My Lolita Style

This post is going to be a bit of info about Lolita styles, and then a little bit about my own unique style. This is still developing, and my info and pictures about Lolita styles is going to be taken from the Lolita Handbook on livejournal. This is an amazing resource, and if you want more info about Lolita Styles (or lolita in general) I encourage you to go there. They also have real-life pictures of the styles!

Main Lolita Styles (experiences Lolitas will probably want to skip this):

Gothic Lolita

Traditional Gothic Lolita have a black-and-white color scheme, but not all Gothic Lolita is black and white. This style incorporates the darker colors and themes (like cross motifs and veils) from Western Goth into the more adorable Lolita style to produce a very unique style that takes a lot of practice to perfect. Most Lolitas start off with this style because it much easier to find gothic items locally and the color scheme is very easy to coordinate. Gothic Lolita isn't a substyle of Goth fashion, though it incorporates some of its elements.

This style may also be commonly called 'loli-goth', 'goth-loli', 'Elegant Gothic Lolita' or 'EGL', but these terms are somewhat misleading. Some people also consider Gothic Lolita a general term for Lolita fashion, probably because of the Gothic and Lolita Bibles, but this is also misleading because many Lolita styles possess no gothic elements.

Sweet Lolita

Now the most common Lolita style and definitely one of the cutest and most colorful. It has all the traditional Lolita elements but with a more wider choice of colors: light pinks, baby blues, and whites are the most common colors. Sometimes colors like lavender, canary yellow and mint green are also used. This is also where you'll find the most fluff and frill. Lolita brands that sell Sweet Lolita clothing might often have themes, such as fairy tales, sweets, pastries, fruits, baby animals and fragrances.





Classic Lolita

Classic Lolita is slightly more mature than most Lolita Styles. It's not quite Aristo because the shorter Lolita silhouette is still present. Generally classic pieces are decorated with a few ruffles or some ribbons, but you won't find yourself swimming in lace and large bows. Classic Lolis tend to wear darker or more muted colors (e.g. rose as opposed to bright pink) and floral prints are common as well. This style is harder to distinguish because it is right between Sweet and Gothic Lolita - the dark reds and blues and even blacks can be confused for Gothic style while the light florals make it look like Sweet. The difference from both is that it relies on an elegant cut or print instead of a lot of trim. Classic Lolita is the perfect style for those who love Lolita but who want a more subdued look.



Boystyle

Boystyle is just as varied as Lolita--ranging from the cute little-boy style of kodonas to the more sophisticated dandy or aristocrat. "Kodonas" might wear knickers (short pants) with a proper blouse and a vest, while aristocrats would wear a whole suit similar to those worn in the Victorian Era.







All of this information is from the lolita handbook. The handbook also contains much more information on other styles and substyles such as Punk, Shiro, Kuro, Aristocrat, etc.

And Now...

My Lolita Style

I believe my Lolita style is a mixture of Sweet and Classic Lolita. I prefer ruffles to lace, although I still like lace moderately on my dresses. I usually don't prefer dark colors, favoring lighter subdued colors or jewel tones. Recently I've decided to try and coordinate my wardrobe to make coordinating outfits easier, and have decided on some "theme" colors of sage, rose, cream and brown (possibly burgundy, too). I definitely prefer dresses reminiscent of the Victorian era, and require longer skirts to fit my definition of modesty. I would never wear a JSK without a blouse and also prefer over-the-knee socks. I'm a very modest person! ;-) I like my petticoats full and puffy, which sometimes is a hassle as the Classic Lolita sillhouette is a bit more A-line. But I enjoy a challenge! I usually wear my hear simple, either in pinned braids or curled. I like hats and bonnets, although bonnets have fallen out of favor with some Lolitas I think it helps retain the Victorian feeling of an outfit.

I hope this helps you understand what I "go for" in a Lolita outfit, and therefore a little bit about me! :3 What's YOUR Lolita Style?