It's pretty much you've got to go to designer places to find them, vintage shops or your shops that sell designer stuff after buying the remaining stock. And keep going to them to try and find what you want.

Then try going online aswell, I've found that site that sell vintage style items are good for finding clothes and shoes you cannot find anywhere.

I found that guide on a website I came across while trying to find a certain style of boot.

=| I personally would have to go to New York to find any good shops like that. Too far away. xD Plus real VWs are waaay to expensive, even used. Mine are replicas. <3

I'd have to go to near London for any good vintage shops which is why I like the internet ones and the ones that do brand new things in the vintage style.

I like replica stuff cheeper than the real thing.

I disappeared suddenly. I'm sorry >.<" I just needed to get to sleep before I look like a dead loli ^^"

And its true. The shops here that sell specialize in gothic clothes really only go into chains and boots and lots of tartan, which I love too by the way) but we barely have any real lolita clothes and I'm not really allowed to use my credit card online ^^" But I actually won't go out on a normal day dressed with every lolita thing down. I don't think I have the courage to do that but I will start mildly. I wonder if those rocking horse shoes are considered mild XD

The guide does help but I doubt I'd go out with the lace parasol though I would totally buy one in Menewsha! XD I do have bangs now but my hair isn't exactly straight or with light curls and I am too tall to be a loli... people have said =.=" But I try to be as much as I can without going all out on it. I have to be a mature lolita XD

I used to borrow my friend's copies of the gothic lolita bible. they were really nice to look at! But then the prices were just O.O Vivienne Westwood stuff is gorgeous but they cost more than a Versace handbag sometimes O.o

Psh.. no such thing as being too tall. There are toons of taller lolitas on the lj community. It's all about the underskirts!

Seriously? O.o Because whenever I wear dresses with lace or ribbon I look like an overgrown kid sometimes >.<" And its funny because I do act like a kid most of the time but well, I just don't look the part ^^" So its hard for me to get the right... feel as a lolita, which is why I could live up the dreams right here in Menewsha for now :)

Hmm I think as long as the dresses and skirts aren't too short I think even a taller person can look good in lolita ^_^ When trying to wear brand dresses (which are often very short) you can wear underskirts like Fiarra said!

However.. if you are like me and reeeally short.. and most brand is too long on you.. then there is nothing you can do ToT I mostly look at Angelic Pretty's clothing since they make the shortest dresses~ I also make my own dresses so that the size can be perfect for me ^o^

Also, I love rocking horse shoes myself! I can't exactly afford $600 VW brand shoes.. but as far as replicas An-ten-na makes my favorite! It's a real wood heel, it has a great shape, and the sole is 4 inches tall so it gives me a good height boost! Of course.. they can be hard to find T_T The only pair I own is the white boot style

Gaaah An-ten-na RHS are my dream. A girl on egl was doing a group special order to get some made at the same height and materials... and then the whole thing fell through and I was so sad. None of the other replica companies make them as tall.

I think I know why rocking horse shoes are very popular now, because Naomi Campbell went splat in them.

Why do I keep finding the worlds ugliest lolita dresses that make me go and look at the ugly ginham dress because it's less ugly.

Chatting in this topic has made me learn a lot! You guys are really knowlegeable since I think myself as a noob in this case ^^" I'm more of a fan that admires lolita clothing rather than actually a person who wears it out. So I'm really clueless on a lot of things like the brands really. But I would like to wear it out one day that's for sure!

4 inch platforms O.o I've never seen any so tall in my life nor have I tried wearing something that tall XD I think I'd be a 6 footer after the height boost XD and 4 inches worth of wood must be pretty heavy right?

All you really have to do Pancake is go for a quick search round the internet and you can get alot of information that way.

I didn't know there were so many subcatgories until I had a search I knew lolita was devided up but not into so many catagoires.

I know. But its much more fun to chat and get people's input for knowledge :) I do read up on somethings but more on the facts than the actual brands of stuff ^^"

I think wiki actually has the explanations on the different categories under gothic lolita.

I don't trust wiki because people can change it and if it's not a very visted page then it can be vandalized without anyone noticing for ages.

I have a look round the internets find the worlds ungliest lolita dresses and find information on lolita as well on the same site.

I like the lolita handbook on livejournal best for information. All my knowledge of the fashion comes from lurking on the egl community and seeing everything from amazing coordinates to awful trainwrecks.

Speaking of categories.. I really want to do sailor lolita for the fun of it... >.>;; I have nothing in my closet currently that would qualify though. And really it's just because I want a reason to get this dress: http://www.milky-ange.com/image/lolita/chelsea1.jpg (back view- bustle!!).

That's a pretty dress.

I've figured out why the dress I was looking at is so ugly it's a mixture between the stockings the model was wearing and the fact that it has the most horrible lace I've ever seen.

The site I stole the guide off, the shop part is currently down but there you go anyway:
http://www.tokyo-royale.com/others/style.html

Another site with information about shoe styles and some pretty pictures of rocking horse shoes:

http://www.mookychick.co.uk/style/cool_shoes.php

*_* Isn't it pretty? Someone else in the state owns it and I am so jealous.

I like the Tokyo Royale site *_* Although I tend to think of classic as it's own substyle, not just another version of sweet loli. I'd love to have a shiro outfit too.. but I think I'd just get it all dirty. Too much white.

*stares in fascination at shoe pictures* I'd never wear any of them.. but fetish shoes come in so many interesting styles.

Aah the last rocking horse picture on that website is the an-ten-na version *o* Mine looks like that but instead it is a boot! They actually aren't that hard to walk in because there is no "heel" it's just a near flat platform. Also the wood is surprisingly not heavy :)

I think sailor lolita is adorable X3 You don't see it that often really! Metamorphose is a brand that usually puts out cute sailor-style dresses each year. I don't have any sort of navy blue in my wardrobe though so I don't think I could pull it off XD

I've always wanted to try out a blue and pink "deco" lolita kind of look :D With lots of accessories and over the top hair! It'd be fun to try out some time~

I loooved that special set that Meta did.. with the red/white/blue or monotone theme. It was very sailor and I was so sad I didn't have the funds at the time to buy it. I would love the monotone set. <3

It seems like everyone want to do deco-loli lately.. it's just so hard to do it right.

*looks them up*

Wow I like their hoodies. They remind me of Putumayo

Ah I looked up poizen industries and I'm not a big fan >_< Their clothing looks a bit like the poorly made stuff you'd find at Hot Topic and the items labeled as "lolita" are more.. "ita" XD! But some of their things might actually work for a punk-ish style, I'm not sure about lolita, though :/

For affordable lolita clothing that is a nice quality I recommend annahousefashion.com :D It's a chinese brand that ships internationally. (All the prices on the website are in hong kong dollars so you have to convert the prices) Many people order from them and I've found they use nice materials and the construction is very high quality!

It's normally the smaller clothing brands that do well made stuff, Poizen Industries is a smaller ones. I've learnt from expeince not to trust the bigger brand names like Crimminal Damage.

They make a more toned down version of lolita seeing as it's not that big over here hardly anyone wears lolita style.

I wouldn't be able order clothing from Asia seeing as it probibly wouldn't fit me.

The things I saw didn't looked toned down.. maybe I wasn't look at the right stuff, but it all looked like really over the top goth clothing ^^;

However, the great thing about annahouse is that you can get totally custom sizes! They will make it in any size you need :D You can even ask for changes in the designs so you could make it as subtle as you wish

>.> I should probably clarify that I like the Poizen stuff for their punk Putumayo-style clothing, I didn't see anything that stood out as lolita.

I love Anna House. I've seen lots of their work in person and it's lovely.