Making and Using a Lolita Fashion Journal

Between Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and tumblr, there are dozens of digital ways to document your lolita fashion experiments. Sometimes, though, its nice to have a more tactile way to memorialize your coordinates. A lolita fashion journal can be a fun way to do just that. Whether you want to get into a daily (or weekly) writing habit, practice your doodles, or just find a home for all the lovely clothing tags you’re saving, you can find a way to make your journal your own.

Gathering your materials

If you’re a writer or an artist, you’ve doubtlessly been gifted dozens of notebooks over the years. Pick a pretty one to use as your journal. If you don’t have spare notebooks lying around, there are plenty of places to find cute stationary, but any office supply store will have simple notebooks that will work just as well. Be sure to consider whether you’ll need blank or lined pages or some combination of the two.

While your notebook can be as simple or as fancy as you want, colorful pens, markers, and other decorative elements can brighten an otherwise unmarkable page. Stickers and washi tape can make cute borders (and you can find both for cheap at stores like Daiso). If you plan on using something other than a ball point pen, make sure the ink won’t bleed through the pages. You might look at bullet journals to get an idea of what pens and notebooks work best together. 

Planning your journal 

Before putting pen to (good) paper, take a few minutes to consider what you’d like your journal to be. Will you fill it ideas for future coordinates? Or will it become a catalog of all the pieces you own? Perhaps it will chronicle the clothes you wear daily or on special occasions. Sketch a few ideas for layouts and see which ones you like best. Again, look to bullet journals for ideas about what you might want to document. 

Getting into the habit

Once you have your materials and have an idea of what your journal will become, start journaling. If you want to make it a habit, set aside a specific time to write or draw your entries (perhaps before you leave your house or just before you undress). If your journal is meant to catalog your coordinates, make sure you take a picture or include a sketch with each entry. A good photo printer (or even a portable printer) will make it easy to add these elements. Use your pages to document when and where you wear your clothes.

Writing down a quick description of your coordinate can help you keep track of what’s working (and what isn’t). Even something as mundane as “shoes gave me blisters” or “got lots of compliments on this dress!” can help you find clothes you love and get rid of things you don’t.

If keeping a journal seems intimidating, start small. Jot down a coordinate run down in a small, ugly notebook that no one else has to see. Don’t be afraid to change things up if you aren’t having fun. You may have visions of drinking tea in a Parisian cafe while sketching your JSK’s print.  Don’t worry if you end up smearing ink on your fingers while eating oreos. Journaling should be a fun and rewarding practice not a chore or something you dread.

I hope you find this an inspirational starting place for your own lolita journal and I hope that you share your creations! I’d love to see them. 

Jenna

By day, Jenna is a legal professional living in Los Angeles, California. By night (and weekends), she is a frill wearing monster who loves Innocent World and lolita indie brands. When she isn’t taking mirror selfies of her coordinates, she enjoys reading comic books, playing board games, and snuggling with her pup, Lily. You can see her mirror selfies on her instagram @lovelylaceandlies and contact her at lovelylaceandlies@gmail.com.