You might have seen this fashion style on the internet, on TV, or in real life when someone is cosplaying. Lolitas are girls who wear frilly dresses and long, flowing hair. They create a cute, doll-like community that makes people wonder if they are human-sized dolls. But wait! What is lolita style? To put it simply, it's a Japanese fashion subculture based on Victorian and Edwardian clothing. One of the most defining aspects of the style is often an elaborate or adorable aesthetic.
What influenced it? The movement was initially started by Japanese women in the 1970s who wore the style to protest their country's strict dress codes.
Let's take a look at how it became what it is now!
What are the elements of a Lolita outfit?
A Lolita outfit consists of many different components. A crucial element is the skirt, which comes in either a bell or straight-line A shape. There are also many different socks that can be worn with them such as knee socks, tights, or thigh-high socks. Lastly, a blouse tucked underneath a skirt, with shoes that match and a headdress for the finishing touch. All of these are paired with accessories of your choice.
The Different Styles of Lolita Fashion
Sweet Lolita
Like the word itself, this lolita subgenre focuses on child-like or cute styles that include lots of bows, ruffles, and pastel or light colors that give off a sweet and gentle vibe. The hair and makeup that go with this are usually pigtails, buns, and braids. Sweet Lolita is generally more subdued than other Lolita styles.
Gothic Lolita
This subgenre is quite the opposite of Sweet Lolita fashion. Gothic Lolita is a style of dress that combines Victorian and Rococo elements and typically features dark and neutral colors like black and grey. The style is characterized by frills, ruffles, lace, and bows. However, in most designs, you would see that it can have religious themes with crosses, vampiric pieces that include bats, coffins, blood-red roses, and medieval themes great for castles.
Classic Lolita
When going for classic lolita fashion, they relate more to historical fashion styles. The goal of this subgenre is to radiate one's poise or elegance of a proper Victorian lady. Instead of appearing dark or really sweet, they tend to look much mature. It is considered to be the foundation of Lolita fashion, and it usually consists of full-skirted dresses with panniers, lace, bows, ruffles, and frills.
Boystyle Lolita
This is also known as "Dandy" and is considered as the masculine counterpart of Lolita fashion. Even if it's called "Boystyle," this can be worn by anyone regardless of gender. Boystyle Lolita is a fashion subculture that arose in Japan among schoolgirls in the early 90s. It can also contain elements that are not typically seen as masculine but are rather feminine such as flowers. Dandy Lolita is one of the largest Lolita communities in the world with over 1.2 million members. It’s one of the most popular fashion communities on social media and boasts over 800,000 Instagram followers.
Lolita fashion has been around for a while now, and it's just getting bigger. With the wide variety of styles to pick from, you're sure to find one that suits your sense of style. If not, you can always create a sub-style of your own! Fashion should be fun, and there is no limit to what you can wear. Lolita fashion does not even have to match the rest of your outfit. You are the one who decides what goes best! ✨