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nuzzle · 8 months

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how do you manage your style when its really hot outside?

this is such a fun question!! i don't do well with heat at all, so i have a bunch of suggestions for wearing lolita when it's hot and humid.. some of which may be a bit obvious, but hopefully they'll be of some help for you!

i'll include my full answer under this "read more" cut because i think it'll get a bit lengthy.

choosing your outfit

as for your clothes, avoid fabrics and materials like polyester and velveteen when the weather is hot. polyester tends to trap heat underneath it, and velveteen is far too thick and heavy. it's better to opt for breathable cotton and thinner materials like chiffon. i especially recommend cotton bloomers.

short sleeve blouses, cutsews, tank tops, or short sleeve OP are better for keeping cool. many people are against the "blouseless/showing shoulders" rule, but it's more of a guideline.. if you're not throwing every guideline out the window at once, it still reads as lolita.. especially when the weather is extreme and permits it! a JSK without a blouse could definitely work and look great when coorded mindfully. i personally find that JSK with detailed straps and a babydoll cut look the best if you intend on going blouseless.

a more layered petticoat is a lot hotter and stuffier in the heat, a more casual poof will keep you cooler.. though a hoopskirt will be best for avoiding contact with your skin (not a fan of these personally, but they do work!)

ankle socks and UTK will be a lot more manageable than OTK. you could even ditch socks altogether if you have a good pair of sandals that suit your coord!

if you have thick or long hair, it'll always be better to style it by putting it up instead of leaving it down. you should plan this accordingly for the type of style you're going for. for example, twin tails tend to be cute for sweet and sometimes old school substyles, while updo hairstyles would suit classic more.

planning your day

i recommend planning your day around a place indoors that will have AC, and also finding transportation with it.

absolutely limit your walking! walking a few blocks is fine, but if you're doing more than a minimal amount of walking you should definitely be taking breaks in between.

before leaving the house

sunscreen!! protect your skin from the sun, don't forget your hands, face and neck.

absolutely don't skip deodorant if you're someone who sweats!!

if you have hair that doesn't do well in the humidity, use anti frizz products. if your hair gets messy, falls apart, and doesn't hold a style.. use a hair styling stick!! i can't recommend this enough for those who have bangs. doesn't have to be these products exactly, these are just what i use.

i apply one pump of olaplex on the ends of my hair (like the bottom 7 inches of it or so) while it's wet and gently massage it in. i spray the IGK good behavior spray all over very generously, but especially around my bangs and the roots of my hair. once my hair is dry and styled, i spray a bit of hair spray and lightly brush through. to completely set it, i apply this &honey matomake stick to my bangs (brush through like it's mascara) you can use a lot, it doesn't make them oily at all.. totally makes them stay in place for a long time. if you have very unruly bangs, i suggest using it on the underside of your bangs as well.

if you wear makeup, be sure that you're prepping your skin properly beforehand with skincare suited to your skin type and a good summer proof primer and setting it after with a reliable setting spray. opt for waterproof products if you sweat often!

things to carry with you

if you're going to be in the sun, a parasol will help out tremendously. make sure it's one with a UV cut effect for the best results. my go to one is the "frill millefeuille umbrella" by angelic pretty!

always take water with you!! be sure that you're drinking often.

i take a foldable fan with me. you just charge it overnight with a USB and throw it in your purse when it's time to go. it also doubles as a charging battery for your phone and a flashlight! looks small and wimpy but it has two settings and the more powerful one definitely makes a difference.

touch ups

a big part about going out in the heat wearing lolita is upkeep and touch ups, especially if you're going to be out of the house for a long time. personally, i carry around these items.. but you should of course tailor this to exclude products you don't think you'll need, everyone's different!

a mirror travel size mini dry shampoo (great for extra long days in the heat, especially if your bangs tend to get oily quick, while the rest of your hair doesn't) foldable comb (bang touch ups) blotting sheets (i have combination skin and my T zone gets oily quite fast in the summer. amazing for your forehead, since it's touching your bangs and could be making them oily quicker) compact powder puff (makeup touch ups)

#this is just off the top of my head so i might have forgotten some LOL #and sorry for the late answer!!#asks #lolita resources #lolita fashion #egl

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jennkitty · 11 months

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Anime North 2023 wrap up! It was pretty hot as the weekend went on but I decided chiffon sleeves are ok enough for the coverage. We are talking about mid to high 20s but I tried to stay inside a lot.

Friday was Innocent World classic nun look, mostly to vibe with the panel we did on classic Lolita.

Saturday was wa Lolita with non Lolita designer items featuring the Vivienne Westwood corset and the Maison Margiela shoes. Main panel was the one we did on cultural accents to the panel.

Sunday was easy op because I’m tired by this day. We talked about shopping!

Overall it was a good con, I kept hydrated and ate a lot of onigiri.

#anime north 2023 #lolita fashion #me #innocent world #wa lolita #gothic lolita #personal #moi meme moitie #vivienne westwood #maison margiela

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ange-la-ange-ootd · 1 year

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Similar to the previous outfit but slightly more EGL.

Charming Dot OP - Angelic Pretty triple buckle corset belt - Listen Flavor boots - Demonia Anise choker - Creepyyeha It’s Frickin Bats earrings - Kikay star ring- Holley Tea Time

[ID: A casual black and red gothic lolita coordinate. The main piece is a black chiffon layer dress with a polka dot flocking pattern. The dress has a square collar with lace trim, semi-transparent sleeves, and three velvet bows on the sleeves and bodice with faux pearl details. It’s paired with a corset style belt, burgundy tights, and black platform boots. The accessories include a black O ring choker and a white iridescent star ring.]

#egl fashion #gothic lolita fashion #gothic lolita #angelic pretty #jfashion #fashion #ootd #outfit #black x red #alt fashion #yamikawaii #vk anime vampire coords

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pa-stella · 1 year

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Lolita Fashion and 2Gumi!

| Leaders ⁜ 2Gumi ⁜ 3Gumi |

Yamada Jiro // M.C. M.B.

Funny wardrobe with shorter main pieces. Denim, bxw plaids and music details. Main pieces from left to right: BTSSB OP (BTSSB), Bunny College Seaside Set (AP), Candy Denim Skirt (AP), Prairie Rose Plaisir Marche Denim JSK (Meta), Marching Frill Skirt (Putumayo), Switching Low Waist JSK (AP), Guitar Print Check Pleated Skirt (Putumayo), Nursery Tartan Salopette (AP). Special mention to the Jane Marple Baseball Jacket because of that J.

Aimono Jyushi // 14thMoon

Gothic leaning wardrobe featuring mostly black, violet and gold. A few moon and bats details hidden in dresses and accessories. Main pieces from left to right: Sleeping Garden Lace Up Long JSK (MmM), Gathered Chiffon JSK and Headdress Set -San Francisco limited edition- (AATP), Sweet Devil JSK (AATP), Angelica JSK Set (Meta), Star Touring Pirate Ship and the Boundary Between the Sky and the Sea JSK II (AATP), Vampire Doll OP (AATP).

Iruma Jyuto // 45 Rabbit

Simple wardrobe with leather elements and rabbit themed accessories. Main pieces from left to right: Godo JSK (Miho Matsuda), Synthetic Leather Birdcage Skirt (MmM), Sylvie OP (Atelier Boz), Ribbon Mini Skirt (Meta), Cross Rose Synthetic Leather JSK (MmM), Escape ~Captive Rabbit in a Moonlit Night~ Skirt (AATP), Bird Cage JSK (AATP). Special mention to: Labyrinth Police Blouse.

Tsutsujimori Rosho // WISDOM

Tartan, plaid and houndstooth fabrics with lavender details and subtle school-related accessories. Main pieces from left to right: Original Tartan Check Babydoll JSK and Princess Drop Headdress Set (BTSSB), Campus Skirt (AP), Elegant Bisque OP (AP), Mode Girl Bustier and Skirt (AP), Hydrangeas in Reminiscence ~Melody Dedicated to You~ JSK I (AATP), Alice's Cards Lace Tartan Check Pleated Skirt (AATP), Cute Candy Check OP (AP).

Yumeno Gentaro // PHANTOM

Black, blue and gray for a simple wardrobe with clean lines. Lace to a minimum, capes and longer cuts. Main pieces from left to right: Amy Rose JSK with Cape (VM), Circular Sailor OP (IW), Hakama Pleated Wide Pants (AATP), Priere Cape OP (Sheglit), Elegance Lady Long Skirt (VM), Witches' Tea Party Overdress (VM), Fiore Long Skirt (Atelier Boz), Christina JSK (VM).

Izanami Hifumi // GIGOLO

Rich wardrobe with roses, pearls and perfumes details. A little inspired by old himegyaru trends. Main pieces from left to right: Little Lady Camellia Set (BTSSB), Rose Toilette JSK (AP), Cosmetics Skirt (AP), Le Poupee Mariee Reveuse Dress Set (BTSSB), Dreamy Perfume JSK (AP), Perfume Bottle Mini Skirt (Meta), Fall In Love With The Sweet Magic Of Scent Perfume JSK (BTSSB).

#hypnosis mic #lolita fashion #jiro yamada #jyushi aimono #rosho tsutsujimori #gentaro yumeno #jyuto iruma #hifumi izanami #hypmic #i had so many ideas for jyushi #and settled for the safest option #you can clearly see i was inspired by ew02 and ew03 for gentaro #head full too many thoughts

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allaboutthatlace · 3 years

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Angelic Pretty - Chiffon Bow-Tie Standing Collar OP (2007) in Pink, White, Red and Black

#angelic pretty #lolita fashion #sweet lolita #old school lolita #gothic lolita #Chiffon Bow-Tie Standing Collar #op #2007 #pink #white #red #black

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apple-salad · 4 years

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Feels like it’s been a while since I wore/posted pure classic lolita!

I wore this outfit for an outing alone to an art museum. It was a weird feeling since I usually don’t go out and do things alone, so I had to do my best and pose awkwardly in front of my phone’s self timer propped somewhere, as well as ask random people for photos...I had a good time overall though.

This jacket is a recent acquisition and is so beautiful I felt I had to wear it! I never considered owning it before, to be honest, but when it came up for sale I really internalized that the design is very 18th century inspired and that took my heart. The cut is really flattering and it’s beautifully made, so I don’t regret it at all, thankfully!

OP, Jacket, bag: Mary Magdalene Socks, necklace: Angelic Pretty Shoes: Fluevog Hair comb: Henriette (Japanese indie brand)

#lolita fashion #classic lolita #mary magdalene #angelic pretty #fluevog #henriette #john fluevog #baroque caravaggio #Madeleine Chiffon #madeleine chiffon op #daily coordinate

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pintucksandruffles · 6 years

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Innocent World - Doll Chiffon OP (2010) in Wine, Green, Brown and Black

#iw #innocent world #classic lolita #lolita fashion #fashion #doll chiffon #op #2010 #wine #green #brown #black

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petticunt · 2 years

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Old School Staples Part 1: The Main Piece

Reposted from my serious blog [HERE]

Old School Lolita as a Time Period

Old School Lolita as a period in lolita history runs from the 1990s to about 2006 at the earliest and 2008 at the latest. Old School during this period is not a substyle as it is now, but just how people wore and styled lolita and encompassed all the substyles. 2006-2009 is a transitional period between the old way of styling lolita and the mergence of the 2010’s sweet style that was often much more OTT and print focused.

Here are examples of coords from this period ranging from what we think of as “Old School” style to sweet!

Old School Lolita as a Lolita Substyle

Old School Lolita as a substyle has become really popular over the past couple years. This substyle seeks to recreate the feel and look of early lolita. It is not the same as classic lolita or styling Old School pieces in modern ways. There are some very distinctive traits to the substyle based on trying to recreate the look based on trends of the 1990s to mid 2000s. For some Old School purists, the Old School substyle should seek to emulate this time period as accurately as possible down to make up and using primarily vintage pieces. For me, Old School Lolita, doesn’t have to be constrained by using pieces from that time frame. Finding those pieces can be rather expensive, time consuming, and often they are not as size inclusive. Luckily there are more recent pieces and rereleases of older pieces that work for Old School which are more inclusive and cost friendly.

Now let’s break down an Old School coord into it’s pieces through a series looking in depth at each element used in lolita coords. In part one we’ll be looking at main pieces such as OP, JSK, and skirts.

The Main Piece

Old School Lolita is not constrained to a limited color palette of black and white. It includes florals, tartans, pastels, solids, simple prints. The important thing with your main piece is to make sure it fits the general silhouette or motifs of early lolita. The material of your main piece is important since chiffon and polyester were not commonly used until the 2010s. Most of the material for main pieces were made out of cotton, velveteen, or gobelin. The most commonly used laces weren’t net laces like we see on 2010s releases but rather torchon, cluny, and occasionally raschel. Dresses were lower poof than giant cupcake silhouette. Full shirring, partial shirring in the front of the bodice, elasticated long sleeves, detachable sleeves, and corset lacing were much more common. The complexity of the dresses come from primarily details like pintucks, ruffles, lace, scalloped hems and other construction techniques.

These are dresses and skirts that are modern and/or rereleases of Older Pieces that would work for old school styling:

And these are that don’t really quite work.

Bodyline Glossy dress jumper skirt (L330)

This bodyline jsk would be very tempting to use as a main piece due the face it’s only about $50, but I personally would avoid using this for Old School coords since it’s made from a glossy polyester which wasn’t really a common choice of material during the old school time period. The giant bow at the waist also reads more late 2000s to me but if you removed it, it would have been an good option if it were made from a cotton.

Rose Milk Candy Old School Lolita Dress

Devilinspired sponsered ads on my instragram keeps shoving this in my face and I don’t even know where to begin. How about here:

Old School… more like old school milanooo. While it does have some features that are shared with old school lolita appropriate dresses like ladder lace and ruffles, the silhouette isn’t really there and there’s elements you really wouldn’t have seen during the Old School period. Granted there are a bunch of weird releases from that period, but nothing looks like this. First off the bodice just screams maid costume. In the old school street snaps and ads, there are corsets and waist cinchers but you typically saw them more commonly in Elegant Gothic Aristocratic coords. They also didn’t super accentuate the waist to get the cupcake silhouette that this dress has. They were there as decoration or in the case of Vivienne Westwood style bustiers, cool pieces that were also status symbols. Aprons wore worn in lolita more commonly tended to wrap around the body or be straight up pinafores like with the BTSSB heart apron instead of just being a panel in the front.

Lolita ops still today very rarely have low cut or open backs which also is another reason why I would personally steer clear of this OP for anything but a maid costume. The BTSSB heart apron has had a ton of rereleases including one this year! If you’re looking for a cute apron themed dress or skirt I would look for that one instead of whatever this monstrosity is. If you just chopped off the bodice… it could have been a decent skirt for old school… but the bodice just ruins everything.

Speaking of heart aprons, here’s a few Taobao releases that have the heart bodice which are super cute but I wouldn’t style in an old school manner.

Complex Printed or embroidered designs beyond a simple logo on the heart part of a heart apron/pinafore started to appear in the 2010s and is a more sweet motif. Detaching the Heart from the Big Cherry JSK does result in a jsk that can be used in Old School cords if worn with a smaller petticoat so it’s a very versatile piece! Eyelet lace wasn’t as commonly seen, but it was sometimes used in older pieces as trim. I have a Heart E skirt that has eyelet lace as the trim of the hem.

The Bowknot Mori Scotland Yard JSK is another one that might seem tempting to use in Old School because it is a tartan. However this one reads much more punk with the lace up heart, buttons, and large side bows. The heart is detachable but even detaching the heart, the resulting JSK is not something I’d personally us for Old School because the bows are just so large compared to similar releases with side bows from 1990s to 2000s.

And one final example of a JSK that I would not use in a Old School coord.

Angelic Pretty Flower Vacation JSK

This jsk has some things that we see in Old School, lower poof with more of an a-line silhouette, the lace that appears to be either chemical or torchon, ladder lace, and a simple print. However, this dress compared to other florals seen in the Old School time period has a major difference — the use of net lace and voile as trims. Moving some of the bows to be more situated around the skirt instead of up and down the dress would also give it more of an old school look. But overall, this really isn’t one that could be salvaged to work in an Old School coord because of the use of modern materials with out taking the scissors to the dress.

Summary

Things you want to look for in a main piece for Old School coords:

Low poof silhouette that is more a-line than cupcake

Fabrics: cottons (including twill), gobelin, or velveteen

Laces: Cluny, Torchon, ladder lace, and Raschel

Prints/Patterns: Solid colors, florals, very simple prints, tartans, and/or plaids

Detailing: Pintucks, ruffles, shirring, corset lacing, smaller bows, and/or scalloped hems

Things to avoid:

High poof silhouette that is very cupcake

Fabrics: shiny/glossy polyesters and chiffons

Laces: Net laces and anything that seems really crunchy or cheap

Prints/Patterns: Highly detailed prints (i.e. things like sugary carnival, cherry berry bunny, kumya’s marine island)

I recommend flipping through some old street snaps on Lolita History Gallery to see the wide range of styles that existed in the Old School Era and for ideas about what you’d like your main pieces to look like.

#lolita fashion #old school lolita #lolita community #jfashion #style guide

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20dollarlolita · 3 years

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Pattern Review: CUT/SEW 016 Lolita Victorian One Piece Sewing Pattern

CUT/SEW is a very small patternmaking company that released a few lolita patterns. I bought one, and here's my review. I've rewritten this review several times because I keep having issues staying neutral, so we're going to start out with the questions that patternreview.com asks, and then I'll add my main personal issues with this at the end.

Pattern Description:

A lolita fashion staple, this one piece dress (OP) is meant to be customized with fabric choice and trim to fit your favorite style or subculture. It includes a pleated yoke, no closures, and an extremely gathered skirt for a full babydoll silhouette. Mix and match fabrics like chiffons and charmeuse on the sleeves and bodice for an extra elegant look. For maximum fullness, we recommend a petticoat with this dress.

From the CUT/SEW website.

So, there's two descriptors of this garment, and "lolita" and "victorian" are both things that don't describe this garment. CUT/SEW has more than once said that they're an American company making J-Fashion inspired patterns, but slapping a couple of "inspired" into this descriptor could really go a long way. Someone buying your product should have that information available to them on the item page, not deep in the brand's official instagram stories from 18 months ago.

Pattern Sizing:

The sizing of this pattern confuses me. The instructions do not provide any finished garment measurements. The envelope itself does not provide any sizing guidelines; that has to be downloaded off their site. Once you go through the "size calculator" on their site, which isn't a calculator as much as a list of sizing options, you'll see that there's no vertical measurements listed at all. Maybe I'm just too tall for this pattern? We won't know, because no one has posted that information.

In addition, this pattern calculator includes a waist and hip measurement, but the waist and hip measurements of the actual garment are about as free-size as you can get. It doesn't matter if my waist measurement is larger than my hip or bust measurement, because it doesn't matter on the garment at all. Why are they listed there, when the only measure that matters in this list of measurements is the bust? That just serves to confuse new sewers and help them make bad decisions.

Does it look like the photo/drawing on the envelope once you were done sewing it?

Yeah, here's my beef: based on the CUT/SEW website, there is no way to tell what this pattern is actually supposed to look like. Their model is obscuring the details of the dress with the pose. Someone decided that only one picture of the sample garment was needed, instead of posting a front and back image in addition to their model pose. The fashion illustration shows the yoke to be going down below the bustline, but the actual pattern has it fall above the bustline (which is in line with the site description calling it a yoke). Their technical illustration is nice-looking, but it's not a proper fashion flat. I really cannot fault a company for not making a technically correct fashion flat when they're this size, but the fact is that this flat does not communicate the proper proportioning of the finished garment. This would be completely acceptable if there were three more pictures of the test garment.

I've measured the pattern and I've measured my garment, and it's the length that the pattern dictates that it should be. My garment does not look like the pattern.

We're not going to complain that the model isn't styled in a lolita way. They're just there to show the garment, not to enter a coordinate contest. However, we are going to complain that the only image they have of this garment does not actually show you the garment.

Were the instructions easy to follow?

The instructions were an ABSOLUTE DREAM to follow. I'm not joking. They are the best newbie-friendly instructions that I've read from any pattern in my life. Everything is worded clearly. The diagrams are useful. It has helpful advice for new sewers. They were, undeniably, fantastic. No only is a new sewer going to be able to follow these instructions, but they will finish the project with more information about how to sew than they had when they started the project.

There is one part where the instructions say to press the tucks towards the center of the yoke, and the pattern is made for them to be pointed away from the center (the proper way, btw). Since the instructions are DLC and don't actually ship with the pattern, this would be an easy fix on CUT/SEW's part if they would like to correct that.

Also, one of the pattern pieces has completely incorrect instructions on it. You can tell, both by the fact that the place on fold symbol is lined up with the resizing lines (which is a patterning no no) and by the fact that it's upside-down relative to the rest of the pieces, that this was a change that was made after the pattern was already completed. It's also also incorrect instructions. If you cut the collar like this, you will not be able to complete the collar. You will be two front pieces short and have a collar 8" too long for the neck hole. All that is required is to label this "cut 4" instead of "cut 2 on fold" and the whole thing would be perfect. Also, since the instructions are an additional download, again, it would be easy for them to modify the PDF to warn people that a piece might be misprinted. When your goal is to make something for new sewers, you owe it to them to make sure your pattern will not stop them from making the garment. That needs to be part of your dedication to helping your client base, especially when your client base is paying money for your product.

Also, there are NO NOTCHES at all, except to mark the yoke. There are no sleeve notches. There is no center back notch. There are NO SLEEVE NOTCHES. Notches don't make a pattern more complex; they're guidelines that make things a lot easier. Please slap on like 1 per seam. It makes things better for everyone.

Also, there are many steps where a very simplified instruction is given. There's a lot of better ways to construct this garment, but there were a lot of times where ease of assembly was chosen over a fully professional finish. I completely support this decision, as their customer base is largely new sewers who don't want to be overwhelmed by complex steps.

Fabric used:

I used some heavy matte satin from the Joann Fabrics Casa Collection for the bodice, and some thin halloween satin from Joann Fabrics for the skirt. The white lace was from Dharma Trading and the black lace was stash that I think I bought at Joann back when I had 30% off the 20% off the clearance price on trims. My original goal was to also add a chiffon overskirt, but I scrapped that when I realized that the bustline/waistline on this doesn't actually go below the bust.

I want to describe my dress as "I can't believe I used the good satin for this".

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

I did some alterations on the front yoke because I wanted to put in some lace. I did ensure that the piece was the proper size and shape after the alterations. I also changed the neck bow and the waist ties into a wide ribbon, because I ran out of fabric to do them of the main body.

Would you sew it again?

No, I would not. First of all, this pattern has 1/4" seam allowance included, which is just frustratingly small. I don't know how any kind of company that makes garments can find that it's enough seam allowance for this.

Second, while this was pretty easy to complete, once I figured out the misprinted collar bit, it just doesn't make a garment that I would ever want to wear. It's not a bad garment, but it's not lolita.

Because this has no closures, the neck has to be big enough to fit over my head, and that ruins the lolita silhouette. If I was going to make this again, I'd pattern in a back keyhole and make it out of a fabric with a slight stretch, and then go down a size or two.

Would you recommend it to other?

This is a case where I really can't tell if I recommend these. The pattern literally only needs to expand their seam allowance to 5/8" and they'd have some of the easiest patterns out there. That's a really big deal. However, the fact that you have to go into this pattern completely blind is something that's ruined it for me. I'd recommend this company again if they have very clear photos of what the garment actually looks like. If you know what you're making, and you think that is what you want to be making, and they fix any misprints in their pattern, then it's a really good company.

But, as it currently stands, there's just a couple of things that are so confusing to me (1/4" seam allowance?? really?? on a garment???) that I'm hesitant to recommend them as a blanket term.

I definitely do not recommend this garment for lolita, but if I had a nickle for every pattern sold as lolita that isn't remotely lolita, I'd have an original release of Honey Cake in my closet. As a handmade lolita community, we have to know that checking to see if the pattern is actually lolita is our responsibility. However, to be able to check that, we need to actually know what the garment the pattern makes will look like.

Conclusion:

I have said it before: I really, REALLY want to like CUT/SEW as a company. They're a small number of people who work really hard and have a company mindset that really sits well with my own mindset.

A lot of work went into patterning and then making instructions for a beginner-friendly garment. I want to recognize that.

However, there's just a ton of very small things about these patterns that confuse me so much. Why the tiny seam allowance? Why no notches? Why no vertical measurements? Why no physical instructions? Why no good picture of the sample garment?

Why are there size differences on the skirt between sizes when the skirt is so large? The 1" between sizes doesn't really matter on a piece that is 180" wide. That's less than a 1% difference between sizes. Why are the sides of the skirt cut at an angle when the skirt is 180" wide?

I think it's possible that this pattern, which was one of CUT/SEW's first patterns, doesn't reflect recent changes that they've made as to how they make their finished patterns. However, since this was like $26 with shipping, I'm not going to review another of their patterns unless someone sends it to me for review.

BTW, if anyone from CUT/SEW wants to use pictures of this dress as promotional images, contact me (pink @t pinkandthekeytarcat dot com). I worked hard on this dress and someone might as well benefit from that work. I'm happy to help a small company be better able to communicate to their customer what item they're buying. If y'all want more than just those pictures up there, though, contact me pretty soon, because I'm going to disassemble the dress pretty soon to reclaim that cool skull fabric.

Pattern: 7/10. The lack of notches, the absurd seam allowance, and the one part with the bad instructions are the negatives. The very clear instructions and simple construction are the positives. Overall Experience: 4/10. The instructions and sizing being not included (seriously just print them out and shove them in the envelope; it's an easy fix), and the really poor representation of the pattern on the website are the negatives.

I do want to point out that there were two other negative things, but they're side-effects of CUT/SEW being a very small business, and I can't hold it against them. First, I hate patterns printed on bond paper. It requires you to cut out the pattern out first, and then cut the fabric, or else it requires you to wreck your sewing scissors. However, they're a small company and probably don't have access to have their patterns printed onto tissue paper on an as needed basis. The second is that this pattern was about $26 with shipping. Again, they're a small company printing patterns on an as-needed basis, and they're probably barely breaking even on a lot of these designs. They operate with a smaller profit-margin than the big 4 patternhouses and it's not reasonable to ask a company that small to put out patterns of this quality for $5. These are things that negatively impacted my experience, but the fact that I was supporting a small indie business that I really like the concept of made it so that I won't hold it against them, so they're not part of this review. They can easily change the pattern misprint, the 1/4" seam allowances, the bad pictures of the sample garments. I don't think they can easily change their prices.

Anyway, that's my experience with this pattern. The company has a ton of potential and I'd love to see them improve on a few small things.

#long post #really long post #CUT/SEW #cut/sew patternmaking #heycutsew #handmade lolita #lolita review #diy lolita #lolita sewing #lolita sewing patterns #lolita sewing pattern #indie lolita

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