Let me start by saying I wear Lolita every day I don't have to work. I have been doing so for a couple years. I wear Lolita whether I am sitting at home all day or going out. Never have I ever encountered negative feedback in Minnesota. I went to the Mall of America every week. Outside of the weekly trips, I went grocery shopping, fabric shopping, took walks, got coffee, etc. Sometimes curious strangers would ask if I was from another country, or simply tell me that I dressed very adorably. Most of the time, I am confused at first because I don't feel any different in Lolita or out of it, and my friends and family are so accepting of it that nobody comments or looks at me any differently.
So it came as a shock to me, the different reactions I have gotten in Taiwan
Being that Asia is more fashionable than America in general, I had thought I would stand out far less. I see girls wearing dresses, short skirts, short shorts, layered looks, high boots, and a lot of heels. Very stylish from hair to shoes and everything in between. Unfortunately, everybody mostly dresses in the same style. It is fashionable, yes, but not diverse. Therefore, even my most casual of casual Lolita outfits stands out like crazy!
The other thing is that in Taiwan, people have no qualms about openly staring. Or "whispering" loudly enough for others to hear, even on the noisy MRT. I have encountered my first "ninja snap" where a girl whipped out her cell phone to take a photo of me on my way to a Lolita meetup. As a group, we walked through the MRT station and a girl very openly took photos of us, pointing, shouting, and telling her friends to look
Most of us actually thought she was friends with one of the girls in our group because she was being so familiar. When one of the older Lolitas asked her to stop, she flat-out said "No" and carried on treating us like a display.While traveling alone this past Wednesday, two girls in the same MRT compartment openly discussed whether I was a coser or not. Rather than either just asking me or keeping it to themselves, they held a conversation throughout the journey, making it highly awkward as everybody pretended to not be able to hear them or see me
Now, I am not going to stop wearing Lolita just because of a few obnoxious incidents, of course. I have noticed that people tend to look at me whether I am wearing Lolita or not, most likely because despite being 100% Chinese, I look mixed. So if they are going to stare anyway, I would much rather they look at my pretty clothes than at me.
Sorry for such a long, personal post. It has taken my spirit for the past few days, but I plan on continuing to live with the fiery passion for all things elegant, beautiful, and cute in life! Never shall it die!
And now I can relate much better to the girls who post asking about what to do in negative situations. Keep your chin up, your head high, and smile! You are beautiful
Let's face it - you will probably never see those people ever again, anyway. And if you do, you'll still be rockin' life in your own style~My question to you:
How have you dealt with this type of negativity in your life?
