The Victorian Maiden of Old

Hello everyone! Recently as I've been getting more into Lolita again, I'm seeing many changes from when I originally became interested in the Lolita style approximately eight years ago. One of these changes that I'm going to be talking about today is the typical Lifestyle Lolita.

 When I first learned about Lolita I took every opportunity I could to learn more about as many different aspects about the style as I could. While this didn't include buying due to my limited funds and the general lack of availability of Brand items, I learned about many different substyles and what was the Lolita culture at the time. One of the things that intrigued me greatly at this young age was the concept of the Lifestyle Lolita, a girl who completely dedicates her life to being as elegant and beautiful as possible in the Lolita fashion. The Lifestyle Lolita was a girl who was always dressed in beautiful clothing, wearing elegant nightgowns to bed and always being dressed in Lolita during the day. She would read peotry and drink tea, flounce and flutter everywhere she went, and had a very delicate personality. While at the time I had not yet watched Kamikaze Girls, my idea of what a Lifestyle Lolita was had become very similar to Momoko's. Being rougher around the edges and more of a tomboy in general, I bemoaned the fact that I would likely never be this perfect Lolita, this Lifestyle Lolita that I had pictured in my mind.

 While I still have my childhood views of a Lifestyle Lolita, in more recent times it has come to mean a very different thing. No longer must a girl be delicate and elegant to be a Lifestyle Lolita, drinking tea and daitily eating pastries. Anymore, all one has to do to be considered a Lifestyle Lolita is wear Lolita on a daily basis and surround themselves with cuteness and tea. Many of the girls I have seen in YouTube videos are much like me, rougher around the edges, but still fascinated with the elegance and cuteness of the Lolita styles. So, while the current definition of the term has changed, my fanciful dream is still in place. I don't expect more modern Lolitas to conform to my ideals, but someday I hope that I can become more like the elegant lady I wished to become.

Have fun wearing Lolita and don't let anyone tell you you're wrong or that you don't have the personality to wear such pretty dresses. As much as being a Lifestyle Lolita of old seems to come along with the fashion, in the end Lolita is just another style, like crop tops and skinny jeans. You don't have to fit into a specific mold to be able to wear what you love.

Enjoy~!

I'm on Twitter! @animlolicouture
Check out my fanpage (maintained by yours truly): www.facebook.com/CelesteChoCho