Lolita 45 Questions, A Decade Late
This is a questionnaire that was passed around on EGL back in the summer of 2005, 10.5 years ago. You can see the original post here: LOLITA 50 QUESTION, the answers, and an on-going community of answers that was last posted to in 2013.
I though it might be interesting to revive it and answer it a decade later.
- Please tell us your Hand Name (name that’s used ONLY in internet.) and hometown.
“Handname” or “Handle” are both dated terms for “screen name” or username. In this case, my screen name is Raine Dragon (though I sometimes use rainedragon on systems that don’t permit spaces). I live in Maryland, USA. I would note that no-one should ever post their hometown / town they were born in on the internet as it’s often used as a password recovery question these days.
- About how long is your history as a Lolita?
I’ve been a lolita since 2008/2009-ish, so ~ 7-ish years? I’m always bad at this. - What first motivated you to do Lolita fashion?
I became interested in lolita fashion through pixel art. I was asked to create some online paperdoll clothing for a website I was working with in the lolita style. I had a couple online friends who where lolita as well.
- After knowing Lolita fashion, have you had any time-gap or resistance till you actually started to be Lolita?
Yes. I saw advertisements for lolita and kamekazi girls in manga magazines for a few years before I became interested in the style myself.
- Please define your Lolita style as much as possible. (eg. gothic Lolita, sweet Lolita, white Lolita…. Etc).
Ok, so the options here are Gothic, Sweet or Shiro (white). I wear sweet and classic, personally. With a little bit of punk and decololi.
- About how many Lolita friends do you have?
Back in the day, I’m sure these were manageable numbers! In fact, the few answers I looked at from 2005 were all lone lolita, or only had one or two lolita friends. I can’t imagine what they would have thought about how many lolita there are today. I can safely say I have dozens of lolita friends around the world, and my local community has a few hundred lolita in it!
- What is the best thing about doing Lolita?
I so want to edit this question to “wearing”. But anyways, this ties back to the previous question; I love how many amazing people I’ve met through lolita.
- Conversely, what’s the worst thing?
Probably the drama / hate. I don’t like it when people are mean to each other.
- Which Lolita Brands do you like?
Angelic Pretty and Innocent World are my favorite two.
- What was the first Lolita item that you’ve owned?
My first lolita items were from bodyline. Their bunny pockets set in sax, and a sax candy print skirt.
- What is the “must have!” Lolita item?
A good petticoat. Everything else is really felixible, but a good petticoat can make or break things, IMHO.
- Do you wear drawers?
She means bloomers, and yes I do.
- Do you have any favorite Japanese music?
Lolita fashion used to be more tightly interwoven with other aspects of Japanese pop culture than I think it is today, especially the music scene. I don’t really listen to much Japanese music.
- Where do you particularly visit as Lolita?
I wear lolita to conventions, and meetups. Outside of that, sometimes I wear lolita around the house, shopping, or to restaurants.
- About how many times per week do you dress as Lolita?
Less than once a week ;___;
- Please tell us about one embarrassing episode from the time when you were
just beginning Lolita.
The worst thing I can think of is that I almost bought from Milanoo.
- What’s hairstyle and color that you think Lolita would suite the most?
Ouch. This question is brutal, and would never be written like this today! It would instead ask “what is your favorite hair style to wear with lolita”. That said, I’ll bite. I think the ideal hair style and color for lolita is… whatever looks best on the lolita wearing it! (I can’t do it! I can’t say “Hime cut is the only way” or “You must be blonde and curly”! XD) Longer hair with some wave or curls and natural colors are my personal preferences though.
- Have you ever thought of stopping Lolita? The reason?
Yes. It’s expensive and sometimes I think about it and try to decide if I should just sell everything and invest the money or something that is a little more responsible. I don’t know. I can afford it, but at the same time, sometimes I get nervous about things.
- Please tell us your heart’s bible as a Lolita. (anything like a book, magazine, CD, idol…)
The book “A Little Princess”. I try to conduct myself like Sarah, with a heart open to wonder, and kindness in the face of adversity.
- Do you own a doll? Tell us your feelings about her intensely!
I INTENSELY DO NOT OWN A DOLL. I do have little cats. THEY ARE INTENSELY CUTE
- What kind of make-up do you wear when you wear Lolita clothes?
I’m really bad at make up. I tend to wear office lady make up + more blush + more eyelashes with some glitter sometimes.
- Have you ever secretly changed clothes in a train station bathroom on Lolita day-out?
No, no I have not. XD I have changed in the office bathroom after work though.
- Are you composed when doing Lolita all by yourself?
Wearing lolita by myself in public doesn’t typically bother me. I only feel uncomfortable when people are actively being rude or disruptive to me.
- How much do you spend in your Lolita clothes & accessories monthly?
I probably spent, on average, $200 per month, last year. However, I also sold a bunch of things.
- What is the most expensive Lolita thing you’ve bought so far? How much was it?
Angelic Pretty’s Star Night Theater Bare JSK in Blue. It was new with tags, and had the choker and hip bows included. It cost me about ~$750 USD
- So far about how much has the expense been for Lolita goods?
I really don’t want to think about it. I could probably buy a car.
- Lolita outfit really costs money. How do you raise money to cover the cost of
Lolita?
I have a job. I am a grownup. It is sad.
- Have you ever bought from an online store? If so, please tell us its good
and bad points and some advice for the future. If not, please tell us why not.
This question is so dated! XD Yes, I’ve bought from lots of online stores, it’s quite common now days. I buy from AP, IW, Putumayo, Baby, Meta, Closet Child, Kera Shop, F.i.n.t. and others
- Even if you sort of want to keep it a secret, please clandestinely tell us
about a private manufacturer that is the best.
Hmmm, I guess my “best kept secrets” would be Wistcuffs from Belladonna, underskirts from Little Dipper, and headdresses from Sweet Mildred.
- Is there a brand and/or an item that you think, “I could never get it! But I unreasonably want it!”?
Le Premire Cri De Prophet from JetJ. It won’t fit me, so I’d have to have it majorly altered and it’s worth so much / so expensive that I can’t justify it.
- What do you think about people who only do Lolita at music-lives or cosplay?
Oh, wow, this is really dated too. So it’s kinda a “what do you think about lolita who only wear it at conventions” type of question. Only, back in the day, like I said above, lolita was tied more to the music scene than it is today (at least it’s not so tightly tied in the west anymore), so this question made more sense.That said, personally, I don’t think poorly of people who only wear lolita at conventions. I think there is certainly a “type” of person who cosplays as a lolita at conventions, and they tend to have a bag costume type lolita dress, which they wear as a costume. I probably would just ignore that sort of person. They aren’t “real” lolita, and they typically don’t really care about wearing the fashion as a fashion.Lolita who are actual lolita and only wear it at conventions I’m not going to judge either because being a grown up can be time consuming. XD
- From what age to what age is it acceptable to do Lolita? Do you think that there’s a state in which someone must graduate from Lolita? (you can answer as ‘never graduate’)
Graduating is a term used by Japanese idols in girls music groups when they are too old to continue in their position. They “graduate” and another girl takes their place. It’s used outside of girl-bands too, really it’s just a term for “retiring”.
That said, I do not think there are any age restrictions on lolita. Wear it at any age you would like!
- Is there a Lolita fashion or behavior that you think “I don’t want Lolitas to do this!” about?
Yes. It makes me sad when lolita support groups like Anime Matsuri which take advantage of lolita. It makes me sad when lolita support replica makers. It makes me sad when lolita are rude to strangers, especially children and old people who are curious but not being rude to the lolita. It also makes me sad when lolita are cruel to each other purposefully. - Is there something you think “Lolita has to be this way!” about?
Absolutely no pants! In all seriousness, no, not really. You need to get enough of the basics correct for it to be “lolita”, but there is always room for bending the rules on any one point or another
- While doing Lolita, has something changed from earlier than you did Lolita?
I think this is supposed to say “Has the way you wear lolita changed over the years?”. In which case, I can say yes. I don’t wear twin tails, and I wear a lot more boleros.
- Do you go to school/work as Lolita?
Only on Halloween.
- Do you wear Lolita clothes as casual wear?
Sometimes. Getting dressed up is a lot of work!
- Do you have a boyfriend (or husband)? Do you understand each other? (I think she meant “Does he understand you (as lolita)?”)
I’m dating another lolita. It makes life easy. 😛
- What do the people around you think of your doing Lolita? Do they accept it?
My grandmother enjoys it, and one of my coworkers does as well. Everyone else seems to either tolerate it or have no real opinion (or they don’t know).
- What kind of Lolita is who has impressed you the most up until now?
I have so many lolita idols. *w* I love Caro-chan’s blog, as a lolita blogger!
- Have you ever made your own Lolita clothing or/and accessories? If so, what was the best item that you’ve made?
I’ve made rosettes, rings, crowns, headbands and other small accessories. I think my favorite was my black clock hand and rose crown.
- If you have an ideal Lolita outfit or coordination, please tell us.
I don’t, really. I like seeing the diversity and creativity in lolita, so I don’t really have one set idea of what the best coordinate would be.
- Is there a motif that you think “this is a symbol of Lolita”?
Crowns and royal crests, I think, remind me of lolita the most these days. Though those twirling marshmallow candies are really iconic to lolita too!
- Would you want to dress your children as Lolita?
I don’t intend to ever have children. I have kittens, and I have put clothing on them, but they seem to prefer sweaters to dresses and/or hats.
- What’s your image of the ideal Lolita?
That’s hard, probably something like this?
Love this questionaire. Might have to do it myself one day.
I began lolita back in 2012 so I’m comparatively new. I love seeing what people’s interpretation of lolita is so I really enjoyed reading this post
I loved this! Especially your cats, I might do this questionnaire myself although I’m a much newer lolita