🎀🎀 A Brief History of Lolita Fashion 🎀🎀

[@TheStitchess]

I did some research for another video and found out Pretty changed their name to Angelic Pretty in 2001 ^-^ which...actually fits perfectly into the timeline.

[@goodsoup2583]

Not sure if you dropped a coord shot but I’d love to know❤️❤️

[@Pauldanolover126]

Quick question is natural k similar to cottagecore?

[@tudormiller887]

Watching from London UK❤

[@beguinemystic]

It’s strange to hear that lolita “peaked in 2010” as someone who discovered the fashion in 2013 - although the early 2000s is when the fashion might have been the most visible in Japan, it wasn’t until AFTER 2010 that some of the most iconic lolita prints came out - honey cake, daydream carnival, etc

[@Nymshi]

I think you're the first person I've seen that's able to discuss lolita in a non judgmental manner while admitting to the likely origin of the name.

[@melonbread3951]

6:35 this point really changes everything for me, it makes so much sense now. It does make sense that people outside of extreme fashion styles like punk, goth and lolita would give people who dress the styles those names. Obviously the names were ment to be derogatory but instead of putting up a fight members of the fashion styles took the names for themselves. It's like how the bratz got their name "BRATZ" and also how Christianity got its name (fun fact the term christianity came from the Roman's) not religious btw. Edit: I continued watching and realized it pretty much wrote what u said 😅

[@TheStitchess]

It was a bit of a lightbulb moment for me to! Especially since nobody in the fashion has been able to point to the first person who started calling it lolita

[@msuzuki5971]

7:10 Lemme offer a bit of a Japanese perspective here lol I don't know if this has been mentioned here but- While Japanese people are somewhat aware of the book (but NO, it's not as popular or ingrained in the "public knowledge" as in the West), the perception and usage of the word "lolita" is completely different. Lolita here is used to refer to young girls IN GENERAL, not exclusively in a sexual context. That's why the term "lolicon" is a thing - someone who has a complex towards little girls (lolitas). One could say, for example, "She's too young for that, she's still a lolita". There's no intention of blaming or accusing little girls of inappropriate behavior when you refer to them as loli/lolita (unlike in the West, where "lolita" means precocious and sexually promiscuous) . I'd even say that the interpretation of the book was different in Japan - instead of focusing on the so-called "nymphet", the "little seductress", the image of the miserable, pathetic adult man obsessed with a young girl was more prevalent. So the name "Lolita" came out relatively unscathed. If you asked a random Japanese person about what "lolita" means, they'd probably say they believe it's the same as 少女 "shoujo" - which does mean "young girl", but is very poetic and has a sense of maiden-like purity (I can't really explain it, is there an English equivalent? orz) So while I do believe that the style was named by "outsiders", from the perspective of how the word lolita is used in Japan itself, I wouldn't say that they necessarily did it with malicious intent, "you're-trying-to-attract-p*dos!" style.

[@_hannasdiary]

I think that explains the west very well. We always blame victims of any kind of sexually assault first before looking at the perpetrator which is bad. It is probs why dressing in lolita has bad connotations here and if u act that way you will be an outcast vs japan where it is the pedophile who is ostracised.

[@Bicth97]

Which is exactly why it's so frustrating trying to explain this to braindead white tiktok zoomer idiots who insist they know more about your subculture than you. The naming is so much more nuanced than "sexy little girl" 🙄

[@mezmereyesofficial7526]

the term Lolita that JApan uses is not based off of the lolita novel. it's based off of the Portugese lolita term that means, "cute". Portugese has a deep history with Japan. They're the first non-asian country that landed and communicated with Japan. Even introducing guns to that area during the Sengoku era.

[@lovitajuno]

The portuguse word meaning cute is fofo or fofinho im portuguese and i have never ~heard about this, where did you take this from

[@cloudemojie]

dude im sorry but i dont think lolita is a word in the portuguese dictionary

[@FrillyDisaster]

@@cloudemojieit’s not, the word “Lolita” originated from the Spanish “Lolita” means Dolores in English.

[@cloudemojie]

@@FrillyDisaster oh i see!! like dolores as in the surname? my first language is not english

[@rosa.dulcissima]

@cloudemoji *Dolores* is a feminine given (first or personal) name. It is not a surname (family/last) name. *Lola* is a diminutive name (nickname/pet name) for Dolores, and *Lolita* is a further diminutive: *_Lola_* + *_ita_* (diminutive suffix) = *Lolita (little Lola).* I hope this helps.

[@CoraMaria]

I'd LOVE to see a history of fairy kei and decora!!! Decora is one of my earliest and favourite styles. I've been dressing in it for three years now!

[@TheStitchess]

Yes! I’ll cover decora in one of my vids for sure!

[@AmandineYlan]

Lolita fashion is still growing in Chinese communities, with tao bao brands, and a lot of new influences with a growth of Qi Lolita, and different influences. It's displacing :)

[@j_fenrir]

I only just discovered lolita fashion in this here year of plague but the fact that the style is dying won't stop me! I want frills and I will have them!

[@keekydeeks3993]

Welcome to the club! I got my first coord a few weeks ago and I was too scared to step into the fashion across covid but now I've done it

[@ladylibrum7145]

Very good. Long live the petticoat and headbow! 👏

[@reiisnotworking]

I really loved how you talked about Lolita Fashion- and heck this was a really educational video! Please please do more! 💕

[@TheStitchess]

I’m glad you liked it! I have another one of these on my list already 😈

[@reiisnotworking]

The Stitchess I cant wait!!

[@mort_drew]

This was a really cool video! I’d love to see more history of stuff 💕

[@TheStitchess]

Thanks! I wanna make several of these ^-^

[@RoxanneKim673]

just getting into loilta myself, great history review

[@WhoaThereMama]

I am ao glad you debunked the whole idea that Japanese people have no idea who Nabokov is because that has always rung incredibly false and naive

[@wanessaribeiro3965]

Your hair looks sooooo cute, love the new hairstyle, also, amazing video! I love learning more about the fashion i love the most

[@TheStitchess]

Aww thanks!

[@nadeishiko1462]

Oh boy am I ever late to the party here. Thanks for the video! It's always nice to see the different theories as to where the name came from, and to have information about the origins of the fashion. But I do have to join others in wondering what makes you say that the fashion is dying! I was around during the 2010/LJ days and came back into wearing it not long ago, and the reach and accessibility of EGL fashion and communities feels bustling to me now more than ever. I don't live in a big city, and on occasion (pre-pandemic) I see people dressed in lolita walking around who aren't even part of my comm.

[@acekidatelier]

Wow I've never heard or read anything on the very beginning of lolita fashion, it was super interesting!

[@TheStitchess]

Glad you found it informative!

[@gemini1123]

Love it, I could listen to you talk about every J fashion, or K-pop, trends, etc!:)

[@emmah6009]

Heck yeah history! This was so interesting😁 V much looking forward to the fairy kei video 💕

[@TheStitchess]

^-^ I’m gonna have to do some more research for that vid but I’m excited for it

[@splatterjoy6116]

Could you do a video comparing Pure Maiden styles to current day Lolita? That would be amazing, also, really curious about what life was like for girls during the Pure Maiden years. Did they deal with as much bs as a modern day Lolita does? Ty so much! Loved the video!!

[@MissGoldenDreams13]

@The Stitchess : I love the picture you included at 1:22! Where did you get it from?

[@lunarose9]

Please do more of these I loved it.

[@TheStitchess]

I absolutely will!

[@martycosplay]

I wanna know more about the Romantic Fashion Movement! Tried to google it but didn't find it :(

[@desperate4bubbles]

OML!! PLZ DO ONE OF THESE VIDS FOR GYARU OR BODIKON/BODYCON!!💕💕

[@shudaiyokoyama1082]

Thank you for the informations! Iam working for a Japanese fashion brand and the theme of next collection is lolita fashion! We will present it in NY ! This video is very utilise for us thanks again.

[@Lenlon703]

How has it been? I hope the name didn’t cause too much trouble..

[@alexds8452]

Not sure what is your definition of a style fading/dying out! While major Lolita brands of Japan may be somewhat struggling due to high labor costs; however, more & more Chinese, Korean, & Indy designers are surfacing. Lolita brands that have chosen to license abroad, like BTSSB & AP are doing well.

[@leonorbrito9066]

do you have FRUiTS magazines to show in a video? btw loving your videos, super helpful to understand what happened at the time

[@angie7486]

your videos are great! watched all your fashion history vids. so excited for all to come 💓

[@lovelasnow]

Could you do a video for gyaru?

[@TheStitchess]

Ooo! Yes! I’ll add it to my list!

[@taylormylittleponylifeandm807]

You know more about Lolita Fashion even though when pixielocks did Lolita Fashion she didn't even have no clue what she was talking about I guess everybody has their own twists in it🤷‍♀️ you explain it more well

[@TheStitchess]

Didn’t she only do lolita for a couple years though?

[@janedoeeyed]

decora vid besides the old refine one would be so rad

[@mariflame1821]

I recently learned that the lolita look was also inpired by the 80s new romantic / new wave girl Scotish band "Strawberry Switchblade" who became popular in Japan on the early 80s. Just saw a music video of them and wow, now I know where some of the Japanese Visual K bands like "Lareine" got their look from! kzbin.info/www/bejne/oorLkGZ7fMikmqs

[@IndependentParent]

hey i love your video! i just wanna let you know that if your chair is sinking thats a bad sign! if its an office chair, please replace it with a verified efficient and safer one!

[@HarryToeface]

What counterpart does male fashion fit with Lolita? Is there nothing but dated visual kei??? I can't pull off Gackt or Kyo so I'm clueless on how to fit in other than online...btw new sub I love this stuff and have no idea why. It could be the similarities between us...even though I'm not frilly *le sigh*

[@TheStitchess]

The male counterpart has been called a few things throughout time but I’ve heard it referred to as kodona or ouji most often (don’t know what kodona means but ouji means prince). It’s also very frilly but is heavily based off of the male fashions of the Victorian and rococo periods. Especially rococo with the silhouette. Knee length shorts with a bit of gathering, a crisp white frilly dress shirt, and a matching frock coat and vest set makes up a pretty standard outfit. Alice in the Pirates is considered BABY’s unisex line and has a lot of good pieces you can use as examples. There are non-goth styles but since most men aren’t very comfortable with pastels colorful looks are a little less common (but gorgeous when done well). Deerstalker on KZbin also has a few videos with oujis.

[@HarryToeface]

@@TheStitchess thank you! I wasn't sure where to even start looking, although it sounds like this is musician Prince's style (ironic considering it means prince)

[@Urushi12kitty]

it seems because of covid (esp the beginning of covid) lolita has seen a bit of a boom again, at least in my very limited observation which is interesting

[@littlenothing1068]

Me, a crusty punk, when you say punk isn’t dead:✨ *am validated* ✨

[@jamarbrando2615]

In my Fashionary book Lolita aesthetic was introduce in the 80's....

[@ChiiNekoChii]

Not too sure if this is mentioned in another video but are brands like ap, btssb, iw etc ethical and sustainable?

[@TheStitchess]

I wish i had the answer for that but it doesn’t seem anyone in the community has been able to reach out to them.

[@ChiiNekoChii]

The Stitchess Awh that sucks :( thanks for letting me know though!❤️

[@pootoobaby738]

Depends on the brand and items created. Most specialized lace (things with hearts or bunnies etc) are made in Japan, as well as natural fiber dresses. Some of the bigger brands such as AP have started to outsource their dressmaking since they’ve been using polyester more. There was a big stink in the community a few years ago because the brand Moitié, known for creating everything in house/japan, had outsourced something like their headdress or wristcuffs from that season. Most brands have a couple of designers in Japan who are passionate about the fashion, as well as having some specialized seamstresses who make dresses. Great for the community but bad for the planet is that some larger brands have been opening stores outside of Japan so anything produced has to be sent to the stores overseas. The thing with the lolita community though is that the secondhand market is huge since the number of dresses made is vastly smaller than regular fashion stores, and many people want specific designs or older pieces, hence brands doing fewer item releases and rereleases compared to fast fashion. Overall brands are in a strange grey area since we aren’t 100% aware of their business practices and can only infer from what we see and hear through the rumor mill.

[@madubelta9592]

I would like to see a video about visual kei

[@Pauldanolover126]

Wait I need help is natural k similar to cottagecore? (Not trying to be offensive, I genuinely wanna know)

[@Lavacoraline]

from what i’ve gathered, (i don’t know very much) it does seem to be very similar.

[@brendaaraiza1188]

could you do a dolly kei video? >___< ♥♥ pwlis

[@angie7486]

Are there Black women lolitas?

[@pacjentPS]

The Stichess reacted to episode of "What not to wear" featuring lolita who's black. Check it out! (But episode itself is kinda heartbreaking, because of how this lolita girl is treated by hosts).

[@SeqZZ]

Yes

[@Candy-yq3xh]

Yes a lot

[@Rhythmloid]

Yes we exist!!! There’s communities on Instagram and twitter and discord!

[@glossy-jimin]

This is kind of depressing for someone just getting into lolita 😩 I’m very late

[@clairewalter9291]

Thank you for sharing. I like the pretty aesthetic of Lolita fashion, but I feel like this look leaves curvy women out. I have hips, breasts, and a butt, and I couldn't help but notice that none of the women pictured in Lolita fashion looked like me. I know all fashion has a bias to slender models, but these were "street photos" and not runway images.

[@msuzuki5971]

Well, that's just how most Japanese/Asian women are, it's not bias or desire to leave curvy women out. Lolita was created in Japan by Japanese women for Japanese women, and we have a different body type, tending to be shorter and not very curvy.

[@tomie-qj7hy]

you are so cute !!!!

[@IndependentParent]

punK IS DEAD BECAUSE POSEURS FLOOD THE PUNK SCENE

[@veebezoo5175]

when u wanna do lolita fashion but ur poor :.)

[@kianamoore413]

I’ve heard y’all Lolita girls are judgemental! But all I’m hearing this is my ancestors history and my other half loves to argue it lol

[@guryeeun8511]

Hello sister

[@lostarsm9240]

This is the same culture that celebrates Kanamara Matsuri and hands out phallic shaped lolipops to children. The same culture that has a format that they accept and perpetuate through various media called 'Shota' and 'Lolicon/Lolishota'... Regardless for your reasons or anyone elses; I do not buy into the perfectly innocent etimology of 'Lolita' in Japan. They love when their women look more youthful and speak childlike... you can litterally buy a comic depicting pedophilia.

[@Openreality]

Am I literally the only one creeped out and weirded out by this rising trend?

[@CPRCUS]

Yeah

[@spoonpilled2117]

Why so?

[@SeqZZ]

Yes

[@bee2874]

yes

[@suzubee9602]

What's creepy and weird about it

[@WilliamMarcotte-io4go]

Great style I had a real attraction to this