Lolita Myths

With the growing popularity of Lolita around the World, there is bound to be some misinformation spread. If you have a Lolita Myth that you would like to see added here, feel free to contact us with it.

Is it okay to dress Lolita if you’re over 20?
Yes, you can dress in Lolita at any age so that should never be a barrier for you. In fact you’ll find that many members of the various Lolita communities are past their teens. You may feel as if as you get older you may like a slightly more mature style, and move away from the sweeter styles, but there should always be a style to suit you. Classic Lolita is a wonderful style to get into if you’re feeling a little too old for sweet, because it still maintains the basic Lolita shape, but with less of the frills and overly cute prints. Aristocrat is also a great style for the older Lolita.

‘Lolita is not for me, it’s all frills and bows.’
As mentioned above, there are much more mature and subdued styles of Lolita and one should not be put-off by the sweeter styles by thinking that they won’t find a style to match them.

‘I thought Lolitas were all meant to be nice all the time.’
This is not necessarily true, because as with other clothing items Lolita is just a fashion. Many girls get offended at the notion that they are expected to automatically change their personality when they put on their Lolita outfits. While Lolitas may adopt stricter manners and be slightly more cautious about how they carry themselves (though this is sometimes due to the fact that they want to protect their clothes) a Lolita will not usually alter their personality accordingly to what type of clothing they are wearing. ‘Lifestyle Lolitas’ are the exception, and may prefer to adopt a more ‘sugar, spice and all-thing-nice’ attitude.

'Is Lolita just for girls?'
This is incorrect; there are many boys who love donning a full Lolita outfit, and can look lovely in it. Lolita Fashion is not restricted by gender and the same rules about presentation and class still apply. If you don't like dresses however, but still enjoy the general aesthetic of Lolita, Kodona or Aristocrat may be the style for you.

‘A dress with lace is instantly Lolita.’
This is a really common misconception. Just because an item of clothing has lace on it, does not automatically make it Lolita, it still has to conform to the basic guidelines of Lolita fashion such as quality, class, modesty etc. etc. You’ll find that many Lolita dresses do not actually have any laced on them at all. If you are in-doubt as to whether an item can be considered ‘Lolita’ or not, ask for the opinions of other Lolitas.

‘Mana created the Lolita fashion.’
This is a myth often associated with Mana fan-girls. While it is true that the J-Rock artist Mana does have his own Lolita brand named Moi Meme Moitie and is featured in many of the Gothic Lolita Bibles wearing the clothing from his brand, he did not invent the Lolita fashion. Mana only came up with the phrase, ‘Elegant Gothic Lolita’ as a name to describe the style of clothing that his brand was creating; Gothic Lolita itself had been around long before Mana had his own Lolita brand.

‘I’m not Asian, can I still be a good Lolita?’
Yes of course! Surprisingly this issue comes up quite a bit. Many people assume that because Lolita fashion originated in Japan only Japanese people can dress in it, but Lolita is for people of all races. Many Lolita brands, after recognising the growing love of Lolita in the West, started offering shipping overseas and creating English websites for those of us who do not live in Japan or speak Japanese. Lolita itself was modelled after the Rococo aesthetic which came from the West in the first place.

'Leg Warmers are suitable Lolita attire for when it gets cold.'
This is incorrect. Usually leg warmers are frowned upon, and look very out of place with Lolita; they tend to look very costume-y. This goes for arm warmers as well.
To keep yourself warm during winter or on cold days thick tights are usually the way to go. There are many styles of boots that also look great with lolita to help keep your legs warm. Coats, scarves, earmuffs and gloves also will help keep you warm and be the perfect touch to any Lolita outfit.

Can I wear a Chi cosplay dress as Lolita?
No, anything with 'cosplay' or 'costume' in the title really should not be worn with, or as Lolita. Remember that Lolita is a 'fashion' and not a 'costume', so anything costume-y you wear with Lolita will look just like that: a costume. Although Chii from Chobits does wear some very elegant dresses that appear to take some influences from Lolita Fashion, it is best to keep cosplay and Lolita separate.