2. Style icons.

All my style icons tend to be so-called "real people", and especially in lolita I cannot really fangirl some random Japanese models because much as I admire their looks, they don't really stand for what makes a person praiseworthy in my opinion. That is: their own personal style and their ability to convince me with it time and time again. All of the people I admire couldn't possibly fit in one blog entry but I'd like to select a couple of them to better explain myself.

Hui Lai Lee

Hui is one of the first people that I saw making the style their own. She's a seamstress so many of her dresses are selfmade, and the quality is top. I know this, I've bought two of her creations. She uses pleats and an A-silhouette to the hem a lot and for some reason no matter how much stuff she piles on an outfit it still looks elegant. Except for when she goes crazy with some stuff, when she - no wait, she still looks elegant. How the hell does she do it...

Beside the quality and demanding cuts she uses (if something looks that simple it's taken a lot of work, especially if it has box pleats, trust me) I really enjoy her colour combinations, especially the unusual ones and the ways she styles her hair. The black ribbons in the third picture are particularly charming. She also likes to break "the rules of lolita" now and then, and tends to pull it off when others could not. I mean, take the colour combinations as an example. I know the basics, I studied it at Lahti. Any colours can be combined for a pleasant effect, the matter in in portions, how much of each colour is present. I don't have the knack of it IRL but Hui definitely does.

Tian Shi

Another master seamstress here! I have a dress made by Tian Shi as well and it's one of my all-time favourites. Sadly I had to leave it in Finland for the time being but I'm bringing it here the next time I visit home. Just you wait. 

The thing in common with all of the three lolitas here is their elegance which every one of them shows in a different way. With Tian Shi it's the porcelain doll effect she has no matter the style (she's quite the chameleon when it comes to types of lolita and pulls off anything, just like Hui), my apologies for choosing such sweet/classic outfits for all four photos. She, too, can wear a ton of accessories without looking over the top, and she's... just... so darn cute! She could have walked out of a storybook! You could throw dirt at her and it would not have the heart to stain her! Even Chuck Norris would be powerless!

Tian Shi has probably had the most effect on my own personal style because I've looked up to her for as long as I've known her, which is long indeed, and have striven to reach her level. One day, guys. One day.

Elfie

Elfie The Ballerina just had to be here. It's got something to do with her amazing posing ability of course, but that's not all. The skill of whipping your leg high in the air does not make a lolita alone, it also needs style and that she has aplenty. All of her outfits look whimsical and airy like she's not quite of this world either: she'll fly away while you're not looking.

Elfie's outfits are nearly always classic, simple and charming and somehow make one think of ballet. I don't know why though. Maybe it's the way she styles her hair, maybe it's just the way she seems to always hold her back straight effortlessly (unless she's doubling over backwards that is), maybe it's her way of accessorizing. Her photoshoots are always a favourite of mine, I like the forest locations and she really puts herself through a lot of trouble for them. She tends to know exactly what brings out the best of her clothes and coordinates and poses for photos accordingly. This is a rare skill I'd like to know but alas, I only have one pose and it's sort of dorky. But more about that later on in the meme.