Lolita, and all of its substyles, is a fashion subculture in Japan. Lolita is more than wearing cute clothes that young women would wear, it’s about modesty and reviving innocence in women. This is not meant to excite pedophiles or men, but to renounce modern ideals of beauty and fashion. There are some do’s and don’ts of this fashion movement and several substyles. Please read on if you’d like to learn more about this movement of Victorian-era modest clothing.
The basic silhouette of all types:
The basic shape is a blouse or coat top and a knee length skirt with a petticoat to shape the skirt into a bell. A headpiece and a sock/shoe combo is also important. This basic pieces follow through to the other sub styles.
Types of Lolita:
- Aristocratic: (EGA elegant Gothic aristocrat) A subset of Gothic, Renaissance flair.
- Casual: Prefect for new Lolita or those who want a more simple version of Lolita.Casual tends to reflect which sub style it’s reflecting. For cute: colors include pastel and neutrals. Simple frills and bows should be included. The silhouette should be maintained, but not as exaggerated Simple cute tee-shirts instead of extravagant blouses can be used.
- Classic: Mature form of Gothic Lolita. Solid and plain prints are common and replace the frills of the basic Lolita. This style wants to emphasize the Victorian and Rococo trends and style.
- Gothic: Black, and other dark colors, make up the bulk of this style. Though classic goth tends to have white faces, that is discouraged in Lolita. However, other common western Gothic icons, such as crosses, skulls and bats, are used in this fashion.
- Punk:For the rebels out there, Punk also takes from the western ideals of Punk. This includes fishnets, deconstructed
- Qi: Chinese inspired Lolita. Very similar to Wa (Japanese). Normally the top is a quipoa and a cupcake skirt to match. Chinese head pieces tend to replace the alice bows.
- Sweet:Sweet Lolita also focuses on Victorian basics but uses lighter colors, such as pastels and creams, with frills and childlike motifs.
- Wa: Much like Qi lolita, Wa is fashioned after Japanese inspirations. A styled yukata or kimono top with a obi with a cupcake bottom is very popular.
My Lolita (panda): if I could be any Lolita it would be a mix of cute and wa. I personally own a Wa Lolita outfit and I adore it. I feel that I’m too large and too old for Lolita but it’s important to remember that age and size is not an issue. This style is not meant for skinny, young people! This is meant for women (and men) who want to return to modest, yet adorable, style of clothing. I plan to learn how to make some of the basics (already in the process of making a skirt) and tailoring them to my body. I hope to eventually having a fully Lolita closet for home and business profession (obviously) for my work.
My Lolita (Mikoto):If I could be any Lolita it would be all of them! hahaha! I personally like the aristocratic and Wa Lolita best, but the others are also really cute and adorable. Probably the most unlikely for me to dress up as is the cute/sweet Lolita, mostly because I don’t look good in pastels. Darker colors are better for my skin tone, and compliments my personality more so.
A Quick search on Google will give you several more examples and knowledge! Be sure to post what Lolita you’d like. Even the guys! There’s a male version for all styles!
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