I didn't anticipate writing any Intro-to-Lolita posts when I first started this blog - it feels overdone, the beating of the dead Twinkle Journey alicorn across the internet - but then it occurred to me that if anyone starting out on their Lolita journey happened to bump into this site, I could at least provide them with something solid instead of my usual ramblings. Which, here I am, rambling.
This'll be the first installment of a few. Today, we'll be doing a big, broad overview of the fashion as a whole! As in all things, there are some guidelines that will always have exceptions and everyone is more than welcome to wear Lolita in any way that pleases them.
The Broad History of Lolita
 |
| Street snaps from an early Gothic & Lolita Bible, snagged from the Lolita History Gallery - an invaluable source of online Lolita publications and Lolita history. |
This is a fashion that started in Japan as a street fashion for young women roughly around the 1990s. F Yeah Lolita posted a really good article about the early roots here if you want a deeper dive! Rooted in feminism, the concept behind wearing Lolita came from a pushback against the student-to-wife-to-mother track expected of many young Japanese women. Kawaii culture as a whole came from the need to embrace femininity and cuteness while rejecting beauty standards and conformity. At its heart, Lolita was a fashion of doing something purely for yourself and living life in a way that serves your own happiness. Knee-length skirts, tall socks, Mary Janes, and cute, lace- or ruffle-trimmed blouses were common, without any real definition in style between individuals.
 |
| Mana-sama, another photo from the Lolita History Gallery. |
Blessed are the JRock and Visual Kei artists who began incorporating what would become Gothic Lolita into their performance outfits and spread the trends to the alt-fashion civilians. Mana-sama of the bands Malice Mizer and Moi dix Mois, as well as the Gothic brand Moi-même-Moitié, started his Lolita brand in 1999 and was a major catalyst for the popularity of the fashion. At the same time, he still holds up as an icon of Lolita being for everyone, not just women and femme-identifying people.
By the time it reached the West, Lolita had seeped into Japanese popular culture, gained its iconic silhouette and staples, and began breaking down into the substyles we know and love today. You'll see the phrases Elegant Gothic Lolita, Gothic Lolita, or gosurori/gothloli pop up in media from those early days. Those have either fallen out of our lexicon or become much more closely defined (EGL being outfits based on Moi-même-Moitié pieces, Gothic Lolita being its own substyle).
Today, Lolita is so many things and yet it retains its core roots: dressing for yourself in a way that makes you happy and embracing cuteness.
Basics of the Outfit
You might find yourself scrolling through Tumblr, Google, Facebook, or Instagram seeing a thousand different outfits, but they all tend to follow some basic tenants: sleeves, knee-length dresses or skirts, high necklines, socks, closed-toed shoes, headwear, and a flared or bell-shaped silhouette.
Again, there are always exceptions. If you have a large bust, cleavage happens. Socks can be anywhere from ankle-length to full tights. Sleeves can be any length and, occasionally, can be foregone altogether. You can also play with the silhouette, depending on the fullness of your skirt or dress and the look you're going for.
Though there are only 5 items listed on this graphic, there are truly 6 essential parts of a Lolita outfit. From top to bottom:
1. Headwear: Lolita headwear comes in a hundred flavors from bows to bonnets to rectangle-shaped headdresses to flower crowns to veils and everything in between. These are key for balancing the outfit.
2. Blouse: While these function to cover the arms and collar, they also protect your dress from makeup and normal body sweat or oils that come with direct skin contact. This means you can launder your dresses less, prolonging their lifespan. Blouses can be foregone and replaced with either cardigans/boleros or onepiece dresses (dresses with sleeves).
3. Dress: This is your main piece, the star of your outfit! Typically, an outfit gets built around the main piece you want to wear. Lolita dresses have distinct bell-shaped skirts that traditionally flare from the natural waist. In recent years, waistlines that begin directly under the bust have become common, as well.
4. Socks: As I described above, your potential for leg coverings contains multitudes. The graphic uses under-the-knee socks, though over-the-knee, full tights, and ankle socks are also popular.
5. Shoes: Another item that comes in several varieties, Lolita outfits typically sport round-toed shoes like Mary Janes. You'll also frequently see rocking-horse shoes, boots, and tea parties.
6. Petticoat: Not labeled in the graphic, these are absolutely key to wearing Lolita fashion. Petticoats are underclothes with several layers that give the dress or skirt its shape. They aren't meant to be seen, and can be easy to miss for a newcomer.
Other Outfit Staples
There are a handful of other things that, while not strictly necessary, are a good idea to collect in your wardrobe.
Bloomers:
For me, personally, these are absolutely essential. Bloomers are frilly shorts that go on under your dress. Normally for modesty's sake, I like wearing them to prevent thigh chafing and to help keep warm in colder weather. You can always switch out the official ones for basic bike shorts.
Wrist Cuffs
These are usually made of lace, tulle, or chiffon and worn to help balance an outfit on the arms or to artificially lengthen blouse sleeves that might hit you too short.
Jewelry
Think of your jewelry like adding toppings on your froyo. Accessories enhance your outfit and can go a long way in making it look cohesive and well put-together, but they're also the area where I skimp the most.
Bags
 |
| Bag by CuteQ on DevilInspired |
I have so much fun with Lolita bags! It's nice to have something cute that matches your outfit to carry around instead of your everyday purse or wallet.
Camisoles
Honestly, this is for comfort and utility. Wear them to protect your OPs when you're not wearing a blouse, wear them under a blouse if you're wearing a blouse-and-skirt set and need to shield your bra from the outside world, wear them as an extra layer to keep warm when it gets chilly! Also, a tip from historical fashion Tumblr, if you've got a very uncomfortable bra, wear it on top of a camisole. Trust me. It's worth it.
These are your bare basics when it comes to the world of Lolita Fashion! If you're starting your Lolita journey, go forth and begin looking at what styles or pieces speak to you. Think about what you need to get to piece together your first coordinate. And, of course, don't forget your petticoat!
Comments
Post a Comment