Lolita underthings

With Lolita, the most important things are those that cannot be seen. I am, of course, talking about underthings. As an essential part of our clothes, they make us feel comfortable and - in the case of petticoats - shape our dresses and skirts to that lovely bell shape.
I suppose the most common underthings for Lolita is a petticoat and drawers, but this is by no means the only underthings there are! If you are like me, you don't want too much elastics and waistlines to press against your stomach - so wearing drawers, skirt and petticoat would be really uncomfortable. But! They are necessary. So what to do?

There are much inspiration to be found in 19th century fashion (if we chose to ignore the tightlacing of corsets) which will help us. One example is the camiknicker (also known by the more modern word 'teddy' or 'bodysuit' or sometimes called 'Combination' when talking about historical clothes). It is - for us - a camisole with the drawers attached to it as a single garment. Modern versions have elastic by the waist, but there is no reason to have it for us since we don't wear it to be sexy. It is a very pretty, luxurious garment if done right, and can be richly decorated with lace and embroidery.

(An old photograph of a lady wearing a camiknicker with richly decorated drawers combined with a camisole.)

Then there is, of course, the slip dress. Although I am not very fond of the word (I prefer to call it 'under dress'), the slip dress is perfect for many dresses and a good alternative to the standard petticoat. For some dresses - such as most empire cut baby doll dresses - I actually recommend wearing a slip dress to! A slip dress is quite simply this - a dress (usually white) to wear underneath your usual dress. To protect the skin, and to protect the dress should you sweat.
A slip dress is very similar to the camiknicker, with the exception that instead of drawers, you have a petticoat attached instead. The slip dress can range from a simple, plain dress to a very elaborate one with an actual layered skirt - just keep in mind if you layer your skirt that the shoulder straps are not too thin, or the pressure on your shoulders will be uncomfortable.
I, myself, prefer a slip dress that have small sleeves rather than shoulder straps, with a buttoned up front. The buttons must be small and flat, else you risk them being visible when you wear your dress over it.

Lastly, there is the camisole and bloomers/drawers combination, where the two are separate garments. Wearing nothing but a bra underneath a dress or blouse and skirt ensemble is not recommended, especially not if you risk sweating on a hot day. The camisoles can be very pretty - ranging from an actual camisole with shoulder straps and embroidered front, to a small, plain blouse with buttoned up front (keep in mind to make the sleeves snug or they will make your actual blouse look bumpy at the sleeves). Drawers and bloomers can be any variation of decoration, just as long as you're careful so they won't peek out beneath the skirt.
The difference between bloomers and drawers is that bloomers are the shorter version, while drawers can range anywhere from just above the knee down to your ankles.
Bloomers must be worn with caution, since they are in the danger zone for Lolita - they reveal too much skin. Sometimes, though, it may be necessary to wear bloomers - for a baby doll empire dress for example - but be careful! Drawers are usually more comfortable as well, and don't ride up like bloomers tend to do. I recommend only wearing bloomers with pantyhoses (not the transparent kind!!), since even if you wear over-the-knee socks it's very risque.
Please keep in mind that 'cute' isn't a synonyme to 'Lolita'. Bloomers may be very cute, but they are to be used with great care in combination with Lolita.

Well, that's it for me today. :) I hope it inspired you!