Hello! This is a sort of mini article about lolita fashion! (More of an introduction article) Enjoy!
Lolita fashion-
♡ What is lolita fashion? ♡
Lolita fashion is a subculture which originated in Japan in the early 90s, and gained popularity throughout the mid 90s and early 2000s. The fashion is inspired by victorian clothing and rococo period and is a cute, elegant and modest style.a typical lolita outfit consists of a blouse, a dress or a skirt, a petticoat, long stockings and some headresses such as hats, bows, rectangles and many more. The lolita subculture is divided into 3 main styles- gothic lolita, classic lolita, and sweet/pastel lolita. There are a lot of in-between styles such as hime (princess) lolita, punk lolita, sailor lolita, guro(horror) lolita and many more. A common misconception about lolita fashion is mixing it up with cosplay, which is wrong. lolita is not cosplay, it is a lifestyle and a form of self expression through clothes, while cosplay is a form of roleplay, pretending to be someone else using costumes. another misconception about lolita, is thinking that it has anything to do with the famous novel written by vladimir nabokov lolita, which contains depictions of sexual abuse and pedophilia. The fashion itself is very modest and doesn't focus on sexuality. The meaning and reason for dressing lolita is different for each person. Some dress this way because they find it pretty, and some want to celebrate their femininity in a different and more modest way, rather than enhancing their feminine features. Some wear it as a way to rebel against society's pressure on grown people to act and dress a certain way.
♡ history & origin ♡
Although lolita became an established subculture only in the early 90s, its origins date back to the late 1970s. With kawaii culture taking its first steps, and the admiration of French culture being common among the youth, a new type of female street fashion was born, which is called otome (maiden) kei. It is a casual, romantic hyper feminine style, inspired by the European fashion and femininity of the 1960s. As a result, a lot of fashion brands such as milk, pretty (now known as angelic pretty) and pink house adopted this new look, and the style became very popular in Harajuku district in tokyo. During the 80s, the popular magazine olive influenced fashion by featuring those brands, and promoting a "french lifestyle", which paved the way for future lolita brands. The romantic french look of the 80s was a start, and a little later lolita was born! street fashion magazines such as kera and fruits started featuring lolita fashion in their issues, and the fashion became more popular. The 90s were also when gothic lolita made its first appearance, which was created by the visual kei guitarist mana sama. He created a link between Visual Kei aesthetic and a dark Victorian twist on lolita. He also opened his own brand, moi meme moitie which was a refreshing alternative to the classic lolita brands, and has influenced lolita to this day. At the time, lolita fashion became more defined and, by the noughties decade it was at its peak. Kera published the famous spin off magazine, gothic & lolita bible, which featured diy and makeup tutorials, interviews with designers and musicians, street photographs, new collections and many more. By that time, pretty changed their name to angelic pretty, and more brands started designing for specific lolita substyles. the movie kamikaze girls came out, in which the main character, momoko, is a lolita who wears dresses designed by the brand baby the stars shine bright (btssb) and daydreams about the french rococo lifestyle, influenced the style and members of the community and with that the sweet lolita was the new look. During that time lolita gained recognition overseas, with brands opening shops in Europe and the US, and misako aoki becoming the ambassador of kawaii lolita fashion. The livejournal community EGL (elegant gothic lolita)for western lolita was established, and the international popularity developed the style even more, but sadly as the time passed lolita became less popular. moi meme moitie closed all of their physical stores, and magazines like g&lb fruits and kera stopped publishing new issues. with the rise of fast fashion, came the downfall of lolita fashion.
♡ lolita lifestyle ♡
Many lolitas think of lolita as a way of living, and not just a clothing style. Some sweet lolitas choose to live like princesses at the court of Versailles, surrounding themselves with beauty, while goth lolitas like to be mysterious, hang around gothic churches and graveyards and read gothic poetry. each substyle has its own typical activities and lifestyle, although this way of living is optional and depends on the person. you don’t have to indulge in such activities to be considered as lolita. Some popular hobbies among the lolita community are baking, drawing, sewing and embroidery. Those who live the lolita lifestyle wear coords daily, participate in lolita meetups and interact with the lolita community regularly. Usually, lolita meetups take the form of tea parties or picnics in which the members of the community hang out and discuss the latest trends in lolita fashion. Each meetup has its own dress code. Some lolitas feel more comfortable hanging out in groups rather than alone, because the style drags a lot of unwanted attention. Many lolitas get catcalled and harassed simply for dressing a different way than what's considered as mainstream or "normal".
Metamorphose 2010 spring catalog
♡ substyles ♡
As I stated before, the lolita subculture contains lots of different substyles, but the main 3 and most popular are gothic, sweet, and classic.
♡ classic lolita -
a lolita substyle that is highly inspired by historical fashion. This style is more mature and elegant than other styles, as it focuses on capturing the elegance of the Victorian era. common motifs among this style are solid color pieces, florals, and stripes along with prints featuring crowns, fleur de lis, crests, antiques, animals, architecture, and reproductions of old master paintings. Animals and fruit prints in classic lolita tend to have a realistic or antique look to them, as opposed to the more cartoon or fantasy-like styles favored by sweet lolita. Unlike other lolita styles, flat shoes are very uncommon. There are many higher heeled shoes with straps as well as Victorian style boots. As for the hair, it's usually kept pretty neutral. common colors are brown, black and blonde. it can be styled in any way but nothing too extreme. The makeup is usually neutral looking to give off a mature elegance.
Metamorphose 2015 catalog
♡ gothic lolita -
a lolita substyle that takes its inspiration from Victorian clothing and the gothic subculture. This style was popularized by the visual kei guitarist mana sama. common motifs in gothic lolita often include crosses or religious themes, bats, skulls, vampires, coffins, chandeliers, deep red roses, and castles. Darker colors, such as black, navy and royal blue, maroon, crimson, and deep purples are all common in gothic lolita. popular hairstyles are straightened or curled hair left down, or put into pigtails. sausage curl pigtails are popular as well, but are usually styled with more over the top coords. As for makeup, dark lipstick ( red, wine, deep purple and dark brown) and smokey or neatly defined eyes are common. some may add a light blush.
Although mana sama was the one who popularized this substyle, he often wears a unique, dramatic, doll-like makeup look which is not very common among the community, but is well loved. common shoes are mary janes, rocking horse shoes (originally designed by vivienne westwood), boots, and platform shoes.
Alice doll magazine 2001 | Mana sama for Gothic Lolita Bible 7
♡ sweet lolita - a lolita substyle inspired by victorian and rococo period clothing, with a cute twist. common motifs in sweet lolita are puppies, bears, cupcakes, ice cream, cherries, strawberries, bows, hearts, stars, cakes, flowers and kittens. common colors are pastel colors (pink, blue, yellow, purple, etc) light shades of pink, pearly white, and mint. Sweet lolita accessories are usually very over the top, in order to reflect the fantasy theme of the lolita subculture. common accessories are crowns, stuffed animals, star and heart shaped bags as well as fruit shaped bags. shoes are usually flat, common ones are mary janes and tea party shoes in pastel colors. hairstyles in sweet lolita are very diverse. Some wear their hair curled, some wear pigtails and braids, and some prefer their hair left down. makeup is usually very light and neutral.
Baby the stars shine bright 2010 autumn collection
♡ lolita today ♡
Although lolita isn't as popular as it once was, it still exists. There are large lolita communities, online and in real life, and some of the brands are still open to this day. In recent years there has been a rising interest in japanese culture in the west. Whether it be through anime or manga, a lot are diving deeper into Japanese culture and fashion. I see lots of people online (typically young people) talking about Japanese street fashion, taking inspiration from fruits and other street fashion magazines, kawaii fashion, gyaru fashion and many more. I think that a part of our generation is trying desperately to go back to slow fashion. I see a lot of teenagers encouraging the consumption of second hand clothing and making things yourself. Maybe this mix of embracing Japanese culture and slow fashion will result in a lolita comeback. I feel like it's happening slowly, with the revival of Japanese street fashion as a whole.
References~
Gothic lolita- lolita wiki
What is Japanese kawaii culture?- the japanese shop
Lolita lifestyle- alternative fashion wiki
The Blog “Lolita tips” on tumblr
What is Otome kei- devilinspired
Classic lolita- lolita wiki
The history of lolita- the comm
History of sweet lolita-rebels market
Lolita fashion- wikipedia
Lace & petticoats by vysanthe pn YT
For pictures-
Lolitahistory.com
