Confession: I Constantly Break Lolita Rules, And I Love It.

I was checking the Lolita blogs this morning and saw this post by Part Time Lolita about all of the "rules of Lolita" that she constantly breaks. To some people, especially beginner Lolitas, the fashion can be very intimidating because it seems to have a lot of strict rules that must be followed. But, really, the rules aren't so much chiseled in stone as they are there to both try to define the style and to help beginners. I'm not really going to go into length about these rules, because I have done so before, because what I really want to do is make a list of all the "rules" that I can't help but break, even if some of them are rules that are pretty much considered Okay now.

• I wear fishnets with Lolita. Not huge weave neon fishnets or anything like that, but a small weave black fishnet. It's not something I would ever wear to a meetup or anything, but I do wear it, especially with h.NAOTO filled coordinates or Gothic Lolita.
• I love leopard print. Thank you Meta for releasing some stuff in leopard print and making leopard officially Okay! Before Meta did it it was kind of an iffy thing that the few times it had been attempted it looked way too Rockabilly. Up until Meta did it, leopard print was considered a no-no in the Lolita world.

Peg Bundy approves!

• I like sheer materials. A rule that is okay to break now, but it used to be so taboo to wear a sheer blouse. I, personally, love sheer blouses with Lolita.
  
• I never paint my nails or wear fake nails. So many Lolita's have fake nails that match their outfits perfectly, but I can't even stand to paint my nails. It's just too much of a hassle for me to keep them touched up. Besides that, I do a lot of crafts that often chip my nails and would make detail work nearly impossible if I was wearing fake nails.
• I wear too much black eyeshadow. I can't help it sometimes, I just start putting it on and the Goth in my can't stop, and the next thing I know I have panda eyes.
  

Not this much eyeshadow, but close!
Image is a still from a Smashing Pumpkins video.

• I swear all the fucking time. As if the name of this blog wasn't a big clue :P
  
• I like shiny fabrics. Not necessarily satin unless it's a really thick and nice satin, but I really love Lolita pieces made out of brocade, taffeta, or even a nice PVC. I don't actually break this rule because I really don't have any Lolita pieces in these materials, but if I could get my hands on something I liked in them, I would wear it all the time.
• I don't always wear blouses under JSKs. Blouses sometimes feel too stuffy for me so I usually skip them and just wear a cardigan or a bolero.
  

Shiny fabric done right is gorgeous.

• I don't always wear a petticoat. Okay, so this is another rule I break but wouldn't consider breaking somewhere like a meetup. But on lazy days I usually wear an empire waisted JSK with no petticoat.
• I don't always wear socks or something on my legs for that matter. Again, a rule I break but wouldn't break at a meetup. But if I just have to go to the store or something and it's really nice out, why bother dirtying up a pair of socks? I'd rather just slip on some flats and go out bare-legged. My Metamorphose Marine print JSK is my favorite dress to break this rule in. It's just so beachy and the perfect summer dress to wear without any socks or tights!
  

So, my fellow rufflebutts, what rules do you break? What rules do you wish were done away with? Which ones do you think that should never in a million years be broken? Either leave me a comment with your answer, or better yet, make a blog post of your own.