Country Lolita

Country Lolita is a substyle of Lolita that's rarely seen nowadays. Maybe it's the dawning of spring combining with my fondness for old school Lolita, but I've been sighing dreamily over country Lolita for a few weeks now.

To those of you who are unfamiliar with Country Lolita, it is a style of Lolita that is a bit Sweet and a bit Classic and all cute. Like most old school Lolita styles it's a much simpler style than other kinds of Lolita, but it can sometimes be hard to pull off. If you look too cutesy, you just look like a Sweet Lolita in a straw hat, if the colors are too dark, you just look like a Classic Lolita in a straw hat. There's a sort of balance between childish and mature for Country Lolita, I tend to think of it as a country girl in her Sunday best.There are some elements that are classically Country, so if you are planning on putting together a Country Lolita outfit for the very first time, keep a few of these pointers in mind:

• Wear a straw hat. Many of the old Country Lolita looks include a mini straw hat, update the look by wearing a full sized hat. Or, if you can find one, a straw bonnet would look extra cute.
  
• Carry a basket purse. Because it matches your hat perfectly!
  
• Wear some pale yellow. I don't know what it is about the color, but it screams Country Lolita to me. Maybe because it reminds me of daisies or sunshiney fields.
• Wear a print with a small floral design. Skip the cute bunny print and the big epic rose clusters, look for a print covered in delicate little flowers.
• Try some gingham. Even more appropriate than tiny little flowers is gingham. I would, personally, avoid wearing light blue gingham as people might assume you're just dressing up like Dorthy from The Wizard of Oz.
• Or maybe a fruit print. Cherries and strawberries and even apples are all cute fruits that work well with a Country Lolita look. Look for a light colorway, either white or a pale pastel, as fruit on a dark background, especially cherries, can look a little too retro or even rockabilly, and Country Lolita just isn't about that.
  
• Braid your hair. No need for huge teased pigtails, instead try a simple braid. If you want something a little more, loop your braid and secure it with a bow.
• Wear a pair of white crochet gloves. They're a an easy way to make an outfit extra cute.
• Go natural with the makeup. Put down the fake eyelashes and glitter eyeshadow! Go with a very natural look instead, neutral eyeshadow, slightly rosy cheeks, and a hint of pink to your lips is all you really need.
• Carry a parasol. To keep the sun off you as you go for walks in the countryside, of course.
• Keep it simple! Keep the whole outfit simple, from your hair, to your makeup, to your accessories. Try not to load up on accessories or wear any very bold prints.
  

Here's a little Country Lolita coordinate I put together. I really love the look of a short sleeved OP with a long sleeved blouse under it. It makes it makes it look both a little bit fancier, and a bit more modest. You're probably going to have to change the ribbon on any straw hat you find, but it's not hard to snip off one ribbon and glue another one on. While you've got the glue gun out, why don't you add a corsage of flowers as well? A bunch of wildflowers and daisies would look perfect tucked in a straw hat!

Looking for some more Country Lolita inspiration? Try combing some of the earlier Gothic & Lolita Bibles, you're bound to come across some in the Spring issues. Don't have any Bibles from that long ago? Well, I did all the hard work for you! Here's a few choice Country Lolita outfits from the Bibles.

If these have left you scratching your head and thinking "I don't get it, isn't this just Sweet Lolita with hats?" well, yeah it pretty much is. If you want to try Country Lolita for the first time, and don't really have a straw hat to make it official Country Lolita, don't worry about it to much! Just keep the light and natural style of Country Lolita in your look and you will be a breath of fresh air in comparison to some of the technicolor super hair-sprayed Sweet Lolita that is so prevalent nowadays.