I have a soft spot for Gothic Lolita style, partly because I've been to Japan twice, and partly because it's so unique and boundary-pushing. I also love the fact that it combines so many different concepts: fantasy, punk, cosplay, goth, and so on. And though it's not really a look I'd want to try out in its entirety, there are elements of it that I can incorporate into my daily wear, such as this dress. Actually I'd call it more of a jumper, since it really is designed to be worn over a shirt.
I ordered this jumper from Fanplusfriend, a company that specializes in all sorts of fun Gothic Lolita styles, as well as cosplay costumes and a lot of steampunk looks as well. All of the clothing is very reasonably priced, they can custom fit just about any of their items, and there are different options available for fabrics. The fabric I selected for this dress is called "tender fleece," something I hadn't heard of but which turned out to be similar in texture to a cotton twill. It has a nice drape and weight, and resists wrinkling.
Because it was custom fit, the dress did take several weeks to arrive (I'm assuming it was also due to the fact that I placed my order before Halloween, which is likely an extremely busy time for them). But I'm quite happy with how it turned out, and it fits beautifully. Worn over a button-down shirt and belted, it has less of a schoolgirl vibe and to me works perfectly well as a workday outfit. If you're interested in adding some Gothic Lolita or steampunk elements to your wardrobe for not a lot of money, I'd say give Fanplusfriend a try.Shirt: thrifted
Dress/jumper: Fanplusfriend
Belt: Red Dress Shoppe
Boots: All Black
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14 comments:
I love that dress - it's not too little-girly, but has that fun steampunk edge. Standouts: the buttons, the buckles and the laces at the back. Also, not too short!
The striped shirt under it is the perfect counterpoint.
I think I just fell in love with this jacket.
I love the pinafore-ness of the dress combined with the dungaree elements.
Love the dress/jumper! :)
-Mia
http://miafied.blogspot.com
I've been in love with FanplusFriend for years. I've heard very varied feedback on custom sizing though. I'm glad to hear you had a good experience. I've got a jacket by them on my wishlist.
I adore your jumper. It's got a great versatile shape.
This is a great dress! The layering and the belt do make it professional but still very edgy. My kid sis is big on cosplay and Japanese street style. I'll have to send her over to this retailer for her graduation dress!
When I first heard the term "Gothic Lolita" I laughed out loud with delight.
Love it....the shirt is super spot on with the jumper.
Hot off the press - we finally have a Fluevog distributor in New Zealand! Squeeee!
You look great in that jumper! It seems more German/Scandinavian to me, but wonderful all the same!
That dress does, indeed, fit BEAUTIFULLY! Gotta love custom jobs.
This right here is how I want to dress. Every day. All the time.
You look fantastic.
Nice blog post, thanks for sharing this. We are also the Japan based cosplay costume manufacturers.
Megan Mae: From my experiences with sizing issues in my Etsy shop, I suspect that at least some of the people who have had fit problems simply didn't measure themselves correctly. When you can't go to the shop in person for a fitting it becomes extra important to take careful measurements, and people can be really sloppy with it and then complain that the shop made a mistake. Just a theory.
Lovely outfit!
Just a thought - have you considered wearing that belt back to fron with it? The details of the belt would allow the eye to follow down the laces of the dress/jumper, and would leave the front button or studs to carry the front.
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