♕ A Guide to Hime Lolita ♕

Hime Lolita is one of those themes that pretty much take an extravagant approach to lolita. It is primarily seen with the Sweet sub style, but it’s not impossible to see Gothic or Classic do this style as well. I don’t recommend this theme to newbies since it often needs many pieces to put together, and might not even be practical financially for a first dress. It’s definitely worth a try once you get to know the basics!

“Hime,” literally meaning “princess” in Japanese, aims to create just that - the look of a Princess. You’ll see this style come into OTT (over the top) territory with big hair, lots of head accessories, much bigger skirts, and even crowns and scepters.

Before we go into making a hime coord, let’s discuss some things about Hime!

♕ What’s the Difference Between Just OTT and Hime? ♕

(One type) of OTT

Hime

OTT is more like an umbrella term for anything on the more extreme side of styling. Hime is simply just one of many themes you could go for. Not everything OTT is hime. The coord on the right is definitely hime, whereas the coord on the left is OTT but more decora inspired.

♕ Hime doesn’t always have to look historical♕

It’s very common nowadays to see hime lolita look very historically influenced. When you Google “hime lolita”, you’ll likely see this:

I myself personally love the historical look, especially if it looks Rococo influenced, but Hime didn’t always start out that way! And you certainly don’t have to stick to this look either!

Around the 2010’s or so, hime moreso looked like this:

The style still had a lot of Rococo influence into it, but wasn’t required for your dress to look like a remake of an actual historical dress.

As seen here, hime didn’t always go super OTT either! The girl on the left certainly went that way with the amazing hat. However, the girl on the right just stuck to a frilly/tiered dress while the rest of her coord is a little more toned down. Her hair is still done in an updo, with some cute flowers!

There was also a lot of influence from hime gyaru, a substyle of gyaru - another jfashion popular at the time. Both liked princesses! I think it’s most obvious in the hairstyles. It was not uncommon to see hime lolita and hime gyaru sharing makeup, hairstyles, accessories, or tiaras.

Gyaru

Hime Lolita

♕ How Historical Is TOO Historical? ♕

While there certainly are lolita dresses that reach tea length, and many dresses that are highly influenced by history - there’s a point where a dress stops being lolita and starts being more historical recreation.

Here is a good example of a dress being historical, while staying within the lolita aesthetic. This dress by Hinana Queena (called their Rococo OP). This still suits lolita because of its length, as well as having the same silhouette. It just happens to be more poofy than a usual dress. It certainly has a lot of layers!

This next dress on the other hand, is straying too far from lolita to really be considered lolita anymore. The length and shape of the dress are too different. The shape starts to become more like an actual historical dress rather than the cupcake or A-line shape of a lolita dress.

In comparison, let’s look at this dress by Innocent World. It’s a dress that’s on the longer side, and yet it maintains the right silhouette and type of poof that you’d see in lolita. It also has enough of the historical influence, especially in the sleeves.

You might also see dresses like this being sold on lolita reseller sites or places like Chinese Lolita Updates. This dress is also very historically influenced, but not at all lolita. 

Remember: Just because a dress is being sold by a store that primarily does lolita, doesn’t mean that the dress itself is lolita.

It was inspired by the Regency period, which has a very different silhouette from lolita. It’s more tube shaped, and this dress was not intended for the kind of petticoats we see in lolita. Even though lolita has empire waists, the look of the dresses are still very different.

♕ Get Started ♕

Dress

First thing to cover is the main piece - your dress (JSK or OP) or a skirt. Truth be told, there’s a lot of dresses out there that make it really easy to make a coord hime. These dresses are often already very extravagant on their own.

Sugar Bouquet Rococo OP by BTSSB

Sweet Lacy Basket OP by Angelic Pretty

Secret Garden Princess - Metamorphose temps de fille

Romantic Rose Letter OP - Angelic Pretty

Usually, you’ll want to go for a dress that’s very fancy. It may have a lot more detail, bigger sleeves/hime sleeves, tiers or more ruffles than usual, or has a skirt that can hold a lot of poof! Sometimes there’ll be more detail on the bodice like extra bows, corset lacing, or a larger center piece. Motifs in hime often include florals, roses, birds, tea parties, or are even just solid dresses!

That being said, it’s still possible to use a dress that’s not as extravagant or not as intended for more over the top looks.

Wonder Party is being styled here in a more hime direction thanks to the hair, and fancier shoes. The hat helps to bring it into OTT territory without having the dress be super poofy.

Another toned down example is Rose Princess Doll JSK by Angelic Pretty! This was previously seen above in this blog of how hime used to look back then.

Side Note on Petticoats:  Some dresses are going to be really heavy, and will need a strong petticoat or even a hoopskirt to hold it up.  Since I’m not a fan of layering pettis, my suggestion would be to use a hoopskirt to hold up the majority of the dress. You could layer a comfy petti on top of this hoopskirt to give the dress an extra oompf.

Blouse

Blouses are a little easy in that it’s not that hard to find hime sleeve blouses at all. These blouses are very extravagant with their big bell sleeves, and lots of frills and details. Of course, not every blouse has to have hime sleeves for your coord to be hime.

You will still want to look for a blouse that has a lot of detail going on. Hime sleeve or not, blouses should be over the top whether in shape, design, or detail.

Legwear and Shoes

Legwear in my opinion can vary a lot depending on the dress, so I almost want to say that anything could go. Matching OTKs or anything lacy works, and sometimes stores come out with very princess-y printed tights.

Shoes however, should look luxurious. 

For toned down outfits, I think even tea party shoes should have more detail than a simple solid colored pair, whatever the heel height. This detail could again, be more bows, or even straps. 

Flat heel, Too simple.

Also a flatter heel, but much more detailed and works out better!

Some people go for shoes with a historical look to them, like Iris Corolla’s Rococo shoes.

Others opt for simpler shoes, but still have a luxe feel to them. These work out thanks to their jewels, pearls, and the ruffle on the back of the heel.

You can even try out using hime gyaru shoes! Normally, open toed shoes aren’t recommended for lolita. However, because of the decoration on the front part area on these kinds of shoes, I feel like it would work out well specifically for hime.

Accessories

Accessories are really fun with hime! It’s pretty much encouraged to add bits and bobs to your coord such as extra hair clips, brooches, rings, sashes, canotiers, and fancy jewelry. I especially love seeing hats or bonnets in hime! 

Just try to make sure they still match with your outfit. Perhaps a dress with more pearls or jewels could go well with a jeweled tiara, whereas a maybe a more floral coord or historical one would look better with a canotier or hat.

Props are also fun, and would be interesting to see at a tea party. BABY is known for their scepters after all.

Hair

Hairstyle can depend on what accessory you’re going with, but I always recommend that you do your hair somehow for hime. Your coord may look unfinished if everything else is fancy, but your hair is not. 

It’s not uncommon for hime to draw influences from gyaru hairstyles as well. Twin tails and beehives or bumps are common choices. Other times, people even go for historical Rococo-like hair! I for one fully encourage bigger hairstyles or wigs ;D

Though if bigger hair isn’t your thing, hair being down is done as well! I often see this when people wear bonnets or hats. As long as the head piece is still big enough to balance the poof of your dress, it should work out. Really your goal at the end of the day is to balance out your coord like you would any other style!

♕ Final Thoughts ♕

Hime is a beautiful style that I hope others will try out! It’s really fantastic for tea parties when people want to dress their best. I hope this guide has given you more information on what hime is, as well was what hime is not. I hope you can try it out for yourself as it’s definitely one of my favorite styles!

Thanks for reading!

Lady Grey

So, you're getting "old"...

You wake up in the morning, stretch and get up. You go to wash your face as per usual. That’s when it hits you: you have a wrinkle. You’re starting to age. It dawns on you that you’re doomed to become a crumbling, decrepit, old, balding hag! Soon you'll have to stop wearing lolita, put on your grownup suit, and only enjoy drinking wine and picking out minimalist decor in muted colors. Gasp, the horror!

Victorian Maiden's casket design featured in Kera 14, November 1999

No, you’re not "too old for it”.

This might seem crazy to you, but one is never too old for something that makes them happy. Ageing and the things that come with it are an unavoidable part of life (....unless you’re some sort of cryptid I suppose? Can they and would they wear lolita? I might write an article on that). Much like aesthetic changes, the things that you love now you might not love in a couple years.

Point is:

Misako Aoki, late 30s

There is no need to abandon what you presently love.

I can hear you tell me, “But Biscuit, what if I wear super sweet lolita? Surely, that won’t look good on someone older.”

That’s where you’re wrong kiddo. See, as long as you like what you wear and feel confident in it, there's no reason to change. If there is no problem, then it cannot be solved, right? If you start feeling uncomfortable in your current style though, it might be time for a change.

I once was a big OTT sweet fan, but as I aged I realized I didn't quite feel the same about it as I once did. Eventually came to the realization that I still liked sweet lolita, but felt more comfortable having some sort of “edge” to it. Hence why I fell into old school which made me feel comfortable all over again without having to leave sweet! Besides, it’s not like you have to stick to only one style. Don’t be afraid to experiment!

Besides:

Mana-sama, early 50s

There are many lolitas (including sweet ones) that are getting older, aren’t there?

Our ambassador Misako is soon to be 40, Supreme Overlord Mana is now in his 50s, and the lovely Kato san is around the same age.

And it’s not just the big names, there are so many older lolitas in the community. Many of which look beautiful and aren’t letting a number and a couple wrinkles stop them from enjoying the clothes they love. As you age, you can also often afford far more than you could as a teenager, or a freshly turned 18 year old! You have more opportunities to do things you couldn’t under parental supervision such as travelling, or even buying things without needing your parents to approve of it (and convincing them that, no, this is not a scam website that’ll steal your credit card info, mom).

I remember back in the Livejournal days there was a common misconception amongst youngsters (which I had as well), that you should stop wearing lolita at around 25. Like some sort of lolita police was going to come over on your 25th birthday and revoke your lolita card, confiscate all your frills and throw a pair of walkers at you before vanishing out of the door. As if the second you are over 25 you turn into a decrepit hag, wrinkly as a shar-pei, complaining about your back every minute (ok, that part might be true though).

This doesn't seem like such a bad fate!

While it is funny said like that, it is a harmful myth. Not only is it untrue and stemming from misogynistic sources, but you do not owe anyone youth. You are not required to be pretty and young to be able to enjoy things that are out of the norm. Ageing is a normal process that all creatures on earth go through. It isn’t shameful to age.

There are many ways to age gracefully like starting to take good care of your skin and yourself in general (sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen and water).You won’t become a hag all at once. Ageing takes time. It’ll happen slowly. You don't have to be in no rush to change yourself or your style if you don't want to. You can wear it until you die if you please. That’s your choice and yours alone.

And you can look pretty damn good doing it, look at ol’ Momoko

Kamikaze Girls, the 2004 film adaptation

To end this article, I selected a some answers to a few questions I asked lolitas from different age groups that I thought would be interesting to read:

Did you ever consider the age you are now as old at some point? Does this affect your self esteem?

• Yes. When I was younger, I thought 20+ was much older/more mature than I realized.
• Yes, probably when I was in my 20s I considered 30s old. But honestly, I feel like thinking whatever is older than you is normal. TBH I feel great at my age
• I personally don't think that I'm old. I joke about it sometimes, but I truly don't think that I am. My self esteem has gotten better the older I've gotten. In my experience, the older you get, the less you care what others think about you.
• I'm turning 40 this year, and I definitely used to consider 40 old. Not anymore though haha - I think the next "old" milestone might be 80 now?
• Yes. I'm 25 and I like to joke that I'm currently going through my mid-midlife crisis. I have a lot of friends who are 2-4 years younger than me so when they say they feel old, it makes me feel even older.

Are you struggling with self esteem issues regarding your age now?

• Somewhat. I'm entering my mid 20's. I admit I have a fear of aging, or losing my youthful face. I also have insecurities that I'll no longer be seen as "young" after leaving my 20s.
• Sometimes I feel like I haven't achieved as much as I would have liked to, or as much as others might have expected of me, but these feelings are not a regular occurrence and generally unrelated to lolita.
• Somewhat. I get a little self-conscious about wrinkles when I smile. In many ways I still think of myself as being very young, so it's a shock when I see a photograph that makes me look closer to my age.
• Meh it comes in waves. I felt worse at 26 than I do at 27
• No, I feel better and more confident about myself the older I get.

Kuniko Kato, late 40s

How do you feel about lolitas leaving the fashion because they feel too old

• Its societal pressure
• Priorities and interests change with time, whether directly related to age or indirectly as the result of a changing career or growing family. I can understand people leaving as a result of these feelings, but sometimes miss the friends who have done so.
• It makes me SO sad! I want to just shake them and ask why they would abandon something they love just because someone told them it was for "maidens."
• I think it's unfortunate that society pressures people to leave hobbies that they enjoy because of age. Women in particular are expected to dress in an "age-appropriate" way and told they won't be taken seriously otherwise.
• It is what it is because I feel that fashion shouldn’t be restricted to age just as we don’t restrict men from wearing feminine clothes and vice versa. But at the end of the day if they don’t feel comfortable wearing the fashion anymore then its time to start a new chapter of their lives for self love. Because clothes need to make you feel confident and if you don’t feel that anymore from lolita then it's okay to move on.

Do you think you’ll leave someday? Because of your age?

• Maybe. I think if I leave it'll be more because it doesn't bring joy anymore, not because I think I'm too old.
• I will never leave lolita because of my age! In 20 years' time I want to be retiring with a whole room full of brand and making the new lolitas jealous of all my ancient dresses! Lolita makes me feel beautiful and I can't see ever wanting to give that up.
• I hope not. I really hope I never get to a point where I feel too old or where I look in the mirror and feel like lolita wont suit me anymore. Its been something that has made me my most happiest since I was only 13 and I've never had any intention of quitting. So far I'm still going strong.
• hmm that's a hard maybe, most likely not but maybe when im 80 and I just want to sleep all day
• Probably not. But I can imagine my style shifting to more high end alternative fashion like Westwood, Issey Miyake, and the nicer Anna Sui stuff in addition to/alongside Lolita brands.
• I hope not. I don't like the idea of girls having to 'tone down' their style into classic or gothic just because they're a bit wrinkly. Spoiler, we look mental no matter what substyle we wear. I find it strange when lolitas are like "aww she looks so good for her age, frilly grandma!!!" like can't you compliment her for how she looks regardless?

  

  Yumi Fujiwara, late 40s

What are some misconceptions about ageing in lolita you found out were false once you grew up?

• That older lolitas all wear classic.
• Back in 2005-2010, when I found out about the fashion, I thought lolita was only for teens! I got started in 2020 and I'm super happy I did.
• I assumed most lolitas were teenagers who would eventually grow out of the hobby. I was surprised to meet so many people who had worn it for years and years and had no plans on quitting.
• Not really something I found out once I grew up, but something I found out when I started joining online comms. I didn't think I would ever see older lolitas, but I see plenty of them on Closet of Frills, and it's very neat that they don't let their age stop them from still wearing lolita!
• Probably that sweet lolita looks bad with age, so you should adapt to classic and gothic. Or that being 30 means being old. Misako and Yumi Fujiwara are much older than I am and they rock the hell out of lolita.

What's a positive aspect about being your age in lolita?

• I can actually afford it lol
• I have a much more stable amount of disposable income than when I was younger, and much much confidence facing people in public.
• I have good finances and a stable job to afford it. I can spend money in meets and dresses with a certain limit, but it's usually quite loose and it feels good, I'm not overspending. Also I feel good wearing it in the streets, I got used to i
• I can be the cute old lady down the street
• I feel like I'm old enough to approach things thoughtfully but young enough to grow in the fashion and the community.
• Accessibility to money and purchasing; not caring about popularity or having a lot of followers, no pressure to join multiple social media outlets; hanging out with other lolitas in my age range

Misako Aoki

What's a negative aspect about being your age in lolita?

• People expect me to dress a certain way, or expect me not to wear sweet based on my age alone. There's also ageism that gets passed around the community, and there's commentary about how 20+ lolitas, especially people in their 30s, get called "bitter" or "hags"
• Metabolism definitely slows with age and I can't always fit the pieces or cuts I used to. This can be a bit of a let down when comparing to past coordinates or photos.
• Sometimes it can be hard to relate to people who are still in high school or college - we're just at really different points in our lives. I wish there were more lolitas my age!
• People asking "aren't you to old to be wearing this." That happens at every age though. I also think people are more likely to associate it to a fetish the older you get too.
• Not as much free time for meets as I had when I was younger
• Not earning a lot of money myself as a university student
• I feel like all the pretty dresses will have to sit in the wardrobe gathering dust after some years. I feel like my collection is going to be at it's peak/best moment when I'll have to leave/feel bad about my body image.
• I sometimes feel juvenile. I'm used to being around people older than me in other parts of life and I feel self conscious about being too young sometimes (I'm 23). This is not to minimize the experiences people who feel old!!! They are beautiful and awesome lolitas and I am super grateful to benefit from their experiences.
• Nothing in particular rn. I'm seeing the signs of feeling more out of touch with the younger lolitas (16-20), but I guess that's normal. I'll just have to make sure I don't end up becoming too "get off my lawn-y". I work as a teacher, so that could go either way tbh lol
• As a younger and more inexperienced person exploring the style, I may be looked down on by those who are older and have years of experience. Also, some older people who are not familiar with the style might view this as a “phase” I’m going through and belittle me. Even some people who are my age can be quite rude or downright mean to me for dressing differently.
• I don't have much monies (high schooler) :(

As time goes on, we're just going to have more and more older lolitas in the fashion. Enjoy it how you want to for as long as you want to. There is no age limit!

Biscuit, now logging off-

Being Busty in Lolita: Strategies to Fit and Flatter!

As someone who’s got more than their fair share of bust, I have spent a *lot* of time figuring out how to fit myself into a fashion that is generally for smaller breasted bodies. I see a lot of people wearing things that aren’t a flattering fit just because the numbers say “it fits” and I’m here to tell you today-- wait, it can be so much better! If you’ve been struggling with how to manage your own overabundant bosom, this is the post you gotta read.

The single most important thing you can do for yourself in and out of lolita fashion is to get and wear a properly fitted bra. Signs you’re wearing the wrong size: you can pull your bra over your head without unhooking it, the center of bra floats off of your chest, the top edge of your cup makes an indent in your boob, the straps leave marks on your shoulders, the band rides up in the back, your bra fucking hurts-- among others. Now, you might say, “oh I got fitted at Victoria’s Secret/Aerie/Soma/etc, I know I’m in the right size”, but this is where you’re wrong. Big box bra brands like to carry the smallest possible selection of bras, so they have a weird incorrect fitting method that will get you *in* a bra, but not the best bra, because they don’t want to carry your bra size.

Take a minute and grab a measuring tape and plug your measurements into this calculator. You’re probably going to get a size that sounds totally freaky, do not panic. Take that size and select it on this grid. (Mildly NSFW for photos of people in bras without a top on.) I’ll bet that the people in it look pretty damn close to what your body looks like. Make sure you're comparing to ones that are not just the stock photo!

This is going to be the single greatest difference on whether or not any piece of clothing, lolita or not, flatters you. I recommend owning both a foam cup/t-shirt bra and a soft cup bra-- they’re both useful for different situations. Foam cups are really nice for an added bit of structure, but it can be harder to find a perfect fit, because they're somewhat less malleable than a soft cup. Soft bras are really handy for situations where the available boob space is shaped (think separate cups, or like empire style shelf bodices) in a specific way.

Victorian Maiden Lace Chiffon Doll OP - note the separated cups, which can be tricky!

The next thing we’re going to tackle is the dreaded boobloaf, and why it happens. Bodices are shaped with most of the volume in the top half, and less in the bottom where your waist starts. However, if you have more breast volume than fits in the bust portion, it flows into the waist area. To put it more plainly-- think of your boobs as water overflowing a glass. It’s going to go wherever it can if it fills up the available area. So, essentially, when we have more breast than a bodice is designed for, it flattens the whole area out, resulting in a loaf-like appearance. In high waisted dresses, this actually will cause large portions of your bust to fall below the waistline, and is generally regarded as an unflattering and undesirable look. At its core, lolita fashion is a feminine fashion, so when you lose the clear definition of the bust from the waist, it begins to look strange.

Often, people recommend using a binder or a compression sports bra to compress your bust so you can fit into a too small bodice. This is actually just forcing the same issue to happen. You can’t magically lose breast volume, it must go somewhere. So instead, we force the breasts to the sides and above and below, again forming that uniform loaf. The only time this *sort of* looks okay is in sack dresses where there essentially *is* no waistline. The flip side to that is, they’re often so voluminous that you probably don’t need to flatten to fit into it.

Angelic Pretty Holy Lantern OP - See how all of the volume starts immediately at the bottom of the yoke?

So, now that we know what a bad fit looks like, what do we do? Just wearing a well fitted bra will actually improve your fit in a lot of your previously borderline unwearable dresses. Why? Because your previous bra was probably doing very little to keep your boobs in well contained, attractive mounds. Your new bra will keep your boobs shapely and higher up, utilizing more of the bodice space intended for breasts, than if they were hanging low and unsupported.

 
The next thing we can do is simply to avoid cuts that are just going to be unflattering on people with larger busts. The number one offender, hands down, is high waisted dresses. Why? Because by raising the waist, it reduces the amount of room allocated specifically for boobs, either resulting in a large portion of your bust falling below the waistline, or forming one uniform loaf in the bodice. This can be partially mitigated by extending the straps, bringing the waist down lower and below the breasts-- either through a permanent alteration or using strap extenders if the straps are already detachable. However, extending your straps will only go so far. If you’re very blessed in the chest department, you won’t be able to get the waist below your bust without revealing most of the top of your chest.

Angelic Pretty Twinkle Muse JSK - This is quite highwaisted on the spectrum, AP does a lot of these ultra highwaisted cuts- which dramatically reduces the available bust volume.

Also generally problematic for larger busts are babydoll cuts. Similar to high waisted cuts, baby doll dresses have a reduced amount of total available breast space, and it tends to lead to the whole dress floating awkwardly over your bust, and riding up in strange ways.

Baby the Stars Shine Bright Tartan Check Babydoll JSK - Babydoll cuts are another variation of a highwaisted dress, and are supposed to be a bit floaty, but if you're larger it tends to just ride up.

The last trouble cut we’ll address are fully shirred bodices. I think a lot of busty people fall into this trap of, “oh I can get it on, so it fits”. A bodice fitting isn’t just about it physically fitting on your body, but also looking flattering. Fully shirred bodices are designed to have most of the shirring scrunched up for aesthetic reasons. Maxing out a fully shirred bodice instead results in a really strange puckered effect, and you again get a uniform loaf of a bust. I generally recommend avoiding these cuts altogether unless they were specifically cut and sewn with a large bust in mind, and a correspondingly larger amount of fabric used.

Baby the Stars Shine Bright Shirring Princess JSK - These can work well if you're more in the middle of the size range, but at the max extension you lose the cute gathers, and instead get rows of indents from stretched elastic.

Cuts that work really well for us? Drop waist dresses. Not the most common, but they tend to look really good on larger busted people. The more bust you have, the more of the length of a bodice is eaten up by the projection of your chest, which slightly raises the waistline of a dress. A drop waisted dress actually ends up balancing your proportions, and can bring everything into a more flattering ratio.

 

Alice and the Pirates Porte Bonheur JSK I - A fairly typical dropped waist cut, see how the smallest part of the bodice would hit like just above the hip, maybe at the belly button?

Just/natural waist cuts are also good, but can sometimes suffer from being too short. Shirred neckline OPs can be rather flattering as well! The gathering at the neckline and waist often leaves you plenty of room for your boobs to assume a natural looking shape. Moi-meme-Moitie has done quite a few of these styles and they’re quite bust friendly, despite their reputation as a small brand.

 

Innocent World Antique Cat Mid Waist JSK - A true just waist cut, on the fairly busty this can actually end up being highwaisted, and can be ideal for that highwaist look!

Moi-meme-Moitie Cross & Roses Print OP - The shirred neckline and shirred waist in this gives you plenty of room in the bust while still cinching it in at the waist in a flattering manner.

No-waist a-line dresses are also often really good. They super accentuate your waist as it comes to a point, and it helps to balance out the bustiness. These can be sort of tricky to find in sizes large enough, but Innocent World has an L size for most dresses that often goes up to ~99cm, which can be an option for some people.

Innocent World Palace Rose Flare JSK - No waist a-line dresses have such a dramatic shape that it tends to be flattering if you're larger on top.

Of particular note: Metamorphose has now started doing a plus and a plus plus size in some dresses and blouses! This is a fabulous option for busty people-- often they have corset lacing in the back, so if the waist is too large, you can simply take it in there. In general, Meta does dresses with more generous measurements than Angelic Pretty and Baby the Stars Shine Bright/Alice and the Pirates, and they have some really unique cuts. Also, totally underappreciated-- MAXICIMAM has dresses and blouses in their plus sized Lovely line, and can scratch that AP-style super sweet itch for many people. Atelier Pierrot has loads of fully shirred neckline OPs, and also many of their Corset OPs go as large as 100cm or more, and with the corset lacing, you can cinch any excess fabric at the waist.

Metamorphose Temps de Fille Queen of Witch Plus Size - With a max bust of 140cm and corset lacing in the back, this is great for people with a large difference between their bust and waist measurements.

MAXICIMAM Cotty the Chocolate Mint Bear's Sweet Wonderland JSK (Lovely Size) - MAXICIMAM has a lot in their Lovely line that hits that AP itch.

Atelier Pierrot Lace Corset OP - AtePie has done a million variations on this corset style, again a great fit for people with a large bust/waist difference. These are often slightly dropped waist which is also flattering.

Hopefully, you’ve learned a new strategy or two for finding a fit that flatters you!

Enfamil