LOLITAS

I've been forever missing-in-action (AGAIN) but now I'm back. Finals over and now I'm officially tri-lingual! You know how it is at the end of semester where everybody gotta do some sort of presentation at the end of the semester and I sat through a shitload of non-worthy ones until I came across this topic: Japanese Fashion (Nihon-no-fuyasshon).

In Japan there's quite a few really popular trend from modest to the extremes, Kogals, Ganguros, Yamanba but I picked my favorite: LOLITAS. No, not Vladimir Nabokov's 1962 Lolita!

Lolita fashion resembles children's clothing from the Victorian period combining with the Rococo. The trend started in the late 1970's and blew up in the 90's. It's considered a subculture and is divided into a couple of subcategories:

1. Sweet Lolita

Usually consist of pastel colors, child-like make up, and cute print. So cute it almost made me barf. Sorry!, I'm just not a big fan of pink, babyblue and all things pastels. The girls sometimes carry stuffed animals, and teddy bears around with them. I personally would not go through the trouble.

2. Wa Lolita (WAH?!)

Combining traditional Japanese garments with the Lolita style. Kimono sleeves and patterns are very common. Sometimes the obi (bow sash around the waist use to wrap the kimono) is added to the waist of the dress. Anything cultural I'm for it. I can appreciate the traditional Japanese kimono. Some of the very extravagant ones worn by Geisha's of Kyoto can take up to 3 years to make due to the hand-painting and embroidering process. That's dedication and effort for an outfit.

3. Punk Lolita

Usually is the regular Lolita style incorporated with the punk elements, anywhere from pins, plaids, chains, tattered fabric, and dark make up. In Western cultures, our clothes are often used to identify us with the subculture which we're related to such as punk from the 80's until now but in the Lolita category, it just is a style and doesn't have any music relation. WEIRD. I'd freak out if I see the punked out girl next to me listening to J-pop.

4. Country Lolita

Well, loads of tablecloth pattern dresses and fruit baskets as purses.






5. Gothic Lolita

The most influencial category in the Lolita trend. The girls reminds me of Ozzy Osbourne with a lot of crucifixes and religious symbols which again, is only a style does not have any relation to christianity. Gothic Lolitas wear heavy eye make up with red lipstick but not as intense as the goth version of the West that we're familiar with. The most influencial person to the Gothic Lolita movement is a cross-dressed man named Mana (former member of the band Malice Mizer) You can't tell that he doesn't own a koochi from looking at his picture. Mana now owns a clothing line called Moi-meme-moitie and is the person who coined the term Elegant Gothic Lolita or EGL.

Foxy? ...

Still no koochi...

Last one, MY PICK:

5. Classical Lolita

Muted colors, black and white. Peacoats, head dresses. Focuses on the Boroque and Rocaille style. This shit is for the graduates!

How cute is this girl with the bangs? The bangs, the coat, the hat, and the blacked-out outfit is pretty fuckin' cool but I'm gonna have to pray for her to get a new man.

This makes me wanna throw on a dress, mary jane shoes, some gloves, and some cute head dress. Keep it blacked-out though. I'm not trying to look like a real-life version of Strawberry Shortcake