Sweet Lolita is possibly the most important Lolita style, as it has worked as a basis for other Lolita styles since the genesis of the style. If a Lolita is not Gothic, she will most likely be Sweet (which is not to ignore the other styles entirely). But what makes a Sweet Lolita?
Sweet Lolita aims to capture the innocence and cuteness of young girls. Unlike its Gothic counterpart, Sweet Lolita uses lighter colours, and often more feminine tones such as light pinks and yellows, but there is still room for other colours like blues and lighter greens. It also makes heavy use of more child-like motifs, such as candy or teddy bears or other designs associated with young girls. This is the very essence of Lolita, the idea that this youthful elegance should be admired.
Knee-high socks and flat shoes are a common feature of the style. Buckles for the shoes are also fairly common. Makeup tends to be more natural or lighter colours, such as peach or light pink, though with some shades of red here are there. Other common motifs are pastel colours, strawberries, flowers, fruit, lace, bows, cute animals and ribbons.
Sweet Lolita also takes inspiration from fairy tales and classic stories, such as Alice in Wonderland and Little Red Riding Hood. As such, jewelry tends to reflect this theme. Drawing from fairy tales, there tends to be a theme of princesses and royalty for some Sweet Lolitas. Accessories may include parasols, bonnets, headdresses, and even bags shaped like strawberries, dogs, cats or other designs in keeping with the child-like style.
So, why Sweet Lolita? Well, Sweet Lolita is all about cuteness and femininity. It captures the ideals of the inner child, who has yet to let the adult world "normalize" and "mature" her. There is a sense of innocence and fun to the style. This does not mean that Sweet Lolitas are immature, but that they have maintained some degree of youth in spite of the common ideal of growing up.
As well as this, we have to consider its roots in Japanese culture. In Japan, youth and cuteness is highly valued. Even some official government signs and letters will have goofy little mascots. As such, Sweet Lolita fashion is only natural in a culture that still maintains some respect of child-like attributes. For a darker perspective on this, watch Paranoia Agent. I won't say much as it has little relevance to Lolitas particularly, but it's an interesting take on the Japanese obsession with youth and cuteness which has helped cultivate the Lolita fashion, Sweet Lolita particularly.
Some Sweet Lolita brands to look out for are Angelic Pretty, Baby, The Stars Shine Bright and Metamorphose temps de fille. Emily Temple cute (sister brand of Shirley Temple, a Japanese boutique), Jane Marple, and MILK are also Sweet Lolita brands, but these ones lean towards more casual designs, and are even for sale in department stores in Japan.
In conclusion, Sweet Lolita is a great style for anybody wanting to capture a piece of their inner child in a world that's becoming more and more depressing. It is a vital part of Lolita fashion and culture, and is perfect for the child-like cutie who's quite girly and loves playing Princess (for more focus on that, see Princess Lolita).
Related Lolita styles: Princess, Shiro, Country
Notable media with Sweet Lolita: Hard to pick out any specifically. A lot of Japanese media uses Sweet Lolita. The best I can think of specifically is probably its prominence in shoujo manga/anime such as Card Captor Sakura and Alice 19th
Recommended pieces for Sweet Lolita: White parasol, knee-high socks, buckled shoes, princess-style dresses, shaped bags, general pastel and feminine colours, pearl or gemstone necklaces
I will be adding pictures to my old articles at a later date, including this, the last one and any I miss in the future
Friday 29 March 2013
Friday 22 March 2013
Gothic Lolita: Dark Noble or Humble Servant
So, we have a basic idea of what Lolita fashion is about. Time to narrow it down a little, starting with my personal favourite of the lot, Gothic Lolita. This style is originally from Harajuku, specifically the late 1990s, though you should look more like you're from the 1890s.
Do you remember those Victorian-style dolls you might have seen when you were younger? Maybe your parents or grandparents had them, maybe a sister had one. Maybe even you had one. Well, with Gothic Lolita, it draws a lot of inspiration from those kind of dolls.
Gothic Lolita itself is a fusion of Goth and Lolita culture (obviously). It draws a lot of inspiration from both sides of its parent styles, especially from Victorian Gothic. It also shows some elements of French maid and Alice in Wonderland styles. There a strong emphasis on dark colours (though not exclusively), elegant aristocratic-style dresses (or the more maid-style route) and some of the more traditional Goth elements (crucifixes, religious symbols, coffins, bats, dark make-up but pale faces etc.).
If you've picked out correctly, you should look and feel like an adorable Victorian girl of the upper classes, a servant of said upper classes, or perhaps a vampire turned at a young age (if you're into that sort of thing). Of course, not every Gothic Lolita has to be dressed quite so grand. Some Gothic Lolita dresses are fairly simple and are still as cute, perhaps more likely to be chosen for the day-to-day Goth Loli.
Two sub-styles of this which I think are too close to give their own sections are Elegant Gothic Lolita and Elegant Gothic Aristrocrat. These two lean more towards the elegant and upper class-style of the Victorian side of the style, where other Gothic Lolitas may choose a more reserved style. These two sub-styles were created by visual kei (an associated Victorian Gothic-style fashion) icon Mana, for his fashion label Moi-même-Moitié.
Other notable labels in Gothic Lolita are Atelier-Pierrot, Atelier Boz, Black Peace Now and h. NAOTO Blood. You can occasionally find ideal dresses and accessories by chance while browsing, but it's best to go to either Japanese or US providers who specialize in Lolita fashion, or sometimes you can pick up some good ones in shops specializing in Gothic fashion, such as Blue Banana, Osiris and Soho's.
In short, it's important to balance the youthful cuteness with the dark and Victorian nature of the Gothic Lolita. I actually began as purely Goth before I began straying into Lolita territory. Whatever reason you decide to indulge in the darkness, be careful not to forget your youthful charms along the way.
Related Lolita styles: Kuro, Guro, Bittersweet
Notable media with Gothic Lolita: Pokemon (Gothita, Gothorita and Gothitelle), Panty and Stocking (Stocking), Rozen Maiden (Suigintou), Persona 3 (Chidori), Alice:Madness Returns (Alice's London outfit, Classic outfit, Royal Suit outfit, possibly Late but Lucky outfit)
Recommended pieces for Gothic Lolita: Lace gloves, maid-style dress or victorian-style dress, gothic necklaces or chokers, black parasol, knee-high socks (black and white stripes work really well for these), boots or cute shoes
Edit: Pictures will be added later
Do you remember those Victorian-style dolls you might have seen when you were younger? Maybe your parents or grandparents had them, maybe a sister had one. Maybe even you had one. Well, with Gothic Lolita, it draws a lot of inspiration from those kind of dolls.
Gothic Lolita itself is a fusion of Goth and Lolita culture (obviously). It draws a lot of inspiration from both sides of its parent styles, especially from Victorian Gothic. It also shows some elements of French maid and Alice in Wonderland styles. There a strong emphasis on dark colours (though not exclusively), elegant aristocratic-style dresses (or the more maid-style route) and some of the more traditional Goth elements (crucifixes, religious symbols, coffins, bats, dark make-up but pale faces etc.).
If you've picked out correctly, you should look and feel like an adorable Victorian girl of the upper classes, a servant of said upper classes, or perhaps a vampire turned at a young age (if you're into that sort of thing). Of course, not every Gothic Lolita has to be dressed quite so grand. Some Gothic Lolita dresses are fairly simple and are still as cute, perhaps more likely to be chosen for the day-to-day Goth Loli.
Two sub-styles of this which I think are too close to give their own sections are Elegant Gothic Lolita and Elegant Gothic Aristrocrat. These two lean more towards the elegant and upper class-style of the Victorian side of the style, where other Gothic Lolitas may choose a more reserved style. These two sub-styles were created by visual kei (an associated Victorian Gothic-style fashion) icon Mana, for his fashion label Moi-même-Moitié.
Other notable labels in Gothic Lolita are Atelier-Pierrot, Atelier Boz, Black Peace Now and h. NAOTO Blood. You can occasionally find ideal dresses and accessories by chance while browsing, but it's best to go to either Japanese or US providers who specialize in Lolita fashion, or sometimes you can pick up some good ones in shops specializing in Gothic fashion, such as Blue Banana, Osiris and Soho's.
In short, it's important to balance the youthful cuteness with the dark and Victorian nature of the Gothic Lolita. I actually began as purely Goth before I began straying into Lolita territory. Whatever reason you decide to indulge in the darkness, be careful not to forget your youthful charms along the way.
Related Lolita styles: Kuro, Guro, Bittersweet
Notable media with Gothic Lolita: Pokemon (Gothita, Gothorita and Gothitelle), Panty and Stocking (Stocking), Rozen Maiden (Suigintou), Persona 3 (Chidori), Alice:Madness Returns (Alice's London outfit, Classic outfit, Royal Suit outfit, possibly Late but Lucky outfit)
Recommended pieces for Gothic Lolita: Lace gloves, maid-style dress or victorian-style dress, gothic necklaces or chokers, black parasol, knee-high socks (black and white stripes work really well for these), boots or cute shoes
Edit: Pictures will be added later
Friday 15 March 2013
What is Lolita?
Class is in session ^_^
First, I want to make something very clear. Lolita fashion has nothing to do with the book Lolita. It's not about sexualizing yourself or trying to attract pedophiles or people into lolicon. That's not what Lolita fashion is about. I don't dress the way I do for the benefit of other people. I dress the way I do because it makes me happy and I think I look nice in it.
So, if that's not it, what is Lolita fashion anyway? Well, Lolita fashion is based heavily on Victorian era clothing, with a few from the "Rococo" period (18th century or so). It's hard to really explain Lolita further without going into the different types, but most of Lolita fashion is characterized by its cute and child/doll-like qualities. It's more about elegance than "sexiness".
If it's not to do with the book, why is it called Lolita? That's actually a funny story, which goes back to Japan's relations with Portugal. If my sources are correct, the lolitas of the time thought that the word lolita meant something cute in Portuguese, so they decided to start using this exotic foreign word to refer to themselves.
How many different types of Lolita are there? A lot. There's Gothic Lolita, Sweet Lolita, Classic Lolita and Punk Lolita as the four bigger types. Then there's Princess Lolita, Shiro and Kuro Lolita (they tend to pair up), Oji (Prince) Lolita, Guro Lolita, Sailor Lolita, Country Lolita, Wa Lolita, Qi Lolita, Casual Lolita and Bittersweet Lolita. Even in that list, I've probably missed a few. The style is always changing and expanding.
Most of these styles evolved from the DIY nature of Lolita fashion. As such, Lolita may not always be limited by type, as those types only came about because people put their own twist on the basic frameworks. It is, however, easier to separate into these sub-categories.
Class dismissed.
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolita_fashion
http://www.my-lolita-dress.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/d/r/dream-of-lolita-night-princess-lolita-op-dress-1-dl-13_1.jpg
http://www.my-lolita-dress.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/320x400/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/w/sweet_pink_lolita_dress_by_chiffon7.jpg
First, I want to make something very clear. Lolita fashion has nothing to do with the book Lolita. It's not about sexualizing yourself or trying to attract pedophiles or people into lolicon. That's not what Lolita fashion is about. I don't dress the way I do for the benefit of other people. I dress the way I do because it makes me happy and I think I look nice in it.
So, if that's not it, what is Lolita fashion anyway? Well, Lolita fashion is based heavily on Victorian era clothing, with a few from the "Rococo" period (18th century or so). It's hard to really explain Lolita further without going into the different types, but most of Lolita fashion is characterized by its cute and child/doll-like qualities. It's more about elegance than "sexiness".
 |
| Gothic Lolita |
 |
| Sweet Lolita |
If it's not to do with the book, why is it called Lolita? That's actually a funny story, which goes back to Japan's relations with Portugal. If my sources are correct, the lolitas of the time thought that the word lolita meant something cute in Portuguese, so they decided to start using this exotic foreign word to refer to themselves.
How many different types of Lolita are there? A lot. There's Gothic Lolita, Sweet Lolita, Classic Lolita and Punk Lolita as the four bigger types. Then there's Princess Lolita, Shiro and Kuro Lolita (they tend to pair up), Oji (Prince) Lolita, Guro Lolita, Sailor Lolita, Country Lolita, Wa Lolita, Qi Lolita, Casual Lolita and Bittersweet Lolita. Even in that list, I've probably missed a few. The style is always changing and expanding.
Most of these styles evolved from the DIY nature of Lolita fashion. As such, Lolita may not always be limited by type, as those types only came about because people put their own twist on the basic frameworks. It is, however, easier to separate into these sub-categories.
Class dismissed.
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolita_fashion
http://www.my-lolita-dress.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/d/r/dream-of-lolita-night-princess-lolita-op-dress-1-dl-13_1.jpg
http://www.my-lolita-dress.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/320x400/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/w/sweet_pink_lolita_dress_by_chiffon7.jpg
Thursday 14 March 2013
What it's all about
Salutations, friends.
I'm the Gothic Lolita Lunatic, gothlolilunatic or Luna for short. I'm an English girl, living in Scotland, who's decided that awareness needs to be raised about the cute and amazing fashion style that is Lolita. It's big in Japan, but as far as I can tell it hasn't really spread much to the UK or the USA. I intend to change that, at the very least teach people a little more about it so they understand the culture and the people who indulge in it.
I'm just starting now. I'm a Gothic Lolita, which is a sub-category in Lolita fashion. There's a lot of different types of Lolita. Anyway, I don't have much Lolita stuff in my wardrobe, but I intend to build up my collection and immerse myself in my passion. I'll be using this blog to document that journey, as well as teach people about the various types of Lolita and why we love the style.
I'll do my best to post at least one post per week. Some days I might talk about a sub-category, some days an important piece of clothing to lolitas, and sometimes the various reasons why people choose it as their style. All the while, I'll be keeping everyone up to date on my new discoveries and additions to my lolita wardrobe. I'll also do my best to clear up any misconceptions about us, and hopefully by the time I've run out of things to say, people will know enough about lolita culture and can spread that information to other people.
See you later everybody,
Luna
I'm the Gothic Lolita Lunatic, gothlolilunatic or Luna for short. I'm an English girl, living in Scotland, who's decided that awareness needs to be raised about the cute and amazing fashion style that is Lolita. It's big in Japan, but as far as I can tell it hasn't really spread much to the UK or the USA. I intend to change that, at the very least teach people a little more about it so they understand the culture and the people who indulge in it.
I'm just starting now. I'm a Gothic Lolita, which is a sub-category in Lolita fashion. There's a lot of different types of Lolita. Anyway, I don't have much Lolita stuff in my wardrobe, but I intend to build up my collection and immerse myself in my passion. I'll be using this blog to document that journey, as well as teach people about the various types of Lolita and why we love the style.
I'll do my best to post at least one post per week. Some days I might talk about a sub-category, some days an important piece of clothing to lolitas, and sometimes the various reasons why people choose it as their style. All the while, I'll be keeping everyone up to date on my new discoveries and additions to my lolita wardrobe. I'll also do my best to clear up any misconceptions about us, and hopefully by the time I've run out of things to say, people will know enough about lolita culture and can spread that information to other people.
See you later everybody,
Luna
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