I hung out with a group of lolitas over the weekend (
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolita_f… in case that's a new term to you or you instantly thought of kiddie porn) and it got me thinking about what counts as simple clothing, what's fashion and what's a straight-up costume?
To illustrate: I eat anything rice or noodle-related with chop sticks. I'm not trying to be special, make a statement or bother anybody. I just prefer to use these simple, easy to clean (and yes, maybe a liiiiitle attention-grabbing) utensils to shovel food into my mouth. Back to the attention-grabbing though - I use chop sticks at home when no one's looking too - and *that* I think is where our distinction should be made about what we wear.
I have my shlep-around-the-house clothes that I feel comfortable going out in to run errands or just sack in front of the compy all day playing Sword Quest. These are my clothes. They're rarely more than one or two layers deep and I give them little thought beyond how warm they'll keep me given then general ambient temperature.
What I wear to work is a mix between fashion and clothing. I get to wear nicer things that I normally wouldn't be able to justify if just rolling out of bed and over to my computer to sit all day. These are pieces I like, that I look good in, that are devoid of holes (for the most part) and may lightly keep with current fashion trends. They raise no eyebrows (for the most part) and fit in with most office dress codes. One more layer may be added and if I'm wearing a skirt there's almost always a petticoat - nothing too froofy, just enough to flare the skirt out a bit as I feel unless it's a pencil skirt, it needs some froof.
Sometimes I push the envelope a little and wear a skirt that I use for belly dance or throw in a piece that's "very me" but is a little "louder" than my usual cube-farm-friendly garb.
I can take things a step further when I visit my parents (especially on holidays!); in those instances I can bring out that awesome dress that I totally can't wear to work but look really good in. This swings far more heavily into the "fashion" realm but isn't a costume as it's still "normal".
Belly dance is where things get fuzzy and this is also where lolita comes in: To me my belly dance garb *is* sort of costume in that it's worn for a specific function and falls waaaaay outside was is considered "normal" fashion. But my belly dance garments are also a part of who I am because, well, I'm a belly dancer - it's one of the MANY somethings I do. I've made most of my "costume" pieces and things that were purchase were done so with great thought and consideration. When I don a full "costume" I feel "whole", I feel that I'm properly expressing who I am through my clothing and (once the music starts!) through my movements. Apart from wearing make-up (something I don't enjoy, but accept as part of the "look"), I love wearing every single piece.
This is how people who dress in lolita feel. It's an expression of who they are.
I feel sad when I saw all those lovely loli's over the weekend and thought to myself "COSTUME!" Granted - pretty can-is-haz? costume, but costume nonetheless.
People who wear lolita do not like their style being referred to as a costume just as I don't think of what I wear when dancing as a costume; but as it's outside the norm, people will think that.
When I cosplay - that's a costume. It is a series of garments produced (or purchased) for the expressed purpose of personifying a character that isn't you.
Fashion is "expressing" you. It's you AND MORE!!!!
That's not to say I don't like lolita fashion - I luvz it!
I've been loosely researching it for a while now. Contemplating where and how to start, figuring out what garments I need and what to make and what to buy.
Over the weekend I purchased my first piece of lolita garb!! A lovely blouse that I'd totally wear on my own because it IS so me
And that's the point.
Slowly I'll acquire more pieces that scream ME! and then someday I'll put them all together in a lovely loli explosion, and cute and happiness will rein supreme!!!