Aristocrat: Lolita's Older, Quite Possibly Vampiric, Cousin

This is a post I put off writing for far too long! Aristocrat is a style often associated with Lolita, while not actually being Lolita. Much like boystyle, Aristocrat is something of a sister style to Lolita. It has a completely different set of "rules", but there is a lot of overlap in the aesthetics.

How is Aristocrat different from Lolita?

There are a few differences between Aristocrat and Lolita, the first one is that Aristocrat is a much more narrow style. While Lolita can refer to anything from pastel pink Hime Lolita to nearly neon hair-clip-encrusted Decora Lolita, to subdued and mature Classic Lolita, Aristocrat is strictly Gothic. The second difference is length and shape, Aristocrat outfits are often floor length, and don't always have to be cupcake shaped. The third difference is that Aristocrat is a much older, or more mature look than your average Lolita style.

When it comes to the difference between Gothic Lolita and Aristocrat the line is a bit more blurry, and you can usually safely say that the difference between those two is simply skirt length. You can wear two nearly identical outfits, one with a floor length skirt, and one with a knee length skirt, and the long skirt would be Aristocrat simply because it's longer. But, when it comes right down to it, you really shouldn't worry too much about labeling yourself, or the things you wear, one way or the other. This post isn't about which box to put yourself in, it's just a quick primer on Aristocrat, for those who are interested in trying it out.

What makes an Aristocrat outfit?

As I said above, length and general Gothicness are what makes an outfit Aristocrat, but there a few other themes and aesthetics that will work well when trying to make an Aristocrat outfit. Now, keep in mind, that a successful Aristocrat outfit doesn't need to have all of these things, but they are something to keep in mind.

• A antique aesthetic- Most Aristocrat outfits are very antique in nature. They often look like a very romanticized version of exactly what the name implies, and aristocrat. Full skirts, bustles, jabots, long coats, the things you might think of when you typically think of a gloomy 19th century aristocrat are things you will find in the Aristocrat fashion.
  
• You're still probably going to need a petticoat- To get your long skirts to look full you are still going to need to wear a petticoat. Of course, your regular Lolita petticoat is not going to work at all, you'll need to invest in a long one. Don't buy anything too poofy though, or anything with hoops, as most Aristocrat skirts aren't meant to be as poofy as a wedding or ball gown. They will still need a little lift so they don't look clingy or swishy, and a light, full length petticoat will do just that.
  
• Modesty- Aristocrat outfits are a bit more modest than Lolita outfits. Besides the fact that Aristocrat skirts are often floor-sweepingly long, you are rarely going to see short sleeves with Aristocrat. While sleeve and skirt lengths are often much longer than Lolita, necklines are often lower. A square, open, neckline is much more frequent in Aristocrat than it is in Lolita.
  
• Gothic motifs- Traditional gothic motifs are used in Aristocrat, often in the form of accessories since there are very few Aristocrat pieces with prints on them. Spiderwebs, coffins, bats, candelabras, Gothic architecture, and the like are often seen.
• Jewelery- You're not going to load up on hair clips or matching themed injection molded plastic doodads with Aristocrat, instead, you should keep it relatively simple and rather gothic. A few rings with large dark stones, finger armor, rosary styled necklaces, or a delicate and gothic choker will do the trick. Silver is the most common metal tone to be found with Aristocrat, but brass or bronze will work well, bright gold might look a little bit weird unless you are making it a standout detail on your outfit. You can even completely skip the jewelery, as Aristocrat is often times much less accessory oriented than Lolita.
  
• Headwear- Aristocrat headwear is a little different than Lolita headwear. You're going to want to skip the bows, and even the square headdresses and go for something a little less cute and more elegant. A circle headdress or rose corsage is a perfect Aristocrat headdress, but hats, bonnets, or even skipping a headdress completely is just as acceptable.
  

The best way to learn how to dress Aristocrat would be to look for examples, browse through the Gothic & Lolita Bibles and you are sure to find many good examples. In case you don't have a wide variety of G&LBs to look through, here are a few examples that I've collected from various volumes. Click for a larger picture.

So what is "Elegant Gothic Aristocrat"?

Elegant Gothic Aristocrat is a specific term, coined by Mana, to describe clothing from his own clothes line, Moi-même-Moitié. You wouldn't call an outfit, or your specific style, "Elegant Gothic Aristocrat" unless it is made up entirely of Moitie pieces, or Mana fans won't be entirely pleased with you.

Calling an outfit, or style, simply Aristocrat is perfectly fine though. When you hear people say "Elegant Gothic Aristocrat can only be made up of Moitie pieces," they don't mean that to wear Aristocrat you can only wear Moitie, but if you plan on adding the extra words "Elegant Gothic" to the style you are wearing, it had better Moitie. After all, you wouldn't call an OTT Sweet Lolita outfit "Angelic Pretty Lolita" if it didn't have any actual Angelic Pretty in it.

How to avoid looking like Elvira: Or the difference between Western Goth & Aristocrat.

Don't get me wrong, I love Elvria, she's quite possibly my favorite person ever, but there is a a world of difference between the Japanese Aristocrat fashion and Western vampy goth. I think the main difference is that Aristocrat is much more modest, you're really never going to show a lot of skin, and you're not going to be wearing any kind of form fitting, clinging skirts. Another important difference is in materials, most Aristocrat outfits are made out of a matte cotton and feature ruffles rather than lace. You aren't going to find nearly as much lace overlay, velvet, satin, or brocade as you would find in Western Gothic.

Despite how it looks on first glance, you might not be able to make a "proper" Aristocrat outfit out of typical Goth pieces. If you already have a Gothic wardrobe, and are interested in something more than just inspired-by-Aristocrat, you're probably going to have to go out and look for proper pieces, or get creative with what you have. Of course, this depends on what you have on hand, if you have a full Victorian mourning wardrobe, you're probably set, and are only going to need to accessorize a bit to get the look down from authentic Victorian to J-Fashion Aristocrat. Aristocrat is a style that is a bit freer than Lolita in regards to "rules", but, probably because of that, a bit more tricky to pin point, it's going to take some trial and error, especially if you're working with Western Goth pieces. My best advice would be to look at examples, and don't be afraid to experiment a bit. Even if you decide upon something that's not exactly Aristocrat, maybe it's a bit more Western Goth, or a bit more Gothic Lolita, go with it if it's something you like and something that lets you express yourself!