FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Where do you get your lolita clothes?
A. I put together my wardrobe from many different different sources over the years. Some items I bought directly from brands, some secondhand, and some is handmade I have sewn myself or purchased from online sources. My closet is a mixture of Japanese brand, indie brand, handmade and items from other sources.

Q. Do you have any stores you'd recommend for a beginner lolita?
A. While some do start purchasing from Bodyline and Fanplusfriend, I suggest trying the Lacemarket first instead. Lacemarket is a secondhand sales community, but you can often find good deals and many different style of items there. 

Both BL and F+F stray outside of the lolita guidelines from time to time so be careful from ordering there. I also recommend finding a lolita mentor, as they can help you with finding good lolita finds on Bodyline, F+F and other online shops. 

For more info on purchasing lolita, please see the third part of my Lolita Beginner's Guide.

Q. What is a lifestyle lolita?
A. To be a lolita all you need to do is wear the fashion, but lifestyle lolitas want a bit more than that. 

A lifestyle lolita is someone who wears lolita fashion daily (or close to) and tries to live life a bit more 'frilly'. They could be dedicated to following a more Victorian lifestyle, by practicing the era's form of etiquette and hobbies popular in that era. Some lifestylers decorate their home in a more lolita fashion, in sweet, gothic, and other styles popular in the fashion. One lifestyle lolita can live a life radically different between another lifestyler, it truly differs between each person.

Q. Where can I find a lolita fashion community?
A. There are many communities both online and in cities/provinces/states/countries worldwide. You can find a large list of regional communities here. As for online communities, I highly recommend EGL, the largest online lolita fashion community, and Harajuju, an online J-Fashion community.