Lolita Taboo

Today’s Lolita Taboo is all about Cosplay With Lolita.

Recently I was asked if I wanted to appear on my friend’s YouTube channel, which I cannot give the information out yet because the episode is a secret.  I will update everyone once the video is up and include all of their information.  They want me to talk about Lolita.  On their channel they discuss comic books, anime, video games, cosplay, and the conventions they plan on attending.  I have cosplayed in the past but never made my own costume before.  For my friend’s channel I want to keep it relevant to their audience, so I decided I would go over the basics of Lolita, and talk about using Lolita for cosplay.

There are arguments about whether or not you can call a Lolita inspired cosplay, Lolita.  Some say yes because it is still called Lolita and has the poofy skirt, headdress, all the making of a regular Lolita coord.  Others say no because it is still a costume of a character, and when you look at the outfit, you just see the character in a Lolita Style.  More often than not, if you see a cosplay online that has a Lolita style to it, it probably has a #Lolita tag and a #Cosplay tag, but does that make it both?

For me personally, I would call costumes like these Lolita inspired, but its not something I would wear outside of a convention or costumed event, because in my mind it is a costume.  I always find other Lolita’s who really don’t like mixing the fashion with cosplay or trying to even remotely emulate a character through Lolita.  The reason being is that we as a fashion community already go through a lot when we try to explain to other’s that our fashion is just that; a fashion.  Once you add cosplay into the mix, the line between fashion and costume becomes blurred.

Cosplay Lolita is when someone takes a character from an anime, cartoon, TV show, Movie, Book, or any fandom and creates a Lolita outfit around them.  They keep as much detail as possible to the character’s original design however; the Wearer has decided to give the costume a Lolita look.

Here I found a picture where someone was cosplaying as the character on the left, and a girl decided to make a Lolita styled cosplay of the same character. The character is originally male, and so the cosplayer on the left decided to make a female version of this character.  It is perfectly acceptable to make a female version of a male character, however if you want your cosplay to be Lolita as well then there are guidelines that have to be followed.  Simply putting a little tag and calling it Lolita, doesn’t mean it actually is.  This cosplay is cute, however I don’t feel that it is Lolita.

Here is a good example of a Cosplay Lolita that is strongly leaning towards the character.  I feel that this particular Cosplayer used the correct components to call this Cosplay Lolita.  This girl is one of the Lolita’s in my community and online she goes by the name of Kinara-Hime.

Kinara has made a Lolita Harley Quinn.  Two of my favorite things in one!  You can imagine how excited I was to see this.  The skirt is bell shaped and it is at a flattering length, reaching the knees.  She opted for a plain white blouse that helped to balance the strong colors of the red and black.  I like that her hair bow matches her tights, and that she added the red bag and chose to wear red shoes.  I think that anyone looking at this would recognize it as Lolita, but you can also see the character.

Another Cosplay Lolita is when it only hints to being the character.  This can be done by using colors, accessories, and fabrics.  Such as this Doctor Who Cosplay.  The skirt and blouse makes for a good Classic Lolita look, however once you add the Fez and bowtie, its easy to recognize the character.  Other ways of doing a subtle Cosplay Lolita is by keeping your outfit to a theme, and this is something fun you can do in a group.  Example: dressing as the Disney Princesses, but everyone just wears a coord that is the same color as the princess they are dressed as, or wear prints that would match.

The best time to wear any Lolita Cosplay is at a convention where dressing up is encouraged.  You can also wear your Lolita Cosplay at an event such as a costume party, or if you are a part of a cosplaying community and someone is holding a meetup.  You could plan a photo shoot with friends to take pictures.  If you get some images out of the shoot that you like, you can display them online (and I might find them and put them on my blog, credit given to where it is deserved). Wearing a Cosplay Lolita at a regular Lolita meet up is frowned upon, and not appropriate at a un-costume themed event.

The most important thing about any Cosplay, is to have fun!  If you are planning a Cosplay Lolita, just remember that it should read as Lolita first and Cosplay second.  If you are not sure, just take a step back and ask yourself if the cosplay meets the anatomy of a Lolita coord?  Then ask yourself if the character you are trying to portray is still recognizable?  Have fun, and I hope this was informative and helpful.

If you would like to see more of Kinara-Hime's Cosplays, please visit her Facebook page.  If you have any Cosplay Lolita you would like to show, please comment with a link at the bottom!

https://www.facebook.com/KinaraHime?fref=ts

PS.  Thanks to my friend for all the assistance and editing :)