There are virtually as many different ways to style yourself Goth as there are Goths themselves, and one look that I’ve been fangirling over quite a lot recently is the Lolita-Goth fusion. Lolita is a very high femme and yet understated styling that has a lot of appeal for girl Goths of all types, and is also one of the easiest looks to pull off, regardless of your body type or budget. So, without further ado, I’m going to launch straight into some tips on how to Lolita up your Goth look.
What is Lolita?
The Lolita style originated in Japan, as a fusion of Victorian era styling and all things girly and sweet, with an understated and yet shamelessly sensual modesty at the heart of the look. Lolita can come in many forms, including classic, sweet and punk, but Goth Lolita is one of the most ubiquitous and well known of all of the sub-genres. This website is dedicated to Lolita of all genres, and offers a portal to info on Lolita of many different types.
Goth Lolita’s basic tenets involve high necked tops, frilly cupcake skirts, lots of girly accessories, and dark eyes and lips with an otherwise natural face. It is a basic twist on the standard Lolita shapes and styles, but with a darker colour palette and more muted look.
Hello Lace expands on what is and is not Goth Lolita in much more detail, here, and this long and detailed article looks into the history in depth.
Tops and bottoms
Lolita Goth tops tend to be long sleeved and high necked, or involve a cut out neckline and corseting. A frilly, heavily petticoated cupcake skirt is de rigueur, with tights or leggings and generally, boots or Mary Janes. Finding the right skirt is a hefty part of getting things right, as is picking just the right style of petticoat to fluff things up like a blow-dried bunny. Check out this Pinterest Board for more inspiration.
Balancing your look
Getting a balanced silhouette can make or break a look, and the most common Lolita shape involves big hair (potentially achieved with a wig) a close fitting top, a big skirt, and neat tights and footwear.
Without using your barnet to balance out your skirt, you are apt to look rather triangular, and if you go too poufy on the top half, you’re apt to look like a hot mess.
Accessories
Accessorising is a large part of the fun with Goth Lolita, but it is also fair to say that less is more. Goth Lolita is a strong statement look all on its own, so don’t make it overly busy with too much frothy lace, ten tonnes of jewellery, or lots of beads and bling. A simple pendant or cameo necklace, gloves and a parasol usually works well. Less is more, and The Domesticated Goth agrees.
Make up
In terms of Lolita make-up, deep red lips and a smoky, winged eye are common, as are the odd artfully applied highlights such as beauty spots. However, white powdered skin is not considered to be Lolita Goth, so keep things natural to avoid your eye and lip makeup fighting with your skin.
Liking the look? There is an entire blog dedicated to Goth Lolita for your delectation too, here.
