Of a Country Inspiration

Gokigenyou mina-sama *bows*

How are you all on this fine day? Did you know that today is the Pagan celebration of Beltane *feels guilty for not doing anything*? Or the older form of May Day. XD It's also my sister's 6th birthday!

I just felt like I needed to write something, and I've been in a very lolita-ry mood these past few days! Browsing QutieLand for suitable summary pieces. This has inspired the post you are now reading!

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In my head, country lolita is a very summary style. It's one of the smaller break aways from our broad and ever changing fashion, and I don't think there's enough range in it to be able to call it an actually sub-style. But it does make for darling coordinates full of straw hats, baskets and creamy flower covered dresses.

The main aspects of this style are are the colours selected, and the use of straw articles. Such as straw bonnets and boaters. I have also seen people using mini top hats made of straw.
When I say straw hats I don't mean big floppy beach hats, like the kind you find in Marks&Spencer around this time of year, no. I mean stiff 'balance on your head', or 'school girl' type hats. Decorated with ribbon and plastic fruit and flowers! Such as this one, but varying in size, from mini to full sized ones!

What I personally love about these hats is how they can have a slightly androgynous feel to them. If they're not copiously decorated with plastic plums and grapes. They give a slightly more practical air to coordinates and somehow make them even cuter at the same time!

 Along with straw hats, you can also carry straw baskets or bags! ^-^ Baskets in a sort of mini picnic hamper style are soooo adorable, and you could give lining one a go with some thin cotton fabric!

 

I tried to build up a corsage on the boater by finding lots of different images. It looked rather plain without something there. It looks pretty strange, but just try and ignore it!

I've used a lot of designer pieces to create this coordinate, the Baby JSK, Dolce and Gabbana blouse, AP parasol. But you don't have to use brand items at all! You can achieve the same look with an offbrand JSK and other items.

You don't have to use a blouse, but you may want to consider finding a bolero or something to cover your shoulders with. It's not that lolita "rule" of having to wear a blouse underneath a JSK, and if you don't you MUST cover you shoulders, no, it's so you don't burn them in the summer sun! You'll also be a whole lot cooler without the stuffy blouse on as well!

Now we've moved on from the straw obsession I seem to obtained in this post we'll focus on colours. Colours in country lolita are very apologetic, they're nothing to harsh, like black or bright pink. Try to keep to the mid tones, like cream and pale pink and yellow. I doubt this would be a very good style for a goth or OTT sweet lolita to try out without buying any new items. Classic loli's shouldn't have too much trouble with it, unless of course they're of the more gothic persuasion!

The colours of the coordinates are supposed to remind you of wild flowers, and warm sunny days. Orange juice, and thick Cornish cream with jam on home-made scones. Think sort of English country side, and home run farms! It's all very fairytale-ish. One of the reasons I love it.

Country lolita as a style isn't very big on prints other than those of flowers, and perhaps birds or leaves? Not that I'm sure those last two prints exist anywhere... O.o

It's very hard to imagine a country loli coord with AP's Sugary Carnival involved! 

Even with floral prints you would do better to keep in on the rather understated side, don't go for huge gothic roses, or lots of pink cherry blossom. If you must have roses make sure they're small like the flowers on the two dresses already featured!

Most lolita shoes should work for this style, again, make sure you don't go for harsh colours like black or really bright shades of blue, yellow or pink. But other than that you should be good! 

The style of the shoes doesn't really matter, so it could be anything from boots (though avoid big gothic platforms), to teaparties!

You're hair is also very important, if you've got a warm hair colour, like chestnut brown, or auburn you're very lucky! Colours like that wind themselves perfectly into this style!

But other colours of hair, so long as natural will work perfectly as well!

I would only suggest wigs for this style as long as they are natural colours, and perhaps only straight or loosely curled. No anime style bunches, or choco-mint splits in this style!

As for makeup, keep in simple, bedazzling your  eyes and dabbing on the eye shadow is completely unnecessary, think 'natural beauty'!

I would suggest some looks to try out with make up, but I'm still learning about it, after many years of thinking it stupid I finally appreciate it. Funny how cosplaying GUYS has made me appreciate make up >->'''''

That's about it for my suggestions today, if you have any questions or ideas feel free to ask and share them! I'd love to hear more feedback from you guys!! This article was mainly inspired by me and Echo-anechan talking about doing a lolita photoshoot when we see each other at a festival this July! It should be good! I'd like to get a country loli coord together for it, and I think she's doing something gothic! It should be awesome, I can't wait to see her outfit!!

I'm listening to Kanon Wakeshima's new album as I type this! Anechan just sent me a link to a site where I could download it from and oh, my god!!! I LUFF EET!!!!

Echo-anechan wrote a review of it on our shared loli blog Chiruda and Ritoru's Adventures in Loliland. 

Just as a bit of shameless self promotion, you guys should check it out! We've got no followers yet (other than myself, because I wanted to follow it to read her posts when she updates!)

Thank you for reading! Happy midnight! (This post has taken me all day to write >-<)

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Chiru

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