Welcome to Seams Unusual, the first in a series of articles that will be uncovering interesting and uncommon alternative fashions from around the world. Each installment will look at hallmark aspects and distinguishing features of the unique style, as well as a short history on how it all began and tips on how you can start putting together your own alternative outfit.
In celebration of the very first Seams Unusual, I’ll be kicking off with the look that is most near and dear to my heart: lolita fashion.
By far the frilliest alternative style out there, it draws inspiration from the Victorian and Rococo eras. Lolita fashion is unafraid of layering on decadent ruffles and luxurious lace. The common silhouette of a lolita outfit (or “coordinate”, in lolita terms) is comprised of a headdress (usually a large bow), a blouse, a knee-length skirt or jumper skirt with an all-important cupcake shaped petticoat—or three!—to give the most adorable amount of poof, stockings or knee-high socks, and feminine shoes. For the cherry on top, a coord is completed with the addition of a cute purse and loads of lovely accessories. As lolita fashion aims at being sweet, youthful, and demure, those who follow the style are sure to avoid showing skin as much as possible—no exposed shoulders, no bare legs, and no cleavage. Furthermore, high, narrow heels, modern clothing, and drab, boring pieces have no place here.
Although it is still just gaining popularity in the Western world, lolita fashion is certainly not new to the alternative fashion scene. Its roots can be traced back to the 1980s on the streets of Harajuku in Japan. While the history is a little fuzzy and it is still unsure when and why it was given its name, there is a vague agreeance that it was spawned from the ladylike, more casual “otome” style, and “visual kei”, a movement where Japanese musicians wore outlandish costumes and extravagant hairstyles and makeup. The first lolita-specific brand, Baby, the Stars Shine Bright, opened in 1988 in the Shibuya district in Tokyo and has been going strong ever since, opening more locations across Japan as well as internationally in Paris, San Francisco, and New York.
Like most alternative fashions and subcultures, lolita fashion has its own spin-offs and subgenres within itself. The most popular of these subgenres is “sweet lolita”, which uses a pastel palette, sugary motifs, curly wigs (often in pigtails), and shimmery makeup, including circle lenses for a doe-eyed look and fluffy false eyelashes. Sweet lolitas are often seen with candy-shaped jewelry and heart-shaped bags, sporting the cutest spin on the lolita style. This is the substyle that Baby, the Stars Shine Bright caters to, as well as another highly popular lolita brand, Angelic Pretty. The two substyles that are the most prominent after sweet lolita are “classic lolita” and “gothic lolita”. Classic lolita makes use of a more muted colour scheme of neutrals and jewel tones, with less focus on cutesy prints and more solids and florals. The giant hairbows and colourful accessories of sweet lolita are swapped out for rose hair combs and strings of pearls. Classic lolita is easily the most mature and old-fashioned in appearance of the varying substyles. Gothic lolita is exactly as it sounds: the love-child of the dark, macabre gothic fashion and the romantic, frilly lolita fashion. With predominantly black or grey pieces and favouring symbols such as bats and crosses, gothic lolita is in almost complete contrast to sweet lolita. Of course, these three subgenres are just scratching the surface of the variety of lolitas to be found in the worldwide community; believe it or not, sailor lolita, military lolita, academic lolita, country lolita, princess (“hime”) lolita, and even styles based on traditional Chinese and Japanese attire (“qi lolita” and “wa lolita”, respectively) are among the many other branches of lolita fashion. There is even a boy-style version, called “kodona lolita”, easing up on the frills and swapping out skirts for shorts. However, kodona seems to be mostly worn by women, and men who have adopted lolita fashion into their wardrobes tend to favour the usual bonnets and bell-shaped skirts common to the style.
Due to the amount of detail, materials, time, and effort needed to create such decadent pieces, lolita is not the cheapest alternative fashion around. Since many lolita stores don’t ship internationally, it can also be notoriously difficult to get your hands on brand garments. The options to travel to Japan or use an online shopping service are always open, but just add to the cost of acquiring even basic pieces. Between prices for a new brand-name dress being in the range of $300 – $500, the miserable state of the loonie, and ridiculous shipping fees, it may seem impossible for anyone outside Japan to join in on this fabulous and fun fashion. But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and North American lolita communities certainly have their share of will. Facebook has numerous second-hand sales groups floating around with many members willing to meet at local universities, parks, and subway stations to save on shipping. The foremost second-hand lolita auction site, Lace Market (found at egl.circlly.com), has hundreds of users from all over the world selling their gently used and often mint-condition brand and off-brand pieces at a half to a third of their original price (or, if you’re lucky, even less!) and offering international shipping to boot. If all else fails and your wallet has more dust bunnies than dollar bills, you can always thrift a sewing machine and whip up some of your own one-of-a-kind lolita garments. Rather than scoffing at your penniless lack of brand, the friendly lolita community will be proud of your efforts and delighted by your skills and designs!
In this modern age of tight leggings, plain tops, and body image issues, lolita fashion can provide whimsy and confidence to your wardrobe. For many, it acts as a loud way of fighting insecurities and expressing themselves. As a wonderfully exciting style, I would urge anyone to try out lolita fashion; it might just be your cup of tea.
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