolitas do plan on swapping/selling their own lolita clothing and you’ll be surprised at the wondeful deals you could get (my friend and I went to anime central last May, and she had gotten a $100 value dress for $36). Here’s a list of Area Specific communities

http://community.livejournal.com/egl/14627565.html

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