[angy]

I'm having difficulty describing exactly what I'm looking for, but maybe you can help.
I'm an American who loves cute things, which is why Japanese pop culture is so appealing to me. I'm a big fan of Nintendo and Sanrio. I use cute in the most literal sense of the word and am annoyed when Americans misuse it. For example, "What a cute outfit," when what they should be saying is "stylish," because a cute outfit is something a small child or doll would wear. Or, "So-and-so actor is cute," when they should be saying "handsome," because a cute boy is childlike. When most Americans say they want to look younger, they're talking about a 40-year-old woman trying to look 30. To me, it means a 15-year-old girl trying to look 9. In this way, I can relate to the pure kawaii-ness of Japan.
I'm having trouble finding the fashion subculture I seek. For example, I can easily identify goth clothes, and there are websites for talking to goths about goth stuff. But cuteness is more abstract. I kawaii, but I don't feel I'm Japanese enough for it because not one drop of my blood is Asian. Another problem is there are several different movements, and I don't wish to commit myself to just one thing. For example, I really like gothloli and sweetloli, and I can appreciate decora (even though I know I could never pull it off). Loli is probably the CLOSEST thing, but I know there are some strict rules. While it'd be fun to wear sometimes, I wouldn't want to be Lolita (or anything else) ALL THE TIME, and I want to make this type of cute fashion my own. I just define it as kawaii because I feel this term is more specific to my need - cute as in youthful and doll-ish, not just fashionable.
I guess my question is, what fashion suits me best? I want to be able to talk to others like me for tips.
Sorry if this doesn't make sense, but I've been considering it for quite some time. I need some help. Ask me to clarify anything I'm not explaining well enough.
Right now, my normal attire consists of a T-shirt, jeans, and a sweatshirt. BORING. How can I look cute in a T-shirt? I've got plenty of cute tops (although I can always use more). What is a good choice for bottoms? Jeans tend to be blah and not very kawaii, and a skirt might clash with something as casual as a T-shirt.
Please teach me about cute fashion. It doesn't even have to be Japanese, however, excessive cuteness - Japanese or otherwise - is what I want to portray. I appreciate your advice!
Thank you,
Angy