✿ Lolita Fashion Club ✿

[strawberry_dolly]

✿ 𝕝𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕒 𝕗𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕔𝕝𝕦𝕓 ✿

✿ -- Hello! Since the old thread was relatively inactive, I’ve kindly been granted permission to make a new one! Whether you wear the fashion already, are thinking of starting or are simply interested in the fashion, all are welcome to come and discuss this Japanese street fashion!

from the original thread:

What is a "Lolita style?"
Lolita is a trend of clothing to resemble a more playful and innocent side of fashion. There are many different genres of lolita, such as Princess, Gothic, Sweet, and more! You do not have to buy a 500 dollar dress to classify in this style, this is a modest style, so by dressing elegantly and looking youthful you can achieve this style. Many people think "brand name" is the only way to join this style, but fashion can be creative too. It's appropriate to wear such a style at Tea Parties, Conventions, and other events where wearing fancy clothes and costumes are okay.

✿ -- the old thread can be found here!
✿ -- please take a look at our rules, information and FAQ to find out more!

✿ 𝕔𝕠𝕕𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕦𝕔𝕥 ✿

✿1✿ -- obviously all CS forum rules apply
✿2✿ -- if you do wish to post flatlays/co-ord photos, please make sure your face is completely obscured
✿3✿ -- please be polite, helpful and try not to spread misinformation
✿4✿ -- make sure all content is relevant to lolita fashion!
✿5✿ -- discussion of anything nsfw, cosplay or related to the book of the same name will not be allowed! whilst there's nothing wrong with this (although nsfw content is not allowed on CS at all), these things are not related to the fashion

✿ the purpose of this thread is to discuss our love of this fashion style ✿
✿ people of all gender identities and backgrounds are welcome to talk about new releases, show off crafting projects or ask for coord advice! ✿
✿ come and make friends! ✿

[strawberry_dolly]

𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕝𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕒 𝕗𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕠𝕟?

✿ -- lolita fashion is a Japanese street fashion, born from natural kei in Harajuku in the 1970s! It takes its inspiration from rococo gowns and Victorian era fashion, as well as gothic and aristocrat style and colourful kawaii culture. It focuses on modesty, elegance and cuteness, and it’s most distinctive feature is the full, bell shaped/a-line skirts!

𝕚𝕞𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕤

✿ OP = one piece (a dress with sleeves)
✿ JSK = jumper skirt (a dress without sleeves/that leaves the shoulders bare)
✿ OTK/UTK = over-the-knee/under-the-knee (socks to wear with Lolita)
✿ RHS = rocking horse shoes (a popular shoe style in old school Lolita)
✿ Co-ord = co-ordinate (a complete lolita outfit)

✿ Harajuku = a district in Tokyo, from which many j-fashion styles originate
✿ AP = Angelic Pretty
✿ BtSSB = Baby the Stars Shine Bright
✿ MMM = Moi-même-Moitié
✿ AatP = Alice and the Pirates
✿ Meta = Metamorphose Temps de Fille

𝕝𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕒 𝕤𝕦𝕓𝕤𝕥𝕪𝕝𝕖𝕤

✿ -- lolita fashion consists of many differing substyles, united by the silhouette and dress style. the main 3 are as follows:

characterised by pastel colours, cute or kawaii motifs and an overall youthful and fun feel
✿ popular colours are pink, lavender, sax blue, mint and white
✿ popular motifs are desserts, sweets, and cute, cartoon animals
✿ popular accessories include plastic jewellery, oversized bows, frilly socks and wrist cuffs and cute rosettes

characterised by a more mature, elegant feel with a muted colour palette and victorian inspiration
✿ popular colours are browns and creams, muted pinks and jewel tones
✿ popular motifs are angels, florals, more realistic animals and jewellery
✿ popular accessories include pearls, bonnets, elegant rings and true vintage pieces like shawls and gloves

characterised by a darker, gothic look with more "spooky" motifs and accessories
✿ popular colours are black, dark blues and metallic shades
✿ popular motifs are architecture, vampires, gothic literature and halloween themes
✿ popular accessories include rosary or crucifix jewellery, black lace gloves and tights, corsets and darker makeup

[strawberry_dolly]

✿ 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒 𝕔𝕠-𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕖 ✿

✿ -- a co-ordinate or "co-ord" is just another term for a lolita outfit! here is a quick guide to what constitutes a lolita co-ord
✿ -- Lolita is a complex fashion, consisting of many layers! Let’s work from the bottom up:

✿Petticoat✿
petticoats are absolutely essential, although the volume/”poof” may vary depending on the style you wish to achieve. they are what give the iconic Lolita silhouette
✿Bloomers/shorts✿
most lolitas will wear some form of shorts underneath the dress to ensure modesty (plus, cute peeking lace shorts can add an extra detail to an outfit
✿Blouse✿
if a skirt or JSK is being worn, it’s important to add a cute matching blouse underneath, to make sure the shoulders stay covered! this may also be swapped for a cardigan, peignoir or cutsew
✿Legwear✿
since modesty is important, over-knee socks or tights, often printed to match the main piece, tend to be worn. However, cute ankle socks for warmer weather are also popular
✿Shoes✿
appropriate cute shoes are a must! Popular styles are tea-party shoes or elegnant glittery heels. Classic Lolitas might wear Victorian styled boots, and gothic platforms would match a more gothic co-ord
✿Main Piece✿
the main dress is the focus point of an outfit, and often determines the style and theme. A candy-coloured dress with a print of bunnies would lend itself to an over-the-top sweet style coord, whereas a more elegant gothic co-ord might be achieved with a darker dress with graveyard motifs
✿Headwear✿
it’s very important to have a matching head accessory to balance colour in a co-ord. most dresses have assigned “matching” headwear released at the same time. Popular styles include bows, bonnets, berets, alice bands, rectangle headdresses or even flower crowns, tiaras and veils
✿Accessories✿
the most fun part of Lolita is being able to accessories by adding matching jewellery, (more) hair clips, ribbons and pins to add personality and detail to an outfit

✿ 𝕔𝕠-𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕚𝕡𝕤 ✿

✿ -- the best way to achieve a good co-ord is to look for balance - it's called a "co-ord" because it is co-ordinated! Make sure you stick to a small colour palette (which you can do by picking out prominent colours within the print of a dress, or choosing a neutral shade that matches well), and ensure colours are balanced throughout an outfit. If you have a colour worn on your head, it should be matched on your legs.
✿ -- a very simple way to do this is to follow the sock-blouse rule: match your socks or tights to your blouse, and match your dress to your shoes and headwear. The more matchy-matchy your outfit, the better!
✿ -- you should also ensure your motifs are consistent: one outfit might feature a “sweets” theme, with cake and macaron jewellery, whilst another might instead be more angelic in theme, with wings and a halo included in the accessories.
✿ -- the more you put together outfits, whether it be with pieces you own or pieces you have seen online, the better you’ll get, and there’s so many Lolitas out there from whom you can take inspiration for new ways to wear a piece!

[strawberry_dolly]

𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕡𝕗𝕦𝕝 𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕜𝕤

𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝 𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕔𝕖𝕤

𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕡𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕘

✿ -- the first place everyone thinks to buy lolita is from the popular Japanese brands. here are some of the most well known:

✿Angelic Pretty USA based shop Paris based shop✿
Angelic Pretty is one of the first and most popular lolita brands, specialising mostly in sweet prints with the occasional classic/gothic styles. they also make adorable plastic jewellery!
✿Baby the Stars Shine Bright / Alice and the Pirates✿
BtSSB or just Baby is another popular sweet lolita brand, known for their cute Usakumya mascot! AatP is their sister shop, with more elegant, gothic releases
✿Metamorphose Temps de Fille✿
Metamorphose is often known as the "oddball" of the lolita community! Their sizing tends to be more inclusive, and they do some very interesting and "out-there" prints!
✿Innocent World✿
Innocent World does more classic, vintage or victorian inspired pieces
✿Moi-meme-Moitie✿
This gothic brand does some of the most iconic gothic lolita pieces and prints, as well as accessories and jewellery to match!
✿Bodyline✿
Bodyline is a more cost-effective Japanese brand which sells considerably cheaper main pieces and lolita staples (particularly cute shoes!) However, it's important to be careful when purchasing, as they are also a cosplay retailer, and so not everything on the site is lolita-appropriate!

✿ -- however, this can be very expensive! a more cost-effective alternative is to shop using Taobao, a Chinese shopping site. here are some taobao resellers, which sell taobao brand items in a more user-friendly way:

✿Lolita Wardrobe✿

✿ -- lolita fashion thrives on the second hand market - this is the best place to find older pieces for great prices, or to sell your own clothing! some second hand retailers are listed here:

✿Lace Market✿
Lace Market is essentially like a lolita eBay! It allows for buying/selling/auctioning of pieces from other lolitas, and it's easy to find some great deals!
✿Fril/Rakuten✿
Whilst using Fril (a Japanese auction site) requires a translator and a shopping service (they only ship within Japan, so you will need a shopping service to forward the parcel to you!), there are some amazing deals on brand name dresses!
✿Wunderwelt✿
A second-hand brand retailer, it's often possible to find hugely reduced brand pieces here. They also have a section called "Wunderwelt Fleur", selling new brand pieces in a more accessible way for international lolitas!
✿Closet Child✿
Again, closet child sells second-hand brand pieces for incredibly reduced prices! They also have physical locations in Japan!

✿ -- another good place to find lolita is through indie brands, which have unique pieces and helps support independent lolita creators! Etsy can be a great place to find pieces like accessories and jewellery, or you can go via the brands websites:
(wip)

𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕡𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕤𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕔𝕖𝕤

✿ -- since many lolita brands are focused in Japan (or sometimes in China), international shipping directly from the brand may not be possible. for this reason, many lolitas have set up shopping services, which (for a small fee) will purchase your items for you, and forward them to an international address. Some popular services are:

✿Tenshi Shop✿
A lolita-owned service, Tenshi shop can be used to purchase items and also to buy items on release day (when they may sell out quickly!
✿FromJapan✿
FromJapan is a proxy bidding service used to shop in Japanese web stores and to bid on Japanese auctions sites!

𝕔𝕣𝕒𝕗𝕥 𝕥𝕦𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕝𝕤

(wip)

✿ if you have any links to recommend, please post them here so they can be added!✿

[strawberry_dolly]

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[strawberry_dolly]

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[strawberry_dolly]

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[Yaeli]

I love this fashion style! Although I don't dress this way, I am influenced by it and love looking at different Lolita outfits. Japanese street fashion is so cool overall.

[dozy]

hehe I’ve been wearing this style for about five years, mainly sweet but I’m mixing classic more into my wardrobe. :)

I’d say probably don’t recommend devil inspired though, they’ve had some pretty big data breeches and sent out wrong parcels and stuff. They sent a parcel to the wrong address and just gave the receiver the other person’s address to ship out the stuff to which is a major invasion of privacy

[strawberry_dolly]

hehe I’ve been wearing this style for about five years, mainly sweet but I’m mixing classic more into my wardrobe.

I’d say probably don’t recommend devil inspired though, they’ve had some pretty big data breeches and sent out wrong parcels and stuff. They sent a parcel to the wrong address and just gave the receiver the other person’s address to ship out the stuff to which is a major invasion of privacy

✿ -- hi! I'm almost exclusively a sweet lolita too!
✿ -- and I never knew that about devil inspired, I've never had a problem (but then I don't order from them super often). I've taken it off the list just to be sure - thank you for the info!