About This Questionnairre

Back in the old days of the internet, these lists of questions seemed to float around every fandom and internet group. I remember having a lot of fun filling these out on Deviantart and Ye Olde Facebook :)

As a throwback to the olden days, I've completed this lolita-specific template from 2001.

If you're interested in viewing the original questions or filling it out yourself, please check out Raine Dragon's translation.

1 Please tell us your screen name, date of birth, and origin.

Screen name: cashmere_crypt (previously dixnoir).
My birthday is May 8, and I'm from the US.

2 What is your height, weight, clothing size, and shoe size?

I'm 5'4", and my shoe size is JP 24.5. I'd rather not share my weight online :)

3 What made you start doing Lolita fashion?

A friend in middle school (2008) showed me the Gothic Lolita Bible and I was absolutely hooked.

4 What is your favorite Lolita genre?

Old school & gothic styles are my favorite to wear!

5 Do you have any particular commitment to that genre, or your own definition of it?

I love to wear Kuro or Black & White colorways, and I tend to enjoy simple unpatterned fabrics with intricate lace details.

6 Do you have your ears pierced? How many piercings?

Yes! I have 7 ear piercings.

7 What is your favorite brand?

I like Kamelot, Emilie Autumn, Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, Malice Mizer, Versailles, and Wednesday Campanella.

8 What is your favorite outfit?

I'd say my favorite outfit would be a simple black JSK with lovely lace detailing, a black knit cardigan, black OTK socks with fishnets beneath, Doc Martens Mary Janes, and a rectangle headdress.

9 Lolita How many friends do you have?

I have many lolita friends! Maybe 5-10 at this point. I recently rejoined my local comm so I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone again.

10 What was the best thing about doing Lolita?

Covering myself in lace and beauty, as well as being able to get creative with different coordinates. Lolita makes me feel like I look on the outside how I feel on the inside.

11 On the contrary, what is the most disgusting thing?

I actually left lolita about 5 years ago for a few reasons, namely body image issues and shopping addiction. Not all lolitas struggle with this, but I definitely used to.

12 What is your favorite magazine?

Gothic & Lolita Bible :)

13 Headdress group? Team Bonnet? Team Headbow?

Team rectangle headdress ;)

14 Do you have bloomers?

Of course!

15 Do you tie your headdress in front? or are you on the team that ties it behind your head?

I change it up depending on the outfit, but usually I prefer it in the back.

16 Do you have a favorite music genre or band?

I mostly listen to lofi and fantasty game music during my daily life, but if I am listening to an album it's probably some kind of metal or eclectic gothy folk music.

17 What is your mobile phone ringtone?

Ummm.. some default iPhone tone (sadly)

18 Do you go to live (shows) in Lolita?

I have in the past! I think it can be harder to go to lives in Lolita in my country, because things can tend to get rowdy and I don't want to risk damaging my pieces.

19 For those who go to lives, do you headbang?

Hahaha I wish

20 What color do you like? Black! And any jewel tones, like deep blue, deep purple, emerald, ruby etc

21 What are your hobbies?

I like to sew, paint, bake & cook, hike, and write.

22 Please tell me if you have a favorite perfume.

I currently wear Yves St Laurent Mon Paris

23 Is there anything you say “I’m careful about this” when it comes to lolita?

I'm definitely careful about getting my blacks or whites to match in a coord. It bothers me when they are slightly off.

24 Where are the places you visit / hang out at frequently?

I like to go to the library and coffee shop, but I haven't been in a while. Mostly I spend time at home and in public spaces like parks, or I will explore new restaurants and bars for fun.

25 How many times a week do you wear Lolita?

1-2 at this point, because of work. I'm hoping to get the courage to start wearing simple coords to the office!

26 Please tell us the most embarrassing episode you had when you were a beginner in Lolita fashion.

Doing a whole photoshoot in a very ita coord, showing my petticoat... I was wearing a silky white button-down from a department store, a Lip Service skirt with a light pink petticoat showing underneath, school-style under the knee socks and black mary jane's. I guess the shoes were okay but the rest was horrible~

The below photo is not from said photoshoot, but a similar "coord" from that time in which I shoved a petticoat under a dress from the supermarket...

27 What is your hairstyle and color now?

Currently have a dark brown mullet, thinking of dying it black soon!

28 How long have you been in Lolita?

I bought my first piece in 2012. Took a break from 2018-2024 but I'm back now bb

29 Do you have a dedicated lolita storage space?

Yes I do, kind of! One of my two closet racks is dedicated to lolita.

30 Have you ever thought about leaving Lolita? If so, why?

Yes, I did leave lolita for a time for reasons explained above.

31 What is your motto?

Live life beautifully.

32 What are your dreams for the future?

I want to own a beautiful, cozy little house where all my friends can feel safe and welcome.

33 “This person would definitely look good on Lolita!” Are there any celebrities you think that about?

I think everyone would look good in lolita ;)

34 Please tell us the item with the most memories and those memories.

Hmm... I guess Gloria Glassy St Mary JSK I, since I took it to prom and then to my first lolita photoshoot. I actually didn't like the feeling of the dress (I was disappointed that it was chiffon) so I'm glad that I ended up selling it.

35 What was the first item you got?

The above mentioned Gloria Glassy St Mary JSK I :)

36 Do you have a signature pose for taking a picture?

Arms extended to the side and looking down and away from the camera

37 What is the “Bible” of your heart? (Like what Books, magazines, CDs, etc. represent your inner self)

Wow, what a great question.

Book: Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami.
Magazines: GLB & Kera.
CDs: Emilie Autumn's Opheliac, Kamelot's Epica, Radiohead's In Rainbows, Laura Marling's I Speak Because I Can, IAMX's The Unified Field.

38 How many centimeters tall is the highest heel you have?

At this point only around 2", which is massively downsized.

39 Have you ever worn a tiara?

Not since I was very young

40 Do you want to be a prince once in a while? What kind of prince? Dark system? Hakubakei?

Sure, I'd try it - "dark system" sounds cool haha

41 What kind of lace do you like?

I like cluney and eyelet lace best.

42 Do you own a (ball jointed) doll? Those who have them are usually so enthusiastic about them!

No I don't, but it has always been my dream to get one!

43 What’s inside your lolita bag right now?

Chapstick, a comb, Tide-To-Go, and hand lotion.

44 What is your favorite flower?

Forget-me-not

45 What is your favorite accessory right now?

I'm loving my rectangle headdress that I sewed lately.

46 Please tell us your favorite / recommended cosmetics.

I wear NARS tinted moisturizer and concealer, KVD Beauty Blush, and Too Faced mascara and eyeshadow.

47 Bright eyes are the hallmark of being a doll! So do you use false eyelashes? If you have any tips on how to use them, please let me know.

No I don't, I really hate them haha I think I'm bad at the application and they always peel up at the corners...

48 What is your particular eye makeup style?

Either soft and natural or huge cat eye

49 Is your lipstick red? Blue? black? pink?

Pink or nude

50 What color do you often use for nail polish?

Black, red, nude. I also bought a blue polish that I'm excited to try~

51 Have you ever changed your clothes in the toilet at the train station?

Absolutely yes

52 Have you ever had twin loli or triplet loli? impression?

Yes! I've done twinning before and it was very fun. I'm hoping to do it again in the future.

53 What are you doing to keep in shape? Recommendations?

I watch my food intake and try not to eat too much sugar (it's a struggle some days). I also walk to work sometimes and take yoga clases.

54 Are you calm when alone in lolita? (ヒトリでロリータ、平気？)

Definitely!

55 How much do you spend on lolita each month?

About 5% of my income is spent on lolita and other hobbies.

56 Did you have any time lag between learning about Lolita fashion and actually doing it or resistance to starting?

Yes, I had to wait because I was just in middle school and couldn't afford it!

57 What is the most expensive thing you have ever bought? (In relation to Lolita)

Vampire Requiem - I paid too much for it, and sadly sold it for 1/3 what I bought it for...

58 Lolita really costs money, doesn’t it? How do you pay for Lolita?

I budget for it each month, and don't allow myself to spend more than my budget.

59 Just here. How much is the total cost you have spent so far?

Uhm... quite a lot :) but I have also sold a lot of lolita too so I like to think that it was an investment.

60 Is there a store you would like to see nearby?

I'd like to see Moitie just about anywhere haha

61 Just between us, is there a store that makes you say: ‘that’s a rip-off!’?

Not really. I think that in lolita, you usually get what you pay for.

62 Have you ever used an online shop? If you have, please give us some advice on the good points and bad points. If you haven’t, tell us why not.

I've done both! I prefer shopping in person because you can try things on. But shopping online allows me to purchase pieces even though I don't live in Japan anymore.

63 Just between us, even if you want to keep it your own secret, what’s an indie brand that makes you go “this is exactly my style”.

Not a secret - I'm a huge fan of Wirehead and hope to own one of their pieces someday!

64 Absolutely out of reach! But I want it! Do you have any brands or products like that for you?

Yes, most oldschool Moitie pieces are in bad condition or sold for 3x what they were originally listed for... it isn't worth the money to me, but I would love to own some Moitie from 2001-2004 someday. (Pictured: Over Lace JSK 2002)

65 What do you do with your tired old clothes?

Sell 'em on Lacemarket :)

66 What was the most recent lolita and non lolita item of clothing you bought?

Most recent lolita item - cutsew & cardigan haul
Most recent non-lolita - Doc Martens Mary Janes (can still wear them for lolita though)

67 What is something you missed out on that you’ll never see again, but you can’t forget?

2001? lol

68 What do you think of dressing as a Lolita only during live performances?

I think that each lolita has their own way of enjoying the fashion, so if you just wear it to shows that's awesome!

69 What do you think of No-Makeup-Lolita?

I am becoming more and more of a no-makeup-lolita each day~ haha

70 You suddenly meet another person totally wearing Lolita! What do you do?

Compliment their coord!

71 How old is a Lolita allowed to be?

You can be a lolita at any age :)

72 Under what conditions do you think Lolita should graduate? (You can answer ‘continue forever’)

Continue forever~ of course!

73 Stop this! Are there any things no one should do in Lolita fashion?

I think this is up to the individual. I try to avoid messy activities (eg gardening, baking bread) to protect my clothing. But it's your clothes!

74 Do you have a specific sense of what a perfect Lolita should be?

A perfect lolita is someone who wears their own style confidently and embraces whatever makes them happy.

75 Other than what you said 73, what is something you wish people wouldn’t do?

Oh - unprompted or overly cruel concrit of others' coords.

76 What do you think about Lolita fashion for men?

Lolita is for all genders :)

77 Have you changed in any way since you started Lolita?

Oh, definitely! I've become much more minimalist and interested in a capsule wardrobe. I am also more conscious about how my consumption affects people who make clothing and try to avoid buying from brands that use poor labor practices. I have started sewing my own clothes as well, to help combat this issue.

78 What do the people around you say about you wearing Lolita? Do you accept it?

For the most part, people say nice things - if they say something mean, I'm not aware of it ;)

79 What kind of lolita fashion do you do in the hot summer months?

I like to wear a short sleeved blouse and smaller petticoat with lightweight tights or ankle socks.

80 Do you go to school or work in Lolita?

I mix lolita pieces into my work wardrobe, and I hope to start wearing full coords someday.

81 What is your usual outfit style?

Gothic or old school

82 Do you have any objections to second-hand goods?

Not at all, they are the majority of my wardrobe!

83 Do you have a boyfriend (or husband)? Does he understand?

I am married, and he loves that I wear lolita! He also wears EGA sometimes to match.

84 Please tell us your ideal male image.

Happy with himself and always learning and growing

85 What kind of person is the Lolita who left the biggest impression on you?

Two of my favorite bloggers are Crypt Kasper and Ophelia Moon.

86 Have you ever made your own clothes? What kind of clothes is it?

Yes, I've sewn several skirts over the years!

87 Have you ever made an accessory yourself? What did you make?

Yes, I've made a rectangle headdress and a few headbows.

88 This thing I made was a great success! Is there anything you feel that way about?

Definitely my rectangle headdress! I'm very proud of my attention to detail, although it is not perfect.

89 Tell us if you have an ideal Lolita outfit or coordination.

Right now, I am working on making a full set that I can wear in the spring/summer - a black skirt with white lace, a camisole with white lace, and a capelet. All similar to Wirehead's recent releases.

90 Is there anyone you admire? What kind of person are they?

If you mean romantically - my husband :) he is always open to new experiences and joins me on whatever passion I am currently following.

91 You can date any person for just one day. The other person will also dress however you want. Who is it and what kind of date?

Uhmm okay so I guess I'd take my husband out to a goth bar, and he'd wear his favorite EGA coord that makes him feel handsome and cool!

92 What kind of store would you like to have if you were to open one in the future?

Honestly I'd love to have a store nearby that sells handmade clothing and accessories - especially alternative clothing and accessories.

93 When looking at lolita, your eyes will go straight to this motif. What is it?

Roses, bats, and coffins. I'm predictable :P

94 Do you want your child to be a Lolita too?

My child can dress however they want to!

95 How much can I spend on one loli outfit?

I like to mix and match pieces, so I don't really buy pieces by the outfit.

96 This is quintessentially Lolita! Is there a certain gesture that makes you think this.

The "one foot in front of the other and hands extended to the sides like ballet" pose haha

97 I want to wear that once in my life! Do you ever think that about any style other than lolita?

I'd love to try out historical costuming - I'm particularly interested in late 1800s and Regency Era fashion.

98 Looking at your Lolita collection or style, what one word would you use to sum it up?

Textured

99 What is your ideal Lolita image?

I don't think this is what you mean by this, but my favorite image (photo) is that one image of Mana-sama in all white in front of a graveyard

100 Thank you very much! Please give us your impression of answering 100!

This was fun!! I haven't done a questionnairre like this in many years~