When you think of Lolita fashion, chances are, your mind automatically goes to Japan. After all, this fashion subculture originated in Japan back in the 1970’s. But it seems this fashion has expanded far beyond Japan. A trip to Amsterdam will certainly prove that.
The growing community of men and women in Amsterdam who are inspired by the fashion commonly known as Lolita, was found to have grown massively and taken on a tone of empowerment. As Refinery29 points out, they viewed Lolita fashion “as more than an activity but an identity and a community.”
Common characteristics of a Lolita outfit are petticoats, lace bows, and hints of “little girl” attributes including pink parasols. For women, the outfits usually accentuate the body without showing too much actual skin.
Since its growth in Tokyo, the industry centered in Harajuku, Lolita has taken on forms such as Gothic, Sweet, Punk and Classic Lolita. It was predominantly popularized by the more female “visual kei” in Japan, and has influenced manga, video games, novels and songs.
Lolita fashion has also come in forms of makeup tutorials as well which has Western Lolita fans adopting Lolita styles into their everyday life. The subculture is flourishing and there is an increase in activities such as tea parties and conventions, and resources such as Lolita magazines and celebrity authors like Novala Takemoto. In the Japanese bookstores and costumes in anime, Lolita was once merely a fantasy. While it still retains that aura, it has also become accessible and, if you look towards Amsterdam, universal.
