Angelic Pretty's 50s Obsession
Angelic Pretty, We need to talk.
Alright, I'm sure this needs minimal introduction. Angelic Pretty has recently had a thing for that 50s diner aesthetic- and it came out of nowhere. What build up from past prints did we have that foretold the Baltimore we're in now? I mean, someone's been sniffing too much Ultra Clutch hairspray, surely. Angelic Pretty, with no warning, released their Milkshake collection, and their Neon Diner is on its way.
Here we see the Milkshake OP in pink. Cute, sure. Not lolita. Even as a newcomer to this fashion, the number one thing that defines lolita is the silhouette. Thats the reason petticoats have become so important. And thats the one thing this OP doesn't have. I'm not mad, don't get me wrong, its just. Disappointing? Coming into this fashion, you hear all about how great AP is and whatnot, and this defies everything I've been told.
This is the Neon Diner JSK in blue. This is much better, with an actual lolita silhouette and a decently cute print. This would be perfect for a meet at a roller rink, or a barbecue meet. But overall, I'm simply not impressed. I recognize that my opinion won't matter, but you can't deny that when you think Angelic Pretty, this is probably the last thing that would come to your mind
I think my biggest problem with these two collections is how much they can look like cosplays. No they aren't cheap, and I'm sure their quality reflects that, but what other type of person is gonna walk around in a 50s style dress with a pencil skirt bottom and an apron? That isn't casual wear, even for our estranged fashion community.
One thing I disagree with is that it's a recent thing for Angelic Pretty to do pieces like this. Lolita brands have been inspired by the 50's pretty much since the fashion's inception - I recommend reading this post by Raine Dragon, she explains it much better that I ever could (and her blog is also an amazing source of knowledge about the fashion, I can't recommend it enough): http://www.rainedragon.com/lolita-blog-carnival-5-new-releases-my-thoughts-on-them/
ReplyDeleteWhat is different about the Milkshake and the Neon Star Diner series is that AP stopped limiting itself to only a lolita silhouette. Lolita brands have always created things that were not lolita (AP had miniskirts, BtSSB made swimsuits, Victorian Maiden and Moitie made pajama sets both recently and years back), this is nothing new. But the Milkshake and Neon Star Diner proved very popular despite following a more 50's silhouette instead of a typical lolita one. And it's important to keep in mind that the former, a precursor for AP, was popular enough for AP to see the business potential and continue releasing things with a different silhouette. (There was also that maid OP earlier this year, which had a very similar silhouette as the tight Milkshake OP, though it's still fully in stock, likely as the pop 50's aesthetic is more appealing to lolitas than a maid outfit.) There were enough past experiments with silhouette that flopped, yet this one stuck. And both lolita fashion and Angelic Pretty are niche enough that the success of these series is not thanks to a sudden influx of vintage reproduction lovers scooping everything up, this is still predominantly lolitas buying these pieces. And brands are not obliged to make every single piece they sell adhere strictly to the guidelines of one alternative fashion, they are free to create whatever they like at that moment, particularly if it keeps their business afloat. Heck, as someone who got into lolita through vintage fashion, if these series encourage anyone out there to do the opposite, i.e. try vintage fashion because of lolita, then it's only a good thing. So yes, the Milkshake OP and the tight skirt, and the Neon Star Diner OP and jacket are not strictly speaking lolita. But then most people who wear them are also not tagging them with lolitafashion or eglfashion hashtags on social media. And if creative things are too restricted, they stop evolving and die out. AP's adaptability to current trends (decora/fairy kei in the first half of 2010's, larme around 2016/2017, and now the 50's revival wave) is what kept the brand relevant in lolita fashion and what made it as popular as it is now.
And as for who would walk in a 50's diner-style uniform - plenty of people! The world of vintage fashion is as big and thriving as that of lolita fashion, if not more so given how it's more accessible and comparatively more mainstream. If there can be lolitas in full OTT Sweet walking the streets next to full on historical costumers in Victorian/Regency/Rococo/Tudor, and both types view this as their daily wear, then why would 50's clothing (work uniform inspired or not) be different? Especially since, as I said, it is the most accessible of the three that I listed just now. ;)
I suppose my immaturity in relation to the fashion did affect my outlook on the designs. Im still a bit hung up on the waitress uniform, and in rebuttal to your statement on retro fashion, I've more often seen retro fashion in the light of casual/business-casual wear rather than uniforms, but to each their own. I admit I didn't know that AP had sold miniskirts before, nor that BTSSB had sold swimsuits, and had I had that information, my insistence on the lolita silhouette would have been less.
DeleteWe all learn somehow. I'm fairly sure that even people who have been in the fashion non-stop since the late 90s/early 00s still find new things they discover about the fashion and the community. It's worth looking up why the "rules" became a thing in lolita fashion in the first place as part of your research about the fashion. Knowing that really puts things in context, which in turn helps avoid becoming the mythical gatekeeper. (Because in my experience it's often well-meaning newbies who are the strictest about the rules - experienced and long-standing members of the community already know the difference between an outfit genuinely needing concrit and something being simply not to their own particular taste.) :)
DeleteAs for vintage fashion, trust me, there is much, much more to it than just casual and business-casual stuff. The vintage revival movement is really massive and where lolitas distinguish themselves based on substyle (sweet, classic or gothic), vintage enthusiasts go by eras and sometimes maybe go for a particular theme (tropical and tiki themes with the 40's and 50's, military uniforms, 20's noir or the glam vibe of Dior's New Look - possibilities are only limited by what the silhouette of a particular era allowed).
Remind me never to trust Facebook again lol
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