Yo! I'm Banyu, Indonesian illustrator and gothic lolita enthusiast. I'm also an autistic, schizoaffective, intersex transmasc. My special interest is fashion (fashion history, lolita fashion, and other fashion subcultures of the world). My hobbies are reading fashion magazines, translating lolita articles, as well as kawaii-fying dudes and drawing them in the type of clothes I wear (mostly lolita and girly kei).
My other social media accounts are @banyureged on Instagram, @banyukotor on Twitter, and @banyureged on Misskey!
Front and back covers of the Gothic and Lolita Bible x Classical Puppets collaboration special one-time issue preview sample. This issue was given out to attendees of Classical Puppets' Gateau de Antoinette series V2.0 fashion show on October 25th, 2025. Unfortunately, there's no information about when and where the final issue will be released yet except for the fact it will be exclusive to China. The sample itself consists of 18 pages containing both Japanese and Chinese subtitles. I plan on scanning the whole issue and putting it in a google drive so be sure to look forward to that!
Lolita street snap feature from Asayan, March 1995, showing a collection of what lolitas of various regions were wearing or carrying approaching spring: dolls, stockings, bags, and motif trends (check and animal prints/furs). Unlike other lolita features, Asayan actively disparages the fashion in their admittedly very shady commentary. Despite this, their tracking of lolita trends at the time feels quite genuine since they're using snaps of real lolitas out and about (I wonder how these people felt about being featured in this type of article).
I think the most intriguing of these trends is "lolio" (spelled ロリオ/ロリ男 interchangeably) which they used to describe a "masculine version" of lolita fashion similar to what gyaruo is to gyaru.
Lolio seems to be a short-lived style related to the femio trend happening at the same time inspired by popular celebrities Shinji Takeda and Issei Ishida, though I've only seen the term lolio used in one other lolita feature showing a similar campy colorful 70s-esque sort of coord.
Other than this is of course, the big blue elephant in the page, the "So-called Lolita-kei Go Home!" lecture by culture critic Goro Yamada.
This is quite an early example of lolita fashion criticism I've seen. In it, he accuses lolita wearers of misunderstanding the term "lolita" and its concept for their fashion (although other popular lolita fashion features from around the same time and before did explicitly feature and go in depth into media recommendations that could be considered more in line with the original lolita concept). He also states that lolita fashion and the 70's fancy culture (though fancy goods had only been coined in the 80's) it is rooted in was "built upon ugly women".
I find this whole feature to be quite a divisive for myself to be honest. I have my own gripes on it (I'm quite uncomfortable with certain comments made in the critic lecture) but I don't think I've even processed this whole thing in my head yet to be able to analyze it properly. So this is mainly just a report on the content with a bit of my own two cents. Maybe I'll fully explore this feature and go in depth with my own opinions and reactions in a blog in the future. Of course, I think anything that helps with our understanding and vision of lolita fashion's history is worth preserving at the end of the day. Even if it doesn't present the fashion in the prettiest light lol.
after eight years, I finally updated my huge Historical Fashion Reference & Resources Doc! Now in the form of a MUCH more easily updated Google Doc with better organization, refreshed links, and five more pages of books and online resources.
I know tumblr hates links, but it’s worth it for a doc that I can now update with far more regularity going forward! RIP to the original, you did your duty for far longer than you should have. 😔🙏🏼
"Lessons in Madam Fashion" from Gothic & Lolita Bible Vol. 17, 2005.
Madam is something I rarely see mentioned in J-fashion communities overseas. Often people just put it under the aristocrat label but madam is actually its own independent style! So... what is madam?
Madam is a style within the gothic and lolita scene that takes heavy inspiration from the clothes of noble women in historical Europe. It's similar to romantic goth in the west. Corsets, bustled skirts, floral hats, etc. It's often presented as the "adult" counterpart to lolita. The Dictionary of Gothic and Lolita contains an entry for "Madam Lolita" which states the following:
Even if you've been wearing lolita all this time, there may come a time where you start to wonder "Hmm, can I really keep wearing this forever?" As this point hits, more and more people start shifting towards longer silhouettes and classic lolita styles. Adult-oriented lolita clothes have now become available. Both lolita wearers and lolita designers have grown from mademoiselles to madames, and the clothes have also evolved accordingly. No longer is there an age limit for lolita.
This is not to say that lolita is only limited to younger women or that lolitas must grow out of the style once they get older (although the concept of age-appropriateness in lolita for older women is still a prevalent topic in Japanese lolita communities). Rather, madam serves as an option for those who would like to have a change in style according to their shifting tastes as they age.
Style Basics:
The majority of madam coords include a corset and a long skirt. A blouse is not required and can be substituted with a bolero or a shawl. Princess sleeves are a favorite. Skirts can be of any silhouette, a-line, mermaid, bustled, or bell-shaped but they often reach at least the ankles. Though knee-length skirts are occasionally seen.
For accessories, the most common are floral hats, bonnets, fascinators, and canotiers (which are often handmade). Dramatic hair accessories are arguably one of the main staples in the style besides corsets. Although you do see madam coords without hair accessories, they're much less common. Chokers, necklaces, and lace gloves are also popular. For legwear, simple black knee-socks are the standard, especially if they have lace or lace-up sites. But for shorter length coords, fishnet stockings are recommended. High heels and platforms are the go-to choice for shoes as they make the figure look taller.
As shown in the guide above, makeup in madam is usually bold and dramatic. The most common look consists of a smokey eye with defined red lips for a mature appearance. The recommended hairstyle is curled in elegant rolls which can be donned up for an even more regal appearance.
Differences with Elegant Gothic Aristocrat:
Compared to aristocrat, madam is much more blatantly feminine. As mentioned, the skirts are often bustled with abundant frills like lolita rather than the sleek look of aristocrat. While they both have a tendency to use corsets, madam incorporates bustiers the most. High necklines are less common in madam and having an exposed chest area is not unusual. Sometimes madam coords are simply a bustier corset with a bolero, exuding a hint of sensuality that isn't as present in aristocrat or lolita (except maybe ero lolita). Overall, you could consider madam somewhat of a sister style or feminine counterpart to aristocrat.
