♥ Posing Like A Lolita ♥

In my opinion, the most difficult thing about lolita fashion is knowing how to pose. Even with my past experiences with cosplay, I still had a very difficult time with posing. With cosplay, I had just copied poses directly from the source material, but in lolita you can't exactly do the same thing. You can copy model poses out of Gothic Lolita Bibles and other publications, but not every pose will work for everyone.

I know others also have had or continue to have trouble with poses that suit the lolita fashion, so I've decided I would make a little guide in posing for lolita to try to help! This guide includes both photos as well as drawn examples, featuring a character of mine from an upcoming webcomic!

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The Smile & Expressions

The hardest part of posing for photos is making your facial expression look natural and comfortable. This can be a very difficult thing, especially if you're not used to being photographed. 

The most important thing is your smile. A full smile is great for well-angled candid shots, but otherwise tends to make photos look uncomfortable. A small/half smile is perfect for photos, as it looks delicate and also hides gums and teeth. A closed smile can also be nice. They're great for close-ups, but don't come across as well for full photos. Silly faces also work really for dynamic poses and can be cute!

It's good to give yourself a range of facial expressions in photos, in order to learn what face works best for you. Practicing in a mirror also helps you learn the right 'angles' for your face and  how to control your expression.

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Selfies and Close-Ups

Almost everyone in this generation is guilty of 'the selfie'. I think selfies are a nice and cute way to show of your hair, makeup, and general look! Selfies are also nice practice for getting your expressions and angles right for a photoshoot setting later on.

The two most important things for close-ups and selfies (and photography in general) is the lighting and the angles. In lolita fashion, it's good to take photos in natural light or in shadows. It's very important to not use too powerful lighting, as it can wash out the details in your outfit. For super-close-up style photos, you can use strong lighting as a way to wash out features. It's a very cool look for gothic, aristo and boystyle!

It's good to vary your angles in your photography, but the most flattering angle is definitely holding the camera at a slightly higher angle. It makes your eyes look larger! slightly turning your face to the left or tight makes the photo look much cuteer! If you have a nose you're not happy about, it's good to look straight-on to the camera, to make it look smaller.

[Photo Source - Frilly Pink Dreams]

Another good look for close-ups is the cute 'hand on face' pose. Holding ones hand on the cheek or chin can look very cute or playful, depending on how the face is held. It is a nice and carefree pose!

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Leg Posing

One of the most difficult part of posing for me is figuring out what to do with my legs, haha. After reading many lolita magazines and studying poses, I found two (technically three) poses that work for almost everyone.

"The Straight and Narrow"

[Photo Source - Lunie Chan ]

 This pose is really easy and simple. Just keep your legs completely straight and point your toes forward. This make your legs look slimmer - no matter which angle they're taken from!

The "pigeon toed" look isn't much different from this and does look very cute. Though, a good thing to keep in mind with when pointing your toes together is 'keep it subtle'. Rocking your feet to their side or pushing your toes together so that you can nearly see the sides of your shoes is far too much. Just point them subtly together, only a little, for that cute look.

With this pose you can also have one leg slightly behind the other, for a more mature or formal look.

[ Source - BTSSB Ad]

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"The Dainty Princess"

This is a very popular pose and one of my favourites! It really flatters almost all types of legs, but especially flatters those that are thicker or more muscular. You want to just subtly push your one leg farther back, but not enough to look forced, or like a curtsy. If you are unable to stay balanced, you're pushing your leg too far bag. It's just a simple half-step back, keeping the weight on the tip of your toe.

[ Photo Source - (left) Brookellebeebs (right) AP ad ]

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Arm Posing

When trying to pose, I find my arms tend to flop over to my side too often. It gets boring and often looks tired and makes coords look frumpy. Confident arms makes a confident outfit!

"The Superhero"

This pose is the most basic and often poses used for models and in runways, for good reason. By placing your arms on your waist, it makes it look slimmer and more defined. This pose is also great for a confident looking model! Be careful if you have wide or thick shoulders, this pose does accent them.

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"The Lady"

This pose is really great for keeping an innocent or sweet look. It works very well for both classic and sweet outfits! By placing your arms together in a "V" shape, it creates a slimming look to your waist and also pushes your shoulders inward, creating a soft and sweet look. This pose can look a little plain with straight-posed legs, so it's good to pose the legs crossed or dynamically to avoid a boring look.

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"The Magical Girl"

This pose does look a little "Japanese Tourist" but it's still a very cute pose! The hand-on-waist-look give that extra bit of definition to the waist, and the lifted arm helps create less of a boxy looking frame. The "V" sign adds a little splash of kawaii to this otherwise plain pose! You can also change the posing of the hand in a 'cat paw' pose or another other cute hand-signs to keep things fresh.

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I do apologize for the length of this guide! I wanted to get all the bases covered, haha. I hope this helped!
What poses are your favourite? Are there any poses not in this guide that you love? 

Thanks for reading!