So so far I've covered a few different styles of lolita dresses. I started with a sweet, then did a classic, but I haven't done a gothic yet, let's change that.

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This issue's dress is Lingxi's Nightmare Lilith. It's a rose-themed gothic, as made obvious by its incredible collar. Seriously if I could get just the collar I would. It's perfect for basically any gothic rose coord. The thorns add so much to the rose which is a pretty common motif.

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The collar isn't the only rose themed part of this dress though. The skirt has an printed rose motif. It's in almost the same black as the dress itself, so it's relatively subtle, but it adds a lot. Especially thanks to the pop of red behind it which adds some colour into the otherwise pure black dress. (Which, speaking personally, is very important for any gothic lolita in my eyes. Pure black can look good but I much prefer gothics that use dark reds, purples, and navys in their scheme since they add some visual interest. White too but white is tricky and not every dress pulls it off. But ultimately I'm not a gothic I'm a classic, colour is just part of my aesthetic in a way it isn't for a gothic.)

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The dress has two sleeve variants, regular sleeves and bell sleeves. They're both lovely, I'm honestly not sure if I prefer one or the other.

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Of the three model coords, I like this one the most for its use of prayer beads. It unfortunately gives up the witch hat that's part of the set (which I love, witch coords are so cool and I want one), but the new headpiece is beautiful and I adore how the spikes on it accent the rose collar's thorns.

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So that's the dress! I didn't really have as much to say this time, like I said I'm a classic not a gothic. I just really loved this one's collar and rose theme.

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  • lilypad [she/her, undecided]
    ·
    14 days ago

    Omg this is gorgeous niko-wonderous i like the hat but love the spiked headpiece! And the collar! The gothic look is so nice, ngl this is my favorite of what youve posted. Wish i could wear something like this, but even assuming it would look good on me (dubious), i would have nowhere to wear it.

    Tysm for the dressposting! <3

    • 🎀 Seryph (She/Her)@lemmygrad.ml
      hexagon
      ·
      14 days ago

      Ngl I basically wear lolita to every formal event and the only reason I haven't worn it at school yet is because I don't have any JSKs or skirts yet. As soon as I get some I am having a lolita day at least once a week. I have killed the part of my brain that goes 'but what if someone judges me' in favour of fancy dresses. Albeit more casual ones than a lot of the ones I post.

      Also just wearing a lolita at home is nice I do it all the time when I'm having a rough week to feel better

      And you're welcome 💝

      • lilypad [she/her, undecided]
        ·
        14 days ago

        I have killed the part of my brain that goes 'but what if someone judges me' in favour of fancy dresses

        Omg i envy your courage, please lobotomise the part of my brain that thinks that inshallah

        • 🎀 Seryph (She/Her)@lemmygrad.ml
          hexagon
          ·
          14 days ago

          Honestly it just came with time. It's hard to worry as much about it when you wear a princessy dress to a party and the only comments you get are positive, or when you wear cute bows basically every day in non-lolita outfits and get the same reaction. In the case of this sort of gothic, wearing a corset over all black would be an equivalent, or wearing a fancy skirt with an otherwise simple outfit. Etc... Etc...

          • lilypad [she/her, undecided]
            ·
            14 days ago

            Hmmm ill have to wear my corset more often then... :3 idk i have some bows and whatnot, but no gothic or lolita stuff :/

            • 🎀 Seryph (She/Her)@lemmygrad.ml
              hexagon
              ·
              14 days ago

              That's okay! Just one piece at a time and eventually you can add a splash of this style into all of your outfits. Right now I kind of rely on my beret for my bows, since it can work with most of my outfits, and that adds a little bit of me into the outfit while still not being the focus. Just try to have fun with it, you'll find things that work and you like pretty quick.

              • lilypad [she/her, undecided]
                ·
                14 days ago

                Ooh a beret with a bow on it would be so cute! My bows are all on headbands and dont work with my hair all the time

                • 🎀 Seryph (She/Her)@lemmygrad.ml
                  hexagon
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  14 days ago

                  Berets with bows are fucking adorable and I love them and aaaaaaaaaa. Like look at this, I love it.

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                  Also you can be a weirdo like me and tie bows that you then attach to other things to wear. It can be fun!

                  • lilypad [she/her, undecided]
                    ·
                    14 days ago

                    Omggggg!!!! Thats so cuuuttteeee!! Part of me has always wanted to put my hair up and tie it in a bow too, like bows were just made for the head and hair

    • Cowbee [he/him]
      ·
      edit-2
      14 days ago

      but even assuming it would look good on me (dubious), i would have nowhere to wear it.

      Fashion is more of a skill than simply buying good fits, wearing flashier clothes is something you train! I remember when I was terrified of wearing black jeans, because that wasn't the norm for me.

      Basically, go for it! If you like the look, incorporate it in small bits until you feel comfortable folding it all together! You've got this!

      • lilypad [she/her, undecided]
        ·
        14 days ago

        wearing flashier clothes is something you train!

        Ok wheres the training center? I need to study and master this art

        • Cowbee [he/him]
          ·
          14 days ago

          Sadly, it's the general public, haha. The grocery store works great though! The Mall is also fun, if you just want exposure

          • lilypad [she/her, undecided]
            ·
            14 days ago

            Ahhhh! Scary! Idk i get overwhelmed in the grocery just doing normal shopping madeline-sadeline maybe i can wear some stuff to game night with friends tho :3

            • 🎀 Seryph (She/Her)@lemmygrad.ml
              hexagon
              ·
              14 days ago

              I highly recommend the game night idea. Gaming with friends is usually a fun thing and it can help put a lot of the stress away while you do it. I also recommend going to gaming stores or stores for some other hobby that you like (provided they don't have bigoted staff). These sorts of stores are usually a comfort place if you go often so they can really help you ease in the first few times. That's how I first wore a skirt in public.

            • Cowbee [he/him]
              ·
              edit-2
              14 days ago

              That's a good idea! Go for it! It really does get better, trust me. Though I don't exactly push the boundaries too far anymore, I mostly dress in vintage workwear these days badeline-heh