Wearing Lolita to Work or School

It's certainly been awhile since my last post. Last week I was extremely busy preparing for a convention, taking care of the cats, and being sick. But this week will hopefully be different. Today I want to write about wearing Lolita fashion to work or to school. I tried this article a few weeks back, but I couldn't come up with enough information to make it worth posting. I've been mulling it over for awhile now and I think I can write it well now.

Middle School and High School
Provided you don't go to a school with a very strict dress code or a uniform policy, it is possible to wear Lolita to school. I know quite a few people that wear their frills to school all the time. There are a few things to think about though before you decide on your outfit. First and most important, will I be breaking any school rules by wearing this? Many dress codes have a policy on what you can and cannot wear. Consult your school handbook to check those rules. It shouldn't be a problem if your school has a fairly lax dress code, but double check to make sure. Second, do you have any sort of art class that could be messy and leave stains or gym classes that would either require you to change? It's best to avoid wearing lolita on those days. You do not want to be stuffing expensive and delicate dresses into gym lockers or risk staining them with paints or chemicals. Make sure your schedule will allow you to wear lolita without risking your clothes. Finally, do you mind getting rude comments, stares, questions, etc? Kids can be really mean to each other, especially if you look different from everyone else. Prepare yourself for all sorts of comments, questions, and all those nasty looks.

College
College is so so much easier to wear Lolita at. Very few colleges and universities have uniforms or even dress codes. Unless your school is extremely small, people really won't bother you, make comments, etc. You'll still get the occasional question, comment, and plenty of stares, but overall it's not nearly as bad as High School or Middle. Again, you want to avoid wearing lolita on days where you might have messy activities (Chemistry, other science labs, art, etc.). Take into account if you use public transportation that it may be crowded at peak hours. Other than that, I can't think of anything to really watch out for.

Work
Think about what you'll be asked to do at work. If you work with food, machinery, or pretty much anything that could spill or leak, don't do it! Use common sense! Many work places if not all have dress codes or uniforms, so make sure your boss is okay with it. If they are, then that's great! Watch your skirts, they can easily knock over displays or get caught. Most everything from above also applies to work. You also might want to leave your wigs and OTT makeup off for the day, as customers and co-workers can be put off by these things especially.

As for styles, I think pretty much anything can work as long as it's not too over the top. Classic is a lot more "normal" for people that don't know anything about the fashion as it passes for vintage style. Casual probably would work best as well as it would be more comfortable. The most important thing is to be comfortable and your outfit be functional. Have fun and don't be afraid to try wearing Lolita to school/work sometime!

30 Day Lolita Challenge - Day 9

Today is day 9 and the prompt is 10 things you will never do in lolita. I can come up with a huge list, but I'll limit them to the 10 that I like best. The ten weirdest, (hopefully) funniest, and out of the box things I can think of!

1. Eating Ribs

So I was born in Alabama, and my parents are from the south. I spent my summers in the south, two or three weeks at a time. I love ribs, green tomatoes, hushpuppies, anything that isn't an organ meat really. But ribs are really messy and I'd never eat them in lolita!

2. Sledding

When I go sledding I get really cold and wet and I just feel gross. No lolita when I go sledding. Ever.

3. Getting injured

This is more of a hopeful thing! I've fallen off my rocking horse shoes a few times, but that's the extent of my injuries while wearing lolita. Hopefully it stays that way.

4. Cleaning

I know some lifestyle lolitas pull their frilly aprons out and get to work, but nope not me. I put on PJs to clean, it's so much easier. Even at work I go light on the cleaning when I wear lolita. It's too hard and I end up knocking things over with my petticoat when I turn around.

5. Road-tripping

When I went to Ohayocon, I drove the whole way there in casual style and the whole way back in full-blown kuro. There was nothing to be done, our lolita panel was late in the day and we had to leave to go home right after. On the way there, I wanted to take this one skirt with me but it wouldn't fit in my suitcase. So I just wore it. Never again. It was uncomfortable, the skirt made it hard to drive for hours and hours, and overall it just sucked. Avoid it if you can, I know I will be.

6. Working out

Since I swim laps for this, it's a no brainer. But if I did something else, I still wouldn't wear lolita. Eww.

7. Rock climbing

I like to go rock climbing! But not in lolita! Can you imagine wearing lolita and a climbing harness? It wouldn't work at all!

8. Sleeping

It's so uncomfy! And if you have a tulle or net based petticoat you'll end up with net marks from it on your legs. I've fallen asleep in lolita, but I don't make a habit of it. Maybe if it was like a lolita inspired pajama set, but not in a dress. Nope.

9. Cooking or baking

Some people do cook in their lolita! And more power to them. But I make a mess when I cook or bake, and that mess transfers onto my clothes. So I'd rather those clothes be replaceable or washable at least.

10. Walking my dog

If I had a cute little dog, then I'd totally walk it in my lolita. But my dog is a massive 90-lb. Labrador Retriever. You don't walk her, she walks you and you try to keep up! So that's not an activity I want to do in lolita. I love my dog, but she's just too big to walk in lolita.

Some of these are weaker than others, but I stand by them all. Some had good stories, some didn't. I think I'll be posting a coordinate next time, I miss doing those.

30 Day Lolita Challenge - Day 8

Today should be for Day 7, 10 People that Inspire Your Style. But I don't actually have an article for that. There just isn't anyone who inspires my style. I wear what I like, and while sometimes I'll see another lolita who inspires me, but no one person does on a regular basis. So I decided to skip to day 8. Day 8's prompt is 10 songs that inspire you for lolita. Oh no! I don't listen to a lot of music!

1. Sakura Kiss (String Version)

Believe it or not, I played the violin for almost 10 years. I wasn't very good, and by the end I resented the instrument, the teachers, the other players, and pretty much everything. But I still have an appreciation for the sound of an orchestra, and it reminds me of a lot of things, both good memories and bad ones. This version of the Ouran High School Host Club theme is my favorite because it sounds so elegant and refined.

2. Vivace from Piano Concerto in D Major Hob. 18/11 (Haydn)

Another classical piece. One that not many people are familiar with. I'm not sure where I heard this piece. But it's lovely and again elegant and refined. I can imagine sipping tea in a garden in my lolita finest while this piece plays.

3. Chocolat by Kaya

I asked my friend Guy to find me some music for the very first fashion show I ran. The show was a bit of a mess, but this song was perfect. It's upbeat, sweet, and sung by Kaya, who is a visual kei band? singer? This is the only song that I have of his, so I don't really know much about him. Listen to it!

4. The Garden/In the Golden Afternoon from Alice in Wonderland

I would be remiss if I didn't have something from Alice on here. This is my favorite piece from the whole movie. It's so dreamy at first, but then it's broken up when the flowers start singing. However, that's lovely in its own way. I like the way it sounds like the '50s, if that makes any sense. It just sounds vintage and I love that! Plus, I mean, it's Alice. She could be like the mascot for the style.

5. Bad Romance by Lady Gaga

This doesn't inspire my personal style, but it has inspired a coordinate or two. My boyfriend said to me one day "you should make a coordinate and call it Plaid Romance." It was so funny, I couldn't pass it up. So I made it, and it was a blast! This coordinate is also inspired by this song. Funny thing is, I can't stand Lady Gaga. If I had like a sweet-punk style, I think this could fit really nicely.

6. Shy Boy by Secret

Oh do I love this song! I'm not a HUGE K-pop fan but I love this group. This video is so funny and their 50's style outfits are adorable. Their hairstyles are completely OTT (over the top) too! But my favorite part about this video has to be the Korean greasers.

7. The Town With an Ocean View from Kiki's Delivery Service

This is one of my top Miyazaki movies, and I love this theme in it! It sounds like walking down a cobblestone street to go shopping. I like all sorts of songs with this feel to them, maybe it's whatever instrument is used, but I love the sound that it makes. It sounds like a town on the ocean, if that makes any sense whatsoever.

8. A Few of My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music

This movie isn't one of my favorites, but this song is! My mom used to sing it to me when I was little, I think maybe that's why I like it so much. If you remember, Julie Andrews is my Lolita Idol and this is one of my favorite Julie Andrews songs. It could be completely personalized to my favorite things, maybe I'll do that someday.

9. Masquerade from The Phantom of the Opera

I don't have this version, but I couldn't find the one I do have on YouTube. This is my favorite musical, yet I've never seen it live. This scene I believe is the inspiration behind Masquerade Theater! I think it would be fun to have a masked ball for lolitas, maybe that's just me.

And I don't have a tenth song. But still, I did a lot better than I expected. I hope you liked all the youtube videos!

30 Day Lolita Challenge - Day 6

Today's topic is 10 things I can't live without in Lolita. I'm going to try my best to have 10, but I'm not sure I'll be able to get to that many.

1. Concealer and foundation

I consider them essential to daily life, let alone Lolita. Nothing is worse than having your picture taken and your face looks shiny and weird. If you don't want to wear make-up, I get it. But at least the foundation! It has sunscreen in it and a little bit goes a long way. You can't even begin to achieve the doll look without foundation. It comes in powder and in liquid forms, I use liquid. It blends very nicely into the skin making for a very natural look. I also have an under-eye concealer. It has caffeine in it to attempt to correct the dark circles under my eyes. But mostly it covers them up and makes them less noticeable.

2. Bloomers

Many Lolitas these days choose not to wear bloomers. Blasphemy! What would you do if a breeze swept your skirt up and you were exposed? Or if you're at a high up place where people can see you from below? I feel naked without them, I hate to go out without them. I have two pairs, both from In the Starlight.

3. A little pad of cute paper

Huh? What? Why? Having a pad of paper is extremely helpful when someone asks for your email. Or when you meet a particularly interested stranger that wants to know more about the style. Or when someone recommends a great book/movie/blog and you have to write it down. I never take mine out of my purse.

4. Cutsews
I love to wear casual styles to work and school. But I hate wearing blouses! So cutsews are a great alternative.They're comfy and available from lots of stores! I think that as long as it's an appropriate top for lolita (puff sleeves, ruffles, some sort of detailing or print) then it's great for a casual coordinate. I get them from Forever 21 and sometimes even Target. I'm not too picky about people's cutsews having to look a certain way. If it goes with the outfit, it's fine by me.

5. Lolita shoes
I've often expressed my love for lolita specific shoes here. But let me express it again. They are my favorite part of being a lolita. I'll be online for hours putting shoes into virtual shopping carts and dreaming of one day owning them all. The next pair I want to buy is a pair of lavender tea party replicas to match a new skirt that I commissioned from a friend.

6. My Innocent World Parasol
This is by far the best accessory I own. It's my top favorite item in my closet, and I take it to almost every meet-up I go to. It's the Heart Scallop Umbrella in black. The Innocent World name is on there in silver writing. It's beautiful in person and it matches almost everything I own. I was fortunate enough to be able to go to New York City about a year ago and I got to go to the Tokyo Rebel store! But I didn't have enough money for anything super amazing like a dress, this parasol was the top of my budget. I don't regret it even a little, I love this parasol with all my heart.

That's all I can think of. I'm pretty bad at this actually. Prints are great, but I like plain dresses too. I prefer tights, but I'm open to socks. I don't do the whole wig, fake nail, fake eyelash, circle lens thing. I'm pretty easy going about the whole thing I guess. Hopefully the next day post will be better.

Contest! Country Coordinates and Crafts!

I've been trying to come up with a fairly straightforward contest for this month. While I really liked how the last one went, I wanted something with a creative element and less math. So I decided to do a coordinate contest. But then I thought, some people don't like to make coordinates, but they can draw or do some crafting. This spurred the idea for a crafting contest. Country lolita has a distinct handmade element to it that isn't as prevalent in many other styles. I'm not so great at crafting myself, but I wanted to pay homage to that handcrafted idea this month. So there are actually two contests, two ways to win, and two prizes.

The first contest is simply a coordination contest. You make a country-themed coordinate using Polyvore, Photoshop, or from your own wardrobe (with a photograph of all the elements together, it does not have to be worn). Then you email the coordinate to me at Theelegantwardrobe@gmail.com with a short description of the items you used. At the end of the contest, I'll post the winning coordinate here!

The second contest is a little different. What you can do is completely up to you, but it has to be a craft and it has to be country themed. Other than that, the sky's the limit! You can make an accessory, hairpiece, draw a picture, whatever! The only thing I ask is that you do not send photography unless you'd like to be entered into the coordinate contest. Whatever you make, take a picture of it At the end of the contest, I'll pick up to three winners! I may pick fewer though depending on the number of entries. The winner(s) will be posted here along with the coordinate contest winner.

Now the fun part, the prizes! I've thought about these a lot! The prize for the winner(s) of the crafting competition will be these adorable Hello Kitty gingham wallets! The winner of the coordinate will receive some strawberry-print stationary sets! All winners will receive a strawberry-scented Hello Kitty eraser too! Everything is really cute and country-themed! Prizes are subject to change based on availability.


The contest will end on Friday, July 1st 2011 at 11:59PM EST. I'll announce the winners the next day, July 2nd. If you have any questions on how the contest works, you can let me know in the comments section below. I hope that lots and lots of people enter!

Not a Good Fit? Excuse Me?

Some time ago, I was told that Lolita was "not a good fit" for me. My reaction? Excuse me? What do you mean "not a good fit?" They proceeded to tell me in the most carefully chosen words that my breasts were too large to fit properly into the fashion and that this was throwing off the proportions. Needless to say, this is absurd. I believe that anyone should be able to wear Lolita fashion, regardless of their size. There is always an option. I wanted to write a blog post about this awhile ago, but I had forgotten to. A friend asked me about options for people who are taller than the average female that want to get into Lolita, and that prompted me to write this article.

Plus Sized Princess

I kind of hate that term for Lolitas who are curvier. Lolita is a Japanese street fashion, and as a result, Japanese brands are made to fit Japanese girls in standard Japanese sizes. Unfortunately, some of us are not this size. In the last few years, Japanese brands have met the demand for different sizes by offering actual sizing options, not one size only. Still, some of us can't fit into the most forgiving of brand pieces. Does that mean you have to give up? Absolutely not. There are plenty of options! Bodyline offers many of their dresses and blouses in sizes up to 4L. Fan+Friend can make a piece to order, you send them your measurements and they make it to that size. However, I have never ordered from Fan+Friend and so I can't say for sure about how accurately they size things. There are also plenty of amateur and professional seamstresses willing to make pieces to order, as well as make pieces of your own design. But that's for another day. There is also an increasing number of replica items that are made to look like popular brand pieces. I'm not saying that I support them or anything, I'm just saying that that is also an option. Finally there's also the option of altering brand pieces to fit. Unless you are an experienced alterations person, I don't recommend doing this by yourself. There's a great community for all this information and so much more, EGL_Plus.

Too Tall?

I don't have this issue in the slightest, so I have far fewer suggestions. Many of the above apply for extra tall people too. Many brands and off-brands have started offering T (for Tall) sizes. This means that the skirt portion is extra long, as far as I understand it. You can also use solid colored underskirts to give you another inch or two at the hem line. These can either be handmade or from a regular shop. Since they're under the regular dress, it doesn't matter much about the design. The peeking bloomers look is also alright, though rarely done right. Other than that, I don't have much advice for tall people.

Remember to be yourself and never to let someone else tell you what you can and cannot be. My own family has told me that lolita makes me look fat before, but I just can't let that get to me. The style is too important to me to allow for other people to influence my choices. As long as you wear things that are comfortable and you like them, that's all that really matters in my book. On a more general note, someone at a con came up to my friend Jen and I after our panel and told us "I really liked the panel! I know I'm not wearing the best of dresses, but I really like it. Now I won't look stupid calling it lolita when it isn't." This is kind of what I'm talking about in a broad sense. Thank you for reading, I hope to be announcing a new giveaway soon!

30 Day Lolita Challenge - Day 5

I skipped a few days, oops! My sister graduated this past weekend, and I seem to have adopted a kitten, so my life has been really crazy recently. But here I am with day 5 of the 30 Day Lolita Challenge: 10 items from your wish list. Now I have the wish list page here up at the top. So those are my top 5. But I'll put 10 other pieces I want for this post. Again, these aren't in any specific order.

1. Kidsyoyo Fairy Doll JSK

I've loved this dress for ages and ages. It has ruching on the sides that allow the dress to change into something completely different. I adore the grey color too. I think I'd coordinate this with black as the secondary color, but it would also look good with pink I think! It's airy and just gorgeous! It's sold by a taboao company called Kidsyoyo, so it's also affordable. Someday, I'll be able to get it.

2. Infanta Spring Whisper Alice

We've had this discussion before. About how I love this dress and this print better than the original. I love this! It would fit very nicely into my wardrobe. It's so beautiful, and it's sort of a classic/sweet style. This one is also sold by a taobao shop, this time it's Infanta. I plan on ordering this dress as soon as I can, preferably at the same time as I order the one above to save on the shipping.

3. Dear Celine Autumn Poodle

Again, Taobao is my favorite thing. This dress! I want it so much! The fabric has a check pattern and poodles scattered all over it. The grey and black and white is pretty much what I already have here. This is more white/grey than I usually go for, but that's okay. It would look great with either a white or black blouse. I especially love the scalloping and black under layer at the bottom. So sweet! I think this is probably a more bittersweet dress than classic. Ugh, I need this.

4. Bodyline Antique Clock OP

More black, white, and grey! The clock print and the argyle print combined makes the dress so classic and perfect. It's listed under dresses (one pieces), but it's more like a jumper with wide straps. Again, a white or black blouse would be fine here. Too bad this is sold out, or else I would have bought it already! I wish there was a matching bow! I also wish it came in brown and brown, it would be perfect for a steampunk-lolita hybrid. I see this dress happening in my near future.

5. AATP Night Fairy Fantasia

When I saw this dress I fell instantly in love. The pirate ship is such a great motif, yet Alice and the Pirates doesn't use it nearly enough. I can't decide on the color I want, either the navy or the black. I haven't seen the full dress in either color, so I'll have to wait to see. It'll be in stock soon at Tokyo Rebel, I'm thinking I may order it in preparation for Otakon. I also want the bag that they make to go with it, but I may have to wait on that until afterwards.

6. School Bag (any brand or off-brand)

The main problem preventing me from wearing lolita to class as often as I'd like to is that I have to take my books and laptop with me. And my backpack isn't exactly the most adorable thing. So I really want one of these bags made for school books! Most brands make them, and now there are even a few replicas on the market. The problem is the cost. For one of these leather bags, it costs almost $200 USD! I can't spend that on one bag! And the used prices aren't much better, between $150 and $175. Durability is also an issue. I definitely don't want to get this gorgeous bag for an insane price and have it get scuffed and scratched on the bus and in my classes. So I'll probably go replica, off-brand, or get a canvas-type.

7. Angelic Pretty Melty Chocolate

Ah Melty Chocolate. Ever since the replica, you've gone down to a somewhat reasonable price. I contemplated purchasing the replica, but in the end, I think I want the real thing. I have nothing against this replica or many others, but this dress was one of the first I loved when I got back into the fashion. I don't know if I'll ever own it, but it sure is nice to dream. It wouldn't fit into my wardrobe at all, and that's okay. I'd make a whole coordinate around it.

8. Angelic Pretty Whimsical Vanilla-Chan

Vanilla-chan is so cute! It's this little white cat with blue eyes. I like this JSK in the purple and the mint, but purple is really something else. I have a Vanilla-chan look alike ring that I got at Ohayocon. But I haven't had any concrete plans to actually purchase it. Even though it's still available on AP's online shop, I don't think I'll get it anytime soon. Why? Again, I'm primarily a kuro/bittersweet lolita and this is very much not in that area of the spectrum. But maybe someday.

I think that's it. I can't think of anything else I want that isn't on my wish list page. They all ended up being jumper skirts, something I wasn't really expecting. But over half this list is made up of off-brand items, making it a rather affordable wish list! Do you want any of these items? Better yet, do you own any of them? Thanks for reading!

Some Changes and Updates to The Elegant Wardrobe

Hey all! It's been a long and hectic week since I've last posted here. I've recently taken in a stray kitten and it's been literally demanding all of my attention. I haven't forgotten about this blog, the 30 Day Challenge, or any of you readers. I've decided to make a few changes based on the recent poll results and the feedback I've gotten from friends and readers alike.

The first major change will be to do away with Coordinate Tuesday as a segment. It's not as popular as I had hoped it would be, and as a result, I'm just going to get rid of it. However, it will be replaced with something I'll be calling "Cute Coordinates." It's along the same lines as coordinate Tuesday, just not limited to Tuesdays. I'll try and do one a week or so, but this way it will be a little more random and I won't feel like I have to get a coordinate out every Tuesday.

Second, I'll be changing how the monthly theme works. Instead of being every month like it has been previously, the themes will be every other month and last for two months. They'll also be more loosely based themes. I may decide to do special months with a very strict theme (like Alice or the princesses months were), but in general the themes will be very loose and open to lots of interpretation. In the future I may decide to do away with it except for special months, but for now I want to have it like this.

I will be continuing the 30 Day challenge as planned, but on a much slower time frame than I had originally intended. I'm looking forward to working on more of those, but right now I don't have time to do as many posts a week as I was doing.

Reader requests are always appreciated! If there's something you'd like to see here, please email me your ideas at theelegantwardrobe@gmail.com! Chances are, you'll see it here! I hope to do another contest soon, this time with some sort of creative component maybe! I now work for an awesome Japanese goods import shop, so my prize options are endless! As always, thank you for reading and I hope to get some more posts up soon!

[EDIT] New background and colors! What do you think? Answer on the poll!

30 Day Lolita Challenge - Day 4

Alright, challenge day 4. I know it's been a few days since the last one, but my goal is just to complete the list, not necessarily in 30 consecutive days. Today's challenge, 10 foods I like. I'm not sure what this has to do with lolita really, but sure, we'll go with this. These are in no particular order.

1. Berries of all kinds

I love berries! They're one of my favorite things about summer! My favorites are blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. My mom actually planted me some berry bushes in the back yard a couple years ago. We get so many tasty berries all summer long. We make pies, jam, and just eat them plain. I especially like blueberries and granola in vanilla yogurt for breakfast.

2. Mussels + Fries

Whaaat? Mussels and french fries?? You must be crazy! WRONG! This is absolutely delicious. It's a popular dish in Belgium. The mussels are really fresh and surprisingly meaty tasting. The fries are twice fried and served with basil mayo. The mussels are available in three different sauces, classic white wine (my favorite), red curry (my sister's favorite), and tomato fennel (it was okay). Then there's plenty of crusty french bread to get all the yummy white wine broth up. YUM.

3. Sushi

Aww yeah, sushi! In addition to running lolita events and panels at cons, my boyfriend and I do

a popular Japanese food panel at our local cons. Sushi is one of my top comfort foods. Whenever I feel sad, I want to eat it and it cheers me up. Not typical, yes. But very tasty. My favorite is salmon, I don't like tuna, eel, or octopus. I actually don't eat anything with a tentacle period. Funny story: when I was in Japan, my host family took my house mate and I out for sushi the first full day we were there. They didn't speak any English, and my house mate didn't know the names of fishes in Japanese. I made sure to learn the good ones before I left, but I was so exhausted, all I could remember was "kappa maki" (cucumber roll). My host family made fun of me the whole time I was there for ordering that.

4. Ice Cream

Ice cream has to be one of my favorite desserts. Nothing beats an ice cream cone on a hot day. Recently, a new ice cream shop opened up near my apartment. They make the absolute best nutella gelato. It's my current favorite. I also like gold metal ribbon (from Baskin Robbins), banana, cake batter, and plain old vanilla.

5. Mille Crepe

This dessert is so cool! It's made by layering thin, buttery crepes with cream and strawberries. You stack and stack and stack and then it turns into this cake thing. You think "ha! I can do that" but it's hard to make 20 crepes the same size, cooked to the same done-ness. If they aren't, the texture of the cake will be all wrong. I found out about this dessert from an anime, Yumeiro Patissere. I wanted one, but I couldn't find one in my town. Then, I went to NYC last summer. You can find pretty much anything there, and sure enough, I got to try it. So so yummy! You can actually mail order them from Lady M Confections in NYC.

6. Crab Burger

Another weird one! It's like an extra thick crab cake that's cooked and then put on a bun. I like to get avocado, arugula, and garlic mayo on mine. It's a really different burger to get. I don't like meat too much, so this is a great alternative. I do eat regular burgers from time to time, but I love me some crab burger. The crab is creamy and, well, crabby. The outside is crispy. The avocado is creamy and fresh, and the arugula is peppery and earthy. If you can get one in your area, you have to try it!

7. My mom's mac & cheese

So my mom is pretty awesome. Not only is she fun, plays video games, and is really nice to everybody (unless you make her mad, like the lady in the grocery store), but she's also a crazy good cook. She made pasta from scratch the other night!! She can bake, cook, make bread, she's made ice cream, but my favorite thing she makes is mac and cheese. She uses three or four different types of cheese, and some smokey paprika. Then she puts bread crumbs on it and bakes it. It's melty and cheesy and smokey, oh so tasty!

8. Curry

My mom also makes curry. Curry is the best thing to eat when you're sick. It's spicy and warm, which soothes a sore throat. The spicy clears your sinuses. At least that's me. Chicken curry is my favorite. Curry comes in all sorts of forms, Indian, Japanese, Thai, Pakistani, the list goes on. I love Japanese curry with potatoes over rice, but I also love Indian curry with cauliflower and potatoes. I also love Thai curry with chicken and pineapples. I'm so torn between them all, they're all so tasty. The picture is of Japanese curry rice. I know it looks sort of... off, but trust me, it's delicious.

9. Pulled Pork BBQ

Ah, my southern roots show. I was born in Alabama, and both my parents grew up in the south. As a result, their families live down there and my childhood summers were spent road tripping from PA to Florida. On the way, we'd stop at this place, Sonny's BBQ, without fail. I love pulled pork, ribs, cole slaw, hush puppies, fried green tomatoes, the whole shabang. Now, we stop sometimes at Sonny's, and now there's Rib Country in my life. Oh how I miss it.

10. Meat Pizza

This is not your average meat pizza. This pizza has prosciutto on it, the king of all meat. It's covered in this salty prosciutto, with shaved parmesan which is creamy and salty. Then it's topped with fresh arugula. It's a white pizza, so it's not got any tomato sauce on it. It is so so good! The crust is thin and crispy, and there's good olive oil and garlic on there too. Best. Pizza. Ever.

I'm not sure what this really had to do with lolita, but it's sure been fun writing about my favorite foods. I'm quite passionate about cooking and quality foods. In fact, I almost decided to write a food blog. I'd love to go to pastry school and learn to make all the most amazing cakes and baked goods. Writing this made me so hungry though. What's your favorite food? Does it have anything to do with lolita fashion? I hope to get lots of comments about your favorite foods!