Lolita issue: Brand vs Replica

Hello everyone~~

From now on I want to talk about lolita issues once in a while, there is so much to talk about in the big lolita world! I saw on Tumblr a discussion about replicas, someone said that one of the designers of Angelic Pretty said that it breaks her heart to see all these replicas. I'm not sure this is true, because anyone could say this... but it made me think more about this subject.

I was thinking about this recently, I bought a new dress from Angelic Pretty and I was like, if I bought a replica I could have two dresses?!

But do I want to have two dresses, which are fake?

In the end I'm very happy that I bought my Angelic Pretty Jewelry Jelly, it's worth the money I think!

Brand

Brand is always something important for lolitas, many people think that's important to have brand.

That doesn't mean it's necessary to wear brand, wearing offbrand or replicas is not a shame, it's all about how you create your coords.

Still many lolitas consider brand lolita clothes as better or as more valuble because it's brand.

Lolita is from Japan so the Japanese brands are mostly considered selling high quality clothes.

Brand definitely is more expensive then offbrand,handmade or replicas. If you are going to talk about Angelic Pretty, Moi Meme Moitie, Baby the stars shine bright ect. then you are for sure that you are going to pay more than 250 dollar* for a dress maybe if you are lucky you get it a little bit cheaper.

That's a lot of money after all! I own about 5 brand dresses and I have to admit that the quality is very good, I don't mind paying more for that. Only I DO think that you are paying for the brand, just to have that 'Angelic Pretty' label or 'MMM' label in your pretty JSK or OP, there's nothing wrong with that but I'm sure it's happening! They also need to earn their money and making dress is very expensive because it's a lot of work and fabrics aren't so cheap these days.

*I'm not sure about this, I haven't bought anything in a while from Japan.. it guessing for me, people told me the exchange rate is very high at the moment so I'm not sure about the 250 dollar? Maybe it's starts with 300 dollar now?

Sometimes I'm not really fan of the clothes about a brand, I would never like an item because it's from a famous brand I only like the things I love it myself if you understand what I mean! My favourite brands are AP and MMM but I don't like everything, some items I would never ever buy.... just because it's not my taste, it's ugly or it won't fit right. I'm not going to pay too much money for something I don't like!

There are some lolitas that buy everything from their favourite brands and I'm sure most of it looks fantastic but I hope they can also understand that not everything is so great. Some brand dresses are even more ita-ish than offbrand stuff! * Think about the wrong lace monsters from years ago, there a few which are amazing....only most of them are just uughhhhh!! And brands who are copying each other, I don't want to have two dresses which are nearly the same even though those are really cute! * Please don't mind me, it's all about your taste of course! It's just my personal opinion! One person likes a dress and another one says: ''Nooo, I'm never wearing this dress!' And the most important one, not everything that a lolita brand sells is lolita. Some items are more related to fairy kei, pastel fashion, gothic or even cosplay. Rule number one when we are going to talk about brands is: wearing just brand clothes doesn't make you a lolita!

Can you tell which one is real if the card wasn't there?

Lolita brands do sell cosplay outfits once in a while, some of them are lolita but most of them absolutely not. And for example Angelic Pretty sells mini skirts and saloppetes, I think it's lolita but many lolitas say it's not lolita because it hasn't the lolita shape. Those thing are more related to fairy kei. The same as popular classic brands sell dresses that also can be used for Mori kei or Dolly Kei. I Think it's 50% about the 'lolita shape' & quality and the other 50% is about the coord.

Replicas

Replicas are very popular these days, it isn't so expensive as brand. Most replicas are between 75~~100 dollar while brand dresses are twice more expensive or even more! That means more people can buy lolita clothes, whether it's about the size, the price or whatever.

That's something what's good about replicas, it's a lot cheaper and you can order it in your own size which is kind of difficult when you talk about brand. I know baby the stars shine bright has different sizes S, M and L only I'm not so sure about the difference because I only own one btssb dress and that's a old school one. I'm not so interested in the new clothes from baby, just a few exceptions but I really do love the old school ones! :) Excuse me for not knowing much about the size. I also know that AatP has different sizes and Innocent World has some plus size items. Only most of the time the brands have no sizes... So if you want to have your favourite print or dress but you won't fit in it right then it's a solution. Everyone should have the right to wear their favorite print or dress don't you think?

Of course there is also a bad thing about replicas, first of all it's the quality. I make my own lolita clothes so I have a little knowlegde about good fabrics and lace. And I can tell you if a dress from more than 250 dollar is made into a replica then the first thing what the make will do is buying cheaper fabric and lace! That's only natural to do, like I said before fabric and lace can be very expensive. When it's a print it's slightly different or really different to the original one, it's nearly impossible to make a exact replica! Never ever think that a replica is as good as a brand item, it's just impossible to make something like that for such a low prize.Brand items mostly have beautiful detailed lace (for example Jewelry jelly has jelly's & stars & dots in the lace) and replicas have more simple patterns in their lace or no lace at all! * yes, I know I'm a lace monster myself xD*

And there is the famous discussion about replicas! Brands like Innocent World already warned their costumers about replicas and that they are absolutely not pleased about this.

I also heard a rumor that one of the Angelic Pretty designers said that all those replicas break her heart. 

So.. the brands are not pleased about this... I can understand this! I mean, they are putting much effort in making and designing clothing and a random 'brand' or person makes replicas from it. Nobody would like that! Some people have a strong opinion, they don't like replicas for those reasons and for some more reasons. I'm not going to say much about it because it's an endless discussion...

An amazing coord & a amazing dress, can you tell it's a replica?

I surely couldn't if it wasn't mentioned!

My opinion

I have had a replica in my lolita closet, it was a bodyline replica of an Angelic Pretty dress. I have worn it once and I didn't feel comfortable in it.. I was just meh! I just didn't like the dress!

Since then I never bought another replica dress. Only I also bought a pair of shoes, baby the stars shine bright replica shoes, I love them so much and I still do! After 3 years I still have them, only now they are a little bit old and have some flaws. This is my own experience with replicas... 

I love replica shoes, I don't think I would ever buy real lolita shoes new because those are so expensive, I simply cannot afford them. I prefer to buy another dress and wear cheaper shoes or replica shoes then just brand shoes. I have worn brand shoes and I can't tell why they would be better than replica shoes or offbrand. Why would I buy something for so much more money if I don't think it's better?

I would never buy replica dresses or skirts myself, like I said before I felt so bad when I wore that replica dress! Unless I really like it and the dress/skirt is from good quality. The older replicas should be very good I heard. ^__^ The main reason is that I don't like the fabric and the lace and the details are bad most of the time. Yes, I'm that kind of person that is going to stare for hours to a dress just because of one little cute detail in the lace or when the print is just so amazing.There are pretty replicas of course, only it's just not like the real dress. I also do respect the designers, that also a reason why I won't buy replica dresses or skirts. (I hope they are going to forgive me for the replica shoes, I have more money for brand dresses) 

I think this is also something difficult because would buying second hand/selling your dresses be insulting for the designers too? You are selling your dress to someone else and it's not like the designers/ the brand earns money from that! 

What I really do hate if people tell me that they don't have enough money to buy brand and that they say that they have to buy from bodyline (what's wrong with bodyline anyway, they sell  lovely dresses! <3 I know some items are awful  but that doesn't mean that they don't have nice items) and have to buy replicas because they don't have the money and then you ask which dresses do you have and then they say I have this one and this one and this one... ect. What I want to tell is that they have an enormous amount of replicas. From that amount of  money you CAN buy brand it's just a little more saving up and you will have just a few dresses. It's not like you can't buy brand at all -_-'' I just can't stand that people say I'm soooooo poor and still buying many replicas, that's just so unreal. A replica dress cost from 75~~ 100 dollar, that not much only when you have to pay shipping and for the customs I would say you already spent between 125~~200 dollars. Here in the Netherlands are the customs taxes very high, I'm not sure how it's in other country I do know it's the same in the rest of Europe. For 125~~200 dollar you can buy a lovely second hand brand dress if you search well, so what's you excuse for I can't buy brand? If you can't afford brand, you afford replicas, end of the discussion! I just hate it when people say things like that, in the end they can buy brand and they are just complaining for nothing... just no... can't understand that.

Of course I'm not saying that wearing replicas is bad, it's a great solution when you don't fit in the real item. It's so unfair that you can't wear something that you really really want! Lolita brands should be more aware of that. I know from some of my lolita friends that they won't fit in dresses because they are too short, too tall or they don't have the right size (too big/too small) it's not a big deal to make dresses in other size when there are good patterns. 

It's also a great solution if you want to try lolita and if you aren't really sure about it. It's quite easy to order a replica, you are sure that it fits and it's not a shame when it's not your taste after all.

And if you truly don't have enough money what's the problem? Everyone should be able to wear lolita: rich, poor, plus size, skinny, tall, short or whatever! I know there are people who need to save up every penny they have for that one (replica) dress and what if it's a replica? It doesn't matter as long as you are happy with it! I would never ever insult someone because she/he is wearing a replica, it's not a shame to wear a replica. Never ever think that and if someone is saying that to you then it's just an awful egoistic person! Nobody has to right to say something like that, if you are happy with it! And if your coord is good, you can beat those lolitas with their real deal burando dresses! ^_~

What do you think? Should I talk more about lolita issues?