What Is Lolita?

Lolita is a fashion that originated in Japan and focuses on dressing feminine. Lolita fashion tends to have a distinctive silhouette, which is achieved with the use of petticoats, and often focuses on the cute or feminine, sometimes taking inspiration from antiquity.

A Lolita is someone who dresses in this fashion. A Lolita may simply dress in the fashion, they not have to act the part unless they so choose to. You are not any less of a Lolita because you do not like the taste of tea and would rather listen to Black Sabbath than Bach. The Lolita police do not come to your house and confiscate your petticoats if you swear and have tattoos.

Lolita has a lot of terms and abbreviations, if you're curious about any of them, check out this glossary.

This kind of Lolita has nothing to do with the dressing like the other type of Lolita. I promise. To read more about why Lolita is named the way it is, check out this post.

F Yeah Lolita's Crash Course In Being A Successful Lolita

That's the most basic information you need to know when it comes to Lolita. Of course, if you are interested in knowing more you could read this blog perhaps. But, it's a big blog, and a curious individual or a Lolita in training might not know where to start! Well, how about some handy links? If you are a newbie to the fashion and would like some help you should check out the Newbie Tips tag on my entries. If you are a Lolita newbie and want the F Yeah Lolita crash course in being a successful Lolita, check out these posts:

• Lolita in the 90's, 80's, and 70's. Every good Lolita should learn about her roots!
• That Big Bad Scary EGL. Online Lolita communities are often a big part of a Lolita filled life, but the communities often get a bad rep due to a few bad apples. This post talks a bit about that, as well as a brush up for some common sense tips about not being annoying online.
• Convincing your parents to let you wear Lolita. Some general tips for warming your parents up to the idea of you dressing in Lolita.
• How to avoid being an Ita. You think you know what Lolita is, but you can learn so much more by knowing what Lolita isn't. "Ita" is the word for Lolita done wrong. It might be news to you, but anything with lace on it isn't actually Lolita.
• Everyday elegance. For when you are not quite ready to make the leap into Lolita, but want to start dressing more elegantly.
• Gothic Lolita starter coordinates. If you want to want to build a versatile Gothic Lolita wardrobe, on a budget, that also lets you experiment with other styles, check out this post.
• Building a complete Lolita wardrobe. Just like the title says! Some easy ways to build a small, but versatile Lolita wardrobe. Great if you're on a budget!
• 30 things every Lolita should have. While wardrobe building, check over this list, it's what I consider the most essential items and various other important things for a Lolita to have.You might be surprised to find out you have more of these than you think you do!
• How to find bargains when shopping second hand for Lolita. Various tips and tricks that I use when I shop secondhand. Most all of my wardrobe was bought relatively cheaply secondhand!
• Bodyline for beginners. If you plan on buying your first Lolita piece from somewhere a little more affordable than the Japanese brands, Bodyline is always a good choice, but their designs and quality are often hit or miss. This post will help you pick the good from the bad.
• How to wear Bodyline without looking like you're wearing Bodyline. So, you bought some Bodyline, only to find out that *gasp* nearly everyone else is wearing Bodyline! What's a Lolita to do? Some tips on picking out pieces that are not overly Bodyline-y and about making unique coordinates with them.
• Being a confident Lolita and loving yourself. This was an Ask Miss Caro-chan question, but some of it deals with building up the confidence to wear Lolita out in public for the first time.
• How to Clean Lolita Clothes At Home. Lolita clothes, be they hand made, brand, or offbrand, can't usually be thrown in the washer with a load of jeans! They usually need special care when it comes to cleaning, here are some tips and tricks for cleaning your Lolita clothes.
• 10 Misconceptions about Lolita & 10 Misconceptions Lolitas have about Lolita. Two articles about misconceptions that people have about Lolita fashion, lifestyle, and those who wear it, one being the misconceptions outsiders have about the fashion, the other being misconceptions insiders tend to have!
• The Everyday Lolita. If you're ready to take the plunge into wearing Lolita on a daily, or even just regular basis, check out this post for some ideas on what sort of things an everyday Lolita wardrobe is going to need, as well as some tips and tricks for dealing with the frills on a daily basis.

If you have a question that I have not covered, feel free to ask me in my Ask Miss Caro-chan section of the blog!