Smokeylita's Lolita Wardrobe and Code

Do you ever have issues with coording a piece?

It’s a piece you absolutely love, but at some point, you realize: Wait, I coord this nearly the exact same way every time. I have this issue a lot, to be honest, so when I realize I’m doing the same thing over and over and want something different, there’s a few strategies I usually use.

I want to preface this by saying it’s not bad to have a coord you go back to and rewear; I rewear coords I like all the time. There probably is a reason you put it together over and over, the reason being; you like the coord. But this advice is mainly meant if you are having trouble when you want to do something different.

  1. Try using a different color blouse: This is such a little thing, but when I use a very different blouse, that is usually the biggest step I need to make the rest of the coord different. Most of my blouses are black, so just using a white blouse gives every piece that can work with a white blouse a very different feel, and changes how I accessorize and coord the rest of the piece. If you’re struggling with an OP, skip this step unless you can put a blouse on underneath the op (In the case of short sleeve OPs) for a very old-school style look
  2. Try adding a color: This of course won’t work for pieces that already have a ton of colors, but if you have a piece with a ton of colors, you can probably use the previous steps much more easily. But for solid pieces, or, say, Iron Gate in Blue, using a color that isn’t on the piece (Provided the color can go with it) can add a new point of interest. I recommend going with a complimentary color, of course, but let yourself experiment! I feel like the use of gold or silver is often a safe choice, or using white, black, or brown (Depending on the colors, brown or black may work better; white, off-white, or cream may be a better option in certain contexts as well.) But after that, going with colors that pair well together is a nice next step (For examples: I feel like I often see pink and yellows or pink and sax, or red and blue in really fun coords. Use a neutral color like white, black, or brown to help balance the colors, but it can give a whole new dimension if you can pull it off!)
  3. Focus on a different Motif: If you have a piece where you always focus on one motif (For example, for Violet Fane’s Cult of the Sea, I usually focus on the tentacles), try taking another motif that you can find, or that is similar enough, and tackle the coord from that angle. In this example, while I usually focus on the tentacles and go for a vaguely horror-priest look, I could instead go for a focus on the books in the print, and focus on a more academic look. Taking a different motif as the focus will let you see one piece from another angle, and can help shape out how you will style the entire coord.

    First coord mentioned with Cult of the Sea, made with more use of the vaguely religious horror tones Second coord mentioned with cult of the Sea, with a more academic vibe

  4. Add outerwear: This sounds very simple and basic, but I find outerwear is one of those things I go to every time to add a different shape. If you have overskirts or overdresses, it can give a very different feel that can help inspire in other ways
  5. Go OTT or Casual: Alternatively: Go big or go home. Either try to make the piece more elaborate, or make it a more casual, daily look. Some pieces will lend themselves better to one direction over another; For pieces that you usually coord casually, the use of outerwear to add layers of interest can really help in my opinion,or adding underskirts for example. For pieces that feel more OTT, you can try to dress them down by taking off any detachable parts, or wearing them with things that immediately feel more casual.
  6. Buy new accessories and pieces to make it work: This should be a last resort, but I know sometimes, the urge to buy things is there. It isn’t necessarily bad to keep an eye out for accessories with different colors and motifs when you are buying other things at a shop; you’ll save on shipping if you buy a few things from one place, usually (except in the case of shoes, shoe shipping can be brutal). It can be good to look at your pieces and note any colors and motifs that can go with the piece so you can keep your eye out for any pieces that would add to your wardrobe when you are shopping; you can make a table of motifs, colors, and any other category and tally up which pieces seem like they would benefit from what. Then, as you are shopping, it is good to keep an eye out and consider pieces that would add to the most pieces (Or, maybe, the pieces you have been struggling with the most)