Gothic lolita

The Gothic Lolita is a vestimentary Mode Japanese which has only distances relationship with the Gothic Mode Western.

Origins

This fashion seems to have made its appearance at the beginning of the Années 1990 (opening of the first store " Baby The Stars shines bright" in 1988), without one knowing exactly in which circumstances it was born. But if one does not know precisely the source of it, one knows on the other hand that Mana, star of the Visual Kei, in the past guitarist of the group Malice Mizer, popularized this fashion by creating its own brand of clothing Me Even Half and two styles EGL (Elegant Gothic Lolita) and EGA (Elegant Gothic Aristocrat).

The Japanese magazines Gothic & Lolita Bible , Homemade Gothic and Lolita , Frill , Perfect , Rococo and sometimes Kera popularized the look Gothic Lolita by filling out their pages of photographs, publicities and councils intended for its followers, without forgetting owners of clothing.

This style has an unquestionable connection with the Visual Kei but their respective esthetics should not in no case to be confused.

Frequent confusions

The Gothic Lolita is different from the Gothic Mouvement Western by its mentality and the topics which he seeks to exploit. Whereas this last is founded on a certain culture and a certain sensitivity or basic philosophy, the Gothic Lolita is mainly a question of look. Moreover the Gothic movement is federate around morbid or dark topics, whereas the gothic lolita is centered on the topics of childhood and the innonce; of the princess of fairy tale. Although little spread, the Gothic style with the Western direction of the term also exists in Japan.

Fashion

As in the case of the majority of the alternative modes, the movement Gothic Lolita is often divided into several categories. It would be righter to say than the Gothic Lolita is a form of the styles Lolita , as Japanese qualify them. Its general characteristics are the dresses and puffing out skirts, often with the shape out of bell typical, decorated underskirts to give them volume, the very current use of lace and the presence of accessories like small hats, crowns and ribbons as well as sunshades. The skirts are generally worn not higher than the knee and with low three-quarter, except for the behaviors of Gothic Aristocrat, or the skirt or evening gown is of rigor. One door either of the high-heeled shoes, or of the platforms to the female design, or quite contrary to the shoes with support called maryjanes in the Anglo-Saxon countries or babies in France, reference to the old shoes of little girls.

These categories often carry to Japan of the English names:

Sweet Lolita : childish spirit, colors pastels or white, forms very puffing out, often accompanied by a cuddly toy.

The emblematic marks are Baby, the Stars Shine Bright, and its rival Angelic Pretty.

Shirololi : all in white (shiro: Japanese white)
Kurololi : all in black (kuro: Japanese black), which distinguishes it from the gothic lolita is the simplicity of clothing.
Gothic Lolita : in black, or black with keys of white, crosses carried in jewel or affixed with clothing.

The emblematic marks are Atelier Pierrot and Atelier Boz.

Gothic Aristocrat : still more black, more romantic and mysterious aspect because of the dresses and of the long skirts, importance of the collet and the jabot, strongly inspired of the time victorienne and its aristocracy. Quasi systematic use of a sunshade, the jewels are very refined and represent sometimes crosses. It is a fashion closer to the Gothic than of the Japanese Lolita .
Elegant Gothic Lolita : invented by Mana, it is a derivative of Gothic Lolita plus mast, with dresses with less lace and of froufrou.
Industrial or Punk Lolita : torn reasons Scot, clothing, studs and pins. Derived from the English punk movement. It should be noted that the industrial lolita is more mature and trashy that his/her Punk cousin.

The emblematic marks are Sex Pot Revenge and H.Naoto.

Erotic Lolita : Shorter and revealing behaviors.
Classic Lolita : more mature than other Lolita, one finds in this style a certain simplicity directly inspired of clothing which the little girls at the time victorienne wore. No childish laces, of froufrous and reasons, a range of more natural colors and pastel (green anise, chocolate,…).

The emblematic marks are Mary Magdalene and Jane Marple. One of the derivatives is the country lolita : presence of pastoral reasons and the straw hats which recall one weekend in grandmother.

Wa Lolita : with traditional reasons and a cut of the handles pointing out those of the kimono.
IQ Lolita : the equivalent of Wa Lolita with the Chinese tradionnelle fashion, in particular IQ-CAM.

Cinema

Left in 2004, Kamikaze Girls of Tetsuya Nakashima (original title: Shimotsuma monogatari ) gives a very clear idea of esthetics Gothic Lolita through its heroin, Momoko, impassioned by France Rococo and laces from Baby, the Stars Shine Bright…

Present and future

Many young Japanese join an alternative fashion to criticize the preserving and traditional culture of their family or company in general and the standardization of the lifestyle in the big cities. The Gothic fashion adapted it, with companies, inter alia Lip Service , Drac in has Box , Heavy Red , which present to their catalog some parts gothic lolita. Certain purists feel on the other hand betrayed by the sexualisation sometimes that the Western Gothic culture subjects the Gothic Lolita and seek to observe more strict rules to him.

See too

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