Christmas Theme Without Chistmas Prints

Christmas is an interesting time of the year to be a lolita. I know that even at this last stage of the year, there are still many lolita meets to come all around the world and many lolitas will be getting dressed up, no matter what they are doing. But I personally have always struggled to make what I would call the perfect 'festive' outfit. I usually end up breaking out the black (because of the poor weather here in the UK). I guess I just go with what feels comfortable rather than trying to do a Christmas relevant outfit.

A lot of my problem comes from the fact that I simply refuse to buy prints that have an obvious Christmas theme to it! I have nothing against Christmas prints per say, it's just that I feel like it's not worth buying a dress you can only wear for a short period of the year. With my small wardrobe space I need dresses I know I can get some decent wear out of, otherwise they are just sitting in my wardrobe, not getting worn. So despite liking Christmas prints, like the Baby one above, a holiday print has never made it in to my wardrobe. All is not lost though. If you don't have a Christmas print, it doesn't mean you can't add a touch of festivities to an outfit.

The first thing is to think about colour. When I think about Christmas, the colours that come to mind are red, green and gold. Those are what I think would be considered 'traditional' Christmas colours, or at least they would be in the UK. Santa Claus is typically seen wearing red, or in some cases he may wear green. Gold adds a touch of glitz and sparkle. Red is quite a common colour in lolita and is easy to get hold of. Gold trims can add a subtle festive feel.

Tartan is the sort of simple print that I associate with this time of year. I don't know why, perhaps it is the festive Scottish shortbread tins you see in the shops? I don't quite know where the idea of tartan being festive comes from, but you seem to see it a lot around Winter time. But the great thing about tartan is that it can be worn at any time of the year. It looks festive, but at the same time it doesn't scream Christmas! Tartan dresses are also very easy to get hold of. Chances are, you will find a cheap tartan JSK on the Japanese auctions or on Taobao and Bodyline during most of the year. And because tartan is easily available, you can usually find a reasonably priced dress. So if you decide to save it for the Christmas period, at least you don't have to worry so much about how much you have spent on it. Tartan accessories are usually available on the high street during the Winter period too.

But just because you may be avoiding obvious Christmas prints, it doesn't mean you have to give up on prints altogether. Think of smaller, less obvious themes and your wardrobe may be more festive friendly than you think. Angels have been a popular theme in lolita this year, which would obviously be a bit of a nod to the angel in the nativity story. That was just one idea off the top of my head, but I am sure with a bit of creativity you could all come up with some great themed outfits.

Even if you don't want to splurge on a big festive print, perhaps there are smaller items that would be worth considering. A small accessory shouldn't break the bank and they don't take up too much space. Taobao usually has plenty of accessories which will add a bit of Christmas cheer. Then it is just a case of matching the accessory to something in your wardrobe. Closer to home, perhaps a local craft shop would have some nice ribbon to make accessories with.

So I still feel quite adamant that Christmas prints wont be a part of my wardrobe. There are still options out there and I wont be resorting to buying anything new. I have never been that big on celebrating Christmas and I see it more as an excuse to catch up with friends. But at the same time I am happy to get in to the spirit of Christmas, and that is exactly what I shall be doing!