one of the most well known categories of asian styles of clothing.

some of you people will know the anime/movie/manga Deathnote. in that case, you might be familiar with Misa Amane.

Her style of clothing is commonly referred to as gothic lolita. (just in case there was confusion over this topic)

so whats the deal? good or bad? as in how it looks? what it represents? what does it symbolise? who would wear it?

similar to emo? or not?

tell me what you think of the gothic lolita fashion style~

hmmm......i was looking for this topic quite a time...thanks

basically, it's not just a fashion statement, it's also a subculture, not yet a major culture, because it caters mostly to youths. so, a little warning, GOTHIC LOLITA ARE NOT COSPLAY

but, not to be misleading, some anime portraying such fashion may not tell well its symbolization. be caution.

personally, i don't think it's a bad thing, because it is part of teens' expression.
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p/s: ermmmm...i'll reply more later. my school bus is coming now, so i will make sure my replies are up here within 24 hours

haha, take ur time ^^

Hey! yun!
i like gothic and i dunno why maybe coz they look nice and good

heylo riku-san~ yeah, gothic is nice, but not overdone ^____^

back to business
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nice is not the precise word to describe the interests in G.L (that is, if you are a serious fan of gothic lolita).

as far as i did some research, i found something creepy :
"japanese men find girls in gothic lolita dress unattractive. only those who are opposite are mostly otaku/geeks"
this is because this fashion is mainly confined to girls' interests. they don't need to be attractive to guys' eyes.

though you may see gothic lolita as fashion statement, the truth is, it's also some sort of girls' world attachment. as stated in this website:

Quote: In my research, I found that for many lolita not associated with the gothic culture, their clothing was meant to make them not a doll, but rather to bring them back to their childhood. In Japan, children are taught from an early age the difference between "uchi"(inside, family, home) and "soto"(outside, stranger, dirty, pollution). The clothing closely resembles the sorts of dresses a young girl might wear before she has to go to school and become a member of society, where she interacts with the "soto."

This is very important in Japan. When you are outside everyone will watch and critisize you for everything you do and wear. The pressure has lead to the hikikomori phenomenon, where people (often schoolchildren), will lock themselves in their rooms and not come out for months on end to avoid strangers. The home is where one can relax, get rid of the pollution of strangers by changing their clothing and footwear, and feel comfortable and safe again, like they felt when they were children.

Lolita, and its implications of childhood, is a way of taking that "uchi" and forcing it upon the "soto". When a lolita wears her clothing, she isn't saying "look at me", she's saying "leave me alone". In other cases, girls will move from the countryside and lose their comfort zone completely. Sometimes the clothing reminds them of a friend or loved one who dressed lolita, and sometimes it reminds them of their family and home. And so while not saying "go away", these girls are saying "I have nothing to hold on to". Their clothing is a symbol of the fact that they have wrapped themselves in a makeshift home and given themselves an identity. These girls tend to always dress lolita, and to be shy and lonely, whereas the aforementioned group will tend to be more aloof and intimidating. They will have their friends or group, and are more likely to critisize other lolita in order to make themselves feel better about themselves. Whichever way you look at it though, both are trying to escape from the cruelty of society and into their own security. This is done through lolita and what it symbolizes to them.

I think everyone has faced unjust criticism in their lives, maybe lolita more than other people. Or maybe they're just more sensitive (or like pretty things ). If I could, honestly, I would get rid of all of the people who find meaning not in themselves, but in hating and picking on others. There's an arrogance in thinking oneself better than others that does not bode well in the world right now, but seems to be an unfortunate part of human nature.

(sorry, i'm not good in explaining. the worst part is i'm good in learning [but not teaching] )
you can read more about G.L in this website, it's pretty much useful if you're learning about this >>> http://lerman.biz/asagao/gothic_lolita/research1.html

aside, i recommend you to watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVzAxJQqRKY it's a news about gothic lolita culture in japan. though in japanese language, you may understand how life goes by there. ^___________^
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more to write, i'll back with more info soon. (very sorry, i'm typing this despite in busy moment with stoopid homeworks )

O____O wow, thats one longgggg comment . thanks for the linkie ^___^

Gothic Lolita's have a cute sense of fashion. I love it! LOL! Especially the Lolita style that Nana Kitade has.

Quote by kokuyu

"japanese men find girls in gothic lolita dress unattractive. only those who are opposite are mostly otaku/geeks"

OMG! that means i'm an otaku/geek...

hahaz lol... kidding... personally, I find most GLs to be pretty cute... but at the same time, I felt that the dress style is kinda 'impractical' in my country, given my country's hot and humid climate...

"Lolitas" usually attract OLDER (much older) men. Be carefull with the when, where and with whom.

they look cute n nice,
but myb, not good to those who are narrow-minded person

If you take Misa for example...they're really cute. =]

I think they're really cute, but I wouldn't wear it. Looks too time consuming.

misa's one is not just cute but a little sexy. so, personally, that's gothic but not gothic lolita enough. the real gothic lolitas abide with the following rules (there ARE rules in gothic lolita community). it's called elitism :

Quote by wikipediaIn the west, online communities have appeared that exist specifically to point out where people have misunderstood the fashion. The general consensus is that the fashion represents luxury, beauty and time taken over one's appearance, and so when people use lolita as fancy dress, or wear cheap, revealing outfits (one of the main lolita rules is MODESTY) they often end up being criticised on these communities.

so, in short, if you can't afford to buy expensive classy laces and frills, you are not to call yourself a gothic lolita. as i myself can't afford any yet, it's best to be a mere fan who understands them

Quote by mireya2"Lolitas" usually attract OLDER (much older) men. Be carefull with the when, where and with whom.

the term 'lolita' use here is different. it doesn't mean sexually attractive young (/underage) girl. it implies for "cute," "beautiful," or "elegant" rather than "sexy", because Japanese culture places a higher value upon extremely youthful appearance and behaviour than Western, as some adult women buy large amounts of products, such as Hello Kitty goods, that are typically marketed only to children in the West (as you can see in that youtube video i link here )

these points are from wikipedia, if you were to ask.

for those in hot countries, you may wear them in shopping complexes, where there are air-conditioned areas

although i find G.L very cute, but it's just to signify their childhood appearance. don't you find children cute too?

basic GL are like this (MODESTY IS IMPORTANT):

Others, for the best reference on GL styles, i recommend you KERA, KERA MANIAX and Gothic & Lolita Bible

wow. your all gothic lolita experts thank you for the information and opinions

Quote by kokuyuLolita, and its implications of childhood, is a way of taking that "uchi" and forcing it upon the "soto". When a lolita wears her clothing, she isn't saying "look at me", she's saying "leave me alone".

Gothic Lolita is a fashion as kokuyu stated. I myself dress in Lolita clothing and I do not necessarily want people to leave me alone. I dress in it because it represents who I am and I feel comfortable, beautiful and at home in the Lolita fashion.

As for Amane Misa, I wouldn't call her Gothic Lolita either, more Punk lolita.

Quote by yukiyosimilar to emo? or not?

No, it's not, because there are sub-genres under the Lolita category, such as Sweet lolita, would you call that emo, I would most certainly not.

So basically, The Lolita fashion is my life, the only bad point is that the dresses are expensive and a good point is that you can make your own

oo do you make your own lolita? yeah, they are expensive >___>;; hmm... sweet lolita sounds interesting

i guess Misa's is punk lolita

speaking of the diversity of Lolita fashion, here's the info>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolita_fashion

oh, i forgot that word yeah, she's Punk Lolita. but many death note websites stated her as GL, sadly....

it's expensive because of the laces, frills and silk. well, added costs are its brand (yeah, it's very much a trademark statement). examples of popular brands like 'BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT', MOI-MEME-MOITIE, and Angelic Pretty ^^
because of that prices, many GL magazines provided guides in sewing GL dresses, complete with trace out pictures.

i agree with Eimin too, as i myself feel weird that the reason would ever be "leave me alone". though true, basically, but most japanese girls who wear them are more towards trendy fashion than personal matters (as a way to express their rebellion towards japanese's strict and oppressive rigid life)

in additional, GL was already around even during the 80s, but was popularized by a musician named Mana ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mana_%28musician%29 ). a designer for MOI-MEME-MOITIE, and is a..........GUY


are you a Gothic Lolita fan too, yukiyo?

me? hmmm....i really like gothic lolita, but im still learning more and more about it ^___^ thanks to all the information everyones provided <3 i guess you could say yes ^___^ but im not sure about the criteria in everyones opinions that make up 'gothic lolita fan'

but yeah, you could say so

AAAAA~! Moi Meme Moitie is a GUY?! *dies* O___O this world is full of surprises

Only can to say that I love this style, the dresses, the colors, All about the Gothic Lolita Style is very Interesting

lol.....that guy is Mana, the founder of MOI-MEME-MOITIE company well, no one knows his real name and he never spoke in public!

btw, there's this movie caled Kamikaze Girls. so far, that's the only movie concerning about GL

for the criteria, i personally would say need not follow its rules, that if it's gonna burn a hole in your pocket! you may start with something affordable first, then move to higher levels.
i'm not sure if your place do sell some GL magazines, because generally they do have some guides in sewing some styles. sadly, most magazines are in japanese....

Like any style (or sub-culture if you really want to call it that) it all depends on the people who are doing it. In my opinion, its basically goth style mixed with a little young innocence to make it a more appealing. That being said some people look quite good in those styles while some should definitely stay away from it.

here's some sample of Gothic & Lolita Bible magazine
>>> http://www.blue-period.fsnet.co.uk/egl.html

Kamikaze Girls? O___O doesnt kamikaze loosely translate as suicide? i'll keep an eye out for it

oo~ thanks for the link ^____^ going to check it out now