Waiting for Autumn

In my opinion and experience, summer and Lolita Fashion go together as well as peanut butter and sardines. It gets hot and humid where I live, and even with the necessarily precautions and tips from other lolita bloggers and communities, it's not really worth getting dressed up in layers if your makeup melt off, wig wilts, and blouse sticks to your skin as soon as you step out of your house. Also in my experience, it's quite hard to get people together for meets in the summer due to it being con season, wedding season, and family vacations, which is why I can't wait for the weather to cool down and the leaves start changing colors.

There's a lot of buzz about Halloween on some forums and on my facebook feed, and it's got me thinking about meets to start planning for! 

1) Apple Orchards:

This is kind of a no-go for me because apple farms aren't the most lolita friendly places to go to unless you manage to dodge little kids and avoid or be super careful feeding the farm animals. At the same time, I think it's still doable as many orchards double as local tourist spots with gift shops, bakeries, and restaurants, and offer hay rides, and it's a quintessential thing to do, especially if you live in the Midwest, East Coast, or Northwest Coast of America. My suggestion is to wear your lightest petticoat, save your best brand for later, and dress for comfort. 

I.CAN'T.WAIT.

2) Haunted Tours:

If you're in America, chances are your local park or historical society hosts local tours of haunted history until the end of October. It's a chance to dress up in your best mourning coord while learning about your area's spooky spots. 

3) A Gothic Picnic: 

If your area does not do tours nor celebrate Halloween, you can still go out in your 19th century widow's inspired coord (or not if you prefer) and dine with the dead. It was once a common activity during the mid-1800s up until World War I when park-like cemeteries were being developed, and it was a way to connect with family lost due to high (infant) mortality rates. If considering this option, please contact the manager for permission and advice as to where to picnic, and please be respectful of the dead and their family and friends. 

4) Halloween Party: 

This is a given, but you can make it lolita-centric by encouraging your community to dress up in coords that are otherwise seen as a no-no any other time of the year. Bust out your most OTT Gothic coord, clash your favorite fandom with the lolita silhouette, or dress up as the scariest beast known to all lolitas: the dreaded Milanoo lace-monster. 

5) Get a psychic reading:

If ghosts and monsters aren't your style, you still celebrate the Halloween spirit by getting your fortune told. See if your dream dress is in your future.

6) Friendsgiving Potluck meet:

And the best part is that you don't have to be American to enjoy a warm meal with friends. 

7) Winery meet 

If you're lucky to live near one, Autumn is the best time of the year to check out a winery because the good haul of wedding season is over and most wineries start their harvest in the fall (unless you're in California in which grapes are harvested in July and August). 

8) Fall baking meet

If you or the majority of your community are not of drinking age, make quintessential Autumn pastries instead! Autumn is the perfect time of the year to bakes tarts and pies, pumpkin spice breads, or even decorate cupcakes with seasonal motifs.

9) Fall crafting meet 

Cooler weather means it's time to bust out the warm layers. My suggestion is to hold a crafting meet to learn how to knit. Who knows, you might need that tea cozy or a hand warmer in time for winter lolita day. 

10) Start shopping 

I'm one for enjoying this short lived season for as long as I can and not think about Christmas until it's December, but some advice from veteran lolita to newcomers: if you want to order from taobao, this is the best time of the year to get it over with because you don't want to wait for your coat and lolita wardrobe essentials until it arrives after the Chinese New Year. 

Are you looking forward for Autumn too? Share your ideas for awesome fall-centric lolita meets that I may have missed!