Crimson Reflections

As some people probably know, I have a fairly large stash of lolita publications. Among them are some of the earliest issues of Kera. I’ve seen timelimes that attribute the usage of the word lolita (ロリータ) to describe the fashion to events of 1998, so I’m currently looking for publications even older than Kera (the first issue of Kera was in 1998), to see if I can find things that look like the lolita fashion of that time under a different name (or the same name, which would debunk the best theory on the name I’ve found so far, unfortunately). Part of that search requires that I actually understand what “counted” as being lolita fashion in the late 90’s, and to do that, one has to look to the rules of that time frame.

Unfortunately, I can’t read Japanese, so I’m forced to reply on OCR Software + my own meticulous copying of characters + online translation, so some of my translation of this is imperfect (and I would absolutely welcome corrections!)

Bag
Basic purse, or for summer, a straw bag. You can even decorate it with artificial flowers.

Hair
A basic perm is easy to arrange. If you have long hair, you can cut it to be cute like a princess.

Onepiece
Wear a petticoat of lace under the skirt to inflate it. It is made from a cute gingham check. The policy is… absolutely no pants!

Apron
To match the onepiece, add a children’s apron. (I believe the last sentence says something like “It’s even more lolita-like with an apron”)

Socks
Knee-high or thigh-high socks with lace are recommended. Do not wear Gal stockings.

Bear
A Vivienne teddy bear is the favorite of everyone, and an indispensable item in lolita.

Shoes
For a cute look, wear a rounded shoe. Platforms are good, but they shouldn’t be too high.

Sections in Japanese (there are some missing / incorrect spots. I corrected the OCR where I noticed and could, but I’m far from a professional translator.):

バッグ
「基本は手提げ バッグ。
夏になったら、麦わらのバッグとかもカワイイよ。
造花とかで自分でアレンジしてもグッド!」

ヘア
「基本的に パーマがかかって いる ほうがアレンジしやすい。
髪が長いなら姫カッ卜がカワイイ。
あとはつけ毛も愛用してるよ!」

ワンピース
「レースのペチコートをはいてスカートをふくらませるのがコツ。
柄はギンガムチェックがカワイイ。
パンツは絶対には     かないのがポリシー」

エプロン
「MILKのワンピースに合わせて, 小さい頃実際に使っていたエプロンをコーディネイトしました。
エプロンがあるとロリータ度がUPするよ」

くつ下
「レース付きのハイソックスやニーソックスがオススメ」
ストッキソグとかギャル系の靴下をはかないのが鉄 (?) !
おすすめのぉ店は : ルーシイルウ.

くま
「ヴィヴィアンの夕オルでできたクマちゃんは、 みいなのお気に入る」。ロリ一夕には欠かせないアイテムだからー匹は持っていよう

クツ
「おでこ靴で足を丸くてカワイイ感じに見せる。形はス卜ラップシューズがオススメ。でも,ヒールが高すぎるのはダメ」