It's not cos-pu-re!

While I'm not ashamed of wearing lolita and liking this fashion, I don't announce it to colleagues of my workplaces, past and present. They usually find out themselves when I go to lolita meets and I get tagged on photos on Facebook since I do friend a few of my colleagues on the social network. Since I don't do over the top sweet like Angelic Pretty and I'm quite the dress down lolita (hur), I haven't bothered to set my Facebook settings so that said colleagues can't see it when others tag me in their photos.

So, inevitably, I'll get the 'I didn't know you cosplay!' on the first Monday back to work after I've been to a lolita meet.

Naturally, I'll explain it's not cosplay, gothic lolita is a fashion from Japan yadda yadda and yet, there'll always be THAT one or two colleagues who will gleefully keep bringing this little gem up at inopportune times and blab, 'Don't you know, she cosplays!' in front of the boss or other departmental colleagues.

I've gotten more or used to it and usually just dead-panned back, 'Yes, I know you always wanted to wear my Sailormoon costume. I'll bring it tomorrow for you.'

But....LOLITA IS NOT COS-PU-RE! lol! Of course, to the layman, I can more or less see how gothic lolita is seen as cosplay. Plus it's so much easier to generalise than try to make an effort and remember how one is a fashion movement and the other is costume re-enactment based on Japanese anime and manga mostly. Furthermore, lolitas at cosplay conventions can be common so I can't really blame the general public for generalising both.

As said, I'm not embarrassed about wearing gothic lolita or even of cosplay since I did use to do and enjoy that latter hobby as well. It's the intent and intention behind those comments by these colleagues that are obviously meant to try and make me feel embarrassed about my fashion likes or hobbies in front of others which I greatly dislike.

If you're facing a similar situation at your workplace, I can only suggest to keep one's cool and retort back with a quib or two if colleagues are bugging you about being a lolita. Afterall, quarreling with people that you see more often than your own family can make the workplace a lot more awkward for yourself. And in the end, as it has been reiterated so many times before and probably will again in future times to come, it's still just a fashion!