Lolita fashion

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Lolita (???????????, ror?ta fasshon) is a fashion subculture originating in Japan during the 1990s that is based on Victorian and Edwardian clothing with a Rococo influence.

Video Lolita fashion

Description

Lolita fashion has several key components that define it: generous skirts supported by petticoats, well-constructed clothing, and a modest yet feminine style. Often times the clothing in the fashion is constructed using quality materials such as cotton, silk, organza, tulle, and more; it is generally considered unacceptable to wear polyester or cheap satin fabrics. Modesty is also a must, with many Western lolitas requiring that, at minimum, the shoulders and any cleavage must be covered. Finally, much like the dresses and skirts of the Rococo and Victorian periods, which heavily influence the fashion, skirts must be voluminous and be supported by petticoats.

When the fashion first began, single coloured pieces with lace trim and details were more popular, but dresses with thematic prints are in vogue in the present. Prints can range anywhere from cookies and sweets, to Gothic castles and even silverware.

Maps Lolita fashion

History

The first known use of the term "lolita" as a Japanese subculture was in the September 1987 issue of Ryukou Tsushin, a Japanese fashion magazine. However, the origin of the term's meaning is complex and remains unclear. Though the word "lolita" carries a different context in the Western world, it widely agreed upon by many familiar with the history of the fashion that this context was not intended to be applied to the fashion.

The movement itself started organically around 1970 on the streets of Harajuku, Japan, by young women who wished to distance themselves from societal expectations of school, work, and marriage. The original participants decided to spend more time on something that made them happy, instead of spending time searching for a husband (as was the norm at the time). Thus began the fashion's early ties to feminism, and its start as a global interest.

Japanese designers later picked up on the fashion and began creating pieces that would cater to the style. Angelic Pretty, Baby the Stars Shine Bright, and Moi-même-Moitié are largely credited with expanding the style. The owner of the label Moi-même-Moitié, Mana (often called "Mana-sama" by fans), helped to popularize the fashion by wearing it during his tenure as a guitarist in Malice Mizer. Mana and some other famous musicians at the time also founded lolita-inspired magazines, which made the style popular among Japanese youth.

The fashion is being promoted throughout the world by Misako Aoki, the president of the Japan Lolita Association. She was one of the first ever to be offered the position of Kawaii Ambassador, by the government of Japan itself, to represent and educate about Japanese pop culture, which included lolita.