The ill/disabled Lolita: A guide to surviving Lolita withdrawal syndrome during illness
Once upon a time, there was a discussion on the egl about wearing Lolita when you are sickly or/and disabled. I've lost the bookmark to that discussion since, but it got me thinking. How to salvage the feeling of beauty, elegance or cuteness, when your nose is running, eyes watering and your organs seem to be bent on murdering you?
As any sickly Lolita knows, it's not an easy task, at all. During infirmity, comfort and practicality of stuff we put on or use are usually prioritized; much as a girl could want to, spending feverish days on sickbed in a 400 USD (or even 50 USD or 40 USD, depending on where you shop) dress is simply not good for either the girl or the dress. But, certain things can be done that can uplift your spirits and make you feel like a Lolita, despite you haven't left your bed for weeks or months.
If you have got any tips on your own, please feel free to leave a comment - I will add them, with a credit to you.
1. Sew or buy a nice set of pyjamas, or a pretty nightgown - flannel one for example is great for the cold winter weather in the Northern Hemisphere, as it's warm, sturdy and the potential ruffles and pintucks on it would not only brighten your day and night, but would also withstand even rather violent bouts of sickness.A cute dressing gown is also a great idea!
2. Wear a headbow, cute barette clips, or stick a rose pin onto your nightgown when the worst stage is over; if you get cold feet, it's easy to find cheap and cute socks with frills, strawberries or butterflies (I've got quite a number of them to cheer me up). As Zipzip suggested, pearl necklaces are great to enliven a dull sick-wear too!
3. Get some flowers to put near your bed, if you can. Potted ones are the best in my experience, since they last the longest - a hyacinth bought not-yet-bloooming is an especial pleasure. It gives out a lovely scent and watching it slowly open its blooms day by day, when you need a bit of tranquility and hope that you, too, one day will bloom into health again, is rather... soothing and cathartic. Especially if you are ill through winter - a flower is a promise of spring, and spring is a promise of new strength.
4. Cutefy your medication holders and the cups from which you drink your herbal teas. Because the plain old medication bottles and plates can be rather depressing after a time, getting a nice little pillbox with a cute picture on it might add a splash of colour and style to eating your daily share of pills. I've got three so far:
5. If you use crutches, you can turn them into candy canes with coloured tapes, or deco them with a band of rhinestones and cold porcelain roses or plastic hearts - anything is possible! Let your imagination go wild!
6. Watch cute movies - Disney, Studio Ghibli movies, anime, anything sweet, nice and well-ending to keep your spirits high; Deka Wanko or Spirited Away anyone?
7. Cute bedding might make it better too:
To every ill person out here, Lolita or not:
2 komentářů
Dear Rosa,
ReplyDeleteI have been worrying about you and am very happy you have written, even if it is to say that you are adding spice and spirit and prettiness to your sickbed.
So sorry that you are ill right now. I hope that it isn't too bad and that as spring approaches, you are feeling some sunshine. Are you able to walk any, or get outdoors, or into a sunny window? If it's snowing is there a place to watching the flakes flutter down? A hair pin with a rhinestone snowflake attached would be neat.
Am all for flowers near the bedside and for pretty things in the hair! I've worn my (fake) pearls so much lately, even at night, that the pearliness is wearing off! Nothing like pearls, you know, to dress up the most boring wool sweater.
Yes, illness dogs me here, too, but am continuing to walk, and did so to the drugstore today...for vitamins and hair mousse...so you see that the exercise was mixed with getting beauty items :}
Hugs and very best to you,
Natalie
Dear Natalie,
Deletethank you so much for stopping by and for your concern! I left you a rather lenghty comment on your blog yesterday or so, I wonder if you got it? (I had troubles posting replies once and the comment got lost, so I worry if this is the case this time as well.)
I'm sorry to hear you are still unwell, but it's great you can walk! Ahahaha, hair mousse sounds like a good sign to me:-))) And the pearls and the snowflake clip sound like great ideas, thank you! I'll add them to the tips. I bet you look very elegant with the pearls round your neck, very much like a Princess. You are very pretty, if I may say so:-)
You see, I promised to myself to make this post ages ago when I saw a discussion of Lolita and illness/disability on our international Loli forum, but never got around it - so I hope if ever more Lolis get to hear about this post, we will put together a comprehensible list of possibilities of how to make our lives cuter despite our difficulties.
Otherwise, I'm better, thank you - still relatively weak, but we walk daily with my mum and sister some kilometer (0.6 miles?). It's starting to help a little:-) *happy*
Yes, watching and listening to snow is definitely therapeutic and lovely! I adore doing that too, especially if I'm sick. But as of now, there is no snow here - it's more like in an early spring, so many snowdrops and crocuses are blossoming! Wonderful. I miss the white winters, but health-wise, this weather is a blessing. What is it like in America, I heard of big ugly snowstorms?
Hugs and the best of luck and health,
Rosa