THE EVOLUTION OF LOLITA FASHION

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Well known lolita brands such as Angelic Pretty and Baby The Stars Shine Bright were created in the early 80’s and did not make clothing that would be defined as ‘lolita’ fashion by today’s standards. Although images from the earlier years of these brands are not available, images dating back from the late 90’s and early 2000’s are.

Late 90’s: The fashion ‘began’ to show some of its earliest traits in the streets of Harajuku, with accents of frills and lace. Plaids were particularly popular. People did not always wear petticoats underneath their skirts.

Early 2000’s: The release of the film, Kamikaze Girls. Lolita fashion grows in popularity.

Kamikaze Girls seemed to coincide with lolita’s growing popularity. The fashion also started to become a bit more recognizable to lolita fashion today. Rectangular headdresses were popular, in addition to clunky rocking horse shoes. This style of lolita is now known as old school. Similar to the 90’s the fashion was also not as strict on petticoats, but they were more a little more frequently.

The fashion also developed its two main styles: sweet, with its lighter colors, and gothic, which features a darker palette.

Mid-2000’s to Early 2010’s: The Boom of Headbows, Over The Top Outfits, and Prints

Lolita fashion began to become more accessible to people in the west. Anime seemed to inspire a few of the coordinates that were made. Colorful wigs became popular, in addition to accessories with motifs to anime series. Lolitas began to experiment more with their coordinates.

A livejournal community, EGL, (Elegant and Gothic Lolita) was founded in the year 2000. Livejournal helped build a bigger community for lolitas outside of Japan.

Closet of Frills is a group where lolitas post their outfits on a daily basis. In the recent years, lolitas have been using social media to keep in touch and share the outfits they put together. It is now easier than ever for lolitas to meet others with the same interests. Between fashion conventions, Facebook groups, and forums, lolitas can get inspiration for their own style. Communities have become close knit, courtesy of social media.

Facebook groups have been made, such as Closet of Frills. About 6,000 people are members of the group alone outfits are posted on a daily basis. People ask for critiques on their outfits and receive it (almost) immediately. The advice from fellow people in the fashion, mainly small tips, have helped people develop their own sense of style. Victorian motifs also seem to be much more prominent.

Baby the Stars Bright opened a store in 2014 in New York City.

Now, lolitas can easily purchase their clothing regardless of the country they are in, and also can stay in touch with people with the same interests. The style has refined itself over the years, with more elegance and emphasis on its Victorian roots. The fashion went from Japan to around the globe in less than a decade and now, there are even conventions catered towards lolita fashion. 4