I just finished reading the amazing novel Kamikaze Girls, by Novala Takemoto. It's the story of a teenager who has devoted her life to the artistic style Rococo, which involves wearing only the frilliest, laciest, poofiest dresses in Japan's "Lolita" style. When our heroine moves to a podunk town, her biggest conflict is how to get into Tokyo once a week by train so that she can visit her favorite fashion outlet, Baby the Stars Shine Bright. She also manages to befriend the toughest girl in a local biker gang, which makes the book not only sweet but action-packed.
Here's the good part for you lacy dress fans out there: Baby the Stars Shine Bright is a REAL store in Tokyo, and the dresses, skirts, blouses, bloomers and headdresses they have are the cutest girly fashion I have ever beheld (see my favorite confection at right). If I were a girly girl, I would definitely dress as a Lolita. The entire store website is written in Japanese, but there's enough English scattered about that you can easily browse the pictures (under "shopping") and start hyperventilating with glee over lace-and-ruffle madness. Plus, the jackets! Plaid with black velvet ribbon accents! Aieee!
Baby the Stars Shine Bright [store website]
