Subculture research – Lolita

Subculture research – Lolita
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Origins
Even though, the term Lolita originates from Vladimir Nabakov's novel Lolita (1955), the current use of the term Lolita is a subculture with direct link and sexual references. Nabakov presented Lolita as a sexually precocious temptress or seductive young girl and in a 1962 movie poster Lolita is there emphasis is on her flirty gaze with sunglasses, lollipop, and lipstick.The Lolita subculture is from Japan, and integrates aesthetic cuteness that look like porcelain dolls, and while there is a wide range of sub styles, it is essentially feminine. The fashion style is inspired mainly by the Goth, Punk, Rococo style and Victorian era children’s clothing, and it represents personal expression and manifestation.
Japan’s Lolita represents elegant and beautiful appearance, but without any sexual connotation, and the movement engaged in the 80s with growth in fashion brands, but aesthetic movement of the 70s. The Lolita fashion became more popular in the 21st century popularized by Gothic Lolita in Japan and beyond. The fashion was mostly black and white, but now includes various colors and sub types. Lolita fashion mostly represent the frill fashion of teen, preteen and young adult Japanese women and stylized fashion inspired by the Victorian or Edwardian girls mostly with Lacy parasol, frilly headdress, teddy bear or hat and elaborate Lolita hair accessories. Because being a Lolita is not only about dressing elegantly as it is a way of life, and this makes the subculture distinct in Japan when compared to other parts of the world where the fashion style is growing. In the representation of Gothic Lolita, in Japanese magazines there is focus on Loligoth and fashion including stickers, badges, pastel and coupons, while western magazines mostly catalog young Japanese girls.
Dress Practices
Lolitas are mostly females who dress in ways that characterize the western Victorian dolls and embrace elements of child-like features emphasizing elaborate feminine elements inspired by European classic dress including frills, laces, and ribbons. The ideas of kawaii (cuteness), shЕЌjo (young girl) and otome (maidenhood) influence Lolita fashion in Japan among young urban girls. The Gothic and punk Lolita fashion have broader appeal outside Japan, while the Japanese fashion trends place more emphasis on kawaii motifs, characters, product and objects. The Gothic fashion subgenres are common in European and Not America, while manga and anime art is closely linked with Lolita fashion in Japan, and the Lolita phenomena grew in across Europe and among whites via the internet.
While young Japanese women show attachments to the doll culture in Lolita fashion from the 1990s, the asexual Lolitas dressed up dolls. Even though, Lolita fashion is feminine there is gender expression where there is oЇji style and general Lolita style, where the oЇji/prince style, or Kadona, focuses on the cute boyish look based on the Victorian boys’ costume. The common features of the style are “knee-length Capri-style pants, ties, bowler caps and long socks”. Lolita fashion represents the femininity and cuteness of young girls, and there is also classification based on the dominant colors, black, white and sweet. It can also be distinguished by the mother culture include Goth, Punk, Wa (Japanese), Qi (Chinese) and Hime (princess), and themes like classic, country, guro (pain), casual and ero (erotic) .
Political/Economic Stance
The Gothic/Lolitas subculture focuses on self-expression, and through web forums it is now easier for Lolitas to create communities and network. However, there are negative identities politics especially for Gothics associated with fetishism. The Lolita subculture provides avenues for people to explore fashion and go beyond conforming. Lolita is largely based on popular culture and fashion and Lolitas then exhibit both inner and outer beauty. The Lolita taste style has reinvented many western dress styles, and there is growing materialism in fashion trends. The style has be reinvented over time Harajuku street remain an important part of Lolita culture where people meet, but the people are not actively politically as the youths are fashion conscious and mostly focus on fashion trends and cr...