Style » Gothic Lolita
Summary
Gothic Lolita is the by far most well-known Lolita style, and used to be the term that would refer to Lolitas of all the styles. However, with Lolita fashion becoming increasingly popular in the west, this mislabel is now somewhat rarer. Another term that is associated with Gothic Lolita is EGL, or Elegant Gothic Lolita. Elegant Gothic Lolitas specifically wear items from the brand Moi-même-Moitié.
Despite its gothic label, Gothic Lolita is rather different from the western version of goth. As with all Lolita styles, it's not very revealing, usually cute or elegant, and lacks the white powdered faces and black lipstick that may be found in western goth.
There are two types of Gothic Lolitas: the traditional one that has come to symbolize the style as whole, and the one with visible gothic influences.
The traditional Gothic Lolita wears plain black clothing with white lace; very much looking like a cute darker version of Ama Lolita.
The secondary type is less 'cute', and has more influences from western goth fashion. Motifs such as crosses, bats, coffins are common. The clothing also breaks out from purely black, revealing colors such as wine, royal blue, deep plum, white, silver and gold (the latter two are usually used to accent prementioned colors).
Overview
- The style is dark, cute or elegant.
- Colors include black and white, wine, royal blue, emerald, deep plum, silver and gold.
- Prints often contain gothic motifs, such as crosses, castles and bats.
- Common materials are cotton, chiffon, polyester and velveteen.
- Has less ribbons and lace than its sweet counterpart.
- Headdresses include rose corsages, alice bows, bonnets and headbands (now unfashionable).
- Skirt length is the standard knee-length or longer.
- The lolita silhouette is kept by the use of panniers, but may be less poofy than Ama Lolita in some cases.
- Overknee socks and tights. May sometimes be of lace or fishnet.
- Chunky platform or elegant high-heeled shoes are most common.
- Accessories include lace chokers, cross, crown or pearl necklaces and lace gloves.
- Bags are often adorned with gothic motifs, or may be shaped as crowns or bats.
Makeup & Hair
- Usually elegant hairstyles, straight with bangs or with curls.
- Popular hair colors are black or dark red.
- Mascara.
- Dark eyeliner.
- Dark-colored or black eyeshadow.
- Red or pink blush.
- Lipstick come in both lighter and darker shades, such as a soft nude pink or dark red.
- If desired, fake eyelashes can be put on to achieve a doll look.
- It is also common to use special contacts called circle lenses to achieve said above look.
Note: Of course, these are just simple occurrences that are commonly seen within this style. They are no absolute rules of any kind. Be creative and experiment!
Shopping
Gothic Lolitas may find their items from stores such as Moi-même-Moitié, Atelier Pierrot, Baby the Stars Shine Bright, and Metamorphose temps de Fille.
To see more available stores for clothes, click here.
