That Time Simplicity 'STOLE' Designs & I Was Asked To Be A Cult Leader 

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Oh I have beef with beep boop sewing pattern brand as well, thier old influencer campaign prior to the cult leader thing was they would send you a pattern, and if you did not complete the project within two weeks you would have to pay for said pattern, you were also not comped for the materials, so you had to spend your own money to create content for them.

this video feels like friends sitting around a tea table, talking about the biggest drama at school

Any person who makes dress patterns can make a loita dress pattern, just from looking at any dress. There is nothing surprising about the pattern. And if you think about it; lolita is based on historical clothing. So absolutely NOTHING new AT ALL in the pattern of lolita dresses. Making patterns is a separate art from sewing, but if you can make patterns than lolita is a 1 star difficulty only.

Something I also feel important to add about the second company: cults are real, they aren't just in horror books and movies. Cults truly exist and harm so, so many people in real life. Having a advertisment campaign centered around kawaii cult leaders feels really disrespectful considering the real life victims of cults. This is no hate against lors video, it was amazing as always, but I'm kind of bummed that this point wasn't mentioned

I've sewn lolita by taking vintage patterns and altering them but not every one is at the skill level that they can do that. I know that France has some of the strictest laws protecting fashion designers but even then most protections are for logos, prints and design elements-- not patterns.

I had my rosettes for sale with Lolita Collective at that Rufflecon, and one was purchased by a Simplicity rep at the con so I can only assume they used it for the pattern. But, I didn't invent rosettes (or even the specific technique I use to make them) and was also not the only indie brand selling rosette style brooches at the con, so I always felt extra weird about the drama. I was sad about it, but honestly more sad that they did Vierge Vampur so dirty. I think if it had just been western indie brands, it might have not been as big of a scandal, but for them to do this to a Japanese indie brand, who I believe was a guest brand that year, was really seen as bad for the future of the convention getting indie brand participation from overseas. I personally would have been so grateful to be offered the chance to collab with Simplicity that I also feel really disappointed that wasn't how things went down. I recently did a panel at a con teaching people how to make rosettes, and I'm thinking of offering some kind of little virtual workshop if there's interest for it. (This is Jordana from Mossbadger btw.)

I was gifted the simplicity pattern and can confirm it’s super basic and could literally be drafted by looking at a handful of dresses. It’s just 6 pieces, princess seam bodice, straps, shirring panel, and a rectangle skirt. Like most sun dresses could be made from the same pattern it’s so basic. The bows are small and square, the bustle part is only a partial piece, but as a starting point for basic alterations or simple main stays it’s pretty useful. I also have that McCalls pattern, almost the same as the 8444 pattern, slightly different shape to the sleeves and the weird dickie/op combo that should have been one piece… I was supposed to go to ruffle con that year and even had a ticket but couldn’t make it, real shame though!

Hey I make patterns here and there honestly most lolita dresses are not that difficult, it's all the detail and ruffles and lace and ruching. You almost can't steal patterns, like even legally you literally can't copy clothing designs really. A brand or logo yes but a specific design no. Like legally you wouldn't win a court case even if someone copied 99.5% of a design.

I had bought an ouji pattern from *that last company * and it actually doesn’t look anything like the drawing once it’s made. (Edit to explain: the shorts are shown as pumpkin pants but the pattern piece is almost knee length, and the vest is shown as a fitted waistcoat but is more like a construction worker’s vest) I had to make my own patterns, which is fine. If I can ever get time to make a tutorial, I’ll release them 😂

The image you used for "being paid in exposure" was chef's kiss

I have used 1950s & 1960s Simplicity costume patterns; and the supposed stolen patterns look like they were modified from Simplicity costume patterns of the mid twentieth century.

as someone who went to fashion school and learnt pattermaking, a lot of people who are new to sewing seem to very much overestimate the difficulity of pattern drafting and making. the closet historian has a VERY GOOD patterning basics video i reccomend to anyone interested in sewing lolita fashion! once you understand the fundementals of sewing and garment making, the idea of sewing a lolita dress becomes way less intimidating! and this is also a more plus size friendly option than trying to tweak commercial patterns! you get to adjust your clothing to *your body* and *your measurements*

Lor I need to emphasize that the Simplicity is a company that intends to makes money. And they follow the model that the fashion world. And everyone that was against Simplicity either has no idea or forgot that the fashion world is built upon copying designs or is not aware of Simplicity's business model. Shaming people for using the simplicity pattern is messed up and even bullying. I will admit that I use the patterns and I am not afraid to admit that because I can't pattern. I'm also in the boat that I never got to go to Rufflecon, and it sucks.

Guest relations at RuffleCon, can confirm open modelling call. RuffleCon upper management made some... uh... interesting choices about model perks (which I'm not happy about, especially how they treated Puvithel in the last year, when she was a new brand) so most years we really had to scramble for models, and sometimes had the musical talent model. Also a lot of snafus with dressing rooms and the difference between experienced theater people (who will change in front of everyone) versus first-timers who felt shy, etc. It was all a huge mess. I adore how tactful Lor is to all sides of an issue, but I could definitely start an entire tea channel with the many issues of RuffleCon, lol.

I loved the way she turned to the camera to look at us when her lil clown doll thing started playing music lmao, I could feel the "you seeing this shit??" energy looool

We love a sarah spaceman shout out.

This is giving me flashbacks to the time someone tried to get me kicked out of a Facebook group for "copying brand" for using the Otome no Sewing book 13 cover pattern to make a plaid JSK with heart pockets. I guess there is some Angelic Pretty dress from the early 2000s that is very similar tthat I didn't even know existed until someone accused me of "stealing" it. And also jumping to the conclusion that it couldn't have been an original because I'm larger than AP early 2000s sizing which is it's own problem. Long story short it's a beautiful dress that now only gets worn around people I know in situations where I won't be photographed because having to prove to strangers on the internet that I was using a properly licensed pattern from a purchased copy of Otome no Sewing (as opposed to a scan) and wasn't aware of the 15 or 16 year old dress that was similar was such a hassle.

Just so you know, HeyCutSew DIDN'T delete their socials, I suspect they just blocked you 😬

I confess I bought the Simplicity lolita pattern. I am not good at flat patterning and I always need a jump point, which is normally a commercial pattern, making the Simplicity pattern a great start for me and possibly for other seamstresses. Concerning *that pattern company* I have bought a few patterns before their fail of a marketing strategy and really I don't think it was only that marketing strategy that hurt them. Their patterns are not great. Every pattern I have bought I have had to make HEAVY modifications to make any of the items fit with following the recommended sizing in any pattern. From hats to shorts every pattern I got needed to be redone and modified for any possible proper fit to be achieved.

Besides the wording of cult that last offer didn’t sound to bad specially when they wanted to make sure you all were comfortable but then I heard words like they wanted you to “audition” to be a leader and you not getting paied and I’m like “nope throw it away” lol. If I’ve learned from any youtuber talking about the crummy sponsorship deals they’ve gotten it’s the brand literally need you to sell their products so don’t ever make something for them if your not for sure going to the deal with them because they can lie and say you just weren’t chosen and then just take what you gave them and get away with it

Simplicity 8444 was my introduction to lolita sewing. It was not perfect, but it was an ok base to start with. (I still use the skirt piece for this reason). Once I was able to get a few brand dresses and study them, I could see where the pattern was a bit off in some aspects. It honestly helped me break down the JSK shape and recognize those shapes in other patterns.

As I understand it, simplicity 8443 and 8444 are now out of print. I haven't seen them in recent pattern catalogs at fabric stores, either.* Edit: I was looking at McCall's last time I was at Joann, not Simplicity. My bad! Thanks for correcting me.

“We have no money, but we’ll pay you in exposure.”😑 That screamed scam to me and an elaborate one at that. It’s not surprising that it went downhill so fast.

I'm glad this video exists now because I see newbie or just misinformed people saying that pattern (8444) is stolen and now I have somewhere to direct them when I see that said. I have been a primarily a sewing lolita for 15 years now and I was around when this drama was going on and I constantly have to tell people that this pattern is ok still. It's one of the most accessible patterns for a new-to-lolita person to get started with. It isn't perfect pattern by any means but it's something and that's a lot compared to 15 years ago.😏

I’ve had some patterns from that indie company on my wishlist for quite some time. I had no idea about the whole promotional cults thing! There is a serious dearth of reviews about their patterns, unfortunately. I do know, however, that at least some (if not all) of their product photos are sewn and modeled by their representatives, so it’s possible that the rep wasn’t entirely informed about lolita fashion if that’s the case.

man as someone who was on rufflecon staff 2015-2017 this brings back memories. this was really devastating to staff and the community's reaction was not cool.

The fashion industry do not need to buy something and take it apart to make a pattern. A cupcake skirt is just a gathered skirt, you could hem it with lace, with ruffles, with flowers, with fringes, with ribbon, with scaloped fabric, with chains, with zippers, with eylets, with feathers and all of it has been done 250 milion times before... there are no new sleeves or dress bodices for over 200 years.... mix and match patterns of bodices, skirts and sleeves and you can make any dress...

Otome no sewing books are easily available from Kinokuniya if you are in the US and if you have a basic sense of sewing/using paper patterns they really aren't that hard to use. Esp with Google translate being built into phones. The GLB patterns are a little tougher. But if you don't want to touch Simplicity patterns for whatever reasons I can definitely recommend looking at Japanese sewing books. I got a blouse pattern from Kinokuniya as well that I love

I really wanted to try the last indie brand you talked about, but they were so slow to be size inclusive and getting to the size charts is unnecessary long for them to still be not that size inclusive. I gave up on them which is sad because they have some cute patterns. It's also a bit annoying that they are charging the same price for a digital pattern as they are for a physical one, usually it's less since you are printing and assembling the pattern yourself.

Bestie i think the brand that must not be named blocked you- cause the remnants are still there on their tiktok, website and insta 😢

No offence to the small designers presented, but these designs are clearly influenced by Japanese brands first. I made a bear headpiece just like that all the way back in 2009... It is WAYYY more likely that Simplicity saw people interested in the fashion in the con, and sent their draft makers to re-design this clothes and items from images, similar to how they do many other designs. The fact people think there is a need to purchase an item at a Con to dismantle it for a pattern is funny to me. If you have the knowledge to sew, draft and design, you don't need anything other than a picture or to take a look. and these designs are EASY. Also, they could have more easily order an item online... Plus - the pattern designer is clearly stated and she's named Andrea Schewe. She has a website and she designs costumes. So this whole part just feels like Drama and a commercial to people who felt that it was similar to their products and were concerned. No meat on this bone. But I love you Lor, Keep it up cuz I love your channel!

Simplicity's patterns are taken form Japanese patterns, I have a paperback book of Lolita patterns ( it might have even been a supplemental magazine) from 2014, a friend got it for me. The patterns from Simplicity look like some one took a few basic patterns then modified them to be more trendy. None of those patterns are original or replicas of a brand, they are just basics. If you have any sewing skills for pattern making skills you can customize no issue. Also If you sell Fabric on any platform you have no control over who or how your Fabric is used. I have bought a few bolts of fabric that was originally a spoonflower design but was misprinted and found its way to the discount fabric store by me that buys odd lots. (LA's Garment distract is full of shops that do that and commercial sewers buy there all the time.)

Andrea Schewe, the pattern designer, still has her blog entry up about making the simplicity dress pattern too. She was one of their long time costume pattern designers who specialized in making close-but-not-exact character costume replicas. Looking at pre-existing items and making copies was pretty much the norm for the costume patterns. And given this was in their costume catagory im not shocked the thought they might be offending/seen as stealing from lolita designers didnt cross their mind. There are some comments on andreas wa-lolita design entry with lolitas critiquing her design where she fully admits she doesnt know much about how the fashion works.

I am VERY familiar with this brand (and a lot of the models lol, I was very 😯 when I saw the pictures lol) and I remember seeing these pitches all over tiktok. I know the pattern company currently has been on a sort of hiatus, they are burnt out as I believe it was only a one person or couple people run company. I have personally never bought them because I felt like they were not financially accessible and option wise was limited for cosplay- but at the time of its peak people used them a lot. I heard of a lot of fit issues tho sadly- especially with this campaign. They had sent a cosplayer a dress to model and it had been way too small, iirc they gave options on how to make do with it but communication was poor and the cosplayer had publicly dropped out. As well as many of my close friends who are plus sized saying they had to be heavily modified. Hearing the email was… very interesting? Very weirdly phrased( and as a pretty small alt company I can understand not having the finances to do more (one reason of the hiatus iirc was finances going down do to the pandemic and such) and I do think it had many good aspects and aspirations- I always hoped it could expand and work on things because they were accessible to a point and I hope they can get back on their feet in some way.

My mom made me one of my first dresses from the simplicity battery back when I was a baby Lolita, and it still holds up in quality! But I always felt a little bit ashamed. Thank you for clarifying!!

I feel like the ARG cult people definitely didn't fully reckon with how much work an ARG takes to pull off successfully, both in terms of the planning every little detail beforehand and the amount of work the folks involved, especially the people who would have to be „in character” on social media for weeks, would have to put in for *free*!! Maybe they did have it planned through and all of that, but from the mails you showed, it seems to me that they just thought that an ARG would be cool and didn't fully understand how to implement one or how to use it to successfully market their product

I'm a big fan of the indie brand's patterns personally! (But I'm also a bit biased because they essentially taught me how to sew and I'm very proud of what I've made with them! But I also use them for cosplay rather than personal or alt fashion projects.) That ad campaign could have definitely been handled better but it seemed like a good learning experience for everyone. It should also be noted that the brand is very small - one to two people right now part time I believe. And they do still have their socials! Everyone is definitely welcome to their opinions, just wanted to throw mine out there too 💕

Simplicity probably didn’t take the items apart but made a dupe on the bonnets because they do that with tv/movie costumes but the fabric is definitely a kinda theify thing as that’s not something that can just be duped

I saw it coming... it was going to be unpaid 🙄 when they start «I'm this and that blah blah We are hopig for blah blah». Blabbing and blabbing... it's ending with «no pennies». In contrast, legitimate offers go like that: «Greeting. We want this. We pay that. Should you be interested contact here» (5 lines at most). That kind of offers haven spreaded lika a plague. Ask any popular restaurant owner and they'll be able to name at least one «influencer» who has tried to eat there and pay with «exposure». Now, if so many people try it, it's because it must work... or there must be a rampant cheekiness face-hard-as-concrete epidemic going on. So to all the new graduates, junior graphic designers, aspiring social media managers, etc. make the world a favour and try NOT ever accept that kind of unpaid offers. Wait, I promise sooner or later you'll get a paid comission (just wait!).

I think it would do way more harm than good if patterns weren't allowed to be referenced or copied. Especially to individual artists/people who sew. Not fully defending Simplicity, just arguing against the concept of copyrighting sewing patterns.

Hi! I have a few of their patterns! Nothing from Kawaii Cult, but I have used their Moonrise Mod dress, circle skirt, wizard hat, longline duster coat, and playsuit patterns. I have more, I just haven’t tried them out yet. They generally are pretty easy to follow, I am by no means amazing at sewing, but I can get by and make decent garments. I had a few issues with understanding how pieces were supposed to go or the fitting of things, but overall, they are pretty good patterns especially for beginners that aren’t super familiar with sewing techniques or terminology. As for Kawaii Cult, I believe a lot of the issues stem from misrepresenting the communities it draws from, and the owner stated that this was actually the intention to make them “more accessible” to those outside of the community. I think they completely missed the mark by failing to acknowledge that there are many parts and intricacies to those fashions that can not be simply cut down and passed off as a part of that fashion community. The owner also didn’t really take any sort of accountability for it which was disappointing. They have recently come back to social media in much smaller scale, but I really really hope they can accept the feedback people have given since I know they have a great product to offer.

I coincidentally follow the person who modeled that second brand's lolita pattern on Instagram and have for a long time. He's an amazing cosplayer and is fantastic at modelling for cosplay photos, but he wasn't publicly into lolita fashion at the time and was probably directed to pose in unconventional ways by the brand? (This is just me speculating though!) I remember when that brand launched their "kawaii cult" campaign too. It seems like they put a lot of emphasis on their marketing photos without providing clear pictures of what the patterns actually looked like, which definitely did a disservice to said patterns.

I sew, and I almost never make any pattern exactly per instructions. I don't think any sewist does. You have to adjust for fit, if nothing else. But most also change things up for personal preference, materials to be used, experience level, and of course to add creative embellishments. Using a pattern is less like copying an artwork and more like using a recipe: you have to adjust as you go. No lolita who has made a dress using that pattern should feel at all guilty. I would even go so far as to say they shouldn't even feel guilty for buying from Simplicity either, even if Simplicity may have stolen the pattern, because of the market dominance Consew International Corp has. There's very few alternatives available most places, and even fewer of those are affordable.

Maybe I missed it but what does it mean to have "seen" simplicity buy these items. Who's simplicity? Was the owner there? A person from the booth??

I couldn’t afford Lolita from an actual brand so simplicity 8444 was my first Lolita dress lol I made dress A and then later made the blouse a and dress B My only issue with it is that the waist line hits kind of low but you can just tailor it to your needs honestly Good options for people who know how to sew and are broke af

This company's patterns are actually pretty supremely frustrating to work with. They aren't graded properly (so, changes between sizes aren't consistent or functional), the pieces aren't always trued (so, one side of a seam will be longer than the other), the fabric requirements are CRAZY (recommending bad materials for a project, asking you to buy WAY more fabric than you need), the instructions frequently have errors (I made a pair of shorts that just never told you when to sew the crotch seam up, so if I'd followed the instructions exactly they would have been open in the crotch)... the list goes on. They have great promotional materials and frustrating execution. Also poor order fulfillment. I REALLY gassed them up for a long time because I loved the idea of an indie pattern company supporting the alt fashion and cosplay community, but I just couldn't do it after a while.

I saw the kawaii cult promotion on tiktok and was interested in it, at the time I only really knew about lolita and Mori kei, nothing about larme, gyaru, and the other styles. They did not seem to be good representations of the fashion styles and as such people I saw making videos on tiktok didn't do well at capturing the feel of each style either, apart from fairy kei as most people who joined the fairy kei faction already wore that fashion and already understood it. I had no idea from the marketing that it was mainly intended to be hosted on Instagram, and I can't look how as their accounts are deleted. The concept seemed cool but the way they executed it seemed to fail at most stages.

Idk.. so I have a few of those Simplicity patterns. I also patterns from the EGL magazines. Some of these designs have been around since the early 2000s in Japanese fashion magazines and online as scans. You would have to be under a rock to not notice the Lolita Fashion Community to an extent. Simplicity tends to make patterns that reflect fashion or at the very least popular costumes(I know the fashion isn't a costume it's worth mentioning they make both), so I think they would have made something eventually. My main criticism of these patterns is how short they are, which is an easy fix, as well as some of the fabric/notion choices, again fixable. Something to note is that there are people that make their own patterns and sell PDFs of those over at etsy which are similar. It's interesting to hear the backstory though and I definitely think in the sewing part of the community have the right to know where those things come from.

As someone who sews in the community i agree that if someone put the work into making a dress they should be proud of that, it is sad that the controversy around the pattern is bringing that down

Simplicity isn't out here to get sued, and they put real constructed representations of their garments on the cover of most of their patterns available for sale. (I believe some might be illustrations, but that may be another brand that I'm thinking of.) Given that, I would expect them to have utilized the same legal theory behind their other patterns on the lolita pattern in question- do they typically credit or contact the makers of a fabric print? My gut feeling is that since they are not attempting to resell or copy the print itself and it is being used in an exemplary way (And also because Simplicity doesn't actually sell fabric, only patterns) it will be determined that there is no conflict of interest in using the fabric for this cover. Take out the specifics of the situation and reapply the context; If someone is selling a coloring book image, but the customer is expected to use their own pencils, is the seller of the color book responsible for contacting the company who makes the pencils they used to color in the cover image? They are not selling pencils and any media at all can be used with their product. The materials they chose to use may be of interest to the customer, but ultimately it has nothing to do with the seller of the coloring book image. Similarly, someone taking photographs for an interior design magazine doesn't have to ask the maker of a decorative vase if it's okay to use it in their photo- assuming the vase was acquired legally ofc. Once you obtain the product, you can utilize it in non competitive ways without fear of legal retribution. Selling a printed fabric is selling a product, and what people do with that product after you sell it to them is their business as long as they aren't reproducing it for their own sales. If a FABRIC company purchased, scanned, and then reprinted the same fabric it would ofc be stealing, because they are in the same line of business as the original seller and the product they're selling would be in direct competition with the original seller. I"m not a lawyer but from what little I do know, I don't think the maker of the macaron fabric would have much of a legal case against Simplicity. Of course, legality isn't everything and if this practice (which again, seems to be consistent across all of Simplicity's patterns as well as in other arenas of business not related to lolita, sewing, or fabrics) rubs consumers the wrong way, they're free not to purchase and to speak out against it. There's nothing illegal about putting your opinion out there, as long as it's only factual information. (Lying or making unsubstantiated claims can get you into trouble.) For me... the good being done by offering a pattern for dresses that often go for hundreds of dollars and are not always in accessible sizes vastly outweighs the potential issues with the pattern source. The accessory one is a whole other can of worms, one I don't have a good enough grasp on to comment towards, but it feels distinct from the printed fabric issue. At a glance, they purchased the accessories in order to create patterns from them; does that pattern count as "competitive" with the finished accessory? That's a much more dicey legal question, and one that probably depends heavily on how legally protected those small sellers were prior to Simplicity publishing their own pattern and if those small sellers ALSO sell patterns- many of whom may indeed.

I’ve used that unnamed company before and I will say that the more complex patterns don’t really look great without heavy modifications. For some reference I’ve competed and won master craftsmanship contests for cosplay so I know what I’m doing. That being said I think their more basic patterns are actually good starting points for projects.

Me- baby lolita lover who made her own modified version of 8444 sweating the whole time until its confirmed that they didnt steak the actual pattern like: 👁️👄👁️

I love the topic about the simplicity pattern. I actually own the 8444 pattern and I have always been iffy about using it because I had heard the rumors and I am so glad that you shed light on this because now I feel better about using it. Being plus-size makes it hard for me to find things especially blouses that fit so I thought about making my own and it was very easy to obtain the simplicity pattern and it's already in my native language. Your topics are always so interesting and relevant! Keep up the good work! 😄

I respect that you reached out hoping to negotiate some changes to make things more positive for the community in regards to that launch.

10:59 You secure copyright automatically by creating something with sufficient originality. The point of registering a copyright is to create a public record of your copyright, which would otherwise have to be established during the trial. Basically, it makes it easier to defend your copyright, but it's not necessary. It also requires a lot more upfront work, which may or may not have to be put to use. While registering could save time, energy, and resources in a potential trial, if no one ever violates the copyright, you've done a lot of upfront work preparing for a battle that never happened.

I only attended Rufflecon in 2014 but I remember there being a vendor who was selling for Angelic Pretty that year. Not old stuff but new stuff specifically because I had bought the Crystal Dream Carnival op set when I was there. If Rufflecon had simplicity that year I'm uncertain however.

I sew doll clothes and yeah lolita dresses tebd to be a standard top with a good princess seam and the skirt even in the lolitas diy who sew tends to just be a rectangle most issues come from the details like lace and colors though og or classic tends to use cotton laces example like btssb. Acessories thats trickier cause tose tend to be very detailed especially trendy ones like bear and bonnets its easier to figure out what inspired but when you pic very stylized bonnets especially if you go to a event with those vendors their your gonna get called out even if the pattern was drafted by a employee and not traced directly. Its just bad for bussiness. When a home sewer makes a dress inspired or identical to selkue they arent selling that because it is copied or highly identical to the inspo and it becomes for profit. So i defintely get the headwear bit for those two items.

Uggh. I bought a couple of these patterns at a convention thinking that I was supporting a small independent that was supporting lolita and other fan cultures. They probably ARE a small independent. They did not have the actual patterns on hand, so I paid for them and received in the mail a couple of weeks later. Alas, they were awful patterns. I don't even know if the designer had ever seen a good lolita dress, because the pattern was really disappointing.

As far as the simplicity thing goes, its really hard to draw a firm line for calling a pattern stolen. There are some small creators that have done the work to make really unique pieces, but aside from some edge cases, no one is really making "new" patterns for clothes, at most everyone is kind of building off of what came before and making alterations little by little. There's only so many ways to make a dress 🤷‍♀️

Love the little Bloopers at the end. Very interesting video, thank you again Lor!

I remember seeing that pattern in stores, had no idea it was stolen

As a person who sews own Lolita. Otome no sewing a google translate is great. The instructions are all in diagrams so barley any japense is needed.

How bad is it that I knew *exactly* what sewing pattern company you were talking about at the end lmao

90% of simplicity is "this popular thing as close as we can get to not be sued"

To answer your question about why simplicity didn't just collaborate with the independent lolita artists, collaborating with influencers and alternative fashion brands is a relatively new thing for them that I suspect has been in response to the bad publicity from incidents like this. I think this incident just happened before that was something they were doing, and maybe even before some of the mergers with McCall's and others. Also, everyone who sews has some kinda beef with the "Big 4" pattern companies that are now one huge conglomerate. Corporations aren't our friends. That said, I agree with you that some sewing lolitas feeling ashamed of the pattern source is a huge bummer. Imo, it shouldn't matter where individual lolitas sewing for themselves got the pattern from, whether it's from simplicity or from reverse engineering an AP dress.

I have a few of those OTOME, and somehow got ahold of one with intact pattern sheets! Still havent tried using it yet, but once i can translate it, i will be ontop of it!!!

Their Instagram still exists so they may have blocked you Lor! 😅

Thanks for the new video, still watching my 90s tv show on DVD. Disk 4 of season 4 can wait for now I guess.

Pattern making is not easy, especially when you are making them for retail. But this video was a fun roller-coaster!

I bought the 1300 pattern and freaked out when I saw it flashed on the screen. I am glad it wasn't the one that was stolen. I actually bought that pattern to alter it.

that clown music box is sooo cute though

from seeing the pattern illustration i immediately realised what company was trying to do the kawaii cult thing😭 i think the last time i checked their account they hadn’t posted in a long while. hope they’re doing well

It’s wild to me how easily people use the word, ‘cult.’ I’ve had a few friends who had been in cults and they’ve all at some point told me how gross it is when people casually call things cults. Cults are actually dangerous and ruin/end lives.

Honestly, all those fashion dresses by Simplicity that were shown here are totally inside the Lolita spectrum. After 30 years there are so many Lolita sub styles that it's nearly impossible to say 'this is not really Lolita' as long as there is a petticoat under the skirt and some kind of cuteness to design. Not to mention that historical designs were a major factor in developing the classical Lolita styles in the 90s, not to mention gothic fashion being the major style behind gothic Lolita outfits and Steampunk fashion behind Steampunk Lolita. Not everything is kawaii lolita, guys. And as as soon as Simplicity publishes the most imaginably generic Lolita dress patern everyone goes badonkaz plagiarism. Mana would totally cry in his grave if he were dead instead of still modelling his own designs like a goddess. (The fabric is another topic, but not the first and not the last time this happened in the professional fashion industry, rarely with any consequences). And honestly those bonnet and bear hat, while it's obvious how similar they are, there is by far not enough unique individuality in the design to ever win a case of plagiarism or 'theft of intellectual property', fashion design is not art and hence harder to claim intellectual property. The whole scene seems to have turned quite gatekeeping and toxic in north america and that makes me really sad tbh.

A lot of EGL follows the same silhouettes so it feels like you’re gonna fall down a rabbit hole of “well this person did it first” if you actually analyse it. Something about this whole situation feels really mean and elitist, like how dare some low budget pattern brand dare try to emulate our BURANDO. And it seems really spiteful towards different ways of wearing EGL or making your own just because it’s not brand, no matter how much actual hard effort it takes to even learn the basics of dress construction much less make your own

Oh wow! I LOVE your Gengars! But that long-tail Furby terrifies me 🙃

As far as the last pattern company goes, I have used some of their patterns, and I have mixed feelings... They are printed on really nice paper and the instructions are super beginner friendly, but they need lots of alterations. They run extremely large, even compared to how large sewing patterns from like, Simplicity/McCall's do. If you make the size they recommend, you end up needing to size it down by several inches more than you usually do with even modern patterns, and they don't provide the finished measurements of the garment that let you pick a better size right off the bat (which many other pattern companies do). Their older patterns seem to need less modifications than newer ones. Their size range for their newer patterns does go larger than a lot of pattern companies, which is great! One of the biggest problems when it comes to most sewing patterns is a lack of larger sizing! But since their sizing is inconsistent, it's hard to figure out what size you actually should be making. Most patterns of theirs I've tried run pretty large, and some run so large that their sizing guide is useless. (And you need a usable sizing guide to actually be size inclusive!) Examples of this (from my using the patterns) include: needing to scale down even their smallest size to properly fit someone who usually wears a 2X for one pattern, but making them a medium in another pattern that fits pretty well. And having even their smallest sizing run too large for someone who is normally a medium. Sizing and pattern adjustments can be hard for beginners, so this undoes a lot of the hard work they clearly put in to their instructions. Which are overall, pretty good, especially for beginners who might find traditional pattern instructions intimidating. In general if you have a bust size under about 35", none of their tight fitting patterns are going to work for you without some serious modification, to the point where you might as well just be making a new pattern. For some patterns, like a bunnysuit, modifications are totally normal, because those have to be really custom and there is no brand on earth that makes a pattern that will give you a perfectly fitted bunnysuit right out of the package. But even their patterns for fitted stretch garments need some serious modifications for smaller sizes, even ones that they say are within their size range. Their oversized patterns like the flight suit run a little truer to size, partly because with an oversized garment, a little extra isn't really all that noticeable. Their goal of making sewing cosplay and alternative styles more accessible to beginners is really cool, but there are also a lot of other indie pattern companies putting out patterns that I prefer. I like the styles they put out and I love their pattern art, but when there are so many other options available, now I really only turn to them for their accessory patterns or niche patterns like their kigurumi pattern when I'm feeling too lazy to draft them myself.

I know of that second pattern company. I have not bought that specific lolita pattern from them, but i have recent experience trying to make another one of their patterns (a waistcoat). It is definitely a pattern for absolute beginners to sewing, as I found myself going off instructions about halfway through in order for my vest to turn out more polished. It did a decent enough job but if you are a competent sewist, I recommend trying a different pattern.

Very interesting as always.😮 Throughly enjoy your content. As for little guy at the end... I think he was trying to warn you about that match😅...

i got the scent bird subscriptions and i picks room 1015, i’m exited i love perfume

This video got mentioned at a lolita sewing panel i went and all of us still went stan lovely lor

What a juicy title!!

I have a collection of otome no sewing magazines and have made a few items! They are a real amazing resource, especially for accessories! Maybe wouldn't recommend them for a first project tho, much easier to overcome the language barrier if you have a grasp on how basic bodice and skirt pieces usually fit together

from what I heard, they took apart an indie brand bonnet and took that apart to copy the design. Never heard about the fabric or AP things. It's actually illegal to copy designs to a T and very very very bad in moral and practice to do this. Simplicity should know better, Because I'm sure if it was the other way around they would be suing.

Those two fabrics are not the same, similar but not the same. Perhaps an older design from Espresso Bug that is no longer available? If you look closely where the macarons are, the diagonal stripe pattern is not present on the Simplicity dress.

I'm annoyed that simplicity now owns mccalls, because now there is no way to avoid them. All those collabs happened before simplicity brought mccalls.

" Each person representing each style will be thier own cult leader" *chokes on a green bean* WAT??

I love how you can talk about (lolita) drama without being a jerk... it can be done, cgl! Love your videos lor 😊

OHHHH, I ABSOLUTELY bought some of those patterns from this timestamp: 27:18. Stumbled across this brand right at the beginning of the lockdown, so March/April 2020. I thought the patterns were cute, so I bought a few to do as a home project and create "lolita inspired" dresses. BUT the patterns were really hard to follow, and the proportions of the pieces were really off. Like the straps to the bodice were almost 3 inches wide when finished, which felt overly chunky compared to how much of an empire waist the bodice was cut for. There were princess seams for shaping the bust, but the bodice was really short. The skirt was a tapered bell shape and not cupcake shaped. And the trim and ruffle they wanted you to add in make the seams so unnecessarily bulky. I ended up not finishing the dress because of all of these issues and I kept trying to alter it while making it. I would say, if you want to make your own lolita clothing, it would be better to get patterns based around historical fashion and just alter those from there to be in the proportions you want. OR go through the trouble of getting things translated from Japanese... Or even get the Simplicity/McCalls patterns, because I have followed those patterns (Simplicity 1300, the one referenced by the model describing it at timestamp 5:55) and they do make something that is cute and comfortable, and an alternative fashion outfit.

i love your coord!

This has nothing to do with the video subject, but I love the long Furby in the back!

Ooh I'm so early on a video! And before I even watch it, i remember this!

With experience you can copy any pattern you like or draft and make a new one just from looking at a picture of the garment on instagram you don't actually need to buy it to do that. I have done that with a lot of clothes that i liked but couldn't afford or weren't sustainably made. And most JSK patterns are like almost the same except maybe for the fabric print. I know that me making clothes for myself is completely different than a company making money that way. But I have also wondered if it is legal to copy for example an angelic pretty pattern and give it out for free since you probably won't be able to tell since people will use completely different fabrics and trims. For me the main design work of those brands has always been the prints and how they decorate their dresses. The sewing patterns alone are not unique to the brands at all.

the very end of the video was so funny LMAO

Oh Lordy I remember buying myself a couple patterns from that seconf brand a *while* ago. They were…. Interesting 😬 and never quite fit right. Good to know from the comments that the issue was less with my skills and more with their sizing 🤣😅

Wait they were UNPAID?? I saw it explode in real time when I followed the “Lolita” cult leader and yiikes

This was an amazing, in depth video! 🌈💓🌈💓🌈 And I cannot unsee Frankie Stien. 😂

But EGL fashion is a cult Lor lol 😂 these perfumes are cute 💚 and love this video. Thank you for bringing up the kawaii cult mishap 😅 and thank you for using Frankie 🤣💚💚

There's so much nuance to pattern drafting, Specifically to sizing; that make it almost impossible to recreate a pattern exactly. Simplicity may have purchased an angelic pretty dress, and made a pattern for that dress in the size the purchased, however, that does not mean if I bought the pattern and was an expert seamstress, and made it in my size, that it would fit me the same as an angelic pretty dress in my size, that the pattern was made off of. Infact I can just about guarantee you the two would fit drastically different. Simplicity patterns always have way too much ease in them, so major alterations would need to be made to fit correctly. But besides that. Even if the pattern was directly inspired by a dress from a major designer, the pattern would be simplified for the average dress sewest. Which would drastically change the end result.