If you see a teen girl or young woman dressed in a short skirt, over-the-knee socks and pastel fabrics covered in frills and bows, you might think about Lolita. And you should - just not the one from the book.
Lolita is a type of fashion that was inspired primarily by the clothing and general aesthetics of the Rococo and Victorian periods. The fashion movement, which started in Japan in the 1980s, symbolized a rebellion against the reserved Japanese way of life and was a way for young people to stand out and express themselves.
Today, the fashion has spread to subcultures around the world, including the United States. Despite name and the connotation it holds from Vladimir Nabokov's novel of the same name, some girls who feel beautiful in the clothing and have the confidence to pull it off have embraced the fashion.
"Lolita means elegance and innocence in a world so focused on conformity and sexuality," says Grace Scott, 21. "It's an escape from what I see around me that I personally have nothing in common with. I'm the princess of my own world."
Lolita: Genesis of confusion?
Grace strives to bring Victorian values into her daily life - like the idea that women should know how to cook, sew and play an instrument. She wears Lolita because it makes her feel beautiful.
"When people ask me about the fashion and I call it Lolita, they tend to cringe and automatically their thoughts go to the novel," says Grace.
In Nabokov's novel, "Lolita," a middle-aged man named Humbert Humbert becomes obsessed and sexually involved with 12-year-old Dolores Haze. His private nickname for Delores is Lolita, which explains how the name has come to represent a sexually promiscuous schoolgirl.
The confusion between the two uses of the word is ironic. When it comes to the fashion, the term "Lolita" only refers to the child-like nature of some Lolita styles. People who choose to wear it are expressing values that are exactly the opposite of Delores'.
"I think Lolita appeals to women who don't want to conform to the current norms of society. Women today seem to be empowered by showing off as much of their bodies as possible," says Grace. "Lolita is a rather conservative style. It's elegant, relatively innocent looking and classy in a society where practically flashing people is now seen as appropriate."
Strict guidelines
While some fashions are open to being changed and individualized, Lolitas get their look by following a strict set of guidelines to create a proper outfit.
Lolitas don't want to show too much skin. Their fashion is meant to be modest. Skirts are short - but no shorter than two inches above the knee - so Lolitas wear thick, opaque knee-length socks rather than sheer tights that can look too sexy. They pair the bell-shaped skirts with a collared, Peter Pan-style blouse.
Lolitas can learn how to put together a proper Lolita outfit from other Lolitas in online communities or from the "Gothic and Lolita Bible."
The rules of Lolita fashion aren't made to limit the wearers. Their purpose is to preserve the style and define it from other fashions.
Lolita for everyone?
Outside of Japan, Gothic Lolita is the most common type. The style is primarily influenced by Victorian-inspired Goth style and not cyber Goth or industrial style.
There are more than a dozen types of Lolita, including sweet, country, casual, classic, sailor, punk, Kodona (boystyle) and more.
Caitlin Sheldon, 25, was first introduced to Lolita fashion when she saw it worn by characters in the Paradise Kiss manga. She was drawn to the old-fashioned, elegant, yet stylish and fun clothing.
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"I love to sew, and making Lolita clothes was a new challenge for me to try," she says.
Over the years, Caitlin has often worn Sweet Lolita, which is the most over-the-top style and also the most child-like of the Lolita styles. It is full of bows, ruffles and pastels.
Outfits are commonly sewn from fabrics with themes of toys, strawberries, cherries, cakes and candies, hearts, polka dots and flowers. Prints inspired by fairytales, like the Alice in Wonderland fabric Caitlin chose for a dress, are also common.
Aristocrat Lolita is a more mature style. In general, lace and bows are replaced by high corseted waists, fitted jackets with tailcoats, frilly shirts and top hats.
Kodona, or boystyle, involves more masculine clothing but with feminine touches for shoes and accessories. Usually women wear the style, not men, but either can wear it.
For some people, Lolita is more than a way of dressing. Girls who live a Lolita lifestyle try to live like princesses, surrounding themselves with beautiful things. They may also take part in old-fashioned activities that women in the Victorian and Rococo periods did, such as embroidering, sewing, baking and having tea parties.
"One of the main reasons I like the fashion so much and am so passionate about it is not only because of the clothes, but because of the characteristics of a person that is Lolita. For example, being polite, outspoken when needed, creative and cultured," says 21-year-old Caitlin Sbiroli.
She believes that being a true Lolita means acting the part even if you cannot dress in Lolita every day.
Standing out?
Joni Zucker, 19, became interested in Gothic fashion in middle school, a time when she wanted to stand out. Later, she discovered more historical fashion through movies such as "Sweeney Todd." She fell in love with the dark and frilly look.
She was hooked when a friend introduced her to a Japanese visual kei rock band, Malice Mizer. She loved the clothing worn by the leader and guitarist of the group, Mana (Moi Dix Mois). Also a fashion designer, his clothing helped make the Japanese Goth Lolita fashion movement popular.
Joni says people are usually interested and curious about her look and seem to like the way she's dressed.
"Most of the reactions I get are very positive," she says. "People will say things like 'You should be a model!' or 'You look like a doll!'"
But not everyone is so polite. Sometimes people stare or say rude things.
Once when Joni was walking along a road with her friend, someone threw a water bottle at her from a car window, a reaction that has made her hate wearing Lolita in public and when she's alone.
"No matter how a girl is dressed, she will attract unwanted attention at some point," says Joni. "I think a man who will give that kind of attention to a young girl, regardless of how she is dressed, has a serious problem and is a potential danger to any girl."
Grace has also dealt with weird stares from people, and scoffs from people of all ages, but she doesn't let it discourage her.
"Wearing Lolita brings a lot of attention, and it won't be well received at first," says Grace. "It requires a lot of courage. If you have the confidence to walk into school one day and say, 'This is what I want to do' then go for it."
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