Anyway, I have been MADLY in love with Larme kei, as it has come to be called. I've been wearing lolita for, oh, a year and a half now, and I am finding myself not to be so attracted to it anymore. These days, I gravitate heavily towards Larme. I identify with the aesthetic, it's relatively easy to recreate, and wearable on a day-to-day basis. Lolita just... isn't. But I won't get into the details of my feelings towards lolita, at least not now.
Anyway, as many lolitas do, I browse the 4chan page /cgl/ from time to time. I used to be an avid reader, relishing in the drama. If you've visited the page, you know what I mean. Anyway, despite being riddled with... unkind remarks, /cgl/ offers some very useful tips. And so, I searched the catalog for "larme", hoping to find some advice, magazine scans, etc. Well, although I did find those things, I was dismayed to find more than I had hoped for.
You see, I found the thread writhe with girls tearing apart the personal lives of models, discussing the weight of themselves and each other, plastic surgery, and even an interloper arguing that Larme kei is "basic, unoriginal, and not a real fashion style". In conclusion, it was classic /cgl/.
And I found that very upsetting.
One of the things I love about Larme is that it's so free. Lolita is a very rigid, restrictive fashion. For good reason mind you, but it's true. As a lolita, I adhered closely to the rules and was ruffled (pun intended) when others did not. But Larme isn't like that. It's muddled and blurry. It's casual, it's formal, it's mature and elegant, it's childish and cute. Frankly, I was scared to see people holding it to the standards of lolita. It's not lolita. And I want it to stay that way.
I want Larme to stay small. I want it to stay personal, unexplored, and experimental. I want it to be about wearing pretty clothes and makeup that looks like you're crying. It's like when you find an undiscovered artist; of course you want them to be recognized for their talent, for their dreams to come true, to talk about them with other fans. But at the same time, there's that aspect of rawness and intimacy that you know will be lost.
So if you love Larme, wear it! By all means!! Please!!! But don't make it into a contest. Don't bring down other wearers of the fashion, and don't take it too seriously.
After all, it's just clothes.
I know this entry is ages old but I'm commenting anyway because why not.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you here. I used to be very strict about my lolita rules but at some point I found myself going back over very very early old school photos, before the "official" silhoutte and coord formula was really a thing. Weird shoes, dresses of all lengths, a whole spectrum of weird hairstyles. It seemed so much more exciting than the choice between an a-line or cupcake petticoat.
I feel the same way about very early punk clothing. When things are small and niche, they're much more experimental, and more individual, not in a more-unique-than-thou way, but a more personal way. Too many rules stifles creativity imo.