History UsefulNotes / LolitaFashion

* BerserkButton: '''REPLICA vs. BRAND'''. Bringing this up on any Lolita fashion forum is guaranteed to cause trouble and drama, with neither sides sparing words and generally being very, very vicious. Both sides, ironically, claim that the opposition cares too much about labels.
** On one hand the replica side states that [[NoExportForYou many items are not accessible to people in other countries]], and replicas are simply supplying a demand, not to mention that not all brands are made equal and their quality doesn't always justify the prices.
** The brand side argues that [[StrawmanHasAPoint many popular brands are, despite online popularity, very small compared to mainstream brands and replicas just hurt their already small profits]], and if people genuinely enjoy wearing Lolita, they would buy and give support from cheaper, independent brands or simply make their own instead of essentially buying knockoffs.
** Stating that Lolita Fashion has anything to do with pedophilia, is a sexual fetish, or is just cosplay. Just don't.

* BrokenBase: The whole scene tends to be this, considering the large and ever-increasing number of those who adhere to specific sub-sets, and also depending on how seriously certain individuals take dressing in Lolita.

[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolita_fashion Lolita fashion]] is a style of fashion originating from [[WidgetSeries Japan]], characterized by [[PimpedOutDress puffy skirts, frills, loads of accessories, large ribbons]] and a huge emphasis on keeping a cute, innocent, elegant, Victorian doll-like appearance. There may be FairyTale elements thrown in for good measure (though not always). [[OfCorsetsSexy Corsets]] and gowns are sometimes worn as well.

* {{Guro}} Lolita: The subset of Lolita that [[MoralGuardians concerned parents]] hate; it is BloodierAndGorier than other Lolita styles, and also the [[DarkerAndEdgier darkest, most extreme]] style of them all. The style follows the basic Lolita silhouette, but focuses on a "broken doll" image and features a ''whole lot'' of {{Gorn}}, complete with distressed fabrics (white being a favorite color, as it contrasts well with red), torn-up clothes, bandages, messy hair, heavy makeup and fake blood. Slasher film-inspired elements such as fake wounds, slit wrists, bloody weapon props and corpse paint are very popular. The style takes cues from {{Emo}} at times, and might come across as being [[{{Wangst}} wangsty]], but does not promote self-harm. A lot of Guro Lolis base their style off medical themes and [[OurZombiesAreDifferent zombies]]. [[NotSafeForWork Generally not an everyday style]] for Lolitas and usually reserved for certain occasions.

-->--[[WebVideo/RebelTaxi Pan Pizza]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq1c1G25VBc Top 10 Animated GOTH Girls]]

* Baby, the Stars Shine Bright: created in 1988, focusing on Sweet Lolita although its general aesthetic of lacy elegance allows some of their dresses to fit into other styles like Classic and Gothic Lolita. Its sister brand Alice and the Pirates was created in 2004 with a darker, more Gothic spin, and [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin produces a lot of clothes for Pirate Lolita.]] Baby, the Stars Shine Bright is the brand featured in ''the'' Lolita movie, ''LightNovel/KamikazeGirls''.

* ''LightNovel/KamikazeGirls'' -- the main character Momoko. Notably a piece of work that is actually dedicated to the style and one that portrays it completely accurately (though a version of Lolita in 2004 that is rather old-fashioned style of Lolita compared to what it is today,) even getting Lolita brand Baby the Stars Shine Bright to supply the clothes.

* Ouji/Boystyle: Sometimes referred to as "kodona", this is the SpearCounterpart of Lolita fashion. The style aims to look like a young anime boy and includes blouses, shirts, puffy shorts, knee-high socks, male anime character or host hairstyles, top hats and leather shoes. . Though primarily targeted for boys, [[MisaimedFandom many girls also choose the style]]. Jyou and Omi of Music/ExistTrace showcase this. Alice and the Pirates is quite handy for frequent releases of this style.

* Punk Lolita: Defined by less emphasis on the Lolita image and more on [[DarkerAndEdgier darker, punkier]] styles. It draws heavily from punk fashion (HeavyMetal fashion is fairly popular as well), but stays true to the Lolita silhouette (though not always). The image is usually stripped-down and very difficult to achieve, and is usually characterized by blouses, band shirts, jackets and skirts instead of dresses. Boots are worn instead of Mary Janes or platform shoes. [[HellBentForLeather Leather]] accessories are very common, [[TooManyBelts sometimes used in excess]]. [[{{Zipperiffic}} Zippers are also used as decorative accents]] and a typical Punk Lolita coordinate will involve plaid. Punk Lolita usually features AnimeHair in [[ImprobableHairstyle one]] [[DelinquentHair form]] [[SpikyHair or]] another, and styles start looking a bit more like VisualKei than Lolita. Less-flashy Punk Lolita styles resemble {{Emo}} or PerkyGoth styles to some extent. While not a Lolita designer, Vivienne Westwood [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff is very popular in this scene]] for her Japanese punk fashion collections.

* Punk Lolita: Defined by less emphasis on the Lolita image and more on [[DarkerAndEdgier darker, punkier]] styles. It draws heavily from punk fashion (HeavyMetal fashion is fairly popular as well), but stays true to the Lolita silhouette (though not always). The image is usually stripped-down and very difficult to achieve, and is usually characterized by blouses, band shirts, jackets and skirts instead of dresses. Boots are worn instead of Mary Janes or platform shoes. [[HellBentForLeather Leather]] accessories are very common, [[TooManyBelts sometimes used in excess]]. [[{{Zipperiffic}} Zippers are also used as decorative accents]] and a typical Punk Lolita coordinate will involve plaid. Punk Lolita usually features AnimeHair in [[ImprobableHairstyle one]] [[DelinquentHair form]] [[SpikyHair or]] [[MegaTwintails another]], and styles start looking a bit more like VisualKei than Lolita. Less-flashy Punk Lolita styles resemble {{Emo}} or PerkyGoth styles to some extent. While not a Lolita designer, Vivienne Westwood [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff is very popular in this scene]] for her Japanese punk fashion collections.

** That said, with the [[BerserkButton sheer amount]] of hate targeted at LoliconAndShotacon, many anime and manga creators take care to develop characters that would not imply anything of an erotic nature and instead would appeal more to, let's say, VisualKei fans, {{Goth}}s or the ShoujoDemographic, leading to more true-to-life depictions of lolis. For more specific examples, the ElegantGothicLolita has a list of them.

** Special mention goes to the Franchise/TouhouProject [[CashCowFranchise franchise]] by ''ZUN'', which takes Lolita to extremes. The entire series features loads of characters dressed in some form of Lolita clothing, (with some characters progressively lolified in later releases) battling it out in eye-catching BulletHell duels.

** The lifestyle itself and the stereotype are exaggerated -- some followers of the lifestyle go to [[LogicalExtreme extremes]], lolifying most, if not all, aspects of their lifestyle to the point where it is nearly impossible to determine any dividing line between [[LiveActionRolePlay re-enactment/performance]] and [[RealLife actual lifestyle.]] Some just wear the clothes occasionally.

Occasionally overlaps with VisualKei. Can also overlap with FairytaleWeddingDress, ImpracticallyFancyOutfit, and ParasolOfPrettiness. See also CostumePorn, AwesomeAnachronisticApparel, GracefulLadiesLikePurple, and other related tropes. Has absolutely NOTHING to do with the infamous novel of the same name (even the mere mention of it would incite outrage among members of the subculture). Has their own dedicated magazine, the quarterly published ''Gothic and Lolita Bible".

->''"Yeah, Lolitas are great. [[ThatCameOutWrong Whoa-whoa-whoa okay wait]], Lolis and Lolita ''complex'', that's bad. Lolita ''fashion'', that's something completely different. It's really cool, you should see it."''

* [[ShesGotLegs She's Got Legs[=/=]He's Got Legs]] Usually seen in Boystyle and Ero Lolita. Though the fashion's ideals of modesty usually means that most Lolitas will be wearing tights or socks to cover their legs.

->''"Yeah, Lolitas are great. Whoa-whoa-whoa okay wait, Lolis and Lolita ''complex'', that's bad. Lolita ''fashion'', that's something completely different. It's really cool, you should see it."''

* NiceShoes: An essential part of all Lolita styles.

* Of special mention is the manga/anime Manga/RozenMaiden, whose plot centers on living Victorian dolls showcasing the various styles of Lolita Fashion turned UpToEleven.

** Usually taken UpToEleven when such bands are female-fronted or have female vocalists; not only do they dress up in ostentatious attire, but also act like Lolitas and (though not always) take their Lolita personas offstage. Tarja Turunen of Music/{{Nightwish|Band}} and Cristina Scabbia of Music/LacunaCoil are particularly notable. Of special mention is Amy Lee of Music/{{Evanescence}}, who brought the style closer to the Western {{Goth}} fanbase.

** Special mention goes to the Franchise/TouhouProject [[CashCowFranchise franchise]] by ''ZUN'', which takes Lolita [[UpToEleven to extremes]]. The entire series features loads of characters dressed in some form of Lolita clothing, (with some characters progressively lolified in later releases) battling it out in eye-catching BulletHell duels.

* ImpossiblyCoolClothes / ImpracticallyFancyOutfit: The main thing that defines Lolita fashion. It [[SerialEscalation gets]] [[UpToEleven crazier]] as you go to the more OTT styles.

* TastesLikeDiabetes: OTT Sweet Lolita. It's also sometimes TheScrappy of Lolita, and has gained many detractors, even among Sweet Lolitas, due to [[ItsPopularNowItSucks its massive mainstream appeal]].
** Speaking of TheScrappy, Casual Lolita also gets some hate for being a less classy, [[ItsEasySoitSucks less-challenging]], [[ItsPopularNowItSucks more mainstream]] version of the style, or it often gets pegged as "not Lolita enough".

* LighterAndSofter: Sweet Lolita. It's also the more [[TastesLikeDiabetes sugary]] variant of Lolita, and anything associated with it oozes with {{Moe}}.

* Classic Lolita: arguably the "parent" style where the other styles draw inspiration from. It is a mature and modest style that draws heavily from Rococo and Victorian-era clothing. The stylings are between the Gothic and Sweet styles, with more emphasis on creating a natural-looking appearance: it is DarkerAndEdgier (though usually just more mature and elegant) than Sweet Lolita, but LighterAndSofter than Gothic Lolita. Coordinates are usually exquisite and more grownup-looking than in other styles, with A-line skirts, corsets, muted colors and classy fabrics like florals adding to the look. Accessories are kept to a minimum, but the NiceHat is fairly common, as well as very beautiful, intricate jewelry. Music/KanonWakeshima is this.

* Ouji/Boystyle: Sometimes referred to as "kodona", this is the SpearCounterpart of Lolita fashion. The style aims to look like a young anime boy and includes blouses, shirts, puffy shorts, knee-high socks, male anime character or host hairstyles, [[NiceHat top hats]] and leather shoes. . Though primarily targeted for boys, [[MisaimedFandom many girls also choose the style]]. Jyou and Omi of Music/ExistTrace showcase this. Alice and the Pirates is quite handy for frequent releases of this style.
** Elegant Gothic Aristocrat: Arguably the [[DarkerAndEdgier darker]], more badass version of Boystyle and Lolita. The style focuses on awesomeness and elegance. Expect to see the various forms of badass clothing (BadassCape, BadassLongcoat, BadassLongRobe, etc...) being worn by someone somewhere in the sub-scene. Also expect to see [[NiceHat cool headgear]] being worn. If headgear aren't worn, expect to see EightiesHair and other full-looking hairstyles. The style usually bears a resemblance to Edwardian, classic gangster, or Mafia fashion styles in its least impressive form, and royal fashion in its most extreme. Crosses over with VisualKei. As an androgynous style, it caters to both men and women, and Aristocrat outfits can be worn by both sexes. Music/{{Versailles}} is this. Creator/{{Gackt}} used to be and still has elements of this. Moi-Meme-Moitie is an example of a brand that regularly has EGA clothes.

* NiceHat: A common fashion accessory associated with the more sophisticated styles. Very popular in the Aristocrat, Boystyle, and Classic Lolita scenes, to the point that it's as common as showing hair, especially for members of the subculture who have day jobs, are keeping a low profile, are wearing them for some other reason, or simply showing off.