About » The Novice's Guide

As a newcomer to Lolita fashion, it can be hard to know where to start, and what to look for. If you have read the outfit analysis, you will already have a good idea of what a Lolita outfit consists of. But as Lolita fashion may be quite expensive to buy, it might be hard to know which piece to buy first. This guide will give tips how to avoid the Cosplay Lolita look, a short section on which style might suit you, which item could become your first and washing advice.

My First Lolita Item [ Top ]

As mentioned, Lolita can be a very expensive fashion choice. Depending on whether you prefer brand clothing, or not, the first garments you buy can be important. A simple brand blouse usually cost around ￥15.000 ($175/€135), a dress around ￥26.000 ($304/€234) and a pair of socks ￥3.000 ($35/€27). Brands that carry Classic Lolita are almost always more expensive, a dress can cost up to ￥29.000 ($339/€261). In other words, buying a complete outfit can be very expensive.

Non-brand clothing is of course a lot cheaper, but will not have the same quality as brand (in most cases). A popular non-brand choice is Bodyline (note: not for petite girls). Bodyline has a large amount of yearly sales (cheap being cheaper) and have some decent quality garments. You can get a blouse for around $25/€20 and a dress for around $50/€38. Taobao stores such as Dear Celine and HMHM are also very popular (although you will need a shopping service to purchase items). Another possibility is to sew your own clothes, with the help of patterns (can be found in the Gothic & Lolita Bible, a Lolita magazine).

For your convenience, a list of Lolita stores can be found here.

So what should your first garment be? If you are unsure whether you will like the fashion or not, buying a full outfit from a non-brand might be one option. As mentioned, the quality will likely be sub-par of brand, and you might risk looking like you are cosplaying the fashion. If you are going for brand, you might want to start with the most basic, and often forgotten pannier/petticoat. Without the bell-shaped skirt, skirts and dresses will lack the important silhouette. A good second purchase is a skirt (you may already have some loliable blouses?) or an OP (all you need is a pair of socks/tights).

Which Style Should I Choose? [ Top ]

Lolita has a large number of styles to choose from. Ama, Classic, Punk, Gothic, Ero, Hime, Pirate, Alice, Kuro/Shiro/Aka/Pink/Sax, Sailor, Guro, Wa and Casual. Many instantly know which style is their favorite, while others prefer to experiment what suits them the most. The sweeter styles tend to suit younger Lolitas, and Classic and Gothic may feel more appropriate for older Lolitas. Depending on how much attention you prefer from the public, you may want to consider your style choice carefully. Ama/Kote Lolita and odder styles like Guro/Wa/Sailor/Alice Lolita definitely creates the most commotion, while Casual, Gothic and Punk melts into the crowd easier.

While not Lolita, Ouji and Japanese Gothic fashions are also options. If you feel that you like the frills, but maybe not the entire package, incorporating Lolita with your mainstream clothing is another option (although Lolita blouse x jeans can no longer be called Lolita).

Lolita vs Cosplay [ Top ]

Lolita fashion has specific guidelines it abides to, such as fabric and lace quality, skirt length, amount of skin exposure and garment design. All of this separates a good outfit from a bad one. While cosplay can be very elaborate and beautiful, the stereotype Lolita cosplay outfit is made out of cheap fabric, with layers of low quality lace and a pair of nekomimi (cat ears). It's often hard for newcomers to separate a good outfit from a bad one, so here are a few hints:

The Design and Colors

Lolita skirts are usually around knee-length (Ero/Punk/Casual an exception), have a moderate amounts of lace, no maid elements, clashing neon colors or skin exposure (Ero an exception again). Newcomers are often told to stay away from the classic black x white combination (as many low quality dresses are made in this color scheme), but it's nothing to fear after you learn to separate this from these.

Fabric Quality

Cheap costumes are usually made out of cheaply made satin or silk, which has an extreme shine. In Lolita fashion, shiny fabrics are usually avoided (a more subtle sheen is okay). If a dress has more shine than your lipgloss, you should probably refrain from buying it. High quality satin (subtle sheen; usually decorates smaller areas of a dress) is suitable for Hime Lolita. In general, a good fabric is thick and lacks shine. Common fabrics in Lolita are broadcloth, chiffon, georgette, satin, corduroy, twill and tulle. These are usually made out of cotton or polyester.

Good Lace vs Bad Lace

Separating good lace from bad lace can be hard. Things to look for are softness, thickness, netting and the material. A low quality lace can be scratchy, plastic, shiny, be very thin and fray, whereas high quality lace is soft, not shiny, thick and does not fray. The most common types used by brands are cotton, torchon, raschel, cluny, venise, chemical, eyelet and tulle lace. Notice that all types of lace can be made in varied quality. Bad lace is most apparent with contrasting colors, such as white lace x black fabric.

The Makeup

While makeup is no longer a taboo within Lolita (it used to lean towards a more neutral look in the past), a gothic whiteface combined with Mana's pouty blue lipstick is still not a good idea. Heavier makeup is normally seen in Kote, Gothic, Kuro, Ero and Punk styles (the style pages has several examples).

And So... A Few Examples of Bad Outfits and Why

Left Photo: Dressing in Lolita Punk is not an excuse to lack the Lolita silhouette (there is only so much you can stray before it's not Lolita anymore). The blouse has gigantic frills, when smaller ones would suffice. This outfit is more cosplay-punk than Lolita.

Right Photo: This is a classic black x white outfit, with cheap quality lace and a rather awkward sock choice. A common mistake for beginners is to buy a lowcut dress; this type of cut is usually only suitable for Ero Lolita.

Left Photo: Huge rectangular headdresses used to be all the rage in the past, but they have now mostly been replaced by headbows, bonnets and other headwear. If you enjoy the headdress look, an advice is to purchase a thinner model as it looks more flattering and elegant.
Other things to point out is the unflattering bodice that looks like it's too tight, the strangely loose sleeves, and the too-short skirt lacking the proper silhouette. The socks do not match the elegance of Classic Lolita, and would be better suited in a Punk coordinate, along with the chunky boots.

Right Photo: The left outfit consists of cheap fabric, a cheap satin ribbon and loose socks. The design is too simple, and altogether it screams cosplay. The right girl is wearing a raschel Lace Monster dress, which is unflattering on anyone due to the long, cheap lace and awkward anime design.

Left Photo: Nothing about this outfit is Lolita. Everything from the long lace, strange vertical bib, loose-fitting, shiny cheap fabric and the oddly-shaped skirt to the tiny lace parasol makes it look more like a bad Rozen Maiden costume.

Right Photo: Sadly, taking your old Goth clothes out of the wardrobe and adding a lace monster headdress, does not equal a good Lolita outfit. The gothic color scheme, the satin ribbons, chain bodice, skirt length, drooping tulle and shoes are not suitable for Gothic Lolita.

Washing Advice [ Top ]

Lolita clothing (especially brand) needs to be handled with special care. The majority of prints can only be drycleaned, while more plain pieces can be handwashed or washed in the machine in cold water on a gentle cycle. You should avoid tossing your clothes into the dryer if it has cotton lace, as it will shrink into a fuzzy mess, but it can also shrink the garment as well.

Most people avoid washing their Lolita clothing repeatedly, as other garments than blouses rarely come in contact with their skin. Hanging out your clothing to air outside is a good way to get a fresh, clean smell.

Here is a small list of things to do/avoid and general advice:

Air dry your clothing, and do not toss them into the dryer (ruins cotton lace).
Dryclean clothing with prints, as they may not be colorfast and run in water (avoid rain).
To check if an item is colorfast, wet a tiny area and rub it to see if the color bled after drying.
You can usually handwash/machine wash plain pieces in cold water on a gentle cycle.
Do not dryclean garments with attached pearls or rhinestones.
Dryclean velvet dresses, and do not put it in the washing machine. You can spot clean with slightly warm water and a washcloth.
Always wash black clothing in cold water, to prevent the color from fading.
Never bleach your clothing, as their life will be shortened.
Remove ribbon brooches, pearls, chains, cameos or anything else attached to the garment before washing, to prevent them from breaking.