Bitter vs Sweet

I was going to make this post a few weeks ago, but ended up pushing it off. Then last night an outfit of mine was posted online leading to much debate as to what exactly is bittersweet?

Bittersweet lolita is a relatively new sub-style. Some people claim it is not a style at all and should simply be labeled under sweet, others feel it's different enough to deserve a name of it's own. But honestly, most sub-styles have fairly blurry lines. Is Country or Hime all that different from plain ol' Sweet lolita?
The biggest gripe I've heard is "It's just a black colorway of a sweet print". I can understand this sentiment. To me, in order for an outfit to be bittersweet, there's got to be a little more "bitter" to it than just a black colorway. I would define Bittersweet as having strong contrasts of pastels and black, in relatively equal proportion, occasionally intermixed with gothic themes such as skulls, bats, eyeballs, etc.

To illustrate, here I have two sets I made on Polyvore, involving the same AP print Toy Parade in a black colorway, as well as some example co-ords I've found.

Bittersweet

This is what I consider Bittersweet. It's coordinated primarily with black accessories, and there's an extra "punky" touch with some cute Doc Martens. The other two examples also have a darker edge to them than most Sweet lolita- heavier make-up, funky hair, big boots, etc. You can also use a non-black colorway if there's elements in it that let you coordinate it with black (one the reasons I love Fantastic Dolly so much).

Sweet

The second set is straight-up Sweet lolita. Simply a black colorway with traditionally sweet accessories. The overall feel of the two examples is still Sweet, and lack a "bitter" twist to them.

As I mentioned earlier, I don't think bittersweet even has to include a black colorway. Or a print at all (for a non print example, there this post I made about adding Bittersweet to a Gothic wardrobe last year).
Here are some examples I've worn. Have I mentioned I'm obsessed with Fantastic Dolly?

Basically, if your coord floats somewhere in a candy-coated netherworld between Sweet and Gothic, it might be called Bittersweet.

Inspiration: Ophelia

For more than a thousand years sad Ophelia

Has passed, a white phantom, down the long black river.

For more than a thousand years her sweet madness

Has murmured its ballad to the evening breeze.

-Arthur Rimbaud

Driven mad by the sudden loss of her family, the maiden wanders the halls of the castle, bereft, carrying flowers and singing fragments of songs. She meets her own untimely end when she falls into the river and drowns, letting herself be carried away by the current rather than swim.

The tragic tale of Lady Ophelia, from Shakespeare's Hamlet, has captured the imaginations of millions since her first soliloquy. She has been especially beloved in the spookier cultural circles- from Morticia Addams' sister Ophelia Frump, to Emilie Autumn's Opheliac, to alternative model Ophelia Overdose.

I fell in love with the iconic Ophelia myself when I read Anne of Green Gables as a young girl. In the book, strange Anne, with her newly regrown auburn hair, is elected by her friends to play the part of equally dreamy and odd Lady Ophelia. Though Anne's venture ends in mishap, the idea of playing Ophelia floating down the river in her bower of wildflowers stuck with me. As a head-in-the-clouds, out of place little girl myself, pretending to be woebegone Lady Ophelia helped me get through my various daily struggles. As I grew up, I began reading Shakespeare and the part became even more dear to me. So much so that even one of my cats is named for her! (though I must say that my lumpy, clingy cat lacks a certain theatrical grace). Even my favorite author, Anne Rice, had the witch Mona Mayfair- a wild, red haired young woman obsessed with Ophelia.

As Ophelia has developed as a literary and cultural icon, her visual representation has also developed certain cliches. There is a certain whimsical, otherworldly appearance that has become a part of her identity. 

Here are a few ways to channel the ill-fated Danish princess into your look.

1. Long, wavy hair. This is perhaps her most consistent feature- long, wild, unbound hair. Try crimping it or letting it dry in braids. Red or strawberry blonde are the most common colors for her hair if you're in the market for wigs.

If the above is too plain for your tastes, try a simple medieval-inspired braided hairstyle. Something half braided, half down would be lovely and romantic.

2. Flowers. Whether fake or real, weave them into your hair, make a flowered headband, or pin them on in a corsage. Also look for flower inspired jewelry and prints.

3. Looser, more flowing dresses. Cast aside your structured bodices and OPs this time, and look for somethings softer and more draped (although, the effect of pairing a loose dress with a tight corset is quite nice). This might be a great opportunity to incorporate some Mori-Kei as well. 

4. Wear white. Ophelia's innocence is often portrayed by her being shown in white. In my opinion, wearing white or cream has a certain ghost-like quality when paired with long hair.

5. Jewel tones, if white doesn't suit you. Rich greens, blues, and burgundies will compliment the look and reference the time period Hamlet is set in. 

I think a concept to keep in mind whilst channeling our darling Lady Ophelia is "tragic beauty". Something beautiful that is ruined or tarnished in some way, so that it's beauty is even more apparent but at the same time terribly sad. The contrast of loveliness with darkness heightens the allure. Cracked porcelain dolls, wilting roses, old statues, crumbling castles...a beautiful maiden whose young life was snuffed out by madness and death.

Lolitas In Hot Weather

Being that it's still April, this might seem like jumping the gun, but my mortal fear of heat and humidity already has me diving for my parasol. Summer is a hot and torturous affair here in Baltimore, so keeping cool is a major part of my spring/summer wardrobe. Here's some tips to keep your cool this season.

1. Carry a parasol! A very popular accessory in all seasons, the parasol is a godsend in hot weather. Not only does it keep the sun off your skin, the shade it provides lowers the temperature of your personal bubble by several degrees. I carry one everyday when I walk to college. Brand parasols run anywhere from $50-200, and there are a variety of offbrand ones for around $40.

2. Wear a JSK with a bolero instead of a blouse. The debate over blouseless JSKs still rages on, but no one will fault you for going blouseless with a cute short sleeve bolero. Removing that extra layer of a blouse makes a huge difference. I think some JSKs can look nice without any shoulder coverage, but that's up to personal preference.


3. Wear square and scoop necklines. The classic Peter Pan collar can be constricting in high temperatures, so look for blouses with an open neck. It's also very easy to find OPs in this style.

4. Do an updo! Continuing with the principle that the less material touching your skin the better, keep your hair out of the way too. Try victory rolls, bouffants, teased pigtails, buns, braids- there's bound to be a cute updo within your skill range (this is coming from someone who only recently learned how to use a curler). I personally love the braided headband style.

5. Forgo kneesocks and tights for shoes with straps or laces that go up your calf. The straps provide elegance and visual interest and let your legs breathe more. To keep your feet from getting sweaty, wear heel socks.

6. To avoid the dreaded "driver's tan", keep elbow gloves or arm warmers in your car. Obviously, this only applies to those who drive. There's not much you can do to escape the sun coming through your window when driving, so keep armwear in the glove box to avoid that icky uneven tan.

Or you could, y'know, hibernate and reemerge in the fall.

Inspiration: Fairytales

Lolita designers love fairytales, lolitas love fairytales, most girls at some point in their lives loved fairytales. There's just so much to love! Fairytales and folktales have romance, action, adventure, horror, and humor- anyone who thinks it's all sunshine and princesses is quite misinformed.
So here's a list of five European fairytales I highly recommend, if you haven't already read them. I picked them more for their potential to make kick-ass coordinates, than for their moral content. Just click the titles to read the story.

1.  Allerleiruah
Also known as Donkey Skin or Cat Skin.  A German fairytale.
A relative of Cinderella, but in my opinion, so much better. No only does the heroine get 3 fancy dresses (modeled after the moon, stars, and sun), she also takes more initiative than her Disney counterpart, fleeing her home and making her own way in another kingdom.
Motifs: fur/faux fur, stars and planets, gold jewelry.

2. The White Cat
Also known as The Queen of Cats. A French fairytale.
Similar to Rapunzel. A charming story where a princess, bargained away to fairies by her mother, is turned into a little white cat, waiting to be freed by her true love. Though the princess is rescued by a prince in the end, for most of the story he is actually beholden to her.
Motifs: cats, fruit, acorns, castles.

3.  Snow White and Rose Red
Also known as The Ungrateful Dwarf. A German fairytale.
Unrelated to Snow White. Two sisters befriend a prince trapped in the form of a bear. I enjoy the two heroines having opposing personalities, though both are good. Rose Red is wilder and more adventurous, while Snow White is quiet and gentle. It would be lovely to see two girls do twin coordinates to this story.
Motifs: roses, red and white, bears, forests.

4. The Six Swans
Also known as The Seven Ravens. A German fairytale.
There is something very poignant about the silently suffering heroine of this story. The Princess and her brothers are cursed by their stepmother, and the princess must endure several trials, without speaking a single word, to save them.
Motifs: Swans, feathers, leaves, crowns.

5. The Snow Queen
Also known as Sneedronningen. A Danish fairytale.
This is probably the most well known fairytale on my list, but it's quite an epic! It has been adapted into several movies and plays. It is a very dynamic story with many different locations and characters, following the journey of a little girl after her friend is taken by the beautiful but heartless Snow Queen.
Motifs: Roses, mirrors, ice/snow, reindeer.
There is a less well known version, that while only about 500 words, is terribly beautiful and worth reading as well.

The Snow Queen by OpiateVampire featuring chunky necklaces

Adding some Mourning to your day

The deafening street roared on. Full, slim, and grand
In mourning and majestic grief, passed down
A woman, lifting with a stately hand
And swaying the black borders of her gown...

 

- Charles Baudelaire, á une Passante

The dark romanticism of black mourning attire can be traced all the way back to the Roman Empire. But Queen Victorian took the traditional customs and clothing of mourning to a whole new level after the death of her husband, Albert. Longer periods of mourning meant more stages of mourning dress, and more accessories to complement them.
The influence of Victorian mourning fashion is obvious in Western Goth and Gothic Lolita, some people going so far as to flat out wear replicas of historical black crepe gowns. Here's some ways to really channel the artful solemnity of the Victorians into your wardrobe.

- Black on black on black. Black is obviously the primary color of Gothic Lolita, but other colors are often mixed in. Trying layering with different textures of black if you feel the monochromatic scheme is too overpowering. Black lace over a solid black fabric makes for an interesting texture, and keeps an outfit more Gothic than Kuro.
or if you want to go in a different direction...
White was the color of deepest mourning for Queens in Europe for a long while. Also, it is the second more popular color in the Gothic style, unsurprisingly. Try to stay as completely Shiro as possible for full dramatic effect.


- Cameos and Jet jewelry. Cameos, especially those made with locks of the deceased's hair, were very popular ornaments. Obviously, cameos sans human hair are much easier to find. Jewelry made from jet, a black stone, was also common. Even better? Cameos made from jet!
A cheaper solution to actual jet is simply black plastic, or black beads. I have a black plastic rose-shaped ring that I've worn on a daily basis for a year, it goes with everything!


- High collars and less skin. Lolita is obviously a more conservative fashion than most in terms of skin exposure. But mourning clothes were conservative even by Victorian standards! Look for dresses and blouses with a high collar, rather than peter pan collars or square/scoop necklines. Wear solid black tights instead of knee socks. Try long leg o' mutton sleeves for an especially widow-like feel.


-Veils and headwear. The veiled widow is a tradition carried on past the 1800's. Dramatic pillbox hats with net veils were common funeral-wear well into the 50's, some people still wear them today. And of course, veils are commonly seen on Gothic Lolita headdresses. I would recommend going with these more modern versions of the veil for practicality's sake (a full veil could look amazing but really get in your way). A black bonnet would also do nicely.

Here are some currently available mourning-eque designs (click image to be taken to it's store).

Now go forth and be gloomy! (Did you know that you could actually get a job as a professional mourner in the Victorian Era and in Ancient Egypt?)