How Long Will Take Me to Build a Complete Lolita Wardrobe?

​This week's topic for the Lolita Challenge is quite a handful, but one that many participants in this fashion ponder.

How long will take me to build a complete  wardrobe?

This prompt begs the question of what do I believe a complete lolita wardrobe contains? In the start of my lolita journey I would have considered a wardrobe with a few staple pieces so I would have some diversity when attending lolita meets and conventions. Now that I am a bit more seasoned, I would consider a complete lolita wardrobe to possess enough pieces so I would be able to wear lolita on a daily basis. The ability to have enough pieces to accommodate a full month without outfit repeats would be an absolute dream! A health mix of blouses, bloomers, skirts, dresses and accessories is an expensive  venture, but one that I am determined to complete.

In order to decipher a realistic answer, I will be using mathematics with my past rate and my anticipated rate to find a plausible, all be it possibly mortifying, answer!

My track record for lolita purchases is not exactly something I am proud of. Since I began wearing lolita,I obtain one large purchase piece a year, such as a dress or a skirt. I started to wear lolita when I was in college, so money was a rarity. Now that I have a full-time job however I do not believe this will pose as much of a problem. I am able to do large purchases a few times a year which is a treat!
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My wardrobe completion would consist of:

20 Dresses
10 Pairs of Shoes
15 Blouses
5 Skirts
5 Bloomers
3 Petticoats
3 Sweaters
2 Boleros
2 Coats

+ 50 accessories ( socks, headpieces, wrist cuffs etc )

What a list!

Now, let's associate values based on the estimated expense of the items.

+4
Coats
Dresses

+3
Blouses
Petticoats
Skirts

+2
Shoes
Boleros
Sweaters

+1
Bloomers
Accessories

I have estimated what I would spend on lolita items with my allotted allowance. I also factored in approximately how much of my allowance is used to the advancement of my other hobbies. With the weighed scale, this would amount to +20 points. I subtracted the items I currently own, too.

2 * 4 Coats
17 * 4 Dresses


13 * 3 Blouses
2 * 3 Petticoats
 5 * 3 Skirts


5 * 2 Shoes
2 * 2 Boleros
3 * 2 Sweaters


 5 * 1 Bloomers
40 * 1 Accessories

Coats = 8
Dresses = 68
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Blouses = 39
Petticoats = 6
Skirts = 15


Shoes = 10
Boleros = 4
Sweaters = 6


Bloomers = 5
Accessories = 40
______________________________
201

201 points divided by the 20 points per year gives me the plausible timeline of 10.5.

This approximation of 10 years, while somewhat daunting, is good to know. Obviously, there are variables that cannot be measured. These include gifts, tax returns, or the amount I spend on other hobbies were not factored and will help to lessen this time. Additionally, there are opportunities to get less expensive items through second-hand marketplaces. Still, this estimation is helpful!

How long did it take, or will it take for you to build a complete lolita wardrobe? Post your answer below!

​Stay frilly ~