Lolita fashion

Woman in lolita clothes

Lolita fashion ( Japanese ロリータ・ファッション , Rorīta Fasshon , from English Lolita fashion ) is a fashion style from Japan that is based on the Victorian style and clothing from the Rococo , but has evolved far beyond these two.

The designation

Representatives of the fashion style are mostly of the opinion that the name has nothing to do with nannies , the lolita complex or even with sex. It is much more likely that it emerged in part as a reaction to increasingly revealing clothing, especially among young women. Lolita followers present themselves as cute or elegant rather than sexy. The use of the word is also referred to as wasei-eigo .

The entire fashion style is incorrectly referred to as Gothic Lolita (in truth just a sub-style of the same). However, this is just as wrong as the assumption that Gothic Lolita is a crossover with Gothic culture . This false association is due to the fact that Gothic is often mistakenly used as a synonym for the entire black scene , in which it is actually just one of many Currents is. Since it is often assumed that black clothing is the unifying element of the black scene (incorrectly Gothic ), this term was also applied to (predominantly) black Lolita clothing, which was ultimately adopted.

As a special appearance there are now so-called Brolitas (from English "brother" and "Lolita"), so boys or men who slip into the very feminine clothes.

history

Angelic Pretty lolita shop in Harajuku, Tokyo

The Lolita look began modestly: special attention was paid to the quality of the material and workmanship. The original silhouette consisted of a knee-length skirt or dress with a bell shape supported by petticoats , but has expanded to include various types of clothing including corsets and floor-length skirts. Blouses, knee socks or tights and headgear are also worn. Different styles of design have developed as well as a subculture that is common in many parts of the world.

While the exact origins of Lolita fashion are unclear, it is likely that the movement started in the late 1970s when famous labels like Pink House , Milk and Pretty (later known as Angelic Pretty ) started making Lolita-style clothing for sale. Shortly afterwards, labels like Baby , The Stars Shine Bright and Metamorphose temps de fille were added.

In the 1990s, Lolita fashion became more popular with the rising popularity of bands like Malice Mizer and other visual kei artists. These bands wore costumes that their fans took over. The style soon spread from its origins in the Kansai region and eventually reached Tokyo . Today, Lolita fashion is so popular across Japan that it is even available in department stores.

Appearance

Lolita fashion is characterized by skirts or dresses, which are often decorated with ruffles and lace . In order to maintain their typical shape, they are supported by one or more petticoats or even hoop skirts, which, in contrast to the fashion of the 1950s , are worn exclusively hidden. The clothes usually reach to the knees and are reminiscent of children's or mourning clothes from the Rococo and 19th century . Some similarities to the baroque and 1950s fashion can be seen. In addition, romantic blouses and stockings often trimmed with ruffles or lace are worn. Typical Lolita shoes is made of " Mary Janes " (strappy shoes), so-called "Rocking Horse" or platform shoes . The hair is usually worn with a pony cut , so-called headpieces (lace-trimmed ribbons), bonnets, bows, flowers or hats are used as headdresses. Popular accessories are umbrellas or parasols with lace or ruffles, small handbags, dolls, and less often fans or plush toys.

Clothing styles

Kuro Lolita

Wikipe-tan in Gothic-Lolita style

There are different styles of Lolita clothing.

The most popular styles are:

Gothic Lolita: Dark coloring through black, often in combination with individual white elements such as lace trims. Completely black outfits are also called Kuro Lolita (from Japanese kuroi , German black ) or Black Lolita .
Sweet Lolita: clothes in light or bright colors like pink, light blue or red, lavish use of frills and accessories. Completely white outfits are also called Shiro Lolita (from Japanese shiroi , German white ) or White Lolita .
Classic Lolita: Simple, adult-looking clothing and accessories. a. in bordeaux red, beige / antique white or dark green.

The following styles are also common:

Country Lolita: clothing made up of floral motifs; Accessories such as flower baskets, straw hats that are embroidered with flowers, fabrics with flower or fruit patterns.
Sailor Lolita: Marine related clothing, only navy blue, black and white coloring.
Pirate Lolita: Created by the " Baby-The-Stars-Shine-Bright " sub-label Alice And The Pirates . Mixture of punk and sailor lolita , combination with pirate symbols such as B. eye patches or skulls.
Punk Lolita: Combines typical elements of punk fashion such as tartan pattern , rivets, safety pins, etc.
Steampunk Lolita: Combination of Lolita and Steampunk fashion ; typical elements include a. Aviator goggles, tools, weapons, etc.
Wa- , Qi Lolita: (Jap. Wa and Chin. Qi dt. Harmony ) Combination of the Lolita style and traditional Japanese or Chinese costume.
Casual Lolita: (. English casual , dt. Permeable ) a style for everyday wear.

The following styles are less common:

Hime Lolita: combination with the Hime Gyaru style; Typical accessories: Beehive Hairstyles , Diadem , Highheel -Mules, pastel colors
Pour Lolita : fashion line by designer Novala Takemoto; after his arrest for marijuana possession on September 3, 2007, sales were suspended

There are styles that do not have the typical characteristics of Lolita fashion, but are still part of the fashion trend.

Ero Lolita: Bloomers ( harem pants ), hoop skirts , corsets and corsets are worn open. That is, the clothes, which otherwise as underwear used to be worn as a top laundering. Contrary to what one might assume, the style does not represent the erotic or even pornographic form of Lolita fashion.
Aristocrat: Long dresses or skirts, usually with a cul de Paris, dark colors predominate.
Dandy and Kodona: The male counterpart is the English, dandyism inspired: cylinder, walking stick and pants with a high waist.

In addition to the regular Lolita fashion, there is also the so-called Cosplay Lolita . The main difference is that costumes are worn here. So you slip into the role of a character. These include a .:

Guro Lolita: (Guro, derived from gore , English for blood) or Grotesque Lolita , is a rather rare Lolita style that is becoming increasingly popular. The white clothes with painted blood and bloody accessories are striking. The basis can be any Lolita style.
Maid Lolita: You slip into the role of a housemaid. The defining colors are black and white. Accessories are u. a. Hoods, aprons and possibly suspenders or similar.
Well Lolita: (from English now for nun ) is based on the habits of the nuns. The predominant colors here are also black and white. The dresses are high-necked, floor-length and often with a veil.

Well-known labels

Angelic Pretty
Alice and the Pirates
Baby, the Stars Shine Bright
Innocent World
Juliette and Justine
Mary Magdalene
Metamorphosis Temps De Fille
Moi-même-moitié
Victorian Maiden

Gothic & Lolita Bible

Due to the increasing interest in Lolita, the magazine Gothic & Lolita Bible appears quarterly , which presents the latest Lolita collections, supplies patterns for sewing and provides make-up advice. In addition to fashion tips and new presentations of shops and clothing, the magazine also contains recipes and interviews. Celebrities like Mana , who models for his own fashion label Moi-même-Moitié , as well as the singer Kana , the musician Miyavi and Aya (guitarist of the band Psycho le cému ) can be seen in many editions. In addition, the magazine often contains short manga stories, for example by Mitsukazu Mihara. In 2008 and 2009 Tokyopop published a total of five English editions of the Gothic & Lolita Bible .

In Germany, Lolita fashion is mainly spread through the Internet and the increasing coverage of magazines such as Astan, Daisuki and Koneko .