Lolita on a Budget

A lot of lolitas, myself included, have to shop on a budget. Being a younger lolita, I have a very limited income (just my allowance and whatever I can get from doing the occasional odd job!), so I have had to find ways to buy lolita on a very limited budget! Naturally, instead of buying a closet full of brand, I've had to buy all off-brand clothes with just one or two brand accessories thrown in, like my Baby the Stars Shine Bright muffler (which is the cutest thing ever!). Still, even off-brand clothes can get rather pricey if you shop online, as you have to factor in shipping and lolita-specific clothes are usually pricey in the first place. So, I've compiled a list of tips for shopping for non-lolita specific items when you're just shopping around:
Look for full skirts!
Specifically, full enough to hold a petticoat. Also keep in mind that the skirt should be around knee-length, and made of good quality materials (In fact, those are my "three rules of lolita"- Full skirts, knee-length and high-quality materials. But more on that later). But what if you find a skirt that looks great, but isn't the right length? Or a skirt that's just too simple? Which leads me to my next point...
Learn to sew, if even just a little bit.
Mainly so you can modify your clothes a bit. I personally have two success stories of finding awesome clothes in a store and modifying them to fit lolita better. One was a gingham skirt from Wal-Mart (gasp!) that was full enough on it's own and the perfect length for lolita, but unfortunately didn't have quite enough details on it for my taste. Since the skirt was only $2, I purchased two of the same skirt and used the fabric from the second skirt to make bows and ruffles to tack on the first skirt. The end result was a nice, casual country loli-esque skirt that is actually pretty full on its own. The second garment I modified nicely was a red dress also from Wal-mart that had a lovely, frilly top, but the bottom was just too long and looked extremely awkward. This one was in a way easier to modify, since all I wanted to do was shorten the skirt length. So, all I did was cut the skirt to just below knee-length, hem it, and use the excess material to make matching bows! The dress is also quite nice for casual lolita wear, so I wear it to places where I wouldn't want to wear my "proper" lolita clothes (read: Bodyline!).
If it's not lolita or can't be made lolita, don't buy it.
Of course, it's not like you can't buy any "normal" clothes ever again, but I found it was helpful when I was first starting my lolita wardrobe (which, mind you, still needs quite a bit of work!) to try to withhold from buying anything that I couldn't use for my loli coordinates. This way, I was able to afford on my shoestring budget a few basic things that couldn't be bought in stores (bloomers, a petticoat, etc) and still buy quite a few loli-esque skirts and blouses, leading to my wardrobe which can be easily passed as lolita. Saving money in general is a necessary skill for anybody who wants to be able to wear lolita regularly, which is the subject of the next tip...
Learn money-saving skills!
I'm not going to lie, I'm the worst when it comes to impulse buys. I'll see something totally useless in a store (like hamburger earmuffs), think it's just the coolest thing ever and buy it, only to never use it ever! However, when I decided I wanted to wear lolita I learned to control this. I learned to stop myself before I buy something and think, "Is this something I really want? Will I use it regularly?" This also helped me save up the money necessary to pay the ridiculous shipping from Bodyline for my "nice" loli clothes and also helped expand my wardrobe.
Still, don't be afraid to buy accessories.I hate to admit it, but before I started wearing lolita, I only dressed like a boy! It wasn't like I hated fashion or anything, but no American fashion I'd ever seen was extravagant enough to catch my interest (except for anything at Hot Topic, which I liked for about half a year in 8th grade but quickly gave up when I discovered I just didn't feel comfortable in tiny skirts). So, when I did start my never-ending quest for a lolita wardrobe, I didn't really have much of anything at all that could be incorporated into a lolita wardrobe. This is where my impulse buying came in handy. I'd go to Forever 21, see a headbow or a cute necklace, and buy it at the drop of a hat! My accessory collection increased exponentially in a short time, which is good because now that I've "trained" myself I can't just go and buy a simple necklace without feeling bad for not thinking things through!
So, that's about all I have to say for shopping non-lolita specific items on a budget. It can be rather challenging, and I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't prefer a wardrobe full of brand (or even just replicas!) as opposed to my wardrobe of all off-brand and Bodyline, but in a way it's rewarding to know that even though you don't have a real job, you were still able to look like a lolita, you just tried. Good luck, fellow poor lolitas!