I was reading another lolita's blog post recently about where they got their inspiration from. It seemed like a really cool idea for a blog post, so I decided to have a go at the topic myself. I struggled with this post to begin with. Personally, I don't really see any one individual lolita as 'inspiration'. That is not to say that I don't find other lolitas inspirational, because I do. I am always saving pictures of accessories and ideas that I think are cool. If I have ever reblogged your photo online (via Tumblr or whatever) then it is because I really liked what I saw! It is just that when I am trying to come up with my own outfit ideas, I usually find my inspiration coming from the strangest of places or completely out of the blue. So I thought I would share specific examples of where my previous outfit ideas have come from.
Anime
I am not as big an anime fan as I once was, but I do still enjoy it. My weakness is any series done by CLAMP, especially Cardcaptor Sakura. I have always liked their art style and the imagery they conjure through their shows. My winged shoes from my Enchanted event outfit were inspired by the Jump Card from Cardcaptor Sakura, which when released would manifest by way of a pair of wings emerging from Sakura's shoes.
Japanese Illustrators
If you have any of the English Gothic Lolita Bibles, then you are probably familiar with the artist above! One of my most controversial outfits came about because of Looks Like a Teaspoon by Nakamura Asumiko. You can just about see a hint of pearly leg in the illustration above. I am also a big admirer of illustrators such as Sakizou. Sadly this particular idea did not translate so well in to real life and my execution could have been a whole lot better (I cringe when I see my full outfit now!). I think this is something to bear in mind. Just because something looks beautiful in a picture, it does not mean that it is going to work for an actual outfit.
British Comedy Characters
No, I am being deadly serious here! My love of my bowler hats stems from Hyacinth Bucket! Keeping up Appearances has always been one of my favourite shows, ever since I was little. But watching the series again since becoming a lolita, I have picked up on certain little details that I missed previously. Hyacinth's personality may be vile, but she sure does love a matching hat! She likes wearing statement jewellery and gloves too. There are also older comedy series which have some interesting fashions from the time. There is an episode of Fawlty Towers where Sybil wears a beautiful chiffon bed jacket which wouldn't look too out of place in Japanese fashion today. But Hyacinth remains my main inspiration. I can binge watch that show for days.
Royal Family and Royal Family Portraits
When attending an event called Regalia, the most natural place to look for inspiration is my country's very own royal family! I especially paid attention to the family portraits, as they tend to include a lot of fancy details which the royal family may not wear usually on a typical royal engagement. It was looking through these sort of pictures which encouraged me to have a go at making my own sash. I decided against the cape though. That was a bit too OTT for me! During the event I even had one of the photographers ask to take my photo in front of a picture because he said I matched it perfectly. I saw that as a huge compliment as I had achieved what I had set out to.
Cafe Workers and Shop Assistants
I have chosen a maid cafe uniform to demonstrate my point here as it seemed like the most obvious example. The maid cafe influence is pretty apparent in my outfit. But other work places can have cute uniforms as well. It is really inspiring seeing shop staff wearing the stock, especially with Japanese fashion brands. Seeing the clothing actually worn as opposed to on a computer screen can make a whole lot of difference. A piece you previously dismissed can suddenly become a lot more appealing when seen on an actual person.
Shop Displays
While we are on the subject of shops, I also happen to be a great admirer of a well thought out shop display. Years ago I made a giant lollipop after getting the idea from a sweet shop which had massive fake sweets displayed in their window. A good window display can entice you in. It is especially a good idea to look at ship displays in touristy places and also around certain holidays where you see a lot of effort put in to having a fancy display. I especially like walking around central London around Christmas time (provided it is not overly crowded!).
Nature
I don't have an example of my own to show here, but I wanted to add a final note about nature. I have had a couple of outfit ideas which I never got around to doing which were heavily inspired by nature. Just going for a walk can be very inspiring. You can get unusual colour combinations in nature which you wouldn't typically consider putting together. Nature also has a way of defying us humans sometimes. If left on its own, you will find all sorts of plants and trees growing wherever it can. It can take on unusual shapes. If you are going for a less polished look, maybe something forest inspired, where better to take inspiration from actual Mother Nature? Also, from owning birds I have learned a lot about their little quirks and movements. Seeing an animal move naturally up close has altered my opinions of a few animal themed lolita prints. It is interesting to see animals in movement rather than just standing around.
So that list may give you all some clarity on how my mind ticks when I come up with my more crazy outfit ideas! I had a lot of fun doing the picture research for this post. It brought back a lot of memories. I suppose sometimes inspiration can come from just about anywhere. Next time an idea randomly pops in your head, write it down, no matter how crazy it seems. You never know, you may end up using it.
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