There is a merging trend that has been gathering pace lately. It seems old-school lolita may be making a comeback and I couldn't be happier. Whilst I myself have never really attempted old-school lolita before, I am really glad that about the effect it is having. After years of OTT dominating the online community, we are now starting to see a surge in simpler outfits. These simpler outfits are not necessarily old-school in style, but the current old-school peak is certainly having an impact in other areas as well.
A simpler outfit does not have to mean a more boring outfit though. It is about looking well put together as well. In fact, trying to make a simpler outfit can be just as tricky as doing something more OTT. Whilst with OTT you pile the accessories on, with a simpler outfit all of your accessories are more exposed. This means you have to put more thought in to what you wear, because it becomes a much stronger focus point. It is also important to not go too paired-down, as you risk looking too simple. So I have a lot of appreciation for a well put-together simpler outfit.
A more simple lolita style is also a lot better to wear on a more regular basis. Are you really going to go full OTT every day if you are just lazing about the house or doing simple errands? Even at meets, I feel a simpler lolita style works better. Wearing OTT to a picnic meet is a total nightmare! But I have seen my attitude to even outfits at bigger events has changed. When I was putting together my outfit for Regalia and I was picking out my crown, I actually came very close to getting a bigger and bulkier crown. When the crown arrived, I debated adding additional embellishments like fake flowers and pearls. Then I decided that I was being a bit ridiculous- a crown is a big enough statement on its own! And I am so glad that I did go for a simpler look with my hair accessories because in the end I was so happy with how my outfit turned out. I would just like to quickly say that I am in no way criticising the more OTT outfits at Regalia (there were some really cool ideas at that event!) but I felt that the outfit I was wearing was the right level of OTT-ness for me.
I recently wore this outfit, which I feel is not old-school but definitely takes inspiration from the classic lolita that was around a few years ago. Maybe it is because this was the sort of lolita that was around when I first got in to the fashion, but I have been growing more and more attracted to this style of lolita. I just find it a bit... refreshing. I am not turning my back on OTT altogether but I think for the moment I will be taking a more toned down approach. Who knows, maybe a year from now I will be singing the praises of OTT. I am just going to keep doing whatever makes me happy.
