Simple and Clean

9:37pm: I am so full of hate today.

9:57pm: The Terror
I personally find this to be an intersting question, seeing as lolita does seem to have some uncertain origens (I actually never thought about this before).

I'm going to agree with another poster that largely these 'rules' do come from a collective opinion. A lot of the more restrictive aspects, however, I believe originate from the need for lolitas to distinguish themselves from people wearing costumes and to actually become a genuine fashion. Yes, it is a luxury fashion, but let's list some luxury fabrics: silk, satin, chiffon--the list goes on, but the first thing that comes to most anyone's mind are the /shiny/ ones, because shiny for a large part equals money. Yet lolita rejects shiny on an almost exclusive basis, no matter the quality. You could say this is because young Victorian maidens didn't wear such fabrics, but they did, even if not on a daily basis. Again, this is something I believe that originated from the need to distinguish lolita from cosplay. Many costumes, particularly cheap, badly done, store-bought ones, are made from cheap shiny fabrics. Ergo, shiny is bad. Ergo, lolita, to be good, must not use shiny fabric. It's a legit position, especially in the face of all the very poor quality maids outfits in this world, but at the same time, for those of us who dearly love our silks, rather annoying. Another origen of this could be that lolita is expensive, often hideously so. Who wants to advertise that they're wearing $700 worth of clothing while walking down the street? Cotton and more dull fabrics underplay this, which actually might help keep lolitas safe. Not to mention that they are washable, which most silks aren't.

Actually, I have heard the rule about ankle socks and leg warmers a number of times, and I do find it a bit silly. It really depends on the shape of the leg. Some legs look horrible in knee socks, others look great, and some really can't hold their own unless they've got the bulk of legwarmers. In general, though, knee socks fit the middle spectrum very well and it is a fairly good guidline for those just beginning and who haven't really begun to examine the small details yet when the big ones are so pressing.

Just to get back to the original question, the 'rules' of lolita, it's probably been a collective trial and error process with an extra-large dose of media and brand prompting. It also probably stems from the fact that by dressing in lolita, one is essentially setting oneself apart from society, which is hard, no matter how much one loves a fashion or claims that other's opinions don't matter. Therefore, following a set of guidelines can give comfort to the lone lolita in a town of 10,000, to know that there are girls all over the world who scorn ankle socks in favor of knee-highs, and all the rest of the guidelines cum 'rules.' Hence why communities like EGL thrive--because it gives those who may feel a little on the outside sometimes a chance to come together and talk about things like panniers without having to first explain what they are. Hence why it absolutely sucks to be shot down on one's very first attempt by more 'advanced' members.

Anyway, that's just my two cents, sorry that it was so long. I do find this interesting though, and hearing what other people have to say is fascinating, even if I don't agree with a large part of it. So thanks for asking this question!

***

And now I'm really fucking pissed that you deleated that post. Maybe that's why no one posts anything but questions and art these days--because they're terrified of being shut down. Like that was. Listen to yourselves for a moment. You wonder, but there's no reason to. Are you blind and deaf?

11:43am: Why being a commissioner doesn't pay.
Okay, so there's this costume you want. It's a great costume. It's lovely. But on the internet, you've seen the used costumes of it listed for $100. $100! For a used costume! This is obviously a rip-off. Therefore you send an email to a commissioner, saying you want it done for $60.

One of three things are going to happen:
1. The commissioner will politely email you back saying that this is far too low, but they'd take it for, say, $160 or somewhere thereabouts.
2. The commissioner will take the commission and two months later you will get a seriously crappy costume, which is what you can make for $60 worth of effort.
3. The commissioner uses this email as an amusing joke when talking to his or her friends and you never hear another thing.

Okay, this is not a rant on commissioners. It's a rant on people who commission things. If you commission things, read this, and read it carefully.

If you are looking to commission something, it is most likely because you can't sew. You find sewing too difficult, the start-up materials too costly, whatever, but at any rate, you'd rather pay than make this outfit by yourself. And yet you deem it so simple that you won't pay your seamstress/seamster/tailor sufficiently?

Sewing does not seem hard, I know. You buy fabric and a pattern, you cut it out on the dotted lines, then sew 'em up. Not hard, right?

Well, sortof. Making a panneled skirt with no pleats is not hard, admittedly. However, that assumes that one has a pattern. Also, it assumes that plain old cotton or cotton/poly is being used. It also assumes there are no buttons, frills, or anything annoying involved, and that your hem is being machine stitched, not hand done. And that you are the same size as one of the sizes on the pattern package. And did I mention that pattern package sizes don't actually match up to the pieces in reality?

Sure, $60 is a lot when you're talking ice cream, or hair brushes, or paper clips. But clothing? Think about the stuff you buy at the store, and no, I don't mean Wal*Mart. Let's talk Macy's, or JC Penny's, or something along those lines. We're not even going to get into Gap or something like that. How much does it cost for you to buy a full outfit there, factory made, with a thousand just like it available all over the country? I mean the whole gimmick, shirt, shoes, socks, pants, maybe a bra or a hat. Chances are, unless you're shopping some pretty nice sales, you're in over $60. Yet somehow a custom-made outfit hand-crafted to uniquely fit you isn't worth any more than that?

If you are asking for a commission, chances are that the costume you have in mind includes at least three of the following annoying things:

Annoying thing #1: There is no pattern available that does not need significant modification to become your costume. I'm not just talking a zipper instead of buttons; I'm talking new lines of trim not included in the pattern, linings, hoods, modified collars, asymetric cuts, difficult materials--the whole, complicated shebang. (For reference, sailor collar patterns are rare and are most often hand-drafted)

Annoying thing #2: The exact color that this whole thing needs to be instructed in is not carried at a local fabric store and so the commissioner knows that he or she will be searching far and wide for it.

Annoying thing #3: There is some physically impossible aspect to this costume that could be figured out with a couple hundred dollars extra budget, but as is, probably won't be.

Annoying thing #4: There is either painting involved or some sort of trim application that just has to be done by hand. And takes hours.

Annoying thing #5: The person needing this costume is not one of the shapes on the back of the pattern and therefore significant modification is needed to make the pattern fit, involving a dress dummy and pinning for several hours.

Annoying thing #6: This costume is on a tight deadline and must be finished by then.

Annoying thing #7: There is something not on this list that no one saw coming and it is insanity itself. Things like mascot costumes in general fall under this category. Having to draft an entire pattern by hand does too. Other things also do; they are annoying.

Yes, potential cosplay commissioner, I am talking to you and your costume. Your costume probably has one of those things. In fact, in my experience, it will have at least three of them. The most difficult costume I ever compeleted had all seven, and was a wool coat fully lined in silk with ten rows of trim that had to be pinned down and then sewn on using six rows of stitching apiece, taking two hours per row of trim. Let it suffice to say that the material alone cost more than $60.

That's another reason that commissions cost what they do: materials. Fabric is not cheap. It just isn't, and the more complicated your costume is, in general, the more fabric it requires. Yards and yards and yards of it, and if you buy the good stuff, the price goes up pretty quickly. Then you go to trim. You want your circle skirt's hem to be trimmed with lace? That's four yards of trim right there, and at $3 a yard, $12. Not to mention your skirt was a couple yards of fabric.

Also, I've gotten a lot of emails in my time about lolita clothing in particular saying 'this is $120 in stores but can you make it cheaper?' The answer is: yes, I can, but no, I won't. If a store is selling it for $120, first of all, that means that some factory needs to charge that much to make a profit. Second of all, my recreating it without any changes would mean that I was stealing intellectual property, which not only isn't nice, but is illegal. Not to mention insults my intelligence as a commissioner by implying that I cannot simply base my ideas on that and come up with a new design specially created for you. This is not to say that making reproductions isn't difficult and that by creating a cosplay I am not copying someone else's design, but a cosplay is a drawing that I am making 3D. A copy is just that: a copy. And no, I'm not going to do it for $120.

Also, let's talk deadlines. You just found out that you're going to a convention in three weeks. If you are deciding you need to cosplay at that point, either a) you will be paying an obscene amount, or, more likely, b) you won't be buying a custom commission this time around. When making a costume, a commissioner must not only make it, but budget time for collecting materials, cutting it out (half the battle right there), time for unexpected problems to come up, time for you to pay, and time for the costume to arrive to you. Most people wanting something on short notice realize the parels. If you didn't, you just learned them.

Another problem: customers who have trouble paying. If you are commissioning a costume, have your money ready. Don't buy manga with it; don't go on vacation with it. Keep it ready, saved up and available. Don't be the person who needs two extra weeks to pay, unless you and your commissioner agreed on a certain date and the commissioner finished two weeks early. Otherwise, you should have that money beforehand, not after. Commissioners have bills to pay too, you know. Also, you will be paying for your own shipping, and most likely paypal fees as well. These things are expensive and really have little to do with the commissioner. Budget for them as well.

I've only skimmed the surface here. Each costume presents its own series of challenges and insanities, be they very physically difficult aspects, or simply something that takes hours of mindless handwork. Either way, the point is this:

Pay your commissioner well. Why? Because they deserve it. After all, you didn't want to do this thing, did you? So pay up. Chances are your commissioner isn't working for minimum wage anyway.

11:42am: Girls In Glass Houses
Girls live in glass houses,
placed there by social convention
and cultural binds.
There, they can look out
and see what of the world is placed in front of them.
They can be examined
and watched
and cared for in tranquility
and safety.
A glass house,
a beautiful bell jar,
for every single girl.
But girls in glass houses
must be careful.
Girls in glass houses
musn't throw stones.
When stones are thrown,
glass breaks,
and wind and rain and sweet fresh air rush in.
These things are not good for girls.
Wind makes them cold,
rain ruins their clothes,
and a taste of freedom looses their hearts
and makes them long
for what they cannot have,
not unless they throw so many stones
that the house comes crashing down.
But with no walls, girls are left vulnerable.
They have not the skills or the knowledge
to defend their own lives.
Girls in glass houses don't need such things.
Girls without such protection are rare.
Girls in glass houses ought not to throw stones.
And yet, when they are sitting in their glass houses,
perhaps it is too terrifying to wait,
not knowing of the future,
or the world.
Not knowing anything except those allowed to peer in at them,
and watch as they sleep.
Not having control of their own lives.
Maybe some girls
would rather be free than safe.
Mayhaps a stone or two is worth the risk.
Watch the girls
in their clear glass houses.
Watch the ones who watch back too sharply.
Check if they have stones.
If they do, beware,
for girls who leave their glass houses
are a force to be reckoned with indeed.

12:55am: Crossed Paths Chapter 1
Title: Crossed Paths
Rating: PG-15
Summary: Do you believe in fate? Chase doesn't. Remus used to.
Time period: December 1981
Warnings: Slash, non-graphic sexual situations and violence, language