I don't even own that many normal clothes, let alone lolita, let alone burando.

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>>6931860 (OP)
jfc
Everything I own wouldn't even amount to what's in that closet alone.

>>6931873
She posted them all individually and she has 42. The crazy thing is that there's people with a lot more that have only been lolitas for a couple years.

20 is like average, though? I've been buying lolita for a year and that's about how many I have. But for people with especially large wardrobes, it's just that they've been in lolita for a long time and have decent salaries. Like for people who have over 100 dress, but have been in lolita for 6 years, it makes complete sense.

>>6931889
Even after 6 years, 100 brand dresses is pretty fucking excessive.

I have well over 100 main pieces. Had to buy freestanding closets to house them all.
No, it isn't as exciting to get a new dress now as it was back when I had five dresses, but I really really love my wardrobe. I have about 20 pieces that I should just sell because they don't flatter me or I just never wear them.
3 weeks ago I finally got a dress I had been hunting for 2 years in the perfect color and style but I was more excited for the new petticoat that arrived the same day. But the petti I will wear constantly and it will benefit me daily instead of just on special occasions- and the dream dress is definitely not a daily dress.

Lolita is just another hobby, like car maniacs, comic book collectors, etc. Compare to people who are long time fans of brands like Louis Vuitton, burando prices are nothing.

I admire their passion for their hobby, and it's always such a sight to see their collection. I don't get why you have negative thoughts about collectors? They are just dedicated to their interest.

>>6931952
The only somewhat negative thing the OP says about collectors is that they think some of them are trying to fill a void in their lives. They even specified "some".
>>6931943
>more excited over a petticoat than finally getting a dress after two years of searching
I get that the petti will benefit you daily, but you can get a good petti any time for around $40.

>>6931943
>>6931889
>100 $300 dresses
>acting like that's nothing to be shocked over

>>6932003
Not that anon, but for someone who makes a steady income and doesn't have many other hobbies or interests, that isn't very much at all. Especially when built over a period of years. That would basically mean spending $500 a month, which isn't a whole lot all things considered. I know people who spend triple that amount in one go at Lord & Taylor.

It's a whole lot if you are in college with a pile of loans eating nothing other then ramen (which is my situation) which is why i'm not spending 5k a year on dresses, but to someone with a job and not many expenses that's really do-able.

>>6932003
Uhm, not all brand dresses are that price. Most I used to own were bought second-hand (most in mint condition or NWOT) and the most I've ever paid was like 250. Averaging at $200. If you have steady, decent income 20 thousand over three~five years is not too much to spend on a hobby.

Honestly, this thread is made from bitterness.

>100 brand dresses
I would love to see that wardrobe.

Those wardrobe posts with "image heavy" text line tricked me to click in and look at that shit loads of crappy "off brand" pieces that are hardy lolita. I rather see a smaller wardrobe with higher quality pieces.

>>6932003
My dresses cost from $60-$250 on average. Even if someone had a lot of rare pieces, if they have that many dresses then you can assume they have lots of cheaper dresses as well.

>>6932042
Personally it's not only a hobby, but also an investment. If you want to quit wearing lolita you can sell everything without making a huge loss, sometimes even with profit if you're a smart shopper or have very rare items.

I've been into the fashion for 7 years and only have about 10 dresses. I always have to sell them when I buy a new one (have owned around 30 in total) as I'm a poor uni student. I can't wait to graduate and get a good job.

Been in the fashion 2 months now! Have 4 brand dresses :)

>>6931862

I don't even own that many things ;_;

I have over 100 brand pieces if you count the skirts.

There are some 'rare' expensive things in there and some dirt cheap things in there. I've been at it a while and I can wear it for my job which pays pretty well.

Don't think I'm trying to fill any kind of void but I have to agree with the OP in that the thrill has kind of worn off (although there are things I've missed and hunted out - getting hold of those is always nice).

If I did more regular sales I wouldn't have so many things but I'm lazy and wary of time-wasters

If we're counting skirts as well as OPs and JSKs then my wardrobe stands at 33 pieces (-5 if without skirts). However, only 8 of those are Japanese brands (-1 if you don't count skirts, -1 if you don't count MILK). I tend to buy a lot more Taobao/indie, but not because brand is particularly expensive (to be honest, I've spent the same, if not more on some indie dresses) but because I prefer the design of the indie pieces. When I have time over the summer I'm going to put so much energy into making my own lolita dresses!

I really think having a lot of brand pieces is not difficult. I managed to buy brand dresses when I was working part time. Of course I was fortunate enough at the time to not have worries like rent and car bills. Even now, I work 'full time' (technically I work 2 part time jobs but the hours add up to full time) and with bills and rent I still have enough disposible income to buy things I want. But at the same time, I'm quite a shy person so I don't go out much, which saves me money. I also work at a restaurant so depending on the shift I work, I get either my lunch or dinner for free.

i have 17 brand dresses and 7 skirts. i started just a little over a year ago. however, i dont buy secondhand and only brand so everything was bought new and direct. you can imagine how much it costed me, lol. i would have well over 100 main pieces if i wasnt so picky.

>>6932093
I agree with OP completely and I could spend just over $1000 a month on lolita if I chose to.

Actually, I'm worse than OP. I think the idea of someone owning over fifty brand dresses is fucking disgusting, especially if it's in less than a couple of years. There's just something sick about the idea of someone spending that much on clothes given how many people can't even afford food.

>>6932839
Yes, because if someone doesn't buy a dress then all poverty magically goes away.

Not a lolita, but the number of you who don't see how this is crazy kind of verifies my observation that lolitas don't really live in the real world.

I'm not judging. It's your money, spend it however the fuck you want. If I combined my vidya and anime merchandise, I've spent well over 50k on it over the years, so I'm not in any place to look down on you guys. However, I acknowledge that is an insane amount of money and understand why some people would find that absolutely insane. The fact you guys aren't getting it baffles me.

>>6932859
Obviously, no. However, half of a 50 dress wardrobe could feed a small family for a year, assuming it was all brand.

I've owned around 50 different main pieces of lolita over 3 years. But now that I'm finding my style I've started narrowing down my closet to my favorites and easier to coordinate ones. I'm hoping to get down to 15 or 20 at most.

The one thing I don't get is how you can manage to have 100 and wear them all at least once. Maybe lifestylers can, but I can't wrap my head around having 100+ dresses around me to wear.

>tfw been a lolita for 3 years, owning one brand skirt and reading this thread

I could afford more if I wanted to but don't you feel bad about spending so much on clothing?

>>6932859
This.

I think I have around 40 brand pieces, and then there's my purse/headdress/etc collection, which is maybe 20 brand items, and about 10 brand blouses. I don't have a car, because I live really close to my workplace and just take the train if I want to visit family upstate (so that's $20k I didn't spend right there). I have six digits in the bank in savings because I'm a scientist with a masters, and I've been working for four years, saving very carefully til I could afford my own place to live. I plan to expand my lolita wardrobe, but don't usually spend more than $200 a month.
When I was a teenager, I used to save my money really carefully, so I guess it doesn't phase me that some girls have 100+ dresses. Everyone spends their money on different things. Some of you guys need to relax.

>>6932839
Then you probably should leave lolita alone. It is not an expensive hobby if you compare to other Japanese hobbies like figures and bjd. I just don't see how you would get disgusted from seeing another person with 50 brand dresses.

Maybe you should stop buying clothes and save up for your philanthropic deeds.

>>6932876
>lolita since 2007
>owned total of ten brand main pieces
>started rebuilding wardrobe at beginning of year
>up to three band dresses
>feel seriously guilty for having spent 1500USD on clothes in the span of six months

I almost envy people who can spend that much on brand without feeling like shit after. I just got the call this morning that I got the job I applied for and after reading this thread, I'm making a personal rule not to exceed 500USD a month on lolita no matter how tempting it might be.

>>6931943
If your buying extra closets to house all your hundreds of brand, I think you need to look at your life and reevaluate it, sweetie

>>6932895
>implying if you're not comfortable spending a grand a month on lolita you shouldn't bother being one
>can't understand why owning tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of designer clothing would be disgusting to some people

Wow.

>>6932904
Freestanding closets are, like $30, dude. It's not that big of a deal.

I don't have a ton of pieces, but I do keep investing in more if for no other reason than to not be *that* girl. You know who I'm talking about. Every comm has one. She's the one who's usually plus sized and has been wearing the same tired looking Bodyline or replica outfit since the first meet up.

>>6932928
>mostly doing it out of caring what people think
Reevaluate yourself

>>6932876
I don't feel bad at all. I work hard for my money. I have enough to cover my rent, bills and put some money into savings for a rainy day. I don't buy lolita every month, but if I see something I like then I'm more than comfortable dropping the money for it, since I earned it.

>>6932903
Even on a $500 monthly budget, you could build up a pretty decent brand wardrobe within a year. You've spent $250 a month for 6 months, so with $500 you could another 20-25 dresses.

>>6932915
Why should they care if people find it disgusting? Do you even know what hobby we are talking about? If any of the girls gave a shit what people think, they wouldn't be in an obscure fashion. Also, you're an idiot for using >implying. Just get the fuck out, you poor miserable peasant.

>>6932839
>>6932915

>many people can't even afford food

Are you one of them?

>>6933025
I think I'll probably end up with another ten max by the end of the year with that budget just because I'm trying to cross all my dream dresses off the list before I focus on any others. Most of them I can expect to pay retail for, give or take, but there's some on my list that I should expect to pay 500USD minimum. Still, over ten brand dresses in one year is pretty good.

>>6933227
Good luck finding your dream dresses!

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>>6931860 (OP)
None of my beeswax what people choose to do with their expendable income, and it shouldn't be any of your beeswax either.

They can burn all their money if they so feel inclined.

>>6933307
I didn't realize how much I needed a reaction image like this in my life until I knew it existed.

>>6932864
Nah, i get its insane and i imagine that a few others feel the same way. I don't even have the big wardrobes of other people, i just can't justify buying or storing all of the dresses that id like.

>>6932864
They might, but as far as I know, lots of people have disposable income they spend on a hobby. I have friends who buy guitars and amps at the same regularity I buy dresses. It's not insane, it's just what middle-class do. Other girls might be splurging on Coach once in a while. You could be spending it on a gold-plated dildo for all I care. This kind of spending might be pretty luxurious, but it's nothing compared to what real rich people spend.

The price of lolita alone is all the reason why I chose cosplay as my hobby when it came down to having to pick one or the other.

Do you guys own dresses/skirts that you don't fit into but still keep for sentimental value and hopes that you'll someday fit into it again?

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>>6933097
did you just call someone a peasent

If you're upset over how much people spend on lolita, I recommend you NEVER go browse over on Purse Forum
>mfw bitches buying multiple LV, Chanel, or Hermes bags a month
Why not me?

>>6933493
>implying cosplay is a cheap hobby

>>6933815
Don't forget they're implying they can get as much use and value out of cosplay. Cosplay can only been used at conventions (fancy dress parties may be a bit of a nono as it can get ruined) and you can't get anywhere near of a high resale value. With lolita if you buy secondhand or sale items you tend to get most of your money back, unless it's a ridiculously popular item so buying brand new doesn't matter.

>>6933806
youre not making 15-20k a month, sorry hun.

>>6933493
It can be a little cheaper per-costume. But unless you are using costume pieces various times throughout different costumes, you're kind of just pouring money into something and wearing it a few times before moving onto the next costume. At least with Lolita, when you invest in it, you can wear your pieces many times in many different ways, thus getting your money, time and investment's worth. Plus it sells easily.

>>6933493
If you seriously think cosplay is either cheaper or a better value- short or long term- then you must be a really shitty or at least boring cosplayer.

>>6933815
>>6934324

This.

I enjoy cosplaying. Definately not a cheap hobby. I do think lolita would be more worthwhile to spend my money on.

It makes me think that person has a real job and a cool hobby.

As someone who wears lolita almost every single day not owning more than 20 pieces would be crippling to my options when getting dressed. But I am entertained by your theory.

tldr: different people

I really think it depends where you are in your life or your career that makes it excessive or not. If you are a student struggling to pay back loans and barely getting by month to month it might be. Though, if you're mid to late twenties and have a decent career a nice closet really isn't too surprising. I'm nearing 6 figures and live in an area where cost of living is pretty low. No pesky kids either. I can easily nab 2-3 used pieces a month and not sweat it. What's the point of all my stress, ladder climbing and ass kissing in corporate America if I can't get some dumb Japanese dresses every month and have a nice closet in my house.

As some above cited, purse and shoe people are way worse. I've ran into some women in my career who spend more on shoes, bags, and clothes in a month than all my expenses combined. My boss has a shoe closet built in her house. I can't even...

I have about ~15 pieces from the past year after I did my first coop (paid internship for school credit). I can honestly say I've spent a hell of a lot more on other hobbies like painting and model building. I think the reason why lolita looks like a pricey hobby is because you spend $100-300 on a dress, instantly. But I've spent $70 on just 5 watercolor brushes and more than that on makeup sets/brushes, and over time that adds up very quickly. I think the only reason I could think of that owning so many dresses would be strange is the lack of room to put them. I stopped buying lolita after I hit 25 dresses because in all honesty, I didn't think it would be fair to take up any of the shared space I have with my best friend and boyfriend. Sure, our coat closet has room, but should I put it there? No. I have to sell some pieces now because my wardrobe is starting to eat up space on my boyfriend's side of the closet.

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I'm one of those people with 50+ brand items. My first dress was handmade (more than 10 years ago) and I didn't get my hands on brand for a few years after that. It was exciting and I still look forward to new items, but for me the fun isn't just about accumulating material but more about the memories I make with my friends in the clothes we wear. When I focus on that (not the volume of stuff coming in) it never becomes less magical.

Storage is definitely a concern. My guestroom closet is pretty much all lolita peppered with a few pieces of formal wear. I don't think I could comfortably hold more than 70 dresses and skirts without unloading some stuff or having it invade my regular closet.

It used to be one of my goals to get a piece from every major brand but I ended up not liking anything from Meta and Baby and sold off those items. I've gotten a better sense of my taste and am at the point where I only buy off a shopping list (I bought a bunch of junk because it was a "great price.") I'm trying to be more deliberate about curating my collection. I don't need it to be all classic or all one color group but I want everything I own to fit, flatter, and be pleasing to me. If you looked at my wardrobe you'd probably think it's all over the place but I love everything I have and feel like each piece is a reflection of an aspect of my personality or taste.

I am willing to entertain the idea that I have a bit of "gotta catch'em all" mentality because I enjoy setting a goal and achieving it but after a certain point I stopped sharing my wardrobe on EGL because it doesn't matter to me what other people think about my closet, and last time I did it I wasn't comfortable with the amount of attention I got. OP you might be right about some collectors being empty but that could be said of anyone who throws herself into a hobby. I don't think being empty is bad. Leaves room for new opportunities and experiences.

>>6935937

Yeah, this. My mom told me once I started working, to expect to pay 1000 at least for a new work wardrobe. I don't know about you guys, but I think that's a little extreme.

In any case, she pays all my "professional clothes" (professional in quotes because I'm still not working even if I have to dress nicely) bill for now, so I'm not complaining.

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ITT: butthurt
I would LOVE to wear Lolita everyday. And I admire girls with 50+ brand dresses, it gives me something to look forward to. I've been into Lolita for about 2 years now and I have 2 Innocent World pieces and 2 replicas. Just in the last few months I bought a piece a month, and all my items I get on sale. In a good year I make 30k and I have frittered 4 years salary away on take-out and raves, so I fail to see how investing in a fashion I love is insane or disgusting. Also ever since I've started researching Lolita my quality of life has increased greatly. I eat less fast food, do less drugs and I've found new hobbies to fill the time I could be wasting money on going out.
People who get this mad over Lolita should see what /fa spends on thier wardrobes. My favorite non-loli brand is Rick Owens. I could own 5 dresses for the price of one out of season jacket.

>>6940527

I really agree with you. It's something I aspire to as well, or at least have 10-20 good brand dresses that I can wear for my enjoyment. It's not like people don't spend a lot on other wardrobe items that they don't wear often, and I mean, I've seen people spend rather frivolously on things they probably can't wear practically every day (e.g. a friend introduced me to Ted Baker and showed me a pair of 99 pound shorts she wanted. 99 pounds. For floral shorts. Albeit nice ones).

Sure, I get jealous of people with 100+ brand wardrobes, but in a good way I guess, as a motivator to try to achieve that someday.

And now back to studying....

>>6940342
It's actually not that extreme, depending on how you wish to present yourself and how much variety you want in your work wardrobe, as well as how much crossover there is between your work wear and normal wear. I think buying new, a couple of pairs of decent, comfortable shoes, a well fitted blazer, 2-3 pairs of pants/skirts and 7-10 tops could well set you back that much, and it's likely you'll get sick of that minimal variety and want more items.

>>6940342
I am so not looking forward to buying a new wardrobe when I graduate law school.

>>6940959
Just make sure you have one really good, comfortable suit set and decent looking shoes - you can buy everything else once you get a job

>>6933740
half my closet are dresses I bought when I was 16 and then my boobs grew and now they don't fit anymore ;_; fuck you AP velvet dresses

I've been a lolita for four years now, and I own about 11 main pieces, 9 brand. I started building my wardrobe when I was 15, I'm 18 now. The majority of my dresses I bought when I was 15-17 and making $150 a month from my shitty part-time job, I've only bought two dresses the last year since turning 18 and getting a real job. Building your wardrobe isn't that hard even when on a really tight budget, besides dresses I also managed to buy lots of shoes and blouses and accessories and shit. As long as you look for bargains you can get really cheap stuff, I've gotten popular Alice and the Pirates print OPs for $150 and Moitie print skirts for less than $100. You just gotta know where to look.