The Confident Regality of Lolita Fashion

Hallie Hannum

olita is a subculture that originates from the Harajuku prefecture, the central hub of street fashion and culture in Tokyo, Japan. The style began emerging in Japan during the ‘80s and ’90s; the style was a rebellion against the society of commercialization and rigidity that was surrounding fashion and people’s – mainly women’s – bodies. The current fashion trends of the ‘90s and up until today, have mainly focused on mostly fitting clothing, “sexy,” and largely focused on outward appearances specifically. In Japanese fashion culture, Lolita has very specific but also very broad meanings. Rebels Market describes the meaning as such: “...in Japanese culture, the term Lolita represents cuteness, elegance, and modesty, hence its awesome aesthetic.”

Lolita fashion has a wide range of “archetypes” that are presented in the aesthetics of appearances. Typically the most common types of Lolita fashion presented are “sweet Lolita,” “gothic Lolita,” and “classic Lolita,” but there are dozens of different kinds with different appearances. The fashion gains its style inspirations from the Victorian era, Marie Antoinette, Rococo, and Alice in Wonderland, to name a few. The most common characteristics are the large bell skirts, frills, an abundance of accessories, ribbons, petticoats, lace, and bows. Although the fashion style derived from Japan, it has gained worldwide popularity, especially in the west, where that type of modest and elegant fashion is not usually as common as it is in other places. The appeal of Lolita fashion is often one that is hard for people to understand: it can come across as being very restricting, conservative, girly, and overall harboring limited views on women’s fashion that may be seen as negatively impacting. For the worldwide group of Lolita fashion admirers, it’s completely the opposite. Lolita to most is a place where they have found themselves in the clothes they wear, and are able to show their personality and appreciation for fashion (and

Japanese culture) in a form of dressing that is oftentimes the complete opposite of current fashion. They feel comfortable.

Many people often say that through Lolita fashion they have been able to find a wonderful community of other people who dress the same. They’ve been able to find likeminded people all around the globe. Despite its unconventional nature of very modest dressing and often very feminine appearances, those who dress in Lolita say they never truly felt like themselves in fashion as much as they have since starting to dress this way. Although the style has often been described as costumey or “cosplay,” those who partake in it do not see it that way. They aren’t putting on a costume to parade in for a show, they are simply putting on clothes that belong to a specific fashion, the same as anyone else in any other part of the world would. They aren’t using their clothes to hide behind, as others following current fashion trends may be, instead, they are using these clothes to be able to express themselves fully and what they love through their outfits.

Lolita is a fashion culture that has a community. It has a specific community of people who all love to dress this unique way and who want others to be able to feel the same sense of confidence and self-assurance that they have been able to find in this fashion. For them, dressing this way is their way of life, of expressing themselves fully, of having a good time with friends, and of showing their resistance to the negative impacts that modern fashion has had on themselves and others. Lolita is a fashion that is centered around authentic, abundant, and all-inclusive self-expression and the ability to feel confident in whatever you might wear.

And at the end of the day, is that not what fashion is truly supposed to be about?

What builds personal style, who inspires the pieces in the closet, and how does the Ritz help cultivate these ideas? The Ritz chimes in their opinions.

Susan (Ritz store owner!):

My first question is…does it go with combat boots? And the answer is, of course it does! Comfort always, paired with a little edginess. Who wants to be boring? I love the soft/hard contrast of a feminine dress paired with purposeful boots. Layer a leather moto jacket on top and a plush pashmina scarf and you’ve got it going. I’m loving the tencel crop cargos with military jackets over pretty tees. Or substituting ripped jeans as an alternative. Anything crochet is so happening; my fave is a hand made short cotton crochet kimono. Gorgeous! Also on my fave list is anything embroidered! There’s so much to choose from! Brands to look for in store are XCVI, Billy T, Mauritius, Paparazzi, Liverpool, Saachi.

Margrét (floor manager):

My personal style was born of limited resources. Growing up my family wasn’t financially able to shop for all the new, fast fashion trends that were popular among kids at my school (and fitting in wasn’t a high priority for me as a kid anyway). Instead my closet grew from clearance section shopping, hand me downs from my mom, free bins at garage sales, and above all, thrifting. As my interest in alternative fashion grew, we would shop at Halloween stores for pieces I’d wear all year round. As a result, I’ve never had one style that’s cohesive or consecutive. Instead I’ve always tried on trends, styles, and aesthetics the same way a little kid plays dress up. That’s part of what I love so much about The Ritz— there’s something for any person, with any style, and all fashion senses are welcomed and encouraged with open arms. My favorite things in the store right now are all things pink! A pink latex dress, baby pink Gogo boots, and I swear I have three different pink fuzzy coats from The Ritz. I also love Effie’s Heart swing dresses (they have pockets!), especially the ones with the cute mushroom prints. But the best part of working here is helping others find those perfect pieces that make their own heart sing <3!

Alex (Employee):

My style can be encompassed by the intersection of 70’s disco and bohemian maximalism. The inspirations for my draw to this blend are maximalism accounts on TikTok, the reemergence of 70s trends: bell bottoms, crochet, and fur trimmed coats (faux of course), and encouragement to thrift or upcycle. What this looks like for me is juxtaposing soft, graceful pieces with unexpected, bold prints. At the Ritz, I embody the essence of my style by clashing structured pieces with feminine accessories and constantly layering. My favorite items in the store right now are the long cream white sparkly skirt by Bear Dance, the holographic four inch platform boots, our multicolor crochet dress by N*1 Los Angeles, and all of our decades rental rack pieces (specifically the black and white cutout jumpsuit & the pink fur trimmed pants).

Landon (Employee):

I feel that ‘style’ is a very generous way to describe my fashion sense. That being said, I’m most definitely a dress for comfort type of person. However, I do get enthusiastic whenever I get the opportunity to help dress people up with the wide selection of clothes and costumes that we have available here at The Ritz. Especially when I get to help any gentlemen attending a formal event; between the razzle dazzle of our rhinestone Western Fashion brand blazers and our selection of rental vintage formal attire, I really take pride when we are able to find formal wear that someone actually feels comfortable in.

Hands down, though, my favorite is dressing people up for costumes! Everyone always has a fun story behind their occasion for wearing a costume, it’s never for a dull reason. We have so many unique options to choose from when it comes to costumes, it makes it tough to pick my favorite. But I absolutely love anything that glows in the dark!

Ciara (Employee):

For as long as I can remember I’ve always loved clothes and to dress up. My style doesn’t really have any prominent themes except for the colors, I never wear bright colors and usually stick to neutrals. Which definitely stems from my sister’s Justice hand me downs. It’s hard to explain my personal style; I sort of just know what I love and I know what I don’t and throughout the years I’ve definitely been inspired by musicians like Patti Smith, Marc Bolan and other artists from the 60s-70s.

I love so many things in the store, the Gogos, and our fuzzy jackets as well as our gorgeous jewelry. But some of my favorite things in the store are the weird costume items like our raccoon hats and costume jewelry. It’s fun to style things out of the ordinary, which is a huge reason I love this job. Helping people find an outfit that they feel confident and comfortable in can be a tumultuous but definitely rewarding process.