Gothic Lolita Clothing and Costumes

1. Throw away any pre misconceptions you may have! Gothic Lolita is not necessarily related to what you think of as "Goth", nor does it have anything to do with pedophilia. The fashion and the lifestyle do not contain sexual connotations. Followers of the fashion do not consider it to be a sexual style. Instead, adherents present themselves as young Victorian girls and consider it necessary to look "cute," "beautiful," or "elegant" rather than "sexy."

2. You may want to purchase one of the Gothic & Lolita Bibles from a Japanese bookstore, comic book store or online. These magazines are a great resource for anyone interested in the style. If you don't have the funds to spend 15 to 20 dollars on one of the Bibles, visit one or more of the listed External Links for more information on what exactly "Gothic Lolita" is. It's good to have a strong foundation regarding what the style consists of before you attempt to dress in that way.

3. Invest in a few essential items. These include (but are not limited to) a white blouse and/or a black blouse (depending on what style your wardrobe is leaning towards), one or two full skirts, a good petticoat, bloomers, and knee-high or over-the-knee socks. Blouses vary with style, for sweet you may want a peter pan collar, for classic you may want a high collar. Other elements to look for in a blouse are a nice, tailored look, puff or cap sleeves, a bib or yoke, pintucks, ruffles or a decent amount of lace, and perhaps a neck bow if you wish. The skirts must be around knee length and full enough to fit a petticoat underneath. Also, make sure that the skirt fits on your waist or a little below it, but not at your hips. In order to get the right silhouette, the skirt must sit at the natural waist. After you have these, expand into other colors than black and white. A good petticoat is NOTHING like a square dancing petticoat. A-Line or Bell shaped is recommended. Hoop skirts and light slips will not fill out the skirt correctly.

4. Get a good pair of shoes and/or boots. Appropriate shoes include the classic Mary-Janes and Mary-Jane inspired shoes, platforms, chunky heels or espadrilles that cover your whole foot. If you're a beginner, you should invest in a good pair of Mary-Janes, as they will always be acceptable (assuming they're real Mary-Jane type shoes, not fetish Mary-Jane 'inspired'). The heels should be as wide as the natural heel itself. Stiletto heels are sometimes acceptable, if comfortable and not too high. Wedge heels might be acceptable as long as the shape of the shoe is appropriate. If possible, you may go for these kind of shoes on platforms, as long as they are not meant to be fetish shoes.

5. Headpieces are a key part of your outfit. Headdresses can be simple headbands (Alice bands), or more elaborate pieces decorated with ribbons, lace or flowers. The most common are the Alice Bow (one large on on top of your head, or two smaller ones off to the side), the basic headdress (an oval or rectangle of fabric embellished with ribbon or lace), and mini-hats/crowns/flowers worn at an angle. Whatever you choose to go with, you must make sure that the headpiece goes well with your outfit. Attention to detail is very important. The fabric and lace or other ornaments on the headpiece must match those of your outfit, yet must not compete with everything else.

6. A purse is usually a functional accessory to have. Bag options are endless as long as they match your outfit. Parasols, bags, jewelry, nails and makeup can make the outfit more spectacular and interesting. If you are going to get a parasol though, make sure you invest in a good sized parasol that will compliment you and will also protect you from the sun. Please avoid lace craft/wedding parasols or toy parasols available at your local toy store. They make the outfit look very costume-like and that's not what we are going for. The outfits are meant to be clothes, NOT costumes.

7. Hair is important. Use references to see what hairstyle works for you - and wigs are always an option! Bangs (fringe), ringlets, long hair and pigtails are common. Wild, unnatural color is optional.

8. Look at stores like H&M, Target, Forever 21 and even TJ Maxx - popular or trend stores like these often have nice blouses, skirts and stockings that can be considered Lolita. You do not have to pay 25,000 yen for a dress from Japan. You can often find many things to work in with a Lolita coordinate for under $30.

9. Try to look as natural as possible. Anyone can wear Lolita, but having raccoon eyes or hot pink eyeshadow does not look good with your classic style. Try to match your makeup to the style. Gothic? Dramatic deep eyeshadow and a crimson lip work well. Country? Natural, light makeup and pink cheeks do the trick. But no matter what, do not use whiteface makeup. It looks very costume-like and horrible, and only 80's era goths are known and should be known for doing that.

10. Be confident! Don't take anything from anyone; don't let people make fun of you. If someone makes a rude comment, reply with a smile or ignore the person. Getting angry is a bad response. If you are having trouble being confident to go out this way, don't wear Lolita.