My Lolita Timeline ♡ 2007-2016 ♡

It doesn't feel like it to me, but I've been wearing lolita for a while now. To end 2017, I went through all my old online accounts to find my lolita coordinates from when I first started the fashion.

I collected my pictures from my livejournal, from daily_lolita, from my tumblr, and various other places. Now obviously, these are not all good. But I think that makes it a little more fun ;)

In 2007 I turned 14, and in 2008 I turned 15. In 2007, I attended my first meet. I'm sorry to my comm, and thank you for putting up with 14-year-old Katie lol. At this point I was putting together my "coordinates" with things I was buying at Target and random stores. Also, check out my Razr flip phone, and on the right I used my dad's camcorder to take an outfit picture (yes really). The pink skirt was made for me by my grandma, who I tried to explain lolita to, but was just happy that I was getting interested in sewing like she was.

In 2009 I turned 16 and got my first real petticoat--one that my friend in high school had bought and was too big for her. I also was gifted a sewing machine and sewing lessons for my birthday this year, so the dress and skirt in these pictures were both handmade. And by the way, I would wear these to school. My mom absolutely hated lolita and didn't like when I dressed like this. Looking back, I think I understand why.

In 2010 I turned 17 and I discovered wigs. Around this time, wigs were getting popular in lolita, and I attended my first con where Arda Wigs was vending. I bought this long blonde wig (in a silky fiber they were discontinuing) and two black curly clips. I also first started buying from Bodyline this year. The picture on the right is my own hair, and it was also taken for my high school yearbook because I wrote for the school newspaper. 

In 2011 I turned 18 and graduated high school. I also first started buying brand! My first piece was the Milky Berry OP in mint by Angelic Pretty, my dream dress at the time. I was finally able to buy things online easily because I was able to make my own PayPal account. On the left I was at the now-defunct Wonder Northwest in a lolita fashion show. I also tried out gothic, and I was still making some of my own lolita (such as the black skirt). 

My two best outfits from 2011, both from the summer after I graduated high school. I have a large extended family, and a lot of them sent me graduation money. Being a responsible 18-year-old who had never had that much money at once, I used it to buy second-hand brand on livejournal. I later sold most of my dresses while in college because I needed the cash.

My least favorite outfits from 2011. At this point my hair was fried and had really dark roots, so I ended up wearing these unflattering wigs a lot. I was also still getting a grasp on accessorizing.

In 2012 I turned 19 and went away to college. I wore lolita occasionally, and had my roommate take photos of my outfits. This year, I started focusing more on cosplay than lolita. My makeup and hairstyling skills were finally improving.

In 2013 I turned 20 and didn't really wear lolita. I decided to take a break from school and moved back home.

In 2014 I turned 21 and started to wear lolita again. By this point I was working regularly and was able to start buying lolita occasionally. For my 21st birthday, Laura and I had a combined birthday lolita bar crawl! Angelic Pretty visited Sakuracon in 2014, and Danielle and I dressed up to go to their panel together.

In 2015 I turned 22 and I fell back in love with lolita completely. I started to cemented my personal lolita style, and reconnected with many of my lolita friends. During the summer I was prescribed glasses to help with my nearsightedness. I also quit working retail at the end of 2015.

In 2016 I turned 23. I started investing in my wardrobe and am now able to put together various outfits with all the pieces I have. I started attending school for filmmaking, and gained a lot of really close friendships. I also wore lolita more in 2016 more than any other year.

I've hit a lot of personal lolita milestones in 2016. It's really strange for me to look back at the pictures from all the way back when I first started trying to wear lolita, because the Katie back then would be amazed by the Katie now. I've figured out the colors, silhouettes, and motifs that I love best.

Here's an overview:

A lot of growth in my lolita style! It's so interesting to see my outfits over the years. Looking back at my older pictures from when I was a teenager, I feel like an entirely different person. I've grown a lot mentally, too. My life feels like it's moving forward, and I'm improving myself every day.

How has your style changed over the years? What's the oldest picture of yourself in lolita that you can find?

Before the end of January, I'm going to try to put together a wardrobe post. My wardrobe is still fairly small compared to my friends, but I think it's become a nice "capsule" lolita wardrobe!

xoxo
Katie

Afternoon Tea

As cliche as it is, I love getting dressed up in lolita and going to afternoon tea. Portland seems to have a deficit of traditional Western tea service, with our go-to tea place closing down. My friends and I decided to check out Hotel deLuxe's tea service, and we loved it!

We did a semi-theme of "Golden Age Angelic Pretty" for our coordinates, emulating 2008-2012 sweet lolita. Whip Magic fit perfectly for what I wanted to do! Here's what I wore:

Outfit Rundown
♡ Headbow - Angelic Pretty
♡ Necklace - Chocomint
♡ Bolero - Angelic Pretty
♡ Onepiece - Angelic Pretty
♡ Socks - Secret Shop
♡ Shoes - Secret Shop
♡ Wig - Lucaille

hotel deluxe tea service portland
angelic pretty lolita fashion in portland

Our tea squad L-R:
Kim, Nicole, Laura, Derin, Paige, Holly, and Danielle!

The hotel asked to take our picture, so I had them take one on my phone too! I love how everyone looks!

Shoes & a very large star.

Some selfies I took with BeautyCam.

We're definitely doing tea again at this location! The food was so good, and so was the tea. It was traditional and delicious~

I can't wait to hang out with my friends again!

xoxo
Katie