Gothic Lolita into Bittersweet

If you having Gothic leanings, and your wardrobe favors outfits of black-on-black-on-black, adding some color to your closet might seem a bit intimidating. Buying a colorful dress might not seem worth it if you have nothing to coordinate it with. But nearly all of us feel the urge to stick a toe out of the dark side now and then, so here's a few basic tips for branching out.

I myself have been experimenting with Bittersweet and Retro Lolita recently, to break up the monotonous rut I felt like I was slipping into. My basic everyday outfit is a black JSK with a black cardigan, black tights, and black shoes. Obviously, this gets boring after a while. So, I started looking for brighter things to add to my daily wardrobe. Bittersweet is an obvious choice, as it still has black elements, and doesn't stray too far from my dark comfort zone. I'm also a sucker for bright colors against black. Honestly, I find it easier to coordinate than say, more classic, natural colors.

A lot of people have a bit of a prejudice against some of these combinations, like black and red, because it has the same tendency to be used in lace monsters and gothic misinterpretations of lolita. If you're feeling wary of this, follow the same advice that is given for the infamous black/white color scheme, go for solid pieces instead (ex: A red cardigan with a black JSK rather than a black JSK with red lace on it). Of course, this is a loose guideline and there are lovely examples of it done right, like Moitie's signature blue screenprints on black.

There are two super easy approaches to coordinating a colorful outfit out of your gothy wardrobe. Since black makes such a high contrast, remember to disperse it evenly!

Sticking with on color is simpler so I chose my favorite, purple, to illustrate.

First, you can start with acquiring some colorful accessories and smaller items.

Black things you probably already have:

JSK, skirt or OP

shoes

Color things to acquire:
sweater (or blouse)
headbow
tights

 If you feel like committing to buying a color main piece (skirt, JSK, OP), you don't need to buy all new accessories to go with it. Black elements in a print, or a black colorway of a print, will go very well with black accessories.

Black things you probably already have: 

Cardigan (or blouse)
Tights
Headbow

Color things to acquire:
JSK, skirt, or OP
another matching item- headbow, shoes etc.