Lolita Advanced Basics: Color Balance

Color Balance

What makes a good coordinate? The dress and traditional accessories are enough to make a good coord, but what makes an exceptionally, amazing coord? What makes a coord memorable and unique?

 

In my opinion, a good coordinate can be like art. Just like in art, one of the basics is balance. I'm going to focus on color balance.

 Both of the Lolitas in the pic are friends of mine, and both are good examples of color balance.

Whipcreambunn, on the left, successfully mixed red and pink together by not allowing the red to overpower her coord. She uses the red as her main piece with her dress, but also as her accent color with her purse and shoe clips. She framed the red with a light pink bolero, OTK's, hair accessories, and shoes.

I think this is a great example of great use of a strong color that a lot of people can't pull off. I know that for me, red can be tricky and can easily wash me out, but Whipcreambunn separated the red from her face with the bolero and then balanced it out by wearing matching OTK's. The purse is a great accessory as well because it doesn't contrast against the red and in that respect, the colors do not dominate each other.

Stina, on the right, has done something very impressive with her coord. It isn't easy to successfully mix black into a pastel, sweet coord without some form of black accent in the dress or without having a cute, goth theme.

I think the number one reason this cood is successful is that her black elements aren't completely black. Her cardigan and her OTK's have polka dots and hearts that break up the dramatic accent color. 

Just like Whipcreambunn, she has framed her pastel dress with her accent color, but each element doesn't dominate the other. She uses an interesting way to bring the pastel pink to frame her face with the bow on her collar and the bow brooch in her hair. Her shoes are pink as well and match the accent in her socks while breaking up the black.

Wunderfluff's Jewelry Jelly Coordinate 

Wunderfluff brought out the bright, sax blue in her Jewelery Jelly OP with a matching cardigan. She balanced it out with her 6% Doki Doki glitter hair bow and her bunched up legwarmers. She kept the color from overpowering her coord with her transparent, dot tights, and wrist cuffs.

She brought in a third color by adding a pink bonnet and balancing it with the pink in her scrunched leg warmers and wrist cuffs.

Very good use of an accent color that doesn't seem so common in Lolita fashion.

Keana put together a stunning royalty themed coord for our community's annual high tea event.

 This coord is all about her focal accessory, the sash. Keana took an all white skirt and blouse and added a pop of bright, cobalt blue while leveling it out with gold accents, a reflection of the sash itself. I especially love the touch of gold she added with her Jeffery Campbell's. The blue isn't overpowering and the gold is used in just the right amount. Some might see it as simple, because it isn't OTT, but I think it's bold and unique to the individual style Keana has developed.

Brandy's coord demonstrates that classic can be as bright and bold as any sweet coordinate.

I love that Brandy has taken elements from two street fashions and blended them together for this beautiful coordinate. She balanced her Haenuli skirt with a matching wig and tights while making sure the bright color doesn't overwhelm the ensemble by wearing a cream blouse and muted peignoir. She emphasized the Dolly Kei elements with her accessories and black belt, which she balanced out with matching black shoes. 

Thanks for reading! All I have permission from all the Lolitas featured.

-Lovely Lunette



Trending: Echarpe (Princess Sash)

Sashes have deep roots in Western history. Worn most notably by royalty, each sash signifies an order that the wearer belongs to. Each one has its own rules to determine who gets membership and how to wear their insignia once awarded.

You can read more about these sashes on orderofsplendor.

Lolita brands, such as Angelic Pretty, noticed that this accessory is damn cute and started making their own. 

Even better, Lolita indie designers started making them as well.

PIZZICATO KEI

Sakura Fairy (Lily of the Valley)

Here are some of my favorite sash coordinates from facebook and lacebook. 

JayneJezebelle in her Memorial Cake birthday princess coord.

Keana in her royalty themed high tea coord.

Kumarin in a lovely sweet coord for a friend's high tea birthday.

Lifeofhimeko in a beautiful classic hime style coord.

Thebitchyteadrinker in a cute, Russian inspired creation and Cheyenne in a stunning white and gold royal ensemble.

Wunderfluff in her Royal Poodle birthday princess coord. For those wondering, the scepter is handmade by her, her boyfriend, and finishing touches were added by me.

Thanks for looking! All of the Lolitas featured have been uploaded with permission.

-Lunette 

Wigs and Wig Care

Wigs are a great way to achieve a certain look without making a permanent change to your hair. This is a great alternative for Lolitas with jobs that have dress codes. Another up-side is it cuts down on the time it takes to get ready and you don't have to worry about damaging your hair with product, teasing, or heat styling.

But with all the upsides to wigs comes the effort of maintaining them. You want to make sure you don't ruin your amazing coord with a ratty wig.

Buying Wigs

There are several places to buy wigs online. If you want fast shipping you can order from an American company like Gothic Lolita Wigs. Wigs tend to run about $35 to $70 each, but you get fast shipping and good service. Also, check out Arda Wigs. They're great for cosplay too.

If that's too expensive for you(I know it is for me) you can try to find the same wigs on taobao, the Chinese equivalent of an amazon.com mixed with ebay. If you're lucky, you can find the *exact* wig you saw on GLW for less than half the price. Here is a lost of taobao links that one of my locals pieced together. There are a lot of other links to clothes and shoes too.

The downside to taobao is it can take a month to receive what you have ordered, if something goes wrong you have very little power as a buyer which is something that I've found Americans have a hard time coping with, it can easily turn into a labyrinth of links, you have to go through a shopping service, and it is very easy to accidentally make an order that is way more than you ever intended to spend.

I know you're probably wondering why people bother at all if there are so many downsides, but I've bought wigs, that on GLW would go for $45, for $12. The prices more than make up for the downsides and you are able to find things there that you won't be able to in your country.

Now that I've given you a couple good places to start when buying wigs, let me tell you where you don't want to buy wigs.

• Party City
• Halloween stores
• Your local beauty supply
• While I go to the local beauty supply for loose hair to build hair pieces, and to buy accessories and make up, I don't buy wigs there. This is just from my personal experience, but beauty supplies in my area tend to market to black women. If you aren't black, your hair type is going to be different. The hair styles that are popular in the black community are going to be different and might not look so good on you. The wigs there are meant to look natural on people that have completely different physical characteristics than you might have.
• If you're black then this is probably good news(or not, chances are you have already been to your local beauty supply) in which case I would say you're half way there. You're going to find a wig that's going to look much better on you than it would me, BUT you probably won't find a wig that will fit with the Lolita aesthetic. Not to say you won't find a rocking cute wig there for general wear.

How to Wear a Wig

 No, you can't just plop it on your head and go. Here is a list of steps from when you first pull your wig out of it's bag.

• First thing. Pull your hair up and pin it close to your head. A lot of people can get away with pulling their hair into one ponytail, but I have long hair. I take my hair in sections and twist it, then pin it as close to my head as possible. I try to make it as flat against my head as possible. I don't want my wig to look lumpy. I also clip back my bangs.
• Next put on your wig cap. Stretch it around your head and make sure it settles on your hairline on the back of your head and the hairline above your forehead. Tuck all your loose hair into the cap. You might even need to use bobby pins to keep your cap in place.
• When trying a new cap, I like to wear it while I do my make up and get dressed. It has a couple benefits. I can apply heavy make up without worrying about getting it in my hair and I can gauge how I'm going to feel for the rest of the day. Sometimes, you get a cap that is too tight on your head. The right thing to do is to test it out before you're stuck at an event feeling really uncomfortable.
•  A wig cap is cheap. While I don't buy wigs from the beauty supply, I do buy wig caps there. I can find a package of two for $1.99. A wig cap is important because it just looks really sloppy if your natural hair is sticking out the back of your wig. You can't see yourself from behind, so you might not even know it's happening. Another good reason to wear your cap is to protect your wig from the oils in your hair. That helps keep your wig in good condition and extend it's life.
• Can you ever wear a wig without a wig cap? NO. There is no excuse not to have one. They are essential to your look and the quality of your wig. And they're cheap. Don't half-ass your head wear. 
• When you put on a wig 
• Brush it out with a wig brush Here are some examples on a google shopping page. Start at the bottom and work your way up. Just like how you should brush your regular hair.
• flip it up-side-down 
• bend over and fit it onto your head
• take this time to adjust the strap on the inside of the wig(which should always be in the back of the wig) 
• as you stand up straight, flip the wig up-right, think of the scene in The Little Mermaid when Ariel fist becomes human. She hurries to the surface of the water, and when she makes it, she flips her hair. Do that, but less dramatic...and not completely wet.
• I have a couple wigs that I put on the hard way, which is fitting it onto my head without flipping it. That's really only because those particular wigs tangle easier than the others.
• Brush it again and adjust. You want to make sure it's centered and the part of the wig is where it's supposed to be.
• If this is your first time wearing the wig you might have to trim the bangs. Here's a list of videos on youtube for tutorials on cutting bangs.
• And you might have to pin the wig to your head so it doesn't slide back. Just tuck your bobby pins(wavy side to your head) into the wefts of your wig, be careful not to damage them.
• It might be necessary to brush it while you wear it. I keep a small wig brush in my purse. I also like to keep a dryer sheet with me. If you use a dryer sheet on your wig it cuts down on static that can cause frizz and fly-aways. Just slide it from the top of the wig, down. Don't rub it like you're drying your hair out of the shower.

Cleaning the Wig

Wigs have a shelf life. You can extend their life with maintenance and cleaning.

• Wig cleaning tutorial from wig salon
•  Tumblr post about cleaning wigs

Storing Your Wig

If you have the space and the money, I suggest you keep them on a wig head on a shelf. Unfortunately, I can't do that because I have a cat that loves to play in wigs and a small apartment. What I do is I have a special drawer in my dresser where I keep my wigs. I like to keep them separated with tissue paper. I always brush my wigs before storing them and if I have a long wig I braid it before putting it away. Braiding will keep it from getting tangled or matted.

Wig Don'ts

• No hairspray
• No styling with heated tools
• Don't use regular shampoo on it
• Don't use any weave products on it(I learned that the hard way years ago after some bad advice)
• Don't rip through your wig with a brush or comb, be gentle
• Don't part your bangs in the center if they're too long, get help if you have to, but trim your bangs
• Don't trim with fabric scissors
• After washing, always lay flat to dry or supported on a wig stand. Never let dry in a heap.
• Only under dire circumstances should you take your wig off at an event. And do it in the bathroom. People don't look so good with just wig caps on.

Thanks for reading! I hope this post helps. 

-Lunette <3

Coordinate Spotlight

Stina

Black and Pink with Magical Etoile 

 

"I was just going for something fanciful and a little over the top, but still wearable and slightly circus~y. I really get inspired by Kira Imai's work, so I tried to make something that mirrored her sort of dark whimsy. I guess. xD

 

And all of those little details are done intentionally to give a doll like, decadent sort of look. Very much something I think Kira Imai would put in her work. I'm a sucker for art, so yeah. xD;;

And with black, it doesn't really work with every color, but having an even balance of it on the coordinate certainly helps. I'd say to readers to stick to colors like blue, pink, purple, and red. Colors like yellow don't work as well."

 

 

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