Gothic lolita. Image features
The Lolita style is an original invention of the 70s that has been popular for several decades. Japan is considered the birthplace of this fashionable trend, which has absorbed some features of Rococo and Baroque, and it has no direct relation to the eponymous one. Innocence and infantilism are the main features of the style, which today has won the hearts of not only Japanese women, but also residents of other countries of the world.
Lolita style: varieties
The direction, popular in Japan and beyond its borders, is multifaceted. The most widespread was "Lolita". His devoted followers prefer outfits made in discreet colors, like brown, burgundy, beige. For them, geometric and natural patterns are relevant, of which the cell and flower are most in demand. A small amount of lace is also characteristic, allowing the girls to look like dolls. Hair is styled in soft waves.
The direction is also popular with girls who like a gloomy style. Gothic "Lolitas", of course, prefer black to all other colors. Shades of burgundy and milky tones are also used. A characteristic feature of the Gothic variety is bright makeup, in which dark tones predominate.
The "sweet" style "Lolita", which has absorbed the features of Rococo, also finds its admirers. They prefer to wear clothes that look shabby, made in pastel colors, mostly pinkish. Also typical for the variety is the combination of black and white colors into one ensemble. Girls use berets and top hats as headdresses; it is easy to recognize the "sweet" "Lolit" by the abundance of ribbons.
clothing
So, what does the average Japanese "Lolita" wear? The style implies his follower's love for dresses and bell-shaped dresses. However, girls can try on shorter or longer models. Details such as crinolines and petticoats provide a pompous effect. Also, the fair sex wear pantaloons.
Typical decorations for dresses are frills and ruffles, the presence of ribbons and bows is necessary. The presence of sleeves is mandatory, and their length can be absolutely any. The style of clothing "Lolita" involves the creation of outfits from natural materials. The most commonly used linen, cotton, silk. This is due to the fact that natural fabrics are easily wrinkled, which allows you to achieve the effect of slight negligence, characteristic of the style.
Outerwear
Of course, "Lolitas" do not give up their favorite style even with the onset of the cold period. At this time, they traditionally dress in jackets, jackets, coats. Of course, not all models are suitable for girls. Style "Lolita" involves a tight-fitting bodice, the presence of a skirt-sun. The sleeves have a special bend, there are gathers at the top.
Also, "Lolita" in autumn and winter is easily recognizable by stand-up collars, large metal buttons that adorn coats and jackets. Even in winter, they do not allow themselves trousers or jeans that do not fit into the infantile style at all.
Shoes
Of course, this style of clothing also imposes certain requirements on shoes. "Lolita" must wear or high heels. Also, if desired, can afford bulky shoes. Some girls prefer children's models, such shoes do not have a heel, they are easily recognizable by an elegant strap that fastens in front.
Talking about shoes, one cannot fail to mention such style attributes as knee-high socks, which the Japanese "Lolita" will never forget to wear. The style allows you to use instead of socks. Of course, they are also decorated with ribbons, bows. Another characteristic detail is pantaloons. They serve not only to add splendor to the skirt, but also as a symbol of innocence, which the followers of this direction are trying to emphasize in their image.
Hats
Girls who like the Lolita style are rarely shown in public without hats. Many of them like hats, and the choice of styles is limited only by imagination. Followers of the style put on perky caps, elegant top hats, flirtatious
Of course, hats are optional. "Lolita" may prefer such an alternative as bows, elastic bands, hairpins, with which tails and pigtails are created. The main thing is that as a result the girl looks childishly charming.
Makeup and hair
Dress in the style of "Lolita" requires appropriate makeup, which can both improve the image and hopelessly spoil it. Even those girls who like the gothic variety of the direction should not forget about moderation when creating makeup. They offer lengthening mascara, which is applied with a few strokes, as well as soft lipstick. Ideally, lipstick should be abandoned in favor of a transparent gloss, the use of which will help emphasize the innocence of the image. When it comes to creating a gothic look, powder is used to provide the effect of "porcelain" skin.
Curls are what many rightly associate children's style with. By curling their hair, girls enhance their resemblance to porcelain toys. Also, Lolitas traditionally like bangs. When creating hairstyles, as already mentioned, a variety of ribbons and bows are actively used. Many style lovers prefer to wear long hair, however, there are exceptions.
Accessories
Accessories are something without which the image will not look complete, which was created using the Lolita style. At school, on a walk, at a party, girls are not shown without a variety of plush toys, original children's handbags, books.
Obviously, the choice of accessories depends on what kind of style Lolita has chosen for herself. For example, girls who like the "sweet" option use milkshakes, lollipops. "Village Lolitas" (there is such a variety) prefer wicker baskets, which successfully replace bags for them, carry sewing with them. However, all followers of this trend, without exception, love umbrellas, preferring original products, endowed with decor in an emphatically childish style.
Lolitas and dress code
The infantile style is not only liked by schoolgirls and students, it is also preferred by many working women these days. Given the dress code adopted in many companies, they do not wear puffy dresses, they use only skirts with shirts or blouses. However, Lolitas, who make a career, do not refuse frills, bows and ruffles, they simply remember moderation.
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Lolita is an incredibly fashionable style of clothing in modern Japan.. Originated in the 70s, it was most widely used in the late 90s. Now it is gaining popularity all over the world, including in Russia. Thousands of girls strive to maintain the image of an innocent and fragile porcelain doll come to life. Designers inspired by the Victorian era offer a variety of lolita looks.
The iconic representative of the gothic lolita image is Mana, guitarist of the famous band Moi Dis Moix(on the picture). It is he who is trying to imitate most of the girls of this style.
She certainly wears long hair, curled curls are collected with bows, hairpins and headbands. Many girls wear straight thick bangs. Very popular are small cylinders that are pinned to the hair with hairpins. gothic lolita makeup focused on skin tone. With the help of white powder, the face is given porcelain transparency, sometimes even with a hint of deathly pallor. Eye makeup is very bright: black arrows or smokey ice. False eyelashes are often used to give a greater resemblance to a doll face. replete with accessories with a touch of gloom. Various hairpins and diadems, pendants in the form of coffins and skeletons. Often accessories are soft toys or books, black lace umbrellas that girls carry in their hands.
Skirts with petticoats or crinolines, as well as knickers with frills that may well peek out from under the layers of skirts. Blouses with lace and ruffles, with short or long sleeves, corsets and bodices. A black dress with lace sleeves can be complemented with golfs or fishnet stockings. Of the materials preferred silk, velvet, lace, taffeta or cambric. Gothic lolita shoes distinguished by high heels and platforms. Often these boots and ankle boots are decorated with a variety of spikes and rivets, high lacing.
in general or gosurori(it sounds like this in Japanese), although it is distinguished by gothic gloominess, it still remains the image of a little girl striving to be an elegant doll. © Breathless
Many photos and pictures on the topic can be found in the galleries:
Japanese girls are not afraid to carry out the most daring experiments with their appearance, some literally create a new self and get used to a fabulous image. Today we will look at gothic lolitas, which are almost impossible to meet in Russia.
Gothic Lolita is a very popular trend in Japanese street fashion and is a variation of the Lolita style.
I have already talked about the Gothic style and Lolita style more than once, so we will not repeat in detail that Lolitas love frills, ruffles, lace and bows, Mary Jane style shoes, and the main features of the Lolita subculture are puppetry and infantilism. Ideally, these traits should be part of the character, only then will it be possible to get used to the image of Lolita for real.
Not everyone can become Gothic Lolitas, especially if the age is well over 30 and a life full of worries is behind them, because the image of Lolita implies youth and carelessness. But do not be sad, in any case, it is unrealistic to try everything in your life. If you really want to add a little of this aesthetic to your reality, just buy a couple of luxurious BJD dolls and assemble a gothic Lolita wardrobe for them.
Dolls - Gothic Lolitas will decorate your living room and will attract the attention of guests. I know this from my own experience - absolutely everyone is interested in dolls and their outfits, even the movers who brought the new sofa asked about my dolls ...
Photo source - tokyofashion.com
Lolita style - a kind of street fashion for Japanese girls and women, which originated in the 70s of the last century and became widespread in the 90s. Its characteristic features are the deliberate childishness and innocence of the image, which sometimes borders on the image of a doll. 
The name of the style completely coincides with the name of the famous work of Vladimir Nabokov "Lolita" - and this coincidence is quite logical. Nabokovskaya Lolita is a teenage girl who is on the border between childhood and youth, between innocence and depravity.
Japanese lolitas are girls, and sometimes women, who are struggling to return to that innocent period. And if the traditional style that takes place in European civilization retains both components (innocence and depravity), then its Japanese interpretation is practically free from any kind of vulgarity. Japanese lolita is a living porcelain doll, sweet and touching.
Initially, this Japanese style was called "Lolikon" - short for "Lolita complex".
Some Japanese believe that older women are specifically trying to attract the attention of the opposite sex, trying to look younger. This version has the right to life, but many psychologists offer a completely different interpretation. Japanese culture, although it assigns a quite worthy place to a woman, is still quite patriarchal. An adult Japanese lady has a very clearly defined circle of obligations and social norms that can greatly influence the female psyche. It is possible that women, in their own way, simply create a kind of wall around themselves that encloses them from adult life.
Lolitas and music
As it often happens, the subculture is quite closely connected with music. The main musical direction, which is always popular among Japanese girls, is called Visual Key (sometimes it is also called Visual Rock). This style also includes J-Rock and J-Pop. Its key feature lies not so much in the music itself, which has a rock and / or pop sound, but in the appearance of the performers of this music. Members of the Visual Key bands choose very bright and unusual costumes for performances, turning the concert into a full-fledged theatrical performance.
Although not everyone is fond of such music, the icons of this style still came from this particular area of \u200b\u200bart. There is two real idols for lolitas, their names - Mana and Cana. They are completely different, their images are just a stage outfit and nothing more. And yet, it is they who imitate most Japanese girls.
Mana is the guitarist of the fairly well-known Japanese band Moi Dis Moix. His style refers mainly to gothic lolitas. It was he who became the main fashionable role model for girls of this style and contributed to its popularization. In particular, in 1999, Mana launched his own clothing line and Moi meme Moitie. The goods of his musician combined the terms Elegant Gothic Lolita(Elegant Gothic Lolita, abbreviated as EGL) and Elegant Gothic Aristocrat(Elegant Gothic Aristocrat, or EGA). Subsequently, EGL and EGA stood out in a special sub-style of Gothic aristocrats. At their core, they are no different from their fellow subcultures, but wear clothes exclusively from the Moi meme Moitie brand.
Kana is known to a wide range of people as a singer. She is also a graphic artist, illustrator, and actress. She is fond of sewing soft toys.
Lolitas and media
The subculture is so popular that a number of Japanese periodicals are devoted to this style. The most famous magazine introducing news and novelties of the subculture and 
style - Gothic&Lolita bible (G&L). The word "gothic" appeared in the title of the magazine because, as such, the gothic style in the traditional sense does not exist among Japanese subcultures. For the Japanese, gothic is closely associated exclusively with gothic lolitas.
G&L is completely devoted to lolitas: on its pages you can find not only fashion news, announcements of fashionable novelties and stylish accessories, but also interviews with the most popular Visual Key representatives, as well as useful practical advice and even clothing patterns. In addition, each issue contains a small manga - a special Japanese variety of comics. In the manga, one or another life situation is given and the reaction characteristic of a lolita to it. It is largely thanks to such comics that the worldview is formed..
In addition to G&L, the following periodicals talk about lolitas: Gothic & Lolita & Punk Brand book, Gosuloli, Kera. Television also contributes to the popularization of style. Manga, anime, feature films and series, even TV shows dedicated to the subculture - lolitas can boast of all this. Paradise Kiss, Le Portrait de Petit Cossette, Rozen Maiden, Sister Princess, Godchild, Karin, Rebelde, Tsukuyomi - Moon Phase, Othello, Chobits, Death Note, Princess Princess, Princess Ai, Cardcaptor Sakura, Coyote Ragtime Show, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Nana, Pitaten, Futakoi Alternative, Shimotsuma Monogatari, Peep Show, Gothic Lolita, Mahou Sentai Magiranger - this is just a small list of anime, TV shows and films that are somehow related to this subculture.
Varieties of lolitas and their appearance
Girls and women who have chosen this style for themselves can only be carried away by the external attributes of the style, or they can really live in the presented image, following certain rules of behavior and life position. All lolitas are divided into a number of "subspecies".
Real Lolita (Original Lolita)
This is a doll girl. You can even say that it is just a prototype of all existing types. In this category, it is easiest to single out the attributes that are most characteristic of the entire movement.
clothing
Clothing is, first of all, elegant dresses, skirts, replete with ruffles and frills, bows, ribbons, lace. In these outfits, Rococo and Victorian style, with all their splendor and elements of pomposity, manifest themselves most of all.
It is permissible to wear petticoats and under dresses and skirts. The outfit must certainly look as gentle and feminine as possible. For this reason, Lolitas do not wear shorts, but only in combination with blouses. In cool weather, they can wear appropriately styled jackets, or jackets. Clothing materials: silk, taffeta, organza, cambric, velvet, i.e. mostly expensive fabrics. Synthetics and cotton are also allowed, but in the second place.
Shoes
On their feet, Lolitas wear graceful shoes of a childish look (), with a flat sole, a rounded toe and a strap in front. In addition to them, they also wear heavy boots with a rounded toe with a heel or platform.
Accessories
The Japanese lolita style is replete with a variety of accessories. Their common feature is typical femininity, you can even say “girlishness”. No rough paraphernalia.
Girls wear knee-highs and stockings, pantaloons and. In addition, they love cute lace, frilled caps, dainty hats and even small crowns.
Many accessories are simply carried in the hands. For example, it can be bags, plush toys, dolls or large books.
Hair and makeup
These details of the image are largely determined by its specific subspecies, but there are still some common features. Lolitas love to curl their curls - this makes them even more similar to porcelain dolls. Also, almost all of them certainly wear bangs. Hair, as a rule, is pinned up and tied up with cute hairpins, bows, ribbons.
Makeup is most often natural, natural. Usually they paint eyelashes with mascara, and a transparent gloss is applied to the lips, or gloss or lipstick in calm, light colors.
Sweet lolita (Sweet lolita/Amaloli)
Sweet lolitas can be called the most infantile and touching of all existing subspecies. They emphasize their childishness in everything from their appearance to the interior of their house or room.
Sweet lolitas dress mostly in pink clothes and wear pink accessories. They always take their favorite teddy bear, doll or other toy with them. Often in their hands you can see a lollipop, ice cream or a milkshake. These girls give the impression of real little good girls, and they even behave very well-mannered and decent.
Snow-white lolita (White lolita/Shirololi)
The name comes from the Japanese word shiro, meaning white. 
The main element of the snow-white lolita style is the predominance of white. White outfits, accessories, and even the interior - in the life of these girls there is only white. Traditionally, it symbolizes purity and innocence. Snow-white, in accordance with the chosen image, behave very restrained, one might even say, chaste.
Dark lolita (Dark lolita / Kurololi)
The name comes from the Japanese "kuro" - dark.
This variety of lolita wears predominantly dark-colored clothing, occasionally adding other colors to it, most often white, red and blue. Despite the rather gloomy surroundings, dark lolitas still look very much like little girls, which emphasizes their love for accessories like soft toys and the like.
Unlike most, dark lolitas wear predominantly straight hair.
Black lolita (Black lolita)
It differs from dark lolita only in that it wears exclusively black, considering it the most stylish and beautiful.
Classic lolita (Classik lolita/Curashikku)
Dressing in the same child-doll style, classic lolitas use in their image almost all colors that are not included in the favorite range of previous subspecies. On their clothes there are floral tapestry patterns, green, beige and other tones.
The image of this lolita is more restrained and feminine. In their classic-cut outfits, there are noticeably fewer decorative elements (ruffles, frills, lace).
Gothic lolita (Gothic lolita/Gosuloli)
The image of the gothic lolita is fundamentally different from all the previous ones by emphasized gloominess and sadness. These girls wear dark, mostly black clothes (white, red, blue inclusions are acceptable) with mesh, lace and complement them with the usual gothic silver accessories (crosses, ankhs, etc.).
Gothic lolita makeup is brighter and more noticeable: white, "porcelain" skin, dark shadows and lipstick.
Like ordinary goths, gothic lolitas are dominated by a rather gloomy view of the world around them. Gothic lolita is always cold and unemotional. Only the puppet appearance significantly distinguishes it from the traditional Goths.
Country Lolita (Country Lolita)
Village lolitas themselves are quite positive both in terms of the chosen image and in terms of lifestyle. They dress in cute clothes with images of berries (strawberries, raspberries, cherries, etc.) or checkered patterns. The dresses and skirts of these lolitas are often high-waisted. On their heads, village lolitas often wear straw hats decorated with artificial berries or flowers.
The accessories of this subculture are interesting: wicker baskets instead of bags. They are not always decorative: village lolitas love to have picnics in nature. Also popular hobbies are flower picking and needlework (sewing, embroidery, etc.).
Casual Lolita (Casual Lolita)
The style of everyday lolitas has been adapted from the street to one that is appropriate to use in a variety of life situations, up to business negotiations. Lush dresses are practically not worn by everyday lolitas, preferring combinations of blouses or shirts with skirts. Although their clothes still retain decorative elements in the form of frills and ruffles, they are much less than others.
Punk Lolita (Punk Lolita/Punkuloli)
Among others, the punk lolita style is rightfully considered the most brutal. Although they look like girls, there is little puppet in their image. Like real punks, punk lolitas love torn things, combinations of bright, sometimes even acidic colors on clothes, metal accessories: chains, pins, etc.
Punk lolita girls are quite cheerful and restless, capable of original tricks.
The European name for punk lolita is Industrial Lolita.
Cyber Lolita (Cyber Lolita/Saibaaloli)
Cyber-lolitas especially stand out from the whole stylistic direction with their very extravagant style of dressing. In their culture, there is almost no close binding of a certain type of things and the place on the body on which they are worn. For example, a spaghetti strap in the interpretation of cyber-lolita can easily turn out to be a skirt, and a skirt, on the contrary, is quite capable of becoming a top.
The image of cyber-lolita is very strange, but organic. There is certainly a perceptible element of randomness in it. In addition to clothes, the hairstyle also brings chaos to the image: disheveled and sticking out strands of hair are the norm for lovers of this style.
Erotic Lolita/Erololi
Erotic lolitas are closest to the original source of their name - Nabokov's Lolita. Sexuality comes to the fore in their image, and not only the sexuality of a girl approaching adolescence, but also of a completely mature woman.
In their image there are the most extravagant and sexy things and accessories: jackets made of transparent fabrics, lace underwear, easily distinguishable under transparent clothes, ultra-short mini, 
corsets. Most often, erotic lolitas, along with sexuality, emphasize their childishness and innocence with the help of delicate colors and shades, feathers, lace, etc. However, there are those among them who prefer to wear more "aggressive" latex clothing.
Kimono Lolita (Kimono Lolita/Waloli)
Representatives of this trend of lolitas took the national Japanese clothes - kimono as the basis of their image. It is worn as a "top" and combined with the traditional Lolita full skirt with lace and frills. Another national item of clothing - the obi belt - connects these two parts into a single whole.
Not always a kimono in this style is a classic option. There are instances elegantly decorated with ruffles, or deliberately careless and sloppy - a typical punk version.
Kimono-lolitas prefer to paint kimono-lolitas in the style of geishas, they also borrowed other attributes: fans, long hairpins in hairstyles, wooden blocks on their feet. 
Quilolita (Qi Lolita/Qiloli)
Along with lolita kimonos, these girls also prefer national motifs in their semi-children's clothes, but not Japanese, but Chinese. In their outfits, you can almost always see the traditional Chinese stand-up collar and side button closure; clothing is most often made of embroidered Chinese silk.
Alice in wonderland (Alice in wonderland)
A very unusual subspecies, which took the main character of the work of the same name by Lewis Carroll as the basis of their image. In the image of such a lolita, there are certainly attributes of the fairy-tale world described by Carroll: playing cards, figurines or images of the March Hare, the Hatter, Humpty Dumpty, the Cheshire Cat, etc.
Alice are divided into good and evil. The good ones adhere to the image that the writer painted for his heroine. The evil ones choose more extravagant accessories and attributes: knives, painted blood, soft toys with a cross instead of eyes, or even with severed heads.
Lolita Princess (Princess Lolita/Himeloli)
Inside their subspecies - princesses are further subdivided into dark and sweet. Sweet - princesses - real chic court ladies in incredibly magnificent outfits. Dark princesses draw inspiration from the images of medieval girls of the Gothic era. Often they use really expensive accessories: natural fur boas, jewelry.
Both dark and sweet princesses wear a crown or diadem on their heads. Sometimes lolita is referred to princesses even in any other way, if this accessory is present. Princesses are also distinguished by behavior: they behave like capricious and spoiled daughters of royalty.
Lolita Schoolgirl (Schoolgirl Lolita)
The image of a lolita schoolgirl is known all over the world thanks to manga and anime. Girls dressing in this style wear clothes that replicate or resemble Japanese school uniforms. Usually this is a T-shirt in combination with a skirt, sometimes quite short. A set of clothes is selected either in dark colors, or a dark top is combined with a plaid skirt. Lolita schoolgirls also wear jackets, vests and jackets.
Often girls of this type wear knee-high stockings or stockings. On their heads they wear bows or neat ones.
Lolita Sailor (Sailor Lolita)
These lolitas are very similar to lolita schoolgirls, but in their image there is certainly a “marine” theme: accessories in the form of cords and anchors, steering wheels, lifebuoys, sailor suits, peakless caps.
Lolita maid (Franch maiden)
A rather sexy look based on the traditional maid uniform. A short dark dress, a white bonnet and a starched apron are typical clothing for such lolitas.
Lolita Nun (Nun Lolita)
Although most Japanese and Japanese women profess Shintoism and Buddhism, Lolita nuns choose the clothes of nuns of Christianity traditional for European countries for their images. Black and white vestments are often complemented by cross-stitch accessories.
Lolita Angel (Angelic Lolita)
Dark and light angels wear homemade wings behind their backs, and sometimes halos above their heads.
Lolita Bride (Bride Lolita)
These girls wear puffy white dresses and small bouquets as an accessory. Often they are accompanied by friends and girlfriends, as if playing the role of bridesmaids or groomsmen.
Lolita Nurse (Nurse Lolita)
They wear medical gowns or dresses styled after them. Stethoscopes, syringes, blisters with pills are used as accessories. They are light and dark.
Lolita Pirate (Pirate Lolita)
They use traditional pirate paraphernalia in their image, such as blindfolds over one eye, cocked hats, treasure chests, etc.
Grotesque lolita (Gurololi)
An image, as if ridiculing Lolita in general. Artificial bruises, abrasions, torn outfits - in a word, everything that helps to create the image of a broken doll.
Neo Lolita (Neo Lolita)
Very sexy and provocative image. Neo lolitas wear costumes made of latex, leather and vinyl, use hairpieces, i.e. how they can emphasize their femininity and sexuality.
Bi lolita (B-Lolita)
Bi lolitas are not girls, but boys who dress like girls.
Fake Lolita (Painful Lolita/Italoli)
This is the name of girls who strive to be like any of the lolitas, but they do not succeed (for example, due to lack of taste).
Lolita Cosplayers (Cosplay Lolita/Otaku Lolita/ Otaloli)
By them are meant girls who imitate in clothes and behavior lolita heroines of anime and manga.
Lolita band (Bandgirl/Bangyaloli)
Girls who use the image only during trips to the concert of their favorite musical group.
How to create a gothic lolita look?
