Monday, August 3, 2020

FASHION TRENDS

By Alycia Gordan


Lolita Fashion Craze is Now for Everyone

Photo courtesy of Devil Inspired



Every generation sees its rise of new fashion styles or the resurgence of ones long forgotten in the previous era. For Lolita fashion, its rise has everything to do with the 80s, 90s, and 2000s.

You might have noticed several ladies going for a cute, elegant, and highly aesthetic look in dresses that want to look close to what a Barbie doll would wear. That right there is the craze that’s taking the fashion industry by storm.

In this piece, we’ll break down what Lolita fashion is, where it came from, and the different variants you can try on. So, read on.


What is Lolita Fashion?

Lolita fashion can be summed up as a form of dressing that emphasizes on cuteness, modesty, elegance, and aesthetics. It’s a broad fashion style with so many different substyles, ranging from the classic Lolita to its darker gothic variants.

Unlike what you think, Lolita is in no way derived from Vladimir Nabokov’s connotation of the term. Thus, despite the existence of the Ero-Lolita substyle, Lolita fashion is not a sexualized fashion style.



Photo courtesy of Devil Inspired



Where did Lolita Fashion Originate From?

Rather, Lolita fashion has its humble origins in Japan. It was born out of the doll fashion, one of the biggest fashion crazes of the 80s. This dollhouse style was first popularized by Milk label, through album covers.

The 90s then saw the official birth of the Lolita fashion, then called the Japanese Lolita fashion. During this time, a lot of visual kei-inspired rock bands surfaced. Visual kei heavily promoted the Lolita fashion not just across different rock bands but also their fans.

Fast forward to the turn of the millennium, and Lolita fashion has undergone a huge growth. This has seen it spread out from Japan into other parts of Asia, America, and Europe. Likewise, a huge array of substyles have appeared as well.


Which Are The Main Styles of Lolita?

There are three main styles of Lolita, as well as other substyles that provide similar looks, albeit with different approaches. This distinction has trickled down to the vendors, with some such as Devil Inspired’s Lolita dresses offering both original design and custom options.

Other vendors, on the other hand, provide dresses only for a specific substyle.

Nonetheless, these are the most distinctive styles of Lolita fashion:


Classic Lolita

This style is heavily influenced by the Victorian era. It has more color, lots of adornments, simple print dresses, and it emphasizes more on modesty and elegance. Plus, compared to other Lolita styles, it uses the A-line shape more. The skirts tend to be longer too, at times almost reaching calf-length.



Photo courtesy of Devil Inspired


Gothic Lolita

If you were to attend a Lolita convention, watch some manga, or anime, this is the variant of Lolita you would be introduced to. Just like classic Lolita, gothic Lolita is also influenced by the Victorian era, more specifically, Victorian Goth fashion.

The overall modest look required of any Lolita fashion is still maintained with this variant. However, A-line skirts are less common, with rich, dark colors being the staple for this variant. Gothic motifs such as skulls and gothic crosses are also common with this variant.



Photo courtesy of Devil Inspired


Sweet Lolita

This is the most common style of Lolita you’ll find over social media. Sweet Lolita maintains the staples of the original Lolita while adding a bit more adorable and sweet flair to the looks. Thus, the colors for this style are usually pastel.

Blue, pink, lavender, and mint green are among the most common color options.

Unlike the other chief variants, sweet Lolita has undergone the most changes over the years. For instance, an older style of Lolita used a pastel base color, with the lace and embroidery being used to bring out the details.

However, a more recent style variant, called the Over the Top (OTT) sweet Lolita, is more extravagant and uses print plus accessories to bring out the details.



Photo courtesy of Devil Inspired





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