/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

I want to comment but she'll probably delete it.

>>8444589
Well, I found a replacement for Kota Bear.

Also that shirt is really hideous.

>>8444589
I want those bedsheets. I've never seen any that didn't have the bunnies accurately derpy looking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am1FSFFg8fk

Everything about this mess. Being too poor and young to be in lolita is a horrible combo.

>>8444589
IT'S NOT FUCKING EXPENSIVE TO BEGIN WITH FOR FUCK SAKE.

Why does she have all those brand logos on her wall while lecturing on how she won't buy their stuff?
We have chosen charities and non-profits that we support and the reason we and many others don't blab about it is because it's gauche to do so.
Many of us have also gone through times where money is really tight.
She talks about her own priorities but doesn't really allow for others to have different ones that are just as valid for them.
Ditto for judging people for buying and selling as they please.
I hold onto my dresses too but I have 2 friends who delight in buying and selling because that's what makes them happy. They crave variety. They can afford to do lolita this way, that's their thing.
She needs to just bug off.
She did not say anything that 'needed to be said' or that had not been discussed before.
Seems poorfag lolita culture is trending but people would squeak like little pigs if someone posted the opposite or something like 'Hey, it's ok to spoil yourself and buy brand, Princesses' yet that is just as valid a POV as this.

>>8444643
Ok, dumbass, I have some news to break to you

500 dollars USD is a goddamn lot to a lot of people. 500 dollars is some peoples rent, some peoples food money for a couple of months or even 1 month, potentially money that pays for other bills.

Many many people couldn't justify spending 500 dollars on a dress. And I don't want to hear "b-but it's hobby!" It's not just any hobby, it's a really expensive hobby to get into in comparison to a lot of other peoples hobbies. And I speak as someone who partakes in a few different hobbies. Lolita, Cosplay and Collecting Monster High and Nendoroids are my most expensive hobbies. It's fine that it may not be expensive to you, but it's expensive to a shit ton of other people, sweetie.

>>8444589
>I'd spend up to $300 for a dress, not $500 or $1,000

I can agree with this. I don't personally dig spending $500 for a used dress.

>Bringing up charities
Who cares what does this have to do with lolita?

>You dont have to have money to wear all AP or Baby
Ok, well you kind of have to have some money, to score some second hand dresses.

>Spending money on ill loved ones
Well that sucks

>Comboing thrifted items etc
Ok I'm on board with that

>If I buy a dress It's staying with me
Being sad/upset over reselling is kinda weird.


I don't really know who this girl is, but I don't see anything she said that was extremely outlandish. She's clearly just feeling down. I do understand though, if you really like this fashion it's super hard to keep up with it if you cant afford it.

I really just don't see anything to be so angry over in this video.

>>8444684
Almost no lolita items cost $500, this is a rumour

>>8444684
It *can* be expensive, but it isn't always. I think wanting to be super trendy and getting the latest dress is what is making lolita seem so expensive these days. Everyone wants whatever milky release or celestial thing. Brands have stepped up their print making games and they are extremely desirable dresses. And with the way lolitas can be snobbish and nitpicky, wearing a really old print, or hell no print at all, can be made fun of.

I think there really needs to be a good blog, or website, or something that gets popular that shows you can be a lolita on a budget. Not a cheap budget, but a decent budget while still looking good.

>>8444696
Er, a rumor? That's a weird way of putting it. Some coords cost a grand.

I would say it's more like lolita can easily get grossly costly if you're not being really restrictive with yourself. We talk about how much our coords are in meets and usually the response is "I don't want to think about that". I think that's a good indicator it's usually around $200 at least for most coords.

>>8444696
http://www.lacemarket.us/?search-class=PPT_S-ppt_s&cs-all-0=&cs--1=&cs-price_current-2=10000&cs-price_current-3=500&cs-all-4=&cs-Key_0-5=&cs-shoesize-6=&cs-sizingnotes-7=&cs-price_bin-8=&cs-itemregion-9=&cs-bid_status-10=

yeahhhhh..

>>8444696
Have you checked Iron Gate, Misty Sky's previous releases or Claudia recently?

They weren't sold for 500 retail, but they are desired dresses that second hand go for that much.

When someone talks about a 500 dollar dress, it's never bought directly from the store. It's always a scalped but desired second hand item.

>>8444684
Most people don't spend $500 on a single dress. It's also easy to put a little bit of money aside every week to just be patient and buy something decent when you save enough.

>>8444706
Most of those are sets with the dress and headwear or other pieces.

>>8444711

>http://www.lacemarket.us/angelicpretty-misty-sky-op-hair-clip/

So are you trying to tell me that the dress is like $400 and a singular headbow is $200? Fuck off.

>>8444708
So? No one's saying you HAVE to own these dresses. You don't even have to own any brand to be considered a good lolita. Peachie got popular wearing only bodyline, there's some other girl who's tumblr popular with only bodyline coords, and tons of lolitas only wear taobao.
I really don't get where this "lolita costs $500" generalization comes from.

>>8444684
M'kay. It's expensive. So? Not all of us think so, but some do. Both opinions are fine. I think it's sort of expensive, and I buy it because I like it. It isn't the most expensive fashion stuff I've bought so that's probably why I don't freak out over a 500 lolita set. I don't need to minimize the expense, or convince you that it is or isn't expensive, it is what it is. I buy what I can afford, others should to. Everyone should stop nagging each other about it. Personal spending is personal. Do I lke your offbrand as much as I like my AP? No. Should you care? No.

>>8444711
Yes, I do agree it is easy to put some money aside and save up. I just found the whole "well it isn't an expensive hobby thing" uneducated.

>>8444684
First of all, most brand lolita is not $500 retail, it's literally half of that. Second, in the world of fashion, lolita is really not expensive comparatively. I know it is compared to sweatshop clothing, but not in reality. I totally get some people can't even justify swinging $250, but they don't have to get an unwarranted feeling of moral superiority over not having it to spend.

>>8444730
I already stated in a different post that brand is typically not 500 in the store. It's typically rare, sought after dresses second hand that can get that pricey and more.

I do agree, no one should have moral superiority over not being able to afford a dress because that's just silly. But like I've said, saying it's not an expensive hobby to the general mass is ludicrous. Sure, it's not as expensive in the world of fashion, but I speak from a masses point of view.

>>8444730
This. Someone is not automatically a better person because she doesn't spend on brand any more than I'm a better person for buying it.
Also, she mentions buying all organic and has a tattoo and a bunch of figures, all of which I also consider 'expensive' things for their real value and would not spend on. So it's really subjective, these opinions.

>>8444684
Oh so very true and that is why I am a crazy coupon lady. My total income is about $1,200/month right now. My rent is $600, and my bills work out to being about $250~300. That leaves me with $300~3250/month to spend on food, clothes, and transportation. I rely on public transportation which is roughly $80/month. I'm also a crazy coupon lady so I clip coupons and exchange them with other couponers so that I wind up with wads of coupons for items that I am going to use more then others and combine that with a couple of apps that give you cash back for items that you purchase (ilu ibotta). My last trip to the groccery store I managed to get $150 (about three weeks worth of stuff for myself) for less then $20 and got back $19 in cash rebates (thru that app ibotta), and an additional $10 in store credit which I can then turn around and use on my next shopping trip making my costs for next time even lower. I literally no longer pay for soap, shampoo, contact lense solution, and other personal hygine products as well. Walgreens and CVS both have systems that are easy to figure out and you can end up buying everything with store credit and earning more store credit with each trip (especially at Walgreens). And cleaning supplies purchased at Target also works out in a similar way (I haven't used my actual money at target in more then a year)... Also now that it's summer where I am at fresh fruits and veggies are in season locally and I am lucky enough to live in an area crawling with farmers markets so that I can stock up on stuff that I can then can and or freeze for later.

Cutting into my budget for necessities with coupons and stuff leads me to having more money for other things. I don't have much brand (due to being a fatty) but I have been known to drop $200+ on a single "normal" fashion dress. I have a couple of outfits that do equal up to $500 but there are so many different pieces involved that it's not like I dropped that much money on it all at once.

>>8444589
She'll change her tune and have brand within a year, with special justifications. I'd bet money on it. This the voice of jelly and just another have-not venting their sour grapes.

>>8444721
>starting bid $375
Any particular reason why you're being so salty tonight?

>>8444725
>I think it's sort of expensive, and I buy it because I like it.
And it's going to be like this with any type of hobby. Even with lolita coming off as expensive it's not excessively hard to work a budget or shop secondhand. Other hobbies like playing an instrument, sports or having an artistic interest like photography or drawing can be affordable but anyone who likes it is free to spend a shitton of money on whatever's relevant to it. A decent pair of sneakers can cost over $100 and instruments range from a couple hundred to twelve grand for a bassoon so I don't really see the issue with the expenses for lolita.

>>8444747
I buy the shit out of clearance items and coupon too. Not the crazy hoarding "getting it because it's free" kind of couponing but just the stuff I need. If people have the patience to read a couple sales flyers it's not hard to avoid wasting money.

Why is /cgl/ so bitchy

>>8444727
'Expensive' is a subjective term. My BF is THRILLED when I build my lolita wardrobe. Right now that means I probably won't want to drop a few grand on another designer bag until Christmas. Lolita is easier on the budget than my bag habit. But to me, THAT is expensive.

It just depends on who is doing the evaluation and we shouldn't do it on other people's budgets.

>>8444674
>judging people for buying and selling as they please
I will never understand how this is a thing so many people are judgmental over.
>>8444688
It's not her cheapness that's bothering people as much as the overwhelmingly self-righteous and judgmental attitude she's exuding, which she's making worse by trying to act like she's not judging anyone for spending a lot on lolita, even though she straight up says it's selfish and people shouldn't be that way.
>>8444708
>scalped
Most dresses that go for that much cost that much second-hand are due to auctions, not scalping. They are two very different things.
>>8444768
... because this is 4chan? Almost everyone is? You want a nice board, go to /y/.

>>8444776
4chan isn't bitchy like /cgl/ is. 4chan is blunt and harsh, but not bitchy

>>8444742
Not to mention, she owns Hot Topic shit, meaning she owns sweatshop clothes. There's something beautifully ironic about someone being on a moral high horse over spending so much on lolita, when the cheap clothes they're choosing over it are so cheap because their made by slaves.

>>8444776
/y/ is fucking horrible. They make cgl look almost pleasant. Now /d/ is a nice place.

>>8444643
Even good skirts, that suit personal tastes, are over $100 on even LM. That's a lot of money to a lot of people. Lolita isn't that cheap. Especially when making a coord.

>>8444781
... how exactly are you defining bitchy? Because I define it as needlessly mean and to say the rest of 4chan isn't also needlessly mean is just factually incorrect.

I was going to comment on the actual topic and then I see these people talkimg about $500 or $600 rent and I'm crying because around here my $1400 apartment is considered cheap.

>>8444684
My country's minimum wage is $7 dollars per DAY. A bit less, actually. Imagine buying lolita with that kind of budget. For me, lolita seems incredibly expensive, a solid month or two of work.


Usually I'm a good poorfag and I just shut the fuck up, nobody cares if I can't afford burando, but people pointing out "it's not even that expensive!" make me fucking mad. Spending these amounts on money on fashion means it's a luxury anywhere.

>>8444791
>/d/ is a good place/nice.
>Implying that any of 4chan is normal.

1/10.

>>8444791
I usually only ever see /y/ get mean over people posting not porn or SJW shit. Or extremely badly drawn porn.

>>8444803
Normal is relative.

>>8444800
wtf where do you live?

>>8444798
I pay close to $1400 as well.
I think a part of it is most people don't live alone.
My apt would be a hell of lot cheaper if I didn't live by myself. I don't think two people could fit in here very well but it would be nice and cheap.

>>8444803
Nobody ever said it was normal. But tbh people on /d/ are very nice for the most part.

>>8444798
Sounds like where I live. A studio apartment is literally like 1500/month. I swear the DC area has some of th worst freaking rent. And I live in VA because I don't want to fuck with the niggas in DC or the over privileged white people in the gentrified area of DC. And hey you wanna live somewhere where the rent is u see 1k you better be ready for roaches. It's bullshit. I live with my sister about an hour out of the city by bus (more like 1.5-2 hrs) and 1.2ka is the REDUCED price. I'm moving back in with my dad though because my property manager is a bitch that keeps trying to jack up my rent because I got a 10¢ raise.

>>8444800
Yeah in that situation Lolita is way too expensive. What is the cost of living like where you live? I'm curious because my stepfather is from sub Saharan Africa and sends his family $300 USD/month as their souls source of income for 7 people and they live really well off of that.

Lolita is a luxury hobby. If it's too expensive, then I'm sorry but that's just how it is. Not everyone who wants to be a lolita can be a lolita just like not everyone who wants to drive sports cars can drive sports cars. As far ad luxury hobbies go, it's cheap.
But it's not cheap compared to say, reading library books or other inexpensive hobbies.

>>8444776
I never got the idea that she's saying it's selfish. Considering she said she's spent 300 dollars on dresses before..

I think she just did a really poor job of saying "hey you can be a really good lolita without spending tons of money on highly sought after prints"

Her bringing up her morality just seems like she's kind of beat down. Someone she loves is going blind, and she's gotta help out. And I think she just made this video to maybe feel better about herself. I think she REALLY WANTS to be selfish and is trying to remind herself that helping charities and the people she loves is more important, despite her desires.

I dunno, I just feel kind of bad for her watching that video. Lots of the stuff I can be on board with. Spending smaller amounts on brand, thrifting pieces. Hell I can even get behind her "donating to new lolitas". I mean, how many times have you seen someone try to sell their dirty ass fucking socks on egl_comm_sales for $30?

>>8444684
With 500$, I got 6 blouses, 3 ops, 3 jsks, 2 purses, 4 skirts, 1 otks, 1 headbow, 2 corsets, 1 shirt, 1 pants and 3 sweaters/cardigans. All brand (JM, IW, AP, BPN) and a few from "casual brands" (axes femmes, dreamv, amavel). And some are for selling to fund the ones I keep (plus some extra $$). It's not how much you spend, it's how you spend it.

>>8444838
Rewatch the video. She uses the word selfish. She says she doesn't think it's good to be that selfish. She also criticizes buying it even when you're giving to charity.

>>8444830
One thing I don't get about lolita hobby vs say sports car hobby is that people don't just show up to a sports car club in a Kia and say, hey, cars, yeah? No? WoW, ur all so ELITIST!!!!!
But people do this in lolita with a bunch of non-lolita stuff. And say they do that b/c lolita is too expensive as if that makes it ok. Poorfag threads, whining, posts and videos are on the rise because more Lolitas are rejecting the onslaught of try-hard, loliable and non-lolita crap that is inching more and more into the hobby.
My opinion personally?
No, it does not have to be a VERY expensive hobby but there are minimum criteria in costs.
If you can't (at minimum) afford a couple of used, offbrand or Bodyline main pieces, buy the rest of the coords in loliables and afford the $$ it takes to come out to a few meets at your comm (lunch, movies, cafe, etc.) then you probably can't afford lolita as a hobby nor is it likely make you all that happy. And there's nothing wrong with saying this.

>>8444846
you're magical

She says a lot of dumb shit but really I just wanna see this awful tattoo up close.

>>8444684
500 is a lot. 500 is 20 more than my monthly rent. 500 for a couple items pales in comparison to normal western fashion. Ever picked up an issue of Cosmo or Glamour? The clothes for sale in those magazine might cost 500 for a single coat. It is expensive but in the world of fashion, it is truly not that much.

I may see it as a lot but a woman who has owned Gucci may see it as a steal.

>>8444684
Go and look at general retail of normalfag clothes and you'll realise that anything nice has a price tag. It's really not that expensive at all, get your head out of your ass.

>>8444798
Only since I just posted about my rent.

I live by myself. My rent is 480 for a one bedroom apartment with living room and kitchen.

I also live in the sticks and we only make 7.25 an hour here. 10 or more is a college level job.

>>8444906
You don't pay for ridiculous overseas shipping on normalfag clothes, and no, most are not cheap compared to it. A brand JSK to some nice Target dress is going to MUCH more expensive. You can't even pull the Bodyline/Taobao/Secondhand card all the time either. Bodyline has gone up, Taoabao is still more costly than most normal clothing with shipping, and secondhand can ironically be even more expensive than the stores they were originally from.

>>8444939
Target clothing isn't what that person meant by "nice". Walk into Nordstrom and look at the prices on things.

Target fashion is really only supposed to last you maybe one season. It's made cheap with cheap material and cheap labor and it's skewed people's idea of how much clothing costs to make. When the person making your dress gets paid less then a penny per dress, then yes, they can make it cheap. That doesn't mean it necessarily should be that cheap. Though there are many facets to that argument.

>>8444800
Not everyone is like you. This is my own view: Lolita is a kind of middle-range price fashion except the special BTSSB dresses that are over 1k. I love to wear lolita because when I buy a dress today, it will still be stylish next year, not dated. That's good value.

I do not currently know what the minimum wage for my country is because I don't have any friends who work for minimum wage. I often do not look at the price of an item before I buy it in a store like Sephora or Dillard's. I'd like to wear and buy more real designer clothing and shoes but those are 'expensive' to me. I have friends to whom they are not, who buy designer fashion every season. To me, what they spend is s lot. It grinds my gears a little that Chanel never has a sale, they don't do 'discount'.

These kinds of topics are all just opinion and relative to someone's personal situation.

>>8444956
This. A jacket at Nordstrom is 300 without tax; I really don't see why people are complaining about brand JSKs costing about 250. I actually find myself buying more lolita than normalfag stuff these days because I can't stand the quality of stuff from target and forever 21, and the normalfag stuff I do like costs more than brand. I'd rather spend money on clothes I like and that will last a long time rather than stuff that will fall apart after a couple washes.

>>8444747
>>8444757
Jesus, I need to learn how to coupon like this. Got any suggestions on where to read up on this sort of thing? I don't even know where to begin.

>>8444939
Person you were replying to here.
Who the fuck associates Target with the word "nice clothes"?
Mate.

>>8444956
>>8444992
Lolita dresses stay fashionable much longer than any fast fashion too, adding to the value.
You can stylishly wear a nice brand Lolita dress pretty much as long as you want to.

For Lolitas in comms it's also about meet costs.
Lots of fun things do cost a little money and some of the grumpy-ass 'no' RSVP replies because they can't afford the meet or sre too cheap to spend are so rude.
Honestly, I'm tired of poorfags eternally suggesting picnic, potluck or the absolute cheapest place to eat that isn't fast food, then pulling something like ordering water and an appetizer, paying with a coupon and leaving a stingy tip. So Tacky.

>>8445018
Overwhelmingly cheap people and poorfags.

>>8445018
This. Especially after the recent Lilly Pulitzer release outcry from 'real Lilly fans'. They really let the media have it about Target cheapening the brand. It was funny cause I think LP prints are ugly to start with and ALL the LP shift dresses are unfashionable anyway. When Neiman's hooked up with Target for that Christmas collex, it was a big failcake too. Cheap diffusion lines are cheap.

>>8444684
But... MH are really cheap to a BJD collector, same difference with fashion if someone shops at Macy's or Bloomingdales, brand lolita will honestly seem less expensive than to someone who shops at Target. It all depends on what your context is.

>>8445018
>>8445039
>>8445107

I was going to mention Wal-Mart vs lolita, since "normie clothes" is so fucking vague of course normie would win every time in price, but I chose Target since it was slightly nicer in comparison.

Not everyone wants to blow a bunch of money on normal fag fashion at Neiman Marcus and buy Gucci bags. Not everyone who's into lolita fashion cares about all other types of fashion automatically.

So yes, Target and similar cheap, decent normie clothes beats all forms of brand in price almost every time. If you're going to compare a brand OP to something like Luis Vuitton bag, you're just fucking stupid.

>>8445143
>So yes, Target and similar cheap, decent normie clothes beats all forms of brand in price almost every time.
Yes, because of this magical thing called sweatshop labor
>If you're going to compare a brand OP to something like Luis Vuitton bag, you're just fucking stupid.
... no one is?

>>8445143
But it's the poorfags mostly whining as if Btssb is as out of reach as LV. Big différence.

>>8444589
Brand is cheap if you know where to look. The cheapest brand I've ever gotten was around $70 for a coat around $65 for an OP both from Angelic Pretty. They were both secondhand but in pristine condition. I have never spent more than $230 on a single piece thus far and I own more brand than I do offbrand.

The trick is to hunt stuff down and to know your market. Some items go more on the Western market, while others go for more on the Japanese market. Some pieces go for more depending on the time of year and of course popularity/rarity is always a factor.

I honestly think that all the lolitas that whine about brand being $500 are only looking at a very small sliver of what's for sale.

>>8444636
http://www.lookhuman.com/design/38666-sailor-moon-blanket
Is this what you're looking for anon?

>>8445170
>magical thing called sweatshop labor
And? What is your point exactly? Of course it's sweatshop labor. That's why it's less expensive. The point wasn't quality, it's what was usually cheaper?

>comparing it to high end fashion
But some people here are? I don't know, my point was just "normie fashion" was vague so of course it's usually cheaper. Brand is definitely cheap to high end fashion, but literally all clothing is. I don't really consider lolita be on the level of that kind of luxury fashion.

>>8445179
You're definitely right about that. I think even if you're poor, you can save up or budget usually to get some secondhand brand item or even from the brands themselves. Some sale items can be pretty cheap in brand stores and even ClosetChild has sales. If people can't even do that, they probably shouldn't be in the fashion.

>>8445235
>>8445179
>>8445235

Meant. >>8445157
for the first reply and >>8445170 for the second.

>>8444641
This pains me so much more than OP's link. Someone needs to tell her she's delusional.

>tfw not american
>tfw no coupon culture, or even the possibility to
>tfw EU so paying out of the ass for even daring to get something shipped

Really though, if you have little budget you're unfortunately going to have to invest some time searching for nice bargains on places like auctions etc.

>>8444757
>Auction Winner: (57, -1) spongebob (Sold for $600)

I might be salty because it's really hard to talk to someone as dense as you are

People who act as if lolita is not an expensive hobby are surprisingly dumb

If lolita is too expensive a hobby for someone then they need to just find another hobby, not sit and whine about it or lecture others. I think it's a shame many Lolitas with good wardrobes hesitate to share, post or talk about them much except for once a year in the EGL wardrobe post because there's so much jelly and snark at people who have a great collection of brand.

>>8444684
I am not going to tell you lolita isn't an expensive hobby because obviously for your budget, it seems it is. But I will say that I don't go down to the local yacht club or motorcycle club or vintage car club and scold them because their hobby is expensive.
I don't go on the Sephora forum and fuss at the Rouge members who spend a minimum of 1,000 at Sephora every year.

I don't have to justify my spending on lolita since I'm self-sufficient, pay my bills, am not in debt. I usually pay nearly as much for my nice normalfag dresses as for a brand dress unless I catch a sale. So yes, preachy videos and envious or grumpy poorfags can gtfo, please.

>>8444641
This video just makes me want to go at least window shopping to erase her images, bleh.

>>8445732
You probably think buying something without looking at the price is dumb too.
Different people with different budgets have different criteria for what is expensive. I'm not hyper vigilant about prices so +/- $50 on a lolita item price isn't something I'd have a fit about because that amount doesn't make or break whether I can afford the dress. I don't dwell on <exactly> what I pay for each piece total because SS and postage and tax/no tax often vary the cost so I don't really pay super close attention, my budget isn't that tight that I need to.

>>8444755
She says in the video she already has brand...? Just that she's not willing to spend more than $300 on a single dress for it.

>>8444688
Gotta agree, I clicked on the link expecting a lolcow and I was pretty disappointed. The "you should spend as much on others as you do on yourself" preaching is eye roll-inducing, but everything else is just about how she likes to be thrifty? So what?

>>8444742
>>8444784
Buying slave-made clothing is okay as long as it allows you to save money for charity to make yourself feel better~

>>8445143
Target/Walmart isn't luxury. Lolita is luxury. It makes much more sense to compare lolita brands to western luxury brands than to fucking Walmart.
When people say "normie fashion" they're not referring to Walmart, they're referring to FASHION. Walmart does not sell fashion.

>>8445143
Walmart and Target knock off more expensive brands all the time. If you think Target is nice...just no. It's all throw away fashion.

>>8444798
My bf rents one room in a house the landlord built himself (and you can tell, plus half the building material is still piled up outside) above a fishmonger in the shittiest area you can imagine. It's full of drug addicts and a week after he moed in someone was caught trying to dump a body 100m from the house. There is no telephone line (so no internet), heating, mold, cockroaches and he power cuts out any time someone uses the immersion heater so no hot water either. $1000 a month and that is rock bottom cheap here. Food for my family of 4 is $100 a month MAX so a $500 dress is nearly half a year's worth of food

Lolita is fucking expensive, but I think that is partly because of all the focus on following trends and the latest print releases. The secondhand market is totally out of control. When people tell me about the bargain they got on Closet Child that shit is usually cheap because it's ugly. I'd rather stick with the secondhand bodyline, thrifted and offbrand clothes I bought years ago in order to splash out on a really nice indie main piece. After being in this fashion for 9 years I'm only just able to afford some of the brand that was on my wishlist since 2010. If it's not something spectacular or not a main piece, offbrand is how make it work.

>>8445793
So that means she's really just a lot like many Lolitas who buy second-hand brand. What's she fussing for then, really? I think those Lolitas are actually in the majority. I generally have fewer pieces comparatively than avid second-hand buyers (judging by wardrobe posts) but I buy my things new most of the time.

>>8445814
fashion is fashion regardless of the price. you're thinking of 'luxury fashion' specifically. And luxury fashion brands retail for thousands of Euros whereas lolita doesn't exceed 800, if that. That's mid-range normie stuff like Kate Spade or Tory Burch.

>>8445884
Are you Bedbuglita? If so, no need to post this in 2 threads. Newsflash: Most well-adjusted mature people don't throw their quality of life under the bus just to afford a frivolous clothing hobby.

>>8444956
We don't have Target but we have Primark. I still carefully look at the tags when I go clothes shopping every 4-6 months. I aim to spend under $50 and get 5-10 new items. I make them last. I have clothes I bought from there 7 years ago and they are still in good condition. The idea of throwaway fashion disgusts me. I think I do well with my budget because photgraphers and fashion students always stop me for street snaps and ask where I got my stuff.

For me, lolita is nice to put on when I want to feel particularly pretty or special and is my go-to fashion for all formal occasions and special events. Even my Bodyline is precious and I'm always grateful because I'm still so privileged to have these fancy clothes. Even if my family is classed as living 'in poverty' (for this country) there are MILLIONS of people living on a fraction of what I do. I don't hate richer lolitas but I do hate how often they have their head in the clouds, in denial, refusing to acknowledge how priveleged they are.

>>8445898
Kate Spade, Tory Burch, Michael Kors, Betsey Johnson, Tarina Tarantino. These are good comparisons to lolita fashion I think, not big-box stores or luxury design houses.

>>8445905
I think you are more sensible and representative of good budgeting but there are extremes at both ends, and it's also depressing to listen to the constant kvetching of bitchy poorfags so occasionally people lost their patience and call them out about it.

>>8445901
I'm not bedbug chan. Also I am quite happy living with $100 a month for food and making my cheap normal clothes last. I am grateful for what I have and a chance to feel less like a peasant at meetups and formal occasions, because there are so many people poorer than me. Some of you girls have a seriously solipsistic view; not all of us need to spend so much on essentials. It's having lolita as a luxury that improves my quality of life. I plan on completing my wishlist and never looking at another releas again by the time I move in with my boyfriend so we can afford a nice place with our combined income (we are only in London for uni)

>>8444904
As someone who own high end brand and quality clothing, I think lolita is expensive. Lolita is fast fashion(that most of the time can't even be dry cleaned) and I would rather pay top dollar for a for a basic clothing item that I can wear for 5+ years.

>>8445924
Most lolita can be washed or dry cleaned and with prints 5+ years old still being worn and sold on the second-hand market, I don't think that's very fast or throwaway. Agree on the quality though, it's mid-range. I sure wish lolita brands would at least use better fabric and do nicer hems/finishing details.

>>8445924
I don't get people who pay so much money for items that will fall apart in seconds if worn daily, have to constantly baby them and then say 'hurr the price is so high because it's QUALITY clothing!'
Like no bitch, obviously not since you have to treat it so carefully. Or people who buy high end stuff to only wear occasionally and wear cheapy h&m-tier clothes on a daily basis. You're clearly buying it for the status, not the quality.

I own several Orla Kiely bags that are virtually indestructible and use them for college regularly. Same with my pair of Swedish Hasbeens. If the quality was absolute shite I wouldn't even pay €50 for them, let alone retail price. Again, not saying this is high end fashion or anything but it's the only 'designer' stuff I own, for good reason. It's why stuff like Fjällräven costs so much, but I seriously doubt someone's €1000 Gucci leather bag could withstand the wear and tear as well as an artisan offbrand piece.

>>8445917
Thanks. I do get what you mean about ranting poorfags. Lolita fashion (especially new school) is quite opulent and fancy. The design and materials will cost more than my regular t shirts and I accept that but I hate scalping. It just seems like sour grapes when peope post these videos about how they hate x dress anyway when clearly they clearly would be all over that shit if they had the cash.

What bugs me is that when lolita started out is was more expensive because it was niche or the construction was more complex. Now lolita is bigger and the fashion has changed, I am admittedy less content when brands release what amounts to a normalfag sundress with a print splashed over it. The focus has changed fom looking like a cute victorian doll to looking as expensive and fancy as possible. In a sense the fashion is stricter but also more relaxed in terms of brands releasing things that are indistinguishable from offbrand loliables- only I would have been told they weren't 'lolita enough' in 2006. Makes you wonder why the price tag is so different.

Perhaps my view of the fashion is dated. I get a bit disgruntled with the secondhand market in particular, but I'm not going to shit all over a girl just because she has the latest AP release because she has it and I don't

>>8445884
The secondhand market is really only out of control if you're a printfag or happen to only like the ridiculously popular releases. Most of my wardrobe is solids and save for one MM dress, I've gotten almost everything in like-new to very good condition for 50-70% of original retail price. I don't personally think my wardrobe is fug and I'm not prone to buying things solely because they're cheap or settling, so I'm not really sure where you're coming from.

>>8444824

bdsm/rr/gfd threads are always invaded by r9k though

>>8444791
/y/ is decent enough, stop being a SJW and you won't get chewed out

I can empathize with these videos ever so slightly. I don't dig entitlement attitudes, but I can see where they're coming from.

I just graduated with my master's degree and right now I'm living back home while trying to find a job. A $300 new dress seems crazy expensive to me right now, in fact my credit card bill is disastrously over $1k (though my minimums are thankfully low). However, once me and my bf get stable jobs and find a place to rent, spending an extraneous $200-300 a month won't seem so horrible. We don't have bills like a mortgage to fuss over. We don't have kiddos. When we lived in an apartment together we only worried about utilities, phone, internet, and my car payment and insurance.

It's also circumstantial too and it depends on what people value.
My parents are by no means "poorfags"; at one point their combined income was over $120k a year.
Yet despite their income they snark at someone else for buying a dress for $300. They never spent much on everyday clothes. Hell, they snark at me when I purchase brand. They don't value *street fashion* clothes that much and see it as a waste of disposable income. Yet bear in mind these are people with a mortgage to pay, a retirement to consider, and other variables that will make or break their final years of their life.

So idk, maybe I'm biased in that sense.
I still don't respect scalpers either. Like I understand a $50-100 markup, but anything beyond $200+ is really absurd and makes me feel nauseous and I feel horrible paying over that amount. Because with scalper prices I'm not paying for the actual worth of the dress (re: materials, construction, condition), I'm not supporting the brand, my money just goes into the pockets of whoever decides the price on a whim.
I'm free to not like a secondhand price just the same as someone is free to not sell their brand to some poorfag shit for cheap. It doesn't have to be complicated.

>>8444824

bdsm/rr/gfd threads are always invaded by r9k though so /d/ idnt as fun as it used to be

on topic, i'm a poorfag lolita and honestly its not as hard as you want to think, luckypacks, secondhand sites (not just cc ad lacemarket i mean really looking around) make lolita much easier and more affordable, you just have to accpet you maybe wont be getting a new dress every month.
what i do is i save up like crazy until a lucky packs out, spree out on that, rinse and repeat, with the occasional 100 going to a small taobao accessory order maybe twice a year
i work two jobs and sell handmade cosplay to get money to spend

>>8445962
sorry, >>8445976 here, accadentally posted twice there

>>8444589
I get the feeling she's the type who would also bitch that tea party meet tickets were $20 and then flounce and rsvp 'no' because the food was not organic.
That's the reason most of us get cranky, not because someone has different budget, preferences or opinions but because we are just sick of hearing them push it on everyone too much.

>>8445732
What does this have to do with anything. Even on whatever budget you're on a second hand dress and now for 600 is a lot of money.

I don't really care if you spend that, but to say its not expensive just makes you look really stupid.

>>8445968
>Yet despite their income they snark at someone else for buying a dress for $300.
I have no problem with cheap people, but many are on an extremely high horse about it and there's really no need for it. It's just obnoxious.

>I still don't respect scalpers either. Like I understand a $50-100 markup, but anything beyond $200+ is really absurd and makes me feel nauseous and I feel horrible paying over that amount

I don't mean this to be as bitchy as it probably sounds, but I seriously don't understand how so many seagulls are under this extremely misguided idea that high mark-ups are only because of scalpers, as if lolita isn't known for being highly collectible and auctions and how popular/rare a piece is has nothing to do with it. Not saying I have anything against people who don't want to pay the mark-ups, just that this whole notion lots of people have that the resale value is entirely due to scalping is extremely incorrect. Also, the higher mark-ups are kind of a good thing. If the dresses that are so popular, they're already ridiculously competitive at a grand were like $300 instead and there were no such thing as auctions, getting one would be infinitely harder because they're would be multiple times the competition and way fewer people would be compelled to sell it in the first place.

>>8444828
I live in VA as well and the rent prices in the area are a joke. Im paying 2k for a 1 bedroom apartment with the utilities included. The public transit is also expensive - I want to say I paid $8 round trip to go 20 miles on the Silver Line? So when I am able to save up and afford a nice dress, I love it to pieces because my hard work paid off to get an item I know I'm going to enjoy. If the girl in OP's video opts not to spend her money on brand, that's her call but it's not for her to judge how we spend our hard earned money.

>>8446092
>lolita pieces are collectibles
It's a fair point anon, but many don't see something that is going to be worn multiple times as having collectible value. It's different if it's a mint condition set with tags that has only been worn once, but I think the scalper gripes come from two kinds of people
>the people who are known to buy directly from a new release with the intention to scalp
>people who willingly scalp dresses that they know are in lesser condition or show signs of wear because of the popularity of a print or cut

I sympathize with collectors because I collect figures. But I would not buy a figure scalped if it was out of the box, had scrapes, or an accumulation of dust and dirt.

>>8445889
>What's she fussing for then, really
I believe she said in the first few minutes that she was making the video in reaction to a certain thread where people were criticizing self-imposed spending caps.

>>8444589
all i had to do was see her UN (isaki tahashi ??) and a white girl and nope'd out of there oh lawd

I have a story very relevant to this thread
>transition from sweet to mostly gothic
>decide sell about 60% of wardrobe, including red Puppet Circus JSK since I also have the black skirt
>post sale to local comm page first because I always promised if I ever sold my wardrobe, they would get dibs
>no prices listed, state everything is up for negotiation
>new girl who barely got out of her ita phase messages me about Puppet Circus asking me what I was hoping to get
>decide to be nice and sell it to her for $750, which is what I paid for it (I got it years ago when it was much cheaper)
>get messages from two other girls asking for it, one offering $1,500 right off the bat, in the time it's taking her to respond
>kind of regretting selling it to her for so low, but trying to convince myself helping her obtain her dream dress was just as rewarding (which was obviously a lie)
>girl responds with the Lolibrary link saying "this site says it originally sold for less than $300 :/"
>reply telling her why it's so expensive and include every PC dress listing I can find within the past couple years, every single one that isn't the ugly pink one or with major damage being over a grand
>she says "look, I'm not about to be ripped off and I doubt anyone else is going to fall for your scam, I'll pay $250, no more"
>tell her she's an idiot and sell it to the girl offering $1,500
>newbie girl glares at me and girl who bought it at meet for next few months
>apparently she tried to bitch about it at a meet I didn't go to and one of my friends told her off

>>8446190
I read the thread. No one was criticizing spending caps in that thread at all. They were criticizing (rather politely) her extremely self-righteous comment about her own. She was going on about how helping other was so much more important to her and acted like anyone who spent lots on lolita for themselves couldn't relate to having people to take care of or wanting to.

>>8446203

>she says "look, I'm not about to be ripped off and I doubt anyone else is going to fall for your scam, I'll pay $250, no more"

Lol this is just sad. I personally cant believe that so many dresses reach such a high price, and I will NEVER pay for them, but to assume someone is scamming you? That's just new level of noobieness.

>>8444781
you clearly haven't been to /tv/, /fa/, /lit/, /pol/... a lot of bitching about each other's tastes and specific celebrities/public figures

>>8444684
Oh, cry me a fucking river.

Most brand dresses aren't 500 USD brand new, and you can easily get brand for under 200 USD. If that's still too much, you can get stuff from taobao oder less popular second hand brand for 50-100 USD.

I hate how people always break out the "500 dollar dress!!" card, because it's a gross overstatement for the sake of your argument. Lolita is not expensive in the grand scheme of things, even if you might not be able to afford it.

>>8444781
are you fucking kidding me?

>>8446271
Rant aside, however, I don't see anything wrong with what the girl in OP is saying. She just says that she isn't willing/able to spend big money on super-popular prints because it's not a priority for her. Doesn't seem bitter.

>>8446318
Seriously? She's being extremely self-righteous about it, she flat out says it's selfish. How do you not see what's wrong with the video?

>>8446343
I rolled my eyes at that, but I just can't manage to be outraged or even annoyed. I expected it to be way worse from the posts in this thread.

>>8446271
On another note.. dolly cat is 400 on LM. And I've seen some indie brand dresses on taobao and mbok for like a grand.

No one has to pay those prices tho. It's a choice.

You mean ya'll dont make $300k annually? Thats too bad

>>8444641
>Gunny Sax
No, no, no.

>>8444641
This is so embarrassing poor babby

>>8447140
Right? And I even loooove me some vintage lacy or velvet gunne sax stuff...but NOT in my lolita.

>>8444641
She looks poor

>>8446271
>you can get stuff from taobao or less popular second hand brand for 50-100 USD.
I agree. If you can't manage this then yes, I'll say it - lolita IS too expensive for you and you should find another hobby.

Why do poorfags who like to thrift rarely consider Dolly-Kei or Cult Party Kei?

>>8444641
idk why but the way she talks about swap meets are making me uncomfortable

>>8445905
I absolutely think I'm privileged. I'm grateful that I have a good job and I can afford to support myself and my significant other and still spend money on hobbies.

The thing is, it's utterly unrealistic to tell people that they can be lolita if they can't afford it. And a lot of people can't afford it.

It's not expensive for a luxury hobby, but it IS a luxury hobby.

>>8447199
Because she sounds like a moocher that people just gave some crappy stuff to so she'd go away?

>>8447211
Maybe. Like she excitedly would wait by a trashcan after the meet to see if anyone would throw anything out.

>>8447203
This. And that's a kind and tactful way to phrase it.
I think it's because no one wants to crush someone's aspirations. But then we get so many itas in loliables or bitter betties complaining about how expensive things are and frankly, I'm not so nice. I don't like to go to lolita meets with these kinds of people.

>>8444711
For 500 bucks I can put together at least 2 super nice coords pettis included.

If you're spending $500 on just ONE dress, then you're doing this fashion wrong

>>8447203
>The thing is, it's utterly unrealistic to tell people that they can be lolita if they can't afford it.

What about people who are good at sewing and make their own clothes who aren't terribad tier?
>inb4 omg anon that's a landwhale
But pic related. She makes most of her coordinates and the most she buys is fabric, accessories, and maybe a wig. I would argue the biggest thing required to be a lolita is sensible taste and reason.
And as much as poorfags hate being shunted to Bodyline, Bodyline is still technically lolita and not crazy expensive either.

Anyway, I don't mean to come off as argumentative I just think there's exceptions. There's also a difference between being a "poorfag" in the sense of living paycheck to paycheck and being a "poorfag" in the sense of just not being able to afford new or scalped brand.

>>8447723
This is good but it's also very much the exception rather than the general rule. Most beginner Lolitas have little to no sewing skills and don't sew well enough to make anything but a skirt.

>>8447694
>bought sugar dream dome fur trim jsk in sax soon after its release secondhand
>paid the scalper price of $500 with headbow included without tags
>I'm still paying it off
>tfw I will likely never get back what I paid
Even if I tried to scalp it I'd have a guilty conscience.

I wanted it like the dickens but I even know it wasn't actually worth that amount and I only paid out of sheer desperation. It's the most I've thrown at a popular release secondhand to date, and I'm sure some anons have had it even worse.

>>8445884
If you're living that kind of life, why are you trying to buy lolita? You're better off wearing cute normie fashion if you're that piss broke

>>8445302
>>8447199
>>8447218
>>8447211
not a lolita, but i dont see the problem with the video.

Note: I have literlly eaten cake out of garbage cans before, so factor that in for tolerance for poor shit.....

>>8447723
I actually have a bunch of friends who make their own lolita clothing.

The cost of a non-custom print, handmade dress, using quality fabric (not quilting cotton) and quality lace (sourcing from taobao because it's insanely expensive domestically) is still higher than the price of bodyline.

You can cut corners and use ruffles instead of lace, or just wear country and use eyelet lace on everything and that brings the cost down, but it's still not cheap in the way that an outfit from target would be cheap.

And good handmade lolita requires a sewing machine and actual skill and time. The initial investment for a non-sewer is high.

So, yes, you do have a point, a small number of people with a specific skill set, who already have a working sewing machine, could start making their own clothing for less than brand prices, but it's not any different, really, than someone shopping at bodyline as far as the price goes; you really can't push the price lower than bodyline prices.

What quality handmade does have is the ability to make something that is absolutely perfectly the right size, and, depending on the skill, time and materials invested, the outcome can be far more complex and detailed than a mass produced piece from a brand.

That said, I stand by what I said before. It's unrealistic to tell people they can be lolita if they can't afford it, and a lot of people can't afford it.

>>8447694
There are people in the fashion, myself included, who will drop $500+ on a single dress. They tend to all be in their mid-to-late 20's or early 30's, good jobs, no kids, no major debt, many are married so they are dual income households...

Most of my friends who can afford to do that don't post wardrobe posts because they get harassed though.

>>8444800
Reminds me. TLDR- not sorry in the least.
A coworker of a friend of mine went to the Philippines for his sabbatical, came back with this wild story.
He ended up at a bar that turns into a tit show after a certain hour with a date, he was enjoying himself, kinda far back but it wasn't a big deal. He's having drinks, tipping his waitress, gives her, what is to him, a few bucks each time.
He was tipping her half her daily wages. Each time.
His date was getting pissed because of all the attention she was giving him.
Well, she tries to 'fuck the waitress out of his mind' that night, but he's a cheeky fuck. Talks her into going back there, they get seated closer, same waitress, same song and dance, date tries to take back the tips for less and he's like 'nah bitch'
Gets his brains fucked out again that night, his date is pretty satisfied that... goes back again. He gets seated in a different section, third story of a smoking-ok bar and the date's like, fine good, whatever, you like this place, I'll deal as long as SHE doesn't come back.
He gets spotlighted, which means he's to come up on stage to be a part of the show, and as he's getting up, his date trying to keep him there, he looks down over the railing and BAM there's the waitress beckoning him to the FRONT ROW (Panty showering imminent) and neither of them can really believe it, but he drags her ass down there and he has the time of his life, just messing with this woman and flirting the shit out of the waitress the whole time.
>"THREE TIMES, ANON, THREE. I asked her afterwards, 'can't we just cuddle?' My God, I NEED TO GO BACK"
He's probably going to marry the waitress, he bought and sent her an iphone apparently. I seriously need to have co workers like this, all of mine are boring. And don't feel too terrible for the date, she was a cunt the whole time if not for the sex and the company around town, which she was all for, he wouldn't have gone out with her so often.
I'm just like
<

>>8445963
what is sJW on /y/

>>8446264
/pol/ and /v/ is assholes not bitches. difference

>>8447761
IDK anon
>if you get good wear out of it then it's kinda worth it?

>>8447970
The differences is that you and your friends can, what I'm trying to say is that $500 isn't the bare minimal

>>8444814
Not her but I live in Serbia and the minimum wage here is like 200€ per month. That's what some people earn in a day in the EU. Thanks America.

>>8444589
Jesus christ, poor people are so fucking annoying

just go to fucking college and pick a major that isn't useless. It's not fucking hard to make money.

>>8447791
I have cute normie clothing. My outfits cost very little but I still get compliments and photo requests. I've loved lolita for 11 years and when I got into it, it wasn't about the latest print or looking fancy. Plus it's my default special occasion wear. Plus that's my boyfriend's house and he is only here for uni. He lives in the upper part of his parent's mansion 200 miles away the rest of the time. A liveable home by most standards, a step up from the current situation would cost double that rent and an extra $1000 a month just for another room in a nicer house. Both of us would rather spend that money on food and clothing. I was just pointing out the disparity in rent/general cost of living

Also, when you're poor, the opportunity to dress up is nice.

>>8446690
My problem is don't see any point in buying brand unless it's something irreplaceable and really special, so of course it's going to be an inflated price (I hate myself) The only exception is all the old school stuff I couldn't have when I was 12

>>8448045

>>8444641
She's super cute but ahhhhh it's so cringe I want to curl up and die

>>8445235
There's a difference between comparing it to high end fashion and specifically comparing it to a LV bag. Not to mention, you're comparing it to Target, so not sure what you're problem is?

>>8445945
>>8445924
This is one of the greatest misconceptions about brand, it doesn't apply past the end of the old school era. I machine wash most of my clothes and dry clean what I feel iffy about putting in the washer, never once did I have a problem. I've also never had brand fall apart and I have dresses I've worn like twice a month for four years, and I go out and do shit in them. As for high end fashion vs. lolita, it really depends on the designer and item. Alexander McQueen, for example, is far lower quality than brand. If you disagree, you've obviously never seen his stuff in person or looked at the materials listed. If you look around Saks, Liberty, or Nordstrom IRL, you'll find more than half the shit their is no more impressive quality than brand or below it. Obviously, lots of high end is great quality, like Chanel, but that is not the case in general.

>>8445814
Lolita simply isn't comparable to high end western fashion. It's apples to oranges no matter how you look at it. Lolita is niche and an odd duck in the fashion world. The only thing relating it to high end luxury fashion is that it's "luxary", which is a vague stamp that can be put on anything expensive and brand name.

Also, to add more as to why brand name lolita is not luxary, many pieces are made in China. I have brand name boots made in China, parasols, bags, accessories and so on. "But not the dresses themselves!" Do you really think every piece on that dress is 100% Japanese? I'm tired of this ignorance that Lolita brand is equivalent to high end brands out there, some as old as a century.

>>8448703
What you guys saying it's not comparable don't seem to realize is that not all high end designers are equal. Some have stellar quality, some are half ass and no better than anything you'd find in the juniors section of Sear's. Also, the Chinese factories that the Japanese brands use aren't sweatshops. China=/=sweatshop in Japan the same way it does in the US. Many Japanese clothing stores have non-sweatshop factories in China.

>>8444641
>"Look at this dress I got from my grandma!"
>"Look at this shirt from my old Japanese teacher!"
>"So loli-able, ne?! ;^)"

>>8447694
It's easy to put together a complete coord or 2 for $500. Some of us weren't able to get our dream dresses on release day (or weren't in the fashion at the time, if it's an older/rare dress). I'd gladly pay $500 for an extremely rare dress that's I'm never going to find again.
And it's funny because I did pay that amount earlier in the week for a dress I've been searching for for quite some time. Its original price was over $500, actually, so I got it for a bargain. It's a very elaborate rococo style OP so in my eyes, it was worth every penny. If you're going to judge people for the amount they're willing to pay, /you/ are doing this fashion wrong.

>>8445884
Man, sorry about you BF. If I were you, I'd cut the Lolita buying honestly and put that towards a slightly better place for the both of you to live.

>>8447970
The point is that in most cases a new brand dress doesn't actually cost $500 (obviously exceptions exist, like the really lavish OP releases Baby and AP do sometimes). I've never spent that much on an order unless I'm purchasing matching accessories.

To be frank, it's really no one's business how a stranger chooses to spend money on their hobby, and yet people in this fashion do it all the fucking time. I don't give a shit if you wear Moitie or Bodyline as long as you can dress yourself, and watching girls on tumblr, youtube, etc air their personal insecurities with this "omg meanie elitist brandwhores" bullshit so that they can pretend they're taking some moral high ground over a dress is really goddamn annoying.

>>8447747
So they start off with skirts. Lolita clothing is really basic to make in terms of the cuts, and if you thrift fabric, it can be really, really cheap.

Heck, I recently got fabric on sale and made a dress for a whooping 7€, and I'm not even poorfag.

>>8444918
Where do you live???

>>8448755 see
>>8448022

Before I got into lolita I was a bargain bin and clearance rack junkie. I got used to spending under $10 for a lot of things. I'd wait to get this season's clothes until they went on clearance.

When I got into lolita I had literal sticker shock. I couldn't get over the prices. I'd had expensive hobbies before, cosplay, bjds, collecting vintage MLP, etc. Those can all get very pricey. I just wasn't used to spending that much on clothing.

I don't know what happened, or how it happened, but I got used to the prices. I still bargain hunt and get really good deals on things. But I will spend over $400 if it's something I really want and I have the money for it.

I just think about how much money I would have sitting in my bank account now if I'd never gotten over that sticker shock.

>>8447970
well, yeah, obviously. I've also bought brand dresses for $25 secondhand so saying $500 is the minimum is ridiculous.

A newbie coord typically would cost around $100-$300 head to toe if you go with cheap options.

>>8444828
I feel you, anon. I have friends that live in DC. I was living in Annapolis for a while, and that was already expensive, especially considering minimum wage there is still like $7.25.

>>8444774
this. My bf's ex was really into designer bags like LV and Hermes so my babby's first lolita shit is tame. I'm just getting into lolita now, and I'm a penny pincher for the most part, so I keep hunting for deals. My other hobby is figure collecting, but almost everything comes from mandarake. I suppose it also helps that I don't want him to pay for any of my stuff unlike she did.

I'm also thankful that I am not interested in designer handbags. That is a truly expensive hobby. Handbags and BJDs.

>>8444684
a lot of lolita clothes are the same price as expensive normie clothes that you can find in department stores. and actually, i think most of the shoes and purses that lolitas use are much less expensive than normie stuff.

>>8444846
teach me your ways!

>>8448045
>useless degrees!
>don't go to college for principles like learning, passion, or accomplishing goals!
>it's all about dat dollah!!
This rustles my jimbobs whenever I hear some cunt say it.
You're Murrican, right? No wonder our country has gone to shit if education is this undervalued.

>>8449037
I managed to find old school Angelic pretty for that price, it really isn't too hard to find cheap brand. Most of my wardrobe is secondhand pieces.

>>8449074
Yeah it's anon's fault that the US has practically idolatrized college education and learning for leisure is a hobby for those who are already educated and financially secure because of their education (or their parents' education).

>>8448045
i'm not wasting four years doing some boring fucking science degree while being surrounded by thirsty manchildren.

>>8449082
Why yes, it is anon's fault for perpetuating the stigma that a college degree is useless, that there isn't a widespread employment problem in all fields, and not that the problem lies within the gross financial inaccessibility to education while employer expectations are on a continual rise.

Wake up.

>>8448045
>>8449082
Why do I get the impression you're some salty comp sci bitch with mediocre pay who looks down on anyone who did something different than you?

>>8449092
You'd rather waste four years playing dressup or doing finger painting instead?

>>8449104
Not that anon and not in comp sci but it's really fucking stupid to complain if you're studying philosophy or fat studies on mammy and daddy's dime when you already know and are being told repeatedly that finding work would be very difficult after graduating with those diplomas. Especially if those are things which you improve upon by doing and practising rather than theory and lectures. The only use I can see of those degrees is networking and most students doing art don't even bother doing it and just party and drink all the time.

>>8449123
I don't think anyone in this thread said that they were doing that? Why are you just assuming things.
Besides, this thread is about poor people. College in 'murica is incredibly expensive, and unfortunately lots of high end jobs depend on connections that you make while in school. Schools that if you're poor, you can't afford to go to. Anyone can go to community college, but the reality is it's very hard to get anywhere in life when you go there. Loving that classism, America.

>>8449138
This is very true.

>>8449138
This, wow.

>>8449138
Why not look into a trade school? I completely swore off college and now I'm making decent cash welding. I'm a girl.

>>8445884
That's just your opinion anon, I've seen some really nice pieces go for cheap on Closet Child. It's a bit rude calling someone elses wardrobe ugly

>>8449104
>mediocre pay

Good one, sweety.

>>8449204
I agree with you on the art school thing but yes, mediocre pay. Everyone in STEM thinks they'll make bank and get a great job straight out of uni and turn their nose up at every other degree. In reality, people with my degree make or break your career and you're nowhere near as 'patrician' as you think.

>>8449211
What do you mean by "bank," and what's your degree?

>>8449204
Hah, you couldn't be any more defensive, sugarcube.

>>8449211
Exactly.
I know so many people who are unemployed computer science and general STEM majors because they're either not as talented as their peers or their field is too saturated for the jobs they want. I don't know why so many deny the fact that over half of people who go to college don't wind up in the fields they actually studied for, or even why it has to be a big deal.

>>8449221
make bank = earn a lot of money

>>8449204
ComcSci student here to tell you that you're delusional if you think that having a STEM degree means that you have a secure, high-paying job without outstanding skills or extra effort.

>>8444747
>>8444757
>tfw you can't do this in Canada
"One coupon per customer" is the bane of my existance

>>8448827
This is very true, all of it. But...if you look at the track record, how many people have you seen actually DO this with any great success and stick with it? Damn few. And it's a shame too because the ones who have done it mostly really look great. I always give them a like or a good comment. I wish more would see this as an option if they put some work and practice into it. But I'm not holding my breath.

>>8444721
You are cherry-picking the rare and very marked up examples. These are the exceptions, not the rule. If you don't know this, you need to study up on lolita second-market prices more. If you do know, then gtfo with sensationalizing stuff for drama.

>>8449092
Roommate has a bio degree, can't get a job. STEM is only good if you pick the right STEM majors.

>>8449281
Web Dev. At work we can't find people. We offer competitive salaries and our people keep getting sniped. I get job offers weekly from my resume that I posted in 2009 when I graduated college and haven't updated since.

>>8449311
No, STEM is only good if you have the right skills, aspirations and accomplishments to back it up. Like with any other degree, people will rather hire someone with the skills and knowledge who doesn't have a college diploma over someone who does but was clearly only in it because they'd heard its what makes a lot of money.

>>8449281
>extra effort
Getting internships, doing research, making connections, and retaining a high GPA at a proper institution, not a shitty state school, aren't things that require "extra effort." Every person that isn't a retard does this. Almost all the engineers that I know are lined up with 67-78k jobs the moment they graduate. My compsci and compeng friends have it even better. I swear, the only people who fail in comp sci are mouthbreathers that aren't good at math, or idiots that don't build a proper portfolio.

>>8449104
Lolwhat? I'm the second anon. I'm saying that learning for leisure is something that you can only really do if you have money, and "going to college" is 1) extremely lauded by Americans, they all act like your life is over if you have never been to college and don't have a degree and 2) extremely expensive for Americans. Unless you luck out and happen to live close to a community college (which is still a pretty big cost for many people) college is basically unattainable for a huge number of young people.

But apparently you think I'm a comp-sci major with no money? No. I just have more self awareness than you and can understand that not everyone has it easy.

>>8449095
>acting like some kid buying into it is them "perpetuating it"
>not blaming the right wing assholes who are the ones who keep education expensive
Okay.

>>8449320
That's a nice picture of the world, but no, in the real world a girl in STEM without a degree gets less job offers no matter how talented she is. And when she does get job offers they are at lower pay. A guy who was more talented than the last 10 applicants just got paid warehouse wages for coding work at my job because he didn't have a degree and he was hired by a contract company that equated that to him not having skills, because they didn't know anything about the field. He was better than me when I started and got HALF my salary. HALF. In the real world, the hiring managers / HR staff are rarely experts in the field and if you don't have a solid 10 years of experience than that degree is what they base things on.

And degrees are a dime a dozen. A bio degree isn't worth anything more in the job market than an english degree. Because you have to have a masters or a PHD to do anything in Bio.

What they don't tell kids when they say "study STEM" is that if you don't put hundreds of thousands of dollars into a PHD, some fields simply won't get you a job.

>>8449311
>Bio major
Haha, oh wow. They deserved it. You either go to Med school, go into higher education, or settle for a 40k/yr lab monkey position. Apart from that, suicide's the only other option, I guess.

>>8449335
Right, except no one told her that. Everyone assured her that it would be easy to get into grad school and then into teaching or research.

Which is total BS.

>>8449323
College degrees are lauded because everyone wants to live the American dream and become CEO of some top 100 company or work for biglaw. Everyone is constantly told they can be president if they try really hard and kids are handed out participation trophies like candy so as not to hurt their feewings. Afterwards they get hit by reality and start whining about classism, then turn around and complain how all the jobs actually available for them are too pleb and beneath them and how trade is icky and gross in the same breath.

>>8449330
Right, that too, but I'm speaking strictly in terms of acquiring a job regardless of the pay.

>>8449321
>70k is not mediocre

LMAO! oh my god, my yearly allowance from my folks is almost half of that!

jeez that sucks for college students

>>8449356
So, is that allowance for life? Because otherwise you are gonna have a rude awakening one day...

>>8449356
Advice from one spoiled brat to another: Start earning your own money asap

>>8449321
>shitty state school
Stopped reading. You're a faggot.

>>8447970
Tell them to post, these things are my motivation to do well in life

>assblasted STEM majors on the offense
Lmao. Anon called it.

>>8449403
every time
>muh vagineering!

>>8449401
Look up JetJ Premier line, all of those were/are over $500. Or the super-frilly Btssb Princess dresses. They are not the norm but you can easily find $500+ lolita dresses in a few clicks, they aren't that rare or seldom sold but they aren't the norm either.

>>8449399
Cry about it. Not my fault you were too lazy to go to a decent college.

>>8449399
Getting good internships and making key connections ARE much harder at state schools. It's unfortunate but true.

>>8449403
I'm better
:)

>>8449074
>don't go to school for a career
>you should only waste thousands of dollars on women's studies and liberal arts degrees and not something as trivial as engineering
You do realize that not a lot of people have that sort of money to blow on college or university, right? Is it really that hard to believe that people want to actually use the degree they went to school for? And I'm saying this as someone who actually wants to take all these ludicrous classes for the hell of it.

>>8449433
At sucking cock you mean :^)

>>8449444
you got that right. ;^) don't you know that men idolize pretty and educated women, especially when they're doing engineering?

I even have my own cloud of orbiters.

>>8444589
She tries so hard to sound cute, it's sickening

>self righteousness to the point of hilarity
Well, this thread managed to stay on topic.

>>8449453
Well, don't quite care about other men because I have a stable relationship. Have fun being an insecure hobag <3

Part of my job is doing education background checks. 99 out of every 100 background checks I do yield the same results - the person holds a Bachelor/Masters degree in Nursing, Engineering, Business Administration, or is an MD. Know what degrees don't show up or are very uncommon to see? Education, any language major, Fine Arts, and I have never researched anyone with a Women's Studies degree. I'm genuinely not sure why some people in this thread are snubbing doing even 4 years of schooling, since that's the easiest way to get your foot in the door at any decent paying job. Where you live matters as well - if you live in bumfuck nowhere Tennessee, there are going to be very few jobs where you can make a living wage anyways, so of course you're going to find college education a waste if you plan to continue living in the boonies.

>>8449499
To add onto this, the people that get hired most often have their degrees in Business Admin or are in the medical field. Why? People always need positions filled for managerial work or in medical positions, since both are growing fields. To all the STEM majors in the thread, if you had a general major (i.e. Biology, IT), then it'll be harder for you to get a job because it's so broad. If it's highly specialized (i.e. Dental surgeon, radiology) those are more in demand since not as many people go for those degrees.

tl;dr college IS worthwhile if you pick a major that's in demand because you have higher chances to get a job and a higher salary.

>>8449499
>Business Administation
THANK YOU JESUS I WON'T STARVE AFTER ALL

>>8445143
Oh my god target is not assiciated with nice clothes sorry, and LV is in no way comparable to lolita because it's a high end fashion brand you really think lolita can even be considered on that scale? Lolita is low to medium tier in the ranks of fashion, pricing and quality. Do you seriously not look at designers and labels at all? Nice dress clothes like Review, Alanah Hill, Wheels and Dollbaby + general fashion on places like ASOS from mid tier brands are all the same pricing.

>>8449630
we've already established that earlier in the thread

>>8444589
>as much as you spend on yourself you should help others
Nigga I take phone calls all god damn day to earn money and deal with coworkers who are nothing but bitches. I will buy myself a fucking dress and I will enjoy it. Get your own.

> "believe dat shit" -naruto

>>8444589
ITT: richfags justifying spending hundreds of dollars on dresses and saying it's "not an expensive hobby"

FTFY

>>8454283

>>8449630
>Alannah Hill
>aka the brand that made ECT knockoffs
kek

>>8454283

>>8454526
Alannah Hill was good before it was taken over by assholes who ripped off other designers. The girl herself had taste.
Know ur fashion lel.

>>8444641
>full coord for under $20

>>8445143
>So yes, Target and similar cheap, decent normie clothes beats all forms of brand in price almost every time.
>Target and similar cheap, decent normie clothes
>cheap, decent normie clothes
I know you're a lolita, so you're a bit out of touch, but no normal fag shops for clothes at Target, and Target is disgusting and tacky, not "decent normie clothes". I'd never wear Target clothes out, they're cheaply made and don't last.

>>8456792
I don't know, I know some who do. Granted, it's just stuff like Lilly Pulitzer x Target or Orla Kiely x Target but still.

>>8454283
Oh lookie, found the squeekie poorfag. Just one among many, jelly-chan. We just want to enjoy our frills without the nagging. That's not such a terrible thing.

lol she made the video private

>>8456812
There are children dying of starvation in Africa.

>>8456864
It's not like donating my money is going to help them. They should learn to survive on their own.

>>8456864
And? Do you send them your lunch daily?
Didn't think so.

>>8456868
Kill yourself.

>>8456872
25% of my income goes to charity actually. I'm content with high quality offbrand. :]

>>8456864
They wouldn't look good in my dresses anyway.

Dumbshit, many of us DO donate good amounts to charity AND still buy dat burando. It's good to be generous AND donations are tax deductible. win-win. So it's pretty insulting to be pseudo-schooled and scolded by some uppity chic that doesn't know much about this shit, obviously.

>>8456858
Good, let her tend her own business next time instead of fussing at others. Maybe she'll learn something by people biting back.

>>8456864
what have you done for them?

>>8456874>
>mighty whitey complex

>>8456912
see >>8456876

I keep clicking on this thinking it's a room thread

>>8456876
Don't believe you. Post receipts or fuck off, cunt

>>8456947
same anon

>>8444747
Are you sharing with someone or do you have a small apartment to yourself?

>>8445909
I paid either 175e or 225e for a dress from Michael Kors for an upcoming wedding.

That being said I've seen MK dresses that were over 2000e

>>8459855
Yep, solid mid-price for a decent dress. Funny that +/- 50€ estimate too, I do that. Lolita dresses are often similar or lower priced cocktail or party dresses for me too, I can wear them for both so it's actually saved me a bit overall to buy lolita. I still have 3-4 plain dresses I do save for weddings because I won't wear lolita to one.

But I wear dresses to non-lolita events several times a month so I can't just be wearing the same dress like we sometimes do with our favorites at lolita meets. Normal people think that's a bit odd to do in regular fashion. But I'm not sure any of this really makes sense to someone who wears inexpensive jeans and casual t-shirts when not in lolita. It's two different ways of thinking based on very different lifestyles. I don't bash or shame budget Lolitas though so it annoys me when they in turn, get preachy towards those of us who can afford to spend more.

>>8459881
My MK dress will probably have an outing to a wedding on my father's side of the family as well (first wedding is on my mother's side of the family) as well as a cocktail party at a SciFi convention in next February.

Mother doesn't know I already wore the dress at a SciFi/comics/video game con this past weekend (they had a black and gold ball)

>>8447694
Reads this, looks at new JetJ dress, slowly shakes head.
Idk, Anon, this is a very pretty dress and I'm tempted. Not so sure how this would be considered 'doing it wrong'.

>>8444792
for brand though.... there are decent skirts and jsks for as low as 13 on bodyline when on sale.

>>8459881
Why not? I see people do it all the time, some even make a point to wear the same thing as their 'uniform'.

>>8447761
>bought sugar dream dome fur trim jsk in sax
>paid the scalper price of $500 with headbow included without tags
>tfw I will likely never get back what I paid

...are you trolling or have you just not looked into what that dress costs secondhand? $500 is lower end for that dress. Yes, you will get your money back. It's not hard to research something's sales history. I just searched it on LM to verify you're wrong and it took me, like, 45 seconds.

Also, can you people please for the love of all things good in the wold please start using the word scalper correctly? Paying more than retail secondhand doesn't automatically mean it's scalping.

>>8459937
Where I live, wearing the same dress more than once in a while in social settings where we often are seeing many of the same people kind of gets the side-eye. It's not very fashionable.

>>8459915
If you are referring to the current sale, there is exactly one 'decent' lolita piece on clearance there and it's old and just ok, nothing really nice. I would not wear it.

>>8459943
Who cares about being fashionable if you look stylish?
I'm so glad I live in a place where leggings and yoga pants are non-existent, not wearing makeup isn't seen as 'weird' or 'brave' and sitting alone or wearing the same article of clothing twice in a row isn't bad. God bless Northern European autism.

>>8447694
Quality>Quantity, my friend.

Personally, I'm going to be way more lustful and impressed over a wardrobe of 15 main pieces that are top tier ultra rare gorgeous treasures than one with 30 unexciting, but passable pieces, even if they're all brand.