LOLITA FASHION
Lolita fashion (ロリータ・ファッション Rorīta fasshon or Elega-torian in english ) is a fashion subculture originating in Japan that is based on Victorian clothing as well as costumes from the Rococo period.[1] The Lolita look is primarily one of modesty with a focus on quality in both material and manufacture of garments. The silhouette is of a knee length skirt or dress with a 'cupcake' shape assisted by petticoats. Blouses, knee high socks or stockings and headdresses are also worn. [2] Lolita fashion has evolved into several different sub styles and has a subculture that is present in many parts of the world.
The Term 'Lolita'
The fashion was thought to have been partly created to react against the growing exposure of the body and skin in today's society, specifically in regard to young women. Adherants fight the current fashion with modesty presenting themselves as "cute" or "elegant" rather than "sexy".[4] . One follower of the Gothic Lolita fashion explained:
We certainly do not do this for the attention of men. Frequently, female sexuality is portrayed in a way that is palatable and accessible to men, and anything outside of that is intimidating. Something so unabashedly female is ultimately kind of scary—in fact, I consider it to be pretty confrontational. Dressing this way takes a certain kind of ownership of one’s own sexuality that wearing expected or regular things just does not. It doesn’t take a lot of moxie to put on a pencil skirt and flats. It’s not, as some commentators have suggested, some sort of appeal to men’s expectation that women should be childlike, or an attempt to pander to pedophiles. Pedophiles like little girls. They don’t like grown women who happen to like dresses with cakes on them. I’ve never been hit on by a pedophile while in Lolita. We don’t get into it because it is some sort of misplaced pedo complex or anything, and the objective isn’t simply to emulate little girls, despite the name Lolita.[5]
Influence and popularity
Lolita was influenced and popularized by the imagery of more feminine Visual Kei (or "visual art") bands. Visual Kei is a Japanese form of rock music defined by bands featuring performers in elaborate costumes but whose musical style varies. Mana, the cross-dressing former leader and guitarist of the Visual Kei band Malice Mizer is widely credited for having helped popularize Gothic Lolita. He coined the terms "Elegant Gothic Lolita" (EGL) and "Elegant Gothic Aristocrat" (EGA) to describe the style of his own fashion label Moi-même-Moitié, which was founded in 1999 and quickly established itself as one of the most coveted brands of the Lolita scene.
Style types
- Gothic Lolita
Gothic Lolita fashion is characterized by a darker make-up and clothing.[7] Red lipstick and smokey or neatly defined eyes, created using black eyeliner, are typical styles, although as with all Lolita substyles the look remains fairly natural.[8] Though Gothic make-up is associated with a white powdered face, this is usually considered bad taste within the Lolita fashion.[9] Gothic Lolita usually uses dark color schemes including black, dark blues and purples, although black and white remains popular.[citation needed]. As with some Western Gothic styles, cross jewelry, religious symbols, bags and purses in shapes like bats, coffins, and crucifixes are also used to accessorize the Gothic Lolita look.[10]
Elegant Gothic Lolita (EGL) and Elegant Gothic Aristocrat (EGA) are substyles of gothic lolita (and of aristocrat fashion coined by the Visual Kei artist Mana, in connection with his own fashion label Moi-même-Moitié.[11]
Japanese brands which exemplify the gothic lolita style include Atelier-Pierrot, Atelier Boz, Black Peace Now, h. NAOTO Blood and Moi-même-Moitié.
- Sweet Lolita
Sweet Lolita, also known as ama-loli (甘ロリ ama rori ) in Japanese, is heavily influenced by Rococo styles as well as Victorian and Edwardian clothing. Focusing on the child and fantasy aspects of Lolita, the Sweet Lolita style adopts the basic Lolita format and uses lighter colors and childlike motifs in its design.Makeup used in sweet Lolita is common throughout most Lolita styles. Pink, Peach, or Pearl make up styles are highly 'sweet' and used by many Sweet Lolitas. This look, paired with a shade of bright pink, red or sometimes nude-pink lipstick, is commonly used as well.
Outfits consist of pastels, fruit themes (cherries or strawberries, or any type of sugary fruit), flowers (roses, jasmines, lily, cherry blossoms) lace, bows, animal themes (cats, bunnies, puppies) and ribbons to emphasize the cuteness of the design. Popular themes in the sweet Lolita are references to Alice in Wonderland, sweets, and classic fairy tales. Jewelry often reflects this fantasy theme. Headdresses, bonnets and bows are a popular hair accessory to the sweet Lolita look. Bags and purses usually have a princess-like design and often take the shape of strawberries, crowns, hearts, and stuffed animals.
Examples for Sweet Lolita brands 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 brands that carry more clothing that would be considered more casual, and are available to purchase at department stores in Japan.
- Classic Lolita
Designs containing a-lines, as well as Empire waists are also used to add to the more mature look of the classic style. Most classic Lolita outfits, however, still stick to the basic Lolita silhouette. Shoes and accessories are less whimsical and more functional. Jewelry with intricate designs is also common. The makeup used in classic Lolita is often a more muted version of the sweet Lolita makeup, with an emphasis placed on natural coloring. Classical Lolita brands include Juliette et Justine, Innocent World, Victorian Maiden, Triple Fortune, and Mary Magdalene.
Punk Lolita
- Other styles and themes
- Princess Lolita
Hime (姫 ), or "Princess," Lolita is characterized by a princess-style look based upon the European aristocratic style.[15][16] This typically includes a tiara and a rococo style bustle back skirt. The style is often credited as being influenced by the Hime Gyaru trend that boomed in the late 2000s
- Shiro & Kuro Lolita
Shiro and Kuro Lolita can be taken from any style of Lolita, whether it be Gothic, Sweet, or Classic. If the co-ordination is completely white, then it is accepted as Shiro Lolita while if it is entirely black it is accepted as Kuro.
- Ōji Lolita (Boystyle)
Ōji Includes blouses and shirts, knickerbockers and other styles of short trousers, knee high socks, top hats, and newsboy caps. The colors usually used are black, white, blue and burgundy, though there are feminine versions of the fashion with a broader palette. Good examples would be some of the outfits sold through Baby, the Stars Shine Bright's line Alice and the Pirates.
Though in Japan this fashion is typically referred to as ouji, outside of Japan it is common to hear it referred to as "Kodona".
- Guro Lolita
- Sailor Lolita
- Country Lolita
Country Lolita is derived from the Sweet Lolita style, and is often a little hard to distinguish due to the use of the same sweet patterns and motifs that the Sweet Lolita style uses. However the Country Lolita style can be recognised by straw baskets, hats, fruit, and gingham patterns.
- Wa Lolita
Wa rori (和ロリ ), or Wa Lolita combines traditional Japanese clothing styles with the Lolita fashion. Wa Lolita usually consists of kimono or hakama modified to fit with common Lolita garments. The bottom half of the garment is altered to accommodate a petticoat, or a kimono-style blouse is used as a top to accompany a plain Lolita skirt. Outerwear can include haori or adult-sized hifu-vests. The shoes and accessories used in this style are typical of traditional Japanese garb including kanzashi flowers, and geta, zori, or Okobo. These shoes are often used in place of the normal Lolita platform and high-heeled shoes.[citation needed] The origin of the prefix Wa in Wa Lolita is the kanji Wa (和 ), which is used to denote many things of Japanese origin.[citation needed]- Qi Lolita
- Casual Lolita
Outside of Japan
Outside of Japan, the Lolita fashion, along with cosplay and other Japanese cultural phenomena, can sometimes be seen at concerts and anime conventions throughout North America (see Anime North), the UK, Ireland, Germany, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, France, Belgium, Russia, Sweden and the Netherlands. It is, however, becoming increasingly popular as an everyday subculture style. The style is not mass marketed outside of Japan, though small stores have emerged, including "One Day in Paradise" in central Melbourne. Baby, The Stars Shine Bright and Angelic Pretty both have stores in Paris and San Francisco.
Major brands, such as Metamorphose temps de fille, Angelic Pretty, h. Naoto, Baby, The Stars Shine Bright and Moi-même-Moitié have recently shipped goods to the international market. This is still not widespread, however, and many of the clothes produced by non-Japanese designers are not accepted by the Lolita community for being inaccurate in portraying the style and not being as high-quality as the Japanese brand clothes. However, there is a growing group of dedicated western Lolita fans who wear Lolita clothing on a semi-regular or even a day-to-day basis. Celebrity author Novala Takemoto, an important figure within Lolita culture, traveled to America in 2006 and remarked at a panel on the resourcefulness of western Lolitas, who often make or adapt their own clothing. Outside of Japan there are numerous Lolita groups that will come together and have tea parties, talk and have fun. Lolita magazines are a widely available resource, purchased on the internet and at Japanese bookstores which also deal in anime and manga. The Gothic and Lolita Bible briefly had an American version which featured translated content from the original magazine alongside content from a small but growing group of western Lolita designers from around the world such as Candy Violet, Fanplusfriend, In the Starlight, Blasphemina's Closet, and Sweet Rococo.
An important part of the development of Lolita fashion in America and in Western countries is the online presence in blogging communities. They are listed as the EGL [Elegant Gothic and Lolita] community. Through the online communities, such as LiveJornal and Blogger; Lolita's from all over the world plan meetings, announce events, and share pictures of daily style. There is also a EGL sales community on LiveJournal dedicated for selling and trading of used and new Lolita clothing.
Because of the high costs of Lolita brand clothing, many in the American community are actively involved in selling, buying and trading their brand and home made clothing. They have also begun to purchase used brand clothing from Japanese sites including Closet Child and Japanese Yahoo auctions.
In popular culture
These lists display stories which have either characters wearing some form of Lolita fashion or character designs influenced by the fashion.
anime
- le portrait de petit cossette
- paradise kiss
- princess princess
- shii
- tsubasa:reservoir chronicle
- tsukoyomi:moon phase
- panty & stocing with garterbelt
- umineko no naku koro ni
- 11eyes
- beautiful people
- bizenghast
- black butler
- cat street
- chibi vampire
- chobits
- dazzle
- doll
- door of choas
- godchild
- gosick
- IC in sunflower
- negima!
- othello
- pandora hearts
- princess resurrection
- R.I.P.requiem in phonybrian
- rozen maiden
- the embalmer
- vampire doll
- vampire knight
- wallflower
- xxxholic
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