Mainstream stores are unlikely to have dresses or skirts that are full enough to fit a petticoat; while it is possible to find blouses that can work in these stores, it’s important that they cover your shoulders, have no cut-outs, and are not cropped nor low-cut. If you wish, you may create and sew your own lolita clothing. Check out second-hand stores for good deals on accessories and shoes. Check for lacy vintage tops, vests, and mary janes. Additionally, you can try to find jewelry to match your existing pieces. Check here for cheaper options. How to Be a Budget Lolita. Beware of online scam sites like milanoo. com or anything that seems fishy. Always verify the trustworthiness of a site before buying from it. When picking out your clothes be aware of the silhouettes that are prevalent in the fashion and the flow of the outfit. Lolita coordinates require careful consideration!

The most common type of lolita blouse is a button-down shirt with a peter-pan collar, which is a round type of collar. Remember that lolita is a modest fashion- high collars, sleeves, and layers are necessary to properly pull off the look. Think elegance and modesty.

Make sure that your petticoat is the right shape! A square-dancing petticoat will not fit under a bell-shaped skirt correctly; you need a bell-shaped petticoat for a bell-shaped skirt.

Boots are common too in some gothic or punk lolita styles. Another classic type of shoe is the rocking-horse shoe, which features a simple style top with a large chunk of wood at the bottom to add height. Rocking-horse shoes often feature a curved front and a part cut-out of the back.

Parasols cute jewelry Frilled and themed handbags Wrist cuffs

Wigs are often used in the fashion but are certainly not required. Headbands and head bows are very popular, easy, and safe choices to decorate and add volume to a look. Other options are rectangular headdress, top hats, hair clips, bonnets, sunhats, or tricorn hats.

Make-up isn’t always necessary for a lolita look. If you don’t want to wear make-up, it’s fine to leave it off and let your clothes do the work of the style. In fact, in the style originally, makeup was light, or nonexistent.

If you have one, make your wig match your specific style. More natural styles will suit Classic or Gothic than a sugary Sweet coord.

Ouji (prince), is a more masculine related style. It does not involve the iconic petticoats and skirts of lolita. Instead, short capri-style pants that cut off at the knee and usually have details on them such as lace-edged cuffs or ruffles are worn. Kodona, or “boy style,” is similar to Ouji, in that pants are exchanged for petticoats, but shorts or pumpkin shorts are worn instead of pants, and mini top hats are more common than top hats in this style. Kodona focuses on cuteness rather than a princely appearance. Other common additions to your look are suspenders, ties, vests, and long socks. The more extravagant styles can include things like spats, canes, top hats, and other Victorian accessories.

You can’t be “too ugly” for the style. The focus is on appreciating the style of your clothing and what makes you happy. Experiment some to see what you like, and build your style off of that.

Likewise, anime conventions and j-fashion conventions are often places to meet fellow lolitas. Many conventions have lolita panels, meets, or swap-meets where you can meet new lolitas, socialize, and sometimes even buy lolita items in person.

OP = One Piece (dress with sleeves) JSK = Jumperskirt (a dress with straps, no sleeves) SK = Skirt (a heckin’ lolita skirt) Cutsew = a pieced cotton shirt- not as fancy as a blouse, often knit. OTT = Over The Top (referring to how a style is executed in a way that is described as extravagant. The person may be wearing a lot of hair clips or have an especially fancy coordinate. ) “Brand” = Refers to popular lolita brands. Motif = This refers to a reoccurring subject of the dress or coordinate. Ex: apples, breakfast, or Alice in Wonderland. Comm = Community (of lolitas or fans of alternate fashion in general) Concrit = Constructive criticism (the only type of criticism that is helpful to you) Coord = An outfit (short for coordinate) Kawaii = This is the Japanese word for cute. Usually, kawaii is used instead of cute when referring to a specific style originating in Japan. Be careful using this word, it can be cringe-inducing. Best to just use it as a search term. For a more extensive list of common terms, visit [15] X Research source

Ex: apples, breakfast, or Alice in Wonderland.

BtSSB = Baby the Stars Shine Bright (first official lolita brand) AP = Angelic Pretty (most popular lolita brand) IW = Innocent world (a classic style lolita brand) AatP = Alice and the Pirates (BtSSB’s sister brand who focuses more on elegant clothing) Moitie (aka MmM) = Moi-même-Moitié (a gothic lolita brand) Meta = Metamorphose temps de Fille

Ita = A name used for someone whose coord is particularly bad or cheap. It comes from the Japanese word “itai” which means “ouch. " This term is hurtful, so refrain from using it, even if you see others who do. Provide concrit instead of using this word, please. Brolita = Usually a cis male lolita. This term is inaccurate and outdated because a male lolita is simply a lolita. Try not to use this term. Lace Monster = A coordinate with excessive and/or cheap lace. Also not nice to use, so please refrain from using it even if you see others doing so. Here’s a link to tell if your lace is cheap. [16] X Research source