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
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